Eleven former Ceres High School athletes were enshrined into the Bulldog Hall of Fame on Feb. 17 at the River Oaks Golf Course Event Center, including Grady Jordan, Garrett Deering, Fred Orange, Jason Perry, Jared Bertolotti, Debin Cowell, Ryan Thornberry, Derrick Goblirsch, Kevin Dupree, Ray Green and Ross Tate.
Goblirsch, a 2005 CHS grad, excelled in football, basketball and baseball.
"I watched a lot of the athletes that were honored," said Derrick, who celebrated the once-in-a-lifetime-achievement with his wife, two children, parents, brother and grandparents. "To be looked at in the same light means a lot."
Kimli Goblirsch, Derrick's mother, was a standout athlete with the Bulldogs. She graduated from Ceres High School in 1977. Kimli played volleyball for Stanislaus State.
She was inducted into the Bulldogs' inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 2008.
Derrick was named Ceres High's Male Athlete of the Year in 2005 and 2004.
His father, Rick, and brother, Clinton, garnered the same recognition in 1976 and 2002, respectively.
"My parents dedicated a lot of time to my athletics," he said. "They changed their plans. They were at every game. Whatever the season was, that was my favorite sport at the time. I enjoyed the competition aspect. Honestly, I can't even remember most of my individual accomplishments. I just enjoyed being a part of teams."
Goblirsch started at quarterback for two seasons on Ceres High's varsity football team.
Goblirsch passed for 1,932 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to leading the 2004 Bulldogs to a share of the Modesto Metro Conference championship-just their third league title since 1968-and into Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Playoffs for the second year in a row. Derrick garnered second-team, all-league honors.
Goblirsch was an honorable-mention selection in baseball during his senior year. He batted .342 with one homer, four doubles, 20 singles, 14 runs and 13 RBI in 24 games. Derrick also had two wins as a pitcher.
Goblirsch earned a roster spot on Ceres High's varsity basketball team as a freshman. He started all four years.
"We decided as a class when we were young we wanted to do well," Derrick said while talking about the success his teams achieved in football. And we did that. We accomplished our goal. It was fun to be a part of it."
Goblirsch has been teaching math and coaching varsity baseball for eight and five years, respectively, at Central Valley High School in Ceres.
