HALL OF FAME

A varsity letter-winner in football, soccer, basketball and baseball as a senior, Aiken High School’s Mike Raita was a captain of the soccer and basketball teams. As a kicker for the football team, Mike provided the winning points to beat Walnut Hills during the Falcons’ first-ever PHSL championship season. As a captain of the basketball team, Mike jokes that his leadership and tenacity in practice are what turned fellow CPS Hall of Famer Bobby Austin into the player he became. A centerfielder on the school’s first-ever PHSL championship baseball team, Mike was known for his defense and speed on the basepaths. But it was the sport of soccer where Mike really made his mark.

Mike was named to the All-City and All-State soccer teams as a junior and senior. After finishing second in the city in scoring his senior year, Mike was the top vote-getter for All-City honors. His success earned him the first-ever athletic scholarship for soccer given by the University of Cincinnati.

After transferring to Ohio University, Mike graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and embarked on a 35-year career in which he won multiple Emmys and Associated Press Sportscaster of the Year awards. Mike currently serves as a Regional Director on the staff of United States Senator Tommy Tuberville.

Annie Ruth Hampton Napier was an active participant in volleyball, basketball, softball and track before responsibilities at home reduced her high school athletic participation to basketball while balancing her engagement in Aiken’s Senior Senate and as Yearbook Art Director. Recognized as an Aiken High School leader and positive role model, she was both Captain and Most Valuable Player of the basketball team her Senior year.

Being a gifted visual artist, Annie Ruth graduated in the top 10% of her class and received a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. She served in the U.S. Air Force reserves from 1982-1990 while completing her college education in San Diego, California, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987. This highly talented and renowned artist travels globally sharing her art; is President of the nonprofit foundation Eye of the Artists; owner of A Ruth Creations, LLC, marketing her books and albums; and is an inspirational mentor to numerous youth. It has been said that “the discipline, hard work, and teamwork learned in sports enabled her to achieve in other areas that positively impacts her community.” Annie Ruth currently resides in Cincinnati.

Coach Young led athletes in a variety of sports at different levels before he became the Head Varsity football Coach at aiken High school in 1977. During his tenure, his Aiken teams were ranked in the top 10 in Greater Cincinnati seven times, and won four PHSL Championships (from 1981-1984); each of those years he was also honored as Coach of the year. His overall won-loss record at aiken stands at 57 wins, 27 losses and 5 ties. after Aiken, Coach Young became Head Coach at Western Hills from 1986-1988, and then ended his varsity football coaching career at Walnut Hills from 1999-2000. His career won-loss record at the varsity level stands at 76 wins versus 58 losses and 5 ties.

During his coaching career, Coach Young saw 42 of his players go on to play football at Division I schools, including Ohio State, Michigan State, the Naval Academy, the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, the University of Louisville, and Iowa State. And, eight of his players played pro ball in the NFL, including Dwayne Berry (Baltimore), Kenny Neal (N.Y. Jets), Dixon Edwards (Dallas) and Mike Middleton (Green Bay). He was chosen twice by his peers to coach in the East/West all-star game, winning both times. He was also a past President and is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the South Western Ohio Football Coaches Association (SWOFCA).

As a coach, he was a selfess leader of young men, and his infuence was impactful even after his coaching career came to an end.

Known to everyone as the “Gentle Giant,” Berry was 6’ 3”, 195lb, and a lightning-fast linebacker for his football team as well as an outstanding scorer and rebounder for his basketball team. His football coach Steve Schweitzer described him as the best all-around player he had ever coached, who could play at any college. “He’s that good,” Schweitzer said. Coach John Young, also being inducted into the CPS Hall of Fame this evening, said that a friend of his told him the best thing about coaching at Aiken was “you get to coach Dwayne Berry.” To this day, Coach Young says Berry was the best high school linebacker that he has ever

seen.

Berry was chosen to play in the East/West football All Star Game at the University of Cincinnati in 1974, and his outstanding accomplishments in Aiken football and basketball earned him the honor of being named Buddy LaRosa’s Athlete of the Year. He was recruited by all of the major colleges and universities to play football but he chose to stay at home and play for the Bearcats, where he had an outstanding career at the collegiate level. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, where everyone knew that star Quarterback Bert Jones was not to be hit in practice. As the story goes, Berry absolutely lit up Jones in practice one day, and the coaches went crazy, kicking him off the team and blackballing him from playing in the NFL. Berry then pursued a career in the Canadian

Football League before returning to his roots in Cincinnati.

After his football career ended, he worked for the Metro Bus Company for 29 years before retiring in 2015. He passed away following a sudden and fatal heart attack on December 28, 2015.

He lettered in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track and Tennis for the Falcons. In 1964, he was voted First Team All-City at the offensive end position by the Cincinnati Enquirer and Second Team by the Cincinnati Post & Times Star. He was voted Third Team All-City in Basketball in 1965 averaging 23.5 points per game. He

also averaged over 20.0 points per game as a junior in 1964 and was named Honorable Mention All-City by the Enquirer and the Post-Times Star. He and his partner finished fifth in the Doubles competition at the state Tennis Tournament in 1965. He was a sprinter and hurdler on the Track Team and earned a Varsity letter in Baseball during his career at Aiken.

He went on to play collegiate Football at the University of Cincinnati and led the nation in scoring with 144 points in 1968. He was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1968 and 1969. He has been inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletic Hall of Fame. He played professional football for the Baltimore Colts from 1970-72 and the Detroit Lions in 1973. He kicked the game winning field goal for the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5 with five seconds to go in the game to give Baltimore a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He currently resides in Thousand Oaks, California with Pam, his wife of 38 years. They have two boys, Kelly and Kasey and two grandchildren. The whole family enjoys golf together and Jim, who has 40+ years of construction management, plans to retire to a life of golf, inventing and being a grandfather.

Bobby Austin, Aiken High School Class of 1978

He is considered by many as the best basketball player to emerge from Aiken High School in the history of the school. As a junior, he averaged 21.7 points per game and was named Enquirer All City Third Team. As a senior he led the Falcons in scoring averaging 27.5 points per game. He was named First Team All-City and City Player of the Year by both the Enquirer and the Post. He was named First-Team All-Southwest Ohio District and First Team Associated Press All State. In the rankings of Hamilton County's Top 20 High School Basketball Players, he was voted #14 as a junior and #1 as a senior. He was honored as #46 on the Enquirer's All Time Top 100 Basketball Team.

He continued his playing career at the University of Cincinnati where he was voted Metro Collegiate Athletic Conference Honorable Mention in each of his four seasons as a Bearcat. He left UC as one of the top 10 scorers in UC basketball history. He holds the distinction of playing the most minutes (73) in the longest collegiate game on record when UC defeated Bradley 75-73 in seven overtimes in 1981. He earned a degree in Criminal Justice and has worked for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court for the past 27 years. His oldest son Bobby Austin Ill is a senior at Furman University where he played basketball on scholarship. He and his wife Mandy reside in College Hill with their children Ty and Sarah.