Lou Fortuna
Lou Fortuna was not only a standout as a participant in Mercer County sports annals, he also gave back to the sports community in many ways - including service as president of the Mercer County Hall of Fame since 1982.
Lou was one of the top all-around athletes produced at Sharpsville High School, where he shined in football, basketball and baseball from 1952-56. In basketball, he set what was then the Blue Devils' basketball scoring record with 39 points in one game and also held records in most field goals in a game (15) and most foul shots in one game (25). The Devils won Mercer County basketball crowns during his freshman, sophomore and junior years.
In his senior season in 1956, Lou was named first team District 10 by area newspapers. He led the team in scoring as 2 sophomore, he played with Bortner Bus in the W.U. Hoyle Tournament and was named honorable mention on the all-tourney team. He was a two-year letterman in football at Sharpsville. His senior year he was named to the Mercer County AIl-Star team that played the Trumbull County All-Stars. A superb baseball player, he played in 1953 with the Shenango Valley Junior League All-Stars as a catcher. He helped lead the team to the Pa. state finals, where they lost to the Clinton County All-Stars. His junior league team won three consecutive league championships.
He attended Youngstown State University on a basketball scholarship, but transferred to Troy State (Ala.) University, where he played from 1958-60. He made the all-tournament team in the Alabama-Georgia Mid-Season Freshman Invitational.
He had an outstanding career in independent sports. In baseball, at age 16 in 1954, he was the youngest player in the Youngstown AA League.
He played with the Home Club, which won the National Amateur Baseball Federation championship that season by beating Detroit Pepsi Cola in the finals. He also played with Home Club in 1955.
In 1956, he played in the Pymatuning League with Brookfield Dairy and led the team with a .357 average, making the league all-star team. He was contacted by pro scouts for the Pirates and Milwaukee Braves, but opted to attend college. In 1957, he played as a catcher with the Westinghouse Electric baseball team which won the Pa. state crown and competed in the National Baseball Congress tourney, before losing to champion Fort Wayne, Ind.
In 1956, he played basketball with Future A.C. of New Castle and the team won the Hoyle Tournament and the Holiday YMCA Junior Tournament in New Castle. He also played basketball for area independent teams which won several championships and various tournament titles in the early 1960s.
His leadership of the Hall of Fame has propelled the organization to new heights in his 15-years at the helm.