February 16, 2005
A few additions to The 125
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
A little over a month ago we published a list of the 125 people who had the biggest impact on sports in
Ocean City during its first 125 years.
The selection was entirely subjective. There is no formula to compare people who played or coached in the
1930s or 1940s with those from the last 10 or 15 years.
On the other hand, many of the older athletes and coaches were trailblazers, covering new ground and
creating traditions that still exist today.
The list (it will be posted online at OceanCitySports.com by the weekend) included a mixture of athletes,
coaches, recreation leaders, volunteers and even a few of those summer athletes we call lifeguards.
We asked you for your thoughts on the list and if there were those you thought had been overlooked. Most
of those who responded were pleased with the purpose of the list, saluting those who made a difference on
the local sports scene. And the majority pretty much agreed with the selections.
But there were a few names that some of you thought might have been included.
One was Tom Oves. A very successful football player at Ocean City High School, Oves was also a
champion OCBP rower, winning a pair of South Jersey championships in the early 1950s. He was inducted
into both the Ocean City Beach Patrol Hall of Fame and the Viking Rowing Club Hall of Fame.
Another name that was offered was Bill Gans, who made his contributions on the sidelines. He was a
longtime volunteer coach and administrator for the Ocean City Youth Athletic Association and the Ocean
City Hawks. He was also chosen Sportsperson of the Year in 1969.
The name Dave Andrews was offered by a couple of you, and with good reason. Andrews was one of the
most versatile athletes OCHS produced. He was an excellent quarterback, a starter in basketball and a
baseball player that could play any position successfully.
Names like Walt Buckholtz, Eddie Rumer, Mike Fadden and Gil Ferrari were also offered. Its tough work,
putting together these lists.
Of course, there are a number of other places where Ocean City’s top athletes and coaches are
recognized. The OCHS Sports Hall of Fame features not only the individuals and teams selected, but also
the teams of the 90s and the century in each sport.
The Gazette hoped to use the resort’s 125th anniversary to salute some people who helped make sports
so special in this community. We think we accomplished that goal.
But you’ve given us a few names, all of which were strongly considered in making up the list of 125, who
give us a great start toward our list of 150 in 2029.
Lets just hope we’re all here to make it happen.
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Tom Williams' columns