Class of 1996
Howard Brooks
A dominant lineman on the 1977 undefeated PAHS football team and a third place finisher in the 1978 PIAA state-wrestling tournament. Howard graduated in 1978. He was honorable mention All State and starting tackle in the Big 33 game. After playing football on a scholarship, he graduated with honors from the University of Virginia with a degree in civil engineering. He then pursued a boxing career winning a Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship in Virginia.
Gary K. Buffington, M.D.
He lettered eight times in high school. These included three varsity letters in football, three varsity letters in basketball and two varsity letters in track and field. In his years after college and medical school, he successfully completed 39 marathons and 110 ultra-marathons. He also helped to found and was the race director of the Groundhog Fall 50 Ultra-marathon from 1984-1993.
Charles Daly
He began his basketball-coaching career at Punxsutawney High School. He then moved on to coach college basketball at Duke University before landing his first college head-coaching job at Boston College. He later became the coach of the Quakers of the University of Pennsylvania. His first professional coaching experience was as an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers under Billy Cunningham. A short stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers was followed by a very successful career with the Detroit Pistons, where his teams won two NBA titles. While with Detroit, he also served as the coach of the Dream Team I. That group went on to win the gold in Barcelona. Chuck was a coach with the New Jersey Nets before pursuing a career in broadcasting.
Mickey Depp
A real estate broker in Sun Valley, Idaho, he earned 12 varsity letters in sports ranging from football, volleyball, basketball, tennis and track during the years 1962-1964. Some of his more notable accomplishments include quarterbacking the 10-0 football team and being named to All-State in football and basketball in 1963-1964. In college he was a three-year starter for the University of Pittsburgh at defensive back and was named to the US Naval Academy’s All-Opponent Team in 1968.
Norman “Slick” Ecklund
A letter winner in football, basketball and track, he graduated in 1938. “Slick” earned the scoring title for two years in basketball. He held the high school long jump record from 1938 until 1983. Upon graduation, he had scholarship offers from Penn State and West Virginia, but chose to play college sports at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Frank “King” Funair
Earning letters in football, wrestling and track. “King” went on to pursue a collegiate football career at Bucknell. While there he attained honorable mention All-American status in football. He also managed to win two NCAA titles as a boxer in the heavy weight division. In addition to being named to the Bucknell and the Boxing Halls of Fame, he served as Mayor of Johnsonburg and as an Elk County Commissioner. At times he could be found officiating District IX basketball games.
Lloyd Jordan
While playing high school basketball from 1915-1918, Lloyd lettered four years. He lettered in basketball in 1918-1921, as the Pittsburgh Panthers first scholarship player. Managing also to letter in football, baseball and track from 1919-1921, he went on to pursue a coaching career. He served as an assistant coach at Colgate, head coach at Amherst and Harvard before becoming Commissioner and President of the Southern Football Conference and President of the Football Coaches Association.
Louis V. Roney
Lou won several letters in football and basketball from 1927-1929. He became a three-sport letterman playing football, basketball and baseball at Indiana State Teachers College (IUP) in the years from 1932-1934. After college he played semi-pro baseball at Emlenton and was recognized in 1996 by the Punxsutawney Old-Timers Association.