Antioch Sports Legends

Our docent today is Hall of Fame wrestling coach and athlete Steve Sanchez.

Steve has the distinction of being inducted as a wrestler in the inaugural Hall of Fame Class of 2007, as the Antioch High head wrestling coach for the 1984 North Coast Section Champions and the 1988 California State Championship team and also as a team member of the 1966 AHS football team!

From Steve’s ASL 2007 bio, after college, Steve began his coaching career at Merced High School and then came home to Antioch. He is the only coach in the state to have led two different high schools to California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships. Steve’s highest recognition was being named the United States Wrestling Federation Coach of the Year in 1980, an honor that encompasses all prep, college and open club teams in the United States. His other coaching honors include: National High School Athletic Coaches’ Association Regional Coach of the Year (1982 and 1987), California Coaches’ Association High School Wrestling Coach of the Year (1982 and 1987), Big C Athletic Club Coach of the Year (1987) and induction into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.

Read Steve’s bio, https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/inductee/steve-sanchez/

Antioch Sports Legends
1500 W 4th Street, Antioch, CA

OPEN Wednesday and Saturdays
1-4 PM Admission is FREE!

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In remembrance of Antioch Sports Legends 2012 Community Leader recipient Edward “Ed” Burke, he was born on June 4, 1910. Ed passed away February 26, 1982. Ed, known as Mr. Baseball, took the initiative to start Babe Ruth in 1956 and served as the league president for eleven years and in 1960 formed a traveling team sponsored by the Antioch American Legion Harding-Noia Post #161.

Our warm regards to his only surviving son Edward on his father’s birthday remembrance.

To read Ed’s ASL Bio, https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/inductee/ed-burke/

In Memory of Edward Richard Burke,
https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/inductee/ed-burke/

Today’s Sports Legends Hall of Fame docent is Vince Mutulo, the proud father of an accomplished wrestling family, Sons Dominic and Derric are members of the ASL HOF 2024 Outstanding Team—the AHS 2004-2005 Wrestling Team! Dominic is also the ASL HOF 2022 Wrestling inductee.

Dominic and team captured team titles for both the individual North Coast Section as well as the first ever NCS Class 2A East Bay Team Dual Wrestling Championships. Mutulo was named Antioch High School Male Athlete of the Year, BVAL Wrestler of the Year, and was selected as one of the Top 50 Male Prep Athletes of the Year by the Contra Costa Times.

There’s plenty of sports history to see! Stop by and say hi to Vince, he’s happy to answer questions, give you a tour, or chat about wrestling.

Photos: Vince Mutulo having just installed another TV, Sons Dominic and Derric at the 2024 Gala

Read Dominic Mutulo’s bio, https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/indu.../dominic-mutulo/

Read about the HOF Class of 2024 Team AHS 2004-2005 Wrestling Team https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/.../ahs-2004-2005.../

Antioch Sports Legends
1500 W 4th Street, Antioch

OPEN
Wednesdays and Saturdays!
1-4 PM Admission is FREE!

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A look back at La’Sha Hill Class of 2021 Track & Field!

La’Sha Hill’s Deer Valley High School shot put achievements are many. She was a 2-time first team All-League performer, 2-time NCS-III-A champion and 2-time 2nd place finisher at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions. The MOC placing qualified her for trips to the CIF State Track and Field Championship meet in both her junior and senior years. Her throw of 43’ 1 ¼” at MOC not only qualified for the State Meet but set a mark that only one other Deer Valley female thrower has bettered since 2002.

In her senior year after a 10th place finish at the High School State Meet, La’Sha became a “Lady Bulldog” after accepting a full ride scholarship offer from Cal State University, Fresno.

At Fresno State she would exemplify what it means to be a student athlete combining not only superb athletic skills but academic awards to match. She would start her career by being named the Fresno State’s Womens Track & Field’s Most Outstanding Freshman. That year she would set a mark of 46’ 11 ¾” which as of 2020 still remains the best ever throw by a freshman woman.

La’Sha was named the FSU Outstanding Field Event Performer in 2004 and received the Coaches Award in 2006. A 3-time NCAA Regional Qualifier with a career best throw of 49’ 4 ¼ “ranks her 6th All-Time in Fresno State history. Not to be forgotten is her discus PR of 158’ 2”

La’Sha didn’t just shine on the track but in the classroom as well. She was on the FSU Dean’s List was named All-Academic Western Athletic Conference and Fresno State Scholar Athlete multiple times during her career at FSU. We tip our hat to La’Sha Hill and congratulate her on exemplifying what it means to be an outstanding student athlete.

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Antioch Sports Legends June General Meeting – Join Us!

You are invited to our next meeting on Wednesday, June 3rd, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, in the Beede Room at the Museum. If you can’t join us in person, we’ll be hosting a virtual option via ZOOM (details below).

Our meetings are short and sweet—never lasting more than an hour. This is a great opportunity to learn about what’s coming up this year and beyond. We’ll also be welcoming new members, so bring a friend! We love fresh ideas, and most importantly, we’re in need of help. Our volunteer numbers have dipped recently, and we’re hoping to revitalize our amazing core of volunteers.

See you in person or on Zoom!

To keep our meeting secure we are using the ZOOM MEETING ROOM FEATURE. Please use your full name when joining the meeting, you may experience a brief delay before you enter the meeting.

Antioch Sports Legends Museum is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Antioch Sports Legends Museum's Zoom Meeting
Time: Jun 3, 2026 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82200047192?pwd=Pcmb9NTVyXyO5sJfrptIaSoaW1iJVD.1

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/82200047192
Meeting ID: 822 0004 7192
Passcode: 802543

Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/82200047192/invitations?signature=iJV3foRxcnZEyVOcqV1OCWhtzrkVS1M4kVowUdT_yDY

On May 31, 2014, the 1962 Panther Basketball Team reunited to celebrate Coach Thayer Johnson’s 85th birthday.

This photo shows the starting five of the Antioch High School 1962 basketball team celebrating their coach, Thayer Johnson’s, 85th birthday. Left to right: Jerome Circo, Ron Morelli, Butch Rounsaville, Thayer Johnson, Gerald Circo, and Bogie Edwards. This was the first time that all of the players and coach had been together at the same time in 52 years. The event was held at the Rossmoor Golf Course clubhouse on May 31, 2014.

On February 2, 1962, this team snapped a 34-game, 17-year losing streak to Pittsburg with a 56-52 win. It was the first time that an AHS basketball team had ever beaten Pittsburg on its home court. Prior to this game, the last Antioch win over Pittsburg occurred on January 19, 1945. The team finished with a 15-8 record and placed second in the DVAL. Rounsaville was the unanimous choice for All-DVAL and was the league scoring champion. Jerome Circo and Bogie Edwards were voted honorable mention All-League. Morelli, Edwards, Rounsaville, and Gerald Circo have all been inducted into the ASL Hall of Fame. The Circo Brothers were inducted into the Chico State University Hall of Fame.

Coach Thayer Johnson passed away on July 23, 2015. His obituary can be viewed here: https://www.legacy.com/.../name/thayer-johnson-obituary...

Ron “Bogie” Edwards passed away on April 23, 2025. His ASL bio can be viewed here: https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/inductee/ron-bogie-edwards/

Today’s Antioch Sports Legends docent is Josh Keene, ’97 Antioch High grad and hard-hitting linebacker from the 1996 Panther football team that advanced to the North Coast Section Playoffs.

Josh is looking forward to meeting you, offering a guided tour, and sharing stories from Antioch’s amazing sports history.

Antioch Sports Legends Museum
1500 W 4th Street, Antioch, CA

Open Wednesdays & Saturdays, 1–4 PM
Admission is FREE

Thank you, Josh, for generously volunteering your time!

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Antioch Sports Legends had the honor of welcoming the Cornerstone Christian High School varsity basketball teams to the museum to celebrate an incredible season!

The students-athletes had the opportunity to explore the Sports Legends Hall of Fame—many for the very first time.

We proudly recognized two outstanding teams:

CIF Boys Division III State Champions the Cornerstone Christian HS Boys Team

NorCal Girls Division VI Champions the Cornerstone Christian HS Girls Team

A special thank you to Gary Bras and Kris Del Monte for organizing this memorable event, and to Sports Legends co-founders Tom Menasco and Eddie Beaudin for presenting awards to these talented student-athletes.

Congratulations to Cornerstone Christian High School on a remarkable year—we are proud to celebrate your success and dedication both on and off the court.

Photos: Cornerstone Christian, CIF Boys Div. III State Basketball Champions
Left to right: Alkeise Boddie, Brian McMurtrie, Pierre Tyson, Benjamin Lukacs, Elijah Longstreth, Marijan Kelly, James Perry, Tom Menasco (ASL Co-Founder), Jaden Taylor-West, Head Coach Michael Thomasson, Anthony Thomasson, Eddie Beaudin (ASL Co-Founder), Amari Woodard, Antonio Coleman, Jacob Williams, Ethan Banks. Not pictured: Ryan Seto, Uriah Wade, Ethan Banks, Brian McMurtrie, Asst Coaches Thomas Brown, Tyree Murray, Jaden Shyne, Terrell Woodard.

Cornerstone Christian, Nor Cal Girls Div. VI Champs
Azariah Wiley, Camille Bartolo, Kayli Bertrand, Tom Menasco (ASL Co-Founder), Coach Ariel Jackson, Eddie Beaudin (ASL Co-Founder), Jada Mayse, Danielle Balogun, Sanaa Boykin, Evalyn Mucio, Alexandrea Hall, Kenenna Amajioyi. Not pictured Laila Alexander, Bre’ah Butler, Bri’elle Phillips, Head Coach Madison Alexander.

BRING LITTLE LEAGUE BACK TO ANTIOCH
The community has spoken. People are sharing photos, telling stories, and saying what so many feel: It’s time to bring Little League back. Antioch needs a place where kids can learn to win, lose, grow, and belong. A place that strengthens our high school programs, builds community, and gives our youth something positive to be part of.
If you believe in that vision—or even if you’re just curious—we invite you to join us.

Today May 28 • Antioch High Beede Auditorium• 5:30 PM

Let’s rebuild something meaningful together. Let’s bring Little League back to Antioch.

Six years ago 2008 Hall of Famer Gregory Glod expressed his thoughts on Antioch Little League in the 1960’s.

Several weeks ago some of my dear old friends who I grew up with in Antioch were posting some of their Antioch little league team photos from the mid 1960’s on Facebook. This initialed some great conversation of the fond memories of the years of our youth growing up in that wonderful small town on the Delta. Many people began to join in and there was good spirited banter about who had the best team back in the day, was it the Rockets, Grenades, Chargers, Gladiators Comets, Jets, Kings, Vikings, Fireballs, Spagetts or Sputnik’s. I had to remind them all that it clearly had to be the famous Beswick Bears! I was amazed how special Antioch Little League had remained in the lives and cherished memories of my generation.

We all remember the excitement of the tryouts at the Fairgrounds, the draft day, waiting nervously for the call to see if a team had drafted you, the parade, opening day, the East West playoff, and all of us being bused to Candlestick to see the Giants play on Little League Day. How exciting it all was! I became a Giants fan for life.

What this all made me realize how important Antioch Little League and other youth leagues helped shape our character, through team work, completion, sportsmanship, friendships and a lifelong love for the game. It was clear that it had a great impact on my generation and generations to follow. Fortunately young girls can now also play on those “Fields of Dreams.”

Antioch has always been known as a great sports town as evidenced in our outstanding Sports Legends Hall of Fame. We know of all these great Antioch athletes from many sports over many decades that have been enshrined in the Sports legends. The question is, how did the magnitude of this sports excellence come out of one small California town?

I believe I have the answer to this question. The foundation of this success is directly links to a special group of people. As children, they lived through a great depression, as teenagers they were asked to fight in the greatest of all wars in the Pacific and Europe. They saved our Nation, our culture and world freedom. They fought in a Korean War a Cold War, made the greatest generational advances in science, technology, medicine and put a man on the moon! They deserve every right to be called the “Greatest Generation”!

However, one of their greatest achievements was after returning from a horrific war was how they finally found peace was in raising their families with love, kindness, security, happiness and love. They did all they could to make their community a better place live, they were invested. They did this in towns all across America and they clearly did this in a small town on the Delta called Antioch, because I am a living witness to this fact.

These were the men and women who in started the Antioch Little league. They did this to make our lives happier and develop of love of sports. They provided us with the opportunities they never had. They were the people who worked long hours in the paper, steel, canneries, construction, and chemical factories. After work they were never too tired to work on maintaining and building a new field on evenings and weekends, coaching, supporting and sponsoring to ensure the success of the Antioch Little League and the joy it brought to us all. The Greatest Generation as always did it right and 63 years later Antioch Little League flourishes for all the following generations to enjoy. They too one day will post their little league team photos and share all their wonderful memories etched in their minds forever.

May those wonderful men and women who made this all possible never be forgotten and their memory live on forever.

The 1963 Beswick Bears
Back row left: Jack Parks (Asst. Coach), Greg Glod (HOF 2008) Stan Glod (Asst Coach), Mike Kyle, Mr. Corey (Head Coach)
Middle row left: Mark Springer, Chuck Varner, ??, Steve Parks (HOF 2015) Norm Carey, ??
Front row left: ???, ???. Jeff Parmley, Mike Corey, ???

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Happy Birthday to retired ASL Docent Al Jones! Al has done so much for the Sports Legends program throughout the years. From being a docent, to a father of inductees, to assisting with our inductee display cases and golf tournament volunteer…. The list goes on! We are eternally grateful for his work and friendship. He says he will still be a member of our program. We wish him many years of good health and happiness.

Al is the proud father of sons: Dave Jones, Doug Jones a member of the HOF ‘77 AHS Football Team, and Rich Jones ’75 AHS grad and HOF 2011 All-Around Athlete Inductee.

Happy Birthday Al!!!

To read about Doug Jones and the 1977 ASL HOF Panther Football Team, https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/.../1977-antioch.../

ASL HOF Class of 2011 All Around Athlete Rich Jones, https://www.antiochsportslegends.com/inductee/rich-jones/