ZCS Announce Hall of Fame

The Zanesville City Schools Hall of Fame Commitee has announced this year’s honrees. This is the eighth class to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, created in 2007 “to recognize and perpetuate the names of those men and women who have displayed outstanding abilities in organized and recognized high school athletics, academics and/or other curricular or extracurricular activities, and/or who have contributed meritorious service to the prestige and progress of Zanesville City Schools.”

Planning for a May 9, 2015, induction banquet and ceremony at Zanesville High School is underway.

Shannon Sowers is a 1983 Zanesville High School graduate. She excelled in baskeball, volleyball, softball and track.

As a 3 year starter on the varsity basketball team she averaged 17.6 points a game and became the first girl or boy to score 1, 000 points and finished her career with 1,127 points in just 64 games. This was before the 3 point shot was introduced. Her senior season the team made it to the Sweet 16 in the State Tournament before being beaten by a shot at the buzzer.

She was named to the All-Central Ohio League Team, 1st Team Eastern District and Honorable Mention All-Ohio AAA her sophomore season.  Her junior year she was named Central Ohio League Player of the Year, Eastern District Player of the Year and Second Team All-Ohio AAA. Shannon was named a Street and Smith Pre -Season All- American, Central Ohio League Player of the Year, Eastern District Player of the Year and All-Ohio First Team (receiving the most votes) her senior year.

Since college she has had a successful 25 year career with AT&T. She held management positions in Network Operations and most recently took the position of Senior Risk Manager in the Finance and Treasury Organization.

Shannon and her partner Amy, and their 9 year old son Aidan live in Columbus, Ohio. She enjoys spending time with her extended family traveling, camping and being outdoors.

Ohio State Senator Troy Balderson was a member of the Zanesville High School class of 1980. He attended Muskingum College and The Ohio State University. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2008 where he served on the Finance Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Finance Subcommittee for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

In July of 2011, he was appointed to the Ohio Senate where he currently serves in his third General Assembly. He represents the 20th Senate District which encompasses all of Fairfield, Guernsey, Hocking, Morgan and Muskingum Counties. He also represents portions of Athens and Pickaway Counties.

Senator Balderson is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Vice Chairman of the Senate Public Utilities Committee. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Energy Mandates Study Committee and serves as a member of Government Oversight and Reform, Insurance, Education, Finance Subcommittee on Education and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.

Clay P. Graham has gained success as both an attorney and businessman as a lifetime resident of Zanesville. He excelled in academics and in sports at Zanesville High School where he graduated in 1973. As an honor student-athlete, he was captain and All Conference player on the golf and basketball teams; holding a single season free throw shooting record for over 35 years.

Graham continued his academic and athletic success at Denison University. As a four year letterman on the basketball team, he graduated summa cum laude in 1977, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law.

In 1981, Graham joined his family law firm of Graham and Graham Co. L.P.A. that was established in 1923. He has served as the firm’s Managing Partner and chief trial counsel. He has also been a leader in national, state and local professional organizations, including the Muskingum County Bar Association where he served as President in 2007. Shelly & Sands, Inc., Buckingham Coal Co., The Graham Auto Group, Burley Clay Products Co. and is also the principal shareholder and Director of North Valley Bank.

Walker J. Huffman graduated from Lash High School in 1943 and then served in the United States Navy in the Asian Pacific Theater during World War II. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post #1058 and served as President of Ohio LST Amphibs Veterans Association. In 2000, Huffman was inducted into the Muskingum County Veterans Hall of Fame.

Most of Huffman’s career was in the field of Public Education Administration in several Ohio School Districts. He held a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University, an M. Ed and Ed. Spec. degrees from Bowling Green State University and an Honorary Degree in Public Service from the Muskingum Area Technical College.

In 1967, Huffman joined other Administrators and Business leaders to initiate the development of career and technical education in the state. He pioneered the establishment of the Muskingum Area Joint Vocational School and the Muskingum Area Technical College. He served as first Superintendent of the vocational school and President of the technical college.

From 1981 until 1986, Huffman was a Vocational-Technical School Consultant for the United States Department of Labor. He created the Administrative Structure for Vocational Schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After returning to Zanesville, he served as Director and worked with the Technical College Foundation Board. During the 1990s, Huffman was a Consultant for the Jobs for American Graduates and helped establish Jobs for Ohio Graduates programs in Muskingum, Perry, Noble, Guernsey, Coshocton and Licking Counties.

Huffman served on the Associate Board of the Zanesville Art Center, was President of Muskingum County Genealogy Society and a member of Muskingum County Board of the American Cancer Society. He was involved in the Rotary Club, Goodwill and Red Cross boards and Ohio Parent Teacher Association. He was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church and a 50 year member of the Ohio Masonic Order and Royal Arch Masons.
Seth Martin was born and raised in Zanesville and graduated from Zanesville High School in 1997. He excelled in basketball and scored 1,371 points, second on the school’s all-time list.

As a sophomore, Seth was a member of the 1995 OHSAA Division I State Championship team. He banked in the winning free throw in a 69-68 overtime victory against No. 1 ranked Cleveland Heights. The Blue Devils finished 20-0 in the regular season and 26-0 overall. Seth gained special mention All-Ohio recognition.

In his junior year, Seth averaged 17.8 points per game and received third team All-Ohio Division I accolades. He was first team All-District 12, All-OVAC Class 4-A and all-Eastern District D-1. As in Seth’s sophomore year, the Blue Devils were AP Division I state poll champions.

As a senior, Seth averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while boasting a 59 per cent field goal accuracy mark. He earned first team All-Ohio Division I and finished second in balloting for Ohio’s “Mr. Basketball” award. He was the District 12 Division I/II Player of the Year and was first team all-OVAC Class 4-A and all-Eastern District D-1.

Seth graduated from the California University of Pennsylvania in sports management in 2002. He continued to excel in basketball while in college. He scored 1,459 points at Cal which ranks No. 10 all-time in school history. He was named a three-time all-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first team selection, a two-time second team All-American selection and a Street and Smith first team All-America .

After graduating from college, Seth has coached and taught in both the high school arena and the college ranks. Currently he is the head girls’ basketball coach at Logan High School where he received Conference and District Coach of the Year Honors for the 2014-2015 season. Seth was inducted into the District 12 Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame Class in 2012 and into the California University of Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame Class in 2013.

Seth resides in Lancaster with his wife Katie and three children: Cale, Mia, and Keynen.

Donald L. Mason was a 1975 graduate of Zanesville High School and was class officer and co-captain of the wrestling team. He was a two time district champion and state tournament qualifier, His senior record was 22-1. He graduated from Muskingum College with a degree in political science and earned his law degree from Capital University, graduating cum laude.

Mason’s athletic career at Muskingum College included qualifying for the NCAA Championships by placing in the Ohio Athletic Conference championships all four years. He was two time OAC champion, OAC Conference Pin Award recipient, Outstanding Senior Athlete and three year co-captain, including the 1979 OAC Conference Championship team. He was the first NCAA All American wrestler at Muskingum College and was inducted into the Muskingum College Hall of Fame in 1991.

Mason was elected to Zanesville City Council in 1979 and was President of Council in 1981. In 1983, at the age of 26, Mason was elected Mayor of the City of Zanesville and was re-elected in 1987. As Mayor, he created the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority and the Muskingum County Convention and Tourism Board. He increased the geographic size of the city by over twenty percent, including building the Northpoint Industrial Park.

After leaving local government, Mason became Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Deputy Director in 1991. In 1998, he was appointed Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio by Governor George Voinovich and re-appointed in 2003 by Governor Bob Taft.

Mason is a Rotarian with over 32 years of perfect attendance and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. He served as Master of his Masonic Lodge twice and is a 32nd Degree Mason, Shriner and is a member of several Masonic organizations and Knights of Columbus. In 1987, Mason received the Jaycees Distinguished Service Award and in 2010 was given the Outstanding Community Service Award by the Grandmaster of all Ohio Masons.

Steve “T.J. Tatters” Smith is a product of the Zanesville City Schools and is a graduate of the class of 1969. Classmates from Westview Elementary recall  that kids loved to be around him because he was always saying and doing funny  things. As it turns out, he is still making people laugh today.

Steve studied at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, earned a BFA in acting from the Goodman School of Drama and studied physical  comedy with some of the world’s top performers. He taught extensively and  served as the Director of Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College  from 1985 to 1994. He has also traveled the world conducting workshops and  master classes in physical comedy. He has worked with Walt Disney World, Royal  Caribbean Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, NBC – TV, CBS – TV, Chuck Jones  Film Productions (Warner Bros. Studio) and The Big Apple Circus.

The many awards recognizing Steve’s talent and creativity include: five  time Emmy Award recipient, Action for Children’s Television “Kidding Around”  award, Medal of Merit in Performing Arts from Ohio University, Excellence in the  Arts from DePaul University, and the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art. Steve was also inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame in 1993.

Most recently, Circus Center, San Francisco’s internationally-renowned circus training and performing arts center has appointed Steve as its Creative Director, performer, teacher, and creative consultant. In his new position, he will provide creative counsel on all aspects of the organization’s operations, including the selection of artistic projects and personnel and overseeing their
production.