Strasburg honors Hall of Fame inductees

The 10th annual Strasburg Athletic Hall of Fame inductees were honored Friday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 24, at the school.

On Jan. 23, the honorees were introduced at the Strasburg vs. Tuscarawas Central Catholic boys basketball game. A banquet was held Jan. 24 at the high school, with about 200 attending.

Those honored were Jeff Duff (1982), Carly Clark Mayle (2010), Shelley Krantz (1986), the late coach Emmet Riley, Craig Speicher (1988) and the 2002 football team.

Emmet Riley, the winningest head coach in Strasburg boys basketball history, coached from 1943 to 1949. He led the program’s first team to win a regional tournament game in 1946 and never had a losing season as head coach. Over the years, he also served as a substitute teacher at Strasburg. Riley died in 2015 and was introduced by his son, Eric Riley.

Jeff Duff was an all-county fullback in 1981 and held the single-game rushing record of 256 yards. He rushed for 2,638 yards in his career and scored 33 touchdowns. He graduated from West Liberty State College and was a four-year letter winner in football from 1982 to 1986. Duff was introduced by former teammate Mark Richards.

“I just want to thank football coach Ron Hurst and the linemen that protected me during my career,” Duff said. “Growing up, I would ride my bike into town and we would get together either at the fire station or at the lawn next to the library. We did something every day, being very competitive and always making each other better. It is about team, coaches, family, community, and it is an honor to be chosen.”

Carly Clark Mayle was a four-time Inter-Valley Conference player of the year, the first athlete in league history to win the award four times in any sport. She earned the honor from 2007 to 2010 and was IVC softball player of the year from 2008 to 2010. She is the No. 6 all-time leading scorer in Strasburg girls basketball history with 1,088 points. She is a graduate of Ashland University. Mayle was introduced by her mother, Marsha Clark.

“I had no idea where sports would take me. My proudest moments were made in the dugout, on the bus, and in the locker room with my teammates,” Mayle said. “I learned to be a leader in basketball and how to work hard. I played softball for Bud Weisgarber and he was a tough coach. Strasburg softball is a family. We learned to dream big, be a good teammate and strive to be role models. We enjoyed the ride.”

Craig Speicher was honored for track and field. He holds the school record in the 300-meter hurdles and previously held the school record in the 110-meter hurdles from 1988 to 2008. He placed in the 300-meter hurdles in Class A in 1987 and 1988 and finished fourth in the event in 1988. Speicher was introduced by his son, Peyton Speicher.

“This school shaped me, and many watched me compete and are still watching today’s youths from the stands,” Speicher said.

Shelley Krantz earned 12 varsity letters during her high school career. She held the school scoring record of 1,374 points in girls basketball until the 2024-25 season. She held a school record in the discus from 1984 to 1994 and in the shot put from 1983 to 2003. She was honorable mention all-Ohio in girls basketball in 1986 and played basketball and softball at Mount Union University. Krantz was introduced by her sister, Micki Krantz, who noted there was no 3-point line at the time.

“Our culture, we are winners. Strasburg is awesome — take pride you are a Strasburg Tiger,” Krantz said.

Bart Hostetler spoke on behalf of the 2002 football team. About 32 former players attended the banquet.

“We were the first school football team to ever win a playoff game. We ended the year with a third ranking in the state. Everyone understood our roles,” Hostetler said.

Each inductee thanked the committee and the community for the honor.