Thomas, who is a lawyer and a Supreme Court mediator in Florida, was an outstanding offensive and defensive player for the Hornets as a four-year starter. He played guard and nose tackle and was recognized as one of the top defensive players in the state.

After graduating from Mansfield, he went on to play defensive tackle, nose guard and on the offensive line for Florida State. After serving in the military from 1957-59, he went on to graduate school. Thomas has worked as a parole officer, an assistant state attorney, city prosecutor and a municipal judge.

Antosca is recognized as one of the best quarterbacks in Mansfield High history and was a four-year player in baseball, basketball, track and football. On the basketball court, Antosca was known for his jumper and hook shot, while he played third base on the baseball team and hit .389, drove in 26 runs and scored 29 runs in 1959.

In 1958, Antosca scored the winning touchdown in the annual Thanksgiving Day game against Foxboro as the Hornets won 6-0.

He attended Vermont Academy before accepting a football scholarship to Boston College, where a knee injury ended his career in 1961.

During his playing career, Ferrara was known for his defensive ability, intercepting passes and sacking the quarterbacks in the Hockomock League.

He was also a strong runner inside and filled in at quarterback during his senior season when the Hornets lost their first- and second-string players.

Ferrara was named to the Hockomock League team and selected defensive player of the week several times.

He also played baseball and ran track for the Hornets before going to a career as Framingham State where he was a senior co-captain as a five-foot, eight-inch, 175pound linebacker. He was voted the team's unsung hero. Ferrara was an assistant coach at Framingham in 1982.

When the Mansfield High football faithful talk about the top linemen in the program's history, Muise's name always comes up. He was a top lineman on the Hockomock League championship team in 1976 and was the best linemen in the league in 1978.

Muise was presented with the Nick Rossi Award as the Hornet MVP and played on the first Shriners team in 1979, where he was a teammate of Hornet head coach Mike Redding, who played for North Attleboro.

He accepted a full scholarship to the University of Maine where he was a three-year starter as a nose guard and a key member of the 1982 Yankee Conference championship team.

"We talk about tradition, but it comes to light when we talk about the Hall of Fame," said Redding. "Russell Muise was a great competitor of mine. We went to war when he was at Maine and I was at Holy Cross. It was a great rivalry. You find in life that some of your rivals become your best friends."