Rupert Johnson and Chris Zahares were inducted into the Bonny Eagle Athletic Hall of Fame on June 6 during the spring athletic awards night.

Johnson, an inductee into both the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and the Maine Baseball Coaches Halls of Fame, was a long-time educator and coach at Standish High School.

A graduate of Bowdoin College, Johnson taught for 36 years and coached both basketball and baseball. His basketball teams won Cumberland County Conference championships on twenty occasions. He also accumulated three regional and one state title in that time.

One of southern Maine’s most noted baseball coaches, Johnson led the Standish Lakers to 28 league championships and had an overall won-loss record of 384-90.

He manufactured wooden bats himself, and his company, R.G. Johnson, provided custom-made bats for professional players.

Johnson was a pioneer in forming Maine Administrative District Number Six and served as the first athletic director at Bonny Eagle High School, a position he held from 1961-1965.

His award was accepted by Robert Logan, Rupert’s grandson and a 1966 graduate of Bonny Eagle High School and currently teaches at Sacopee Valley High School.

Zahares, class of ’93, is the most accomplished wrestler in Bonny Eagle High School history in the light weight classes. A four-time champion at the prestigious Redskin Tournament, he was the most outstanding wrestler at that event in 1993.

Zahares won SMAA individual championships in both 1990 and 1991. He was the Western Maine Class A regional champion at 103 pounds in 1991 and at 112 pounds in 1993.

Zahares garnered individual state championships during both his sophomore and senior campaigns. He was twice named to the all-state squad.

Copy the Story Link