To cap off a successful 2023 Homecoming weekend, Center Moriches High School held an event Saturday afternoon outside the school’s gymnasium to honor four of the very best athletes to ever come through the district.
The Center Moriches community has seen many great athletes grace their hallways like former MLB Pitcher Paul Gibson and WNBA Hall of Famer Sue Wicks to name a couple. But Saturday afternoon was about three athletes and one coach who forever left their marks on Center Moriches Athletics.
The 11th Hall of Fame Class included Charles Hartman (Class of 1965), Dean Spitaleri (Class of 1991), Jodi Foresti-Failla (Class of 1994), and former cross country and track head coach Dan Fournier.
In order to be elected into the Hall of Fame as an athlete, you have to reach a certain criteria that includes at least two years of Varsity Competition and having achieved the highest successes in High School, Collegiate, or Professional sports while being four years removed from your last high school competition.
For coaches, you can be nominated two years removed from the last game you coached or – if you also teach in the district – you retire from both teaching and coaching you become immediately eligible.
In order to be officially inducted, the previous members of the Hall of Fame all vote on the eligible candidates and only those who receive 75% or more of the eligible votes will make it into the hall.
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“When I was inducted 11 years ago, I was asked what this meant for my legacy and I have regretted my answer ever since,” said Mark Hermann during the opening reflection on what the Hall of Fame honor means to him all these years later. “I now look back and I am so honored to be a part of this great history. Four generations in my family graduated from here. My grandfather, my uncle, my siblings, my niece, and myself all graduated from here. I am very proud of all of you who will be joining us in the Hall of Fame. This may be a small school, but it’s not a mediocre one.”
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“He was just a great person,” said Hartman about his departed brother. “He reminded me of Roy Hobbs from the movie The Natural. In the movie, Hobbs hit a baseball and the cover off the baseball. My brother Charles did the same thing and he had the ability to just be good at things. It came to him naturally.”
Hartman also spoke about how humble his brother was no matter how historic his achievements were, including the state record for strikeouts in an extra inning game as he struck out a ridiculous 34 batters in 16 innings of work on May 11th, 1966.
“He was always very humble about his achievements,” said Hartman. “He would never mention that he holds the record for most strikeouts in a game or that professional scouts wanted him to come and play in the Major Leagues. People heard about it from others and I envied him because of how humble he was.”
The next inductee was three sport star Dean Spitaleri, who was present and received his plaque. During his speech, he thanked his mother for all she sacrificed for him and helping him be the man he is today.
“I don’t want to get too emotional about this,” said Spitaleri. “All I can really think about is my mother right now, I’m not going to lie to you all. But my mother is going through some tough times right now and she did so much for me growing up. We didn’t grow up with money, but my mom always made sure I had the best shoes, the best clothes, everything.”
Spitaleri also thanked his sister who was in attendance for the event.
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Following Spitaleri was the Class of 1994s three sport star Jodi Foresti-Failla who played Soccer, Basketball, and Softball during her tenure at Center Moriches.
“The day I got the phone call from Mr. Thode to tell me I was going to be in the school’s Hall of Fame, I was speechless,” said Foresti-Failla. “I felt so fortunate to be part of a great community of amazing people, especially with the three gentlemen that sit here before me.”
She also took the time to thank her coaches for going above and beyond to make sure she was able to be at her best.
“My coaches really shaped who I am, especially Cookie,” Foresti Failla said. “Cookie would offer me rides when I couldn’t get one for a game or practice, she was more than happy to pick me up. To this day, I still love you for that Cookie, thank you.”
The last – but certainly not least – inductee of the night was legendary cross country and track coach Dan Fournier who last coached in 2016.
Aside from coaching, Fournier was a member of the army reserves in the 1980s and was a technology education teacher at Center Moriches.
“I loved the support I got from everyone during my time here,” said Fournier. “When I first got here, I remember a baseball player walking past me and saying ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ I then asked him how he liked the school and we talked for a while. The people here were always really friendly and outgoing. Four of my kids went to school here and three of them married their high school sweethearts.”
Fournier also took the time to thank his family and his former athletes.
“I want to thank my wife,” said Fournier. “She always supported me and my endeavors. I also want to thank my athletes. I lost count on how many of them went on to states every year and I dearly miss coaching here. I had to give up my running shoes, but I still keep track of everyone and I check to see how they progress each year.”
The honorees will now forever be remembered by the school's athletic department and they will now become part of the rich history of Center Moriches sports from this day forward until the end of time. They will one day inspire one of the student-athletes to go out there and try to achieve their dreams both in their sport and in the classroom.