Three former student-athletes to be inducted into athletic hall of fame
Ceremony to take place this Friday at football game
– The Paso Robles High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee has announced the induction of three former Bearcat student-athletes into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at War Memorial Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. The Bearcats will take on the St. Joseph Knights.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the induction ceremony will take place during halftime.
James Black (Class of 1955)
Even though he was born without a left hand and was listed at just 5’9”, 140 pounds, Jim Black, was an all-conference running back who led the Bearcats to a CIF Championship. After a big win against Santa Maria, one of their coaches said, “Your whole backfield is that Jim Black.” Furthermore, Black wasn’t just a specialist – he was a “Renaissance man” at Paso Robles High School. He also ran track and played on the varsity basketball team. He was Senior Class President and won the Lions Club speech contest.
After earning his diploma at Paso Robles, Black played football and track at UCSB before a career-ending knee injury. He graduated with a master’s degree and went on to enjoy an exceptional business career, becoming a president for what became Bristol Myers- Squibb.
Jason Brown (Class of 1988)
Jason Brown earned seven varsity letters in football, track & field, and soccer while at PRHS. He was an All-Los Padres Athletic League (LPAL) running back (1985-1987), All-CIF Desert Mountain Conference defensive back (1986-1987), and two-time All-San Luis Obispo County selection in football (1986-1987). He was a 1988 All-CIF selection in track & field, and All LPAL in Soccer. Brown was a 3-year Lion’s Club Sportsmanship award recipient. He was named the league Co-MVP in football in 1987 and the PRHS Male Athlete of the Year in 1988. He received a football scholarship to Cal Poly.
Mike Gray (Class of 1995)
Mike Gray earned three varsity letters in Baseball while at PRHS. He was named to the All-Los Padres Athletic League Team as a Pitcher in 1993, 1994, and 1995 and was named to the All-San Luis Obispo County Baseball Team in 1995. Mike attended Cuesta Community College, where he had a record of 22-3 with 197 strikeouts. Mike holds current Cuesta records in Games Started (32), Strikeouts (197), Wins (22), and Winning Percentage (.880). He was named to the First Team All-Western State Conference Team, First Team All-California Community College Team, and All-American Teams in 1996 and 1997.
Mike was drafted in the 49th round of the 1997 MLB Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He played four seasons in the Braves organization, where he advanced to the AA level Greenville Braves. In 2001, Mike was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and played three seasons in the Diamondbacks organization advancing to the AAA Tucson Sidewinders. In six professional seasons, he had a career record of 16-14 with a 3.51 Earned Run Average.
The 1988 Girls Volleyball Team will also be recognized. The 1988 Volleyball team was the Champions of the Los Padres Athletic League (LPAL). They advanced to the championship game of the CIF Southern Section Division 2A, where they defeated the previously undefeated Arroyo Grande Eagles 15-9, 15-11, 4-15, 9-15, 15-7 to take the title in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon match. Meygan Androvich was named the CIF Most Valuable Player. Mika Lamb (First Team) and Juanetta Perkins (Second Team) were also named to the All-CIF teams. The members of the 1988 team included: Michelle McClure, Nan Lee, Belinda Espinosa, Lori Hodel, Sherri Buchanan, Juanetta Perkins, Terah Lee, Mika Lamb, Samantha Scott, Barbretta Jenkins, Meygan Androvich, Kendra Birks, Julieann Thompson, and Carey Alvord Schof. The Coaches were DeDe Bodnar and Steve Burmaster.
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