Greenway’s all-time greatest athletes
Phoenix Greenway
This school had its vintage years in the 1980s, the decade in which all five of the Demons' greatest athletes are found. Another could very well have been listed from the '80s, with distance runner Jeff Cannada setting state records in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in track during his stellar track and cross country careers. The school has long been a baseball mecca producing great athletes, including a World Series champion, and state championships. Basketball, track and field, softball, football and volleyball all had their special moments in Greenway's history. Let's look at the five individuals who mostly stood out during high school and beyond:
1. Tim Salmon, 1986
A talented football player, Salmon was known for placing home run after home run in the neighborhood beyond the left-field fence at Greenway. A right fielder in baseball, he catapulted an exceptional college career into a 14-year Major League career with the Angels, setting a franchise record with 299 career home runs before retiring in 2006. In 2002, he was the American League Comeback Player of the Year and was a key player in the Angels' World Series title, hitting two home runs in Game 2 against the San Francisco Giants and hitting .346 in the series. Today, he is the head baseball coach at Scottsdale Christian
Academy.
2. Mike Salmon, 1989
This is Tim's little brother. He was actually the more versatile athlete of the brothers, showing his skills all over the football field. He was the team's top wide receiver, safety, kicker and punter. He was The Arizona Republic's Male Athlete of the Year his senior year, starring also in baseball. Maybe his greatest football game came in 1988 against Brophy Prep. He caught a TD pass, threw for two TDs, intercepted two passes, kicked two field goals and made four extra points -- all in the first half. He rejected a pro baseball contract out of high school to go to USC, where he started four seasons in football, playing both safety spots, cornerback and outside linebacker. He also was used as a kicker, punt returner and place holder. 3. Brad Lohaus, 1982
The 7-footer was one of the state's top go-see players in basketball, especially his classic battles against Mark Alarie and Brophy Prep in the 1981-82 season. He was recruited by Lute Olson at Iowa. After being a McDonald's AllAmerican, he went on to play at Iowa (one season for Olson, before he left to become the coach at Arizona), before being selected in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Lohaus had an 11-year NBA ride, playing for eight teams.
4. Connie Clark, 1983
A pitching phenom in high school, one of the state's greatest all time, she started an amazing college softball career, pitching for Mike Candrea at Central Arizona College, before Candrea took the University of Arizona's softball program to national championship heights. She led CAC to National Junior College Athletic Association titles in 1984 and '85, before transferring to Cal State Fullerton, where she was 20-2 with a 0.18 ERA, leading the Titans to the 1986 Women's College World Series championship. And, oh yeah, she found out she could coach a little, winning more than 800 games in 22 years leading the Texas Longhorns softball program.
5. Frank Pollack, 1985
One of the greatest offensive linemen in Arizona high school history, he ended up in Northern Arizona's Sports Hall of Fame with an outstanding football career. He ended up playing nine NFL seasons, before becoming an offensive line coach in the league. He finished his 14th year last season as an O-line coach in the NFL, assisting the New York Jets.