Three with Fairfield Ties Inducted into County's Sports Hall of Fame

By DJ McAneny

Six new local standout sports stars were inducted into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday, including three representatives from Fairfield, one from Stratford, one from New Canaan and a Stamford star inducted posthumously. 

Two inductees were named to each of the Hall of Fame's three wings, the James O'Rourke Amateur Wing, the Jackie Robinson Professional Wing and the J. Walter Kennedy Community Service Wing.

Inducted to the Jackie Robinson Wing Wednesday were professional tennis player James Blake, of Fairfield, and MLB Umpire Mark Hirschbeck, of Stratford, who joins his brother John to become the first brother tandem in the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame. 

Blake, who is still active as a professional tennis player and is playing at Wimbledon this week, turned pro in 1999. Since that time he has won 10 ATP singles titles, his first in 2002. In 2006, his career skyrocketed with five tour victories and he reached his top world ranking at No. 4. Blake played seven years on the U.S. Davis cup team and helped lead the squad to the 2007 championship. The Fairfield High graduate is currently ranked 87th in the world and has close to $8 million in career earnings.

"Even though he's not here, I'd like to welcome him [to the Hall of Fame]," said Executive Director of the Fairfield County Sports Commission Tom Chiappetta."He's had a tremendous tennis career. At one point he was fourth-ranked in the entire world. He's won 10 tournaments."

Don Cook, a 50-year veteran to college athletics, and one of the state's most winningest high-school coaches Earl Lavery, both of Fairfield, were inducted to the J. Walter Kennedy Wing. 

Cook dedicated 50 years to college athletics and was a fixture in the county for most of those years. He was the baseball coach at Fairfield University, his alma mater, for 19 years and the athletic director from 1971-86. After moving upstate to the University of Hartford where he was AD from 1986-92, he returned to the town of Fairfield as the athletic director at Sacred Heart. Cook guided the Pioneers into Division I and expanded the athletic program from 12 to 31 varsity teams before retiring after 20 years this month. He was awarded a Gold Key in 1999 and is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Hall of Fame.

"I think about the road I've traveled over 50 years," said Cook. "It's just very humbling to be here today and accept this [recognition]... Any success I've enjoyed, I have to thank the wonderful people I was surrounded by. These are the people that made it for me and always supported what I was trying to do."

Lavery was one of the state's storied high school football coaches at Fairfield Prep from 1968-1992. During that time he never had a losing season, won 230 games, which at the time he retired was a state record and is now seventh all-time in Connecticut, and his .801 winning percentage is also seventh best. He won three state titles, coached four undefeated teams and won 15 MBIAC titles. 

Lavery, who was an assistant football coach at Prep for nine years before becoming head man, also served as the Jesuits' athletic director from 1970-72 and had short stints coaching golf and track. "Duke" was elected to the CT High School Coaches Hall of Fame (1991) and won a Gold Key from the CT Sports Writers Alliance in 1996.

From New Canaan, Dennis Paglialunga, a three-sport standout who played baseball, basketball and football at New Canaan High School and two-time all-FCIAC running back who led the conference in scoring in 1973 and 1974. He was inducted to the James O'Rourke Wing. 

"I want to thank all my coaches, all the players I played with and against," Paglialunga said during a speech Wednesday. "It's a great day and I'm very humbled. Just looking at this wall and seeing some of the names I'm standing next to... Bobby Valentine? Are you kidding me? It's a great day."

Allyson Rioux was inducted posthumously as the second member inducted to the James O'Rourke Wing. She was a standout triple-sport all-star from Stamford's Westhill High School who went on to play softball at Rhode Island and the University of Massachusetts before joining the Raybestos Brakettes for 10 years as the second baseman. She died in 1989 at the age of 27 from an inoperable brain tumor.