DOUGLAS S. RENNER Athlete, North Penn High School, 1974 6 Varsity Letters: 3 Football, 3 Wrestling 1973 1st Team All Bux-Mont Football Offense & Defense 1973 Philadelphia Bulletin All-Suburban 2nd Team Defense 1973 PIAA All-State Honorable Mention Defense 1973 NPHS Outstanding Senior Football Award 1973 NPHS Co-Defensive Player Award 1974 Defensive Captain Montco All-Star Game 1974 PIAA Wrestling Sectional Runner-Up HWT Class 1974 PIAA District 1 Wrestling Semi-Finalist HWT Class 1974 NPHS Most Pins Award NPHS Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year 1972 Freshmen Offensive Team Captain University of Delaware 1974 Inducted 2019 |
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North Penn High School, 1974 I am honored to be among the many athletes, past and present, to be inducted into the NPAA Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Because I was told I will only have five minutes to speak I thought I had better express some of my “thank you’s” here. I have saved “my stories” for tonight’s program. (Ed Klavon, Toby Watton, ’73 football) I want to take this opportunity to thank Tom Strickland and the Board of Directors, several of whom I know personally from the “olden days”. When I first talked to Tom, he explained to me the reasoning behind the establishment of the HOF. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 Sports Illustrated distinguished North Penn as having the best athletic program in Pennsylvania, noting that the school has "won 45 state championships over the last 10 years" He told me that up until then, there really was no history regarding recognition of all the athletes and teams that have helped North Penn to such elite status in the state and consequently, in the nation. I started my athletic career on the hallowed fields of Hatfield Little League which is important to me because baseball was king for young kids growing up in the ’60s. At that age my father, Jack, and uncle, Norm Vincent, (my LL coach) were instrumental in teaching me the value of playing hard but with good sportsmanship. I attended Pennfield Junior High where I started playing football, basketball and continued in baseball. I was cut from the basketball team in seventh grade. I had to find something to do and so I joined the wrestling team which worked out decidedly better. Thanks to wrestling coach Wayne Brunt and the basketball coach who cut me, John Bishop, whom I always liked simply because he is a good guy. On to North Penn; the despised players from Pennbrook (hey it worked both ways) and the Pennfield players are now in the same locker rooms. Believe me; it didn’t take long for enemies to become hard and fast friends. Many of whom I am still in regular contact with to this day. And it’s not just the athletes that deserve recognition. It is the student body, teachers, parents, and the entire community. They supported us no matter what the standings were; truly remarkable. At the University of Delaware, I was elected, unanimously, by my teammates, as offensive captain of my freshman team. We were told by none other than legendary coach, Tubby Raymond, that we were the best recruiting class ever at UD which is somewhat ironic Coach Raymond was as revered in the state as Delaware as Jopa was in Pennsylvania. We beat Penn State in a freshman game that year. But that’s a story for another time. |