Apr 12, 2018 3 min read

Coleman Scott has had a colorful and successful wrestling career.

He has won PIAA and NCAA titles and was a bronze medalist in the 2012 Olympics.

His career also has been sprinkled with honors and awards, the fruits of those successes.

On Thursday, Scott added to that list.

The graduate of Waynesburg High School will be one of the 15 inductees for the Class of 2018 into the WPIAL Hall of Fame.

The group was announced Thursday during a media gathering at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

Each inductee will be part of a permanent display inside the Ralph Kaiser Trophy Room of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.

An individual can be selected from one of these areas: athletes, coaches, officials and WPIAL contributors, along with one team and the 2018 WPIAL Courage Award winner.

Scott was a three-time PIAA champion and four-time WPIAL gold medalist while wrestling at Waynesburg. He compiled a 156-12 record.

Oklahoma State was Scott’s choice for college and he ended up being a four-time NCAA All-American and a national champion as a senior, winning the 133-pound title in 2008 with a dramatic pin of Iowa’s Joey Staton.

Scott made the U.S. team four times and won a bronze medal at 60 kg (132 pounds) in the 2012 London Olympics. To qualify for the Olympics, Scott had to participate in a wrestleoff for the last U.S. spot on the Olympic team at an event in New York City called “The Grapple in the Apple.” Scott defeated Reece Humphrey in Times Square.

Joining Scott in the WPIAL class are:

• Three former Gateway athletes in Curtis Bray, who went on to play linebacker at Pitt; Justin King, a 4,519-yard rusher in high
• school who went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL; and Terry Smith, who went 101-30 in 11 seasons after returning to his alma mater to coach football.
• Breehana Jacobs of Laurel Highlands, one of the greatest sprinters in PIAA history. She won eight WPIAL and six PIAA gold medals
• Lee Shaffer of Baldwin, who played basketball and was drafted into NBA in the 1950s. He eventually made the NBA All-Star Game.
• Tanisha Wright of West Mifflin, who once scored 51 points in a WPIAL basketball final and played 12 years in the WNBA.
• Phil Bridenbaugh, one of only three coaches to win seven or more WPIAL football titles. Compiled a 265-64-25 record at New Castle High from 1922-55.
• Chuck DeVenzio, who at 659-255 is the fifth-winningest coach in WPIAL basketball history.
• Tom Nola, who is one of only eight coaches in WPIAL football history with six or more titles. He coached Clairton to a state-record 66-game winning streak.
• Sto-Rox’s 1989 softball team that finished 21-1 and won a PIAA title.
• Max Lamm of Mars, a blind wrestler who was given the Courage Award.
• Pat Ratesic (Contributor), who was president and vice-president of the WPIAL.
• Anthony Notaro (Official), who had a 47-year career.