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TAMAQUA — The Tamaqua Area High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee will induct its 29th class into the school’s Hall of Fame on Friday prior to the home football game against Pottsville.

This year’s class will include four individuals and the 1980 4×100-meter track and field relay team. The ceremony will begin at approximately 6:40 p.m.

This year’s inductees: Nate Boyle, Class of 2020; Brayden Knoblauch, Class of 2020; Emma Kuczynski, Class of 2020; Bronson Strouse, Class of 2020; and Joe Lakitsky, Ted Keich, Steve Comisac and Mark McCarroll, members of the 1980 4×100-meter boys’ track and field relay team.

Individual inductees will receive a plaque with their name, year of graduation, some biographical information along with a photograph of their choice on it. The team will receive a plaque recognizing its induction. 

Nate Boyle

Class of 2020

Boyle is a 2020 graduate of Tamaqua Area High School, where he was a three-sport athlete, excelling in football, basketball and baseball. During his high school career, he played a key role in leading Tamaqua to District 11 championships in football during his senior year and in baseball as a freshman.

In football, Boyle set several school records. He is the all-time career leader in rushing yards with 4,088 and total touchdowns with 79. He also holds the single-season records for rushing yards with 1,896 and rushing touchdowns with 30, as well as the single-game record with 391 rushing yards. Additionally, Boyle is Tamaqua’s career leader in points scored, with 580. His performance earned him All-State honors, recognition as a WNEP Dream Team running back and T-102 high school football Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons.

Following high school, Boyle attended Moravian University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. He continued his football career at the collegiate level, finishing seventh all-time in career rushing yards at Moravian with 2,317 and third in career rushing yards per game, averaging 82.8.

Today, Boyle is an Area Manager for Amazon and resides in Hamlin, Pennsylvania.

Brayden Knoblauch

Class of 2020

Knoblauch also is a 2020 graduate of Tamaqua Area High School. During his time at Tamaqua, he was a distinguished athlete in football, basketball and baseball, earning varsity letters in all three sports, all four years. He is a District 11 champion for football his senior year and baseball his freshman year. He is a career record holder in passing yards with 4,609 and passing touchdowns with 42. He is the season record holder in passing yards with 2,121, in completions with 138 and in passing touchdowns with 18. At the end of his senior season, he was named to the Class 3A All-State football team and selected as a WNEP Dream Team Quarterback.

In basketball, he finished sixth on the school’s all time scoring list with 1,330 points and holds the record for career 3-pointers with 223. He also holds the record for most 3-pointers in a season with 79. Knoblauch was also a captain of the 2019-2020 basketball team that made the state quarterfinals, but was unable to complete the season due to COVID.

Knoblauch was selected Pottsville Republican & Herald Rookie of the Year for basketball his freshman year and Standard-Speaker Male Athlete of the Year his senior year.

After high school, Knoblauch attended Susquehanna University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in business management. He was also a member of the Susquehanna University football team where they won two conference championships in the Centennial Conference and Landmark Conference.

Knoblauch works as a Clients Service Manager for 365 Health Services and resides in Manayunk near Philadelphia.

Emma Kuczynski

Class of 2020

Kuczynski is also a 2020 graduate of Tamaqua Area High School.  During her time at Tamaqua she was a distinguished athlete in basketball and soccer. She is third on the school’s all-time goals list for soccer. She was named the Republican & Herald Girls’ Basketball Rookie of the Year as a freshman and finished her basketball career third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 2,010 points. She was named to the All-State girls’ basketball and soccer teams her senior year.

After high school, she attended Thomas Jefferson University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and her MBA. She was also a member of the Jefferson women’s basketball Division II team, which won the CACC championship during the 2023-2024 season. While on the team, she was named to the CACC All-Tournament Team, the CACC Academic Team, CACC Academic All-District Team, the Academic Honor Roll — FAR Award of Distinction and the CACC Academic Honor Roll — Presidents’ Level. In her final season, she was named the woman’s basketball Coaches Association Division II Player of the Week and scored her 1,000th point. She ended her collegiate basketball career with 1,063 points.

Kuczynski is pursuing her doctorate degree in Physical Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University’s Center City campus. She resides in Manayunk.

Bronson Strouse

Class of 2020

Strouse is also a 2020 Tamaqua Area High School graduate, where he wrestled and played football all four years of his high school career. He overcame a diagnosis of Type‑1 diabetes at age 14, learning to manage his health with discipline and precision.

In wrestling, Strouse ranks second on the all-time wins list with 143 victories.  He was a two-time Schuylkill League champion in the 2018 and 2020 seasons. He was a three-time state qualifier during his sophomore, junior and senior years, and a state placewinner his senior year.  As a freshman (2016-17), Strouse had 28 wins and placed third at the District 11 Championships.  In the 2017-18 season, he had 40 wins, with a second-place finish in the District 11 Championships and a sixth-place finish at Southeast Regional, which secured his spot at states in Hershey as a sophomore.

During the 2018-19 season, he had 37 wins, including a first-place finish in the District 11 Championships, third place in Southeast Regional and another trip to the PIAA State Championships.  In his senior season (2019-20), Strouse had 38 wins, with a first-place finish in both the District 11 and Southeast Regional heavyweight bracket.

Strouse’s season concluded with a sixth-place state finish at Hershey, making him the first heavyweight in Tamaqua history to medal at the PIAA State Championships. He was named the 2020 Times-News Wrestler of the Year, along with the most Outstanding Wrestler at the Schuylkill League Championships.

In football, Strouse was a four-year letterman. He was part of the 2019-2020 District 11 Championship team, which made a state semifinal appearance. Along with this, he was named to the 2019 PA Football Class 3A All-State Team.

Strouse continued his football career for two years following high school at Bloomsburg University until attending the Northwest Lineman College and graduating from there in June 2023.

Strouse is an apprentice lineman for the local 1319 Electrical Union and hopes to continue his apprenticeship to one day become a Journeyman Lineman.

1980 4×100-Meter Track and Field Team

The 1980 4×100-meter relay team was the District 11 champions. Team members included Joe Lakitsky, Ted Keich, Steve Comisac and Mark McCarroll.  This team went on to place fourth at the PIAA State Championships.

They broke the existing school record on May 13, 1980, with a time of 44.4 seconds.  This was also a county record at the time. This team also held the county 4×200 relay record at that time, which they set at the Pottsville Relays. On May 23, 1980, in the preliminary round of the state championships, they once again broke the school record with a time of 43.77.  That time allowed them to advance to the finals. In the finals, where they finished fourth, they had a time of 44.02.

Other footnotes in addition to the above of each individual include:

***Joe Lakitsky: School record holder in the 100 meters and 200 meters, accomplished in the 1980 season; 1980 District 11 gold medals in 100 and 200 and a state qualifier in both events. Member of the 1979 Schuylkill League and District 11 4×100 gold medal team and a state qualifier.

***Ted Keich: 200-meter school record holder in 1981, gold medal in District 11 200-meter dash and a state qualifier in this event. Member of 1979 4×400 and held the school record for this event and a District 11 gold medal and state qualifier in this event. Member of the 1981 4×100 District 11 silver medal and state qualifying team. Member of 1979 District 11 4×100 gold medal team and state qualifier.

***Steve Comisac: Member of 1981 4×100 District 11 silver medal and state qualifier.

***Mark McCarroll: 400-meter school record holder with a time of 50.83 in 1981, gold medal in the District 11 triple jump in 1981 and a state qualifier; had second-longest jump in school history. Member of the 1981 4×100 District 11 silver medal and state qualifier.