Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor coronavirus stays the Martins Ferry Athletic Hall of Fame Committee from completing its appointed task.

OK, we apologize to the United States Postal Service for that one, but it’s true that “the show must go on” at least when it comes to selecting the next deserving group to enter the “Hall” – the Class of 2020!

This marks the seventh HOF class selected, and for the second year in a row there are nine inductees. They will be released in groups of three, starting with a trio from the “over 45 group” – they each graduated over 45 years ago!

First into the Class of ’20 are Jeff Jones from the Class of 1960; Bill Bruney from the Class of 1970 and John Jasper from the Class of 1973.

Two more Hall of Fame announcements will follow (only those athletes who graduated in or before 2005 are currently being considered). After that, this year’s “Wall of Honor” choices and our “Teams of Distinction” will be named.

This year’s HOF festivities were originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 but due to the uncertainty of the start of high school sports in the fall, the committee opted to schedule later in the season on Friday, Oct. 23. There will be an afternoon luncheon for the inductees and their families at the high school and they’ll be introduced to the crowd at halftime of the football game against Beaver Local.

Should everything still be up in the air or even canceled by early fall due to the coronavirus, this year’s class will be honored along with the Class of 2021 next year.

Here’s a look at the first three selections:

Jeff Jones

(Class of 1960)

A three-year letterman in wrestling who served as team co-captain as a senior, Jones capped his high school career with a third-place finish in the OHSAA Class AA State Tournament in the 112-pound weight class.

He also captured the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference championship and was an OHSAA District champion as a senior, finishing with an overall record of 18-1 with the only loss coming in the state semifinals.

Jones was a key member of Ferry’s team under Hall of Fame coach John ‘Corky’ Vrotsos that finished with an 11-2 dual record; finished second in the OVAC and OHSAA District; and tied for fifth in the OHSAA State Tournament.

Bill Bruney

(Class of 1970)

He was an intelligent, football savvy coach who spent his entire career in the background as an assistant, but his knowledge of the game was widely recognized far beyond his alma mater.

Bruney was a three-year letterman in football, wrestling and track for the Purple Riders, and he went on to Ohio University where he played football as a freshman and graduated from there in 1974.

He began what would be a storied 41-year coaching career at Alliance High School for one season before returning to the Ohio Valley and coaching four years each at Bridgeport and Bellaire. He then headed north to Steubenville where he spent 11 years on the highly-successful Big Red staff before getting the call to return “home” to his home town where he spent the next 21 years on the Ferry High staff alongside his brother, Hall of Fame head coach Dave Bruney, while also serving as a guidance counselor at MFHS.

Bruney’s coaching expertise went beyond the gridiron. He was also an assistant wrestling coach at both Bridgeport and Bellaire; assisted in track and baseball and Steubenville.

John Jasper

(Class of 1973)

Jasper was the first of the premier gymnasts to don the Purple and White during the sport’s 10-year run at MFHS under Hall of Fame coach Dave McKim.

As a sophomore in the first year of the program (1971), he led the Riders to the Region 3 championship and a spot in the Ohio State Gymnastics Meet. At the regional, he was third in the all-around, fifth in tumbling and free exercise and sixth on the high bar and side horse.

Jasper served as co-captain as a junior, finishing third in the all-around at the state meet as Ferry finished in fifth place as a team after taking the runner-up spot at the regional and posting an 8-0-1 dual record. At the Region 3 meet, he was second in the all-around; first in tumbling and vault; and second in free exercise, parallel bars, high bar, rings and side horse. He also placed third in the all-around at the Ohio Gymnastics Coaches Invitational. He was tabbed all-Region 3 in seven events (all-around, high bark, vault, rings, tumbling, side horse, free exercise and parallel bars).

He again was co-captain of the team as a senior (MF went 8-0 in duals), and elevated to the Region 3 all-around champion, also placing first in the floor exercise, vaulting and rings; third on parallel bars and side horse; and sixth on high bar for a total of 105 points to lead the Riders to the title. Unfortunately, he was unable to compete in the state meet due to a stomach injury, but the team still managed a fourth-place finish.

He was tabbed co-captain of the all-Region 3 team, earning spots six events (all-around, free exercise, side horse, vaulting, rings and parallel bars).

In addition to his exploits in high school gymnastics, Jasper was a member of the Ferry Gym Club, competing on a team that won the senior division of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation Meet in Columbus. In that event, he placed first in the all-around; second in vaulting and parallel bars; and third in free exercise, high bar and side horse.

He also competed in the Charleston AAU Junior Olympics Meet, finishing first in the all-around, high bar, rings and parallel bars; second on side horse; third in free exercise and tied for fourth in vault.