2012 SOL Lifetime Achievement Awards

The Suburban One League celebrated its 90th anniversary on Thursday, April 19, with a banquet at Williamson Restaurant in Horsham. A highlight of the evening was the recognition of the following seven 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

George Collins (Presenter – Kevin Munnelly)
- Harry S Truman athletic director 2005-11

- Health and physical education teacher for 34 years (12 years as department chair at FDR)

- Coached soccer, baseball and basketball at FDR

- Head coach of boys’ soccer for 20 years at Delhaas and Truman

- Recognized by the BCCT as the Boys Soccer Coach of the Year in 1975, the year his Delhaas Tigers won the Lower Bucks County League championship

- Started Truman girls’ soccer program in 1983 and head coach for eight years
- Founder of the Truman Varsity Club, which in three years raised nearly $20,000 for community organizations serving needy in Bucks County
- Inducted into the Bristol Township Hall of Fame for Distinguished Service in 2011
- Retired from the Bristol Township School District after 41 years of dedicated service in August 2012
 

Michael Dougherty (Presenter –Bart Szarko)
- Athletic director at Central Bucks South until his retirement in 2011
- Previously served as athletic director of Central Bucks West 2001-04
- Head baseball coach at Central Bucks East and District 1 representative (1978-83, 1998-2001)
- Head girls’ tennis coach at Central Bucks East and District 1 representative (1983-86, 1988-91)
- Head boys’ tennis coach at Central Bucks East (1986-87)
- Head golf coach at Central Bucks East and District 1 representative (1984-93, 1996-2001)
- Assistant football coach (1984-93, 1996-2001)
- Member of District One Steering Committee
- Treasurer Suburban One League and chairperson of Budget Committee and Officials’ Fees Committee
- USPTR Tennis Professional (1984-present)

Ernest Gash (Presenter - Kevin Munnelly)
- Officiated cross country, track and swimming at all levels, including league, district and state
- Central Bucks East athletic director from 1977-89
- Attended La Salle College on a full swimming scholarship
- First boys’ head swim coach at William Tennent and later the first girls’ head swim coach. Gash also started the first AAU swim team for Tennent
- Established the AAU swim team for the first time in 1969 for the Central Bucks school system
- Transferred to Central Bucks East in 1970 where he coached boys cross country and swimming
- Secretary and assigner for the Bux-Mont Swimming Chapter
- Gash helps assign officials for college and high school cross country, track and swimming
- Served as meet manager for cross country and track in the SOL, including the league championships at Lehigh University

Michael Holland (Presenter – Buff Raddick)
- Principal of Council Rock High School South 2001-07
- Assistant principal (1996-2001)
- Men’s basketball coach at Beaver College (1989-97)
- Men’s basketball coach at Montgomery County Community College (1981-89)
- Co-founder of the Philadelphia National Pro-Am Basketball League (1985)
- Founder of Martin Luther King All-Star Basketball Classic (1986)
- Founder of Montgomery County Community Basketball Camp (1986)
- Head boys’ basketball coach at Council Rock (1974-81)
- Founder of Council Rock community basketball program (1974)
- Member of West Chester University Basketball Hall of Fame (1991)
- NAIA District 19 Coach of the Year (1992-93)
- PA Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (1993-94, 1995-96)
- President of Suburban One League (2003-07)
- Council Rock School District Athletic Hall of Fame (2009)
- Lower Merion School District Basketball Hall of Fame (2010)

Gary Kochersperger (Presenter – Scott Layer)
- Athletic director at Upper Moreland
- Attended the University of Southern Mississippi on a full basketball scholarship
- Drafted by the New York Knicks
- Head boys basketball coach at Upper Moreland
- District One Basketball Coach of the Year
- Assistant baseball and track coach at Upper Moreland
- Member of District One Steering Committee
- Member of Suburban One Membership Committee and Officials Committee
- District One volleyball chairperson
- District One basketball chairperson
- Chairperson of Suburban One American Conference basketball

Rodney Stone (Presenter – Michael Dougherty)
- Principal at Central Bucks West and later Central Bucks South
- Athletic director at Central Bucks West (1985-92)
- PIAA District One Wrestling Steering Committee Chairperson (1989-92)

- PIAA District One Treasurer
- PIAA District One Chairperson (1994-Present)
- PIAA Board of Directors Vice President (2000-06)
- PIAA Board of Directors President (2007-Present)
- Chairman PIAA Board of Directors: Human Resources & Strategic Planning Committee
- Head wrestling coach at Central Bucks West (1974-92) where he had five undefeated seasons, led the Bucks to the 1981 District One and SE Regional titles, was named Bux-Mont Coach of the Year four times, PIAA District One coach of the year once, and SOL Coach of the Year once.
- Served on Suburban One Membership Visitation Committees
- PSADA Member (Treasurer 1991-92)
- Central Bucks/Central Bucks High School West Hall of Fame
- SE Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame Inductee

F. David Yates (Presenter – Dennis Warg)

- Suburban One League President (1999-2001)

- Principal at Council Rock High School (1993-2001)
- Interim administrator, assisted in opening of Council Rock South (2001-02)
- Interim principal at Plymouth Whitemarsh (2002-03), Klinger Middle School (2004) and Moorestown High School (2004-07)
- Assistant Principal/Athletic Director, Bristol High School
- Head football coach (1975-76), assistant football coach (1970-74)
- Head women’s basketball coach (1971-72)
  

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