St. Francis Hall of Fame
Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Class Announced
Mr. Steve Otremba’90, Director of Athletics, announced the following alums will be inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame class. A ceremony honoring the inductees will he held on Friday, September 29th, @ 6 pm at the Gacioch Family Athletic Complex. Reservation information is below.
Ilio DiPaolo ’06- All WNY & All Catholic QB led St. Francis Football to back-to-back #1 rankings in WNY and a national ranking in the USA Today top 25 High School Rankings. He was a 2-year starter for Basketball & was part of the 2006 MMHSAA Track Championships. Ilio went on to play at Lock Haven and Edinboro University.
Lucas Tasker’09-All WNY All Catholic WR/DB in Football who helped lead the Football team to back-to-back MMHSAA League Titles in 2007 & 2008. Luke won five All-Catholics in Track and field, including four titles in his senior campaign. Went on to play football at Cornell and professionally for the Hamilton TigerCats.
Brent Titus ’06- Won 4 All Catholic titles in Track & Field along with CHSAA intersectional titles in 2004 & 2005. He placed both years at the NYSPHSAA Federation Meet. Brent, since 2006, has held the MMHSAA Discus Record. After his decorated career at St. Francis, Brent went on to win a Junior. College National Title in the Discus. Brent was also part of the Football team at St. Francis, winning a title in 2004 and a #1 ranking in WNY.
During his St. Francis Career, Jon Van Remmen ’08- was All Catholic and All WNY in Football and Baseball. He played a pivotal role in football, winning a league title in 2007 while being part of the Baseball Team winning the Georgetown Cup in 2006, 2007 & 2008. Jon went on to play baseball at Canisius College.
Dedicated to the Memory of
THE VERY REV. RUFINUS NIEDZWIECKI, OFM CONV.
The Very Rev. Rufinus Niedzwiecki Memorial Athletic Hall of Fame at St. Francis High School is named after one of Western New York’s legendary sports figures. In over twenty years at his alma mater, St. Francis High School, Father Rufinus built a reputation as one of the area’s finest and most knowledgeable coaches. His basketball teams always enjoyed winning seasons and won numerous Manhattan Cup titles; and his baseball teams were an annual fixture in the Georgetown Cup championships. Besides compiling one of the best records of any coach in the area, his astute administrative abilities led to the building of one of the finest athletic programs in the region a St. Francis.
An outstanding basketball and baseball player, Father Rufinus was a member of the first class to graduate from St. Francis in 1931. Known as a stern disciplinarian, Father “Rufe” is best remembered by his players as a gentle and kind person who was deeply concerned about every young man he coached. In 2002, Fr. Rufinus was inducted in the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame.
St. Francis High School
Success Begins at St. Francis
