RUMFORD — About 150 people attended the second induction ceremony for Mountain Valley Athletics Hall of Fame on Aug. 15 in Muskie Auditorium at Mountain Valley High School.

Thirteen outstanding athletes, whose performances inspired their teammates and brought pride to the community, were members of this year’s class.

In 2025, the first year’s hall of fame class welcomed 21 inductees.

Mountain Valley High School Athletic Director Jeff Pelletier and outgoing high school Assistant Principal Craig Milledge took turns reading the recipients’ induction biographies.

Inductees honored were Caleb Austin, Ethan Boucher, Billy Chenard, Jen Deraspe, Jill (Dunton) Bartash, Cameron Kaubris, Nick Newman, Lisa (Pomerleau) Redmond, Andy Shorey Sr., Chris Smith, David Smith and Chris West.

Also inducted was Ray Broomhall, whose leadership shaped generations of students athletes both on and off the snow.

Along with these individuals were three teams, whose accomplishments united these towns, and left lasting marks on the athletic tradition. Each of these teams had at least a half dozen team members presented at the induction.

During the first year of Mountain Valley High School, which included combining Rumford and Mexico high schools, the 1990 boys state championship basketball team went 22-0, defeating Rockland for the Gold Ball.

Team member Ryan Casey said, “From our (Greater Rumford Community Center) days, we bragged about how we would win it all but quite honestly, there were plenty of us who were just hoping to make the playoffs and earn that precious free pass to the Augusta Civic Center so we could watch the games for free.”

Another team was the 1993 Mountain Valley gymnastics team. Then-Assistant Coach Louanne Thibodeau said this team put together a perfect 13-0 season and posted the highest average score in the entire state, regardless of class, with an incredible 129.610. In the state meet, they delivered one of the most impressive championship performances in Maine high school gymnastics history, defeating Belfast 145.15 to 132.60 and sweeping every event along the way, winning vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

The third team recognized was the 2004 state championship football team. The Falcons opened that year with a hard-fought 14-6 loss at York. But they responded exactly as championship teams do. Along the way, Mountain Valley outscored its opponents 410-64, including a 21-7 win over Winslow, capturing the first football title in school history.

Also inducted was one exceptional contributor, Dieter Kreckel, whose work behind the scenes helped make the most of those successes possible.

Pelletier, who put endless hours into this project, began by talking about the first ceremony held in 2025, which had 21 inductees. “It was a day filled with pride, celebration and memories, and reminded us just how special the athletic history of this community truly is.”

Then he noted, “In many ways, today is more important because the true measure of any venture is if it endures, whether it becomes more than a one time celebration, or grows into a tradition that our community embraces and looks forward to year after year.”

Pelletier noted, “Today, when I look around and see how this room is, we’ve proved that it has, and is now a tradition at Mountain Valley High School. It is a permanent commitment to preserving the stories, the accomplishments and the people who have helped to define the athletic history of the River Valley. And what a history it is!”

He said, “For generations, our small milltown community has produced remarkable athletes, championship teams, legendary coaches and selfless contributors. Every student athlete who walks through the halls of Mountain Valley High School should know the names, the stories and the standards established by those who came before them.”

Pelletier said the current student athletes “should know that greatness has lived here, the championships have been won here, that records have been broken here, that ordinary young men and women from this community accomplished extraordinary things through talent, sacrifice, determination and relentless work, and that they can do the same.”

He said that is the purpose of this hall of fame. “It’s not simply about looking back with nostalgia, it’s about creating inspiration. It’s about reminding every Falcon athlete that excellence is not reserved for someone else, somewhere else. It happens here.”

New this year was the induction of the first Legends of the River Valley, Artie Taylor.

Matt Kaubris, who serves on the Hall of Fame selection committee, said that because this area has had so many great athletes over the years, it was decided to create a legends category, to select worthy athletes prior to 1970 from Rumford and Stephens high schools.

This subcommittee included Kaubris, Ed Paterson, John Bernard, Charlie Lever and Daryl Gurney. At this induction, they introduced the first of 11 legend selections — Artie Taylor.

Taylor, 90, was present for the ceremony. He graduated from Stephens in 1956, where he starred in baseball, basketball and football for the Panthers. Baseball was his best sport.

As a sophomore catcher, Taylor led Stephens to the 1954 baseball title victory over Stearns High School, which include a key pickoff of a Minuteman runner on the base paths. In later years, he coached local youth for many years in baseball and basketball.

This year’s hall of fame selection committee included Jim Aylward, Jill Bartash, John Bernard, Chris Brennick, Tom Danylik, Gary Dolloff, Serena Flagg, Daryl Gurney, Matt Kaubris, Rich Kent, Craig Milledge, Ryan Palmer and Jeff Pelletier.

Following the induction ceremony, a reception was held at Black Mountain of Maine. The next day, a golf scramble took place at the Oakdale Country Club in Mexico, a fundraiser for the current athletic programs.

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