1987 inductees, left to right: Gerald Faker LaFountain; Forrest Dew Drop Morgan; Jean McCormick, who represented her late father, Tom Wallace; Hayward Red Plumadore; and George Doty. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 4, 1987 REUNION — A number of Saranac Lake football players and friends from the early 1960s gathered at Mac Fobare's house Sunday to celebrate the return of Gerald "Faker" LaFountain. LaFountain, who now lives in Dallas, returned for his induction into the Saranac Lake High School Sports Hall of Fame. The score Saranac Lake 7, Massena 6, highlights LaFountain's career. He scored the touchdown and extra point against Massena that gave the Redskins their first win over the Red Raiders in about 30 years. From left to right, in back, are; Bill Peria, Jan Plumadore, Bob Birk, Butler Sullivan, Bill Delahant, John Viscome, Charles Walsh, Phil Dupree, Gerald LaFountain, Jerry Cheney, Fraser Sturgeon, Jim LaFountain, and Bill Gallagher. Kneeling is John Raymond and Tim Kilroy. Missing from the picture (but at the reunion) were Bill Donnelly, Wayne McGinnis and Mac Fobare. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 4, 1987 The

Saranac Lake Sports Hall of Fame was started in 1986.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 4, 1987

Five inducted into SLHS Sports Hall of Fame

By TOM KEEGAN

SARANAC LAKE - Five new members were inducted into the Saranac Lake Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday at the annual sports banquet.

It was the second year that local sports greats were honored at the banquet. This year's inductees were Gerald "Faker" LaFountain, George Doty, the late Tom Wallace, Forrest "Dew Drop" Morgan, and Hayward "Red" Plumadore. Wallace's grandson, Steve McCormick, accepted a plaque in his honor.

The new inductees join the late Bill McLaughlin, Wally Herron, Mickey Blair, Bob Reyell, and William O'Dell in the Hall of Fame. Pictures of the men hang in the hallway outside the school gymnasium in remembrance of their achievements. The men are also given white Hall of Fame sweaters.

George Doty

Doty attended the high school from 1936-40, and played football and baseball every year. When he was a junior, he was the captain of both teams, and was an All-Northern in football and baseball. He recorded a batting average of .842 in his final year, a record that will never be topped

In his senior year he went into the National Guard, and eventually to war. He was wounded in the war and had to miss a tryout with the New York Yankee farm system. He played town baseball in his later years, but was never again at full strength. He currently lives in Gouverneur.

Dew Drop Morgan

Morgan would have graduated in 1942, if he had not gone into the service.

He was a fine athlete at the high school but his greatest contributions came afterward. He put on countless banquets and parties for the Saranac Lake cause at the Dew Drop Inn.

"He the best friend the Saranac Lake High School athletes have ever had," athletic director John Raymond said. "You couldn't count the number of banquets and amount of time he has donated to us."

Morgan was also a coach and driver for the U.S. Bobsled Team for a number of years. His enthusiasm for the sport carried over to his family and many Saranac Lakers, whom Morgan encouraged to participate.

Tom Wallace

Tom Wallace was a track and football star for Saranac Lake in the late 1920s. He set two state records in the hurdles, and scored 11 touchdowns in a 1929 game between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. Wallace became embarrassed at his team's domination in the game, and eventually took himself out. Saranac Lake won 101-0.

He went on to play football at Georgetown University, where he was a captain. He would have played in a Rose Bowl game for the team, but he was injured. He also went on to set collegiate hurdling records.

Faker LaFountain

Considered by many to be the greatest athlete to ever attend the school, LaFountain was the last of the six letter award winners at Saranac Lake. He attended the school from 1962-66. He now lives in Dallas.

He was captain of the football team that beat Massena for the first time in 30 years. LaFountain scored the touchdown and the extra point to give his team a 7-6 win. He was All- Northern in all six sports. He went on to star in football at the University of Buffalo.

Red Plumadore

Plumadore played a number of sports for Saranac Lake. He excelled in football and was an outstanding wrestler. He eventually paid his way through St. Lawrence University by wrestling as the Masked Marvel in amateur and professional bouts throughout New York State.

At St. Lawrence, he had a record of 31-1 as a collegiate wrestler, losing only one match to a heavyweight. Because his team was small, the coach often pitted the strong 165-pounder against the opponent's heavyweights in an effort to score team points. The coach sometimes surprised the opposing coach with a wager to go with it.

He was picked to compete on the U.S. Wrestling Team for the 1940 Olympics. Unfortunately, the Olympics were cancelled because of the war.

Plumadore will be 74 this year. He's still an avid tennis player and runs four or five miles a day. He makes his home in Florida, but often comes back to visit Saranac Lake.

Nominations for the Hall of Fame were accepted in the early spring. A committee of nine men considered the nominations, researched them, and voted on them. The men were Jan Plumadore, Mac Fobare, Red Wilcox, John Morgan Sr., Tom Doty, Bub McGrain, Jerry Morgan and John Raymond, Ed Goetz.

Comments


2013-08-03 11:57:31   Faker Lafountain graduated from SLHS in 1962 not 1966. —70.118.74.212