ONCE UPON A TIME

Roger Carlson

Welcome to the world’s greatest collection of sports stars, where

these hand-picked blue chips reside in engraved form, taking their place

in a record book for champions, the Daily Pilot’s Sports Hall of Fame,

celebrating the millennium.

Their numbers total 1,003 and I know every reader will be able to

experience a personal celebration with many of his and her favorites from

this Land of Oz - Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar and Newport Beach, here on

the southern shores of golden California.

Collectively, and in singular form, they personify the great common

denominator which most of us enjoy vicariously. Great goals and great

accomplishments in the quest for perfection.

These are the athletes who stirred the imagination with their great

deeds, and the coaches who helped mold them, who not only taught and

refined their skills, but inspired them to heights they may not have

known were possible.

Also, those on the peripheral who have been there to make it happen.

It’s football and basketball, baseball and track and field, and most

all of the sports which are sprinkled throughout the seasons - volleyball

and tennis, water polo and wrestling, golf and many more, as well as a

representation of the boating world, which is so prevalent along these

shores.

Additionally, some longtime residents with credentials just too

distinguished to look past.

As you scan the rolls, think back and visualize.

Remember Vinnie Mulroy and those two deep receptions from Steve Bukich

as Newport Harbor pulled out that memorable 20-17 victory over Loara in

1973?

Remember the bull elephant, Hal Sheflin, mashing everyone in 1942?

Remember Estancia High’s stunning 17-0 run at the outset of the state

championship game en route to the Eagles’ awesome victory in 1991?

Remember the great showdowns in basketball between Estancia and Corona

del Mar? Or Orange Coast’s Jr. Rose Bowl victory in 1963?

Remember Mike Freeman gathering in that memorable pass and scoring to

defeat Servite, 20-15, for the 1994 CIF football title?

Remember the 1969 five-overtime 97-95 Newport Harbor loss to

Westminster in hoops?

Or Costa Mesa’s 3-0 victory over Newport Harbor in football in 1967?

Or Harbor’s 7-0 win over mighty Anaheim in 1963? Or Corona del Mar’s 12-7

win over Edison in 1971?

And for all of those great moments, there was the flip side.

Nobody wins ‘em all, and the stories of heartbreak magnify the success

which brought them to that point.

All of the thousands and thousands of great triumphs are brought back

into focus with this honor roll of the century. We cheered them then. We

cheer them now.

Some 312 of these individuals have been featured in these pages this

past year, and it will continue for the balance of this year, and 2001.

The criteria for this Hall of Fame, for the most part, begins with

All-CIF recognition, or something similar.

Also, there is the matter of impact.

Every starting lineup and every team is a numbers game, and this one

is no different. There are some very deserving, and probably

disappointed, candidates still left in the shoe box, who remain strong

possibilities for down the road once this original series is played out.

So the word “cut” really isn’t a final issue.

And, in an endeavor such as this, there is the subject of cracks. They

are inevitable, but hopefully those shortcomings which may surface will

be accounted for in the not too distant future.

So there you have it.

Read ‘em. Close your eyes and see if you can hear the swish, feel the

impact, grasp the heart-stopper. Or, envision that winning smile.

If you’re a real fan, I know you will be able to do this. Then give

your favorites a call or drop them a line. Tell them you were looking for

them, and that you found them.

Oh, and if you don’t find them in the category you believe they should

be, look around, you might find them under a different banner. Some got

around quite a bit.

They say, you know, that fame is fleeting.

This makes it a little longer.