Harris, pioneer of coverage, leads S.F. Hall nominees
Longtime San Francisco Examiner sports writer Merv Harris is among nine people who will be honored at the 35th San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame Awards banquet on May 20 at the Spanish Cultural Center.
Harris was a high school sports pioneer, covering kids and teams with flair from the early 1970s until his passing at age of 67 in 2005.
He worked for the Examiner from 1973-99 and after his retirement continued to contribute articles to The Chronicle and other publications.
“I think it’s safe to say that Merv was the most influential high school writer in the Bay Area for a quarter century,” said former Examiner and Chronicle Sports Editor Glenn Schwarz. “At the Examiner he established extensive regional sports coverage in the 1970s that carried through the paper’s merger with The Chronicle in 2000 and continues to this day in the Sporting Green.”
At the time of Harris’ death, De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur recalled Harris’ personal approach.
“He just didn’t cover the kids or want sound bites from them,” Ladouceur said. “He knew who they were, where they were from, and got to know a little about their parents. He broke the mold that way. He knew the kids were people also.”
It’s likely that Harris covered many of the athletes and coaches who will be inducted in May. The other inductees:
Armando “Monty” Consani (Riordan football, 1964-67): An All-Northern California lineman for Riordan’s first championship team, Consani also earned Little All-America honors at Cal State Hayward.
Ernie Evans (Balboa baseball,
1953-56): Now deceased, Evans was a three-time AllCity standout, earning firstteam honors both as a pitcher and first baseman.
Paul Giambra (Galileo baseball, basketball, soccer,
1962-65): A three-year All-City baseball player, Giambra was All-Far West Conference at Nevada in 1967 and 1968.
Jessica Huang (Lowell swimming, 1998-2002): A fourtime AAA champion she broke league records in three events. She was the Lowell Athlete of the Year in 2002.
Dean Maye (Balboa basketball 1976-78): The three-year standout was AAA Player of the Year in 1978, leading Balboa to a league title. Also coached successful Balboa teams in the 1990s, implementing the “Jet” offense.
Georgia Onyemem (Sacred Heart Cathedral basketball, track and field, 2001-05): The four-year basketball standout was WCAL MVP as a senior, earning a scholarship to Loyola Marymount.
Barbara Prata (Lowell tennis coach, 1971-97): Led Lowell to 19 AAA championships.
Stan Rubin (Lowell football, baseball, track and field,
1957-60): Now deceased, Rubin was All-City in football and baseball, and also stood out on the track. His twin brother Steve was inducted last year.
Tickets for the event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. (dinner at 6:30) are $60. For more information contact Gary Bader at (415) 260-8027. MaxPreps senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for The Chronicle.