Hall of Fame
Casper Voithofer didn’t intend to go to college at California University of Pennsylvania, and he didn’t anticipate playing basketball for the local college.
When Voithofer graduated from California Area High School in 1960, he moved on to Division I West Virginia University.
In 1962, he ended up as a Vulcan and began his fantastic California basketball career - a career that has led him into being selected for this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
While in high school, Voithofer was a three-sport star. He played football, basketball and baseball. He grew up watching fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Kennedy.
“I played for Jimmy Kennedy in high school. He lived just about two streets away from me. I was about ten or eleven years old when he was at California breaking school records. I used to go down and see him play. Right behind his house was a garage with a basket up and that was where the little kids would play. He would come out and teach us some basketball skills and we just thought that he was great,” Voithofer said.
Voithofer played one year of basketball at West Virginia University. He might have stayed there for his entire career if he hadn’t injured his knee.
Voithofer realized that he could continue his basketball career if he left West Virginia’s Division I program. So, he came back home to California, took a year off and then played for the Vulcans for two seasons. He made his mark on the court a California. Voithofer was the second-leading scorer in the state during his first season as a Vulcan. He had 226 points and earned all-conference and all-NAIA District 18 honors.
Basketball wasn’t Voithofer’s only sport at California, though. He also played on the baseball team. He batted .348 and helped the Vulcans make two trips to the College World Series, which were held in St. Joseph, Missouri.
“Looking back over my experiences at California, I certainly had some great mentors, teachers and coaches. I have fond memories of Myles Witchey (basketball) and Mitch Bailey (baseball), the College World Series, and playing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. I still have friends from those playing days and continue to consider Cal a fine institution of higher Education,” Voithofer wrote.
When Voithofer graduated from California with an education degree, his athletic career didn’t end.
Voithofer continued on as a coach and enjoyed a lot of success.
Voithofer began his coaching career in 1966 at Middletown Area High School. His team won the sate championship in 1968. In 1969, he became a coach at Penn State University, where he stayed until 1973. He then moved back into high school coaching at Middletown. During that time, he also coached San German in the Puerto Rican Summer League for three years during the summer.
“I had a lot of satisfaction coaching, the satisfaction that you get as a coach when you have players who graduate and go on to play at college and be successful. I coached a player who played for the NVA Championship Portland Trailblazers. His name was Dave Twardzik. I also coached a number one baseball draft choice, Mike Lebo, who was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays. I look back with a lot of fond memories at my whole athletic career. I think that California gave me the opportunity to get started in that direction,” Voithofer said.
Voithofer, who retired in June 1997, is already a member of the California Area High School Hall of Fame and the Capital Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He has won a Mon Valley Sports Writer Award. Voithofer can now add California’s Athletic Hall of Fame to his long list of honors and accomplishments.
“When I was notified about being inducted into the Hall of Fame, well, I certainly was elated. I felt very humble particularly when I got the first letter that said that I had been nominated. When I got the letter that said I was inducted, I felt even more proud to be a part of California’s tradition,” Voithofer said.
Casper Voithofer was a standout basketball and baseball player in the early 1960's who transferred from West Virginia University. In basketball, Voithofer was the second-leading scorer in the state and top scorer in the PSAC-West in 1962-63 with 226 points (22.6 ppg). Voithofer led the Vulcans to a 9-8 winning season the following year. He earned all-conference and all-NAIA District 18 honors.
Voithofer was also a star baseball player at Cal during the 1963 and 1964 seasons. He batted .348 in 1963 and helped the Vulcans, who compiled a 14-6 overall record, repeat as NAIA District 30 champions and advance to the national tournament in Missouri.
Originally from California, PA, and a 1960 graduate of California Area High School, Voithofer earned his B.S. in education from Cal U in 1965 and his M.Ed. from Penn State in 1973. He would go on to work 32 years in public education. He began teaching in the Cleveland Public Schools before moving on to the Middletown School District (PA) in the late 1960's and then at Penn State from 1969 through 1973. Voithofer returned to Middletown and worked there from 1973 to his retirement last June after serving as the high school principal for 10 years. He coached Middletown's basketball team for 13 years and the baseball team for 10 years and was also an assistant basketball coach at Penn State. Voithofer also coached summer baseball in Puerto Rico. Voithofer and his wife, Catherine, reside in Middletown, PA, and have four children - Chad, Laura, Brice, and Leslie.
