VOICES
Local College, High School Sports Greats Back in the Spotlight by Steve Marconi
10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
The Athletic Hall of Fame committees for Harbor College and San Pedro High have announced the inductees for 2016, setting the stage for two more nights of nostalgic celebration later this year. The newest Harbor College class includes three baseball players who contributed to the program’s streak of nine consecutive conference titles and two state titles from 1986-94: Will Parsons (1987-88), Tony Liebsack (1989-90) and David Rosato (1992-93), all infielders. Three football players are being inducted, two hard-nosed linemen from Scrappy Rhea’s powerhouse `60s teams, Ray Kalinich (1963-64) and Eric Wheeler (1966-67), and current NFL wide receiver Chris Matthews (2007-08). In addition to Wheeler, the entire 1966 football team, which won its conference and went on to a second consecutive Lions Bowl victory, will be inducted. Kim Young (1991-92), the first star of the women’s basketball program that dominated the state in the early `90s, will be inducted, and former baseball and football player and later assistant coach, San Pedro’s own Bobby Ramirez, will receive a Lifetime Achievement award. Ramirez (1969-71) played on one of Harbor’s best football teams (1969) and one of its worst (1970), and was a two-way starter both seasons. In 1970 and 1971 he was an all-purpose player in baseball, then returned as assistant baseball coach from 1973 to 1977 before embarking on a highly successful high school coaching career. The Seahawks’ 10th annual event will be Sept. 16, once again at Ports O’ Call Restaurant.
Tax-deductible tickets ($75 for adults) can be obtained by calling (310) 233-4122 or (310) 233-4359. Seating is limited so reservations are encouraged. Pirate Pride The San Pedro High Hall of Fame event on Nov. 19 is moving back to the DalmatianAmerican Club this year after giving Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles a try, so tickets will once again be at a premium. And another full house figures to be on hand to honor more Pirate legends. The 2016 individual inductees are Nello Saggiani (1946) and Lou Medina (1951) in baseball; Vinko Matulich (1939) and Tiffany McCollum (1999) in basketball; Glen Hughes (1967) and Chuck Dragecivich (1967) in swimming; Melvin Yarbrough (1996) in football; Michael Ford (1985) in track and football; Robert McNutt (1981) in volleyball; and Jackie Conlin (2004), who earned 11 varsity letters in cross country, softball and soccer. Lifetime Achievement inductees are baseball icons Andy Lopez (1971) and Lefty Olguin (1969); softball pioneer Lillian Faralla (1942); football’s Ben Agajanian (1937); and Liz Joynt, longtime girls P.E. instructor and coach. Being inducted as siblings are the Markulises – John (1949), Mike, Nick (1952), Charles (1955) and Jimmy (1965); the Grays – Donald (1969), Kenny (1970) and Clifford (1972); and Tuiasosopos – Pete (1981), Andrew (1983) and Adaline (1983). Families being inducted are the Lovarovs – Frank (1949), Frank Jr. (1977), Desiree (1978), Rex (1981), Shawn Miladinovich (2003), Amber Miladinovich (2006), Kyle Atkins (2008) and Amanda Atkins (2009); the Dragiches – Nick (1940), Nick (1965) and Matt (2002); and Pappases – Victor (1954), Chris (1993) and Mark (1995). Posthumous inductees are Jimmie Reese (1920s), Bobby Dillon (1938), Red Zar (1938), Ralph Rippo (1939), Frank Endo (1941), Nick Buzolich (1937) and Dick Jenssen, longtime swim, cross country and football coach. Two teams are being inducted: the 1950 basketball team of Coach Bob Tabing (M.H. McGilvery, Nick Trutanich, Benny Hansen, Bill Stevens, Willie Naulls, Jack Satalich, Donald Hansen, Matthew Bozanich, Frank White, Jordon Viculin) and Jenssen’s 1981 City championship cross-country team (assistant coach Thom Lacie, Joe Barrow, Fernando Vasquez, Shawn Barrow, Oscar Encinas, Ron Morgan, Victor Estrada, Anthony Sigala). Advance tickets ($60) can be obtained by email (sppirateboostersclub@gmail. com); check sent to SPHS Hall of Fame c/o Leonard Miller, 1589 Plymouth Lane, San Pedro, CA 90732 (payable to Pirate Boosters-HOF2016); or PayPal credit card (SanPedroPirateBoosters.com). Tickets at the door will be $90. For more information, call Miller at (310) 701-9357. Meanwhile… Between now and November, Pirate boosters have two other opportunities to support their school. The Pirate Boosters Athletic Scholarship Dinner will be 6 p.m. May 12 at the San Pedro Fish Market. Tickets are $20. The Pirate Boosters Car Show will be in July. For reservations and details, call Miller at (310) 701-9357. Check it out We all miss the News-Pilot, especially the sports pages, but social media is now providing what a generation growing up without a local newspaper needs. The website www.sanpedrobaseball.org, unveiled in February by second-year head coach Steve Tedesco, is the go-to place for all-things San Pedro High baseball. It’s still a work-in-progress, but it looks good and shows great potential. Thanks to Steve Schiazzano, the alumni section contains a vast amount of data heretofore hidden in the archives of the San Pedro historical society. There is nothing you can clip out and glue into a scrapbook, but there are plenty of pictures you can print. In our new “information age,” it will have to do. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.