Jet Johnston part of nine-member class set for induction into RHS Hall of Fame (updated)

Former football coaches John “Jet” Johnston and Jim Clontz are among nine individuals set for induction into the Reading High Athletic Hall of Fame during halftime ceremonies Friday at Shirk Stadium.

The Red Knights play Owen J. Roberts at 7.

Joining Johnston and Clontz are Cindy Dunlap, Ashley Giddens, Bob Harbach, Christine Heebner, Michael Lockhart, Joe Ortiz and Jack Prutzman.

Also set for induction is the 1978-79 Red Knights girls basketball team, coached by Bob Heebner.

Johnston coached the Red Knights from 1985-94, and recorded six straight winning seasons. In 1992 the Red Knights won their first Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title.

Johnston went 54-47 in 10 seasons; only two others have coached more football games at the school, Andy Stopper and Paul Reed.

Johnston was a two-time All-State running back at Lewistown, was picked for the 1968 Big 33 Class and went to Duke, where he earned six letters playing football and baseball.

His coaching career included stops at Duke, Dickinson, Penn State, Harrisburg and C.D. East.

Clontz coached the football team from 1975-1979; the Red Knights won the Central Penn League championship in 1977, the first outright football title in school history, and finished 8-3. He was named Berks Coach of the Year.

Dunlap played field hockey, golf, basketball and softball for the Red Knights and earned a full scholarship to Springfield College. In softball she led Reading to county and district championships in 1978 and 1979 and was a two-time all-league second baseman.

Giddens was a three-year starter in basketball, played on three league championship teams and scored over 1,000 points.

Harbach excelled in basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis and went on to become a PIAA official for 45 years, working more than 5,000 games in high school, college and semi-pro ball.

Heebner was a swimmer and diver for the Red Knights and coached divers at the school for 22 years. Six of her athletes became District 3 champs, and the team won a district title in 1988 and a PIAA title in 1989.

Lockhart set a school record in the long gump and won a gold medal in the triple jump at the PIAA indoor meeting in 1984. He won the triple jump and finished second in the long jump at the 1984 PIAA spring championships.

Ortiz set a record with 125 victories in wrestling. As a senior, he placed third in regionals and sixth at the state tournament.

Prutzman was Reading High wrestling coach from 1961-73 and co-founded the Berks County Wrestling Officials Association. He formed and coached the Spartan Grappler program.

Members of the championship basketball team include: Ruth Brendle, Lynann Jones, Brenda Frey, Deidre McLendon, Angel-Lee Dialectos, Wanda Rodgers, Lutricia Price, Lori Gross, Theresa Wolf, Christine Tenney, Camilla Sheriff and Cynthia Dunlap.