CHESWICK — Scott McKillop did it all for Kiski Area during his time wearing multiple Cavaliers uniforms.
He was a standout linebacker on the football team and set a tackles record.
McKillop was a two-time individual WPIAL wrestling champion and placed second in the open 400 meters at the WPIAL track and field championships.
He went on to have an All-American career as a Pitt linebacker, leading the nation in tackles, before a two-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers.
The well-traveled McKillop built a memorable career in athletics, and he was able reminisce about the foundation he built in the Alle-Kiski Valley, drawing on family, friends, coaches, teachers and other mentors for shaping his legacy Saturday evening at the 55th Alle-Kiski Valley Sport Hall of Fame induction banquet at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center in Cheswick.
“This (HOF induction) was something that I never thought about,” said McKillop who became emotional when taking about the dedication of his late mother, Monika, and late father, Bob, who he wished could have been at the banquet to share in his enshrinement.
“Some people play sports and do things for certain reason. I just did it to do it and have fun and work to be the best I could be. My family was a big part of my ‘why.’ And I wouldn’t be here without them. Being a father and a husband, it is such a blessing to share this evening and honor with them along with others special to me.”
McKillop joined the other members of the Class of 2026: individual inductees Billy Callahan (football, Valley, Pitt, Steelers), William “Billy Jo” Clarke (wrestling, New Kensington), Jeff DeSantes (football, Burrell, Geneva College), Dave Fortun (soccer, Springdale), Crystal Heder Kosecki (soccer, Kiski Area, IUP), the late Dick DeVenzio (basketball, Springdale, Duke University) and the late Cecil Smith (track, football, Valley).
Dave DeVenzio, brother of Dick DeVenzio, and Carlos Smith, the son of Cecil Smith, spoke on behalf of their family members.
The enshrinement ceremony was a celebration of the rich history of athletics in the A-K Valley as the inductees offered stories and memories of their times of growth in the area’s many close-knit communities.
Two teams also were enshrined: the 1965 Arnold WPIAL baseball champions and the 1985 Deer Lakes girls basketball WPIAL and PIAA champions.
To date, the Lancers are the only A-K Valley girls basketball team to have won a PIAA title.
“These girls accomplished those championships 41 years ago, and people still talk about it,” that team’s head coach, Don Favero, said.
“The last time we were together as a team at the end of that season, I told them that this is not to be the most important thing that you ever do. It was great, and I will always embrace it with gratitude. But I challenged them to go out and change the world, and they did that.”
Arnold baseball defeated bigger Beaver Falls, 11-1, at Forbes Field to claim WPIAL gold. Several team members from that season 61 years ago were in attendance Saturday.
“It was a great season,” team member John Mazur said. “There are so many great memories. We loved playing down at Forbes Field.”
Fortun enjoyed a stellar career as the goalkeeper for the Dynamos during the program’s golden stretch of winning in the 1960s.
He holds the distinction of being the starting goalkeeper on WPIAL championship teams in the same calendar year. Springdale won gold in the spring of 1965 and again later in the year when the WPIAL and PIAA moved boys soccer to the fall.
Fortun’s double-title accomplishment will never be matched.
He went on to enjoy a 55-year soccer coaching career in the area.
“I was blessed to be along for a special ride,” Fortun said, grateful of his many standout moments in the sport.
A dozen former inductees — Tim Basilone (2005), Dianne Haney (2022), Bob Hepler (2017), Fred Paganelli (2024), Larry Lutz (2016), BB Flenory (1997), Tony Recchia (2024), Tom Saulle (2023), Mark McCloud (2013), Cliff Guy (2005), Bengy Pryor (2008) and Dr. Terri Gizienski-Ulewicz (2012) — attended the evening’s festivities and were recognized.
The hall of fame honored the memory of past inductees Dave Meloni (1981 inductee), Bob Long (1977), Harry “Shorty” Crytzer (2022), Joe Horning (1997) and Joe Stone (1998), who died within the past year. The group was remembered with a moment of silence led by hall of fame board member George Guido.
While the history of athletics in the A-K Valley was celebrated Saturday evening, so too was the present with recognition of area high school standouts for their accomplishments during the 2025-26 school year.
Honored for their efforts were Kiski Area’s Mario Hutcherson (Valley News Dispatch Wrestler of the Year), Deer Lakes’ Collin Rodgers (VND Boys Soccer Player of the Year), Deer Lakes’ Evan Moore (VND Boys Basketball Player of the Year), Kiski Area’s Gianna DeVito (Cager Classic Most Valuable Player), Butler’s Andrew Getlinger (Cager Classic MVP), Fox Chapel’s Ellie Lange (PIAA Swimming Champion), Plum’s Landan Eikert (VND Football Defensive Player of the Year), Fox Chapel’s Emily McKee (VND Girls Soccer Player of the Year), Plum’s Riley Stephans (VND Girls Basketball Player of the Year), Highlands’ Tevin Owen Cratsenberg (VND Football Offensive Player of the Year), Freeport’s Jaisa Gailott (Cager Classic MVP), Knoch’s Teegan Finucan (Cager Classic MVP) and Fox Chapel’s Delaney O’Toole (PIAA Swimming Champion).
Deer Lakes student Marco Mangieri was recognized with the Courage Award for his determination to overcome cancer while inspiring others through his fight and the goal of continuing to play the sports he loves.
“This is an absolutely fantastic class on what is such a special evening to celebrate all they accomplished in their lives and in their athletic careers,” said Lutz, chairman of the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame who who beamed with pride when talking about the banquet and ceremony being the most attended in its more than five decades.
“It grows every year, and it is so well run with all of the great help we have. So many people are dedicated to making this evening special for the inductees, their families and their friends. There are several people who I am personally familiar with being inducted, so that makes it extra meaningful for me.
“It is great to be able to induct our first-ever women’s team, honoring their state championship in 1985. One of the members of the 1965 Arnold (WPIAL champion) baseball team brought his glove with him. That shows just how much those memories still resonate all these years later.”