RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) – Rancho Cordova’s tribute to an extraordinary sports legacy continues this week at the Mills Station Arts and Culture Center (MACC).  The exhibit continues through Sept. 10.

“Champions is a love letter to Cordova High School, a remarkable collection that puts into perspective the amazing athletes, coaches and supporters whose lives were shaped on the fields and in the gyms of Rancho Cordova,” said Shelly Blanchard, executive director of the Cordova Community Council, which facilitates the Hall of Fame. “Lancers, parents, teachers and fans of all generations of Cordova sports will be mesmerized by this showcase.”

The exhibit covers more than 60 years of Cordova sports history, including sports stars who have gone on to the National Football League, Major League Baseball, or have triumphed in life, thanks to the lessons of resilience, hard work and commitment learned through sports.

The exhibit includes informational panels describing the accomplishments of the more than 100 individual athletes, coaches and key supporters who have shaped the rich history. 

It also showcases extraordinary teams from over the years, ranging from the famed, and nationally top-ranked, Cordova High Football Team of 1975, to legendary baseball and basketball teams which have left their marks in the record books over the years.

The exhibit also includes sports gear like Super Bowl footballs awarded in honor of former Cordova High players Seneca Wallace and Gerald Wilhite, cheerleading uniforms from over the decades, boxer Otis Griffin’s jewel-studded championship belt and so much more.

But beyond the hardware, the power of the exhibit rests in the emotions evoked by visitors checking out photos of friends from high school and college glory days, remembering coaches who changed the course of a lifetime, or the celebration of individuals who championed the accomplishments of so many Cordova youth over the years.

“Cordova’s sports legacy is such an important facet of community life over the decades,” said Blanchard.  “The beauty of sports is how it brings together dreams of greatness, overcoming failure and dedication to excellence.  These values jump off the walls and paint a picture of what it takes to be a winner.”

The exhibit includes the stories of former pro baseball players who got their start in Rancho Cordova, as well as football players who went on to the NFL, and others who reached the most elite levels of their sport, including bowling, boxing, MMA and more.  The coaches that started these players on their paths to glory are remembered, as are individuals who took lessons learned on the playing field and parlayed them into medical degrees, military leadership, elite coaching careers and more.

The exhibit is a prelude to the Seventh Annual Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony which will be held at Rancho Cordova City Hall on Sept. 10.  Hosted by television personality and Cordova High grad Ken Rudulph, tickets are now available online at cordovacouncil.org or by calling the Cordova Community Council at 916-273-5707.

The MACC is open from 3-8 p.m. on Thursday and Fridays, and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Admission to the Champions exhibit is free of charge.  Additional activities at the MACC during the exhibit are also planned, including a reception for past inductees and the public on Sept. 9.  The final day for the exhibit is Sept. 10.  For details about all activities scheduled at the MACC, visit rcmacc.org.  The MACC is located at 10191 Mills Station Road in the historic Mills Station Building.

The Rancho Cordova Athletic Association was formed in 2013 to foster lifelong values of good sportsmanship, teamwork, and healthy, active lifestyles through the development of excellent youth sports facilities and organizations, positive coaching, and access to play for all.  The Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame is part of an overall strategy to inspire new generations of athletes by showcasing the stories of those who started on the fields of Rancho Cordova and made it to the top of their sport.