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MHS Athletic Hall of Fame inducts Class of 2026 on Saturday

By Jordan Holland 6 min read

The Marietta High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Tower Event and Conference Center. Inductees include Mark and Karen Stewart, Dave Barnes, Russell Pickering, Bernie Brown, Emmy Yoho, Layne Carpenter and Wesley Riley.

MARK AND KAREN STEWART

Mark and Karen Stewart of Stewart Photography will be inducted as contributors into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

Stewart Photography has served Marietta City School athletics since the early 1980s. They began taking pictures for the Marietta Bantam Baseball League before contracting with the MHS athletic department.

"During this period of time, Mark and Karen have forged many friendships in the community with parents, coaches, students and athletes," said MHS Athletic Hall of Famer Larry Burke. "Their professionalism and care for others is always on display. Recently, Mark took a job with the school district as a bus driver. He takes many athletic trips and is very good to our athletes. He not only drives to and from events, but he always supports the athletes."

Mark and Karen Stewart have provided many of the photos that appear on the gym walls, in the programs and advertisements.

DAVE BARNES

During a baseball game against Pennsboro in April of 1967, then-senior Dave Barnes struck out a school record 20 batters to lead Marietta to an 8-0 victory.

Barnes, a four-year letterman on the Jim Jordan-coached MHS baseball club, also hit a home run in that game. He finished his prep career with a pitching record of 20-3 and an earned-run average of 1.05. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent that year, but elected to play basketball and baseball at Glenville State.

Barnes was also a standout football and basketball player. He was a letterman on the 1965 football team that recorded six shutouts and gave up just 43 points all season.

In hoops, Barnes was a first team all-league performer and the Tigers' leading scorer and rebounder as a senior.

Barnes, who is also a Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame inductee, passed away in 2014.

RUSSELL PICKERING

Russell Pickering was a three-sport standout at Marietta before moving on to Miami (Ohio) University and putting together a dominant collegiate wrestling career.

At MHS, Pickering, a 1976 grad, was a first team all-district and special mention All-Ohio linebacker in football his senior year after leading the squad with 80 solo tackles.

Also a district qualifier in the high hurdles in track, Pickering really shined on the wrestling mat.

A Tiger captain, Pickering went undefeated his senior year. He was a two-time Central Ohio League champion, a sectional and district champion and a state qualifier.

With the RedHawks, Pickering broke nearly every wrestling record in the book, including most career wins, most tournament wins, most major wins, most takedowns and most near fall points.

Pickering was a three-time Mid-American Conference champion and placed eighth at nationals to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors. He became the first wrestler at the school to win Athlete of the Year in 1980. That same year, he was a Regional Olympic Trials Champion in the Midwest Region and earned the "Most Pins' trophy.

Pickering was inducted into the Miami University Athletic hall in 2002 and the MOV Sports hall in 2005.

BERNIE BROWN

Bernie Brown put together a decorated high school football career at Marietta before being recruited to play at Ohio State by head coach Earl Bruce.

While with the Tigers, Brown was a two-time captain on the 1977 and 1978 teams. He was first team All-Ohio center as a senior and a two-time first team all-league and all-district honoree. He was 1978 Lineman of the Year for the Central Ohio League as well as the Southeast District.

While at OSU, Brown was a member of the men's Varsity "O" Letterman Club and was a student assistant coach in 1981 and 1982.

Brown also played baseball and competed in track at MHS.

Pete Carroll, an assistant for Bruce and eventual Super Bowl champion head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, played an important role in Brown's recruitment to OSU.

EMMY YOHO

Emmy Yoho was one of the top basketball and softball players in the state of Ohio in the late 1990s.

Yoho, a 1999 MHS graduate, was a three-time special mention all-state selection in girls hoops and was second team All-Ohio in softball her senior year.

A four-year letter-winner in softball, Yoho batted .412 with 12 doubles, 14 triples, 11 home runs, 82 runs-batted-in and 36 stolen bases in her career. She struck out just four times in high school. Yoho was a three-time first team all-district honoree and led the Tigers to a sectional championship in 1998.

Yoho was also a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and helped lead the Tigers to their first ever district title in 1999. A four-year letter-winner and three-time first team all-district performer, Yoho averaged 12.5 points per game as a sophomore, 16.6 as a junior and 17.8 as a senior. Her 76 3-pointers as a senior are the ninth most in a single season in OHSAA Division I girls basketball history. An all-around player, Yoho registered 5.3 steals and 4.8 assists per game as a junior.

She was picked for the Ohio vs. Kentucky All-Star game her senior year.

LAYNE CARPENTER

Layne Carpenter ended her high school as one of the most accomplished softball players in Marietta history.

Carpenter, a 2009 grad, was a first team All-Ohio pick as a senior after earning second team honors as a junior.

The three-time Southeastern Ohio Athletic League Most Valuable Player finished her career with 689 strikeouts, seven shutouts and two no-hitters in the pitcher's circle. As a senior, Carpenter produced a 12-4 record, 189 strikeouts in 110 1-3 innings and a miniscule .25 ERA.

However, it was in the batter's box where Carpenter found success at the next level. Playing at Westminster College, Carpenter was a two-time first team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference honoree as a designated player. She batted .319 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, 17 RBIs and a .457 slugging percentage as a senior for the Titans.

WESLEY RILEY

Wesley Riley was an all-around athlete for Marietta, but the soccer pitch was where the 2011 graduate really made a name for himself.

Riley, who was a three-year letterman for the Tigers, became the soccer program's first ever first team All-Ohioan as a senior. He was also the Player of the Year in the Southeast Ohio Scholastic Coaches Association (Division II) and the SEOAL that year and was named Marietta's Offensive MVP after leading the Tigers to a second consecutive district championship.

In basketball, Riley earned All-SEOAL honors his senior year, and then in track, he was a regional qualifier in the pole vault and high jump.

Riley stayed close to home for college, suiting up for the Marietta College men's soccer team. There, he was a three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection and a two-time All-Ohio honoree.

NOTE: Photos of inductees were provided by Stewart Photography.

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.

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