2007 Inductee Chuck Deluca, 1969
Few athletes turn their individual success in a sport into success as a coach of that same sport. Bellevue Senior High School graduate Charles “Chuck” DeLuca is the exception.
A 1969 graduate of BSHS, DeLuca excelled as a wrestler for the Redmen during his high school days, and continued that same success as a Redmen wrestling coach years later.
Chuck earned three varsity letters in wrestling from 1967-69 at a time when the high school was just three grades. Chuck’s wrestling honors and records were many, including: 21-1 record as a senior, 50-11-1 career mark, first on BSHS’s all-time wins list at the time of his graduation, and the first wrestler ever to accumulate 50 career wins. He set the record for most wins in a season (21 in 1969) and led his team in wins in both ’68 and ’69. He was the first Redmen wrestler to go undefeated during a regular season (13-0 in 1969) and was named captain in both ’68 and ’69, becoming the first-ever Redmen junior to be named wrestling team captain. He was named MVP both his junior and senior seasons and became the first Redmen wrestler to achieve back-to-back MVP awards. During his senior season in 1969, DeLuca led the team to a perfect 10-0 mark, the first undefeated mark by a Redmen wrestling team. At this time, there was no league wrestling meet, as that event did not begin until 1971.
Also during his athletic career, Chuck finished first in the Milan Invitational Tournament, was the 1969 East-West All-Star Meet Champion, was a three-time sectional placer, two time sectional champion (’68 and ’69), was a three-time district qualifier and 1969 district champion, the first district champ in the history of Redmen wrestling.
DeLuca also qualified twice to the state tournament, the first junior in Redmen history to achieve that feat. He was also the first two-time state qualifier for the Redmen.
Chuck took over the head coach duties for the Redmen wrestling team during the 1984-85 season, continuing through the 1989-90 season. During that time, Chuck’s teams racked up some impressive honors.
Twice during his coaching career, the Redmen finished league runners-up (’86 and ’87), and three times the team placed first (’88, ’89, ’90). He won more conference championships then any other Redmen wrestling coach prior to his tenure.
Under his guidance, the team won the 1987 sectional title as well.
DeLuca had the good fortune to coach eight wrestlers with at least 50 career wins, 10 Northern Ohio League champions, 20 district qualifiers, seven district finalists, seven state qualifiers, two individual state placers, and one individual state champion, Brett Adkins in 1988.
Chuck and his wife, Joyce, reside in Bellevue.