Little did Jim Langford know when he lent his Class of ’70 letterman jacket to a friend participating in a ’50s night that it would take more than 20 years to be reunited with a favorite high school memento that held so many memories for him. Jim was a lineman on two CIF Semifinalists teams in 1968 and 1969.
Jim figured the jacket was a goner, like his friend who disappeared after a divorce. (Apparently, the ex-wife donated the jacket to a thrift store.) But the fates were with him when Class of ’87 Colonist Angel Zavala happened to be shopping in at Goodwill in Lake Forest and spotted the classic Colonist jacket from the corner of his eye. He swooped it up for $5.99, knowing he purchased a piece of Anaheim High history.
The jacket remained hanging in Angel’s garage for nearly six years. Then one day last summer he received a call from friend and fellow alumnus Tom Bateman, a Class of ’89 grad and immediate past president of the AHSAA. During their phone call, Angel mentioned finding the jacket and the two decided to put their heads together to find the owner.
It took several more months, but they finally learned that the jacket belonged to Jim by searching yearbooks and football programs to trace the jersey number from the jacket. From there, they contacted Linda Fast Cooper, a Class of ’69 grad who is also an AHSAA board member. Linda had Jim’s phone number and called him to inform him that his jacket had been recovered, to ask if he wanted it back and to find out how it got separated from its owner.
Jim was ecstatic and it was arranged that he would retrieve his jacket at the Dec. 4 Alumni Breakfast, where AHSAA President Jan Domene assisted Tom and Angel in sharing the story of how the jacket was lost and found with the nearly 100 alumni who attend the monthly breakfast at Jagerhaus in Anaheim. In a happy ending to the story, Jim gave Angel back the $5.99 he had spent on the jacket, causing their Colonist classmates to give a big cheer.
Photo caption: Jan Domene, Tom Bateman and Angela Zavala present Jim Langford with found letterman jacket.
Colonist football has been a fall tradition in the Rodriguez family for more than 50 years. It all began when Albert and Estela met when they were in high school. After graduating in 1954 from rival Valencia High, where he was a star athlete, Albert continued attending the AHS football games with Estela and her many family members who attended Anaheim High.
Someone in the family was always playing football or cheering or playing in the marching band. Albert and Estela, always wearing Colonist spirit wear, attended all these events.
Along with his support of Anaheim as a booster, Albert also served as a track coach for Anaheim High and other local schools. Some of the athletes he coached while at AHS became state and national champions, including Ylena Carrasco, a Class of ’86 grad who will the first female Orange County athlete to clear 6 feet in the high jump. He also coached students who were members of his Anaheim Atoms AAU Track and Field club.
With two daughters who graduated 12 years apart, he had ample opportunity to be an active parent booster in sports and band during that time. He has literally driven thousands of miles transporting his daughters and their friends to numerous sports and performing arts events.
Whatever was needed for the school he was always willing to pitch in to promote student activities and excellence. He understands the value in helping in any way he can to support the sons and daughters of Anaheim High School, said his daughter Angela, who was an Anaheim High athlete, band member and a cheerleader.
Albert’s brother-in-law Albert Miranda, a Class of 1965 grad, was also the recipient of “Big Al’s” support. The younger Albert, a tennis star at Anaheim and a Vietnam veteran who is helping establish a memorial for his fallen classmates on the school campus, credits many of his life accomplishments to his mentor who he said has been a “friend and the best role model a person could ask for.” He praised his brother-in-law as a person who “always set the bar high and has challenged those around him to participate in life rather than to just sit around as on-lookers.”
Angela summed up the reason her father was deserving of the award: “Though my dad may have married into the Colonist family, he has always demonstrated a strong commitment to family, friends and community, a zest for living life and for striving to challenge one’s self to reach new heights. He is part dad, part coach and ALL Colonist!”
Nominations for this award can be sent to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com.
A loyal Colonist up until his passing on Jan. 27, 2010 at age 68, Bob was known as the “Voice of the Colonists” for his tireless behind-the-scenes work for numerous Anaheim coaches. He served as a dedicated volunteer for 28 years, announcing football, basketball and baseball games.
Born in Orange, Feb. 21, 1941, Bob attended Santa Ana High School and Santa Ana College. His worked for numerous years at the video coordinator for the Anaheim Angels baseball program.
Bob asked to be buried wearing his AHS baseball cap. His support of Anaheim High and its students was unwavering and his friendship was a benefit to all who knew him. His voice and presence at Colonist games will be sorely missed.
When Larry Quille graduated from Anaheim High in 1930, it’s unlikely that even with his talents as a writer could he have created the story about the amazing life he would live, a tale that included being captured as a Japanese prisoner of war to returning to his alma mater as a teacher with a distinguished 27-year career.
Larry was born on May 12, 1912 in Odessa, Missouri. It was truly Mother’s Day as the modern celebration of Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May began on May 12, 1912. His family would eventually turn their eyes west and move to California.
[Read more…]
Anaheim High’s beloved head football coach Clare Van Hoorebeke led Colonist football teams to repeated victories from 1950 – 1972. Known as the “Dutch Master,” Hoorebeke forever changed the face of high school football. To this day, coaching principles pioneered by Van and his loyal staff have served as the model for football programs in Orange County and across the county. [Read more…]
Steven Mora, M.D.
Anaheim High School
Class of 1986
Inducted into AHS Hall of Fame in 2005
Dr. Steven Mora is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon practicing in Orange County, California. He’s a founding partner at Restore Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Group. He has a unique experience that led him to choose Orthopedic Surgery as a career.
He completed his undergraduate studies at California State University Fullerton, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Sciences and minor Biochemistry. He then pursued his medical education at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Dr. Mora believes that his personal experience as a trauma patient helped him to become a better, more empathetic physician. Both of his legs were run over by a commuter bus while living in Peru. He underwent multiple complex surgical procedures and continues to suffer with pain. He feels this experience has helped him empathize better with his patients. This near tragic experience also introduced him to orthopedic Surgery.
Dr Mora also credits his experience in wood-shop class at Anaheim High School as an introduction to the tools that he fell in love with and continues to use as an Orthopedic Surgeon. He later found out that his experience at AHS under his teacher, Mr. John Rush, made a big difference for him during his surgery training.
His areas of expertise include sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, knee and shoulder surgery, and orthopedic trauma. He’s a world-renowned expert for treating chronic Pectoralis Major Tendon tears.
He routinely goes on medical missions Peru where he had spent the first 7 years of his life. He feels that he can make a huge difference in the health of others, especially those with little resources. On these missions he also strives to motivate young students to pursue college and a career in medicine.
He is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences on the where he shares his knowledge and experience with fellow healthcare professionals topic of chronic Pectoralis Major Tendon reconstruction.
Dr. Mora is active on social media. In 2020 he was named a top Orthopedic Surgeon influencer on Twitter. He frequently posts on Instagram under @SteveMoraMD.
More information about Dr. Mora can be found on his website MyOrthoDoc.com
Senior Class portrait – 1986
Foreign Language Major
Computer Programming
Steve Mora was an important part of the Class of 1986.
He was greatly active in various clubs on campus.
Steven Mora, M.D. – Class of 1986
Class of 1996
