Selections for the 37th edition of the Utica Redskins Athletic Hall of Fame were announced.
This year, five worthy additions will join the list of 166 former Redskins who have already been inducted. Max Spray, Alan Varrasso, Matt Warthman, David Baker, Jr., and Justin Dassylva make up the 2023 class of Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
Max Spray
Max Spray, a 1975 graduate of Utica, is being recognized for his accomplishments in track. Almost 50 years after he set a school record in the shot put event, Spray still holds the distance record in that event. That mark is at 51 feet, 3.75 inches, and is the oldest Utica track record still on the board. Spray was a big man; he stood approximately 6’5 and was known to his friends as the “Gentle Giant.” He lettered in track all four years and also made his presence known on the gridiron. He played tackle on the football field for Utica all four years of high school in addition to his older brothers, Mike (Class of 1971) and Wayne (Class of 1974).
Spray died in 2006 at the age of 49. He will be represented at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony by his widow, Brenda, and children, Yvonne Young, Joetta Sheppard, Andrew Spray, and Mollie Spray.
Alan Varrasso
If there ever was an athlete who did not look the part from a physical perspective, Alan Varrasso fit that bill. But, the tall, lanky athlete more than made up for his appearance with his natural athletic talent in football and basketball for the Redskins. Varrasso was a senior at Utica when the school made its first-ever state playoff appearance in football after Utica finished the 1991 season with a record of 10-0. He played tight end on offense and outside linebacker on defense for the Redskins, who were the Buckeye Athletic Conference (BAC) champions that season. In basketball, he was a forward. His athletic abilities were reflected in the post-season awards he earned in both sports. He was named to the first team All-BAC and All District in both football and basketball and first team All-District in football. He also was named Second Team All-District and Honorable Mention All Ohio in basketball.
Matt Warthman
In Utica sports history, the 1990s were quite a time for boys athletics. In addition to the football team’s success, league championships in basketball and baseball were soon to follow. Matt Warthman was among the many talented athletes who performed and achieved. The 1993 graduate made his mark in basketball and was named Honorable Mention All-District, Second Team All-BAC, and received the Agonis Team Honorable Mention Award. But, he really set high standards in baseball. In his junior year, Utica went to the State Championship Game in Division-3 and finished with a record of 28 wins and just two losses en route to a State Runner-up title. Warthman, a first baseman, played an important role in that run to the State. The left hander powered many monster home runs over the right field fences. Before he graduated, Warthman also collected honors in baseball as First Team All-BAC, First Team All -District, and First Team All-State; he was one of six players for Utica named First Team All-State in 1992.
David Baker, Jr.
Basketball, track, and cross country were the sports for David Baker, Jr. Although he was good in basketball, he was exceptional in the running sports. He was a State qualifier in both cross country and track. He finished 13th in the state in track and still holds the school record of 9:46.49 in the two-mile, set in 1997. He also was a member of the school record relay team that included Justin Humphrey, Dustin Swartzenberger, and Jon Hostasa.
Justin Dassylva
Justin Dassylva was a bit different from the other inductees in that he was not a multi-sport guy. But, the 2010 graduate left no doubt to Redskins fans that his sport of excellence was basketball. He had such a talent for the roundball sport that during the 2005-2006 season, former Utica head basketball coach Mike Delaney had the eighth-grade team play a game before the varsity team in the high school gym to showcase Dassylva’s hard-court talents. Dassylva was a four-year starter as a point guard in high school and is fifth in career points scored in Utica boys’ basketball with 1,097 points – 11 points more than his older brother, Jared (who also is a Hall of Fame member) scored. Dassylva was selected First Team All-League and All-District each of his four years as well as Honorable Mention All-Ohio his senior year.
Official induction ceremonies will take place beginning at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3 in the Utica High School cafeteria. The inductees will also be recognized later that evening before the start of the Utica-Lakewood boys basketball game. In addition to individual inductees through the years, the list includes 10 people who are honorary members for their support of Utica athletics.
