Clarion Athletics

1960 Clarion University Grad - Secondary Ed./Social Studies

Ron Botz was an outstanding basketball player at Clarion for four seasons from 1957-60. The guard had a single season high of 365 points in the 1957-58 season, ranked #2 in the state in scoring and posted a single game high of 35 points. In the 1958-59 season he set the Clarion single game scoring record with 46 points in a game and ended his career as the #2 scorer in Clarion history with 1,098 points behind former great Don Stemmerich (1,200; 1950-53). Ron was a three-time All-PSAC selection and a Second Team All-State choice during his career under head coach Tom Carnahan. An All-State basketball player at Parker High and a 1956 graduate, Botz taught at Clarion Area (1960-63) and then went to A.C. Valley in 1964 and started what was a tremendous boys basketball coaching career leading the Falcons to a PIAA runner-up finish in 1973, 5-time Clarion County League Champions and three-time D-9 Champs. He was Clarion County League “Coach of the Year” three times and had an unbelievable 29-year coaching record of 409-286 prior to retiring in 1993. Ron and wife Judy reside in Parker and have three children including daughters Paula, Ronda and Leah.