The Dayton City League Varsity Club “Century of Excellence Awards” honors distinguished alumni, coaches and athletic teams that have made significant contributions of service and/or demonstrated exceptionally outstanding achievements in their respective field or profession. The five prestigious awards are named after long-time Dayton Daily News Sportswriter (Ritter Collett), legendary United States Military Academy Football Coach (Earl "Red" Blaik), Basketball Coach/Female Sports Advocate (Doris Black), World Famous Industrialist and NCR Founder (John H. Patterson) and four-time NBA All-Star (Johnny Green). Presentation of the annual awards occur on a rotating basis and are presented at the regularly scheduled "High School Alumni Night Events" held on the last Friday of each month.

The “Ritter Collett Team of the Century Award” is named after long-time sportswriter Ritter Collett who covered Dayton Sports for over 50 years. Mr. Collett is the only person to serve as sports editor for all three Dayton newspapers (Dayton Journal, Journal Herald and the Dayton Daily News). He was inducted into the writer’s wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. on August 2, 1992.

The “Doris Black – Female Athlete Award” honors the achievement of Dayton Public School Female Alumni that have demonstrated determination, perseverance, and a spirit of excellence in fulfilling both their athletic and career goals. It is important to note that the honoree for who this honor is named after was a fierce proponent of equity in girls’ athletics and played a major role in getting basketball and track & field authorized in Dayton Public Schools for girls in 1972.

The “Earl Blaik Coaches Award” is named after the 1915 Steele High School Graduate Earl “Red” Blaik. Mr. Blaik was the Head Football Coach at Dartmouth College and the United States Military Academy (West Point) for 18 seasons. While at West Point his teams were named National Champions in 1944 and 1945. Three of his players Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Pete Dawkins all won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s outstanding collegiate player.

The “John H. Patterson - Outstanding Achievement Award” honors a notable alumnus for their achievement in Business, Politics, Education, Administration, Entertainment, Arts & Sciences, Sports (other than Basketball), Community Service, Creative Inventions and Philanthropy. One recipient from each school will receive this prestigious honor annually. The award is named after John Henry Patterson the world-famous Industrialist and Founder of the National Cash Register (NCR) Company. Mr. Patterson is an 1863 Graduate of the Dayton Public Schools Central High School. During the Great Dayton Flood disaster, John H. Patterson contributed significantly to the recovery efforts. Patterson attended Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1867.

The “All-Star Basketball Legend Award” is presented to a Boys Basketball Player who has been identified as a Top 10 player in that school’s history. The award is named after four time NBA All-Star Johnny Green. This award is in recognition of the many players, coaches and teams that have helped make the Dayton City League the most ACCOMPLISHED BASKETBALL LEAGUE in the state. The annual award will be presented to one recipient form each school comprising the ten-member All-Century Team to be announced in 2030.