Mesa high school coaches covering roughly 30 years gathered recently to nominate former players for the Mesa Sports Hall of Fame. Coaches left to right: George De La Torre, Curt Palmer, Roger Suchomel, Bernie Busken, Mike Clark, Tom Joseph, Jim Jones, Jim Rattay, Mesa AD Steve Hogen, Tom DeMassa, Jesse Parker and Bill McKane. (Photo courtesy of David Hines)

Last week I had the good fortune -- make that pleasure -- to sit in on a two-hour gathering of Mesa high school football coaches past and present. It was boldly assembled by Mesa Public Schools District Athletic Director Steve Hogen, who wasn't sure what the response would be. To his astonishment, feedback was positive. Highly positive. Amazing what a phone call or email can do.

The list of coaches on hand: Jesse Parker, Bernie Busken and Tom Joseph (Mountain View); Jim Rattay and Bill McKane (Mesa High); Curt Palmer and Roger Suchomel (Westwood), Jim Jones (Red Mountain) and Mike Clark and Tom DeMassa (Dobson). Sadly, the passing of Jerry Loper (Westwood) nearly 19 years ago left out a vital member of this fraternity. Invited and unable to attend was Pete Jonovich (Skyline). Also in attendance and part of many Mesa high staffs as an assistant in his career and currently Dobson head coach was George De La Torre. And noting the nominations with stenographer-like precision was David Hines, representlng the Hall of Fame and having knowledge himself on football in the 1975-2005 era.

These are mentors I grew up with as a writer covering East Valley prep sports from the mid-1980s forward. Some, fortunately, predate me. Their mission as they broke bread across from Hogen's office was to probe their memory banks for potential nominees for the coming years to the Mesa Sports Hall of Fame. Their knowledge from the earliest mentor to the last covers about 30 years. A perfect archive resource  for the Mesa Sports Hall of Fame looking for players from the mid-1970s through 2005. 

Most of this group is 50 years old or more. l boldly say as fact all are past 50 -- save the youthful DeMassa. Age didn't detour. At first churning out names was slow -- getting rid of a few cobwebs. But in 10-15 minutes names were gushing. The Mesa Sports Hall of Fame now has an arsenal that will get it through from the football side for quite some time. I gather a few more names poured in after the meeting.

A couple special things struck me over the course of this roundtable. No doubt all of the coaches are proud of championship teams they coached in their Mesa tenures (the group totals 13 titles in the city, 14 adding a Loper crown in 1988). What stood out was not only the recollection of players for their athletic ability, but what those players did post high school be it in athletics or every day life. They knew a lot about these kids beyond whether they could tackle, throw, run, block or catch. Many have gone on to successful and exemplary lives. Somewith great athletic feats hit a bump or two in the road or more. The coaches knew about these kids. It shows they didn't stop thinking about them once they left the locker room for the final time at their respective schools.

What also struck me was the mutual respect they accorded one another. There may have been no more bitter rivalry than Parker-Rattay skirmishes between Mountain View and Mesa. That respect didn't always show when coaching vs. one another as the flow of competitive juices is powerful stuff. But time can and does make way for calm reflection. Also when coaches have gone at the same wars for two decades or more albeit at different schools as many of these gentlemen have, they feel each other's trials and triumphs.

As Hogen said at one point during the meeting, the coaches in the room that day may be the last of their kind where so many have such lengthy knowledge. Coaching tenures are rapidly becoming single digit rather than double digit. Not lifetime pursuits.

Still amazing is that many of this contingent are living the coaching life. Jones is head coach at Mesquite. Busken is head coach at North High, Mike Clark's prep alma mater. Rattay is head coach at Cesar Chavez. Joseph is an assistant of Jones at Mesquite. DeMassa is an assistant at Red Mountain. Suchomel is an assistant at Queen Creek. McKane is an assistant at Florence.

A historic occasion this gathering?  Depends on who you are. Not the magnitude of Franklin, Jefferson, Adams and Hancock lending their signatures to the Declaration of Independence a few July 4ths ago. But a win for Mesa schools and the Mesa Sports Hall of Fame. Likely between 80 and 100 names -- perhaps slightly more -- were brought to the floor.

For me, it was historic. The heyday of Mesa prep football revisited. And one of the more enjoyable two hours I've experienced in some time.