MESA - The Mesa City Sports Hall of Fame will host its 29th annual inductee ceremony on Monday, Nov. 22, and former Sun Devil wrestlers Curtis Ray (2003-05) and Bob Williams (1980-82) will be in this year's class of inductees. Ray was a two-time All-American at Westwood, while Williams' steered Mesa High for more than two decades.
The Mesa Sports Hall of Fame will honor the seven 2021 nominees at 7:00 p.m. at Red Mountain High School. The event is free and open to the public.
2021 Individual Inductees
Ray graduated in 1999 from Westhood High in Mesa and was a three-sport athlete, competing in the 119-pound class throughout high school. He finished with a 92-27 record at Westwood and was a two-time regional champion his junior and senior year, along with being named an All-American in 1999 and 2000. He competed at ASU from 2003-05 where he was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team in 2004 as well as an honorable mention for the conference All-Academic team in 2005.
Williams is a 1977 graduate of Mesa High and was a state champion for the 126-pound weight class his senior year. He wrestled one year at Mesa Community College where he wrestled in the 134-pound weight class and placed fourth at nationals his first year, earning NJCAA All-American honors in 1978. After a knee injury his second year, Williams redshirted and came to ASU where he wrestled from 1980-82.
Williams later served as the head coach of Mesa High from 1992-2016 where the program won more than 500 dual meets, three state titles, and 26 individual state champions while celebrating nine All-Americans and two high school national champions. Mesa won three consecutive state championships from 2006-08 too.
Williams and Ray are the second and third Sun Devils to enter a highschool hall of fame this year following Dana Holland's entry into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IOWCA) Hall of Fame on Sept. 19.
*A photo of Curtis Ray was unavailable for this article
The Mesa Sports Hall of Fame will honor the seven 2021 nominees at 7:00 p.m. at Red Mountain High School. The event is free and open to the public.
2021 Individual Inductees
- Max Hall
- Paula Hart
- Derrick Land
- Rob Leatham
- Matthew Parry
- Curtis Ray (ASU 2003-05)
- Bob Williams (ASU 1980-82)
Ray graduated in 1999 from Westhood High in Mesa and was a three-sport athlete, competing in the 119-pound class throughout high school. He finished with a 92-27 record at Westwood and was a two-time regional champion his junior and senior year, along with being named an All-American in 1999 and 2000. He competed at ASU from 2003-05 where he was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team in 2004 as well as an honorable mention for the conference All-Academic team in 2005.
Williams is a 1977 graduate of Mesa High and was a state champion for the 126-pound weight class his senior year. He wrestled one year at Mesa Community College where he wrestled in the 134-pound weight class and placed fourth at nationals his first year, earning NJCAA All-American honors in 1978. After a knee injury his second year, Williams redshirted and came to ASU where he wrestled from 1980-82.
Williams later served as the head coach of Mesa High from 1992-2016 where the program won more than 500 dual meets, three state titles, and 26 individual state champions while celebrating nine All-Americans and two high school national champions. Mesa won three consecutive state championships from 2006-08 too.
Williams and Ray are the second and third Sun Devils to enter a highschool hall of fame this year following Dana Holland's entry into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IOWCA) Hall of Fame on Sept. 19.
*A photo of Curtis Ray was unavailable for this article