1981 Cordova Lancers baseball team
With a pitching staff led by All-City Metro Player of the Year Mike Dolan and future Major Leaguer Chris Bosio, the 1981 Lancers rolled to a 28-8 record on their way to the AAA Section championship and is considered one of Coach Guy Anderson’s best teams in school history. The team was ranked No. 1 in California and featured a remarkable seven players who were drafted by MLB clubs.
John Donch (Coach/Cordova High 1975)
John Donch was a 1st Team All-City linebacker on the 1973 Cordova Lancers who later parlayed his football prowess into a legacy of success as a premier discus and shot-put coach at Cordova, Christian Brothers, Folsom, and Vista del Lago high schools. Despite suffering an incapacitating stroke in 2003, Donch continued coaching, and his can-do spirit still serves as an inspiration for others to become coaches in their own right.
Damon Boddie (Football/Cordova High 1991)
A 1st Team selection on the Sacramento Bee’s 1990 All Metro football team, Damon Boddie established a then-single season rushing record of 2,345 yards to lead the Lancers to a 12-1 record. Following a career at the University of Montana, Boddie later served in the US Army, completing several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and currently operates a men’s hairstyling boutique in Sacramento.
Nia Dorner (Track and Field/Cordova High 2013)
A Cordova track and field star, Dorner garnered several accolades, including a 1st place in the 400 meters at the CIF State and Sac-Joaquin Section meets, and ranked as the No. 2 high schooler in the nation with a lifetime best 53.0 seconds. Dorner went on to star for the University of Texas at Austin, winning several titles, and later became a wellness coach and personal trainer.
Jackie Gehrke-Jones (Softball/Cordova High 2003)
A four-year starter on Cordova varsity softball teams from 1999-2003, Gehrke-Jones garnered several accolades, was a two-time All-League performer who led CHS in hitting (.421) and hits (32) as a senior. She was the MVP of the 2003 North State All-Star game. She went on to star for Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and was a 2nd team All Big West choice for the league champion Mustangs.
Joey Ortiz (Heart of a Champion/Cordova High 1989)
As a senior in 1988, Ortiz was a two-way starter on the 1988 Lancers, averaging 26 yards per catch as a receiver and was also an elite kickoff and punt returner. A tragic pedestrian-vehicle crash abruptly ended Ortiz’s athletic career, but he parlayed tragedy into triumph by authoring four books on the perils of alcoholism and drug addiction. Now 20 years sober, Ortiz regularly speaks to youth organizations and recovery groups.
Keyana Smith (Softball/Cordova High 2001)
Keyana Smith was a four-year star pitcher/infielder for the Lady Lancers, whose devastating fastball led to multiple all-league honors. Smith, along with fellow inductee Jackie Gehrke-Jones, helped Cordova to the Division II playoffs in 2000. Smith later starred for Cosumnes River College and Morgan State. She is currently the Director of Athletic Development of Student Athletes and Eligibility at Southern Methodist University.
Alan Withers (Heart of a Champion/Rich East HS 1963)
A celebrated and revered coach and educator whose career spanned more than four decades at local Rancho Cordova schools, Withers' teams won numerous league and section titles at Folsom and Cordova high schools. He later served as principal at Williamson Elementary School, Mather Heights, and Mather Youth Academy and started a celebrated basketball program for at-risk youth.
Founders Recognition
In recognition of the 10th Anniversary, the founders of the Hall of Fame will also be honored. They include Conrade Mayer, Dave Franzoia, Shelly Blanchard, Ken Rudulph, and Mike Marando, who launched and have fostered the development of the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame since its inception.
