Alumni Athletes
Marvin DuBois
Class of 1953, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Track and Field
Marvin DuBois was an outstanding athlete who played four years of varsity soccer, basketball and baseball, and two years of track and field. He was a member of the winning soccer team in 1949 as a freshman under coaches Weiss, Reid and Rentz. That team won both the Saratoga County League title and Section 2 Class C Championship for the first time in the history of the school. Marvin represented BH-BL at the Saratoga County League Play Night at Convention Hall in Saratoga Springs.
He went on to receive his Mechanical Engineering Degree from Union College in Schenectady, NY. Marvin was a U.S. Army Veteran serving as an MP and a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was employed by General Electric in Schenectady as an engineer and worked in several different management positions with two off-shore assignments as a Project Manager in Tokyo, Japan and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In his retirement Marvin enjoyed remodeling homes. He and his wife Lee remodeled several homes in Amsterdam, Burnt Hills, Charlton, Sacandaga Reservoir and Anderson, South Carolina.
Marvin passed away at the age of 80 on September 27, 2014. In addition to his wife, survivors include three children; Scott, Kevin and Dawn; two stepchildren, Todd and Jason; grandchildren, Ryan, Cassidy, Zoe and Morgan, Katie, Angie and step-grandchildren; Luke, Cashman and Pryor.
Scott Hughes
Class of 1989, Wrestling
Scott Hughes started wrestling in fourth grade, following his older brother into the sport. After many years in the Burnt Hills Pee Wee Wrestling program, he moved to the modified level where he was part of an undefeated team coached by fellow inductee Bill Martin. In tenth grade he joined the varsity program with a rich history of champions, coached by Tim Koch. Koch and assistant coach Phil Wright developed Scott’s wrestling style and attitude. He was a three-year varsity wrestler who won the NYSPHAA State Championship meet in 1988 at 91 pounds.
During his sophomore year, Scott was the Class A champion. As a junior, he was the Section 2 Champion at 91 pounds, and was also the team captain and MVP. He had 36 wins during his junior season. In his senior year he was undefeated and won the most outstanding wrestler for the season. He was captain of the undefeated team that was ranked number one in New York State by NY Wrestling. In 1989, Scott was ranked number one in New York State by the NYS Sportwriters Association. His career record is 86-6, and he is #3 on the All-time BH-BL list for win percentage at 0.935. The only others ahead of him are Jason Morris and Jon Cardi. He is fifth on the BH-BL Career Records list for his eleven tournament victories, third (0.973) and seventh (0.969) for winning percentage in a season, second for winning percentage (0.973) as a junior and seventh as a senior ((0.969), eighth for wins as a junior (36) and 10th as a senior (31), 12th for his 20 pins in a season, 14th for most wins in a season (31), and 25th for career wins.
Scott is a self-employed contractor, and he resides in Charlton, NY with longtime girlfriend Jenny Coleman, in arms reach of his mom and dad, Annette and James Hughes. Brother Jeff lives in Seattle and sister Dana lives in New Hampshire. This will be year 20 of Scott D. Hughes Construction going strong as a self-employed professional.
Jeff Juron
Class of 2004, Basketball
Jeff Juron was a three-year letterman for BH-BL, and was the team captain and MVP as both a junior and senior. In 2004, he led BH-BL to a Section 2 title, and to the NYS regional finals. Jeff was the 2004 Section 2 Class A MVP and a two-time Suburban Council All-Star. During his senior year, he was also a Daily Gazette All-Area first-team performer, News 13 All-Star, Troy Record first-team All-Star, and the Saratogian Class A Player of the Year. He holds the school record for career and single season free throws made. In 2004, he led New York State in free throws made. Jeff is the third leading scorer in BH-BL history. He was also the Daily Gazette Foul Shooting Champion in 2002 and 2003, and the only player in the history of the event to record a perfect score of 25 out of 25 twice. Jeff played as a point guard for the Adirondack Region in the 2003 Empire State Games, leading his team to a gold medal.
Jeff attended the University of Rochester where he earned a BA in Political Science/English and a MS in Business Administration. Over his four years, UR finished with a record of 81-28 and competed in three NCAA tournaments. In 2005, Jeff started for a UR team that played in the Division III National Championship game. For his career at UR, Jeff finished 4th all-time in games played and 9th in games started. He finished 13th all-time in free-throws made, 13th in career assists and 14th in career steals. He was a four-time All-UAA selection.
Upon graduation from college, Jeff began coaching as an assistant coach on the BH-BL girls varsity team. In 2008, he moved on to become an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Skidmore College. He was an assistant coach at the University of Rochester from 2010 until 2015. Jeff is currently the Men’s Basketball Head Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Suffolk University in Boston. In 2018-19, under Jeff’s leadership the Suffolk basketball team recorded the University’s winningest season in 42 years, its first regular season conference championship in 18 years. Jeff was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Coach of the year.
Jeff and his wife Ashley currently reside in Boston with their new puppy Pippa!
Frederick (Fritz) Kluth
Class of 1959, Football, Basketball, Baseball
Frederick (Fritz) Kluth played varsity football for four years under head coach Murry O’Neil. Fritz made the varsity football team as a freshman during the first football team at BH-BL. As a sophomore, Fritz helped lead the team to an undefeated season, with wins over Salem, Greenwich, St. Peters, and a tie with Corinth. The team won the Saratoga County League title, and the team was inducted into the BH-BL Athletic Hall of Fame. As a junior, Fritz continued to play tackle. For his senior year, the BH-BL Spartans made their debut in the Western Conference, and it was the first losing season in their short four-year grid history. Fritz was also a two-year varsity player on the basketball team under coach Jack Rentz. As a junior, Fritz and co-letterman Hugh Hannon lead the team under new coach Dick Agar. In addition, he played varsity baseball for one season. Fritz was also in the band, Prom Committee, and was on the Dance Committee for four years.
Fritz graduated from Ithaca College with a bachelor’s degree in science and physical education. He secured 30 additional hours from Russell Sage and wrote a master’s thesis on “The Development of Secondary Physical Education Curriculum Guide” for Cohoes, NY, 1982 from Ithaca College. Fritz was a physical education teacher and athletic director for the Cohoes City School District, retiring in 1996 after 30 years of service. During that time, he taught at all levels. He coached football, girls’ softball and golf. Fritz enjoyed all sports and participated in bowling, Bell’s Boys Golf and pool leagues. After retirement, he worked part-time for the Scotia Wal-Mart in the Home and Garden Center and for Fogg’s Automotive. Fritz passed away on May 30, 2003, at the age of 62. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Melissa and several grandchildren.
Paul Layton
Class of 2009, Football, Basketball
Paul Layton led the Burnt Hills football team to a 30-4 record in his career as a starting quarterback and won two sectional titles. He was named Class A State Player of the Year in 2008 by the New York State High School Football Coaches Association. He was selected Class A first-team all-state by New York State Sportswriters Association as a kicker during his senior year and made third-team all-state as a quarterback his junior year. Paul averaged 42 yards per punt and is the all-time leader in Section 2 history with 172 career kicking points.
In 2008, Paul was the Large School Offensive Player of the Year by the Albany Times Union, first-team All-Area by Daily Gazette and the Troy Record. He led the team to the state championship game as a quarterback. During his senior season, Paul passed for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 1,186 yards and 20 TDs. Paul’s career stats: 2,861 passing yards, 34 passing TDs, 2,002 rushing yards, 28 rushing touchdowns.
In addition to football, Paul was a four year starting point guard on the basketball team and was the team captain twice. Paul earned team MVP honors after his sophomore and senior seasons. After his senior year, he was ranked 14th as an all-time scorer, and third all-time for the most three pointers in BH-BL HS history.
Paul attended the University at Albany as a business administration major. He was a first team All-NEC Punter two years in a row. Paul averaged 41 yards per punt in his three year UAlbany career, including a program record 82-yarder vs. Wagner. He was also named the Great Danes’ Most Valuable Special Teams player after his sophomore and junior seasons.
After graduating early from UAlbany, he pursued his Master’s Degree in Marketing while playing his last season at Temple University. He averaged 43 yards per punt and was a Ray Guy Award Semi-Finalist for best collegiate punter in the country. After being named Third Team punter for the American Athletic Conference, Paul had a few NFL tryouts including Rookie Mini-Camp with the Green Bay Packers. Paul now resides in Denver, Colorado, working as a financial planner.
Ted Michalec
Class of 1950, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball
Ted Michalec was an outstanding athlete and letterman in soccer, basketball and baseball. Ted was a member of the 1948 winning baseball team. He was a pitcher on the team coached by Walter Reid. The 1949 Baseball Team won the Saratoga County League Championship for the second year in a row, beating Corinth, Greenwich, Hoosick Falls, Luzerne, Mechanicville, Schuylerville, South Glens Falls, Stillwater, and Waterford, losing only to Ballston Spa by one run.
Ted played center forward for soccer, which won both the Saratoga County League Championship and Section 2, Class C Championship for the first time in the history of the BH-BL School District. The boys soccer team was coached by Reid and Jack Rentz. For basketball, Ted represented BH-BL at Play Nights at the Saratoga Convention Center during his senior year.
Emily (Lewek) Patrie
Class of 2004, Track and Field, Soccer
Emily (Lewek) Patrie won the BH-BL Female Athlete of the Year Award for her accomplishments in soccer and track and field. For soccer, Emily was on the team that won the NYS Class A State Championships, NYS Regional Championship, and was also Section 2 Class A Champions. Emily was a two-time First Team Suburban Council All-Star, and was also a 3rd Team NYS All-Star. She was the team co-captain and two-time Team MVP. As a junior, she led her team to a Section 2 Class A Runner Up and was a first team Section 2 All-Star and 6th Team NYS All-Star.
For indoor track, Emily placed sixth at the NYS Championship meet as a senior in the 600 meter (1:38.2), and sixth as a junior (1:39.4), and third in the 1600 relay. Emily was NYS Champion in the record breaking Intersectional 600 meter relay, and was fourth place in the 1600 relay. She is a school record holder in the 800 meter and 1600 meter relays. She was a two-time Section 2 Champion in the 600m and was the runner-up once. Emily was a three-time Suburban Council Champion in the 600m, two-time Team MVP and captain.
For outdoor track, Emily placed sixth at the NYS Championships in the 400m hurdles (64.5), three times earned fourth place in the 1600 relay and 9th, 12th and 14th place in the 400m hurdles. She was undefeated from 2001-2004 in Section 2 for the 400m hurdles, a four-time Section 2 and Suburban Council Champion in the 400m hurdles, four-time Section 2 and Suburban Council First Team in the Sprints, and was a two-time Team MVP and captain.
Emily received an athletic scholarship to run at the University of Connecticut and competed on the team and traveled for two years. For the past eight years she has been coaching track and field, first at BH-BL and currently at Shenendehowa.
Samantha Roecker
Class of 2009, Cross Country, Track and Field
Samantha Roecker is a 12-time All American. She was New York State Cross Country runner-up as a junior in 2007 and led her team to three team overall state championships at the New York State Championships in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Samantha won the 2007 New York Nike Cross Country Championships, qualifying her and her team for the Nike Cross Nationals where she would go on to place third overall. Samantha was ranked top three in the country at various points throughout her sophomore, junior, and senior years in the 1,500 meters, 2,000 meter steeplechase, and 3,000 meters with personal bests of 4:33, 6:51, and 9:42, respectively. She was a member of the multiple national championship 4xMile teams, posting a team best of 20:09, as well as multiple All American achieving Distance Medley Relay teams. These school relay records still remain, for both indoor and outdoor track.
Samantha attended Providence College where she was a scoring member and captain of the cross-country team that finished runner-up to the University of Oregon at the 2012 NCAA National Cross Country Championships. On the track, Samantha specialized in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, running 16:42 and 35:21, respectively. Samantha won the NCAA Big East Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Post-collegiately, she moved to Washington, D.C. to begin a master’s program in Global Health at Georgetown University. After receiving her degree from Georgetown, she moved to Philadelphia in 2016 to begin a nursing program at the University of Pennsylvania. In between classes and clinicals, she joined the Philadelphia Runner Track Club, a semi-elite group stocked with recently graduated runners, with a goal to return to running for fun and to train for the New York City Marathon. That November, she crossed the Central Park finish line in 2:45:29, surprising herself as the 8th American and placing 19th overall for women.
Since, Samantha has posted multiple qualifying times for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, which will be held in February, 2020. She recently finished 3rd at the 2018 US Marathon Championships held in Sacramento, California in an Olympic A Standard qualifying time of 2:30:23, which currently ranks her as the 15th fastest woman in the marathon heading into the last 9 months of this Olympic cycle. Samantha was one of two American women selected to run the marathon in the Pan American Games, held this summer in Lima, Peru. She currently lives in Philadelphia and works as a full-time nurse in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Administration
Tim Brunson
BH-BL High School Principal
Tim Brunson is the principal at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School. His career began at BH-BL in the fall of 2000 as a member of the social studies department. He became an assistant principal in 2006, and the principal in 2013. Tim is a frequent attendee at games and athletic contests, supporting the BH-BL athletic program and students.
Tim served on the football staff under Ed Ronca and Matt Shell for five years, beginning in 2001. He was also the modified wrestling coach in 2004, and the varsity baseball coach for six years, from 2000 until 2006. His baseball team won the Section 2 championship title in 2005. Tim also assisted with the softball program from 2007 through 2019, coaching a winter league team and organizing throwing and batting practice before school. He has coordinated the adult basketball program at Stevens since 2002. Tim has coached many youth and travel softball and baseball teams over the years in both Schuylerville and BH-BL.
Tim has been married to Kim for 23 years. Kim is also a teacher at BH-BL. They have two children, Calabria (BH-BL Class of 2017) and Cameron (BH-BL Class of 2020.)
Coach
Bill Martin
Basketball, Wrestling, Track and Field, Football
Bill Martin is from Scotia, and is a 1964 graduate of Bishop Gibbons High School. Bill attended SUNY Delhi, SUNY HVCC, and graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts. He earned his MS in Education from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY.
Bill started his career with the Albany YMCA as Physical Director, after graduating from Springfield College. He then moved on to Capital Region BOCES as a Physical Education teacher. After completing his Masters Degree, he moved into the classroom for BOCES as a Special Education teacher, where he worked with children of varying physical and mental disabilities. Bill’s classroom was transferred to Burnt Hills Junior High School in 1984. It was then that Bill began his coaching career with BH-BL, getting involved with football, wrestling, and track & field that first year. Bill coached three seasons per year for BH-BL.
In 1989, Gary Bynon approached Bill regarding a possible switch from wrestling to basketball. The suggestion was well received, as Bill was actively involved in several adult basketball leagues; this was his true passion. So the change was made and Bill continued to coach basketball until his retirement from BH-BL in 2008. Bill coached 52 seasons for BH-BL, with over 300 victories.
For basketball, Bill coached ten seasons, with an overall record of 121-104, and a post season record of 15-10. His teams won Section 2 titles and reached two Regional Championship final games in 2004 and 2005. The team from 2001 was a Section 2 finalist, and the team from 2008 was a semi-finalist. Three of his ten teams won Suburban Council titles, and Bill was named Section 2 Coach of the Year. Bill was also the junior varsity coach for nine seasons.
Bill coached pole vaulting, high jump, triple jump and long jump for track and field for 15 seasons as an assistant varsity coach. He coached five seasons of wrestling with an overall record of 39-6. Two teams were undefeated in 1985 and 1986 with 10-0 records. Bill was the modified football coach for 13 seasons, with an overall record of 63-21-6. His teams were undefeated in 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1989.
Since his retirement, Bill has volunteered with the Ballston Spa CDYBL teams where his grandchildren have been active participants. Summer basketball camps have also been part of Bill’s recent athletic endeavors. Additionally, Bill has volunteered as an assistant with Ballston Spa and back at BH-BL with the Boys’ varsity basketball.
Bill is an avid golfer. He was a member of Ballston Spa Country Club for 20 plus years; where he served on its Board of Directors for five years. He then switched to Saratoga Lake Golf Club in 2009, where he remained a member for nine seasons. He is currently a member of Hiland Park Country Club in Queensbury. Bill’s golfing “claim-to-fame” is that he has been extremely fortunate to succeed in making eight holes-in-one; the latest, in Florida, this past February!
Bill resides with his wife Paula in Malta, NY. They have two married children, Jan Zoller (Mike) of Ballston Spa and Bryan (Mandy) of Apopka, Florida. Since retiring, they have spent a part of each winter on the west coast of Florida. Good fortune has also provided opportunities to travel to both Italy and France in recent years. When not golfing, Bill and Paula can be found at the athletic contests and other endeavors of their four grandchildren: Keegan, Mackenzie, Brinley, and Blaine.
Teams
Mike Taylor & Shawn Gould
Tennis, 2006
Mike Taylor and Shawn Gould each played varsity tennis for BH-BL. Shawn played for six years and Mike played for five. In their senior year of 1993, Mike finished the singles season with a 12-3 record, with Shawn finishing 10-5. The two formed a doubles team for the Suburban Council, Section 2 and New York State tournaments. They earned victories at the Suburban Council and Section 2 championships without losing a single set. At the New York State tournament, Mike and Shawn played against the number one seed and eventual state champion in their first round and lost in three sets. On the back side of the draw, they won all of their matches. They learned later, they were the only team to take a set off of the winning team that year. They were ranked number 5 Doubles Team in New York State concluding the season.
Mike continued his love for tennis in 1993 playing for Division 1 Providence College in Rhode Island. After college, he played for various competitive leagues and USTA sanctioned events reaching top 15 in New England at the 5.0 level in the 35 age bracket.
Mike currently lives in Franklin, MA with his wife and two children. He works for Windstream in sales management. Although, his body currently restricts him from playing tennis, he enjoys skiing, boating, woodworking, and hopes to get back on the court one day.
After high school Shawn continued to enjoy playing tennis for the next several years with his friends and family. He ultimately attended and graduated from Schenectady County Community College and the New York State Police Academy and he works as a State Trooper covering the local area. Shawn currently lives in Burnt Hills with his wife Julie and their three children, Madilyn, Stellah and Gradee, whom they recently signed up to attend the annual Spartan Tennis Summer Camp. Several weeks ago Shawn’s younger brothers Jeff and Dave finally convinced him to get back on the court with them which turned out to be a really great time and he hopes to have many more.
Boys Volleyball Team
2007
The 2007 Boys Volleyball Team won the Regional Championship Tournament before there was a NYS Tournament. The tournament included all of the participating sections in the state. The team was a Division 2 school but Section 2 only sent one team to regionals, so BH-BL competed against all schools in Division 1. The team record was 34-1 with their only loss to Orchard Park in the final of the Eden Tournament. The team avenged this only loss by defeating Orchard Park 3-0 in the finals of the NYSPHSAA Division 1 Regional/State tournament.
The team had tournament wins at Mid-lakes, BH-BL, Penfield, and the Suburban Council tournaments. They are the only Section 2 Team to win a State/Super Regional Championship. The team holds school record for wins, total points, hitting percentage and aces. The team was 18-0 in Suburban Council with a 54-0 set record. In the Suburban Council Championship Tournament, the team went 3-0 in matches and 9-0 in sets. This team holds school records in wins with 34, total points (kills+blocks+aces) with 2168, hitting % (kills minus errors divided by attempts) with .378 and aces with 381.
Seven players were recognized as Suburban Council/Section 2 All-stars or honorable mentions including the league MVP. Every starter (6 players) and a defensive specialist received this recognition. Members of the team were Jordan Armstrong, Matthew Bynon, Michael Bynon, Luke Farrell, David Fischer, Michael Fischer, Daniel Godshalk, Samuel Guba, Alex Houghtalen, David Lowe, Gregory Ogle, Michael Pelletier, Andrew Slocum, Tyler Slocu, and Michael Smith. The team was coached by Paul Sander.
Community
Lou Rende
Community Member
I can say that my accomplishments athletically are minimal, but I always cherish my time at BH-BL, with the coaches, athletes and the Burnt Hills community. One day I was asked by one of our doctors, “What’s in the water in Burnt Hills?” He asked why is BH-BL is so good at so many sports? The question has stuck with me for years, so I am going to give you my take on what I have observed for the last 23 years and the ingredients for success:
Great people! I have the opportunity to interact with many people at school, from administrators to coaches, and of course the athletes; never in my 30 plus years of my career have I witnessed a total dedication to the student and athlete. All involved should know and remember that the coaches and administration create an atmosphere for success. It is heartwarming how they connect, motivate and teach our athletes.
Dedication! Hours in practice, the weight room, traveling, off-season workouts, time away from family.
Parents! I applaud all parents for all they do for the program and supporting their children’s activities. They are raising great kids and good people, and it is a joy to be part of their development.
Never Quit Attitude! We have had our share of success athletically, and honestly there were some teams that I thought may not be so successful at pre-season, but every year I am pleasantly surprised of our success. I have heard all the catchphrases such as ”Figure it out,” “Win the next play,” “Compete,” “Be tenacious,” and “Be A Spartan.” And every year the coaches figure it out; the kids win the next play, are tenacious, compete and are Spartans.
It is a joy to be part of such a successful program, I have had the pleasure to be around some great athletes, coaches and administrators. Our community is privileged to have these incredible people teaching, caring, and developing our children. I am proud to say I am a Spartan. That’s what’s in the water.