Older brother Gino - the NFL Hall of Famer - acknowledges that his bruising 215-pound little brother Angelo was the better football player in high school. “Itsie” played halfback, fullback, quarterback and place-kicker in an era when smaller teams had to cover more positions. In a 1994 interview, just after being named to the All-Time Top 20 in the NFL, Gino reflected on the Marchetti brothers’ experiences at Antioch High with teammates Worth Shaw and Nick Rodriguez: (They were) “not a little better, a hell of a lot better” than the Colts’ star. Itsie's senior year was a spectacular one for Antioch. A screaming crowd of 6,000 jammed the stands to see the Antioch Panthers beat rival Pittsburg 13-0 in 1946’s “Big-Little” game in which Itsie scored a 21-yard rushing touchdown. Itsie was Co-MVP with his Co-Captain Bob Vossler and was named All-County in 1946. For the Panthers’ 19th consecutive victory, the multifaceted Itsie ran for 108 yards in nine carries and had a touchdown against Acalanes. Itsie was honorable mention on the All Nor-Cal team. Ironically, it was Itsie who originally drew the attention of college football recruiters. According to a news article based on an interview with Nick Rodriguez in the early 1990s, “Stan Pavco, the line coach at Modesto Junior College, came down to recruit Itsie and Nick Rodriguez...While he was luring the two, Gino rode up on a motorcycle. ‘That looks like a good player,’ said Pavco, pointing to Gino, ‘why don’t you bring him down with you?’” Itsie wound up playing on the St. Mary’s College freshman football team, serving as captain. Described in 1952 as a “pile-driving fullback,” Itsie later played for the very popular Antioch Hornets semi-pro team that filled the AHS stadium with tickets selling for $1. The games were a major event in the town, which then had a population of only 11,000. A 1952 banquet that drew more than 100 celebrants honored the triumphant Hornet team and particularly Itsie, who was named outstanding backfield offensive player. Details are sketchy, but in a carefully preserved 1955 Topps Football Card in the Sports Legends collection, both Gino and brother Itsie were photographed in the team picture of the Baltimore Colts. Itsie was later released, but big brother Gino went on to make history.
The inductees to the
Class of 2009
Wrestling
Athletic achievement is not always synonymous with physical brawn. Exhibit A: Bob Koupeny, the 106-pound “Little Blacksmith” who was one of the most successful wrestlers to graduate from Antioch High. A local sportswriter gave him the nickname as a metaphor to describe how Bob’s strong-arm moves hammered his opponents into submission. Bob Koupeny participated in three sports as a Panther; tennis, cross-country and wrestling, however wrestling “became my passion,” he said. All four years of his high school career (1964-1967) included a trip to the Diablo Valley Athletic League finals as a wrestler; fourth place as a freshman at 106 pounds, first place as a sophomore and junior at 106 pounds and second place as a senior at 115 pounds. The final three seasons resulted in moving on to the North Coast Championships, where he placed second as a sophomore and first in both his junior and senior years, which then qualified him to compete in the Northern California championships for three consecutive years: the first AHS wrestler to do so. Bob placed third in California as a senior. Antioch High’s MVP wrestler for three straight years was also named “Wrestler of the Meet” in the DVAL championships in 1966. He didn’t allow any points to be scored against him in any of his three matches and was undefeated as a junior. Antioch was host of the North Coast meet in 1966, in which Bob trounced his Livermore opponent 13-0 to win the 106-pound championship. Bob was offered a scholarship to wrestle at U.C. Berkeley, then the hotbed of student anti-war protests, but instead enlisted in the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War after a brief stay at DVC. Following his military service, Bob went back to school at Diablo Valley College, then transferred to St. Mary’s College where he received a bachelor's degree in history in 1975.
Football
These days it’s rare to play varsity in four sports, but Bob distinguished himself by earning his gold block “A” four times during every year he played for Antioch High between 1966-1969. Bob anchored the 440-relay team in track which finished fifth in North Coast Section II competition his senior year with a time of 43.2; started in basketball and baseball and earned All-DVAL defensive back during his busy senior year. Those accomplishments earned him the title of Panther Athlete of the Year in 1969, as well as Antioch High’s Ron Pritchard MVP award for outstanding back. Fitzpatrick Chevrolet named him Contra Costa County Super Sport of the Week for his October, 1968 performance against Pacifica High in which he rushed for 130 yards in 15 carries, leading the Panthers to a 40-0 win. While Woodstock was in full swing in New York, the 6-foot,175-pound runner was practicing to play in the Contra Costa-Alameda All-Star Game in August of 1969. He intercepted a pass and ran for 32 yards in that 14-0 win, but it was his bone-jarring work as a defensive back that merited praise from the Contra Costa All-Star team defensive coordinator Tom Kinnard, who described Bob glowingly. “If there is a better hitter around, I haven’t seen him. Nobody hits harder than White.” Bob’s football skills earned him a full scholarship to the University of Arizona, where he played all four years; cornerback in 1969 on the frosh team, second team safety and special teams varsity in 1970, starting defensive strong safety and first team special teams in 1971 and capping his college career in 1972 as a starting free safety. Not only was he All-Western Athletic Conference in 1971 and ‘72, but All-WAC for academic excellence. Bob had 11 career interceptions for the Wildcats and in November, 1972 and set a U of A record for the all-time longest interception return for a touchdown: 78 yards against Brigham Young University. The Western Athletic Conference selected him as Player of the Week for that accomplishment. After earning a degree in public administration, Bob was drafted in the 11th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but instead chose to leave football and pursue a career in parks and recreation.
Football
This Panther gridiron star was “the best halfback I have had the pleasure to coach. He can do it all,” according to the late Marv Comstock. Ironically, Dan did not play football as a freshman because he “didn’t think he was good enough” according to a feature story in the Antioch Ledger. This 5’9” explosive runner was the Diablo Valley Athletic League #1 rushing leader for the 1974-75 season and nearly topped the list in scoring. It was his 1,012 yards in 166 carries - with 13 touchdowns - that powered the Panthers to their third consecutive league title and earned Dan Antioch High’s “Ron Pritchard” Award. Dan played varsity for two years, earning “Back of the Year” at the Contra Costa Times-Fitzpatrick Chevrolet Super Sport Awards Banquet and named as one of only six from the Bay Area in 1974 to be nominated as an All-America Football selection, one of the top 100 prep players in the nation. Dan made Second-Team All-DVAL as a junior and First-Team as a senior. His 2-year varsity totals: 1,651 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns and 148 points scored. His 146-yard rushing performance in the Antioch vs. Pittsburg 20-0 victory in 1974 - before 8,000 fans - earned him game MVP as well as the admiration of the Pirates, who bestowed their “Most Worthy Opponent” Award to Dan. Dan played varsity basketball and baseball and was a co-winner of the AHS Athlete of the Year honors in 1975. Following graduation, he was a running back for the Los Medanos College Mustangs. Dan was selected All-League Second Team for the 1975-1976 season. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, offered him a full scholarship, but Dan left UNLV before his first season started. A transfer to California State University, Chico quickly followed, where Dan “redshirted” there the first year, and then played football for the Wildcats for two years, earning All-League. Following graduation, Dan later became Antioch’s first foot patrol police officer and was named Officer of the Year in 1989.
Softball
No player will ever again wear the number 12 on their Panther softball uniform. It was officially retired from use in 2007 - forever linked with Debbie Nelson, a 1983 star athlete at AHS. “There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears in (that) uniform,” she said and perhaps a few scrapes from the 43 bases she stole her senior year. Debbie is a true all-around athlete; she was on the volleyball, softball and basketball teams during all three years at Antioch Senior High School, a feat few other young women achieve. Basketball was Debbie’s favorite sport, but her 5-foot, 2-inch stature put her at a disadvantage. However, It didn’t hold her back in softball, a sport that led to a college scholarship, coaching opportunities and a thriving business. Although barely over 100 pounds, Debbie said she had to “pound for pound, physically and mentally outwork other people” to compete successfully. By the time she was a high school junior, Debbie earned All-League honors in all of her sports. She was All-League in three sports again for her senior year in 1982-83, and racked up several prestigious honors; co-MVP of the softball team, AHS Female Athlete of the Year, All East-Bay Softball Athlete of the Year and Big “C” Athletic Club Softball Athlete of the Year. Debbie played softball at Sacramento City College for two years and transferred to California State University, Sacramento on a softball scholarship, earning a B.S. in recreation administration, and All-Region, All-State and NCAA All-America as a second baseman. Following graduation, Debbie’s first coaching job was at St. Francis High in Sacramento. During her one year as an assistant coach, the team won the California Interscholastic Federation Championship. Debbie returned to CSUS to pursue an MBA, while she moved up through the coaching ranks with the Hornets, finally becoming head coach for her final year there. Debbie then moved on to San Jose State, where she served as head softball coach for four years. In 2001, she coached an Under-18 girls traveling softball squad, sponsored by the People to People exchange program, to a silver medal against European opponents. In 2004, Debbie was hired by the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League as Assistant Coach to the California Sunbirds during their only season in Stockton. Simultaneous with her coaching career, Debbie started her All-American Sports Academy business in Tracy in 1997, which trains between 200-300 amateur softball and baseball players each week. She also spent summers as a traveling director of U.S. Sports Nike Softball camps throughout the western states.
Football
Grover was varsity quarterback at Antioch High for his junior and senior years in 1954 and 1955: a “potent factor” in the Panthers’ most successful football seasons since 1948, coached by Brooks Golden. He scored three touchdowns in one game and made several dramatic 40-plus yard runs in his senior year, which earned a spot on the All-Contra-Costa team. As a junior he was named First Team All-League in basketball and played on the 1953-54 Panther “B” team that won the DVAL championship. After switching to half back and kick returner when he attended what was then East Contra Costa Junior College (which became DVC in 1958), Grover was named First Team All-League. During his time at DVC, Grover scored three touchdowns in a spectacular game against the San Jose State freshman team: a four-yard run, a 21-yard reception and an 80-yard punt return. He was a walk-on for the University of California, Berkeley team in 1957 and 1958, later earning a scholarship. Grover also belongs to a rarified group; as a junior he played in the very last Rose Bowl appearance by Cal. In that storied game against Iowa on New Year’s Day 1959, Grover had four carries for 32 yards, one reception for 31 yards, and nine tackles as a defensive back in the loss to Iowa. Grover’s name still appears in the Pac-10 record books for a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown against Washington State in 1959. He was the top player at Cal for punt returns and kickoff returns in 1959, averaging 17.1 and 23 yards respectively. That amazing Cal team led by quarterback Joe Kapp also beat Stanford two years in a row. Grover was selected to play in the 1959 East-West Shrine Game at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, led by quarterback Don Meredith, later to be a Dallas Cowboys player and Monday Night Football TV commentator. Following his Cal years, Grover tried out as a free agent for the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960 and played in four preseason exhibition games. Coaching became Grover’s occupation following Cal; five years at Berkeley High and a total of nine years at Merritt College in Oakland for football; four years as head track and cross country coach at College of Alameda, two years coaching golf at Merritt, where his men’s team won the Northern California championship, and 16 years of women’s basketball at Merritt prior to his retirement in 2001.
Football
If there’s a gene for Panther football talent, then Jim Boccio, Jr. inherited it, and passed it on. His father, Jim Boccio, Sr. was Antioch High’s co-MVP in 1942 and son Brian continued the tradition as MVP of the 1992 Antioch High team. Jim Jr. was the top back in 1969 earning the prestigious AHS Ron Pritchard Award, later on earning MVP at Diablo Valley College in 1971. Jim was named First Team All-DVAL in high school, scoring 10 touchdowns his senior year, placing him at fourth in the league with his overall total of 62 points. One of his best performances was in the 20-0 shutout of Pittsburg in the 1969 “Big-LIttle Game,” where he scored two TDs and intercepted a pass to end Antioch’s 22-year losing streak in the historic cross-town rivalry. The NorCal Chapter of the National Football Foundation awarded Jim one of its scholarships and Fitzpatrick Chevrolet named him the top high school athlete in the county in 1969-1970. When not playing football, Jim earned an overall MVP award in track for his performance in the hurdles, long jump, sprints and relays. Jim was a walk-on player at the University of Southern California and played three games with the freshman team. He came back home for his sophomore year and attended Diablo Valley College where his 14 interceptions earned recognition as the Golden Gate Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1971. Jim’s amazing performance at DVC - #1 in the nation in total return yardage for interceptions, kickoffs and punt returns - gained notice from Utah State University, which lured him away with a full scholarship. He played for Utah’s 9-2 “Team of the Century” in 1972 and is credited with 45 tackles (20 solo and 25 assists). A broken collarbone caused Jim to redshirt in 1973, but he was back and running in 1974. Jim left Utah with some amazing football experiences and two degrees; a B.A. in zoology and M.A. in biology. He later earned a doctoral degree from San Francisco in podiatry. He helped coach AHS football in 1990 - 2002 and currently has a practice as a podiatrist in Antioch.
Baseball
Baseball skills emerged early for Larry Hopwood. The 1970 Antioch High graduate was already a Babe Ruth All-Star by the age of 15. The Panther Junior Varsity squad clearly benefitted from having the lefty on the team - it won the Diablo Valley Athletic League championship in both 1968 and 1969 under Coach Babe Atkinson. His varsity Antioch High squad, coached by Bill Snelson, won first in the DVAL in 1970 - a team inductee into the Sports Legends Hall this year. By his senior year, Larry was batting .386, the second highest in the league, and had 22 hits, which also led the DVAL. Larry, along with team mate Mike Lucido, were the only players in the DVAL to have more than 20 hits in a season - a statistic that put them far ahead of the 11th best batter in the league - future major league baseball star Kiko Garcia, who then played for Ygnacio Valley. Those batting stats earned the first baseman a berth on the league’s First Team in 1970, and later, a spot on the Antioch High All-Decade Baseball Team for 1961-1970. The Antioch Ledger selected Larry for the All-East County team, a designation that was the personal choice of the paper’s sports editor, who picked the cream of the crop among Pacifica, Pittsburg, Liberty and Antioch high schools. Larry continued playing baseball at Diablo Valley College in 1971-72 and then for the semi-pro American Realty-sponsored team of 1973-74. He also helped organize and played in the Antioch Merchant semi-pro league between 1975 and 1978. Larry remained in Antioch, working as a police officer and playing on the city police force’s bronze and silver medal-winning softball team that competed in the California Police Olympics.
Coach
He was a diminutive man with a big impact on his players. An ode written by Keith Broaders just after Marv Comstock’s passing in 1995 described the Antioch coach’s personality as “gentle as a pit bull and subtle as a shark.” Marv, an Antioch High 1949 graduate, learned all about football at the knee of one of Antioch’s most revered coaches, Jack Danilovich, and was a JV player when future NFL pros Gino Marchetti and Duane Putnam put the Panthers on the map as AHS varsity team stars. After a year at Fibreboard following high school, Marv spent four years in the Navy, then graduated from San Francisco State College (now University) and was promptly hired as prep coach at St. Vincent’s High. His Vallejo team had a 20-5 record over three years with an undefeated season in 1960 - the first of three teams to achieve a perfect record under Marv. Antioch’s School Board was wise to select the Panther alumni from among 40 applicants as a head coach in 1970, as the local paper pointed out. Marv’s resume listed a coaching record of 56 -16 in basketball; 49 -11 in track (which included two championships) and a dazzling 75-9-1 in wrestling, with two league titles in four years. Marv’s abrasive “field general” style kept his players focused during his three-decade, 98 -18 -1 football coaching career at four prep schools; nine years in Antioch, two years in Vallejo, three years in Walnut Creek and three years at Concord High, where Marv was the first varsity line coach in football and head wrestling coach when the school opened in 1966. The flat-top wearing Marv stood head and shoulders below his long-haired 1970s teen players, pushing Panther football teams to “Get up and strive to win.” Marv’s decade-long tenure with the Panthers produced an amazing 81 wins, 16 losses and 7 titles. However, his proudest achievement was never losing to Pittsburg, he said in an interview in 1982, a year after his retirement from teaching and coaching.
Baseball
“Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today; Look at me, I can be, Centerfield.” Mike Lucido is the living embodiment to the lyrics from that John Fogerty hit song. His centerfield play for the Antioch High Panthers put the eager athlete on the Diablo Valley Athletic League First Team as a junior in 1970, and again as a senior in 1971. That 1970 season resulted in a batting average of .362, which was sixth highest in the league, 19 RBI’s in 16 league games and two grand-slam homers, the last of which was against College Park for the league title, turning a 3-6 loss into a 7-6 win. As a junior, Mike was second in the DVAL for total hits - 21 - one of only two players to top 20 hits that season. Running nine places behind him in 11th place was Ygnacio Valley senior Kiko Garcia who went on to a nine-year MLB career. By his senior year Mike had cracked the magic number and upped his batting average to .415, earning the DVAL title, and led his teammates as a captain. This 1971 performance was even better than the stats which earned Mike a spot on the AHS All-Decade team as a junior. As a freshman at Diablo Valley College, Mike was named to the All-Conference Second Team, and was the Vikings’ Most Improved Player. His second year at DVC showed continued improvement for the leadoff batter, with Mike raising his average to .365, up from the .324 he batted as a college freshman. Mike moved on to play at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1973, where a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter wrote that the lefty outfielder is “a definite pro prospect,” who was offered a contract by the Philadelphia Phillies during both seasons he played for the Rebels. While in Las Vegas, Mike had a .385 average, which included six doubles, six triples and a home run. When Mike returned home to Antioch, he played for the semi-pro Antioch Realtors Team.
All-Around Athlete
Antioch residents might recognize the late Nick Rodriguez as the namesake of the town’s community center on F Street. Nick was the city’s long-serving Parks and Recreation Commissioner, former Mayor and City Council member. What many newer residents may not know is that Rodriguez possessed superior athletic skills as a 6’2”, 190-pound high school student. The 1946 Antioch High graduate scored 10 touchdowns for the Panthers as a senior. His team was the highest scoring high school football team in California in 1945 and was inducted into the Antioch Sports Legends’ hall for its inaugural 2007 year. Besides football, Nick was the outstanding AHS basketball player of 1945-46, earning All-County for two years, and scored 120 points in his last seven games. He ran several track and field events; high and low hurdles, 100-yard dash, 220-yard dash, long jump, discus and anchor in the 440-yard relay for the Panthers. Former Pittsburg High Coach Andy De Stefano is quoted in Nick’s newspaper obituary as saying the “gentle giant” was “Antioch’s greatest all-around athlete ever.” As did many young men during W.W.II, Nick joined the Navy in his senior year, playing first string basketball on the U.S.S. Shangri-La. He returned home after two years and attended Modesto Junior College where he earned All Nor-Cal in football, played basketball and ran track. Crunching quarterbacks didn’t end in high school and college, as Nick continued playing with the Antioch Hornets, the local semi-pro football team that was active from 1950-1955. Following graduation, Nick settled in for a 45-year career at one of Antioch’s largest employers, Fibreboard (later Gaylord Container). During his free time, Nick co-founded the Antioch Quarterback Club Junior Football League in the 1950s and the Antioch Bocce Ball Federation, serving as its first president.
Track
Pat Zech’s legacy is nearly 60 feet long; that’s the shot put distance he almost cleared in his senior year at Antioch High in 1974. His 59’ 10 1/2” throw still stands in the Panther record book. Pat’s fantastic shot toss came right when it counted - during the California Interscholastic Federation finals, making him only the second athlete from Antioch to ever place in the top five in the state in the 56-year history of the CIF meet and the first Panther to make state finals twice. In June 1974, Pat was named to the All Nor-Cal Track and Field team - the only DVAL athlete chosen - and was voted as East Bay Athlete of the Year, picked by sportswriters and coaches. Pat was Outstanding Athlete of the 1974 AHS Invitational and the 1973-74 Fitzpatrick Chevrolet Super Sport of the Year. Pat became the 1974 Antioch High Athlete of the Year and was named a high school All-America in football, as well as being recognized by Who’s Who of High School Athletes nationwide. Local sportswriter Rich Waters said Pat was “the greatest athlete to come out of Antioch High in many years.” Besides his record-setting shot put performance, he placed sixth in California in wrestling and won several other competitions in the heavyweight division. Pat was All-DVAL, All-East Bay and All-Nor Cal in football. He turned down a full-ride offer to play at Notre Dame and accepted a football scholarship to the University of Arizona. Pat’s prowess didn’t end in the gym or on the field, he also carried a 3.6 GPA and was president of the Panther Block A Society. Pat was named California’s Outstanding Recruit for the “Devil Pups” program, a nonprofit organization that trains 600 high school students each year in Camp Pendleton, Calif. He lettered in football his freshman and sophomore years of college at UA, but was permanently sidelined with ankle and knee injuries in spring training.
Golf
Golf may be the only sport in which players can improve with age. Living proof for that claim is Bob Heaton. As a senior at Antioch High School, he helped the Panther golf team to an undefeated season in 1957, playing alongside teammate Wayne Sleppy, a 2008 Sports Legends inductee. Five decades later, Bob has built an amateur golfing career that may never be matched by another local player.The Antioch native was born in 1939 on Texas Street in a house his father built. Bob graduated from DVC in 1960, then joined the U.S. Army in 1961, stationed in Japan. During his stint in uniform, he won numerous tournaments, including the U.S. Army Pacific, and then represented the Army in Atlanta in 1964, in a tournament won by Bob’s roommate Orville Moody, who became a U.S. Open Winner in 1969. After the Army, Bob built a career as a successful Antioch real estate broker while simultaneously building his resume of golfing accomplishments. He won Antioch and Pittsburg city tournaments multiple times and was the 1966 Northern California Golf Association Public Links champion. Bob turned professional at age 50 to join the Senior Tour, then returned to amateur status when he was 55. Since then he’s played in two USGA Senior Opens, seven USGA Senior Amateur Tournaments between 1997-2004 and two British Senior Amateurs. Playing against Bob in those tournaments were golf legends like Jack Nicklaus, J.C. Sneed, Gary Player, “ChiChi” Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino. Bob has personally played with Alan Gieberger, Bob Murphy and Ray Floyd. The year 2000 was an endurance contest; Bob played in 49 events, placing in 27 of them and winning eight, earning the nickname “California Ironman” from USGA magazine. That year Bob earned his second NCGA Player of the Year honor (he also won in 1999) and set a record for points earned with 933. Bob has won more than 100 tournaments in his career, among them; NCGA Public Links and Senior Championship, Northern California Senior Open, Alameda Commuters, Sacramento City and County, Contra Costa County and six father-son tournaments with his son, Rob. Bob continues to play tournament golf and may add even more holes-in-one to his lifetime total of 17.
Softball
Why call it a sports record book, if there’s only one name listed? Powerhouse pitcher Sue Cardinale dominated softball at Antioch High in the 1980s, setting 12 school records. “She was just overpowering” according to the losing coach in the 1986 North Coast Section finals. Sue’s AHS records were; Most Strikeouts in League (132); Most Strikeouts in a season (236); Most Career Strikeouts (361); Most No-Hitters in a Season ( 3); Most Career No-Hitters (7); Most Shut-outs in a Season (8): Most Career Shut-outs (18); Lowest League ERA (.38); Lowest Career ERA (.99); Most League Wins in a Season (14); Most Total Wins in a Season (25) and Fewest League Losses in a season (0). Sue was a three-year varsity player, helping her Panther team, coached by Andria Edwards, reach NCS finals all three years. As a junior she was co-MVP for softball and was named by the Contra Costa Times to its All-East Bay team. She was also all-league in the DVAL due to her 20-6 overall season, which included pitching in three consecutive winning games at North Coast, one of which was a 3-1 defeat of Arcata High, a team going into the semi-finals with a 24-0 season. It was during her senior year of 1986 that Sue began to strike fear into the hearts of batters who faced her - especially the 132 she struck out during the perfect 14-0 league season. She had three no-hitters, seven one-hitters and 25 total wins for the year that culminated in an NCS championship against an unlikely opponent - Pittsburg, both east county teams having made it to the playoffs out of a field of 149 high schools. Sue’s pitching prowess was confirmed in the first NCS semi-finals game: a perfect 14-0 win against Alameda achieved in five innings. She went on to pitch a total of 31 scoreless innings at the 1986 NCS playoffs, gave up only eight hits and struck-out 40 batters, finishing with a 25-2 total senior record and a combined record of 45 wins and 8 losses over her last two prep years. Sue earned East Bay Softball Player of the Year, presented to her by baseball great Joe Morgan; DVAL Softball Player of the Year (as a junior and senior) as well as being named the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune’s Softball Player of the Year as a senior. When not pitching for AHS, Sue played on a traveling team with the American Softball Association which took second in the nation. But softball wasn’t Sue’s first love, it was horses. The high-achiever was a Junior Grand National Champion while she was barely out of elementary school. Her awards for riding include Pacific Coast and Northern California championships. But it was softball that earned Sue a scholarship to play at the National Top-20 ranked University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she was a four-year starter, earning an MVP in her senior year. Her record performances remain in the top 10 at UOP: Pitching Appearances (103), Games Started as a Pitcher (90), Innings Pitched (670), Most Strikeouts (318) and 7th overall for her ERA of 1.30. Following her graduation in 1991, Sue continued her education at the University of San Francisco where she earned a B.S. in nursing.
Community Sports Leader
Antioch High’s Eells Field was officially named in 1957 to honor a man who brought football prominence to this then tiny Delta town in the 1920s. In a plaque dedicated by the Antioch Rotary Club, Dutch Eells is called “a builder of men.” Walter Herbert Eells was born in 1898 in Nebraska and settled in San Diego where he attended high school. He was recruited to the University of California, Berkeley and played football between 1918 -1920 and baseball in 1920. Dutch was a member of the undefeated “Wonder Team” that wiped out Ohio State 28-0 to earn Cal’s first Rose Bowl victory in 1920. The “Wonder Team” earned its nickname for trouncing Northern California rival St. Mary’s 127-0 and its overall season scoring of 537-14. Dutch settled in Antioch after college to work at Fibreboard, where he had a 40-year career, and began grooming a community football team whose dominance would overshadow the accomplishments of his Cal teammates. In 1957, a newspaper writer marveled at the ability of Antioch - a town of not quite 4,000 residents - to produce enough talent to beat college teams and go up against pro squads in the fledging NFL when it was common for the early pro teams to take on amateur challengers. Eells’s Antioch American Legion team was made up of talented young men who thrived under Dutch’s leadership from 1924-1937: 87 wins, 16 losses and 6 ties, with a total score of 2,223 points to their opponents’ 503. The team eventually disbanded due to lack of willing adversaries - “a victim of its superiority.” Eells’s volunteer coaching of Antioch High varsity football for five years resulted in two league titles - quite a feat since the 1928 team had only 13 players. The modest Eells received many offers to coach professionally, including as Cal head coach, but preferred staying in Antioch. While here, he led the crusade for a city park and is responsible for Contra Costa County’s first lighted football field, at what is now Antioch Middle School at 18th and D streets. Eells, who died in 1970, was described by sportswriters of his time as “the best defensive coach in the country.”
1970 ANTIOCH HIGH BASEBALL TEAM
FRONT ROW, L to R: Mike Lucido, Vic Thornhill, Art Acosta, Larry Hopwood, Dan Tuck, Bruce Moar, Alan Brown, Vern Martin
BACK ROW: Coach Snelson, John Beaudin, Junior Grant, Gary Sheide, Dave Tassell, Harold Turley, Greg Glod, Greg Sheide, Manager Kyle Kline (Steve Parks, not pictured)