Billy Clarke was caught off-guard when a coach asked him to join the New Kensington High School wrestling team as a sophomore.
“At the time, I didn’t realize we even had a wrestling team,” said Clarke, a 1966 Ken High graduate.
“I was walking through the hall, and Leonard Hoak, who was the wrestling coach, stopped me,” Clarke said. “He asked how much I weighed, and I said I don’t know. You don’t think of those things when you’re 16 years old. He said we can use someone like you.”
A week later, Clarke showed up for a wrestling workout, sparking a stellar career representing the fledgling Ken High program.
Over three seasons, Clarke compiled a 37-2 record in the lighter weight classes for the Red Raiders. As a senior, he became the school’s first wrestler to qualify for the state tournament.
For his trailblazing efforts on the mat, Clarke will be honored at the All-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame’s 55th induction banquet, May 16 at the Pittsburgh Shriners Center, Harmar.
“I was really surprised and excited,” the 77-year-old Clarke said of his selection. “It’s just an honor that you appreciate. I’d like to pass along to the younger students (at the banquet) that if I can do it, they can do it, too.”
Clarke started his wrestling career as an 88-pound sophomore.
“The coach would let us wrestle up in weight if he thought we could get points for the team,” he said. “There were a couple of times when I weighed 88 pounds, but wrestled at 103 and 112 pounds.
For his junior and senior seasons, Clarke moved up to the 103 and 112 classes, respectively.
“I think what made me a good wrestler was my speed and strength,” he said. “I was probably a little bit stronger than most young men my size. I was always quick and loved to compete.”
In addition to his dominance in dual meets, Clarke captured county and regional tournament titles during his career. To close out his senior season, he was the only Ken High wrestler to advance to the 1966 state tournament, held in Washington, Pa.
“It was just the coach and me driving down to little Washington for states,” he said. “When we got there, most of the other schools had two, three or four wrestlers there. I felt lonely but excited.”
Clarke quickly realized that he was facing the stiffest competition of his career.
“In my three years, I don’t think I was taken down by another wrestler more than once or twice,” he said. “In the state tourney, there was a guy who took me down twice in one match.”
Still, Clarke came home with a second-place finish in the state.
After his senior season, Clarke said he started to receive college scholarship offers, including one from Iowa.
“I knew Iowa was a big wrestling school,” he said. “But the schools were only offering partial scholarships. I was raised by my grandparents and didn’t want to put a financial burden on them.”
Instead, Clarke was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served from 1967-70, including a yearlong tour in Vietnam.
After leaving the military, Clarke worked for Verizon in Fort Wayne, Ind., for 38 years. Now retired, he lives with his wife, Sheila, in Hernando, Fla.
“Wherever we’ve lived, I’ve tried to go watch the wrestling team at the local high school,” Clarke said. “I love watching the Olympics and Greco-Roman wrestling.”
Clarke said he’s looking forward to returning home for the A-K banquet. He fondly recalled his early years living on Second Avenue in New Kensington.
“To me, I don’t think anyone could have had a better childhood than growing up in New Ken,” he said. “Everyone was family. No matter where you went, you were considered family.”
Besides Clarke, the Class of 2026 features:
Bill Callahan – Valley, Pitt, Steelers football
Jeff DeSantes – Burrell, Geneva football
Dick DeVenzio – Springdale, Duke basketball (posthumous)
Dave Fortun – Springdale soccer, coaching
Crystal Heder Kosecki – Kiska Area, IUP soccer
Scott McKillop – Kiski Area, Pitt, 49ers football
Cecil Smith – Valley track, football (posthumous)
1965 Arnold baseball team
1985 Deer Lakes girls basketball team
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by visiting akhof.com.