Redlands High School Hall of Fame

  Hundreds attend RHS Hall of Fame induction ceremony

 (left to right) John Butler (Class of 1960, football, basketball & track) Hank Mercado (Class of 1964, football, basketball and community), Jamie Vessey (Class of 2005, Swim, water polo) and Randy Orwig (Class of 1968, basketball, baseball), pose for a group photo at the 11th annual Redlands HS Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, on Thursday, November 7, 2013. (Photo by Frank Perez for Redlands Daily Facts)

By Ed Castro, Redlands Daily Facts

                                           

REDLANDS - The honorees during Thursday’s Redlands High School Athletic Hall of Fame all took home a little something.
New memories, new tales to tell and perhaps a renewed appreciation for being a part of such a storied tradition.
“This is what the Hall of Fame is all about,” said Mercado, a two-sport athlete and community activist from the class of 1964. “This brings all the folks together to celebrate the Long Blue Line.”
Mercado was among a group of inductees that included three sport star John Butler (Class of 1960), and two sport stars Randy Orwig (Class of 1968) and Jamie Vessey (Class of 2005). Also inducted was the 1968 Bee Football team.

The dinner and ceremony capped off a long day for the inductees. They toured the campus, strolled through the RHS Hall of Fame and talked with athletes. “I spent the day hearing things I had never heard about before,” said Vessey, the youngest inductee. “The school doesn’t have a Bee team anymore. It was quite an honor to be so young and inducted so quickly.”
A 2005 graduate, the campus hadn’t changed much. For some of the other inductees, however, it was their first tour in years.
“It was fun to be here,” Orwig said. “I explained to the kids about some of the big games I was in and to deal with them. I spoke with a couple of the pitchers on the baseball team. It was good.”

The Bee Football team seemed to be a crowd favorite. The team was based on size - they were sophomores who hadn’t fully grown in their bodies yet. They managed to produce an undefeated season.
“It was unique,” said Fred Venegas, a safety on the team. “They broke it down. There were so many kids. But it gave us the opportunity to play.”
John Butler appreciated the group of inductees.
“I think it’s a great class,” Butler said. “They are great. “Overall, it’s a class that is to be proud of.”
The ceremony itself drew more than 100 more attendees than last year’s event, which is a good sign for the RHS Hall of Fame.

“I want them to leave with the thought that Redlands history lives on,” said Clarence Butler, president of the Hall of Fame. And we want to share it with the kids at school. Maybe one of those kids will be in the hall of fame one day.”

Being Inducted into RHS Hall of Fame (Article)

Aquatics star Jamie Vessey to be inducted into Redlands HS Hall of Fame

Redlands High grad Jamie Vessey will be inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies today at the Orton Center. Staff file photo

Posted: 11/06/13, 10:08 PM PST|

By Ed Castro

REDLANDS - Jamie Vessey is the epitome of a first ballot hall of famer.
Her athletic resume is second to none, making her a natural for induction during today’s Redlands High School Athletic Hall of Fame in the Orton Center at the University of Redlands.
“l did a lot and it wasn’t too long ago,” Vessey said. “We were successful and I would have liked to have won the two CIF titles when we got there. There are many athletes that can say they played in a CIF championship in front of that championship crowd.”

Vessey twice played for a CIF title in girl’s water polo. And the first CIF title match is a memory that will last a lifetime. “It’s pretty unreal,” Vessey said. “It was my junior year and we finally made it past the quarterfinals. It was at the University of Redlands. It was so thrilling to have the game here. It was amazing.” Vessey remembers the moment the RHS track team jogged to the venue and rooted for the Terriers. “I just remember all that anxiety of that whole day,” Vessey said. “So many people were there. We had students on the concrete, the ref’s had to push them back. It was a full house.”

Redlands defeated Riverside Poly to reach Vessey’s first CIF championship game. “We threw the coaches into the pool, the track team went nuts,” Vessey said. “The next day people came up to me and talked about it. It was an unreal feeling. It was really great.” Vessey wrote herself into the RHS water polo record books. She is fifth all time in career goals, second all time in career assists, and is the all-time leader in career steals. She holds the Nos. 1 and 3 spots for steals in a game and Nos. 2-5 for steals in a season.

“I was able to do well in water polo and swimming,” Vessey said. “Even when I ran in cross country I reached the CIF prelims. I always had the chance to compete at the highest levels.”
Vessey was a two-time Citrus Belt League Most Valuable Player, a four-time All CIF selection.
“My impression of the hall of fame is that it’s a great thing,” Vessey said. “I like reading about the inductees. To know that I’m being inducted in the same class as the Bee football team, which didn’t play varsity but was a great team, is really cool to me.”

Water polo seemed like a natural tuneup for the swimming season, which Vessey excelled at as well. She won two individual CBL titles and two CBL relay titles in each of her four seasons. She was the team MVP in her freshman season and reached the CIF consolation finals in her sophomore and junior seasons. When she was done swimming Vessey registered a four year CBL undefeated record in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Vessey was somewhat of a veteran in water sports by the time she reached high school. She competed in recreational basketball, softball and track. But it was the pool in her back yard that helped the most. “It was a natural to go into swimming,” Vessey said. “A water polo club started and I said I might as well as try that too. I enjoyed both.” Vessey got married last month. And today’s Hall of Fame tour of the high school will be her first in years. “I have not been on campus in a long time,” Vessey said. “I’ve never been in the hall of fame. I think that is really going to be pretty exciting. It’s going to be a cool feeling.”