Ceremonies for the 51st Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame class are slated for Sunday, May 6 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave, Boardman.
      The organization will enshrine 12 new members with former NFL and YSU placekicker Paul McFadden set to serve as guest speaker. The 2018 class includes fotball honoree, Steve Jones. A 1985 graduate of South High School, Jones joins Mike Kernan as the two football inductees in this year’s Hall of Fame class.
      Born on March 11, 1967, he was one of the leaders of the Warriors’ football teams where he was an All-City Series first-team selection at fullback and linebacker during both his junior and senior campaigns.
      He earned Northeastern Ohio Honorable Mention accolades his final two scholastic seasons as well.
      As a freshman and sophomore he attended Cardinal Mooney High School and played football for the Cardinals, the team going undefeated his freshman campaign and winning the state title his sophomore year.
      Upon graduation he earned a scholarship to YSU, earning four letters (1986-89) while finishing his career as one of the finest fullbacks ever to lace up a pair of spikes for the Penguins.
      Over his four collegiate seasons, he helped the Penguins to a 23-24 overall mark and two playoff appearances.
      In head coach Jim Tressel’s first season at the helm (1986), the Penguins were just 2-9 but defeated arch-rival Akron in the final game of the season at Stambaugh Stadium, 40-39, the springboard and impetus for 1987 and the program’s first ever Division I-AA playoff appearance.
      His sophomore year the team went 8-4 overall, suffering a disappointing 31-28 loss to Northern Iowa in the first round of the play-offs.
      As a junior in 1988, the team was rebuilding and finished 4-7 overall, but his final season (1989) he was elected captain (along with Andre Peterson, Mike Cochran and Tony Dunn) and helped the team to a 9-4 overall mark and their second Division I-AA play-off appearance in three seasons.
      YSU beat Eastern Kentucky in the not-so-friendly confines of Hanger Field, 28-24, but were eliminated in the second-round the following week at Furman, 42-23.
      For his efforts he was named the team’s John Delserone “Most Valuable Player” as a senior, also earning the team’s “Outstanding Offensive Player Award” that same year.
      A steady blocker and hard-nosed runner, he was ‘money’ when the ball was thrown his way as he graduated with 101 total receptions; one of just 15 Penguins’ players all-time with 100-plus receptions.
      He earned his BA in sports administration and management from YSU in 1990 and in 2006, earned his executive MBA with a concentration on marketing from American InterContinental University.
      A noted insurance agent in the area, he has been the CEO of the Steven C. Jones Agency since 2005 where he represents State Farm Insurance Companies.
      Well-rounded in the insurance industry, he has served as a claim specialist (1992-96), an agency marketing specialist/agency field specialist (1998-99) and was a developmental agency field consultant prior to his current position as CEO.
      He also served as assistant marketing director for the Youngstown Pride (1990-92) of the now defunct World Basketball League.
      Individual tickets are $60 each, a table of eight is $480 and each are available by calling Mariel Sallee at 330-519-6819, or by visiting the organization’s website at www.curbstonecoaches.org. Also set for enshrinement on May 6 are Don Andres (basketball, coach), Arthur Berquist (bowling), Dr. Raymond Duffett (contribution to sports), Jim Fox (track and field/cross country), Joseph J. ‘Blackie’ Gennaro (posthumous, boxing), Laurie Gomez-Henes (track and field/cross country), Michael Kernan (football), Todd Marian (golf), Ann Marie Martin (basketball), Ed Moore (special award) and sports editor Ed Puskas (sports media).