Crescenta Valley High Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes 2013 class
LA CRESCENTA — While there was no official theme for Saturday evening’s sixth annual Crescenta Valley High Athletic Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the school’s auditorium, perhaps excellence would fit the billing best.
The 2013 class included nine individual entrants in Bill Boyd, Jeff Fox, Tara Gregory, Mary Ellen Jenkins, Jim Jordan, Heather Lindstrom, Al Staie, William Thomas and Chris Troffer, along with one team entry, which was the 1971 boys’ basketball squad.
Perhaps the evening belonged to Boyd, who was dually honored for his personal exploits and for being the leader of the 1971 boys’ basketball team.
Boyd, a transfer from Anaheim Foothill High, retired as the CIF Southern Section’s all-time leading scorer (2,144 points), while being named the team’s most valuable player along with being honored as an All-CIF and All-American award winner.
“As I stand up here with my teammates, I have the opportunity to tell them now what I didn’t earlier, which is to say just how special they are and how much I cherished our time,” said Boyd at the ceremony after he surprised the crowd by pulling out his phone and taking a photo of the audience. “The Crescenta Valley community welcomed me and I enjoyed being a part of this team.”
Boyd was the leading scorer on a squad that finished the regular season 25-0, defeated four postseason opponents by an average margin of 21 points before falling to national No. 2-ranked Verbum Dei, 51-42, in front of 11,000 spectators at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
“That was the greatest Crescenta Valley basketball team of all time and I’ve seen them all,” said former Falcons Coach John Goffredo, who spoke before Boyd and who guided Crescenta Valley to its only other title-game appearance in 1994.
Along with Boyd, the entire team, assistant coaches Bruce Williams and Mike Joseph and head coach Ed Goorjian were all honored. The majority of the team was not present, although five former players were in attendance, including Bob Trowbridge and Don Chase.
Perhaps in perfect comedic timing, former football standout Fox, who was a Big Eight first-team selection at Kansas, followed the Crescenta Valley basketball team in getting his acclaim.
“I’m not sure if it’s a Kansas thing, but I’m always following the basketball team for some reason,” said Fox, who drew laughter for a story told by former Falcons Coach Dennis Gossard about Fox knocking out Washington Redskins running back John Riggins after practice in Kansas.
While Fox and Boyd expected to be elected into the hall of fame, the news came as a surprise to former girls’ basketball and track and field star Gregory.
“I honestly was surprised to find out I was with such a great class,” said Gregory, who later starred at Vanderbilt University. “I don’t know if I deserve to be here.”
One of the more emotional thank yous came from famed swimmer Jenkins, who talked about the excitement of racing against Olympian Janet Evans and then tearfully thanked her mother, Mary, who “deserved to be in the mother’s Hall of Fame,” according to Jenkins.
An unexpected moment came at the beginning of the ceremony, when Thomas, the school’s first principal when it opened in 1960, was honored.
What was surprising is that all seven Crescenta Valley High principals, from Thomas to current leader Michelle Doll, were all in attendance and took a group picture.
Thomas said he wasn’t exactly sure if he deserved an athletic honor and quipped the hall of fame was now tainted for allowing his entry “as an athletic supporter.”