Bob Urda ’48
As a senior pitcher, Urda helped the Bengals reach Columbus for the
first time in school history in 1948. Urda pitched all the key games in that
stretch, which included a three-hit victory over the defending state champions.
He also pitched the Bengals to their
second consecutive Cleveland City Championship when he threw a four-hitter in a
7-1 win over Holy Name. Urda was also a top running back for the 1947 Bengals and
was listed among the area’s leading scorers as a senior. Later, he played at baseball
Western Michigan University and then was in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization.
Charley Reynolds ’56
A three-sport star, Reynolds graduated as the leading scorer in the
school’s basketball history. As a receiver, Reynolds helped the Bengals to the Cleveland
football city title with a convincing and record-setting 47-6 win over St.
Ignatius in the first Charity Game played on Thanksgiving morning in 1955. As a
senior pitcher, Reynolds compiled a 4-0 record. He combined with another
pitcher on a no-hitter. He also pitched a solo one-hitter, where he retired the
first 17 batters he faced. That season, the Bengals compiled a 19-1 season
record as Cleveland City champs but lost in the state finals. After an
injury-shortened career at Purdue University, he returned to Benedictine as a
teacher and coach at Benedictine in the 1960’s. Later in the 1990’s Reynolds came
back as the school’s principal.
Sal Collura ’63
Collura was voted as the Most Valuable Player of the East Senate as a
senior running back in 1962 as he helped the Bengals to another league title on
their way to a 9-2 season record. In a key East Senate game against arch-rival
Cathedral Latin, Collura caught an 11-yard pass with just 36 seconds left for
the only points in the contest. Collura was the team’s leading rusher averaging
six yards per carry. He was also selected by the Catholic Universe Bulletin to
its All-Catholic team. Collura played in the annual Ohio North-South All-Star
football game and still remains in the top 30 all-time scorers in Benedictine history
with 114 points. As a senior outfielder, Collura helped the Bengals to a school
record 26 wins in the 1963 baseball season that included the Cleveland City
title. Collura also played in the annual Cuyahoga County East-West all-star baseball
game.
Dave Petschauer ’67
Petschauer was a three-sport star who earned Plain Dealer All-Scholastic
honors in baseball as a shortstop. He was one of the leading hitters in the Cleveland
area with a batting average of exactly .500. In basketball, he was third in
scoring as a junior in the always-tough East Senate. He had a career high 30 points
in a win over Collinwood. He still ranks in the top 30 in school history for
career points. As a wide-receiver for the Cleveland City champion Bengals
football team, Petschauer was the leading pass catcher for the 9-1 Bengals, who
defeated South High 32-6 in front of a crowd of 35,327 at old Cleveland Stadium.
He was named to the All-East Senate team and to the Catholic Universe
Bulletin’s All-Catholic team in football.
Rick Switalski ’73
Switalski was a two-year letterman in football and record-holder in the
shot put with a throw of 58-1. That
record was one of the longest-held records in school track history. It wasn’t
until two decades later that it was finally broken. As a senior, he won the
Bellaire Relays shot put title and was sixth in the Class AAA shot put state
finals. Switalski was a starting tackle on the Bengals last Cleveland City championship
football team in 1971 and on the first independent season in 1972. Switalski
later played on the offensive line at the University of Virginia and was twice named
All-Academic All-Atlantic Coast Conference. Later he was signed as a free agent
by the Baltimore Colts.
Jim Lasher ’81
A quarterback and defensive back, Lasher was a key member of the
Benedictine 1980 Division III state championship football team. His interception
return of 47 yards to the 10-yard line led to the Bengals only touchdown in the
9-3 state championship victory over Hamilton Badin. Lasher won the school’s prestigious Fr.
Florian Award as a senior. In baseball, he led the Bengals to a 20-5 record as
he finished with a 7-1 pitching record and was listed as one of the top hitters
in the area with a batting average of .511. Lasher helped the Bengals defeat
St. Ignatius in the best-of-three series to win the Cleveland Area Baseball Conference
title. He was the winning pitcher in Coach Augie Bossu’s 490th
baseball win and added two hits in Bossu’s 500th all-time baseball
win. He was voted by the students as “Mr. Benedictine.”
Dan Carcelli ’91
Considered as the greatest wrestler in Benedictine history, Carcelli is
the school’s two-time state wrestling champion. As a junior he finished with a 29-3
record on his way to the state 130-pound title. He closed out a perfect senior
season with a 36-0 record by winning the state 135-pound title. He was the Most
Valuable Wrestler in the three invitationals that he wrestled as a senior: Richmond Heights, Berea and the Ohio Catholic.
He earned a place on the Plain Dealer Cuyahoga County All-Scholastic wrestling
team. Later he wrestled at Cleveland
State where he was an All-American at 142 pounds in 1995. Carcelli also was a four-time winner of the
Most Outstanding Wrestler award at CSU.
He holds CSU records for most career wins with 60 and a record 35
straight dual meet wins.
Prepared by Wally Mieskoski ’71
