Mike Stark did many things in the world of sports that made him worthy of recognition. Stark was a three-sport star at Vocational High where he played three years of varsity hoops, three years of baseball and a year of varsity football.

 

In basketball, Stark was an All-City pick from 1943 to 1945 and led the league in scoring his senior year. Vocational won City League titles his junior and senior years. On the diamond, he was also All-City and his team took the championship in 1943-44. Football was just as successful, making All-City as a quarterback of the league-winning Vocational team in 1944.

 

After a stint in the U.S. Army Field Artillery, Stark played baseball and basketball for Syracuse University where he received his BA and MS degrees, respectively. He played in the NIT tournament in 1946 and 1950.

 

Stark enjoyed teaching and spent his professional career in the classroom at a number of schools including Syracuse’s Lincoln Elementary and Grant Middle School. Through the years he taught physical education and then became the Vice-Principal at Grant Middle School.

 

Starkie, as his peers called him, enjoyed a stellar career as a basketball and football official. Stark officiated hundreds of ECAC Division I, II and III basketball games as well as league playoff games in City, County, Parochial Leagues and several Sectional Championship basketball games.

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Mike passed away in 2019 at the age of 91.

 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

 

1946: Played in the NIT tournament, also in 1950

 

1982: Officiated the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia (Tennessee vs. Iowa)

 

1990: Retired from the Syracuse School District

 

1992: Honored by the Blind Men and Criers with the Joe Schwarzer Award

 

2003: Inducted into the NYSPHSAA Section III Hall of Fame