East Athletic Hall of Fame 2023
Alex Gonzales was a sports enthusiast from a very young age. He inherited this trait from his hard-working and sports loving parents. When he first moved to Cherry Hill, his father had just retired from the Army and Gonzales was faced with the culture shock of a middle class suburban lifestyle. However, he soon acclimated to the new town.
“I enjoy this part of town very much. We are very passionate about our sports. I still remember the fierce competition at sporting events on the fields of Horace Mann Elementary School” Gonzales said.
Once at East, Gonzales played two varsity sports, including football and baseball. Gonzales played football all four years and was on the varsity team for three years. He played football under Coach Bo Wood. During his football career at East, Gonzales received CHE MVP Lineman Award and All-Group IV Football 2nd Team. Similarly to football, he played baseball all four years and was on the varsity team for three years. He played baseball under Coach Dave Martin. Gonzales was voted the baseball team MVP every year and elected captain his senior year. He was All-Conference, All-Group IV First Team, All-South Jersey First Team, and All-State for baseball.
After graduating from East in 1979, Gonzales continued to pursue his baseball career at Temple University. At Temple, Gonzales played in the NCAA Regional College World series and was awarded the 1981 tournament MVP. Additionally, he was a part of the 150 and 300 Hit Club at Temple.
After college, Gonzales married his high school sweetheart, Joan Notaro. He and Joan have three children together who each pursued their own athletic careers.
Bill Hoese (‘08) earned multiple awards for bowling and golf while attending East. During Hoese’s tenure, the bowling team had a great record and won the New Jersey Group IV Championship, the New Jersey Tournament of Champions, the Olympic Conference, and the South Jersey Group IV Championships. In addition to being a valued team player, Hoese earned several individual awards for bowling including being named as a First Team All-Olympic Conference bowler for all four years at East. He was also honored as the South Jersey Boys Bowler of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Hoese’s golf honors include the 2008 Olympic Conference co-champion, First Team All-Olympic Conference, and the Boys Golf All-South Jersey First Team.
After graduating from Rutgers University with bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and computer science, Hoese also earned a master’s degree in mathematical finance from Rutgers University. He works as a Senior Vice President in the Institutional Credit Management division at Citigroup.
Hoese still enjoys competing in both sports, stays in touch with many friends from his high school teams, and is married to Kate, who was also a bowler for East.
Vicki Kavitsky (‘06) has always had a strong competitive spirit. This determination helped her reach her goals including becoming a highly decorated high school and college athlete. During her time at East, she was the starting shortstop for the varsity team all four years. Kavitsky was named First Team All-Conference Group IV and All-South Jersey multiple times.
The lessons that Kavitsky learned from Coach Charlie Musumeci at East helped guide her to be successful in all areas of her life.
“Coach Muss was one of a kind. Who else would take a softball team to Disney World not once but twice just for a couple games? He was so loving and would do anything for us. All he wanted was for us to be happy . . . . he wanted us to succeed in every aspect of life, school, softball, and anything we participated in. It was an honor to get to know him and play for him,” said Kavitsky.
At Stony Brook University, Kavitsky continued her softball career as a four year starter at shortstop, where she led the team to their first American East Conference Championship in 2008. Kavitsky holds records at Stony Brook for runs and stolen bases. She was also a player on several All-Conference teams and achieved many other athletic honors and awards.
Today, Kavitsky is an Associate for the American Red Cross Rare Donor Program where she helps match patients with rare blood types to donors throughout the United States.
Scott Lermack sat on the bench during the first Beck Middle School soccer game of his 7th grade season. He sat on the bench even though he played for an elite team in South Jersey. Lermack was told by his coach that he must earn his spot on the team.
“That lit a fire underneath of me and then I got all of these awards here. All-State, All-Region, Player of the year in South Jersey,” Lermack said. This urge to prove himself motivated Lermack to become a better player.
Lermack was a two year varsity track and field athlete and three year player for the varsity soccer team at Cherry Hill East. His specialty in track were the 400M intermediate hurdles and he was coached under Mr. Witzig and Mr. Baldino. During his senior year soccer season, the team went undefeated and won the SJG Group I Championship. The team placed third in the state. His senior year, Lermack was named Captain, South Jersey Defensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-Olympic Conference, 1st team All-Olympic Conference American division, 1st team All-SJG group IV, 1st team All-South Jersey, 1st team All-Area-Philadelphia Inquirer, 1st team All-State, and 1st team Adidas All-East (Mid-Atlantic States).
After he graduated from East in 1999, Lermack continued his soccer career at Muhlenberg College where he played on the varsity team.
Lermack is now Vice President Wealth Advisor at Pine Valley Investments. He is married to another East graduate, Jessica Coppol. Together they have three boys who are all athletes.
Marty Schmesser (‘70) set records as a track athlete throughout his high school and college career. A versatile athlete, Schmesser earned school records at East in the high hurdles, low hurdles, triple jump, and high jump. He also qualified for the Group IV State Championships in the low hurdles, high jump, and 4×400 relay.
Following his success at East, Schmesser competed in track for Camden County College where he was named All-Conference. His success on the track continued at Glassboro State College where he was captain of the 1974 track team, held the school record in the high hurdles, and qualified for the NCAA division championship.
Looking back on his time at East, Schmesser credits his track coach Tony Sipp for teaching him valuable life lessons.
“I want to thank Tony Sipp for everything he ever did for me. I ran for ten years. Tony is the greatest coach I ever had. He could have been the Division 1 head coach for any college in this country. He was just amazing. The most important thing he taught me is winning didn’t mean anything if you didn’t improve,” said Schmesser.
Schmesser graduated from Glassboro State College with a degree in business. He and his wife, Gail, have been married for 44 years and run a company together.
Bill Fisher was born to play in the world of competitive sports. Growing up, Fisher was surrounded by numerous activities in his home. From showtunes to sports, there was never a dull moment in Fisher’s home.
“This was a house of football. For dad was also a high school football coach, and mom was our backyard tackling dummy,” said Fisher.
Fisher played varsity football at Cherry Hill East for three years. His junior year, Fisher won All-Conference First Team. His senior year, Fisher earned co-captain, All-Conference, All-South Jersey, All-State, All-Delaware Valley, and All-American honors.
After graduating from East in 1988 and receiving many offers from colleges, Fisher continued his career at the University of Minnesota. He then played for Rowan where the team won the National Championship game. At Rowan, Fisher received All-American. After college Fisher signed with the New York Jets.
Fisher retired from pro-football and opened up his own shop, The Pop Shop. Today, the Pop Shop is an award-winning restaurant in Collingswood, New Jersey. Fisher opened up the Pop Shop with his wife, Connie Correia. Together they have two children, Holden and Dashiell.
Today, Fisher’s first name is Stink, after changing it and becoming an actor. Fisher co-starred in many shows, including the Sopranos.
Scott Mooney was a volleyball, basketball, and soccer varsity player at Cherry Hill East. He was team captain for both the volleyball and basketball teams. Mooney won three State Championships with the volleyball team and was starting outside hitter. He received All-Conference, All-South Jersey, and All-State honors in volleyball as a senior. Mooney also earned NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Award and the CHE Boys Basketball Scholar Athlete Award.
“Sports helped build my character, gave me a sense of confidence and who I am, and also just gave me the opportunity to go out and prove how much hard work…it is to achieve your goals and the things you dream of,” said Mooney.
After graduating from East in 1998, Mooney continued his volleyball career at the University of Pennsylvania. At college, he was team captain for two years and was awarded All-Tournament Team honors. Mooney graduated from Penn in 2002 with honors and a BA in Economics.
Mooney now lives in Cherry Hill with his wife, Janice, and their two children, Taylor and Wyatt. Around the community, Mooney spreads his volleyball knowledge. Mooney is the head coach of the Women’s Volleyball Team at East. In his 19 seasons with the team, he has recorded over 300 wins and has the most wins in the Olympic Conference in Girls Volleyball history. Mooney also founded the top ranked volleyball club in the State of New Jersey, Cherry Hill Volleyball Club, with over 300 players and 25 coaches.
Sports have a way of connecting people around the world. Patti Schoor has been connected to many people in her life through her love for sports. Shoor has met many friends and even her husband through sports.
“Without our shared love of sports, I wonder if Lisa Sherman and I would have become lifelong friends,” said Schoor.
Patti Schoor continued her love for sports when she played tennis at Cherry Hill East for three years. She played under Coach Dave Cole, who coached Girls Tennis for 36 years. Schoor was named All-South Jersey Girls Tennis 1st Team all three years that she played for the team. The tennis team was a force in the South Jersey Group IV and was the Courier Post’s symbolic number one team in South Jersey.
She graduated from East in 1984 and went to Harvard College. After graduating from Harvard College, Schoor went to Harvard Law School. During law school, she met her husband, Dan.
Today, Schoor has three children with Dan including Matt, Charlie, and Katie. Schoor is a Partner and General Counsel at CoreCommodity Management, LLC. She has continued to play sports, including tennis, pickleball, and rock climbing. Schoor still plays tennis with her brother Rich, who she learned the sport with.
Kathy Klotzbach was a varsity basketball player for three years under Coach Gebert at Cherry Hill High School East. She was on the S.J. Conference Team and 1st Team Group IV for one season. In 1977 Klotzbach was also awarded the Athletic Achievement Award from Coach & Athlete Magazine. She became involved with the track team in her senior year after Coach Wiltzee convinced her to high jump. Klotzbach broke the Group IV high jump record of 5 ‘4 ¼.
“Overtime she came into her own and got confidence from her coaches and teammates and enjoyed playing basketball,” said Klotzbach’s brother, who spoke on her behalf.
Klotzbach graduated from East in 1977 and went to James Madison University on scholarship. She withdrew from the school her first year playing. Klotzbach finished schooling in 2019 and got her Bachelor’s degree.
After leaving college, Klotzbach went to New Jersey where she became a paralegal. In New Jersey she had two kids and married. Klotzbach then moved to Indiana after she remarried to Bob Howard. Klotzbach and Howard traveled to Florida where she suffered from cancer.
Today, Klotzbach is 11 years cancer free and living in Florida with Tony, after Howard passed. Klotzbach is enjoying her life in Florida with Tony.
Amanda Hanson (‘84) has fond memories of her years at East and the countless hours spent practicing and playing lacrosse. During her high school years, Hanson played left defensive wing for Coach Sue Schooley, who helped her develop the skills needed to be named All-South Jersey Defensive Player during her senior year.
Hanson spent two seasons playing lacrosse while attending Dartmouth College. She also earned a law degree from Arizona State University. Hanson currently resides in California with her husband and son and is grateful to be inducted into the Cherry Hill East Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Thank you for this honor, which I will cherish as a symbol of the enduring love I have for this sport and for East,” wrote Hanson.
Mark Twitty (‘73), a three-sport athlete at East participated in football, baseball, and indoor track and excelled in all of them. In addition to serving as captain of the East football and baseball teams, Twitty was named All-South Jersey and All-Group IV honors in football and baseball.
Twitty’s success playing football for East led to several offers for football scholarships. Twitty chose to attend Rutgers University. At Rutgers he played on the 1976 football team that went undefeated. Twitty also held multiple receiving records for the Scarlet Knights, including the current sixth place (tie) record for Longest Reception (90 yards) and current seventh place record for Yards (192 yards), both versus Colgate on November 23, 1974.
Following a successful career working in corporate America as a project manager, Twitty decided to go back to school to earn a teaching certificate. After working as a special education teacher Twitty knew he had found his calling as a teacher.
Twitty lives in New Jersey with his wife Nancy. Their extended family enjoys watching Rutgers football games together.
Erin Chilbert played field hockey, basketball, and softball all four years at Cherry Hill East. She played varsity field hockey for three years, varsity basketball for two years, and varsity softball for all four years. Chilbert was awarded with All-South Jersey, All-Group IV, and All-State honors for both field hockey and softball. She was also the leading scorer in South Jersey for field hockey.
Chilbert graduated from East in 1978 and went to the University of Delaware. She stopped playing sports competitively in college to pursue her academic career. Chilbert then graduated from the University of Delaware in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts. Soon after graduating from college, she started her career in information technology. Today she is the Director of Business Intelligence at the Philadelphia Contributionship, a property insurance company.
For the past 33 years, Chilbert has been a Mount Laurel resident. She is married to Steven Jozwiak, a Cherry Hill West graduate, and has two sons. Both of her sons, Edward and Teddy, are now out of college. Chilbert loves to spend time with her family.
Deidre Lynch swam for Cherry Hill High School East. Although swimming was her main sport, Lynch also played field hockey and lacrosse her freshman year. In swimming, Lynch earned First-Team All-South Jersey her senior year.
After graduating from East in 1990, Lynch accepted a scholarship to the University of Boston. Discovering a large school was not for her, Lynch continued her academic career at LaSalle University. At LaSalle, Lynch swam and was selected co-captain, National Catholics MVP, and All-Conference her senior year.
At school she met her husband, Tom. Tom joined the Marine Corps and the pair went to Hawaii. In Hawaii, Lynch discovered triathlons and fell in love. She completed a few Olympic distance triathlons.
Today, Lynch is settled in Virginia with her family. She has three children, all pursuing their own athletic careers. Lynch is living happily with her family.
Charlie Musumeci, a legend at East, was involved in numerous activities. At East, Musumeci was the coach of cheerleading, cross country, and softball. In addition to sports, Musumeci was a part of the theater program and SAT Administration at East.
“He loved all of these activities passionately because he loved kids…his sense of humor, and his smile, and his positive attitude continue to roam the halls of East,” said Musumeci’s wife, Cindy.
Before his passing in 2013, Musumeci lived in his family home in Cherry Hill. He lived with Cindy and two kids, Jackie and Adam.
Musumeci was an energetic person who has influenced many inside and outside the walls of East.
Coach Lou Frank had a skill for many sports. At Cherry Hill High School East, Frank coached gymnastics, wrestling, and track. Additionally, he taught swimming and was 2nd degree black belt in aikido, leading him to start a self-defense club at East.
Frank impacted many students during his time at East. At any time, students would ring his doorbell and show up for dinner. Entire teams or a single student could be found eating, playing pool, or simply talking in his home. His openness impacted many students to succeed both in sports and socially.
“I had no idea the impact that Lou had on me until I grew much older and looked back on things,” said Mike Meyer, Frank’s representative.
The 1969 Football team was a force to be reckoned with. They were a team full of grit and challenges. The team was also a family.
“They had that chemistry. They really trusted each other, believed in each other, liked each other, never really had a fight and I was always upset because I could never get them to fight. But the kids wanted to be around each other and they wanted to be coached,” said Coach Curl.
The Girls Swimming Team was the first ever team to win a championship at Cherry Hill East. The team persevered through many challenges thrown at them. They overcame their obstacles and were met with success.
The Girls Basketball team was a fierce team that won all of their games except one. Their competitiveness and determination led them to the championship game.
Barry Schifreen • Dec 10, 2023 at 7:25 pm
Marty is ‘70 not ‘71 !