The difference between good and impactful can’t be measured by just talent.
To attain any level of “greatness” takes longevity. Many have been standouts in their moment, but remaining one takes time.
It’s a characteristic shared by the five local figures selected as the Washington County Sport Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
The five newest members have a love and ability for their sport of choice and transformed those gifts into careers that sustained their passion while inspiring others to follow their path.
The inductees have used their talents to aid and inspire athletes in swimming, lacrosse, volleyball and basketball, using their experiences to pay it forward.
The group will be honored at the WCSHOF’s 38th banquet on July 18 at Elks Lodge No. 378 on Robinwood Drive in Hagerstown.
The inductees are:
Carol Brashears
Brashears excelled in four different areas to make an impactful career. She was a teacher and coach who founded and later managed sports programs. She spent 33 years (1978-2010) as the only female physical education teacher at St. Maria Goretti and became a two-time winner of the Archdiocesan Teaching Excellence Award. She became an integral part of swimming in Washington County, coaching at Northwood and the YMCA – where she guided swimmers to national competition – before starting the county’s only competitive high school program at Goretti in 1986. She became Goretti’s assistant athletic director (1988-98) before assuming the AD position for 12 years (1998-2010), becoming the first female AD in the Apple Valley League, a three-state, public and private school sports conference. In her tenure, Goretti started girls soccer and reintroduced girls basketball. She introduced a number of tournaments and events to highlight and elevate Gaels athletics, along with some charitable pursuits. She also served on state soccer and baseball championship committees. Brashears has worked with five WCSHOF inductees – coaching Gwynn Rodemsky and Chris and Mark Brockway as swimmers before working with Cokey Robertson as Goretti’s AD and marrying Mike Brashears. She is a graduate of North Hagerstown, Hagerstown Junior College and University of Maryland.
Avery Carey
Carey used his talent and interest in basketball to create a lifetime of impact. The 1994 North Hagerstown graduate starred for the Hubs, where he became team captain, was named team MVP and earned All-Tri-State first-team honors. He scored 646 points – including 62 three-pointers – and grabbed 200 rebounds in his scholastic career. From there, he played at Hagerstown Community College for two years, helping the Hawks to two Region XX championships before graduating with a business degree. The next step was at George Mason University, where he played 55 games in two seasons that included a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament bid. He earned a communications degree before signing to play pro basketball in Holland and Luxembourg. He became a coach in his post-playing career, starting as an assistant for Frostburg State’s women’s team for five seasons, which included a conference title and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. After Frostburg, he coached basketball at HCC and St. Maria Goretti. He has been a motivational speaker, a partner with A&B Basketball – a select club basketball organization – and has created a self-named business offering an elevated approach that aims to guide upcoming players with training and mindsets to excel in basketball while learning tools to build character and integrity.
Emily Crabtree
Crabtree is the latest branch from the successful Williamsport volleyball tree to earn induction. She started as a three-sport athlete at Williamsport, where she was captain of the 1981 state champion volleyball team – the initial title that started the Wildcats’ dynasty in the sport. After graduating in 1982, she attended Hagerstown Junior College (now HCC) and competed in volleyball – earning a Region XX first-team honor – and basketball. After graduation, she returned to Williamsport and began the transition from volleyball player to coach. Crabtree spent 1985-87 seasons as an assistant, helping the Wildcats to the 1985 state title to make her the first woman to win a Maryland State volleyball championship as a player and as a coach. From there, she began two stints as Wildcats head coach – 1993-95 & 2003-15 – and guided the Wildcats to five state titles (1995 and 2003-05 in Class 1A and 2012 in Class 2A) while earning or sharing county coach of the year honors. In 2016, she became Williamsport’s athletic director and was recognized as the 2026 Maryland District 1A Athletic Director of the Year. Williamsport added four more volleyball titles in that time, making Crabtree part of 11 of the school’s 17 volleyball titles as a player, coach or athletic director through 2025. Crabtree graduated from Frostburg State in 1997 and earned her master’s degree in 2005.
Cullan Ganley
A preeminent athlete at Smithsburg, Ganley may have been the first face of lacrosse in Washington County. Now he has used his talents, reputation and natural leadership skills to guide the latest generation of players as his alma mater’s head coach. As a three-sport athlete at Smithsburg, he was a team captain and remains among the school’s all-time leaders in yards per reception while he owns record for career steals in basketball. His greatest success came in lacrosse. He scored 248 career points – 164 goals – and won consecutive Washington County player of the year honors (2010-11). He was also a finalist for the prestigious C. Markland Kelly Award, presented to the best high school lacrosse player in Maryland. He spent four seasons playing lacrosse at Lynchburg College, helping the Hornets earn three conference championships and four NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2015 Division III National Championship game with his “scrappy” play. Ganley and the national runner-up team were inducted to Lynchburg’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Lynchburg amassed a record of 69-16 in his four seasons. He returned to Smithsburg to coach football and basketball before transitioning exclusively to the lacrosse program. After one season as an assistant, he became the second head lacrosse coach at Smithsburg by inheriting the program from another HOF inductee. In his first nine seasons, the Leopards amassed a 98-35 record, with six straight region championships and six straight state semifinal appearances, including two state finals. He has earned multiple local coach of the year honors and three USA Lacrosse High School Coach of the Year honors.
Donnie Souders
At the time of his nomination, Souders was entering his 35th season as a basketball official. After beginning his career at age 17 officiating Junior League basketball at Western Heights Middle School, he joined the Washington County Basketball Officials Association, where he has served as the organization’s secretary, treasurer and vice president, before becoming the supervisor of officials and president. During his career, he has officiated numerous Maryland state championship games, been an officiating observer for other chapters and twice been named Official of the Year (2016 & 2023) by the WCSHOF. In 2001, he was named a women’s college basketball official, working NCAA Division II and III mid-Atlantic region games, including conference and NCAA tournament matchups. He worked the Division III semifinal game in 2023 after his 2020 national championship assignment was canceled because of COVID-19. After 22 seasons of calling those games, he became the second national coordinator of Women’s Division III officials, allowing him to work to improve the quality of the game’s officiating, while creating more opportunities and developing new officials. Souders is a 1991 South Hagerstown graduate and attended Hagerstown Community College. He has served as mayor of Smithsburg since 2021.
Other honors and awards
The Washington County Sports Hall of Fame will present a number of scholarships to graduating seniors. There will also be two service awards presented.
Scholarships:
· Gregg DeLauney Presidents Award Scholarship – Robert “Camilo” Mellott, Smithsburg
· Millie Shank Athletic Academic Scholarship – Lauren Ly, North Hagerstown n
· Harry Cunningham Jr. Athlete of the Year – Landyn Clark, Hancock
· Sarah “Skip” Ward Athlete of the Year – Callie Hose, Clear Spring
· Carroll & Virginia Reid Memorial Scholarship – Jake Nussear, Smithsburg; Kaleb Ritter, Smithsburg, Macy Peters, Smithsburg
· Dottie Picolomini Scholarship – Olivia Kocevar, Smithsburg
· Greg Shank/Cumberland Valley Athletic Club Scholarship – Allen Anderson, North Hagerstown
· Donald “Lacko” Anderson Memorial Scholarship – Nate Bowman, Williamsport
· James F. Binau Memorial Scholarship – Jack Burns, South Hagerstown
· Robert I. Parasiliti Memorial Scholarship – Taylor Brown, South Hagerstown
· Jerry Spessard Scholarship – Blake Custer, North Hagerstown
Awards:
The Donald Stoner Coach of the Year and William Lightner Official of the Year awards are to be announced.
Doors open at 5 p.m. The event begins with a social hour followed by dinner at 6. The presentation program will follow dinner.
Banquet information
Tickets for the ceremony are $35
For information or to purchase tickets, contact Frank Linn at 301-730-8401 or Gregg DeLauney at 240-675-1228.
