Saunders and Connolly scholar-athlete awards and Breitbard male and female coach-of-the-year awards

Russ Saunders Award

The award is given to the San Diego County's top student-athlete in high school football. Russ Saunders played in the backfield on championship teams at San Diego High, 1925 Coast League champions; at USC, 1927 national champions and later 1930 Rose Bowl MVP; and in the NFL, 1931 Green Bay Packers. He also was the model for the Tommy Trojan statue that stands outside of Brovard Auditorium at USC.

The plaque's incription reads:

Presented by the San Diego Hall of Champions

The Russ Saunders Award is awarded to the San Diego County high school football player who most typifies the high level of character and ability demonstrated by Russ Saunders, a Breitbard Hall of Famer, San Diego High School and University of Southern California football star and MVP of the 1930 Rose Bowl.

Past Russ Saunders Award recipients

2006 -- Stephen Carr, RB, Eastlake, Stanford

2005 -- Clinton Snyder, DE, Monte Vista, Stanford.

2004 -- Aaron Smith, DB, Point Loma, Stanford.

2003 -- Reggie Bush, RB, Helix, USC.

2002 -- Jason Bash, RB, Ramona, Dartmouth.

2001 -- Tyler Arciaga, QB, Bonita Vista, UNLV.

2000 -- D.J. Busch, QB, Santana, Cornell.

1999 -- Leon Oloya, WR, Marian Catholic, New Mexico State.

1998 -- Chris Hakim, OL, Monte Vista, USD.

1997 -- Matt Friedrichs, LB, Carlsbad, Stanford.

1996 -- Andrew Ord, RB, Torrey Pines, BYU.

1995 -- Chad Hutchinson, QB, Torrey Pines, Stanford.

1994 -- Tony Faxon, DL, Mt. Carmel, Cal Poly.

1993 -- Chris Buddin, WR, Orange Glen, Stanford.

1992 -- Gary Taylor, RB, Morse, Arizona.

1991 -- Teddy Lawrence, QB, Morse, UCLA.

1990 -- Danny White, QB, Point Loma, Penn State.

1989 -- John Louis, WR-DB, Point Loma, San Diego State.

1988 -- Erik Bliss, OL, Helix, Dartmouth.

Maureen Connolly Athletic Award

The innagaural Maureen Connolly Athletic Award was presented in 2006. The award is given to the San Diego County's top female scholar-athlete in high school sports. Connolly, who grew up learning the game on the public courts of North Park, was the first woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953. "Little Mo" won nine major titles in her career. She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was the first San Diego woman inducted into the Breitbard Hall-of-Fame.

The plaque's incription reads:

Presented by the San Diego Hall of Champions

The Maureen Connolly Athletic Award is presented to the San Diego County high school female scholar-athlete who most typifies the high level of character and ability demonstrated by Maureen Connolly, a San Diegan who was the first woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953 and is a Breitbard Hall of Famer.

2006 -- Whitney Spence, swimming, basketball, Mt. Carmel, Stanford.

High school male and female coaches awards

The award is given to the outstanding male and female high school coach of the year.

Past Male and Female Coaches of the Year

2006

Male Coach of the Year -- Randy Wright, Santa Fe Christian boys basketball

Female Coach of the Year -- Robin Blalock, Mt. Carmel girls basketball

2005

Male Coach of the Year -- Wayne Branstetter, Poway wrestling.

Female Coach of the Year -- Ronni Olsen, Scripps Ranch girls volleyball.

2004

Male -- Ray Johnson, El Camino boys basketball.

Female -- Jane Morrill, Scripps Ranch field hockey.

2003

Male -- Zack Jones, Horizon boys basketball.

Female -- Diane Pascua, Santa Fe Christian girls volleyball.

2002

Male -- Gordon Wood, Helix football.

Female -- Terri Bamford, La Jolla Country Day girls basketball.

2001

Male -- Sam Blalock, Rancho Bernardo baseball.

Female -- Carolyn Taetafa-Hudson, Bonita Vista girls volleyball.

2000

Male -- Herb Meyer, El Camino footbll.

Female -- Lisa Reis, Poway girls volleyball.