PSFCA Hall of Fame - Class of 2025
Dave Baker
Dave Baker is a native of Roaring Spring and a graduate of Martinsburg Central High School where he earned 12 letters in football, basketball and baseball.
He graduated from IUP in 1967 with a major in Biology education and was a member of the baseball team.
He taught and coached football for 35 years at Williamsburg High School where he also coached basketball and baseball.
After six years at Chestnut Ridge he moved to Central Martinsburg for 16 years, 13 of which were as head coach. During that time, the Dragons won seven district championships and advanced to the western regional final four times. He values his time equally at each of the schools as they have all been a blessing to him and his family.
He and his wife Nancy have three sons, Jay, 55, Matthew, 53, and Andrew, 50. The and their wives are teachers in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Doug Dahms
Doug is a 1971 graduate of Muhlenberg High School and a 1975 graduate of Lebanon Valley College, where he lettered in football, wrestling, and track all four years, while earning a degree in Biology. He started his teaching and coaching career at Wilson High School in 1976 and spent thirty years coaching with PSFCA Hall of Fame legends John Gurski, Gerry Slemmer, and Jim Cantafio before taking over the head job in 2006.
As head coach, his teams have won the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship 14 times in 19 years, accumulating a 196-44 record. His teams won a record nine straight titles and 65 consecutive league games from 2008 to 2016. They were District 3 Champions in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2016. He was coach of the year in Section 1 of the L-L 13 times and was District 3 Coach of the Year three times. He has been inducted into Muhlenberg High School, Wilson High School, Lebanon Valley College, and Berks County Football Coaches Hall of Fames as well as the Berks Chapter of the PA Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, he was the head Track and Field Coach at Wilson for 35 years, taught AP Biology and AP Environmental Science, retiring from teaching in 2023. He also started the very successful Wilson Jamaica Marine Field Studies and Humanitarian program.
Doug's greatest satisfaction in coaching has been watching his young athletes develop into fine young men. Many of them are pillars in the community and are demonstrating the characteristics instilled in them while playing. Doug credits his success to the great assistants who have coached with him throughout the years. He also credits his wife Susie for supporting him through the long hours. Rounding out his family are his son Jesse and granddaughter Lilah.
Bruce Harbach
Bruce Harbach's football coaching career spans over 48 years, 28 as an assistant and 20 as a Head Coach. Currently he is the Head Coach of the Schuylkill Valley Panthers. Four years after retiring at Lancaster Catholic, Harbach took over a struggling program at Schuylkill Valley and quickly took it to the top in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Panthers shared the title in 2023 and won it outright in 2024. Schuylkill Valley had never won or shared a football title of any sort before 2023.
Previously, he completed 16 years as Head Football Coach of the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders. The Crusaders appeared in the district 3 playoffs 10 of his 16 years. His teams appeared in six of eight District 3 AA Championship games from 2004-11, earning 4 gold medals in 2005, 2008, 2009 & 2011. The Crusaders won the school’s very first PIAA AA State Football Title in 2009 and again in 2011. During that period, Lancaster Catholic won seven straight Lancaster/Lebanon League Section 3 titles, going undefeated in 2005, 2006, 2010 & 2011 (10-0) including a perfect 16-0 campaign in 2011. He has been named section Coach of Year eight times in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and was twice named the state’s Class AA Coach of the Year, 2009 and 2001. During that span, the Crusaders won 40 of 41 Section 3 L/L League games and finished in the top ten AA state rankings seven straight seasons receiving the #1 STATE ranking in 2009 and 2011. His current overall record stands at 165-74.
He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS*D) and a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Emeritus (RSCC*E). In 2004, he received the High School Professional of the Year Award by the NSCA along with the 2004 Samson High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year award. Bruce is a member of the Pennsylvania State Sports Hall of Fame Berks Chapter, Wilson High School Hall of Fame, the Lancaster Catholic Hall of Honor, the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame, and the BCFCA Hall of Fame. Bruce is a graduate of Wilson High School, West Lawn where he was a three-sport athlete, and West Chester University where he played football and obtained his BS and M.Ed. Degrees in Physical Education. He and his wife Linda reside in Wernersville, PA.
Don Holl
Don Holl, a native of Erie and a 1984 graduate of Cathedral Prep, has "looked through the facemask" as a player or "worn the headset" as a high school and college coach for 44 seasons, all in Pennsylvania. And while this is a coaching honor, Don’s 12 years as a player, culminating with a noteworthy career as a running back at the United States Naval Academy, is significant because it was as a player that Don was inspired to become a coach and continue on in the sport in what would prove to be a "football life." Don credits a masterful offensive drive engineered and expertly called by his college coach, Gary Tranquill, vs the University of Pittsburgh in the game’s waning moments, as the seminal moment that lit the spark in him to coach – and as they say, the rest is history. In addition to Coach Tranquill, Don also credits many of his former coaches for the immense impact they had on the trajectory of his life and career. Jim Kempf, Dick Srnka and Ron Walker at St. James, Mina George, Ed Dalton and Dave Stocynski at Cathedral Prep and Bill Haushalter (a member of the PSFCA Hall of Fame) and Kevin Rogers at Navy mentored and shaped him – and Don believes that other than his father, the late Don Holl, Sr. and his late Uncle Eddie Abramoski, longtime trainer for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and a Hall of Famer in his own right on the Highmark Stadium Ring of Honor - men Don calls his heroes growing up - that these men had the most profound influence on his development as a young man.
After beginning his coaching career as an assistant for 3 years with the Navy Sprint Football team while stationed at the Naval Academy on Active Duty, Don served as Head Coach at Tunkhannock Area High School from 1995-1998 where he took a winless team to an Eastern Conference Championship in 1998. Then, after serving as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator for 6 years at Gannon University, where his Golden Knight offenses rewrote the school’s record book, Don returned to his high school alma mater, Cathedral Prep, as Head Coach from 2005-2008, winning 3 District 10 Championships. Next, Don served as Head Coach at Seneca Valley from 2009-2014, where he remains the school’s all-time leader in career winning percentage. Currently, Don has served as Head Coach at Gateway from 2016-present, winning 2 WPIAL/District 7 Championships, and being named the state AAAAA Coach of the Year after reaching the PIAA finals in 2017. In total, Don has been a high school head coach for 23 years and counting. In addition, Don has served as Head Coach (2021) and as an assistant (2007) in the PSFCA East-West Game, as an assistant in the 2012 Big 33 Game, as well as serving as an assistant for Team USA in the 2008 Global Challenge Bowl in Kawasaki, Japan and as Offensive Coordinator for the U.S. National U-19 Team in the International Bowl at AT&T (Dallas Cowboys) Stadium in 2019. Don has been named Pittsburgh Steelers Coach of the Week on multiple occasions, as well as being a featured speaker/clinician at numerous clinics including the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic, the Glazier Clinic and the PSFCA Coaches Clinic.
Finally, Don is especially grateful to all of his current and former players and assistant coaches as they are the reason for any and all success he has enjoyed throughout his career – and notes that his most cherished memory in coaching, among many great ones, was getting the opportunity to coach his 3 sons.
Don and the "Head Coach of the Holl Family," his wife of 35 years, Gerianne, have 5 children: Donny (32), Beth Anne (30), T.J. (28), Jacob (26) and Maggie (22) – and 2 grandchildren: Ivy Jane (4) and Max (2).
Rich Lichtel
From the moment Rich Lichtel stepped into the hallways of Mechanicsburg Area High School in 1968, he wasn’t just another teacher or coach - he was a spark. A presence. A magnetic soul who brought warmth, laughter, and a deep belief in the potential of young people to everything he touched.
Over nearly four decades, Rich became one of the most beloved and respected figures in Mechanicsburg history - known simply as “Coach” to many, and “Rich” to those lucky enough to call him a friend. His passion was football, yes - but his purpose was people.
After a record-setting collegiate career as quarterback at Bloomsburg State College, where he helped pioneer one of the most explosive passing attacks the college game had ever seen, Rich returned to the high school gridiron - not to chase personal glory, but to guide others. A talented quarterback in his own right, he had once played all the way to the Baltimore Colts farm system. But it was in Mechanicsburg where his true legacy was forged.
As head coach of the Mechanicsburg Wildcats from 1981 through 2007, Rich Lichtel compiled a career record of 160 wins, 121 losses, and 3 ties. His teams won five Mid Penn Conference division titles, and in the 1980s, the Wildcats were considered one of the top football programs in the entire state of Pennsylvania - earning national attention. In 1986, they captured the District 3 AAAA championship, and in 2004, finished as AAA runners-up.
Coach Lichtel was widely regarded as a visionary - one of the earliest adopters of the spread offense in high school football. While others stuck to conservative ground games, Rich was lighting up the scoreboard with bold, wide-open schemes that gave his quarterbacks room to shine. He became known as a manufacturer of quarterbacks - with 7 of his 15 signal-callers all earning full, division 1 college scholarships. But the wins and the stats, impressive as they were, tell only part of the story.
Rich Lichtel's true gift was his ability to connect - with anyone. He had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room. Whether you were the star athlete, the quiet student in the back row, or somewhere in between, Rich saw you. He valued you. And he would do everything in his power to help you succeed.
He worked tirelessly to open doors for students, helping raise more than two million dollars in scholarship support over the years. Former student Brenda Zimmerman may have said it best:
"Coach Lichtel's leadership style is one we should all strive to replicate. He had a way of caring about each and every student, regardless of whether they were an athlete, band geek, prep, or whatever. The world is truly a better place having been touched by him."
To his players, he was a teacher of football - but more than that, a teacher of life. He taught lessons in character, resilience, and humility. Former player Brian Duffie wrote:
"He taught us how to win with class and lose with dignity. He was a true teacher in the game of life."
Max Shoemaker
Max Shoemaker, Head FB coach at Chestnut Ridge High School, enters his 41st year of coaching football this fall. Max's coaching career includes stops at Mansfield College, followed by his first teaching/coaching job at Claysburg-Kimmel in 1981. Max returned to his alma mater, Bedford High School, as a teacher/assistant coach in 1983. In 1990, Max was named head coach at Bedford where he remained for 13 seasons. With the acceptance of a Principal's position at Bedford in 2022, Max was required to step away from coaching. In 2007, Chestnut Ridge hired him as both a Principal and head football coach enabling him to resume his coaching career. This fall with mark his 18th season as the Lions head coach.
Over his career, Max has accumulated a record of 221-120-1. In 13 seasons at Bedford, he was 96-47-1 and is 125-73 in 17 seasons at CR. Max's teams have won 19 District 5 Championships while two teams advanced to the Elite 8. Max's squads have qualified for post season play in 28 of the 30 seasons he has been a head coach. He led teams to undefeated regular seasons in 1994, 1997 & 2000 with the '94 and '97 teams being crowned LHAC champions. More importantly that the wins and losses, Max has always emphasized doing things the "right way." His teams were noted for their discipline, fundamentals, and toughness.
After graduating from Bedford, Max attended Lafayette College from 1976-80 earning a BA Degree in Economics and being a 4-year letter winner in football. After 39 years in education, Max retired as a high school principal in 2020. Max and his wife of 44 years, Nancy (Zimmerman) reside in Bedford. They have 3 children: Casey, Chad (Meggie), and Mollie (Bobby) Turkovich and are proud grandparents of 4 grandsons: Will (10); Max (6); Van (1) Turkovich and Archie (8) Shoemaker.
Jeff Wasilchak
Jeff Wasilchak was introduced to football at an early age. He served as a water boy for his father, Jerry's, powerhouse teams at Lakeland High School during the 1970's.
Jeff is a highly accomplished and dedicated football coach with a career spanning over three decades. His passion for the sport ignited during his playing days at Valley View High School (1982-1984) under the tutelage of the esteemed Coach Frank Pazzaglia. As a key member of two Eastern Conference Championship teams, Jeff contributed to a remarkable 33-4 record over his three years. His senior season culminated in his selection to the prestigious Scranton Lions Club Dream Game All-Star game.
Jeff's coaching career began in 1989 at Lakeland School District, where he led the junior high team for four years while earning a B.S. in Health and Physical Education from Marywood University. His success led to a promotion in 1992 to varsity assistant, coaching Quarterbacks and Defensive Ends.
In 1997, he transitioned to Lackawanna Trail High School as a Physical Education teacher and Head Football Coach. Over 11 seasons, he built a formidable program, amassing a 98-38 record, securing 7 district titles, and winning 9 league championships.
In 2008, Jeff returned to Lakeland High School as Head Football Coach, adding to his legacy with an 81-47 record and 2 league championships during his 11-year tenure.
Across 22 seasons as a head coach, Jeff consistently led his teams to success, qualifying for district playoffs 18 times.
Since 2021, Jeff has served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Valley View High School, while continuing to teach Health and Physical Education at Lakeland High School. His impact on the Cougars has been immediate, with the team achieving a stellar 43-10 record, 2 district championships, and 2 district runner-up titles in four seasons. Jeff's unwavering commitment to his players and his strategic coaching abilities continue to shape young athletes and contribute to winning programs.
Jeff was named coach of the year by the Scranton TImes following the 1998 and 2010 seasons, he was honored as Man of the Year by the Scranton Lions Club in 2022.
Jeff and his wife Jennelle along with their two sons, Jerry, and Jeffrey currently reside in Archbald, Pa.
