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Lash's Place- Downey High News! |
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Downey
Sports Reunion Letter Can you believe this is the 25th year for the Viking Sports Reunion? In 1985, Lash Stevenson's friend, Dan Delaney, from the Bay Area, opened The Stuft Pizza restaurant in Downey, CA. This was a great place to start olur Viking reunions. Since then we have had them in many great places, the best being Barbara Stec DesRocher's Country Garden Restaurant in Santa Ana. At the 2005 reunion, 40 classmates, teammates and coaches gathered at Barbara's place to watch the 1956 Downey – Anaheim/CIF Championship football game. Also, there was Las Vegas entertainer Fats Johnson (Ron Ammermann, '56) and coaches Wally Kincaid and Dick Hill. Coach Hill informed us that he was fighting cancer, and that night gave an inspriational speech with the message: "Never give up!" We lost both Coach Hill and Ron the following year. This November 13th, we gathered again at Barbara's reataurant with another 40 Vikings and their spouses. Allen Layne who has held various positions at Downey High for the last 40 years, was there that evening to tell us about the Downey High Hall of Fame. Since 1999 there have been 77 inductees! Arvin Wenzleberg introduced Wally Kincaid who was inducted to the Hall in its first year. Wally's illustrious coaching career has influenced so many players and coaches. That night he was visited by former players Arvin, Scott Iverson (Utah), Bill Bogandoff (Denver), Dick Roche, Bob Edens (Phoenix), Jerry Dotson, Garry Dougan, Charlie Olander, Gary MacArthur and Bobby Dye. Bobby Dye was introduced by Arvin who told us us of his outstanding coaching career, the reason he was nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. Others in attendance included Coach Gus Headington (Yuma), coach of the Downey 1957 CIF Champs, Donna Danforth Nelson, Winnie Iverson, Marilyn MacArthur, Tom Penfold, Lin Bjerken, Charlie Carter, Zack McCarty, Ron Russell, Steve Skinner, Joe Sallinger, Fred Peritorie, Bert Ward, Mona Kincaid, Ray and Ann Floyd, Bill Hauck, David Moon (Dallas' son), Al Korneff, Greg Slevin and Bill Canada. Barbara and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to these Viking Sports Reunions. We all grew up together, and you are the reason we continue to have these reunions. We'd love to hear from you! You can reach us at: Lash
Stevenson Barbara
DesRochers Donna
Danforth Nelson Thanks
again, everyone! |