Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Inductees
Nick Fitzgerald, 1988
A 1988 Watervliet High School graduate, Nick was an athlete, teacher, department chairperson, and coach for his alma mater. He played three years of varsity football under his mentor, Coach Dan Reinfurt. During that time, the team record was 24-5, with two league and sectional championships. In his senior year, Nick was voted captain, garnered First Team All-City and All-Area honors, and was named the team’s MVP. He was the Coaches Award winner for track and received the Gerald F. Connors and Tony Curro Sr. awards.
After graduating, Nick returned as an assistant coach and helped lead the team to an 8-1 record and a league championship. From1989-1990, Nick was a starting offensive guard for the Siena College Saints. After college, Nick returned to Watervliet to coach modified football. He was promoted to the varsity offensive line coach and defensive coordinator, helping the 1995 team win the league championship and the undefeated 1996 team capture the Section 2 State Championship. Nick became the Cannoneers head football coach in 1997, guiding the team to a league, sectional, and regional championships with an overall record of 11-1. He was named Coach of the Year by the Troy Record, Times Union, Schenectady Gazette and the Capital District Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF). He served as head coach for 10 seasons and compiled a 69-28 record , with four league championships, five sectional championship game appearances, and a sectional and regional title. Nick also coached for the University at Albany, the Arena Football League, several NYS All-Star games, and was head coach for several Section 2 All-Star teams.
Nick has served on Section 2, Capital District, NY State, and national football committees. He’s been a regional director for the National Athletic Testing System, and a clinician for the National Football League International program, where he presented clinics to coaches in Japan, England, Scotland and Ireland.. Nick was inducted into the Capital Region Football Hall of Fame in 2015, and the 1996 WHS Football Team, for which he was an assistant coach, has been inducted into the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2019, Nick was honored with a National Leadership Award from the NFF and College Hall of Fame.
Nick earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree, his administrative certification, and his Doctorate Degree in Educational Administration. He is the superintendent of schools for Canajoharie Central School District. Nick resides in Colonie with his wife, Stephanie, and daughters, Keira and Nicole.
Gordie Johnson, 1976
Gordie played freshman football and basketball for the Cannoneers. In 1977, at the age of 18, he began his coaching career at St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Watervliet, where he coached CYO basketball. He then moved on to coach the freshman boys’ basketball team at Watervliet High School for eight years, from 1983- 1991. Gordie took a break from high school-level coaching to coach his daughters’ AAU basketball travel teams.
In 1999, Gordie accepted the position of head coach for the girls’ varsity basketball team at Watervliet High School, and remained head coach from 1999-2016. During that 17-year span, Gordie led his teams to a 268-126 record. The teams won seven Sectional championships, two Colonial Council league championships, two Regional championships, and they twice competed in the New York State girls’ basketball finals. Incredibly, during his 17-year varsity coaching career, not one of his players ever received a technical foul—truly a testament to his coaching style and leadership.
During his tenure as the WHS girls’ varsity basketball head coach, Gordie received a total of 14 various Coach of the Year awards: five times from the Troy Record Newspaper, four times from the Times Union Newspaper, two times from the Section II basketball committee, and one time each from News Channel 10 and FOX News. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) named Gordie the New York State Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year for the 2015-2016 season.
In addition to coaching, Gordie was employed for 33 years by the Highland Tank Company in Watervliet, retiring in 2020. Gordie and his wife, Janice, have been married for 36 years, and spend the summers in Latham and the winters at Hobe Sound Beach in Florida. They have three children, Mike, Kim, and Jessica, and three granddaughters.
Louis Horan, 1997
Lou played two years of varsity football at Watervliet High School and was a two-year starter for the Cannoneers. A two-way player, he excelled both as an offensive and a defensive tackle.
At 6’-4” and 286 pounds, Lou was an imposing figure for the Cannoneers and was one of the Capital District’s most dominating offensive and defensive lineman. During his senior year, Lou helped lead the 1996 Cannoneer football team to a 13-0 undefeated season en route to capturing the New York State Class C Football Championship. At the time, Head Coach Dan Reinfurt stated that Lou was one of the best drive blockers he had ever coached.
In 1996, Lou was named to the NYS Sportswriters Association All State Class C First Team as an offensive lineman. He was also named to the NYS Golden 50 Team (top 50 Class B, C, and D players in NYS), the Times Union All Area Offensive First Team, the Troy Record All Area Offensive First Team, and the Section 2 Capital Conference—Buckley Division—All Star First Team. Lou also received the WHS Cannoneer Most Improved Player Award.
Lou was awarded a four-year scholarship to American International College (AIC) in Springfield, MA, and after obtaining his Regents Diploma from WHS, he went on to attend AIC and play football, at offensive guard, for the Yellow Jackets during the 1997-1998 academic year. After realizing that AIC was not a good fit, Lou enrolled at Hudson Valley Community College and obtained his degree in criminal justice from HVCC.
Lou resides in Mechanicville, NY, with his wife Kate. They have three daughters – Taylor (20), Olivia (17), and Maggie (14). Lou is employed as a District Manager for Waste Connections, and, in his spare time, Lou enjoys coaching his three daughters in a variety of sports.
Melique Garcia, 2010
A four-sport athlete at Watervliet High School, Melique participated in two years of varsity football, two years of varsity wrestling, and three years of varsity indoor and varsity outdoor track & field. He was a team captain for football and the indoor and outdoor track & field teams. Melique was an honor student all four years, and received a National Achievement Academy (NAA) award.
While a studying computer graphics at WHS, Melique designed the WHS gymnasium that was built after he graduated. He also designed the championship banners, scoreboard, gym floor, record boards, and wrestling mats. His name and logo appear on the gym floor. Two years ago, Melique became head coach for both the indoor and outdoor track & field teams at WHS. He is also the head coach for the 2022 Cannoneer modified football team.
Melique excelled in track & field, and set WHS records for the 100m (100 meter-dash), 200m, 300m, 400m, 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and 400m hurdle from 2008-2010. Inhis senior year, he was the Colonial Council and the Section 2 Class C champion in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events. While competing in the 2010 New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Outdoor Track & Field NYS Division 2 Championship Meet, Melique helped lead the Cannoneers to the State title in the 400m relay event, and finished 5thth in the 100m and 7th in the 200m events. He also was recognized as the Outstanding Performer during the Maple Hill and Lansingburg Knights Invitational Meets. Melique was voted the WHS Cannoneer Track & Field MVPtwo seasons in a row.
Melique attended SUNY Cobleskill a setting several track & field school records, and was named the team’s MVP. He transferred to SUNY Cortland and was named the track and field MVP during both his junior and senior year, and the Male Senior Athlete of the Year. During his collegiate career, Melique captured numerous SUNY Athletic Conference and ECAC track & field championships. He was a five-time NCAA Division 3 All American.
Melique continues to compete in track & field. Being of Honduran American descent, he has represented Honduras professionally and has won medals in several Central American Championship competitions. He was an alternate on the 2016 Honduras Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro, and a qualifier for the 100m event during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. He is currently pursuing a position on the 2024 Honduras Summer Olympic Team.
Melique earned his B.A. from SUNY Cortland, and is an information technology consultant for the NYS Department of Health. He resides in Green Island, NY.
Moreen (Scully) Petrella, 1972-1986
Moreen taught physical educational at the Watervliet Junior Senior High School from 1972-1986. In 1975, Moreen also became the Department Chairpersonship for the school district’s Physical Education (P.E.) Program. She was the first female to hold that position for a school district in the Colonial Conference. Moreen received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Russell Sage College in Troy.
One of Moreen’s goals was to begin a girls’ athletic program at WHS. In fulfillment of that goal, she founded and coached the girls’ varsity softball team from 1973-1977. In 1975 the team won the Colonial Council Softball Championship with a 13-1 record. Moreen also founded and coached the girls’ varsity basketball team from 1973-1976. During the 1974-1975 season, the team won the Colonial Council Basketball Championship with a 15-0 record. She also coached the girls’ varsity bowling team from 1973-1977, with the team winning the Colonial Council Bowling Tournament in both 1973 and 1974. Moreen also served as the moderator of the junior varsity and varsity cheerleading squads during the early 1970s.
Moreen relinquished her coaching duties in 1977 to focus more time to her increased responsibilities as Chairperson of P.E. In her role as Chairperson, she developed and revised the entire K-12 P.E. curriculum in 1977, and in 1983. She also developed an Independent Study P.E. Program for seniors. Additionally, during her career at Watervliet, Moreen implemented and supervised/coached the girls’ intramural and extracurricular programs. She pioneered many new programs such as floor hockey, co-ed volleyball, disco and square dancing, weight training, a downhill ski club, an equestrian club, a judo/self-defense club, intramural basketball and extramural tennis.
For many years Moreen also served as Secretary of the Colonial Council Standing Committee for Girls’ Sports, as Chairperson of Colonial Council Girls’ Basketball Program, and as Secretary of the Section 2 Girls’ Basketball Tournament.
Moreen and her husband, John, moved to New Jersey in 1986, when she took a hiatus from work to raise her daughter, Kristin. They eventually returned to the area and currently reside in Colonie.
Jeremy Smith, 1997
A two-sport athlete at Watervliet High School, Jeremy played varsity football and varsity outdoor track & field. During his senior year, he served as a team captain for football and track & field. Jeremy was a four-year member of the National Honor Society (NHS), and was president of the NHS in his senior year.
Jeremy was an offensive lineman for the Cannoneers. During his senior year, the Cannoneers captured the 1996 New York State Class C Football Championship with a 13-0 record. Jeremy was named to the Section 2 Capital Conference–Buckley Division–All Star Second Team, the Troy Record All Area Offensive Second Team, and received a Class C All State Honorable Mention from the NYS Sportswriters Association. He also received the WHS Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.
Jeremy was the team’s MVP during both his junior and senior years in varsity outdoor track & field. As a junior, he captured the Section 2 Class C Shotput Championship. During his senior year, Jeremy was undefeated in his Section 2 track & field events (shotput and discus throw), and captured the Colonial Council Championship and Section 2 Class C Championship in both events. He was a member of the Colonial Council Class C Relay Championship Team for shotput, discus throw and high jump. In 1997, Jeremy captured first place for shotput in the William F. Eddy Jr. Memorial Meet—an annual NYS interscholastic track & field meet. Over the course of his track & field career, Jeremy won over a dozen invitational meet gold medals.
In 1996, Jeremy captured both the USA Track & Field (USATF) State and Northeast Regional Championship in shotput. In the USATF National Championship event, in San Jose, CA, he finished among the top 20 competitors.
One of Jeremy’s personal highlights was returning to WHS in 2005 to serve for 12 years as an assistant football and outdoor track & field coach. He also served as the head coach for indoor track for five years.
Jeremy earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Marist College. where he played four years of football, and four years of indoor track and outdoor track & field. Jeremy was voted to the All-Conference Football Team during his senior year, and was a Football Gazette Second Team All American selection. In track & field, he broke the Marist College shotput record during his freshman year.
Jeremy is the director of facilities for the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA). He resides in East Greenbush with his wife, Brooke; son Avery; and daughter McKenna.
Watervliet Athletics … A Tradition of Excellence