This section reaches beyond varsity record books to preserve the stories of people whose sustained service made local sports possible. It is a historical recognition project, not a ranking or hall of fame. Profiles are published only after their dates, roles and contributions can be checked against reliable records or firsthand documentation.
Donald “Donnie” Fortson Sr. grew up playing Little League and belonged to Mount Union’s first winning All-Star team in 1958, hitting a home run in its 7–1 victory over Tyrone. He later played baseball, football and basketball in high school, earning letters in all three sports.
Fortson helped establish Mount Union’s Pee Wee Football League in 1976 and began coaching the Indians’ Teener League baseball team in 1980. He continued with both the Vikings football team and the Indians for decades; by November 2024, former players and colleagues described a coaching legacy spanning forty-eight years.
Supporters estimated that Fortson had coached approximately 2,000 young athletes. Former assistant coach Tim Sunderland observed that many Mount Union athletes first learned the game from Fortson before entering the Trojans’ school programs. Sunderland and other former players emphasized that Fortson taught far more than technique: he encouraged schoolwork, offered stability to children who needed it and used sports to help generations of young people grow into responsible adults.
Fortson’s work was voluntary. In addition to serving as head coach, he was the lead fundraiser for his teams. He continued coaching while also working at SCI Smithfield, where Sunderland was among his colleagues. Retired Mount Union teacher and coach Dayton Shugarts remembered Fortson first as a young local athlete and later as the leader whose influence extended across decades of community sports.
Fortson also connected younger athletes with Mount Union’s sports history. He invited Canadian Football Hall of Famer John Helton, his teammate on the 1964 Captain Jack Trojans, to speak at a Vikings postseason banquet. Helton emphasized family and gratitude to parents, while describing the appearance as a personal opportunity to support Fortson and his players.
At Mount Unity Day on May 3, 2014, the Mount Union Little League presented Fortson with a Lifetime Achievement Award for helping establish youth sports programs and for thirty-eight years of coaching. The honor included a glass trophy, a gold coach’s whistle and a commemorative banner for the ball fields. The Huntingdon County Sports Hall of Fame inducted Fortson in 2008. He redirected the attention toward his young players, explaining that the work was about helping them grow into productive citizens.
Beginning in April 2023, classmate Tom Krouse led an alumni proposal to name Mount Union’s football field for Fortson. When the proposal returned to the school board in November 2024, supporters presented more than 400 signatures from area residents and former students.
In January 2025, the board formally voted not to rename any district building, athletic field, auditorium or other property while no naming-rights policy existed. Vice president Curt Whitesel said the vote did not necessarily end the discussion and that the board might consider developing a policy in the future. Krouse said he would continue advocating for the honor. Whatever the field’s eventual name, the campaign documented the breadth of respect for Fortson’s sustained service.
See Fortson’s biography on the Notable People page.
Sources: Rebecca Berdar, “Community comes together: Longtime coach, volunteers honored at Mount Unity Day,” The Daily News, May 5, 2014; Berdar, “MU alumni again propose honoring coach,” November 21, 2024; updated January 3, 2026; Berdar, “MUASB votes on naming facilities,” January 23, 2025; updated February 27, 2026; “A legend lends his support,” undated newspaper clipping supplied to BrickTownPA.
A Mount Union native and 1963 graduate of Captain Jack High School, Randy Stewart first distinguished himself on the Trojans’ wrestling team. His teammates elected him captain during his junior season. As a senior wrestling at 145 pounds, he became Captain Jack’s first section champion and advanced to the 1963 District 6 final, where he finished as runner-up.
After transferring from Lehigh University, Stewart earned his bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg State College in 1967. He began his teaching and coaching career at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, where he helped establish a wrestling program. He returned home to take charge of Mount Union wrestling for the 1971–72 season.
Across twelve seasons, Stewart transformed the Trojans into one of the area’s most consistent programs. When he resigned after the 1982–83 season, The Daily News credited him with a 123–36–1 dual-meet record. His final eight teams produced eight consecutive winning seasons and a combined 104–18–1 record. Mount Union won four Tri-Valley League championships, three Central Wrestling Conference Class AA championships, two District 6 Class AA team titles and numerous regular-season tournaments during his tenure.
Stewart coached Mount Union’s unbeaten 14–0 team in 1975–76 and was twice selected by his peers as District 6 Class AA Coach of the Year. His wrestlers included 57 District 6 tournament qualifiers, ten district champions, 35 regional qualifiers, three regional champions and thirteen PIAA qualifiers. His son, Thad Stewart, became Mount Union’s first PIAA wrestling champion when he won the 126-pound Class AA title in 1982; Thad returned to finish second at 132 pounds in 1983.
A 1978 newspaper feature captured Stewart’s coaching philosophy. He described wrestling as a source of discipline, conditioning, agility, self-reliance and pride, while senior wrestler John Shugarts praised him for building a winning record without sacrificing the best interests of his athletes. Stewart viewed individual improvement and team success as inseparable parts of the program.
His influence remained visible long after he stepped down. When Mount Union recorded the six-hundredth dual victory in program history in 2017, coach Corey Wertz identified continuity from John Goshorn through Stewart, Dan Brown and Wertz as a foundation of the Trojans’ success. The Huntingdon County Sports Hall of Fame inducted Stewart in 2022, recognizing the Mount Union athlete, educator and coach who helped establish that tradition.
Sources: “Elect Randy Stewart,” The Daily News, January 26, 1962, p. 5; “Stewart of Trojans Wins Section Crown,” The Daily News, February 25, 1963, p. 4; “Stewart Beaten in District Mat Finals,” The Daily News, March 4, 1963, p. 4; Lee Fisher, “Coach Randy Stewart: ‘Very Dedicated Men’—Trojan Wrestlers Watch Their Weight,” The Daily News, December 15, 1978, p. 12; “After 12 Years, Randy Stewart Resigns as Trojans’ Mat Coach,” The Daily News, May 5, 1983, p. 2; Brian Carson, “Mount Union cruises to 600th victory,” The Sentinel, December 28, 2017; Huntingdon County Sports Hall of Fame inductee roster, Class of 2022.