Keystone Inducts 10th Athletics Hall of Fame Class
La Plume, PA – Keystone College inducted its 10th Athletics Hall of Fame class during a ceremony on Saturday as part of Homecoming Weekend events on campus. Five former student-athletes who excelled for the Giants were honored as members of the 2014 Athletics Hall of Fame class: Dennis Coffinberger '68 (wrestling), Debra Tylutki Curmaci '78 (field hockey and women's basketball), Christopher L. Homer '01 (baseball), Todd Keith '86 (men's soccer), and Nicholas Scandale '48 (football).
Following the induction ceremony held in Brooks Theater, a reception and dinner were held in honor of the 2014 Athletics Hall of Fame inductees in the Gambal Athletic Center.
About the 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Dennis Coffinberger '68
Dennis Coffinberger '68 was recognized for his outstanding career as a member of the Keystone Junior College wrestling team.
During his two year career as a member of the Giants wrestling squad, Dennis posted an impressive 14-2 overall record in individual bouts. He finished as the Northeast Regional runner-up and his hard work and talent was rewarded as Dennis earned the distinction of being a national qualifier.
Led by Dennis's strong performance on the mat, Keystone Junior College would go on to win a Pennsylvania Junior College Athletic Association wrestling championship.
Dennis continued his highly successful wrestling career at Millersville State College where he would earn a bachelor of science degree.
Dennis shared his wrestling knowledge and love of the sport with the Millville Area School District, where he served as the school's wrestling coach and as an industrial arts teacher until his retirement.
Dennis remains active in both his community and with Keystone College. A former board chair of the Bloomsburg American Red Cross, he was named the Keystone College Class Correspondent of the Year in 2002. Dennis has also served on the Keystone Open Committee for 15 years and was the honorary co-chair in 2012. Additionally, he serves on the Keystone College National Alumni Board of Directors.
Debra Tylutki Curmaci '78
Debra Tylutki Curmaci '78 was recognized for her outstanding achievements as a member of the Keystone Junior College field hockey team and her contributions to the women's basketball program.
A two-year member of Keystone's field hockey team, Debra led the Giants to a 19-1-1 record, including a perfect, 10-0 mark in the 1977 season. The 1978 squad also won a Regional Championship.
Debra was instrumental in Keystone's success and was selected to the All-American Team, All-Region XIX Team, and All-Regional Team in the 1977-78 season. Debra was named a team tri-captain for the 1977-78 season and also earned the Team MVP award that year.
Debra was also a two-year member of Keystone's women's basketball team where she helped lead the Giants to 11 wins in two years. Named a tri-captain for the 1977-78 campaign, Debra would go on to score 91 points on the season and was selected to the All-Region XIX Team.
Debra has remained active in the local field hockey scene, officiating the sport as a member of both the Wyoming Valley Field Hockey Association and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association for over 25 years. She has also been involved in education for more than 25 years as a teacher in the Lackawanna Trail School District.
Debra is most proud of her family. She has been married for 32 years to her loving and caring husband, Angelo Curmaci, who also attended Keystone from 1976-1978, and played baseball for Dr. Michael Mould. A heart carved in a tree outside the former Brooks Gym (now Brooks Theatre) by Angelo when the two were dating while attending Keystone is still visible. Debra and Angelo have three children, Nikki Hay, Alyssa Blake, and Corey Curmaci, and two wonderful sons-in-law, Greg Hay and Robinson Blake.
Christopher L. Homer '01
Christopher L. Homer '01 was recognized for an outstanding baseball career that has come full-circle. Beginning as a player at Keystone, he continued his career at the Division I and professional levels, before returning to the Giants as a coach.
In two seasons with the Giants, Christopher enjoyed one of the finest careers ever by a Keystone pitcher. The right-hander recorded a 1.63 earned run average for his career, the lowest all-time in program history, while his 17 career wins rank among the top-10 all-time.
The 2001 season was one for the ages for Christopher, who tied a single-season school record with 10 wins while tossing a Keystone-record five shutouts. Christopher pitched a perfect game during the season, and also struck out 13 batters against Luzerne County Community College. For the season, he struck out a then-school record 101 batters while posting a 0.96 ERA, the second lowest single-season mark in program history.
Christopher continued his playing career on a full scholarship at Division I Marist University where he set school records with 11 saves in a season and 18 saves for his career. He also earned the win on the mound as Marist clinched a conference championship and bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament with a victory over LeMoyne College.
After earning a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Marist, Christopher was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 24th round of the 2003 MLB Draft. He was named the Reliever of the Year for the Tigers organization in 2005 and set a Lakeland Tigers record with 31 saves in a season. Christopher saved over 100 games and recorded an ERA of 3.78 over his nine-year professional playing career and pitched as high as at the AA level.
After injuries cut short his playing career, Christopher returned to Keystone as the Giants pitching coach in 2008. He has helped lead the team to Colonial States Athletic Conference Championships and NCAA Regional appearances in each of the past six seasons, along with a trip to the NCAA Division III Collegiate World Series in 2011. In 2013, his pitching staff was the NCAA Division III statistical champion with a 2.07 ERA on the season. Christopher has also served as the pitching coach for the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League since 2011.
Todd Keith '86
Todd Keith '86 was honored for an outstanding career as a member of the Keystone Junior College men's soccer team that saw him earn numerous awards as the Giants starting goalkeeper.
Between 1984 and 1986, Todd led Keystone to 19 wins while posting eight shutouts during his career. His eight clean sheets still rank second all-time in program history. Todd made 101 saves in the 1984 season, which was then the second-most in a single season in Giants history, and currently ranks as the fifth most all-time. Following the season, Todd was honored as the All-Region XIX Second Team goalkeeper.
Todd was named a team captain for the 1985-86 season and his stellar play led Keystone to an impressive 11-4-1 overall record. For his play, Todd earned All-Region XIX First Team goalkeeper honors, and was also selected as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-American. To this day, Todd remains the last Keystone men's soccer player to earn All-American honors.
After completing his playing career at Keystone, Todd was named the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. Team in the 1987 United States – European – Soviet Cup Soccer Tour where he had the opportunity to showcase his talents at the international level.
Todd would go on to earn a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Long Island University. He has enjoyed a 20-plus year career in the insurance industry with Robert Plan Insurance Company and Allstate.
Todd remains active in his local community in Wantagh, N.Y. and is a loyal attendee of Keystone College Homecoming celebrations.
Nicholas Scandale '48
Nicholas Scandale '48 was honored for his outstanding athletic career at Keystone Junior College where he excelled as a member of the football team, while also playing basketball for the Giants. Nicholas came to Keystone after serving his country in World War II as a member of the Army.
A two-year standout for football team, Nicholas was a member of Keystone's last football team in 1948. During that season, he excelled on the gridiron and helped lead the Giants to three wins during the season. In a season-opening loss to Dickinson Junior College, Nicholas scored Keystone's lone touchdown of the game on a 50-yard reception. He would again reach the end zone in a victory over Wyoming Seminary.
Nicholas scored the final touchdown in Keystone football history in the 1948 season finale against King's College on a sensational 47-yard run to account for the Giants' lone score in a 12-7 defeat.
Nicholas also printed his name in Keystone athletics history on the basketball court, scoring the first-ever basket in Brooks Gym (now Brooks Theatre) on a layup. As a member of the men's basketball team, he scored 44 points during the 1947-48 season.
After his time at Keystone, Nicholas moved on to Penn State University where he appeared in two exhibition games for the Nittany Lions football team, playing against Bucknell and Duquesne. Nicholas would go on to earn a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Penn State.
Nicholas founded the Scandale Construction Company where he continues to serve as the president of the company. He is also active in the local community with UNICO and the Columbus Day Association and is a member of the Scranton Country Club. Nicholas is married to his wife, Diane, and has two children: a son, Greg, and a daughter, Susan, and twin grandchildren.
Hall of Fame Nomination Criteria
The Keystone College Athletics Hall of Fame Committee shall consider the following criteria when selecting individuals for inclusion:
- Outstanding athletic accomplishments at Keystone College and/or beyond Keystone College
- Exhibited quality in character and sportsmanship
- Contributed to the well-being of Keystone College
- Recognized accomplishments and/or commitments outside of the athletic arena
The following two criteria are mandatory for Keystone student-athletes and graduates:
- Student-athletes must have graduated
- Alumnus/a must be a graduate and removed a minimum of five years before consideration
A person other than a Keystone College student-athlete or graduate may be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his or her contributions toward the well-being and success of the Keystone College Athletics Department.
Nominations for the Class of 2015 are now being accepted. To nominate a candidate for consideration, visit the Keystone College athletics website at
www.gokcgiants.com and click on the "Hall of Fame" link under "Athletic Links".