One of the projects is an exhibit celebrating Davis High athletics, which will be in the lobby of the North Gym. Six display cases will be full of photos, trophies, memorabilia, stories, and other items from the great athletes and teams of Davis High.
The exhibit is in the works and hopefully will be ready in early February. Stay tuned.
I was originally going to write about a few of these all-time greats in no particular order. But that seemed like the easy way out. So, armed with my limited knowledge of Davis athletics history, I figured who better to rank them than me?
This is not scientific; it's just my personal list that will evolve over time through discussion, reflection, and new knowledge.
7. Jalil Anibaba: Anibaba graduated from Davis High in 2007, where he was named the Gatorade California Soccer Player of the Year in 2006-07. He played basketball and led the soccer team to a section title in 2006.
Anibaba played three years of soccer at Santa Clara University and, in his senior year, at the University of North Carolina, where he won several awards.
He was drafted 39th overall in the 2011 MLS Draft, and played professionally for 12 years. In 2023, he was named the first-ever club ambassador for Nashville SC.
6. Jason Fisk: Fisk graduated from Davis High in 1990. He led Davis to the 1988 Sac-Juaquin Section football title, still one of the crowning moments in Blue Devil lore.
A defensive end, he attended Stanford, where he was named an All-American in his senior year.
In 1995, he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Fisk would go on to play 12 years in the NFL, including Super Bowl XXXIV for the Tennessee Titans, when he recorded a sack. Fisk has coached at Davis High and UC Davis.
5. Dave Scott: There is no other Davis High athlete who has meant more to his sport than the Class of 1972’s Dave Scott, who swam and played water polo at Davis High.
With a great swimming foundation and learning to bike and run in the tough Davis heat and barren roads of Yolo County, Scott was about to become a triathlon legend. He won the Ironman World Championship six times from 1980 to 1987.
A pioneer in the sport, he was the first person inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.
4. Nick Watney: Nick Watney, the 1999 Davis High Graduate, was a regular as a kid at the Davis Golf Course (Muni). I remember playing with him and his dad in a club tournament in 1994.
He would lead Davis High to a section title in 1999 and earn three All-American honors at Fresno State. He was ranked the No. 1 college golfer during his senior year.
After graduating, he turned pro in 2003. He has five PGA wins to his credit and career earnings of $31 million. He also played in the 2011 Presidents Cup for Team USA.
3. Fiona O’Keeffe: A 2016 Davis High graduate, O’Keeffe was a star in cross country and track. She won two cross-country state championships and the 3,200 state title in 2016.
She was named the 2014 Gatorade California Cross Country Runner of the Year and attended Stanford, where she continued to excel. In 2019, she won the Pac-12 Conference cross country title and earned eight NCAA Division 1 All-American awards.
Continuing to race, O’Keeffe is still setting records and making history. In 2024, she was the first woman to win the USA marathon trials in her marathon debut. In that same race, she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic Trials marathon at 25.
2. Marc Hicks: I am friends with Marc Hicks, a dad and coach. But before I met him, I knew about him — he was a mythical figure in Davis.
I heard stories about Joe Paterno and other legendary college football coaches roaming the Davis High campus to watch him play in packed games. His athletic feats in other sports were also legendary.
If we are just talking about the best athlete in their time as a Blue Devil, Marc tops the list. He lettered in five sports: baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, and track and field.
Despite being drafted by the Twins in baseball and holding the long jump record at 23’-11, Marc was a football star. He rushed for 88 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards. He also played defense and was the team’s punter.
He was named a Parade All-American and to four other All-American teams.
1. Denise Curry: Curry is my No. 1 pick, and it may not be close. The fact that she is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Davis High Hall of Fame should end most arguments.
She was a four-year starter at UCLA and is the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, male or female (ahead of the likes of Jabbar and Walton). UCLA retired her No. 12 jersey, one of the first four honored at Pauley Pavilion.
She won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games as a part of the USA basketball team. She played extensively in international competition and professionally in France for two years.
As a member of the Davis High Class of 1977, she led the Blue Devils to section titles in 1975 and 1976 and was a Parade Magazine All-America. Her accol... Click here to read full article
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