This year’s DVC Hall of Fame inductees prove that the number of players with professional-grade skills who choose DVC to launch their athletic careers is immense.
Ed Hall, the longtime Vikings head football coach (.658 winning percentage), is among the headliners, as is softball legend Angela Graham and football lineman Tom Greerty.
Hall coached the Vikings to two Golden Gate Conference titles and three bowl appearances during his career as head football coach from 1983-1994. His record (79-9-2) makes him the winningest football coach in DVC history.
“All of the people I had a relationship with — and that starts with the president of the college back in 1983 — to the administration, faculty and staff members, it was always a great relationship,” he said. “They made my time at DVC quite pleasurable, and were an enabling factor in our ability to provide an opportunity for these kids to succeed.”
Graham had similar sentiments about her days as a pitcher on DVC’s softball team.
During her sophomore season in 2000, Graham was the Bay Valley Conference’s (BVC) most valuable player and was selected to the All Nor-Cal team. She later played professionally in Italy, striking out United States Olympic slugger Crystl Bustos in all three of their head to head meetings.
“Whether it was Division 1 or professional ball,” Graham said, “I always find myself comparing them to the coaches and teammates I had at DVC.”
Graham said her time at DVC was highlighted by the quality of coaching she experienced, starting at the top with former head coach Theresa Flores-Lowery. “Coach Flo was fantastic,” Graham said. “A great coach is the catalyst for a team’s personality. She made me the pitcher that I was.” During her sophomore season, Graham led the state in strikeouts with 212. She racked up a 16-10 record and posted a tidy earned-run average of 0.96.
The final inductee, Tom Greerty, also had experiences during his years as a DVC lineman that he now regards as lifelong memories. Greerty was a defensive end and left tackle for the Vikings from 1964-65.
His career highlights include a tackle against a young O.J. Simpson, who was playing for the national junior college champion, City College of San Francisco. “We knew they liked to run him to the outside because of his speed, so we switched a couple personnel around and on his first touch I ended up sitting him down in the backfield.” said Greerty, speaking of his early clashes with Simpson, who would be held to under 100 yards rushing during DVC’s game against City College in 1965.
Greerty was a first-team All-Golden Gate Conference (GGC) selection in 1965. He later played at Oregon State, here he has already been inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame.
Greerty has been an attorney for the past 30 years and was named Martinez Man of the Year in 1993. “It’s all about fraternity and friendships,” Greerty says. “Skills on an athletic field beget relationships that last long after playing days have ended and glory has evolved into memories.”
Other inductees in the DVC Hall of Fame:
Len Chaplin – Head Water Polo Coach at CCC and DVC, 1974-2005. Chaplin continues to lend his insight to the Water Polo team and remains a crucial figure for DVC’s aquatic sports.
Kevin Searls – All Conference Cross Country and All Nor-Cal selection in 1976 & 1977. Searls would go on to transfer to Humboldt State where he would become a two-time All-American in both Track and Cross Country.
Scott Goucher – Only baseball pitcher in school history to earn All-American honors and win 10 or more games in both years at DVC in 1996-1997. Goucher holds the conference career record for innings pitched with 201. Goucher was also selected to DVC’s All Half-Century team in 2000.
Kelly McCabe – All-American Water Polo player in 2002 and 2005, All-American Swimmer specialized in breaststroke in 2003 & 2004, and All-Conference Basketball selection in 2003-04 season. McCabe is the youngest inductee in this year’s class.