Gazette's Dave Frederick inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

Cape Gazette sports editor Dave "Fredman" Frederick traveled 150 miles north on the ground and 50 years back on the calendar for his April 10 induction into the Bucks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame

The event, held at King’s Caterers in Levittown, Pa., drew 350 people, including 20 members of the Frederick clan. Frederick joined 15 others – nine living, five deceased – in the class of 2014.

Frederick’s induction capped a hall of fame hat trick, as he joined older brother Tom Frederick, 2012 inductee, and nephew Mike Frederick, 2013 inductee, in the Bucks County Chapter.

“This year it’s me,” Frederick said. “That’s pretty cool. Also cool is that my great nieces, Taylor [Sudholz] and Alie [Wiatrowski], sang the national anthem to start the night.”

In his acceptance remarks, Frederick credited his coaches from sixth grade through high school as defining influences on his own career and pointed to neighborhoods and schools as the places where the all the athletic action takes place.

"I've been covering middle and high school sports for more than 30 years," he said. "DeSean Jackson, DeSean Jackson ... who cares about DeSean Jackson and where he plays next year? The real sports stories are in the middle schools and high schools."

Frederick, who moved to Delaware in 1975, is well known in the Cape Region as a teacher, coach, journalist, speaker and perennial fan of local sports. But it was largely his accomplishments as a high school and college standout in the Philadelphia area which earned him a place in the prestigious group.

Frederick was a member of Bishop Egan High School’s 1963 football team, which won the Philadelphia Catholic League title at Penn's historic Franklin Field, and the 1963-64 basketball squad, which made it to the Catholic League finals, losing to Cardinal Dougherty in the title game at the Palaestra. He remains the only athlete who received Philadelphia Catholic League MVP in both sports and was given Outstanding Player Award by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association in 1964. Frederick attended Temple University on an athletic scholarship, starting at right guard on its football squad as a sophomore until a knee injury ended his athletic career.

Frederick coached football and track from 1971-74 at Mitchell Prep in Upper Darby, Pa. before his move to Lewes. His Cape track and field teams won five state titles from the mid-70s to mid-80s. He also had stints on the Cape football staff during the late 70s and 80s before retiring from coaching in 1988.

Frederick's sports writing career began in 1982 at The Whale.  He has been the Gazette's sports editor since its inception in 1993.