For two decades, Servite has held an annual Hall of Fame banquet to honor the hard work and dedication athletes put into their sport. Sixty-eight alumni from the classes of 1962 to 2005 have been inducted into the Servite Hall of Fame. Two more alumni were added to a distinguished list that includes former NFL, major league baseball and major league soccer players, and leading business professionals and CEOs of successful companies.
The banquet began with a recap of each of Servite’s 13 varsity sport head coaches giving a brief summary of their season and introducing a team member who best exemplifies the quest for excellence and brotherhood Servite is noted for. Parents and relatives of student-athletes enjoyed the commendations and award presentations.
Following the awards presentations, Nick Mosey ’05 and Dr. Stephen Shoemaker ’75 were introduced as the newest members inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Mosey was a leader on the Cross Country team that won the 2004 State Championship. “After CIF SS and the State Meet, he was referred to as the Cross Country God,” said Cross Country Coach Richard Gibbs. “He was League Champion, SS champion and took third at State, leading the team to the State Championship. He was relentlessly focused on the task at hand, giving it everything he had at practice and in races. This is what made him a leader and the champion he is.”
Coach Gibbs was recognized for his 20 years of service to Servite students as teacher and Head Coach of Cross Country and Track. He retired from teaching and coaching Cross Country, but will return to continue coaching Track.
Shoemaker is an orthopedic surgeon in La Jolla who has worked with many professional athletes during his career. “Returning to Servite for recognition of past accomplishments is truly an honor,” he said. Shoemaker was a standout basketball and football player during his time at Servite who went on to play football at UCLA. “The lessons learned while playing competitive sports transfer seamlessly to life,” he said. “Dedication to a task that is larger than oneself, dependability and camaraderie, dealing with adversity, competition with ethics and honor just to mention a few. The things I learned and the relationships I enjoyed at Servite contributed greatly to the success I’ve had in life.”
The evening was a celebration of the best of Servite. The combination of recognizing the excellence of current standout student athletes and that of alumni is a reminder that the traditions of excellence and brotherhood do not end at graduation. Once a Friar, always a Friar!
