I tried to remember some of the great plays Dameane Douglas made while playing football for Hanford High, but the two plays I remember most vividly were not his finest moments.

Both came in 1993. In one, Douglas was playing cornerback, and found himself in a jump-ball situation with Redwood's David Gray, the two leaped up for the ball, and Gray came down with it in the end zone.

In the other, Douglas was trying to haul down Mt. Whitney's Frankie Ramos, but the bruising fullback managed to shed Douglas with a straight-arm and complete a long touchdown run.

So why do I remember two of Douglas' bad plays?

Basically, because Douglas made so many spectacular plays for the Bullpups, that they seemed routine. It's hard to distinguish one from the other.

And I remember the bad things that happened to him because, well they almost never happened.

By the way, Gray was an extremely talented wide receiver, and Douglas had him covered better than most players could dream. And on the Ramos play, he came all the way from the other side of the field to catch up with Ramos. Most players wouldn't have come close.

But anyway, Douglas will be inducted to the Hanford High Bullpup Football Hall of Fame tonight at Hanford Fraternal Hall.

Also inducted will be Ralph Loya, a standout for the Bullpups' 1960s team. Loya went on to play at Cal Poly and then enjoy a remarkable career as teacher and professor.

And Gary Hill will receive the Walt Parker Award for various and crucial contributions to Hanford football. Hill coached Hanford's first Pop Warner team and later guided Bullpup freshman squads.

More than a few former Hanford players have told me that Hill's the one who flat-out taught them to play football.

At last year's hall-of-fame banquet, Douglas was a guest speaker, and he told a humorous-yet-moving story about the late John Clark, a longtime Hanford coach and founder of the hall of fame.

Douglas recalled how at a Hanford practice, Clark had the ball thrown to a young, nervous Douglas for the first time.

"I wish I could say I caught the ball,'' Douglas said.

So what was Clark's response to Douglas' drop?

Throw him the ball again.

Douglas, of course, caught the ball again and again at Hanford, as he went on to become the most dynamic performer in a run-and-shoot offense installed by new coach Tim Galli.

Playing the slot receiver position, Douglas would often take a little dump pass over the middle from Chris Silveira, outmaneuver a few defenders, then outrun everybody to the end zone.

Every so often, there'd be a pass that was off target, but somehow Douglas would come up with the ball. He was competitive. The way he saw it, every ball was his, and he acted accordingly.

That's an attitude that turned him into a star at Cal (he once caught 100 passes in a season) and gained him a spot with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

What some people don't remember is that Douglas played only one season at receiver for Hanford, but played two at cornerback. And to this day, he's still one of the best high school cornerbacks I've seen around here.

He was an entertaining player -- and tonight should be an entertaining night at the Fraternal Hall.

(June 27, 2008)