Malvern High School (Ohio)

School Board Members

Facility

Construction of a new school building began in October 2014. The 112,000 square foot building will feature a two-story academic wing that will be home to the entire student population, yet keep the elementary, middle and high school students segregated. Common spaces include two gymnasiums, media center and a student dining area. The project has been co-funded by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) as part of their Exceptional Needs Program.

Last Ho rah in Hornet Gym

The final basketball game in the Hornet Gym (1970-2016) was held on Friday, February 12, 2016. Several past players and coaches were in attendance. A celebration was held at the conclusion of the game.

1999

Dave Tucci was introduced as the new Malvern head coach in the spring of 1999, following the resignation of Steve Miller after a disappointing 5-5 campaign the year prior. Tucci's coaching style was immediately beneficial and the veteran group of seniors helped turn the Hornets around. Tucci installed a Wing-T offense and a rarely seen 6-2 defense, which proved to be one of the best defenses in the Inter Valley Conference. The Hornets started the year with three straight shutouts over Berlin Center Western Reserve, Sandy Valley and East Canton. The most points the defense would give up in a single game was 22, twice, to Newcomerstown in Week 5 and to Amanda-Clearcreek in the OHSAA Division V Regional Playoffs, the only two losses of the 1999 season. Arguably the biggest win of the season came in Week 7, where the Hornets shut down high-powered Toronto, a Division VI powerhouse, 8-6 on a cold and rainy afternoon in Malvern. The Hornets clinched a share of the IVC Championship with a 35-21 Week 9 win over West Lafayette-Ridgewood. The championship was their first since 1992. They finished the regular season 9-1.

Malvern landed the #8 spot in the OHSAA Division V Regional Playoffs (Region 23), drawing Amanda-Clearcreek. The Aces were the clear favorite not only to win the game, but to win the Division V Championship. The Hornets played tough against the Aces early, taking a slight lead of 7-6 in the first half after blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown. But Amanda was just too powerful and dominated the line of scrimmage on their way to a 22-7 win. The 22 points given up by the Hornets were the least amount of points the Aces would score throughout the rest of the OHSAA playoffs on their way to the Division V State Championship.

Malvern finished the season 9-2.

2008

The Hornets posted a perfect season going 10-0 winning the IVC, District and Regional Championships and ending the season with an overall record of 13-1 after losing to Hopewell-Louden in the State Semi-Final. This was their only appearance in the State Final Four.

2009

The football team again had an outstanding season going 11-2 for the season eventually losing to Grove City Christian in the Regional Final.

2010

2010 was a season of change for the Hornet's having lost 19 of 22 starters from the 2009 team. The team started out 2-3 but with two big wins over Newcomerstown and undefeated Strasburg, they went 5-0 the rest of the season to end the regular season with a record of 7-3. In the first round of the playoff's they faced a familiar opponent in Symmes Valley. In 2009 Willow Wood Symmes Valley had traveled to Malvern in the first round of the OHSAA playoff's. This season it would be Malvern's turn to travel the nearly 4 ¹⁄₂ hour trip to Vikings Field. The Hornet's came away with a win defeating Symmes Valley 48-28. In the second round Malvern faced Shadyside and were defeated 20-41. The Hornet's finished the season with an 8-4 record.

2011

The Hornet's have started out with a record of 4-0 and were ranked #1 in Ohio Division VI according to the 2011 Foortball AP Poll in weeks 3 and 4. They ended the season with a record of 10-2 and Co-Champion's of the IVC. This is the fifth straight year the Hornets have qualified for the playoffs, and the fourth straight year they have reached at least the second round.

The seniors are the winningest group in school history with a 42-9 mark. They have played in 11 playoff games, posting a 7-4 record. They have won two league titles and one regional title, reaching the state semifinals during their freshman season in 2008.

2012

The Hornets ended the 2012 season with a record of 10-2 losing in the OHSAA Regional Semifinal game for the third straight season. The Hornets finished the season with a #2 rank in Region 21. Malvern’s running game has racked up nearly 3,000 yards through 11 games, as the Hornets earned their sixth straight playoff berth.

2013

The Hornets captured the IVC title outright with a win over rival Sandy Valley in the final game of the regular season. With a loss to Caldwell in the first round of the playoffs, the Hornets ended the season 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the Inter-Valley Conference and finish ranked #3 in Region 25, Division 7. This is the 7th straight season the Hornet's qualified for the OHSAA playoffs.

2014

The Hornets momentum came to an end and finished 1-9, with their only win coming against Strasburg-Franklin 28-6. This was the first losing season in over a decade. Malvern's streak of 7 straight playoff appearances was snapped.

2008

The Hornets had a perfect season going 20-0 in the regular season winning its first IVC Championship in Boys Basketball. They finished their season 25-1 after losing to Bedford Chanel in the Regional Final. The Hornets were led by the outstanding play of their top 3 scorers Trevor Halter, Zak Kapron, and Tyler Tucci. Each of them scored over 1000 points in their career's at Malvern with Tyler Tucci eventually becoming the Hornet's all-time leading scorer with over 1500 points.

2012

Boys: For the third year straight the Hornets were defeated by Zanesville Rosecrans in the Division IV boys basketball district tournament semifinals at Meadowbrook High. With the loss the Hornets end their season with a 19-4 record.

Girls: The Lady Hornets finished with a 9-12 record, tripling its win total from a season ago.

Tyler Tucci

Tyler graduated from Malvern High School in 2009. He totaled 12 varsity letters - four each in football, basketball and baseball. He is one of only three players to win league titles in three different sports. In football, he was selected as the 2008 Division VI Ohio Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-Ohio first team in 2007 and 2008. He was the 2008 Inter-Valley Conference and Eastern District Player of the Year, and was selected to the All-IVC first team in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He finished with 4,888 career passing yards, second all time; and still holds school records with 59 career passing touchdowns, most rushing yards in a season with 1,785; most interceptions in a career with 18; and most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season with three. In basketball, Tyler was selected the 2008-09 Division IV Ohio Player of the Year. He was the 2008-09 IVC Player of the Year, and the East District Player of the Year in 2006-07 and 2008-09. He was named to the All-Ohio first team in 2006-07 and 2008–09 and to the IVC first team in 2006-07, 2007–08 and 2008-09. He holds school records for most points in a career with 1,797, most assists in a career with 670 and most steals in a career with 255. In baseball, Tyler was named to the IVC and Eastern District first teams in 2008 and 2009. He currently is a member of the West Liberty University football team. Tyler and his girlfriend, Jordan Stacey, have one son, Tate.

Don Clarico

Don coached football for four years at Malvern High School, posting an overall mark of 24-14 and a league record of 15-8. He led the 1962 team to a perfect 9-0 record and the Class A State Title. His teams were Tuscarawas Valley Conference champions in 1961 and 1962. He won two conference titles at Avon High School, and coached at Salem, Midview and Keystone high schools. Don was inducted into the Midview High School Hall of Fame, and into the Lorain County Coaches Hall of Fame. He coached at Mercyhurst College, and won two state titles as a coach of a Cleveland semi-pro football team. Don worked for more than 30 years in various school districts, 14 years as an administrator. He and his wife, Margo, have been married for 52 years and currently reside in Berea. They have two children – Robert and Kristen.

Charles Crawford Sr.

Charles graduated from Malvern High School in 1952. He earned 11 varsity letters – four in football, four in baseball and three in basketball. He coached Little League baseball for more than 30 years, kept the statistics for Malvern football for more than 30 years, and kept the book for Malvern basketball for 51 years. He served as an official scorer at the 1997 State Basketball Tournament. Charles and his wife, Sonja, were married for 58 years. They have four children – Victor, Charles Jr., Cheryl and Amanda.

Karen Larke Horvath

Karen graduated from Malvern High School in 1985. She earned 10 varsity letters – four in track and field, three in basketball and three in volleyball. She excelled in track and field, winning back to back Class A State Championships in the high jump in 1984 and 1985. Her winning jump of 5’7.25 at the 1985 championships set a state record, which stood for more than 10 years. She also finished as the state runner-up in the high jump in 1983, losing out on the title on misses. Karen is an 11-time Inter-Valley Conference champion, an 11-time district champion, a five-time regional champion, and an 11-time state qualifier. She went on to compete at Eastern Michigan University, finishing as the Mid-American Conference runner-up in the high jump in 1987. Her teams won four MAC Indoor Championships and three MAC Outdoor Championships. Karen is the owner of Tri-City Insurance Agency, located in Brecksville. Before that, she worked for Medical Mutual for 17 years. She is married to David and they have two children – Ethan and Elise.

Diane Lancashire

Diane graduated from Malvern High School in 1981. She earned 11 varsity letters – four in basketball, three in volleyball and three in track and field. She is the career points leader in basketball with 1,474 points. She averaged 33.5 points and 11 rebounds during her senior campaign, and scored 55 points in a game twice, also a school record. She was named to the All-Ohio first team in 1980-81 and honorable mention All-Ohio in 1978-79, 1979-80. Diane earned Inter-Valley Conference and Eastern District Player of the Year honors in 1980-81, and was a three-time All-IVC first-team selection. In volleyball, she was named to the IVC first team in 1979-80, and she won an IVC title in track and field in 1981. Diane played three years at Muskingum College, earning three letters in basketball. She was selected to the Centennial Athletic Conference first team in 1983-84, first team Ohio Athletic Conference in 1984-85, and Division III All-State in 1984-85. She finished with 1,161 career points and was inducted into the Muskingum College Hall of Fame in 2003. For the past 17 years, Diane has taught physical education and health at Garinger High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.

George Matyas

George graduated from Malvern High School in 1948. He earned 12 varsity letters during his career - four each in basketball, football and baseball. He holds the school record for most points in a game with 53, set during the 1947-48 season. George is a veteran of the Korean War.

Dr. Murphy Moultry

Murphy graduated from Malvern High School in 1963. He was a dominant force on the football field, earning four varsity letters. He played on the 1962 team which won the Class A State Championship with a 9-0 record and was named to the Tuscarawas Valley Conference first team in 1961 and 1962. He was selected and played in the Ohio North South All-Star Game in 1963. Murphy went on to earn four varsity letters at Capital University. He was a two-time All-OAC first-team selection and a first team All-American in 1966. He was inducted into the Capital Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. Murphy spent 32 years in the education field, many as an administrator. He currently resides in Peoria, Arizona, with his wife of three years, Maci. He has four children – Jeaneen Hooks, Tonia Lake, Talaya Moultry and Craig Moultry.

Freda Savona

Freda graduated from Malvern High School in 1936. She was a national standout in the sports of softball and basketball. She played for the New Orleans Jacks amateur softball team from 1939–48, winning six American Softball Association National Championships. She went on to play professional softball with the Chicago Queens from 1949–53, winning four National Championships. Freda was inducted into the ASA Softball Hall of Fame in 1998. In basketball, Savona played professionally with the Rochester Filarets from 1938-52. During her tenure, the team won six straight National Championships and at one point, won 170 games in a row. She finished her basketball career with a record of 536-12.

Olympia “Limp” Savona

Olympia graduated from Malvern High School in 1939. She played for the New Orleans Jacks amateur softball team from 1939–48, winning six American Softball Association National Championships. She played professional softball for the Chicago Queens from 1949–53, winning four National Championships. She also played professional basketball for the Rochester Filarets from 1940-43. Her teams won four straight National Championships, and at one point, won 170 games in a row.

Jim Yockey

Jim graduated from Malvern High School in 1970. He was a rare four-sport star, accumulating 14 varsity letters - four in football, four in basketball, three in track and field, and three in baseball. In football, he earned second team All-Ohio honors in 1969, and first team all-league and all-district in 1968 and 1969. He finished with 1,096 career points in basketball, earning first team all-league and all-district honors in 1968-69 and 1969-70. Jim was the league shot put champion in 1969 and 1970 and the district shot put champion in 1969. He went on to earn five varsity letters at Ashland University, four in football and one in baseball. He played in the East West Shrine Football Game at the end of his senior year. Jim spent 30 years in various school districts, both as a teach and as an administrator. He and his wife of 32 years, Sally, currently reside in Valrico, Florida. They have two children – Rachael Randall and C.J. Yockey.

Joel Deckman

Joel graduated from Malvern in 1951. He earned 10 letters in three sports – four in basketball, three in football and three in baseball. He averaged 20 points a game his senior year of basketball, and scored 18 touchdowns during his senior year of football – including four against Minerva and four against Carrollton. He batted .320 his final two years of baseball, stealing 35 bases in 1951. He went on to play four years of football at Ohio University, earning letters in 1953 and 1954. His 1954 team played against Harvard, which featured a player by the name of Ted Kennedy. Joel graduated from Ohio University in 1955. He went on to coach football at Conotton Valley, Cambridge, Ohio University, Toledo Whitmer, Tiger Creek, Cloverleaf and Bedford. He coached football at Malvern for two years. He led the 1963 team to a 9-1 record and the 1964 squad to a 7-2 mark. Both teams won conference titles. Joel spent 35 years in education. He currently resides in Venice, Florida, with his wife, Dolores Pontones Deckman, a 1951 Malvern graduate. They have been married for 32 years.

Dick Contini

Dick played two years of football at Malvern, before enlisting in the Navy in 1955. He was one of the founding fathers of the Malvern Athletic Booster Club, along with Don Hart and Joe Nardo. To be a member that first year, you had to buy a pair of football shoes. Dick also spearheaded the monetary drive which resulted in the building of the football locker room. He drove bus for Brown Local Schools for 10 years, including driving teams to various sporting events. He started the Contini Insurance Agency with his wife, Jackie, in 1975, owning the business for 25 years. Contini died in 2012. He was married to Jackie for 50 years. They have three children and six grandchildren. Two of his grandchildren – Zak Kapron and Max Kapron, earned All-Ohio first team honors while attending Malvern.

Ron Ebner

Ron graduated from Malvern in 1963. He received 12 varsity letters – four each in baseball, football and basketball. He was a member of Malvern's state championship football team in 1962. He went on to play college baseball for two different schools. He was a pitcher for Kent State University in 1964, and for Malone College in 1965. He lettered both years and was named to the Canton Class A All-Star team in 1965. He was drafted into the Army in 1966 and served in Korea, where he pitched for his squad's team. Upon his discharge, Ron was signed to play professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1968. He pitched in their farm system for four years, in cities such as Little Rock, St. Petersburg, Tulsa and Cedar Rapids. After his professional career, Ron played several years as an amateur with the Canton Masters, leading the team to the 1998 National Champion. He was elected into the Stark County Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. Ebner died in 1999. He has one son, Phil, and three grandchildren.

Katie Spehar Kocher

Katie graduated from Malvern in 1999. She earned nine varsity letters – four in track and field, three in basketball and two in volleyball. In volleyball, Katie was named to the IVC first team, the District 5 Player of the Year, and honorable-mention All-Ohio during her senior campaign. She graduated with nine school records. Katie won 10 Inter-Valley Conference titles in track and field. She won five district titles and qualified to regionals 14 times. She won two regional titles and was a five-time state qualifier. Katie earned All-Ohio honors in 1999 as she placed eighth at the state championships in the 800. She graduated with four school records. Katie went on to star in two sports at Westminster College She earned four letters in volleyball and two more in track and field. She was named the PAC Volleyball Player of the Year in 2002, and won PAC championships in the 800, 1500 and 4x400. Katie was named Outstanding Senior Female Student Athlete in 2003, and was inducted into the Westminster Hall of Fame in 2012. Katie is married to Scott Kocher.

Bruce Wright II

Bruce graduated from Malvern in 1978. He earned eight varsity letters – three in football, three in baseball and two in basketball. He was captain of all three sports his senior year. His best sport was baseball. Bruce is the school's record holder for earned run average in a season, posting a 0.40 in 1978. He did not give up an earned run during the regular season. He also holds the record for most strikeouts in a game with 17. Bruce is second all-time with 190 career strikeouts, third for most strikeouts in a season with 82, and third for most wins in a season with eight. He threw two no-hitters, one against Southern in 1977 and another against Newcomerstown in 1978. He was selected to the All-IVC and All-District first teams in 1978. Bruce went on to play baseball for three years at Walsh College and one year for West Liberty State College. He was selected to the Mid-Ohio Conference first team in 1979. Bruce has served as head coach of five sports at Minerva – track and field, volleyball, baseball, girls basketball and golf. His 2010 girls basketball team won the Northeastern Buckeye Conference title, and he won back-to-back district titles in 2010-11. He was District 5 and NBC Coach of the Year in 2010. His golf team won a district championship and qualified to state in 2008. He was selected the Stark County Coach of the Year in 2008 and the Eastern District Coach of the Year in 2009. Bruce is married to Ronda (Bettis) Wright. They have one son, Connor (Michigan) Wright.