Page 9 - Mid Valley Times 4-30-20 E-edition

Sanger High's Hall of Fame inductees
MVT Staff Report
The banquet for this year's induc- tion ceremony into Sanger High's Hall of Fame, originally scheduled for May 2, has been postponed until further no- tice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To honor them, Mid Valley Times will be running profiles of this year's in- ductees over the comings weeks.
Jack Tiftick
Coaches Jack Tiftick and Del Be- shore complete this year’s class. Jack Tiftick coached 28 years of aquatics and water polo during his long teach- ingcareeratSangerHigh. Histeams wonconsecutive leaguechampion- ships in aquatics from 1958 through
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Several Emperors will miss out on City-County football game
Jack Tiftick
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Verne Horton, a former baseball coach at Reedley Col- lege and member of the RC Athletic Hall of Fame, died on April 22 in Southern California at the age of 94.
Horton coached the Tigers from 1950-56 and led the team to three championships, includ- ing an undefeated season in 1951. He coached the Tigers’ football team for three seasons as well, and became a career educator that included time as a vice principal and principal at Reedley High School before moving to Southern California in 1972.
Horton was inducted into the RC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001; that year joining two of his former players in Jack McBride and Henry “Hank” Vasques. In a 2001 interview with the Reedley Exponent, he told of his excitement in being inducted.
“It’s really an honor for me to be considered with the likes of [HOF members] J.R. Boone, Babe Danielson and Shirley Gustafson,” he said. In addi- tion to all the star Tiger play- ers Horton coached, he also had an opportunity to coach Gustafson — who went on to a Hall of Fame coaching career in volleyball — on the Reedley
Comets women’s softball team. Horton was a World War II veteran, serving in the Marines. After his military duty, the San Bernardino native played base- ball at the University of Cali- fornia in Berkeley. While there, he was a relief pitcher for the Golden Bears as they won the first College World Series title in 1947. They beat a Yale team in the final that featured first baseman and former president
George H.W. Bush.
Horton’s shot at a profes-
sional baseball career was de- railed by an arm injury, but af- ter graduation from Cal at age 25 he came to Reedley to start his coaching career. In addition to coaching the Tigers to titles in 1951, ‘53 and ‘54, Horton and equipment manager Fred Pre- heim worked to build the col- lege’s baseball diamond. In the 2001 Exponent article, the two received help on angles and el- evations for the new field from the RC math department. In ad- dition, legendary Fresno State baseball coach Pete Beiden gave advice on what kind of grass to plant.
Horton also lettered in foot- ball at Cal, and he coached the Tigers for three seasons includ- ing a 7-4 record in 1955.
“Looking back, I really wish I had stuck it out with football — playing and coaching,” he
said in the 2001 article. “It’s more of a challenge to coach football. There’s a lot more a coach can affect on the field during a game.”
After Reedley College, Horton moved over to work with the Kings Canyon Unified School District. Both his son John (Class of 1964) and daugh- ter Deby (Class of 1970) were Reedley High graduates.
Horton was a USMC Staff Sergeant, radio waist gunner in World War II. Deby Anderson said her father flew 43 missions and was awarded with the Dis- tinguished Flying Cross Medal.
The first plane Horton flew on was a B25 in training, and his final flight came in 2017 when he flew in a restored B25 at the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing in Camarillo. The flight was recorded in an episode of The Weapon Hunter television show called “The Big Bad B25.” Horton also was among military members hon- ored at a Veterans Day Celebra- tion in Menifee in 2019.
Survivors include his son and daughter, two stepdaugh- ters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His first wife, Naydene, was well known in the Reedley commu- nity during the family’s years in the area. She died in 2008. Marlyn, Horton’s second wife of
40-plus years, died in 2017. Anderson said her father was a “teacher until the end” with numerous success stories of programs he developed dur-
Verne Horton
ing his educational career. She said students constantly invit- ed him to college graduations, reunions, and other milestone events.
“He has said over and over that he had a good life with few regrets,” Anderson said. “He was a good man in many ways.”
Anderson said her father asked that anyone wishing to make donations to the B25/PBJ Project can do so by sending to CAF SoCal Wing, PBJ Project, 455 Aviation Drive, #9501, Ca- marillo CA 93010.
Del Beshore
lost to eventual state champion Bakers- field Foothill 64-58. The 1988 team was the last Sanger team to win a champion- ship when they cap- tured the NYL Na- tional division title.
1968, including Sec- tion championships in 1958, 1964, and 1966, an unprecedented eleven year record of success that has nev- er been duplicated in any other sport at any time at Sanger High.
Former RC baseball coach, Hall of Famer Horton dies at 94
His teams also dominated league water polo, winning section champi- onships in 1966 and 1967. He can be described as the “father of aquatics programs” at Sanger High.
Del Beshore
Del Beshore rejuvenated the boys’ basketball program beginning in 1985. He coached for 12 years, winning 154 games. His 1987 team was the first to advance to a Valley Championship game, where they
He went on to coach at Fresno Pacific University. His coaching “tree” in- cludes present Sanger High Coach Al Alvarado, along with other area coaches and athletic administrators at Roosevelt, Bullard, and Clovis North high schools. This is Coach Beshore’s fourth hall of fame induc- tion, following his own high school in Pennsylvania, California University of Pennsylvania, and the Sanger High basketball hall of fame.
Photos by Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
MVT Staff Report
On Monday, April 27, it was announced that Fresno's annual City-County All Star Football Game, scheduled for June 19, has been cancelled due to the CO- VID-19 pandemic.
According to Dinuba High head football coach Carlos Barajas, several Emperors were nominated by their teammates for the game. They included quarterback Josh Magaña (far left), defensive line- man Johnny Garcia (left), wide receiver Bryan Campbell, defensive back Ronnie Rubalcaba, linebacker Ethan Espinoza, wide receivers Cristobal Ramos and Ga- briel Moreno, kicker Cesar Lopez and punter Jorge Duran.
Reedley High wrestlers and coaches posed with the Manning Melee trophy on Jan. 30 after capturing back the annual award given to the winner of the Reedley-Orange Cove High dual match.
Reedley High’s Esther Villa and Yael Ocampo (kneeling, from left) had award-winning performances for the Pirate girls at the Santa Paula Tournament in early January. Reed- ley finished second in that tournament, and went on to capture the North Yosemite League team title.
Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Contributed photo
Reedley High wrestlers claimed 11 individual league titles
MVT Staff Report
The Reedley High Pirates collected 11 North Yosemite League individual champi- onships in varsity wrestling during 2019-2020 — three by the boys and eight by the first place girls team.
Sophomore Phillip Arroyo posted a 33-14 record, captur- ing both league and Central Section Division 4 crowns at 134 pounds. He came within one spot of qualifying for the CIF State Meet in Bakersfield. Teammates Ethan Anderson (126 pounds) and Gabriel Ba-
dilla (160) both won league titles, helping the Pirates to a fourth place NYL finish in early February at Reedley High gym.
In addition, Reedley had second place finishers in Efrain Ortiz (138) and Max Saucedo (195) while Roger
Panabang (145) and Quince Quintana (170) finished in third place.
Senior Esther Villa led the Pirates girls team, going 34-13 on the season with 29 pins while placing fifth in the Grand Masters meet at 160 pounds. Joining Villa as league
champions were Alexis Tristan (111 pounds), Rocio Andrade (116), Kilie Giglio (121), Joce- lyn Barrera (131), Alicia Garza (143), Vanessa Mora (17) and Estefani Gonzalez (235). Sec- ond place finishers were Yael Ocompo (101), Danha Cruz (137) and Valeria Lemus (189).