All 8 Duprey sons make Peru High School Hall of Fame

PERU | In 1992, local news headlined the outstanding athletic accomplishment of the Duprey family: "Duprey family has its own hall of fame." The feature story highlighted the eight sons of the late Clifford and Lena Duprey. Each had, in their own turn, achieved success in Peru High School sports from the 1950s to the early 1980s. They had six sisters, too, part of a family with 14 siblings. The article published Sunday, April 5, 1992, was written by longtime Press-Republican reporter Jeff Meyers and captured Mrs. Duprey's thoughts about their sons' ability to play in many sports and succeed. It wasn't about winning, she said those many years ago. "They could all play football very well. They could all score touchdowns. I really enjoyed going to watch them play We were very proud of them all. "We'd all come home after the games and talk about what happened," she told the paper. "We'd have a big dinner, and they'd eat whatever we put on the table." Today, all eight of the Duprey boys are named in the Peru High School Hall of Fame. The youngest, Richard "Rick" Duprey, was inducted last October in a celebration that gathered all of the brothers together, missing only one: Arthur "Art" Duprey, who was killed by enemy fire in the Vietnam War. Rick's son, Chad Duprey said the legacy is one built through hard work and a love of sport. He shared a photograph of the seven Peru athletes together plus one of Art from high school. They are lined up: Harry, Jimmy, David, Elmer, Joe, Rick and Donald "Donnie" and range in age from 86 to 63. "I just think it's amazing how growing up poor, which they did, they were able to just find something that they were passionate about and got really good at," Chad said. "Their efforts instilled a life-long love of sport. Most of them remained active in local sports long after high school." Elmer Duprey graduated from Peru High School in 1958. He was part of the Peru soccer team that marked 48 straight wins and four consecutive league championships. Chad said that era was before Peru fielded a football team. Elmer went on to become an integral part of the Champlain Valley Baseball League (CVBL), where he was at times a player, a coach, a manager and a commissioner. "He was a big part of keeping the league going and remained active for 30 years," Chad said. Jimmy Duprey was chosen an All-Star for every sport that he played, Chad said. "He played football, he wrestled, played basketball, baseball, and ran track. A 1962 graduate of Peru High School, he was offered a major league baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, but turned it down to accept a full football scholarship at the University of Buffalo." Jimmy played baseball out west and was named to the Semi-pro Hall of Fame. Arthur graduated from Peru in 1966 with a football sectional win in 1965 and baseball sectional play in 1964 and 1965. He was killed in Vietnam on Aug. 16, 1968 in Quang Tri province while on duty with the 3rd U.S. Marine Division, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, HS Company. Joseph graduated from Peru in 1971 renowned for his acumen in wrestling, football and baseball. "Joe was part of the wrestling team that had a 122 dual-win streak. That is the biggest streak on New York State records," Chad said. "From 1964 to 1973, Joe was a two-time sectional champion in wrestling, a three-time team champ and part of the Peru Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Joe, Donny and Harry were all part of that team," Chad said of the record-holding wrestlers. Harry graduated from Peru High School in 1971 and helped earn the 122 dual win streak. He, too, played football and baseball. Donnie graduated from Peru in 1972. "In addition to the wrestling dual-win streak, he went 16-0 his junior year in wrestling and 20-0 his senior year. He was a linebacker on the football team and in baseball, he was a feared catcher," Chad said. David graduated from Peru in 1974. He set numerous records as quarterback for the high school football team. "In his senior year, he set a league and school record at the time with 17 touchdown passes and scored 6 more himself." And Chad's father, Rick, graduated from Peru in 1981. "He also played baseball, wrestling and football. Football was his biggest sport, he was a linebacker on defense. In his senior year, the coach moved him from the offensive line to fullback. With that, he got the CVAC rushing title for the 1980 football team. They went undefeated that year and won the North Country Superbowl II. He was the Most Valuable offensive player for that game," Chad said. The family's athletic bond was close-knit, Chad said, yet each of the brothers made individual contributions in the sports they played. "They each found what position or what aspect of a sport they were good at. For Donnie, too, he was a longtime catcher in the Champlain Valley Baseball League. He was inducted into the Semi-Pro Hall of Fame in baseball last year. "All the brothers here were a big part of the Champlain Valley Baseball League. I know dad, David, Donny, Elmer and Harry played in the league for a long time." The Dupreys remain close today. All but Jimmy live in the immediate area: Peru, Plattsburgh, Morrisonville and Keeseville. Jimmy made his home in the Buffalo area. Some 15 years ago, Peru Central School founded an Athletic Hall of Fame. Gary Edwards, a wrestling coach for 46 years who coordinates sectional play today, has been part of the committee since the beginning. "The Hall of Fame Committee is made up of present and past inductees," Edwards told the Sun. "We're all Peru graduates. Inductees have to be out of school for at least ten years, usually people nominate them. "Athleticism became a well-known trait for the Duprey family. Some of their cousins and so forth are also in the hall of fame," Edwards said. "The eight boys are there, all together. Rick was the last one to be inducted this past year, and he is the youngest." Each earned their place for individual talent, Edwards said, "No other families have eight boys named in the Peru High School Hall of Fame." Their mother, Lena, told the newspaper that support was a big part of their family's attention to sport. "We went to all the games." Mrs. Duprey said in 1992. "Some days we even had more than one to go to. But we always enjoyed the games: we did a lot of cheering."

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All 8 Duprey sons make Peru High School Hall of Fame

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