HALL OF FAME
Athletes, Coaches and Community Heroes
Whit Griffinger
Whit Griffinger
PHS Class of 1996
Mr. Griffinger lettered in both Football and Baseball. He played three years on the Varsity Football Team earning All-League First Team Honors at Strong Safety (1993), Linebacker (1994) and Tight End (1995). The PHS 1995 Team won the ACCAL Championship and earned a Top 10 ranking in Northern California. Griffinger was a two-time team captain (1995 and 1996). In 1995, he was honored with the PHS Freedman Award for Outstanding Athletic, Leadership and Academic Achievements. Griffinger played 4 years of Varsity Baseball and led the team as captain in 1996.
Griffinger also excelled in the classroom earning North Coast Section Scholar Athlete Awards every season for both Baseball and Football. He was elected Student Body President his senior year (1995-96) and received the PHS Circle Award as the Outstanding Male Student. Griffinger attended Amherst College where he played baseball (1996-2000). His senior year he was selected captain. Griffinger earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Academic honors in 1998 and received the Friends of Amherst College Award in 2000. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude with Distinction, in 2000.
Whit is currendy a staff attorney at Bay Area Legal Aid - Youth Justice Project and serves on the Board of Directors of Building Futures with Women and Children.
Don Perkins
Don Perkins
PHS Class of 1966
Don Perkins was a three sport star at Piedmont High School. His leadership skills were as notable and as important to his teammates as were his athletic abilities. Perkins was a three year Varsity Football Player and was the starting quarterback for the 1965 undefeated team that was ranked #1 in Northern California.
Perkins was a dual threat quarterback who completed 46 passes for 930 yards (an average of 20 yards per completion) with 12 touchdowns. He also rushed 37 times for 240 yards (an average of 6.49 per carry) with 2 touchdowns. Perkins played in the first Alameda-Contra Costa All Star game and was selected as an alternate for the California Shrine game. Perkins played three years of Varsity Basketball averaging 13.5 points per game his senior year. As team captain, he helped the basketball team finish second in the FAL with a 16-8 record. In 1966, as a four year starter in baseball, Perkins was selected first team All-FAL.
During his high school years, Perkins was as active in student government as he was in athletics. He served as a representative on the Student Advisory Council and was a Secretary and Vice President of the Block P Society.
Sally Wood
Sally Thayer Wood
PHS Class of 1985
Sally Wood was an outstanding athlete in both Cross Country and Track. As a Junior she finished first in the ACCAL League Meet with a time of 18:45; placed second at the North Coast Sectionals (18:40); fifth at the Meet of Champions (18:20); and eleventh at the Nor Cal Meet (18:13).
In her senior year, Piedmont finished first in ACCAL and Wood won every race in league, setting a course record at the Championships. She received the team award for Most Valuable Runner. Wood lettered in Track three years competing in the 3000 meters, 1 mile and 2 mile events. She earned All-Western honors at the Footlocker Championship in the 3000 meters. She placed second at the All-League Trials; third in the North Coast Section Trials and eighth at the Meet of Champions in the 2-mile. Wood even broke her own school record in the mile (5:18) and still holds PHS school records in the 1600 and 3200 events.
Wood competed for UC Berkeley four years on both Cross Country and Track. She earned All-American honors in both the NCAA 5000 meters (9th place in 1986) and Cross Country events. Wood was the Northern Pacific Conference Champion in both the 5000 and the 10,000 meter events (1986). She remains one of Cal's All-Time Top Performers earning 6th place in the 3000 meters and 7th place in the 5000 meters (both set in 1986).
Rosie Aguilera
Rosie Aguilera
PHS Class of 2005
Ms. Aguilera was the PHS Women's Varsity Soccer starting goalkeeper from 2001 through 2005. She was a 2-year team captain and 4-year letter winner. She was named the most improved player after her freshman year. She led her team to a win at the NCS Championships during her sophomore year. Her team only lost one league game while securing four championships. She was named Co-MVP of the Bay Shore Athletic League as a junior, MVP as a senior, and was a three time 1st Team All Bay Shore Athletic League selection. She was also a two-time team MVP.
In 2005 Rosie earned the first ever Bay Oaks Distinguished Player Award for lifetime achievement with the club. She earned a Soccer scholarship at UC Irvine and was named a Big West Scholar Athlete. She transferred to UC Berkeley and played an additional 3 years as a Division I goalkeeper. She was named Cal’s most improved player after her sophomore season.
Jeff Haile
Jeff Haile
PHS Class of 1977
Mr. Haile lettered in Football and Track and Field during his tenure at PHS. As a junior, he was named All-FAL in football. During his senior year, his football team went undefeated, winning the ACAL and North Coast Section titles. He was named Player of the Year in the ACAL and the Oakland/Berkeley Co-Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-Northern Californian Team. His Track and Field Team were the FAL Champions in consecutive years. He was the FAL. ACAL, and North Coast Section shot-put champion. He holds the PHS school record for shot-put. He went on to letter in Football and Rugby at Stanford University.
Tom Henderson
Tom Henderson
PHS Class of 1966
Mr. Henderson attended Havens Elementary and was a PHS 3-year letterman in basketball. He rewrote scoring records in his junior and senior years. He led Piedmont Basketball in field goals made (season) - 168, field goals made (game) - 18, field goals made % (season) 60%, field goals made % (game) 80%, total points made (game) 43, and point average per game (season) 24.4.
The Foothill Athletic League coaches named him to the First Team and the Leagues Most Valuable Player. He was named "East Bay Prep of the Week" by the East Bay Sports Writers and was selected to the ten-man "All East Bay Dream Team . He was also named to the East Team in Northern California's prestigious East West All-Star Game. He went on to a successful college basketball career, playing for the national championship against UCLA in 1968 and earned a Big "C" as a three-year letterman for University of California.
Buzz Redford
Buzz Redford
PHS Class of 1959
Mr. Redford attended Havens Elementary and was class president at Piedmont Junior High. He participated in football, basketball, and tennis and won the Optima Award in basketball as the teams outstanding athlete in 1958. Hired by the Piedmont Recreation Department as its Youth Sports Supervisor, he reshaped the athletic program (3rd-8th grades), expanding sports opportunities for both boys and girls. He was the PHS Boosters Club President in 1989 and received the Sid Singer Award for outstanding service to youth in the community. He also won the Betty C. Howard Award as the Recreation Departments outstanding employee. During his tenure, he created a model athletic program for middle schools throughout the Bay Area. In 2009, the Piedmont Middle School Gym was dedicated in his name.
Rich Watts
Rich Watts
PHS Class of 1990
Rich Watts lettered in 3 sports at PHS, Baseball, Basketball, and Football. He was a 2-year varsity athlete in basketball, earning consecutive ESAL Honorable Mention Awards, as well as the Most Improved Player Award. In Football, he was a 2-year varsity starting quarterback (#19) for the Highlanders. He was the team captain, team MVP, and eaned a spot on the 2nd Team All-League squad in the ESAL. Baseball was his main sport. He was a 3-year starter, team captain, named MVP by the ESAL in consecutive years.
Rich went on to play baseball at UC Davis. As the all-time batting leader (.384 avg), member of back to back NCAC Championships, 2 time All-Conference 1st Team and Batting Champion and 2nd Team All-American, he was inducted into the UC Davis Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the UC Davis Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. He was drafted into Major League Baseball by Pittsburgh and played for 2 years with the Pirates.
Norman M. Green
Norman M. Green
PHS Class of 1950
Norman Green was the NCS Mile Champion in 1950. While he broke the NCS mile record, he was also the ACAL Mile Champion (undefeated) and was named All-County in both 1949 and 1950. He was the Track Optimo winner at PHS in 1950. At Cal, he was the 2nd best miler, running a 4:24 mile. Green went on to become a Masters Mile runner as a top distance winner for 50+ age group.
Norman currently resides in West Brandywine, PA.
Ken "Bebe” Rawlings
Ken "Bebe” Rawlings
PHS Class of 1951
Ken Rawlings was part of the 1951 ACAL Basketball Championship Team, where he was named All-County at the 1951 Tournament of Champions. Rawlings was an avid supporter of Piedmont High School becoming one of the most active educational and athletic contributors in the Piedmont community.
His support includes the creation of the Lois Blair Rawlings Scholarship Fund, contributions toward teacher professional development, the re-development of the Witter Field Complex, the remodeling of Piedmont High School's William "Binks" Rawlings Gymnasium, sponsorship of men's varsity basketball tournaments, and sponsoring the development of Coaches Field in Piedmont.
Bebe was also instrumental in the founding to the Piedmont Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and hosted the first several events at his beautiful home in Piedmont.
Stanley "Vic” Nelson
Stanley "Vic” Nelson
PHS Class of 1954
Vic Nelson was a four sport letterman in football, track, baseball, and basketball. It was in football where he stood out, being named to the All-County and All-Metro Football Teams as a top lineman. While at PHS he won the prestigious Samuel Moyer Award and was President of the Block P Society and a member of RIGMA.