October 27, 2007

Antioch sports legends inducted
By Kimberly S. Wetzel

STAFF WRITER

They are the cream of Antioch's athletic crop, residents who dunked, tackled, swam and slammed to success at Antioch High, then moved on to impressive college and professional careers throughout the world.

On Saturday they, along other with other Antioch athletes, came home.

Fourteen people were inducted into Antioch's new Sports Legends Hall of Fame as part of the grand opening of the hall, a museum dedicated to local athletes.

"This has blown us all away," said Gene "Butch" Rounsaville, one of the inductees and a pitcher for the Phillies and White Sox in the 1960s and 1970s. "No matter how high you get in sports, there's nothing better than being recognized in your own hometown."

The public got its first look at Sports Legends -- located in the basement of the Antioch Historical Society -- late Saturday morning following a dedication ceremony with Antioch Mayor Donald Freitas, the sports legends themselves and founders of the hall.

Athletes, their families and members of the community crowded into the small display area and oohed and ahhed at autographed jerseys, decades-old trading cards and fraying photographs bathed in low museum-style lights.

Some of the oldest memorabilia includes a 1910 photograph of the Antioch High football team in which the 11 boys are wearing what resembles black mock turtlenecks with the letter "A" on them.

A display honoring Mercado's Barbershop, a place where local athletes hung out for decades, proved to be popular as people swarmed the booth and took pictures of friends and family sitting in the barber's chair, which was taken from the original shop.

"This is incredible," said Tom Wilson, a lifelong Antioch resident who stopped to peer at glass cases full of autographed footballs and trading cards with his mouth agape. "They really did a great job here. So many great athletes come from Antioch and this is a great way to honor them."

The inductees said they appreciated the honor.

"This is an amazing thing," Gromacki said. "I've had a ring put on my ringer and a medal around my neck. But this is the most special weekend."

Reach Kimberly S. Wetzel at 510-262-2798 or at kwetzel@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Inductees

More information at: http://www.antiochsportslegends.com.

# George "Bus" Ackerman (posthumous) -- Football and baseball player at St. Mary's College, played Triple A baseball.

# Shaun Bogan -- Swimmer, still holds two school records. Swam at the University of Oklahoma.

# Jack Danilovich (posthumous) -- Football and track coach at Antioch High, 1939-1949. Led Panthers to first undefeated season in school history in 1945. Two squad members played in NFL.

# Ron "Bogie" Edwards -- Basketball and football player. Later played in the Canadian Football League.

# Jack Garrow -- On the Panthers' football, baseball, basketball and track teams. Later participated in football and track for the Navy.

# Michelle Gromacki -- Antioch High's 1982 softball most valuable player. Played and coached at Cal-State Fullerton.

# Ralph Holding -- Baseball player who was later named an all-league catcher at Stanford University. Played for Cubs farm teams.

# Gino Marchetti -- Defensive end who played several years on the NFL's Dallas Texans and Baltimore Colts. He's an NFL Hall of Famer and is on several best NFL players of all time lists.

# Ron Pritchard -- All-league running back who later played for Arizona State. He was a first round NFL draft pick in 1969 and played for Houston Oilers and Cincinnati Bengals.

# Duane Putnam -- Tackler who played eight years in the NFL for several teams before coaching for 11 years at Atlanta, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

# Gene "Butch" Rounsaville -- Played baseball, football and basketball for Antioch. He later joined the MLB and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.

# Rally Rounsaville -- Basketball player who joined the American Basketball League and played for the Oakland Oaks.

# Steve Sanchez -- Wrestler who grappled at Portland State University. He was later named United States Wrestling Federation Coach of the Year.

# Worth Shaw -- Multi-sport athlete who played football at Modesto Junior College. He returned to Antioch and founded the Antioch Junior Football League.

# The 1945 Antioch High football team -- The first football team to be undefeated with a 10-0 record.