Tonawanda City School District

The newest members of the Tonawanda Athletic Wall of Fame will be inducted this week.

The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 19 at Niawanda Park Pavilion. 

On Friday, the Wall of Fame Class of 2023 will also attend the TNT game, serving as honorary captains during the coin toss and receiving recognition at halftime.

Join us in congratulating the Class of 2023 inductees:

Tom Butler (Class of 1960) - Tom was a three-sport athlete for Tonawanda where he played varsity football, basketball and also ran track. He was 1^st team all NFL in football as a junior and senior as well as 1^st team All-WNY as a senior. He went on to play football at UB where he was named MVP by his teammates in 1962 and was also named Big East Player of the Week in 1963.

Bob “Moose” Linhart (Class of 1970) – Bob was also a three -sport athlete for Tonawanda where he played varsity football, basketball and baseball. He was the leading scorer on the basketball team as a junior and senior earning 2^nd team All-NFL both years. He excelled on the diamond and was a dominant catcher at THS. Batted over .400 for his 3-year varsity career and was named 1^st team all-NFL as a junior and senior which included him earning the most votes in the league. Bob went on to play baseball at Marietta College.

Paul Childress (Class of 1989) – Paul excelled in both football and baseball while at THS. He captained both squads and was named 1^st Team Division III and 2^nd team All-WNY as a lineman in football his junior and senior years. He also was named 1^st team All-NFL and 2^nd team All-WNY as a catcher during his junior and senior years. He went on to star as a lineman at Buffalo State and is in their Hall of Fame. As a powerlifter, which began during his years at THS, he became a WORLD record holder with a squat of 1,147 lbs, a bench of 691 lbs and a total of 2,663 lbs. 

1989-90 Wrestling Team – Having multiple decades of dominance in the NFL, 1^st under George Miller and followed by Glenn Bateman, this team is considered to be the best. They finished the season 14-0 and ranked #1 in WNY, having beaten the #2 ranked team, Niagara-Wheatfield 34-16. 

Cody McGregor (Class of 2015) – Cody was a three-sport athlete in soccer, wrestling and baseball. He was named 2^nd team all ECIC in soccer and 1^st team all ECIC in baseball. He dominated on the wrestling mat, perhaps like no other THS athlete before or since. He finished with a career record of 234-28, becoming the school’s all-time leader in wins. He was a 4-time class champion, 3-time ECIC champion, 3-time Section VI champion, and 4-time State place finisher, finishing 5^th, 4^th, 4^th and 2^nd. He was awarded all-state honors both his junior and senior years. He went on to wrestle at NCCC, qualifying for nationals and earning All-American status. He was recently inducted into the NCCC Wrestling Hall of Fame.