Nine former high school athletes and coaches will be inducted into the 2018 Pasadena ISD Athletic Hall of Fame during one of its most treasured events.
The Pasadena ISD Athletic Hall Fame gala, now in its sixth year, honors some of the greatest names in sports for shining at an elite level during their athletic careers and for continuing to inspire the next generation.
This year’s Athletics Hall of Fame line-up will spotlight former Pasadena ISD athletes and coaches:
Allen Brown (deceased), Pasadena High School track coach;
Nikki Cockrell, Rayburn High School softball player, Class of ’94;
Bobby Crenshaw (deceased), Pasadena High School all-state lineman, Class of ’59;
LaToya Davis, South Houston High School basketball player, Class of ’02;
Bruce Dowdy, former Red Raiders’ defensive end, Pasadena High School alum, Class of ’67 and head football coach;
Harry Morgan, South Houston High School head football coach
Johnny Parker, standout football and basketball player at Sam Rayburn High School, Class of ‘68
Calvin Powitzky, Jr., Pasadena High School All-State tackle/lineman, Class of ’64.
The event, set for April 14 at Phillips, will feature – for the first time – a team induction honoring the achievements of the Pasadena High School 1957 track team for capturing the state championship win that year with a record-breaking 45 points. The team also earned fourth place in 1999 on the Pasadena Citizen’s Top 100 Sports Achievements of the Century.
From former Houston Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini to Houston Astros former pitcher Larry Dierker, many sports legends continue to headline the celebration and attract the who’s who of nationally recognized athletes. This year’s masters of ceremonies will be announced in February.
Tickets for the general public will go on sale February 2018. A portion of the proceeds will be used to fund senior scholarships and provide for other athletics-related needs in Pasadena ISD.
Here are this year's inductees.
Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee
Brown led the Pasadena High Eagles to victory as coach of the football and track team. During a state track meet in 1957, his team won both sprint events and set a new state record in the broad jump. Dobie was the only other team in Pasadena ISD to earn this achievement. Brown matched his successes with his team on the gridiron. He passed away in 1975.
Cockrell lettered all four years in softball, earning first-team all-district honors her freshman, junior and senior seasons. She also lettered two years in basketball and earned Top 10 status academically. In 1993, she won a gold medal while playing for the USA Junior Girls’ National team. As a softball player at the University of Texas, Cockrell was instrumental in helping the Longhorns earn a spot in softball’s College World Series in 1998. At the end of the 1999 season, she was named the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Texas.
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Crenshaw, Class of ’59, was an all-state lineman for the Pasadena High Eagles, and competed in the state championship game, the only Pasadena ISD football team to advance that far. He lettered three years at Baylor and earned first-team All-Southwest Conference honors his senior year. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round in 1964 but he decided to join the Houston Oilers. Crenshaw injured his knee shortly after joining the Oilers and never played again. He was eventually named to its all-decade team, representing the 1960s. He passed away in 2002.
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As a South Houston basketball star, Davis was a first-team all-district selections and the district’s MVP sophomore, junior and senior year. She earned all-state honors as a junior and senior and she was a three-time all-district volleyball player. Senior year, Davis led the SHHS Trojans to the state regionals for the first time in the school’s history. She completed her high school career as the No. 1 scorer in the Greater Houston area for three consecutive years. After her high school career ended, Davis played in Europe for five seasons before retiring from basketball.
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As a football player at Texas Tech, Dowdy reigned as one of the SWC’s best defensive players and later named to the SWC’s All-Decade team for the 70s. His success as a college athlete is a reflection of his talents as a Pasadena High Eagle. Senior year, Dowdy earned first-team all-district honors on defense. After playing at Tech, he went on to coach high school football for 11 years at PHS and Texas City before going into private business. He is still actively involved in the PHS alumni mentor program.
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In 1951, Morgan was named the head coach at Jackson Junior High, where he led the team to three straight Gulf Coast district championships and a 29-1 record. Following his success at Jackson, Morgan was hired in 1954 as an assistant track and football coach for the Pasadena High Eagles. At PHS, he was the first assistant to legendary track coach Allen Brown in 1957 when the Eagles won the state track title. When South Houston High, Pasadena ISD’s first expansion high school, opened later that year, Morgan was instrumental in establishing the Trojan football team. In the 10-year span with Morgan at the helm as head coach, the Trojans achieved a 53-44-3 record with only three losing seasons.
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Parker was a standout football and basketball player at Southmore Junior High and Sam Rayburn High before enrolling at Southwest Texas in 1969 and becoming a football legend. After helping to lead the Bobcats to an 8-1-1 record and a Lone Star Conference co-championship, Parker was named first-team all –conference and an honorable mention All-American. In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas State’s Athletics Hall of Honor.
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Powitzky graduated from PHS in 1964 where he flexed his athletic skills on the gridiron with the Mighty Eagles as a member of the All-State Football team. His senior year, the Eagles were able to claim an undefeated season and they tackled All-Greater Houston honors. He was even named the most valuable player in District 12-4A, which was unprecedented for a lineman. After graduation, Powitzky attended Rice University and was part of one of the last teams to play college football with coach legend, Jess Neely. Powitzky returned to his Pasadena roots, where he has continuously handled construction and renovation projects throughout the city.
Individuals or companies wishing to become a sponsor are asked to contact Herman Williams, treasurer for the Hall of Fame organizing committee at 713-907-1190. Please visit the Pasadena ISD Athletic Hall of Fame webpage (www.pasadenaisd.org/halloffame) for more information.