By ROB JONAS

COLONIE – The Capital Region Football Hall of Fame welcomed 23 new members to its ranks at its ninth annual induction ceremony Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Red Lion Inn.

Twenty-one individuals were honored, along with the 1933 Johnstown team and the 1933 Mont Pleasant team, both of which went undefeated and un-scored upon.

Eleven former players were enshrined, including:

Tom Abele (Niskayuna) – Co-captain of the undefeated 1960 Niskayuna football team, a second team selection to the National High School All-American Football Team and one of 44 players invited to participate in the Prep All-America Football Game. Abele went on to play fullback at the University of Pittsburgh before a rib injury ended his career. He is now an acclaimed dentist with a practice based in Delmar.

Trevor Anderson (Cobleskill-Richmondville) – A three-year standout at Cobleskill, Anderson set school records for sacks in a single season (12.5) and most defensive points in a single game during his senior year. He was named a first team all-state defensive player by the New York State Sportswriters Association and selected to play in the Governors Bowl, where he had four tackles for a loss and two sacks. Anderson went on to play at the University at Albany and was drafted by the UFL. Currently, he is a founding board member of The Literate Earth Project, which has opened 15 libraries in Uganda.

Tom Arcidiacono (Columbia) – The elusive tailback posted back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons in his junior and senior years at Columbia before becoming a four-year starter at Union College. Arcidiacono’s 4,919 career rushing yards at Union ranks first in school history and 15th in Division III history. A two-time first team All-American, Arcidiacono was a Gagliardi Trophy finalist in 2006. He was selected to play in the Aztec and USA Football International Bowl games. Arcidiacono currently works at AYCO in their financial counseling division.

George Beebe (Salem) – A four-year starter at linebacker and a three-year starter at tailback for Salem, Beebe went on to become a four-year starter for Union College – prior to Arcidiacono’s arrival in 2003. Beebe recorded the longest touchdown run in Union history (96 yards) and held the record for most yards in a single game (272). Beebe helped Union reach the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2000. After graduation, Beebe played for the Middleboro Cobras (2005-08), which won the Eastern Football League title in the 2005-06 season and the New England Football League championship in 2007-08. He is currently a commercial account manager at Harvey Building Products in Connecticut.

Dr. Tom Catena (Amsterdam) – A three-year starter at defensive tackle for Amsterdam, Catena went on to play nose guard for Brown University before attending Duke University School of Medicine. Along the way, Catena was named an Ivy League first team defensive lineman in his senior year at Brown. Upon graduation from Duke, Catena served in the United States Navy for five years before moving to Africa in 2000. He is currently the medical director and physician/surgeon at Mercy Mission Hospital – the only hospital in the Nuba Mountains of war-torn Sudan. He was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2015 and received the Aurora Prize in 2017.

Rich Foglia (Catholic Central) – After a successful sophomore year at Christian Brothers Academy, where he was named Lineman of the Year, Foglia transferred to Catholic Central to play with his brother, Nick Foglia. In his first three games for Catholic Central, Rich caught the winning touchdown pass from Nick. Rich finished his junior year with 345 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions, and he had another strong performance in his senior season. After college, Rich returned to the Capital Region and began coaching youth sports in Watervliet before moving on to coach basketball and football at Catholic Central.

Aaron Kimball (Fonda-Fultonville) – A three-sports athlete at Fonda-Fultonville, Kimball played offensive and defensive line for the school’s football team in the late 1990s. Kimball was named a first team all-state lineman twice by the New York State Sportswriters Association. He went on to play football for the University at Albany, where he started on the offensive line for three seasons. He was a first team Mid Major All-American and a first team All-NEC lineman during his senior year at UAlbany. Kimball also was a standout in track and field for both Fonda-Fultonville and UAlbany.

Kyle Macey (Lansingburgh) – A three-year starter at Lansingburgh, Macey was named a first team all-state player as a defensive lineman (2005) and a first team all-state player as an offensive lineman (2006). Macey went on to start at defensive tackle for three years at St. John Fisher College outside of Rochester. Following his playing career, Macey coached the defensive line unit at Hartwick College and Concordia University of Chicago before moving back to the Capital Region. He currently works as a contract specialist for the Bechtel Corporation.

Rich Murphy (Troy) – A former state Player of the Year, Murphy played offense and defense for the Flying Horses. Upon his graduation, Murphy attended Cortland State, where he played football and baseball. Murphy suffered a serious injury in his sophomore year at Cortland State, which ended his football career. However, he took up golf and became a golf instructor and tournament player. Murphy is also a stage three cancer survivor.

Ken Plue (Rensselaer) – A three-year varsity letter winner at Rensselaer, Plue received All-America honors as a sophomore, second team all-state honors his junior year and first team all-state honors in his senior year. After attending prep school for one year, Plue moved on to Purdue University, where he started 29 games at right guard. He was named to the Outland Trophy watch list in his junior and senior seasons at Purdue.

Chris Sawyer (Lansingburgh) – Nicknamed “Hit Stick,” Sawyer earned his reputation as a tough defensive player during his four-year career at Lansingburgh. He was named the Section 2 Class A Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 – the year the Knights went to the state championship game. Sawyer went on to play at St. John Fisher College, where he helped the Cardinals win consecutive Northeast ECAC Bowls and reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III tournament. Sawyer is currently a biotech specialist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, as well as an assistant football coach at the high school level.

Tyrone Seabrooks (CBA) – Seabrooks set records for catches (79), receiving yards (1,450) and touchdown receptions (18) during his two-year football career at CBA. He went on to play at Bridgton Academy Prep and the University of New Haven, where he set records for most receptions (76) and touchdown receptions (16) in a single season. Seabrooks was invited to Buffalo Bills training camp in 1998, but did not make the team. He currently works as a supervisor for Southwest Airlines.

Ted Testo (Troy) – A three-year starter at Troy, Testo was a first team all-city selection in 1945 and 1946. He went on to serve as president of UAW Local 930, Assistant Commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor and chief labor coordinator for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Testo also coached in the Watervliet Little League and Watervliet Pop Warner football programs, and he was one of the founding members of the Watervliet Dads Club. Testo died in 2003.

Sam Eppolito (Granville), Ambrose Gilligan (Whitehall), Elmer Heidorf (Hudson Falls) and Norm Preston (Rensselaer) were inducted for their service to football. Ron Ravena (Ballston Spa) earned Hall of Fame honors for his coaching career, while Mark Girard (Glens Falls/Hudson Falls) was the assistant coach honoree. Dale Wotherspoon was inducted for his officiating career.