Local Sports

Lisbon HOF welcomes six inductees

LISBON -- Lisbon High School has unveiled its Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026, a six-member group that includes a record-setting coach, a quartet of standout multisport athletes from the Class of 2016, and a two-sport standout from the Class of 2012.

The inductees are Kenadee Pezzano, Josh Liberati, Avery Andric, Josh Craig, Austin Rutecki and Chris Huckshold. They will be recognized during halftime of the home football game against East Palestine on Sept. 11. An induction ceremony and dinner is scheduled for Sept. 30 in the high school cafeteria, with a social hour beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Meals are $25 for adults and $15 for children. Reservations are due by Sept. 28, with checks payable to Lisbon DAHS Athletic HOF, c/o Kyle Bing, 260 West Pine St., Lisbon, OH 44432.

CHRIS HUCKSHOLD

Huckshold (Class of 1994) is being honored as a player, coach and contributor. A former Blue Devil basketball standout who went on to play at Waynesburg University, Huckshold returned to Lisbon as head coach in 2009 and has since amassed 235 victories, making him the winningest coach in program history. He has guided the Blue Devils to 12 winning seasons, including a school-record 23-2 mark in 2016, and three league championships. Huckshold has been named Columbiana County Coach of the Year four times (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2024) and was named OHSAA Division IV Coach of the Year in 2016. He currently serves as Director of Operations for Ohio Basketball and resides in Canfield with his wife, Tanya, and children Lizzy and Freddie.

KENADEE PEZZANO

Pezzano (Class of 2012) earned letters in both volleyball and softball. A three-year volleyball letterwinner, she earned first-team Inter-Tri County League honors in 2010 and 2011 and was named first-team Columbiana County and second-team Northeast District as a senior. On the softball diamond, she holds school records for stolen bases in a season (16) and triples in a season (17), and earned first-team All-ITCL and Columbiana County accolades in 2012. Pezzano works as a guidance counselor at Southern Local High School and resides in Salem.

AVERY ANDRIC

Andric (Class of 2016) compiled 12 varsity letters across golf, basketball and baseball. On the hardwood, he surpassed 1,000 career points and set school records for three-pointers in a game (seven) and a season (52). He earned first-team ITCL honors in 2015 and 2016 and first-team Columbiana County in 2016. He also qualified individually for the district golf tournament in 2012 and 2013 and helped lead his team to district appearances in 2014 and 2015. Andric played basketball and golf at Westminster College and now works as a Product Systems Consultant for Progressive Insurance, residing in Salem with his wife, Hannah, and son, Grady.

JOSH CRAIG

Craig (Class of 2016) earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and track. He surpassed 1,000 career points and set the school record for career rebounds with more than 800, ranking eighth on the Blue Devils' all-time scoring list. As a senior, he was named first-team All-County, first-team ITCL, third-team Inland District and second-team All-Area, and was MVP of the Columbiana County All-Star Game. On the football field, he earned first-team ITCL, Quad County and Columbiana County honors as a senior. Craig played basketball at Bethany University and now works at RL Craig Inc. in Lisbon, residing in Leetonia with his wife, Morgan, and daughters Meadow and Khoa.

JOSH LIBERATI

Liberati (Class of 2016) earned 12 letters in football, basketball and track. He surpassed 1,000 passing yards in each of his junior and senior seasons and holds school records for career passing yards (4,421) and passing touchdowns in a season (24) and career (41). He was named first-team All-Ohio as a senior and later starred at Baldwin Wallace University, where he was a two-time captain. On the basketball court, he scored more than 1,000 points and set school records for career assists (724) and steals (296). His 724 assists rank fourth all-time in OHSAA history. Liberati is a Financial Advisor and Partner at Coleman, Trillow and Associates and resides in Chagrin Falls with his wife, Anna.

AUSTIN RUTECKI

Rutecki (Class of 2016) earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He finished his basketball career with 1,536 points -- third in school history -- along with 798 rebounds, 201 assists, 146 steals and 107 blocked shots. He holds school records for most points in a game (48) and field goals made in a career (599). Rutecki was named first-team All-Ohio and first-team Northeast District in 2016 and was the Northeast Inland Player of the Year. He also earned first-team Columbiana County, ITCL and All-Area honors for three consecutive seasons. On the football field, he was a three-time first-team Columbiana County selection. Rutecki is employed at Estherlee Fence and resides in Lisbon with his fiancée, McKenzie.