Don Johns
Peter "Donnie" Johns was one of the top all-around athletes developed at Grove City High School, who went on to become a nationally renowned amateur baseball coach.A 1962 graduate of Grove City High, he was a standout in football, wrestling and track and field.As running back and cornerback in football, he was a three-year letterman and helped the Eagles go unbeaten in the 1961 campaign. He also earned three letters in wrestling and track. He served as co-captain of the mat team in 1961-61 and was an outstanding pole vaulter in track and field.He went on to play football at Slippery Rock University, but a shoulder injury in 1963 ended his career.
In 1991, Donnie founded one of the nation's top amateur baseball organizations, the Danville (Calif.) HOOTS, which he serves as head coach and president. The team won 9 consecutive Northern California District Championships in American Legion Baseball and made 3 Legion World Series appearances as California and Western States champion.His 2000 team won the United States National American Legion Championship, first out of 5,200 teams around the country.
That team went 59-9 that season against some the best teams in the country. Donnie's 2014 HOOTS squad finished in the top four in the nation, advancing to their 3rd World Series appearance in Connie Mack Baseball. The teams lost a tough contest to national champion D Bat Gallegos from Dallas in the semifinals.Among many laurels, his teams won 4 California American Legion state titles and 3 Connie Mack state crowns, as well as 6 North State championships.
Donnie won many state and national awards for coaching and in 1994 he was inducted into the San Ramon Valley Little League Hall of Fame and in 2001 to the Northern California Tri-Valley Sports Hall of Fame. In 2000, he won the Major League Baseball National Champion Award, which was presented to him at Yankee Stadium by Frank Robinson and Sandy Alderson during the MLB World Series.
Since 1994, HOOTS and Coach Johns have sent more than 95 percent of their players to college programs, and four were first-round MLB draft picks. Four players competed at the highest level and three ? Nate Schierholtz (Cubs), Jason Castro (Astros All-Star) and Marcus Semien (White Sox) are still playing.