Countless athletes have pulled on a Peekskill jersey and proudly called themselves a Red Devil since the inception of Peekskill High School (PHS) in 1929. Every era produced its stars, its championship teams, and its stories that lived on long after the final whistle.  

For generations, the Peekskill sports community found a way to preserve those stories through one of its highest honors: induction into the Peekskill High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Fewer than one percent of former PHS students have ever received that distinction.

After being dormant for several years, Peekskill City School District officials say the Hall of Fame is on track to return, with a tentative target of spring 2027.

“The District is committed to bringing back the event,” the district said in a statement. “As of now, the tentative date we are looking at is spring 2027, as we need time to form a committee, select awardees, notify those being honored and plan the event.”

Honoring a Legacy Built over Decades

According to a 2011 induction dinner program, “The Peekskill High School Athletic Hall of Fame was established to pay tribute to all those who have left an indelible mark not only on our school, but on the community as well.”

That mission has remained unchanged through decades of Peekskill athletics. While the most recent induction ceremony was held in 2018, district leaders and former organizers emphasize that the Hall of Fame was never abandoned—only paused.

Current Peekskill Athletic Director Austin Goldberg said efforts to keep the Hall of Fame alive began shortly after he assumed the role in 2019.

“Prior to COVID, we held initial meetings to explore bringing the Hall of Fame back, driven by a strong desire to honor the outstanding athletic achievements of those who came before us.”

Goldberg said the process is now moving forward again.

“We do plan to bring the Hall of Fame back and have already begun the initial phase,” he said. “There is a clear appetite and strong support for recognizing and celebrating our rich athletic history.”

The Modern Revival that Set the Blueprint

The Hall of Fame long predated the 2010s, but by the late 1990s it had gone quiet. Before a revival took place, its last induction had been in 1999. That changed in 2010, when legendary basketball coach and newly appointed athletic director Lou Panzanaro made restoring the Hall of Fame a priority.

“I got a committee together and said, ‘We have so many deserving athletes here in the community that need to be recognized. I’d like to get this Hall of Fame going again,’” Panzanaro recalled. “We had a meeting that summer and we had some people that were excited about it and we got it going.”

A Peekskill High School graduate himself, Panzanaro had followed Red Devil athletics since childhood.

“I started following Peekskill sports when I was eight years old back in the ’50s,” he said. “I had so many great memories of so many of the athletes. I just thought they deserved to be in the Athletic Hall of Fame in Peekskill. They brought so much pride to the community.”

Under his leadership, the Hall of Fame returned in 2010 and quickly reestablished itself as a fixture of Peekskill’s sports culture. Annual induction dinners were held at Colonial Terrace in Cortlandt Manor, drawing 50 to 100 attendees each year. Tickets ranged from $45 to $50, with proceeds benefiting Peekskill athletics through the PHS Parents Club.

Inductees received Hall of Fame certificates, Certificates of Commendation from the City of Peekskill, and permanent plaques or banners displayed at Peekskill High School.

A Deliberate and Selective Process

The Hall of Fame operated under a detailed set of bylaws designed to preserve its prestige. Former athletes became eligible for nomination 10 years after graduation, teams 10 years after competition, and retired staff members after five years. Nominations were open to coaches, staff, alumni, and community members.

A committee of five to 15 members reviewed nominations and voted using a point system. Each year, no more than five individuals and one team could be inducted, with ties allowing for an additional honoree.

“We didn’t want to overdo it with too many in one year,” Panzanaro said. “I thought it would lose some of its prestige.”

The structure proved effective. The committee received a high volume of nominations annually, leaving many deserving candidates waiting their turn.

From 2010 through 2016, the Hall of Fame enjoyed a successful six-year run. After Panzanaro retired in 2017, his successor Adam Lodewick continued the tradition until 2019.

More than a Ceremony

For inductees, the Hall of Fame represented more than recognition—it strengthened ties between past and present generations of Peekskill athletes.

One of Panzanaro’s most vivid memories came during the 2010 induction of Jim “Red” Grehan. Shortly after the ceremony, Grehan’s son, Kevin J. Grehan, donated $25,000 to launch a capital campaign to upgrade Peekskill High School’s training facilities.

“My Dad was my idol and my best friend and I am very grateful to you and the rest of the HOF Committee for honoring his contributions to Red Devil lore,” Grehan wrote in a letter later shared with the Peekskill Herald.

Panzanaro said proceeds from induction dinners helped fund the school’s current fitness center.

“All of the money from the dinner went toward developing the fitness center that’s still in the high school now,” he said.

Former inductees shared similar sentiments. Mike Sabini, inducted in 2016, said, “When I was inducted into the Peekskill High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, it was the greatest honor of my life. It’s something I never thought possible, being in the same Hall of Fame with the greats of the greats of Peekskill.” Sabini was inducted for his work in sports reporting and involvement in Peekskill athletics. 

Sabini, a longtime public address announcer and former sports writer for the original printed Peekskill Herald, recalled being a presenter at earlier ceremonies, believing induction was beyond his reach.

“Five years earlier at the Hall of Fame dinner, I was the presenter for one of the best wrestling coaches in the history of Section 1, Larry Cook. I still remember being there that night thinking I better do this right, because it’s as close as I am going to come to the Hall of Fame,” he said. “Never imagining that five years later I would be inducted into it myself.”

A Pause Shaped by Process—and a Path Forward

According to Hall of Fame bylaws, the district’s athletic director serves as the facilitator, responsible for forming committees and overseeing the induction process. Leadership transitions, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, slowed that work.

During his time as AD, Panzanaro said finances or lack of interest was never an issue. 

“It was smooth running,” he said. “We’d get a good number of attendees at the ceremony.”

Even in retirement, Panzanaro continued to receive nomination inquiries and maintained extensive Hall of Fame records—materials he has since shared with the Peekskill Herald and district officials to support the next phase.

“I hated to see it end,” he said. “Even since I stopped there, I’m sure there are many other athletes in Peekskill, boys and girls, who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.”

With planning now underway and a tentative timeline in place, district officials say the next chapter of the Peekskill High School Athletic Hall of Fame is one of intention, not uncertainty.

For Panzanaro, the meaning remains unchanged.

“There was this certain thing I felt about being a ‘Peekskill Red Devil,’” he said.

If the Hall of Fame returns as planned in 2027, that feeling—and the history behind it—will once again take center stage.