The Flagstaff Sports Foundation held its annual banquet for the Flagstaff Sports Hall of Fame earlier this month. On Wednesday, August 10, guests gathered at Thornager’s to watch five inductees be welcomed into the fold of northern Arizona’s greatest athletes. This included Kent Powell, Alan Flitcraft, George “Bugs” Auza, Roger Teague and the 1968 Coconino High School football team.
This year’s dinner celebration was a huge success as per usual. Learn more about the accomplished inductees below:
GEORGE ‘BUGS’ AUZA
Auza was a four-time letter winner in wrestling and three-time letter winner in football at Flagstaff High School He isn’t the only one in his family to be welcomed into the Flagstaff Sports Hall of Fame. Last year, his brother Martin made his way into the Class of 2017.
As a guard and defensive lineman for the Flagstaff Eagles, Euza was part of the team’s AA conference campaigns that saw them take on some of the toughest competitors in the state. Auza played an important role as a pulling guard in John Ply’s Eagles teams, and his blocking power was truly remarkable. Off the field, Auza was a decorated wrestler, taking home the 145-pound state title in 1963 and the 138-pound title in 1964. Following his graduation, Auza volunteered in the U.S. Marines before serving in Vietnam.
ALAN FLITCRAFT
With 15 years as head of the Northern Arizona baseball team, Flitcraft played an important role in the program’s success. Flitcraft was hired as NAU’s baseball coach in 1966, and he went on to lead the team to 325 victories over the next decade and a half.
His final year there was the same year the university chose to scrap the program. He was welcomed into the NAU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, and he’s the school’s first coach to achieve 300 career wins in any sporting competition. Flitcraft went to Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida where he received all-conference honors for his pitching performance. He played one year at Manatee Junior College before accepting a pro deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Although he spent four years in the team’s farm system, he never received a call-up to the big league. He then spent two years as an assistant baseball coach with Florida State before moving on to NAU. Following his coaching position there, Flitcraft remained in Flagstaff and taught full-time and part-time for the university’s physical education department. He retired in 2015 after spending 41 years at NAU.
KENT D. POWELL
Powell stood out from the crowd at Tucson’s Sunnyside High School, where he was a seven-time letter winner, including four in track, two in football and one in basketball. After completing his degree at Arizona, he headed up north to Flagstaff in 1969 with his sights set on earning his master’s degree in education. He finished his course work in 1971 and was subsequently hired to teach at Flagstaff Junior High School, where he officiated football and basketball. During his second year of teaching, he was hired on as the wrestling coach for seventh, eighth and ninth grades. He continued in this role for 13 years. Powell also served as the athletics director at Flagstaff Junior High for 12 years, prior to retiring in 2005 after 35 years working in the Flagstaff Public School system. Powell remains active in the local community, serving as a football referee and improving the game for all.
ROGER W. TEAGUE
As a Flagstaff High School graduate and retired U.S. Air Force Major General, Teague played an important role in the region’s sports, particularly football. He played football for the Eagles from 1978 to 1981, and during his senior year they went 11-1 and secured the conference title. As a tight end, Teague was awarded second team all-conference honors, while he earned first team all-conference honors as a linebacker. He was even named to The Arizona Republic all-Arizona team as a linebacker. Following his graduation from Flagstaff, Barry Goldwater appointed Teague to the Air Force Academy. He went on to appear in three straight bowl games and earn letters for three years. He then spent 31 years in the Air Force, protecting our country and our freedom.
1968 STATE CHAMPIONS
Last but certainly not least, the 1968 Coconino High School Football team were also introduced to the Hall of Fame. The Panthers, coached by Bill Epperson, won the Class AA title in the team’s second year of existence and first year of varsity.
The Panthers went 6-4 with a 6-0 win in the championship over Flowing Wells. Lloyd Sedillo, Dan Benson, David McNabb, Tom Lantz and Keith Dawson were selected as all-state and all-conference players.
Congrats to all the inductees! For more information, please visit the official website of the Flagstaff Sports Foundation Hall of Fame HERE.