Two Black River Falls High School graduates have received special honors. Steve “Petey” Peterson was inducted into the Black River Falls Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. A 1970 graduate, Peterson participated in FFA, the choir, sang with the Madrigal, and played football for Hall of Fame Coach Sam Young. After attending UW-River Falls, Petey spent 34 years as the City of Black River Falls’ Parks and Recreation Director, was named Parks Professional of the Year in 2018, and the Wisconsin State Senate honored Peterson for his accomplishments and impact. The City named Marks East Baseball Field in his honor. Through Petey’s leadership of little league, recreational programs and community events, hundreds of area children were taught the value of teamwork, perseverance, and fun.
Tom Stetzer – a 2001 Black River Falls graduate – was inducted into the Tigers Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1998, as a sophomore, Stetzer earned the starting quarterback position and was named most improved player. As a junior, he led the Tigers to the WIAA Division 3 State Championship, was named team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. After high school, Stetzer was a four-year starting quarterback at UW-Plattville, rewriting records – finishing 10th all-time in NCAA Division II for total offense, 12th all-time in career passing, set 15 Pioneer records, 6 WIAC records, and was inducted into the UW-Plattville Hall of Fame in 2020. Stetzer played football professionally in the indoor leagues leading the Reading Express to back-to-back championships – shattering multiple franchise passing records.
Inductions of both Peterson and Stetzer happened Friday night during Black River Falls’ homecoming game against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau. The Tigers won 24-8.