19th class inducted to IVFCA Hall of Fame
HOLTVILLE — The Imperial Valley Football Coaches Association held its annual Hall of Fame ceremony at the Swiss Club here on Saturday night, welcoming 34 new inductees to the all-time list.
Saturday’s event marked the 19th annual ceremony for the association, which was well attended by honorees, coaches and other community members.
A total of 31 former players were included in this year’s class, along with three other inductees: Central Union High former head coach David Gloria, Holtville High former head coach Kevin Bird and Calipatria High booster Frank Perez.
IVFCA Co-President Craig Lyon expressed his appreciation to the participating high schools as they form the committees that select each year’s honorees as well as the Swiss Club for hosting.
“We change the location each year and tend to keep coming back here,” Lyon said. “They’re always supportive of the event.”
The induction ceremony spanned decades of local football. The first inductee was from the 1930s in Calexico High’s Charles Stinson, and the last was from the 2000s in Southwest High’s Michael Dukes.
Each inductee present had an opportunity to address the dozens in attendance, with many electing to thank their coaches and former teammates.
Tom Nussbaum, a Central High inductee from the 1960s, thanked his legendary coach Cal Jones and recounted his time as Spartan, which included playing only a few downs his freshman season to helping Central win league his senior year.
“I’ll treasure this forever,” Nussbaum said with a smile.
While some attendees were able to accept their awards in person, others were received by family members.
Rauna Fox accepted the IVFCA plaque on behalf of her brother, Brian Fox, an inductee from the 1990s.
Rauna explained how her family had suffered the passing of her brother a few years ago and recalled how much he enjoyed playing football.
“He bled blue and white until the day he died,” she said of the Central grad. “Thank you for honoring him. I know it would have meant the world and been very special to him.”