SARATOGA SPRINGS — Friday, October 11, the Teaching Auditorium of Saratoga Springs High School was filled with Blue Streak students, athletes, parents and local supporters as six alumni were inducted into the Blue Streaks’ Hall of Fame.
Newly appointed athletic director Nicholas McPartland and second term superintendent Mike Patton acknowledged not only the athletes for their tremendous contributions to athletics both while they were students and for their careers beyond, but the families and local community supporters for their continuous support.
The inductees were introduced by varying members of the community including Rich Johns, of Act with Respect Always, Mitch Snyder, teacher and coach at SSHS and former superintendent Dr. MacFadden.
Though each inductee was unique in what made their Blue Streaks career outstanding, and their post high school career paths differed, they all had a prominent similarity in who they attribute their successes to; their family, and the community of Saratoga Springs they love so much.
Read below for a list and description of the newest Blue Streak Hall of Fame members:
ANTHONY (TONY) DEMATTEO
Class of 1974. Football, Basketball and Baseball
Before owning Saratoga Physical Therapy, where he often tends to local athletes, DeMatteo was a notable athlete for SSHS. During his graduating year he was President of the Boys’ Varsity Club and was named MVP for his football successes.
DeMatteo continues to be involved with Saratoga Springs High School coaches and student -athletes through his development of a program to bring the first Certified Athletic Trainers to the school.
TIM PARKER
Class of 1989. Basketball
During his junior year, Parker led Saratoga to a final four appearance in the NYSPHSAA Championships. Parker placed fourth in Section 2 history when he scored over 1900 career points and was later the all – time leading scorer within Section 2 basketball.
Parker received a full scholarship to Providence College of the Big East, the premier NCAA league at that time. He left Providence and attended Champlain Community College. While attending Champlain, the basketball team was ranked #3 nationally and #1 in the northeast among junior colleges.
KEVIN HOPKINS
Class 2004. Basketball
Hopkins received the Scholar-Athlete Award for boys’ basketball and the Vince DeGregory Basketball award in 2004.
He continued on to Amherst College where he was named a top five all-time at Amherst College in field goal percentage, blocked shots, and total points.
After college, Hopkins played professional basketball in Germany for two years before returning to Amherst College where he was the assistant coach for two seasons. While coaching, he earned a master’s degree in Sports Management.
Now, Hopkins is continuing his coaching career, as he was named Head Coach at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
JORDAN STEVENS
Class of 2009. Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Track
Stevens’ varsity career began when he was just an eighth grader, when he joined both the basketball and baseball varsity teams. Stevens lettered that year in baseball. Later on, Stevens lettered in both volleyball and track. Before graduating, Stevens was named a three-time All-State selection, and was named Suburban Council Player of the Year 2006 through 2009.
Stevens attended college at Holy Cross, where he played basketball all four years. Over his collegiate career, he appeared in over 100 games, totaled 518 points, 207 rebounds and 149 assists. He won the Richard J. Maloney Award for spirit and energy as a loyal contributor to the Holy Cross basketball program.
ERIK HOOVER
Class of 1999. Basketball and Baseball
Hoover was named “Most Outstanding Player” at the 1998 baseball sports awards banquet in 1998 and received the Benny Fasulo Memorial Award in 1999.
He attended The College of St Rose and was part of their baseball team who won the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference championship.
Athletics has continued to be a prominent part in Hoover’s life as he coached the Lake George High School Varsity Baseball team for over 10 years and has won more than 100 games. In 2018, the team won the Section 2 Class CC Championship.
TIM BUSH
Class of 2005. Football
Tim Bush is most known for playing in the Indoor Football League for the West Texas Roughnecks in 2010 and the New Mexico Stars in 2011. His football notoriety began when he was a member of the 2004 Class AA Super Champion team. He was later named a Section 2 All-Star and finished high school with career stats of 70 receptions, 838 yards and five touchdowns. Bush was later named to the First Team All-Northeast Conference at Hudson Valley Community College before attending University at Albany. There, he was a letter winner from 2007 to 2009 and was named “Male Athlete of the Year” and “Team MVP” in 2009.
