High School Sports: Football

He went from being a Rhode Island high school All-State football player to one of the state’s most respected business leaders.

So it’s only fitting that the R.I. Chapter of the National Football Foundation should name Citizens Bank president and CEO Joe MarcAurele the recipient of its 2007 Outstanding American award.

MarcAurele was a three-sport star, including a first-team All-State football selection for St.Raphael Academy in the 1960s before going on to play football at Holy Cross College. He returned to St. Raphael and spent six years as a teacher, football coach, baseball coach and athletic director before beginning a career in business.

MarcAurele will be honored at the Football Foundation’s annual awards dinner on May 7 at the West Valley Inn.

Former East Providence football coach Bill Stringfellow also will be honored as the Chapter’s recipient of the Contribution to Football award. Longtime football official Ray Beattie will receive the Chapter’s Officials Award.

MarcAurele, Stringfellow and Beattie will share the spotlight that night with the Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Golden Dozen and the Golden Dozen finalists, which were announced last month.

Elderkin’s a champ

Speaking of former St. Raphael sports stars, congratulations to Angel Elderkin, the former Saints girls basketball star who played a role in Tennessee winning this year’s NCAA women’s basketball title.

Elderkin, who was a St. Raphael basketball and softball star in the mid 1990s, has been a member of coach Pat Summit’s Tennessee women’s basketball staff for the last two years.

This season, Elderkin served as Summit’s video coordinator, and was there last Tuesday night when the Lady Vols won the national title in Cleveland.

After graduating from St. Raphael in 1995, Elderkin, an East Providence native, went on to become a star guard for the University of Southern Maine’s women’s basketball team. She led Southern Maine to three Little East Conference championships and a berth in a NCAA Division III national championship game.

Before joining the Tennessee staff last season, she had been an assistant women’s basketball coach at Siena College for four years, and also had been a special assistant to the women’s head basketball coach at East Tennessee State for two years.

Sanders, Ward honored

St. Andrew’s Rakim Sanders and Westerly High’s Meredith Ward have been named the Rhode Island Boys and Girls Gatorade Basketball Players of the Year respectively.

Sanders, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound senior forward, led St. Andrew’s to a 24-10 record this season as he averaged 21.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. One of his top performances came in the title game of the New England Class B Prep tournament when his 28-point effort led the Saints to a two-point victory over Marianapolis Prep.

Ward, a 5-7 junior guard, averaged 24.5 points and 10 rebounds this season for Westerly. Her performance led the Bulldogs to the regular-season Division II-South title with a 14-3 record.

Condolences . . .

Condolences to family and friends of Ray Belisle, the former Burrillville High hockey goalie, who died suddenly last week. Belisle was the starting goalie, and unsung hero, for Burrillville’s state championship teams in 1971 and 1973.

Pool dedication

The dedication to add former Cranston East swim coach Ed Golden’s name to the swimming pool at Park View Middle School is scheduled for May 10 at 6:30 p.m.

The pool, which for two decades has been known as the John Reilly Memorial Pool in honor of the former Cranston East swimmer who was killed in Vietnam, will be known as the Reilly/Golden pool. Golden directed Cranston East to seven consecutive state swimming championships from 1960-66.

Nominations, please

The Burrillville Athletic Hall of Fame committee is looking for nominations for induction in the Class of 2008. Persons interested in nominating individuals or teams for election to the Hall of Fame should send information to Pete Berthelette, Athletic Director, Burrillville High School, 425 East Ave., Harrisville, 02830.

jgillool@projo.com