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Ken’s April Quiz: 6 Bellingham Athletes Linked to Pro Teams

Mar 28, 2017 10:22AM ● By Pamela Johnson

Bellngham Bulletin Sports Editor Ken Hamwey

written by KEN HAMWEY, Bulletin Sports Editor
 
In what we’ll call “the modern era,’’ six Bellingham athletes have either been drafted by professional teams, signed or were about to sign with a pro squad, or played at the professional level.
 
Not all of them enrolled at Bellingham High, but their names should rekindle some favorable memories of days gone by. The six that we’ll detail are Ricky Santos in football, Beau Starrett and the late Mike Morrison in ice hockey, Ron Russell in baseball, Jeff Black in basketball and Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu in soccer.
 
Not many towns can boast of athletes who were drafted by pro teams or competed at the pro level, but Bellingham has had its share. This quiz will focus on the six, where they played and circumstances dealing with their individual situations.
 
  1. After a dynamic career at quarterback for Bellingham High and the University of New Hampshire, where he won the Walter Payton Award, was an All-American and was selected to play in the Hula Bowl, Santos decided to sign as a free agent with a National Football League team. Name the squad.
  2. Playing in the Canadian Football League, Santos was a capable backup signal-caller for a team that won two Grey Cup crowns (equivalent to the Super Bowl) while he was on the roster. Name the team.
  3. Starrett opted to play high school hockey for Catholic Memorial instead of Bellingham. He had a dominant interscholastic career, good enough to be a third-round draft choice by a National Hockey League team. Name the squad.
  4. Instead of signing, Starrett is playing college hockey for an Ivy League school, and he intends to turn pro after he graduates. Name the college he’s playing for.
  5. Wheeler-Omiunu, who was an all-Ivy midfielder at Harvard, was drafted by a Major League Soccer team in January. Name the squad.
  6. Where did Wheeler-Ominunu play high school soccer?
  7. At Bellingham High, Black was a 6-foot-4 forward-center who could rebound and post up on offense. He had an excellent career at Fitchburg State and later played pro basketball in the Middle East. What country did he play for?
  8. Russell was a smooth infielder at Bellingham High, usually ticketed to play shortstop or third base. He earned a full scholarship to play at Brandeis. After college, he signed a pro contract and competed in the minor leagues at the Double-A level. What Major League team drafted him?
  9. Morrison played two years of varsity hockey for Bellingham but left to skate for a prep school team. Where did he finish playing in high school?
  10.  Morrison earned a scholarship at Clarkson as a walk-on and was a captain in his senior year at the Potsdam, NY, college. He was set to sign a pro contract in Europe with an elite team but he died in a tragic accident at the age of 24. Where was Morrison hoping to play as a professional?
(scroll down for answers)







ANSWERS

  1. Kansas City Chiefs.
  2. Montreal Alouettes.
  3. Chicago Blackhawks.
  4. Cornell University.
  5. Atlanta United.
  6. Roxbury Latin.
  7. Israel.
  8. Texas Rangers.
  9. Mount St. Charles.
  10. Finland.

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