2013 Cañada Colts Hall of Fame Inductees
Gordon Gray, (Posthumously)
Division Dean, Athletic Director, Head Women’s Softball Coach, Assistant Coach Baseball- Highly respected by athletes, coaches and faculty, Gray served as the first Athletic Director and Division Dean of Athletics at Cañada College. Gordon helped design the athletic facilities and hired the first coaches and physical education instructors in the Department. As an athlete, Gordon played both basketball and baseball at Los Angeles City College, then transferred and again played both sports at the University of California-Santa Barbara. Thereafter, Gordon held the position of Athletic Director and Head of Physical Education at Santa Ynez Valley High School for 8 years where he coached football, basketball and baseball. From 1958-68, he held the position of PE Division Chair at CSM as well as Head Baseball Coach from 1958-1961. In 1968, Gordon came to Cañada College and served as Athletic Director and Division Dean until 1985. He was also the Head Women’s Softball Coach from 1974 to 1976, had two stints as an Assistant Baseball Coach in 1970 to 1973 and again in 1976 to 1977 and was also a Physical Education Instructor. Gordon was highly active in the California Association of Physical Education and Recreation and a co-founder of Cañada Colleges’ Fitness for Life Institute. Most importantly, Gordon is remembered by his colleagues who state: "Gordon Gray was the most dedicated and competent educator and athletics professional they had ever worked for." Gordon was a dedicated family man who will always be fondly remembered for his remarkable sense of humor.
Family: Wife Francis, sons David, Donald, and Gordon Jr. and 3 grandchildren; Brian, Karen and Lisa.
Jerry Drever, Golf Coach
Born in Sacramento and raised on the peninsula, Jerry was a multi-sport athlete at Sequoia High School who went on to play golf at then San Mateo Junior College. In 1951 he led CSM to a 2nd place finish in the State Golf Championship and returned to win the State Championship in 1952. Jerry had a 2 year stint in the Army in the middle of 2 golf seasons at San Jose State in 1953 and 1957. His profession in education started at Exeter High School in Visalia and he returned to the peninsula to work at Carlmont High School. Jerry then transferred to San Carlos High School where took the helm of the basketball and baseball programs. Jerry came to Cañada and coached basketball from 1968-76 and started the Cañada Golf program where he coached from 1973 to 1992. His golf teams won 5 Conference Championships, 3 Nor-Cal Team Championships and the California State Team Championship in 1988. His overall record as a golf coach is 451-180-5 and Jerry has the unique distinction of being the only person to win the California Community College Golf Championship as both a player and a coach. Coach Drever was named the Golf Coach of the Year in 1988 by the California Community College Athletic Association and was also the Times Tribune Community College Merit Award winner in 1992.
Jerry is married to Kathy and has 6 daughters, Teresa, Kathy, Lori, Karen, Kathleen Adams, and Melinda Kirpatrick and 7 grandchildren.
Mike Garcia, Baseball Coach
A Redwood City native and Cañada College product Mike oversaw the Cañada baseball program from 1986-2002. During his tenure the Colts went 451-220 and won 6 Conference titles, made 14 straight State Playoff appearances and reached the Final Four in 1998. Mike was named Conference Coach of the Year 9 times, coached 16 All-Americans, and 5 of his players went on to play in Major League Baseball. He was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Hall of Fame and the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. As an athlete, Mike starred in basketball and baseball at Woodside High School. At Cañada, Mike was an All-Conference basketball player and All-State baseball player 1976, and in 1977 earned All-American honors in baseball. He then transferred to Cal State Fullerton where he captained the Titans during their NCAA National Championship season in 1979 under legendary baseball coach Augie Garrido. Mike went on to play for 5 years in the Atlanta Braves Baseball organization. Currently, Mike is the Athletic Director at Cañada and was named the Astro Turf AD of the year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 2006-07.
Mike’s family include daughter Erica, son Michael, granddaughter Kylee and soon to be grandson, Anthony Michael.
John Hursh, Men's Tennis
A Woodside HS tennis standout, John turned down numerous D1 scholarship offers to attended Cañada College and play for Cañada Hall of Fame coach Rich Anderson. In the 1972 season John played #2 singles and #1 doubles on a Cañada team that won the Nor-Cal Championship and placed 2nd in the State Championship. In the 1973 season, he manned both #1 positions in singles and doubles and again led the Colts to a Nor-Cal team championship by winning both singles and doubles titles. John’s decisive win in the singles tournament at home on the Cañada tennis courts helped the Colts capture their first Tennis State Championship. Coach Anderson insists that is was John Hursh’s accomplishment of leading the Colts to their first State Championship that gave Cañada tennis national recognition and status as a premier tennis program. The Cañada Tennis program would go on to win 10 more state championships in the next 11 years. After Cañada, John played for San Jose State in 1975 and 1976 and won PCAA titles in both singles and doubles while leading the Spartans to a top ten position in the national rankings.
He went on to play professionally on the USTA’s satellite tours, with notable success in doubles.
A side note: In High School, John captured the Central Coast Section doubles championship with 7’-0 partner Rich Kelly, an 11 year NBA veteran.
John lives in Connecticut and has two children, Matt and Lianna.
Javier Sanchez, Men's Golf
A true "rags to riches" story, Javier’s life story is one of persistence and perseverance. He was born and raised in Taistan, Mexico and moved to the US in 1976 at age 17 to stay with an aunt. He worked numerous jobs, usually 2 a day, while raising a family and studying English at Cañada College. While working at Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, friends introduced him to the sport. He had never taken a golf swing until his early twenties, and he was soon hooked. A chance meeting with Cañada Golf Coach Jerry Drever brought Javier to the Cañada Golf team. As a freshman he helped lead the Colts to their first Golf Team State Championship in 1988 and he also won the Individual State Golf Championship. After Cañada, Javier spent numerous years on the mini-tour while attending qualifying school. Javier attempted to qualify for the PGA tour but has been earning a living playing golf on the Senior Golf Tour for the past 7 years. He has qualified for the US Open 5 times and the Senior US Open 3 times and currently competes on the Sun Belt Tour. He was the Sun Belt Tour’s top money winner in 2012 and has just recently won the Blairsville Senior Open in Georgia.
Javier has 3 children; daughter Cecilia and sons Nicholas and Nathan.
Keith Comstock, Baseball
The San Carlos High School product pitched for the Colts baseball team in 1975 and 1976. Since then, Keith has either played or worked in professional baseball for the past 37 years. He has been a player (with 144 Major League appearances), a coach and a minor league manager. As a freshman at Cañada, Keith was a 1st Team All Camino Norte Conference and 2nd Team all Northern California selection. He followed that with a 1st Team All- State Selection his sophomore season. A highlight of that season was a 22 strikeout performance against College of Marin. In 1976 Keith was drafted in the 5th round by the California Angels and played a total of 17 seasons of professional baseball including 6 Major League seasons with the Giants, Padres, Twins and Mariners as well as a 2 year stint in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants. Keith was also a 5 time Minor League All-Star and was inducted into the San Mateo County Hall of Fame in 2006. Currently, he is working as a rehabilitation pitching coordinator, the only such position in Major League Baseball, for the Texas Rangers organization in Surprise, Arizona.
Keith is married to Kathleen and has three children; daughters Alexandra and Christine and son Daniel (who also played for the Colts) and 5 grandchildren.
Mike Legarza, Men's Basketball
The former Cañada Athletic Director and Basketball Coach was honored in 2012 with induction into the California Community College Coaches Hall of Fame. Mike led the Colt Basketball program from 1989-2000 and compiled a record of 259-59, won 3 Coast Conference titles and a Final Four appearance in 1998. His Colt program produced 11 All-Americans and 59 of his 60 players graduated and transferred to 4 year institutions. As an athlete, Legarza was an All-American football player and All-State basketball player at Reno High School in Nevada. He then played for legendary coach Bud Presley at Menlo Junior College where he was named All-American and led the state in free throw percentage (91%) and was second in the state in field goal percentage (66%). Mike then transferred and played at the University of Nevada. He is recognized as one of the top youth experts in the country and is the founder and President of Legarza Basketball and Volleyball camps, the largest day-time youth camp in the country. He worked as a national director for the Positive Coaching Alliance based at Stanford University where he was a major contributor in developing curriculum and pedagogy used today in youth training.
Mike is married to wife Kim and has 3 children; son Vincent and daughters Alex and Isabella.
COLTS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Harold Reynolds, Baseball
Harold will receive the, “Colts Lifetime Achievement Award”. A native of Eugene, Oregon, Harold was a 3 sport standout at Corvallis (Oregon) High and was a member of the football team that won the Oregon High School State Championship. The switch hitting second baseman played for the Colts in 1980 and was the 2nd overall pick in the June Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He spent 12 years in Major League Baseball with the Mariners, Orioles, and Angels. During that span Harold batted .258, was an All-Star in 1987 and 1988, won 3 Golden Gloves, and led the American League in stolen bases with 60 in 1987. He also received the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award in 1991 given for character and charitable contributions to his community.
Following his baseball career, Harold was the lead studio analyst on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight from 1996-2006, winning a Sports Emmy for his studio work in 2003. Since 2007, he has worked at MLB.com as a commentator and is presently a regular analyst on MLB Network.
Harold is married to wife Kelley and has three children; daughters Sophia and Ella, and son Andrew.