Syracuse, N.Y. — We’ve gathered quite the list of nominations, now it’s your turn to give your input on who belongs on the male sports Mount Rushmore of Utica Proctor athletics.
Syracuse.com’s high school sports staff launched the Mount Rushmore Project to highlight the top four male and top four female athletes of all time at high schools throughout Section III. Each summer, we will select high schools to be featured as part of the project.
This summer, Utica Proctor is one of six schools we are featuring, along with Baldwinsville, Hamilton, Henninger, Tully, and Westhill.
Below is a list of some of the greatest male athletes who attended Utica Proctor. They were gathered from submitted nominations as well as input from people well-versed in the history of the program.
Now comes the hard part: Picking the final four.
Here are the descriptions of all the nominees followed by a poll. This poll will be open until 10 a.m. Wednesday and voters can pick four candidates. The results of the poll will not be the sole determination of the final Utica Proctor Mount Rushmore, but they will be a guideline when we make our picks. If you feel we’ve overlooked anyone, drop an email to klacyjr@syrause.com and we’ll take it into consideration.
No athletes currently competing in high school or collegiately will be included on a school’s Mount Rushmore.
The Utica Proctor male Mount Rushmore will be announced on July 29.
Here’s a list of the candidates and the sports for which they were best known:
Ralph Antone, football, baseball, basketball, track and field, volleyball
Antone was a five-sport athlete during high school from 1950-1954. He was the captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He attended Colgate University where he played Division I football, baseball and lacrosse. At Colgate, he was first-team Eastern College Athletic Conference All-East team in football in 1957 and was an All-American defenseman in lacrosse his senior year. After graduating college, Antone was signed by the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts before an injury ended his career. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Dave Cash, baseball, basketball, football
Cash was the QB of the football team and helped the basketball team win its first-ever Section III championship during his high school years. Baseball was where Cash thrived, though. He had a .400 batting average for his junior and senior seasons. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates right out of high school in the fifth round of the 1966 MLB Draft. He made his professional debut with the Pirates in 1969. Cash played in the majors for 12 seasons. He was a three-time all-star, World Series champion and led the league in hits once. He finished his career with a .283 batting average, 1,571 hits, 21 home runs and 426 RBIs. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Brian Dodge, cross country
Dodge excelled as a distance runner. After running for the Raiders, he attended Alleghany Community College and Plattsburgh State where he was a four-time cross country and track and field All-American. He also starred at the Utica Boilermaker Road Race where he finished in the top 100. Before his passing in 2012, Dodge ran with The Genesee Valley Harriers Premier Running Club and was on numerous USA Track and Field Veteran national championship teams.
Vincenzo Giruzzi, football
Giruzzi was a four-year starter for the Raiders and tallied 152 tackles, 32 sacks and five forced fumbles in his high school career. He was a member of the New York State Class AA all-star team and was SuperPrep’s No. 7 prospect in the state his senior year. Giruzzi went on to play at Syracuse University where he appeared in all 47 games and started 18 of them. In four seasons with the Orange, Giruzzi had 95 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery.
Lawrence Elliott Jr., football, baseball
Eliott was a two-sport athlete playing three years of varsity baseball and football, but the gridiron was where he was at his best. Elliott’s versatility as a running back, defender and kick returner earned him first-team all-state honors as the all-purpose player his senior year. He continued with football in college at Division II Bloomsburg University. He earned all-conference honors his freshman and sophomore years as a returner before earning first-team all-conference honors his junior year and second-team honors as a running back as a senior. His 281 rushing yards against Lock Haven in 2015 are the fourth-most in school history, 1,447 rushing yards in 2015 are seventh-most in school history, 2,613 career rushing yards are 10th-most in school history, 15.9 yards per punt return in 2014 are second-most in school history and 36.6 yards per kick return against Shippensburg in 2013 are the most in school history. Elliott was invited to the Arizona Cardinals minicamp following the 2017 NFL Draft.
Ted Lepcio, baseball, football
The 1947 graduate was a running back on the football team but baseball was where he shined. He went on to play collegiately for Seton Hall and eventually made it to the majors. In his 10-year MLB stint, Lepcio played for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. He finished his career with a .245 batting average, 512 hits, 69 home runs and 251 RBIs. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Richard Pete, track and field, football
Despite his 5-foot-6, 145-pound frame, Pete was a nightmare on the football field. His blazing speed made him nearly impossible to catch on the field and helped him shine as an All-CNY track athlete. Pete’s lightning quickness landed him a spot on Buffalo State’s football and indoor and outdoor track and field teams. He was a four-year starter at running back in football and earned all-conference honors three times. He appeared in all 41 games during his college career and tallied 3,284 rushing yards and 759 receiving yards. He holds the Bengals’ records for most touchdowns (42) and rush yards per attempt (5.9). He was a three-time All-American in track and recorded a fifth-place finish in the triple jump at the 2014 indoor national championships. He also nabbed eighth-place finishes in the triple jump in the 2013 and 2014 outdoor national championships. He won three SUNYAC triple jump championships and one long jump championship. Pete was inducted into the Buffalo State Hall of Fame in 2022.
Deandre Preaster, basketball, football
It didn’t matter if it was the hardwood or the gridiron, Preaster dominated. He scored 1,352 points in his high school career and led the Raiders to back-to-back Section III championships in 2006 and 2007 and a second-place finish in 2008. He was a three-time All-CNY selection in basketball and a two-time Player of the Year selection. He was also named Class AA all-state three times in basketball (sixth team, fourth team and third team). In football, he caught 70 passes for 1,456 yards and 13 touchdowns and ran for 549 yards and five scores over three seasons and earned all-state honors. He was offered a scholarship to play wide receiver at Syracuse University but played college basketball at Mohawk Valley and Herkimer County community colleges. He averaged 15.8 points and 13.3 rebounds at MVCC and 16.6 points and 10.9 rebounds for HCCC.
Benjamin Rizzo, football
Rizzo made his mark on the gridiron as a fullback for the Raiders in the late 1950s. After spending a year at Mohawk Valley Community College, Rizzo walked on to the University of Miami football team. With the Hurricanes, he became a starting defensive end and also played some offense. He was a member of Miami’s 1961 Liberty Bowl team that beat Ernie Davis-led Syracuse University. Rizzo earned All-America honorable mention while at Miami. After college, he spent time with the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. Rizzo was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
Nick Santiago, football
Santiago racked up 120 tackles and 25 sacks during his time at Proctor. He was a second-team all-state selection his junior year and a first-team selection his senior year. He was ranked the No. 13 prospect in New York his senior year, according to SuperPrep. He went on to play at Syracuse where became a fixture on the defensive line. Santiago played in nine games his freshman year, 11 his sophomore year, 12 his junior year (nine starts) and started all 12 games as a senior. He also led the team with four-and-a-half sacks his senior year. He finished his career with 67 tackles, five-and-a-half sacks and three forced fumbles.
Penny Semaia, football
Semaia was a beast in the trenches for the Raiders during his high school career. He was and All-CNY selection during high school and a first-team all-state his senior year. He was also a captain on the team that reached the Section III playoffs for the first time. He played in the Governor’s Bowl All-State Classic game which features the best high school football players from New York and New Jersey. He went on to play at the University of Pittsburgh where he played both offensive and defensive line. As a sophomore, he had four tackles and his first career sack while playing against Syracuse University. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jason Simone, baseball
Simone was a key piece to Proctor’s lone state championship baseball team. After leading Utica Notre Dame to a state title, Simone transferred to Proctor and immediately led the team to a state championship win in 2007. He was named the All-CNY and New York State Class AA player of the year that year. Simone went to play at SUNY Cortland where he continued to shine. His 86 hits and 67 singles in 2010 are single-season records for the Red Dragons. He also ranks 25th all-time in career hits (165), third all-time in triples (14), tied for 26th in RBIs (101) and 11th all-time in stolen bases (47). He was named SUNY Athletic Conference Player of the Year twice and was second-team All-American in 2010. He finished his career playing at the University of Mount Olive where his .422 ranks sixth all-time for a single season.
Rick Siriano, baseball
“Slicks” Siriano was a menace on the diamond. He was a three-time league all-star and a member of Proctor’s first-ever Section III championship team in the 1970s. He earned a full ride to the University of Louisville where he has the third-highest career batting average (.389) in school history. Siriano went on to be drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round of the 1980 MLB Draft. He made it as high as AA before an injury ended his playing career. In his four minor league seasons, he had a .256 batting average with 283 hits, nine home runs and 112 RBIs. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Will Smith, football, basketball, track and field
In high school, Smith was one of the most dominant football players in not just the city, but the whole country. He was an All-American defensive end and was ranked the best prospect in the state his senior year after piling up 20 sacks. Smith also contributed on the basketball and track and field teams, but football is what he continued when he went to Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he was named Outstanding First-Year Defensive Player, earned All-Big 10 honors including Big-10 Defensive Player of the Year and helped the team win a national title in 2002. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. Smith was the Saints, he earned All-Rookie team honors, was named to a Pro Bowl and won Super Bowl XLIV. He was inducted into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Nick Woodman, football
The 2012 graduate made a name for himself on the gridiron. Woodman played varsity football for two years before playing collegiately at Utica University where he owns multiple records. His two blocked kicks in 2015, one fumble return touchdown in 2015, 20 tackles for loss in 2015, and 13 sacks in 2015 are single-season records. He also holds the career record for sacks (29.5). He earned multiple all-conference and All-American honors and was named to the Empire 8 25th Anniversary team. Woodman received an invitation to the New York Giants rookie minicamp following the 2016 NFL Draft but was medically disqualified. He went on to play for the Jacksonville Sharks in the National Arena League where he won a championship and was named defensive player of the year, defensive lineman of the year and defensive rookie of the year in 2019.
Josh Wright, basketball
Anytime Wright laced up the sneakers and hit the court, it was appointment viewing in Utica and surrounding areas. He’s the school’s leading scorer with 1,944 career points. As a senior, he averaged 33.3 points per game, reached the section championship game and was a first-team all-state selection. As a junior, he averaged 25.0 points per game and was a fifth-team all-state selection. He earned All-CNY honors twice. Wright was the 40th-ranked prospect in the country his senior year of high school, according to Rivals. He went on to play at Syracuse University from 2004-2008. With the Orange, he averaged 4.4 points per game. After leaving Syracuse his senior year, Wright finished his collegiate career with the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Note: Each school’s Mount Rushmore will include only athletes, not coaches. Also, we will only include athletes who attended Utica Proctor (Utica Free Academy, John F. Kennedy High School and Utica Senior Academy athletes are not included in this round of nominations.)
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