Hopewell High School has produced several athletes whose athletic abilities were of such magnitude that their exploits found their way onto the pages of the sports fans’ bible - Sports Illustrated magazine. And while the casual fan might point to Tony Dorsett as the catalyst for getting the Vikings recognized nationally, in reality it was another athlete from Hopewell High School which graced the pages of Sports Illustrated long before Dorsett won a Heisman Trophy.

 Hopewell basketball standout Stan Sligh, a 6-foot-7 center for the Vikings of the early-1970s, was featured in Sports Illustrated’s popular "Faces in the Crowd" during his senior season in 1972. Stan earned the spot in the magazine after he scored 50 points in a 99-83 win over New Castle and then averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds in the Johnstown Holiday Tournament despite being hobbled by a leg injury.

But that was par for the course for Stan, who had a remarkable career at Hopewell and is regarded by many as one of the top basketball players in Beaver County history. A three-year starter at Hopewell, Stan was the Section 6-A Most Valuable Player for two consecutive seasons and graduated with 1,509 points in three seasons, which at the time was the third highest total in Beaver County history. In addition to his 50-point game in high school, Stan also had another remarkable game in which he scored 30 points and grabbed 30 rebounds. He was named All-WPIAL, All-State before being selected as a first team All-American. Stan was also named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Top Ten. Stan went on to play in the two most prestigious All Star games, the Roundball Classic and the McDonald’s All-American game in Dayton.

After graduation, Stan continued his basketball career at Tyler Junior College before moving on the Gannon University in Erie. At Tyler, Stan averaged 20 points a game and was named to the All-American team as a sophomore. He then went on to Gannon and became one of the Golden Knights’ great players. Stan averaged 18 points a game at Gannon, including a career high 38 points against Stuebenville. He also set a school record with 23 consecutive free throws. But the highlight of Stan’s career at Gannon came in the championship game of the Porreco Cup Holiday Basketball Tournament when the Golden Knights met Georgetown, coached by the legendary John Thompson. Stan scored 22 points, including two crucial baskets late in the game, and grabbed 16 rebounds as Gannon claimed a thrilling 57-56 victory. Stan was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The son of the late Frank and Ethel Lee Sligh, Stan is the youngest of nine loving brothers and sisters. Stan, who still loves to follow local high school sports, has three children, Stanley Daquan and Dorian, and one daughter, Celena Deshae, as well as two grandsons whom he adores, Aamir Daquan and Stanley Daquan Jr.