John Crossett
Induction Class of 2024

Coach John Crossett: John was a 1975 graduate of Wayland Central School. He was a four-year athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball. His senior year John was awarded the WCS Ability and Sportsmanship award. He went on to graduate from SUNY Cortland with a degree in physical education and later received a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Geneseo. 

In his 30 years of coaching at Wayland Central, and later Wayland-Cohocton Central, John was the leader of many successful teams. Though his coaching career began in the early 1980s, he will always be remembered for his coaching endeavors towards the end of his career. In the 2007-2008 season, John began his tenure as the Girls Varsity Basketball coach. He continued in that position until 2011, during which the results were impressive. In 2008 WCCS won its first ever Section V Girls Basketball Championship. In 2009 the team repeated that feat by once again winning the Section V Championship along with the LCAA D1 title. The 2009 team was also crowned the Scholar/Athlete State Champion for the highest academic average in New York State. In 2010, the three-peat was complete as the Eagles won their third consecutive Section V title, as well as another LCAA championship. 

John finished his five-year reign as the head of the Girls Basketball program with an impressive 75-20 record. He received Class B Coach of the Year honors in 2009 and 2011. In 2011 he was also selected as the LCAA Coach of the Year. At the conclusion of the 2011 season, he was bestowed the honor of coaching the Ronald McDonald All-Star team. Prior to Girls Basketball, John was the coach of a number of other successful athletic teams. In 1984, as the Varsity Softball Coach, his team captured the school’s first ever softball LCAA Championship. In 1995, as the JV Boys Basketball coach, John played an important role in helping the varsity team capture their first ever Class CC Sectional Championship. 

Coaching was just one of the many things that John contributed to our school and community. Whether it was years of involvement in Little League Baseball or helping the softball team as their public address announcer, chaperone, and chauffeur, or even 22 years of organizing the sixth-grade whale watch, his contributions to WCCS and the community were immense.

LAWRENCE "LARRY" DUNN
Induction Class of 2011

From 1945 to 1960, Larry "Coach" was the Director of Physical Education and Athletics at Cohocton Central School. He was the head coach in all sports, including women's athletics. From 1961 to 1975, he served as Superintendent of Cohocton Central School.

During his coaching tenure, he coached nine Steuben County volleyball championship teams, two Section V championship volleyball teams, three Steuben County baseball championships teams, two Section V baseball championship teams and four Steuben County Divisional basketball championship teams.

Larry was instrumental in establishing the Section V Class D classification sports programs for small schools. He was the winner of the prestigious Steuben County High School Athletic Association FENNER-NADEAU Award for his contributions to the county in the field of athletics.

Larry graduated from Ithaca College in 1942, where he lettered in football and earned his BSE Degree in Physical Education. He joined the Navy after college, serving as a Chief Specialist during World War II in Africa, Europe and Panama.

This award is given posthumously as Larry passed away in September 2001 after a courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease.

JEFF ENGLERT
Induction Class of 2020

Jeff Englert coached Varsity Girls Track and Field from 1987-2010 at Wayland Cohocton. Thanks to many outstanding athletes and assistant coaches over 24 years, he was able to achieve a 204-78 meet record. During his tenure, Wayland-Cohocton Lady Eagles Track and Field also won seven Section V Championships and 22 State medalists. He was a Section V Coordinator representing LCAA Girls Track and Field for 18 years. During his time, he also was a Sectional and State Qualifier Meet Director and Coordinator several times. Doing the extra for his athletes was always a priority for Coach Englert. Jeff and his staff coordinated and supervised fundraising of nine trips to Florida for the team to participate in additional training and running experiences while enjoying the fun of team comradery.

Coaching football was also a big part of passion of Jeff Englert’s career. In 1998 he was appointed Wayland-Cohocton’s first Varsity Head Football Coach. In the program’s first seven years the team achieved four winning seasons, including two state-ranked teams and in 2004 had the pleasure of coaching the team in its first sectional win in school history. From 2007-2013, Coach Englert was the offensive coordinator and helped the football team win its first Section V Championship in 2013. He had the pleasure of coaching many fine student athletes and working with many outstanding coaches along his 20-year journey with the Wayland-Cohocton football program. During his time at WAyland-Cohocton Jeff Englert also coached basketball at the modified, JV and Varsity leves for 25 years. He was the assistant basketball coach on the 2012 Section V Basketball Championship team.

Thank you Coach Englert for your dedication and service to the Wayland-Cohocton Athletic program!

ROSE MARIE FOX
Induction Class of 2012
Wayland Central School Class of 1973

Rose was the Wayland-Cohocton Cheerleading coach for over 26 years. During her tenure, she won and held many titles:

• Livingston County Division 1 Cheerleading Title: 17 titles

• Section V Cheerleading Championship: 20 titles

• Livingston County Athletic Coach of the Year - 1999

• Section V Coach of the Year - 15 times

• National Cheerleading Coach of the Year Finalist 1994 and 2003

• Three-time Greater Rochester Cheerleading Championship Grand Champion

• over 50 first place championships in Steuben, Livingston, Finger Lakes, Monroe County and Buffalo area cheerleading tournaments

• Recipient of the Best Choreography Award

• Tw-time Ronald McDonald House All-Star Coach

• Only team in Section V Cheerleading to win 11 consecutive titles

• Only cheerleading coach in Section V to be named to Channel WOKR 13's Team of the Week

Rose was a cheerleader in high school fo four years and she was named MVP her senior year. Rose has been married to Daniel Fox for over 38 years and they have two daughters Tara and Autumn.

COACH RICH MARTELLO
Induction Class of 2005

A member of the Wayland-Cohocton faculty for 34 years, Richard Martello served as the boys' track coach for 32 years and as the cross country coach for 31 years. During his tenure, his track teams won 266 meets, four Livingston Conference titles and five Section V titles. His cross country teams won 219 meets, five Livingston Conference titles and three Section V titles. He was named Section V Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1988. In 1994, he was named the Section V Boys Track Coach of the Year and in 1999 he was named the Livingston Conference Boys Track Coach of the Year. During his tenure, Rich also served as athletic director and Livingston Conference president. Coach Martello's words of inspiration and encouragement led many to reach their full potential.

COACH ELLSWORTH "OZZIE" TRIPP
Induction Class of 2005

A Cohocton native and a member of the Wayland-Cohocton faculty for 35 years, Coach Tripp started boys' soccer at Cohocton in 1960 and was the boys varsity soccer coach until the merger with Wayland in 1993. During his tenure, he also served as athletic director and coached basketball, baseball, volleyball, track, tennis and cheerleading. Coach Tripp's soccer teams won 312 games. He was Coach of the Year five times and had the top-seeded team eight times, and won the Catherman Award for Sportsmanship 13 times. Coach Tripp's 1984 sectional champion soccer team advanced to the state quarterfinals. In 2001, Coach Trip was inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Ellsworth's Tripp's greatest contribution was his vision that led to the Cohocton Sports Complex which opened in 1985. 

JOEL R. SHAFFER
Induction Class of 2019
Bloomfield Central School Class of 1965

Math Teacher at Cohocton Central School 1970-1993
Math Teacher at Wayland-Cohocton Central 1993-2007

During Joe’s high school career he was an accomplished three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball. He also played four years of college soccer and one year of baseball at Hamilton College. After college Joe’s teaching career began along with his love of coaching. Joel coached the 1985 Cohocton Baseball team to the Section V Class D Championship. 

For 50 plus years, he coached over 135 teams in various sports at all levels. Even after Joel retired from teaching, his commitment to coaching has continued. He has instilled lifelong skills, such as teamwork, motivation, determination and sportsmanship in the athletes he has coached. 

Joel was one of the original members of the Cohocton Sports Booster Club; playing a pivotal role in it’s development. He has been a driving force behind the success of the Cohocton Sports Complex for the past 30 years. His favorite sport as a player-soccer, as a spectator-basketball and as a coach-baseball. 

Joel is fondly remembered for his coaching motto… “Have fun. Play hard. Play clean. Be humble in victory and defeat.”

COACH ROBERT WHITE
Induction Class of 2017

Wayland Central School 1948-53 and 1955-64

Coach White, a Physical Education Teacher and Coach of five different varsity sports in his fifteen-year career at Wayland (soccer, basketball, baseball, track and field, boys’ volleyball) is the winningest soccer coach in school history. He was the mastermind of a soccer program that dominated the area in the 1950’s. During Coach White’s fourteen seasons as the soccer coach, he won ten League Championships (nine consecutive) and made Sections in all fourteen seasons. 

In nine years as the baseball coach, Coach White guided the Eagles to two County Championships in 1952 and 1953 and coached the 1953 team, considered one of the strongest in school history, to the Sectional finals in Rochester at Silver Stadium. 

Coach White’s 1953 basketball team’s 14-2 season stood as a school record for both wins and winning percentage for many years. He is also credited with starting Saturday morning youth basketball and inter-class play. 

Besides teaching and coaching, Coach White was the school Varsity Club Advisor for all fifteen years at Wayland Central.