Forever Buffaloes: Class of 2024 Hall of Fame inductees

By ISABELLA GILLETTE  
The Tower 

As the light shined on them, the class of 2024, five icons of excellence stood tall, front and center during the halftime ceremony of Friday night’s intense basketball game. 

Each inductee was lined up next to one another in the Synergy Gym and bestowed with an award during a Valley Oak League game with Kimball on Jan. 26. Each inductee was awarded a glistening crystal plaque with their names engraved by the admin of Manteca High.   

“It was a very special night – for all of us,” Megan Peterson, Manteca’s principal said. “It was wonderful for Manteca High to get the opportunity to honor such amazing people.” 

George (Joe) Handy’s award was accepted by his daughters, Beth and Brenda Handy.  

The celebration presented six people that have made great contributions to Manteca High: Ken Huckaby, Don Morgan, Jennifer Reis, Martha Dias-Linn, Tevani Liotard, and the late George (Joe) Handy. 

“They represent greatness, compassion, athletic excellence,” Principal Megan Peterson said, “and a true commitment to Manteca High School.”  

This year’s inductees were all chosen for uniquely different reasons.  

Handy taught at Manteca High school for 37 years. He provided his students with a classroom with a hands-on learning environment. At Manteca High, Handy became a beloved science teacher known to be a magnificent positive influence on many students and staff.  

Dias-Linn found herself at Manteca High in 1968 after moving from the Azores of Portugal. She came here only knowing Portuguese but slowly learned English. Coaches at Manteca High then started picking up on Dias-Linn's athletic capabilities. Eventually, she became a standout athlete at Manteca High. 

After graduating from Stanislaus State University, Dias-Linn returned to her high school roots, Manteca High, to be a teacher, coach, and a guidance counselor.  

Reis graduated from Manteca High in 1990. She was an incredible volleyball player.  

Reis held her rank on the varsity team as she remained a starter all four years, earning league MVP for three of those years. She also was a standout varsity basketball player. Reis then played collegiate volleyball for the University of Nevada in Reno. Now Reis is back at Manteca High as the boys’ volleyball head coach, a two-time Valley Oak League champion.  

“Well, I love Manteca high, and I’m proud to be a buffalo,” Reis said. “It means the world to me to be honored, and especially going in with the class of the people I did. Which are a lot of people I’ve looked up too when I was in school as well.” 

Leotard is best known for her support to the community. Her longtime service and philanthropy stood out to plenty people. Leotard attended Manteca High and was a skillful athlete. She participated in four different sports and earned seven varsity letters. 

Huckaby is another proud Buffalo athlete. He participated in football and baseball. Huckaby was an all-league quarterback for football and an all-league catcher for Manteca’s baseball program. From his staggering skills, he was recognized by the LA Dodgers and drafted by 1991.  

A few years later, in 2001, Huckaby won a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since then, he created a career in coaching minor league baseball and is now currently the manager of the Lake County Dock Hounds in Wisconsin a part of the American Association Professional baseball, an official partner league in Major Baseball League.  

Don Morgan (right) accepts his Hall of Fame trophy during a halftime celebration at the boys basketball game on Jan. 26, 2024.

Morgan played football in the NFL. He was known to be an amazing teammate on and off the field. In 1992, he assisted in leading the Buffaloes football team to the section finals. He continued his football career on a full ride scholarship at the University of Nevada at Reno. In 1999, the Minnesota Vikings added Morgan to their roster. Later, he completed his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002.  

“They represent greatness, compassion, athletic excellence,” Peterson said, “and a true commitment to Manteca High School.”