The Hubner Hall of Fame welcomed five new inductees during a special ceremony Friday evening before the La Porte vs. New Prairie football game.
The honor was bestowed to four athletes and one coach, who included Jim Dermody, Mayor Tom Dermody, Steve Drabyn, Steven Lowe, and Terry Miller. Each was honored for their contribution to Slicer athletics. The five inductees celebrated the honor during a reception for family and teammates before the ceremony.
The Norman J. Hubner Athletic Hall of Fame Award began 14 years ago when Hubner was named the first member. He was honored for his contributions to Slicer athletics that included being an outstanding athlete when he graduated from La Porte High School in 1928, a La Porte coach, and later an athletic director for the corporation.
“I’m honored and excited to enter into the Hall of Fame. There are a lot of great people who have come ahead over the years, so to be considered to be a part of it is really a thrill,” Jim Dermody said. “I was always proud to be a Slicer. Wearing the orange and black was a great thing.”
Jim Dermody was a three-sport athlete at La Porte High School, lettering twice in football, twice in basketball, and three times in baseball. He earned a handful of awards during his Slicer athletic career, including MVP his senior season of basketball, the Dr. Gardner Slicer Award and the Best Blocker Award his senior season of football, and MVP and captain for the 1969-70 baseball team. He continued his athletic career in college at Valparaiso University, where he lettered three times in baseball and football.
This is not the first time Jim Dermody has been a member of a Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the La Porte Slicer Football and Baseball Halls of Fame.
“I wanted to play because of my friends, but I wanted to play hard. Fortunately, we had a lot of great coaches at La Porte. They were really demanding but also really good people,” Jim Dermody said. “It was fun.”
After college, Jim Dermody spent 42 years in public education. He also coached varsity baseball and football. The 1988 Warsaw baseball team that he coached made it to the finals of the single-class state tournament. Jim Dermody was a building administrator and central office administrator for the La Porte Community School Corporation as well as the building administrator and superintendent at the New Prairie United School Corporation.
Jim Dermody and his wife, Judie Dermody, reside in La Porte and have three children, Matt, Todd, and Sarah, and two grandchildren.
In the early 1980s, Mayor Tom Dermody was an eight-time letter winner for La Porte High School. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and was chosen all-conference in baseball and football for the 1983-84 athletic season. His honors include being a co-MVP his senior season in basketball and being chosen the Kiwanis Club Male Athlete of the year his senior year.
“Growing up, sports was about getting together. We went from football to basketball to baseball, and you kept doing it all over,” Tom Dermody said. “It was about discipline, teamwork, unity, and not letting down your team members. You take all of this into whatever field you go into - mine is business and politics.”
Tom Dermody was especially proud to be a part of the 1983 baseball team that earned a 25 game-winning streak. His personal pitching stats for his two years were a 19-3 record along with a 1.44 ERA. He led the team in RBIs his senior season. “This means so much to me to be a part of is class with these other athletes,” said Tom Dermody. “I love La Porte, and I was so fortunate to play for the coaches that I did. This is something that you will take with you for the rest of your life.”
Tom Dermody then received a baseball scholarship to Purdue University and was a team member from 1985-1987. When he looks back on his athletic career, he feels fortunate to have played for three coaches, Bob Strieter, Joe Otis, and Ken Schreiber.
Tom Dermody resides in La Porte with his wife, Jackie Dermody. They have two children, Katie and Ben.
To be chosen as an inductee, a former athlete or coach must first be nominated. A committee then approves who will be honored that year. A plaque honoring the Hall of Fame member is displayed at the high school for a year, and his or her name is added to the list of other members.
“I’m very excited and humbled. La Porte means a lot to me,” Steve Drabyn said. “All the hard work you put in and work as a team to be successful and now to be recognized for this is pretty special.”
Drabyn was a varsity basketball player for La Porte High School and Belmont University. Drabyn’s successful basketball career includes being first in 3-point shots made in a season with 93 and a career of 226. He was first with 11 3-pointers made in one game. He, at one time, held the record for the most points in one game with 51 points. He was third in scoring with 1,417 points. His team won four sectional titles, and he was chosen for the 2000 Indiana All-Star team his senior year.
“I wanted to be part of a team and be the best that I could be,” Drabyn said. “This started with my dad and being a part of the team.”
Drabyn not only excelled as an athlete but also as a student. He was a member of the National Honor Society while at La Porte and earned Academic All-Conference for three seasons at Belmont. He also received the WC Griffith Outstanding Physical Education Award while at Belmont.
Drabyn continued his love of the sport and began coaching. He is the head men’s basketball coach at Bethel University in Mishawaka, Indiana. The 2021 team earned a spot in the NAIA Elite 8 and a national ranking of 21st.
Drabyn and his wife, Brittany Drabyn, have four children, Grayson, Ava, Chloe, and Lily.
Steven Lowe is known for his golf career at La Porte High School. He was a four-year letter winner in golf and achieved a number of individual honors that included being team MVP for three of the four seasons he lettered. He also made the Duneland Athletic Conference for multiple seasons and was a co-medalist his senior season in the conference tournament.
“This is fantastic,” Lowe said. “I get to see all my old friends and teachers. They are all people who were big influences on me when I was at La Porte High School. This is very humbling.”
One of his proudest moments was winning as an individual at the state tournament in 2001. That year the team finished eighth at the state finals, and they finished the year with a 26-1 record.
Lowe credits many for his success, including Coach Mike Hoke, Matt Blair, Bill Murray, and his dad.
Lowe played team sports, but his love was golf because he considered it an individual sport until he started playing in high school.
“I wanted to be the best I could. I realized that it was a team sport, and they were a big part of my success,” Lowe said. “My senior year, I think we had the best golf team in the history of La Porte High School. It’s not just me. It’s about all these guys too. I may not have even made it to the state championship without my teammates.”
Lowe and his wife, Sabrina Lowe, and daughter, London, live in Florida, where he is a Regional Account Executive for ServiceChannel.
Terry Miller did not achieve success as an athlete but, instead, as a coach who impacted numerous athletes in his 34 years of teaching and coaching for the La Porte Community Schools. Miller was a wrestling coach at some level, either as a paid coach or a volunteer, for those 34 years. He was also a varsity girls' track assistant and a boys' cross country coach.
“This is a thrill of a lifetime for me. It really is,” Miller said. “I’ve seen the people who are in the Hall of Fame before me, and I find it almost hard to believe that I’m joining them.”
During the six years, while Miller was the wrestling head coach, the teams had a 70-31 record and won six sectional titles and one regional title. He assisted in the coaching of seven state wrestling champions. While he was the head coach, at least one wrestler advanced to the state tournament each season.
“I tried to get their kids to do their best and pushed them to work. I really felt proud of my team building,” Miller said. “To have winning percentages as a team means that I was reaching everybody a little bit. The kids helped me achieve some of this.”
After 34 years at La Porte, Miller and his wife, Phoebe Miller, moved to Washburn, Wis., where he taught and coached wrestling for another 4.5 years. There he was awarded the District 1 Distinguished Service Award chosen by the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association in 2020.
The Millers have four sons, Matt, Paul, Rob, and Kevin, and two grandsons.