Avon’s Marty deLivron to be inducted into CHSCA Hall of Fame

Former Avon High boys soccer and baseball coach Marty deLivron will be inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame.

Former Avon High boys soccer and baseball coach Marty deLivron will be inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Hall of Fame at their 40th annual ceremony on November 17 at the Aqua Turf in Southington. 

DeLivron will be among seven coaches, one athletic director, a legendary military member and a media member who will be honored. 

The late Stephen Reich, an outstanding baseball player and athlete at Shepaug Valley in Washington, Conn., and West Point, will also be recognized. Reich, a major in the U.S. Army, was killed in Afghanistan in June 2005 while leading a rescue mission. 

Former Lyman Hall athletic director Elaine Biercevicz, Cheshire cross country and track coach Barbara Hedden, former Stratford football coach Robert Mastroni, Maloney boys basketball and baseball coach Howie Hewett, Danbury wrestling coach Ricky Shook, former Haddam-Killingworth volleyball coach Richard Langer and WTIC-TV sportscaster Rich Coppola will be recognized. 

DeLivron coached soccer at Avon High for 22 years (1983-2004) and coached the baseball team for 37 years (1978-2014), earning a total of 813 victories. In soccer, the Falcons won six state championships under his tutelage in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 2000. Avon earned berths in the Class M state championship games for seven straight years from 1984-89. 

Avon won five NCCC league championships and two Northwest Conference titles. His 1988 Falcon team was the first soccer team in school history to finish undefeated at 20-0. In 22 years, Avon went to the state finals 11 times, winning six times. He was 330-69-24 leading the Falcon booters. 

In 1988, deLivron was named Connecticut Coaches Association Soccer Coach of the Year. In 2000, he was named the National Soccer Coaches Association State Coach of the Year. 

Former Avon High coach Marty deLivron had his number (19) retired this year at Buckingham Field.

DeLivron coached the Avon baseball team from 1978 through 2014, compiling a record of 483-256. He led the Falcons to two Northwest Conference Division II titles and 10 NCCC championships. Avon reached the state quarterfinals five times. 

He was named the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Region III Coach of the Year in 1999. deLivron also coached in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) for 11 years with the Torrington Twisters (1998-2008). 

DeLiveron is the third Avon High coach to be inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame. Former volleyball, girls basketball and softball coach Barbara Startup was inducted in 2012 while current field hockey coach Terri Ziemnicki was inducted in 2013.

Tickets for the dinner are $46 and available in advance by contacting the CHSCA office at P.O. Box 632, Southington, CT 06487, by calling 860-628-4122 or e-mailing John Fontana at  [email protected]. Doors open at 6 p.m. 

The late Stephen Reich (Photo courtesy Military Times)

Reich was an outstanding baseball player at Shepaug and had an outstanding baseball career at West Point as a pitcher, earning the most wins (19) in team history. Reich played on Team USA and made 17 appearances for the Americans. He carried the flag for the United States at the Opening Ceremonies of the World University Games in 1993. 

Reich was 34 when he was killed while leading a rescue mission on June 28, 2005. He led the mission of Navy Seals and Army Special Operations forces in broad daylight. His Nightstalkers specialized in inserting and extracting special ops units in nighttime conditions but the situation that day was desperate and the extraction had to be attempted in daylight. 

He did not hesitate to attempt this extremely dangerous mission. All 16 on board perished when his Chinook helicopter was shot down with a direct hit. 

Reich was a two-time All-State baseball player (1988, ’89) who as a sophomore led his team to the Class S state championship by pitching a two-hitter in a 2-1 victory over Ansonia. He had a 27-4 career record with 130 strikeouts and nine walks. His teams won three Berkshire League championships. 

At West Point, he was 19-10 with a 2.49 ERA, 259 strikeouts and 65 walks. He also played for Team USA in 1993 going 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 38 strikeouts and three walks in 36.3 innings. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played in Class A baseball for two months in 1996 before he was called by the military to serve eventually as a helicopter pilot.