Simply stated, he was one of a kind, a player who would be as exciting, dominating and fan-appealing today as he was in his time. A 1955 graduate of Haverstraw High School, Reilly was a two-time, unanimous All-Rockland County First Team selection. In his senior year, he led his Red Raider team to both the Rockland County Public School Athletic League and Section 9 championships.

When not playing basketball, Dixie was an infielder on Haverstraw High School’s varsity baseball team and on his St. Peter’s School baseball team that played in the New York Archdiocese CYO title game. Dixie also played basketball with the famed Letchworth Village Big 5, the St. Peters Holy Name team, and Brophy’s Restaurant, a top-flight team in the Rockland County semi-pro basketball league. Serving with the U.S. Army in Germany, Reilly played basketball for the 10th Infantry Crusaders, a European Armed Forces powerhouse. He also found time to play a high-caliber level of softball with Rockland County teams that appeared in the Haverstraw and Deer Head Tournaments.

Dixie was a certified I.A.A.B.O. basketball official for 24 years. His talent was recognized with assignments of sectional semi-final and final games, as well as state playoff games in Rochester and West Point. His experience and integrity took him to the college level of basketball officiating.

For five years, Dixie worked in the C.O.B.A., refereeing collegiate basketball in the metropolitan area. Dixie’s love of the sport has been passed down to the children of North Rockland where he has been active as a coach, referee and administrator in the St Peter’s CYO athletic program. For his dedication and service to his community, Dixie was named Rockland County CYO Man of the Year in 1984.

Dixie is now retired after having worked 30 years for the Rockland County Health Department as transportation supervisor. In his leisure time, Dixie enjoys playing golf, trips to Florida, and attending North Rockland High School football, basketball and baseball games. He currently resides in Stony Point with his wife, Frances McNichol Reilly.

Besides his teaching and coaching responsibilities, Mr. Rejholec found time to help organize and start the Nyack Little League, working diligently as a leader from 1950-65. He went on to establish the Nyack Babe Ruth League and the Nyack Connie Mack League, which allowed youngsters to continue their participation in baseball. Once the Nyack Little League took root, he expanded the program to include the T-shirt league, for those under the age of nine.

For many years Mr. Rejholec ran the Village of Nyack’s summer recreation programs for either no pay or a very small stipend, often giving up his summer vacation. He originated the “Summer Soccer” league, which enabled athletes to improve their skills over the summer months. He started a summer tennis program which was held on only two courts at Nyack High School and in which

over 125 children participated. This program turned out to be a huge success for a long time.

Rudy was a pioneer in introducing several new sports in the Rockland County community. The Nyack School District was the first to have swimming and ice hockey back in the late 1950’s. He instituted strong intramural programs at Nyack High, such as touch-tag football, volleyball, and softball.

He served several terms as president of the Rockland County P.S.A.L. and was instrumental in having girls’ sports become an integral part of the P.S.A.L. programs.

Mr. Rejholec came to Nyack in 1946, after serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy during WWII. His first coaching assignment was in baseball when he developed future Rockland Hall of Famer Fred Hahn and Bob Garrecht, two of the finest pitchers to ever come from Rockland County. In football, which he took over in 1950 as well as becoming athletic director, he helped to produce such stars as

Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Jim Ridlon, and Roger Brown (the latter two as All-Pro selections in the National Football League).

In recent years at the annual Rockland Hall of Fame dinners, the name of Rudy Rejholec has been mentioned by Ralph Cordisco, Max Talaska, Joe Tacchino, and Tom Collins with reverence as to the great leadership ability and services which he rendered to the County of Rockland and the citizens of the Nyack community. As Tom Collins said, “Rudy Rejholec has set a great example of how a person can make a difference in the lives of others.”

Although he passed away in 1987, his wife Evelyn and his four children (Joseph, Barbara, Jeffrey, and MaryLou) know that many of us will not forget his enthusiastic spirit, zeal, and the high moral character with which he led his community.

As a Freshman, Jane started on four varsity teams: field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and tennis. At this time, All-County selection

was done only for the boys’ teams. Jane’s sophomore year was the start of girl’s competition in the RCPSAL and Section IX. Jane again started for Clarkstown North in all four varsity sports. For the first time in Rockland County history an All-County girl’s team was chosen for both field hockey and basketball. Jane was selected to both of these historic teams. During Jane’s junior year the first All-County volleyball and tennis teams were selected. Jane has the honor of being chosen on both of those teams. During her high school career, Jane was chosen for every All-County team, in every sport she played, every year she played, for a total of ten All-County Team selections.

Jane’s future athletic career was to be on the field hockey field. In high school, as a center half, Jane led her team to an unprecedented four county championships and in four years her team lost only one game. Jane received an athletic scholarship to play field hockey at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the first woman in Rockland County to receive an athletic scholarship to a major university. Jane started all four years for the Tar Heels. She received the highest recognition afforded a female collegiate athlete her junior and senior years by being selected to the first Team All-Deep South.

Jane graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1980 with a degree in accounting and currently lives in Congers with her husband Bill and sons John, Matt, and Kevin.

In 1982 as a senior quarterback, he was selected as Rockland’s co-offensive player of the year, sharing honors with his favorite receiver Mike Looney, who established new records for pass receptions. Ed set three major county records that year-single game 318 passing yards; 5 touchdown passes thrown in one game; and 1497 yards for a season. He fell shy of breaking the county career passing record held by Andy Cowan of Nyack by 180 yards. He was named to the New York State fourth team.

In Ed’s junior year on the basketball court, he was instrumental in leading Clarkstown North (scoring 20 points) to a one-point upset late in the season over Spring Valley, eventual State champions. He was the foremost rebounder and MVP of the Rams for 2 years, finishing fourth in the county as an 11th team All-State selection in his senior year.

An imposing figure at 6’5" and 210 pounds, he received a full scholarship to play football at The University of Louisville. It was expected that Rubbert would be red-shirted as a freshman, but in the tenth game of a losing season, the coaches turned to Ed in the second half against Temple, and he responded well with 107 yards and his first collegiate TD pass.

In his first game as a starter to open the 1984 season, he proceeded to break into the Louisville record books with 29 completions in 55 attempts for 393 yards.

After Louisville had lost 10 straight games over a two-year period, Rubbert led the Cardinals from a 28-7 deficit to their first win of 1984, beating Houston 30-28, with a field goal in the final 20 seconds of the contest.

Ed finished the 1984 season (sophomore) ranked 14th in the nation with 2465 yards total offense (2353 yards passing) and threw for 18 touchdowns. He was named to The Associated Press’s All-Southern Independent 2nd Team.

When he graduated from Louisville in 1987, he had broken more than 10 records (some set by one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in The National Football League - Johnny Unitas).

Rubbert signed as a free-agent quarterback with the Washington Redskins in 1987, and was one of the last players released from the pre-season roster. The quarterbacks ahead of him that made the team were future Super Bowl stars Doug Williams, Jay Schroeder, and another rookie Mark Rypien.

Less that 2 months later, the football players’ union called for a strike to begin with the games on the first Sunday in October. Rubbert received a "hurry-up" call from Coach Joe Gibbs, who asked him to be his quarterback for the duration of the strike. In his first professional start against the powerful St. Louis Cardinals, Ed passed for a day-leading 334 yards (which included 3 TD’s), as the Redskins upset the Redbirds 28-21. The Cardinals, incidentally, had 13 regulars in uniform including 7 starters.

The next week, Rubbert led Washington to a resounding 38-12 triumph over the Giants in The Meadowlands. He started his third game with Dallas as the opponent, but left early with an injured shoulder, as Washington won 13-7.

In his 3 games as a Washington Redskin, Ed completed 26 of 49 passes for 532 yards and 4 TD’s, suffering only 1 interception.

It had been decided by the NFL at the onset of the strike that all games would count in the final standings. With the 3 straight wins, Washington was poised to contest for the Super Bowl of 1988, which they won 42-10 coming from behind Denver and racking up 5 straight touchdowns in the second quarter.

Ed Rubbert’s NFL career was short-lived, just playing in those 3 games and finishing the season on the Injured Reserve list with his shoulder injury. His efforts in helping to get Washington to The Big Game were rewarded with receiving a share of the winners’ earnings.

Ed currently works as a substitute physical education teacher (hoping for a full-time position) in the Clarkstown school system and assists Joe Casarella with the North Rockland football program.

He credits his oldest brother Bill (9 years his senior) as being the guiding force in his athletic career.