Football: Crespi to honor 1986 championship team at halftime on Friday

Crespi Coach Troy Thomas, in this photo from 2003, was a member of the Celts' 1986 Big Five Conference championship team that will be honored at halftime on Friday.

Columnist

Oct. 19, 2016 11:44 AM PT

It’s the 30-year anniversary of Crespi’s 1986 Big Five Conference championship team, and the Celts will honor members of that team at halftime of Friday’s game against Gardena Serra.

Crespi is the only team from the San Fernando Valley to ever win a Division 1 championship in football.

That team was coached by Bill Redell, who ended up winning nine Southern Section championships at Crespi and Oaks Christian. Crespi Coach Troy Thomas was a defensive back on that team.

“It’s crazy it’s been 30 years,” Thomas said. “It doesn’t seem that long.”

The star player was Russell White, who was a sophomore and went on to California and the Rams.

Also on that team was Redell’s son, Billy, who played center at 165 pounds. He’s now a lawyer in Solvang.

“It’s going to be fun to see them,” Bill Redell said.

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