Spring 2011 - Manlius Pebble Hill School

The John Lenore ’47ALegend AwardJohn addresses the crowd at the Hall of Fame induction.Presentation of the John Lenore ’47ALegend Award was the pinnacle ofour Hall of Fame ceremony. The awardhonors alumni and/or teams that havemade a legendary impact on our sportsprograms as a way to recognize bothathletic talent and leadership in ourcommunity. MPH was honored towelcome back John and members of hisfamily for the inaugural presentation ofhis namesake award.Following are excerpts from Head ofSchool Baxter Ball’s Hall of Famespeech.“John Lenore was born in Wheeling, WestVirginia when his mother was visiting herparents from her native Sicily. Married atthe age of 14 in an arranged marriage,John’s mom was widowed with fourchildren at the age of 21, during the heightof the depression. Despite these obstacles,she, along with John’s grandparents,instilled a love for family, faith, andcommitment to hard work that became thefoundation of John’s upbringing.During his teen years, John developed a loveand talent for football. While thumbingthrough a magazine one day, he saw anadvertisement for The Manlius School. Hedescribed that day as, “God working in mylife.” Knowing he couldn’t afford thetuition, he wrote a letter requesting theopportunity to try out for the football teamand, if he was deemed “good enough,” tobe afforded tuition.He was thrilled when he was offered ascholarship in 1945 to attend Manlius andplay football. During his two years there, hestarted every game, playing both as anoffensive guard and a middle-line backerfor the undefeated Big Red football team.John’s leadership skills continued to groweven after his Manlius football days werebehind him, and he has achieved incrediblesuccess in his professional life. He turnedhis first job – as a merchandiser at abrewing company – into an opportunity topurchase a small distribution company.At the time John acquired the company, itemployed 27 people. The John LenoreCompany now employs over 200 people andis one of the largest U.S. producers ofenergy drinks. John still works every day.Despite a busy career, though, John and hiswife put family first. They enjoy spendingtime with their three kids, Pam, Jamie andJay, and with their many grandchildren andgreat-grandchildren.Because of his dedication to his family, hisschool, and his profession, Manlius PebbleHill and the Athletic Hall of FameCommittee were inspired to create the JohnLenore Legend Award to symbolize what weconsider John to be—a legend in all facetsof his life. I think John himself put it bestwhen he said, “For someone who came outof a little coal mining town to Manlius andto be given the opportunity to rub elbowswith a lot of guys who could afford to gothere was a great experience, and itstimulated my desire to succeed in lifethrough the American system of hard workand perseverance.”It is a personal honor and a privilege torecognize John Lenore tonight. I haveknown John for many years and have beeninspired by his leadership, dedication, loveof family, and work ethic. His lifelongaccomplishments are legendary and hisleadership both on and off the athletic field,his commitment to education, and his loveof Manlius are qualities we all admire.2010: A Thrilling Season forBoys’ Varsity Soccer!It was one amazingseason for the ManliusPebble Hill Boys’ VarsitySoccer Team. The teamwas impressive rightfrom the start. It wasranked first in the state with a 9-0-0 in the Onondaga HighSchool Patriot Conference when the team captains werecollectively featured as WSYR-TV’s “Athlete of the Week” onOctober 13 — and the boys kept going!The team recorded its 13th season shutout in late October todefeat Bishop Grimes in the Section III Class C quarterfinal—and the boys kept going!They registered still another shutout against Sauquoit Valley inthe Class C semifinal and then, on November 6, defeatedCooperstown 2-1 in overtime to seize the Class C sectional title.The victory gave Coach Don Ridall his 499th career win — andthe boys kept going!They headed for the state contest in Oneonta, taking onMarathon on November 13. The hard-fought battle ended in aheartbreaking loss for MPH and deprived Coach Ridall of thatlandmark 500th win. Although the game ended this year’sdream of another state championship, the MPH communitycould not be prouder of its Varsity Soccer Team, which had atruly incredible season.Thank you, boys, for so many thrilling games. Thank you, too,Coach Ridall — we’ll be cheering like mad when you get that500th win next year!12 MPH REFLECTIONS 2011