Taunton recently launched its Athletic Hall of Fame which was established to “recognize and remember the outstanding accomplishments of student-athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, and contributors while participating in and contributing to the success of athletics at Taunton High School.” Below is a press release announcing the inaugural class for the THS Athletic Hall of Fame.
TAUNTON – The Taunton High Athletic Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the inaugural class of inductees. The class of 2024 includes eight student-athletes, one team, and one coach.
Inductees are nominated by members of the public and voted on by the Hall of Fame Committee.
The inductees for 2024 are:
Student-Athletes
• David Arieta: Football
• Eric DeMoura: Baseball
• Jeff Gallagher: Hockey
• Kendra Lund: Basketball
• Katlyn Mallette: Softball
• Scott Mitchell: Basketball
• Erin Wade: Softball
• Bonnie Yuen: Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track
Team
• 1967 Football Team
Coach
• David Lewry: Softball
“The committee was truly impressed by the outstanding achievements of these student-athletes, team, and coach,” said Committee Chairman Mike Fox. “Their dedication to their respective sports has left a lasting impact on the Taunton High athletic community, and we are proud to honor them as our first inductees.”
David Arieta: Football, Class of 1981
Arieta was a member of the champion and undefeated 1980 Football Team. That year, the Tigers upset Lynn Classical in the Super Bowl. Arieta, who played as a wide receiver and a cornerback, was named Division Two Player of the Year by the Boston Globe. That season, he caught 20 passes for 520 yards and seven touchdowns. He also recorded 13 interceptions.
Eric DeMoura: Baseball, Class of 1992
DeMoura had an impressive three years for the Tigers at the varsity level, winning the 1991 Old Colony League Championship. The United States Baseball Federation and Topps named him the Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year in 1992. That same year, DeMoura was invited to the US Junior Olympic Team Trials. DeMoura was named to the All-Scholastic Team by the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in 1991 and 1992. During those same years, he was also named to the Old Colony League All-Star Team and the All-State Team.
Jeff Gallagher: Hockey, Class of 1994
Gallagher played four years of varsity-level hockey for the Tigers, totaling 69 games. Despite an injury-shortened sophomore season, Gallagher still racked up an impressive 139 points, averaging two points per game. He holds the record for the most points in a season, 64, the most assists in a season, 42, and is the school’s all-time leading scorer, 36 goals, and holds the record for most assists, 103. Gallagher is a two-time All-Scholastic from both the Taunton Gazette and the Brockton Enterprise.
Kendra Lund (Drake): Basketball, Class of 1999
Lund holds the school scoring record for girls’ basketball, racking up 1,437 points over the course of four varsity seasons. She is a four-time Old Colony League All-Star and was named Old Colony League MVP in 1999. The Taunton Gazette and Brockton Enterprise also named her a first-team All-Scholastic from 1996-1999. In addition to her impressive performances on the basketball court, Lund also won a State Softball Championship in 1997.
Katlyn Mallette (Gauthier): Softball, Class of 2003
Mallette is the 2003 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and was a key player in a dominant Tigers team in the early 2000s. She holds the school record for lowest ERA, 0.19, fewest runs allowed, 19, and perfect games, 5. Mallette’s trophy cabinet includes four Old Colony League Championships, three South Sectional Championships, two City Championships, and two Division One State Championships. Mallette was also a mainstay in All-Scholastic Teams from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Taunton Gazette, and Brockton Enterprise.
Scott Mitchell: Basketball, Class of 1985
Mitchell scored a school-record 1,615 points in his four years of varsity basketball for the Tigers. He was twice named All-Scholastic by the Taunton Gazette and Brockton Enterprise and a second-team All-Scholastic by the Boston Globe. Mitchell was also a perennial Old Colony League All-Star.
Erin Wade (Hernandez): Softball, Class of 2008
Wade holds an impressive number of school records, including wins, 67, strikeouts, 942, no-hitters, 12, and innings pitched, 588. Wade was impressive at the plate, too, with a career batting average of 388, 11 doubles, 14 triples, four home runs and 61 RBI. Throughout her four-year career, the Tigers won 10 championships: one Division One State Championship, one South Sectional Championship, four Old Colony League Championships, and four City Championships. Wade is the 2007 & 2008 Boston Globe Player of the Year, the 2007 Brockton Enterprise Player of the Year, and was named to 12 first-team All-Scholastic Teams, including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Taunton Gazette, and Brockton Enterprise.
Bonnie Yuen (Belfield): Cross Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track, Class of 1985
Yuen was a dominant runner, holding school records in several distances for both indoor (600m, 800m, 1,000, and mile) and outdoor track (500m, 1,500m and mile). 800m was her specialty, and she won three consecutive championships at that distance at three different levels: Class A, All-State, and New England. A six-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic, she was undefeated in the 800m for three consecutive years. She placed second at the US Junior Nationals, qualifying her for the US Junior Team in 1985.
1967 Football Team
The 1967 Football Team won Taunton High School’s first state title, winning the Class C Championship. The team was undefeated, outscoring opponents 221-81 in nine games. Head coach George Hemond led the team to the City Championship and the Bristol County League Championship.
David Lewry: Coach, Softball
Lewry’s incredible coaching career at Taunton High spans 20 years. His 407 wins is a Taunton Softball record and qualified the Tigers for the playoffs every year. Under his leadership, Taunton won four Division One State Championships, multiple South Sectional Championships, and several League Championships. Lewry was named Northeast Sectional Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2003, Boston Globe Division One Coach of the Year (2001), Hockomocksports.com Coach of the Year (2014 & 2015), Taunton Gazette Coach of the Year (2007) and Brockton Enterprise Coach of the Year (2003).
The induction ceremony will take place on November 9 at Taunton High School. Detailed information about the ceremony will be released later this summer.
“On behalf of the Taunton Public Schools, I want to congratulate the inductees for their tremendous achievements and well-deserved recognition,” said Superintendent John Cabral. “I’d also like to thank retiring Athletic Director Mark Ottavianelli and the entire Hall of Fame committee for their time, dedication, and hard work to bring this first class to fruition.”
The Hall of Fame will be located in the hallway connecting the Joseph Rabouin Field House to the athletics wing and will include plaques honoring each inductee.
There are six categories for induction into the Hall of Fame: Student-Athlete, Team, Coach, Administrator, Contributor, and Classic. Each category has specific criteria for consideration, including a five-year waiting period. Other criteria may include league, sectional, or state championships, win-loss records, and individual awards and records.
Nominations are considered for five years from initial submission. Nominees who were not selected for induction this year will be eligible for the next four classes. At that point, nominations will need to be resubmitted. For more information about the Taunton High School.
For more information about the Taunton High School Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact thshalloffame@tauntonschools.org
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