Del Norte gets Hall of Fame

Tonight, Nova will talk about the hall of fame efforts at the Del Norte County Unified School District Board meeting.

Friday night during halftime of  the Del Norte-Arcata varsity football game, the initial inductees will be honored.

Del Norte is the last of the Big 5 Conference schools to have a hall of fame.

“Over the years there has been talk of getting this started but no one stepped up and took on the challenge,” Nova said. He said that recently he decided it was time “to get something done.”

Dick Trone, a ’51 Del Norte High grad and former Warrior football coach, is a member of the hall of fame committee and helped in the selection process.

Trone, who writes a weekly column in The Triplicate about Warrior sports history, said he is pleased the hall of fame is about to become a reality.

“Lewis said ‘Let’s quit talking and do something,”’ Trone said, commending Nova for getting the ball rolling. “I think it’s important to recognize our past so students now and in the future are aware of our history.”

The selection committee eventually will expand to include more community members, Nova said.

The committee will also look at ways to display the Warrior Hall of Fame. This could include plaques with photos and information in a school hallway or the  gym, Nova said.

That will be discussed at the same time a committee meets to discuss the second round of inductees next year,  Nova said.

The first-round inductees include:

• Bill Sullivan, 1954–1958. Sullivan, who died last May, was a well-known figure among Del Norte fans. Sullivan was a three-year letterman in football and a two-time White Star selection.

Sullivan earned a full-ride football scholarship to Oregon State University and was the backup quarterback to Terry Baker, who won a Heisman Trophy. Sullivan returned to Crescent City, helping in local youth sports, and was a longtime business owner.

• Jennifer (Anderson) Larson, 1989–1993. A superb athlete in three sports, Larson  played varsity volleyball and was a three-time MVP and four-year White Star selection. She earned a full ride scholarship in volleyball to the University of Colorado and currently assists the Warrior volleyball squad as a coach.

In high school Larson earned 12 White Stars in track and field and set county records in the high jump and the 4x400-meter relay. She also played basketball for three years.

• Matt Kelley, 1954–1958. The late Kelley was a three-year varsity letterman in football and earned two White Stars. He also lettered in wrestling and track and field.

At Humboldt State University he was a four-year football starter on defense and in 1960 was named first team All-Far West Conference.

• Rupal (Patel) Healy, 1985–1989. She was a two-time White Star in volleyball and played for the varsity team for three years. In softball she also received two White Stars and played two years for the varsity squad. 

• Blaine Lopez, 1983–1987. Lopez was the starting Warrior quarterback for three seasons,  was named a White Star twice and won a league MVP award.

He also played both basketball and baseball and earned a White Star in each sport. At College of the Redwoods in Eureka he was a standout quarterback and this year was named to the CR Hall of Fame.

He later played football for two years at St. Mary’s of the Plains in Dodge City, Kan.  Lopez is also well known as a Warrior coach.  For several years he was offensive coordinator for the varsity football team, as well as head coach for the varsity basketball team, which he guided to Big 5 Conference titles in 2006 and 2008.

• Norman Giddings, 1966-1970. He played two years for the varsity football team and was a two-year White Star. He also lettered in basketball and wrestling.

• Ben McClure, 1992-1996.   Nova coached McClure and described him as a “hard-nosed running back.” In 1995 he was named co-MVP of the Big 5 and earned two White Stars. He went on to play football at Humboldt State. He also played basketball for the Warriors.

• Charles Mathews, 1957-1961. Mathews was known as an elite football player for the Warriors and went on to play the sport at San Francisco State. In high school he also competed in track and basketball.

For several years Mathews coached football for the varsity and JV teams at Del Norte. He spent 32 years at the high school as a special education teacher. 

Nova said the group of initial inductees is only the start.

“Let’s get this started and build on it,” he said. “This is going to be a yearly thing.”