HALL OF FAME
Athletes, Coaches and Community Heroes
Frank McCann
Frank McCann
PHS Class of 1940
Outstanding basketball and football player; running back on the football team and one of the high scorers on the ACAL Champion 1940 Basketball Team. Optimo winner in football, basketball and golf. Named to the All East Bay Team in addition to being All-ACAL, and the All-East Bay Team was very fast company because it included Jim Pollard from Oakland Tech. President of the Student Body and a member of the RIGMAS. McCann passed away in 2004 at Rancho Mirage at age 82.
Emily Moren
Emily Moren
PHS Class of 1989
Volleyball, basketball, softball, track, swimming; 12 varsity letters, including four in volleyball and basketball; All-League volleyball and basketball; NCS Meet of Champions in shot put
Drew Olson
Drew Olson
PHS Class of 2002
Football and baseball; two-time Optimo Award winner football; two-time Optimo Award winner baseball; All-League football and baseball; League MVP football and baseball; Best in the West football quarterback; All-American quarterback; winner of numerous individual awards for football and baseball; USA baseball member.
Drew Olson - UCLA Player Profile
Michael Stehr
Michael Stehr
PHS Class of 1987
Baseball, basketball, football; 11 varsity letters; member of two league basketball champions; starting shortstop three years. Two time All League in Baseball, Prep of the Week in Baseball as a Senior and Baseball Optimo Winner.
Marilyn Thompson
Marilyn Thompson
Coach and Teacher 1974-2007
Outstanding physical education teacher who helped develop numerous sports as regularly offered PE classes; coached basketball and volleyball; helped bring women's sports into the high school mainstream
Lloyd Francisco
Lloyd Francisco
Class of 1937
Francisco lettered in Football and Track. He was a legendary football player. One of two halfbacks on Coach Brick Johnson’s All-Time Piedmont High School football team. The speedy “Rocket” Francisco was the star running back on the 1936 team that won the Alameda County Athletic League Championship and outscored its opponents 202-9.
Jack “Babe” Higgins
Jack “Babe” Higgins
PHS Class of 1942
Basketball, Track, Football, Basketball Optimo Award winner in 1941 and 1942; All-Conference both years. Basketball team won ACAL. Team captain and Senior Class president. Also played football and ran track as a senior. Wildwood playground legend, he invented Higgins Ball, a unique basketball game. Went on to play basketball and football at both Stanford and Cal. In 1948 he was captain of the Stanford basketball team.
Gordon Johnson
Gordon Johnson
PHS Class of 1989
Track, Cross Country. State champion in track in 800 meters in 1989. Golden West Regional champion, 1989. Track & Field All-American. League and North Coast Section champion 2 years. Optima Award winner 1987-1999. Member of PHS school record 4 x 400 meter relay team. Holds school record in 800 meters at 1:51.07. All-league in cross country 3 years. Led team to 2 ACCAL titles and 1 NCS championship. Won individual NCS in 1987. Optimo Award winner 3 years.
After high school, Gordon attended Merritt College where he won the State JC Championship in the 800 and the University of Oregon (where he ran a 3:55 mile). He also competed in two US Track Championships.
Track accomplishments include:
1989 State Champion in the 800
1989 Golden West Champion in 800 (this meet featured the best 800 meter preps in the nation... Gordon ran 1:51.07 to win the title... the time ranks him as #10 on the all-time NCS list for the 800 and of course is the school record)
1989 NCS Champion in the 800
1988 State 2nd place in the 800
1988 League and NCS Champion in the 800
1987 League Champion in the 1600 and 800
Cross-country accomplishments include:
1988, 87, 86 League Champion
1987 NCS Champion
Notes:
As a runner, Gordon was very versatile - he could compete with anyone in distances ranging from 400 meters (he ran 49.0 as a prep) up to 5,000 meters
(Numerous league and NCS championships) . His specialty was of course the 800 where he proved to be one of the finest preps in the nation in both 1988 and 1989.
Gordon is one of only three PHS athletes to win a state championship (the other two being Monte Upshaw and Jim Peters).
Bill Lanagan
Bill Lanagan
PHS Class of 1948
Track, Football, Basketball, Baseball. Lettered in 4 sports. Set state record for the 220 yard dash in track and was All-ACAL for 3 years. Competed in Olympic trials. In football, was part of the Langan-to-Weeks offense. Won Optimo Award in track and basketball.
Leslie Anderson Manwaring
Leslie Anderson Manwaring
PHS Class of 1990
Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Track, Soccer. Lettered in 5 sports. 4-year volleyball starter. All-League 2 years. League MVP senior year. Played on BYU NCAA semi-finalist team. Starting guard 3 years on basketball team. Named to 1st Team All-League. Ran track in junior year. League and NCS 880 meter champion. Played soccer senior year and was named team MVP.
Irving Moore
Irving Moore
PHS Class of 1941
Irving Moore was an outstanding Track & Field pole vaulter who broke the league record three consecutive straight years, and was the top pole vaulter in the state in 1940 and 1941. As a senior he set the California pole vault record at 13’-7” and narrowly missed breaking the national record.