Here are biographies of the 12 inductees to the North Catholic Soccer Hall of Fame
• Father Daniel McLernan, Class of 1934
Had a hand in beginning Catholic League soccer in 1956. Goaltender of the school’s 1933 team. Coached the Falcons to 10 straight championships from 1956 to 1966. Will be inducted to the Hall of Fame as a coach.
• Joe McLernan, Class of 1945
Father Dan’s brother. Considered part of the first family of North Catholic soccer. Member of the North Catholic Hall of Fame. A baseball and soccer All-American at Annapolis. Was a two-star brigadier general in the Navy. An All-Catholic selection in 1944.
• Benny McLaughlin, Class of 1946
A member of the 1950 U.S. World Cup team. Played soccer at Temple, an All-American selection in 1946. Played for the 1948 Olympic team. Represented the U.S. 10 times in national play. Member of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. Played for the Philadelphia Nationals professional team.
• Joseph (Pete) Hess, Class of 1947
A captain of the 1946 team. A huge supporter of North Catholic who was honored as Fan of the Year last year. A father of 12, five of his sons played soccer for North. An All-Catholic and All-Scholastic selection during his senior season. Helped North win a championship during his senior season.
• John Boles, Class of 1963
An All-Catholic and All-Scholastic player during his junior and senior years. Played soccer for Temple, where he was an All-American during his senior year. Spent 21 seasons as head coach at Temple University. A member of Temple University’s Hall of Fame. Led Temple to the NCAA tournament in 1966; was named MVP of the team. Played for the Philadelphia Spartans professional soccer team.
• Tom Smith, Class of 1966
Played on the ’63, ’64 and ’65 Catholic League and city championship teams. Played in the middle of the 116-game winning streak. Coached at North from 1970-1981, winning six Catholic League championships and five city titles. Played at Philadelphia Textile from 1966 to 1970; coached at Textile in 1982 and ’83.
• Larry Sullivan, Class of 1966
A two-time All-Catholic and All-Scholastic selection. Served in Vietnam for three years after high school. Played soccer for Temple University from 1970 to ’72. Served as head coach at Father Judge from 1981 to 1991. Was head coach of Villanova from 1992 to 2007, before retiring. A member of the Father Judge Hall of Fame. Played for the Philadelphia Spartans professional soccer team.
• Hugh McInaw, Class of 1967
Two-year All-Catholic at North. A member of the Lighthouse 49ers national championship team in 1967. Played for Textile and led the team in scoring during his senior year. Was Cardinal Dougherty soccer coach from 1980 to 1993. Head coach of Temple University from 1995 to 2000. Now an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s University.
• Ed Blaney, Class of 1969
An All-Catholic and All-Scholastic selection during his junior and senior seasons. Played at St. Joseph’s University; a two-time All-American and two-time Mid-Atlantic Conference MVP. An assistant coach for the Hawks from 1973 to 1983. Played professional soccer for the Philadelphia Spartans, the New Jersey Americans and the Philadelphia Fever. A member of the St. Joseph’s Hall of Fame.
• Ed Sheridan, Class of 1975
Played youth soccer at Lighthouse. A first-team All-Catholic his junior and senior years, and an All-Scholastic selection as a senior. Inducted into the Philadelphia Old Timers Hall of Fame in 2004. Starred at Textile University from 1975 to ’79 when the school was nationally ranked. Played with the Philadelphia Fever, an indoor professional soccer team, from 1980 to ’82.
• Don D’Ambra, Class of 1990
Named Atlantic-10 Player of the Year during his senior year at St. Joseph’s University. An All-American while attending St. Joe’s; was an All-State selection at North Catholic. Currently is a player/coach for the Philadelphia Kixx. One of only two players who have played for the Kixx since the team began 12 years ago, he is ranked first in goals, points, games played, shots and game-winning goals.
• Pat Morris, Class of 1995
Three-year varsity starter. Netted hat trick in championship loss in 1994. An All-American at North and Textile (now Philadelphia University). Captain of the Philadelphia Kixx, with whom he’s played for nine years, including last year’s championship team. Member of the National Indoor Team. Always available for training sessions to help the North Catholic soccer team.