​Margaret Peters will forever stand as a standard by which future generations of Central Catholic High School athletes measure their own performance. The standout in both basketball and track and field for the Crusaders, whose influence extended beyond high school into his later career as a teacher and coach at Jackson High School, died on Monday, July 6, at the age of 63. Peters’ nephew, Kyle Dureska, shared that she passed away after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease.
A graduate of 1981, Peters’ athletic achievements helped propel her into Central’s first-ever hall of fame class. She earned 11 varsity letters and set a number of school records along the way, leaving a lasting imprint on the program. In basketball, she scored a total of 1,123 points and helped lead the Crusaders to a Class AA state runner-up finish during her senior year. In the 60-42 state semifinal victory over Cincinnati Reading, Peters poured in 18 points, and she added 16 more in the state final, a 52-45 defeat to Claymont. That appearance marked Central’s only state tournament trip until the most recent season.
Peters also made her mark in track and field, capturing the long jump state championship as a sophomore and finishing as runner-up in that event as a senior. She qualified for the state meet in the 400 meters in every one of her four years, achieving runner-up honors on one occasion. Her versatility and success across different disciplines underscored her status as one of Central Catholic’s most celebrated multi-sport athletes.
Her accomplishments at Central opened doors beyond her high school years, earning her a basketball scholarship to Youngstown State University. At YSU, she posted a career-best 12.1 points per game as a sophomore and concluded her college career with 1,104 points. Her all-around production extended beyond scoring: she totaled 533 assists, 407 rebounds, and 249 steals over 100 career games. Peters’ impact was recognized again when she was inducted into Youngstown State University’s hall of fame in 1994.
After college, Peters returned to Central Catholic to teach biology and chemistry and to coach both basketball and track and field as an assistant. She later became the girls basketball head coach at Jackson, a role she held with distinction for 13 seasons, from 1988 to 2001, compiling a 174-112 record. In the classroom at Jackson, she dedicated 28 years to teaching biology, chemistry, and honors chemistry, influencing generations of students in addition to shaping their athletic pursuits.
Margaret Peters came from a family deeply involved in sports and coaching. Her late brother Dan served as a basketball head coach at Walsh and Youngstown State and contributed as an assistant at Cincinnati, Ohio State, and Akron, underscoring a family tradition of leadership in athletics.
For readers seeking more information or to share memories, the Canton Repository sports department can be reached via email at sports@cantonrep.com. This remembrance originally appeared in The Repository, highlighting the significant life and legacy of Canton Central Catholic’s hall of fame inductee, Margaret Peters.