Hall of Fame to add four members

Posted

Mike Coe, Garrett Mehl, Chuck McGinnis and John Reeves will take their places in the Crete High School Hall of Fame Saturday, Jan. 15.

The induction will be at halftime of the boys’ basketball game, which tips at 4 p.m.

Coe served as a teacher and coach at Crete High School from 1972-2013. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the Kearney State College in 1964 and his master’s of education in 1974.

During his tenure at CHS, he coached the junior/senior rifle and trap teams from 1973 to

1995, winning several state championships. He was the creator and curator of the Crete High Arboretum, the first in the state and the country, from 1979-2013. He sponsored the Crete Future Scientists of America from 1972-2005.

Coe has also been inducted into the Eastern Cornhusker Trap Conference Hall of Fame.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army Artillery, serving from 1968-1970.

Other honors and activities include Distinguished University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni in 2018, Channel 10-11 Golden Apple Award, National Science

Teachers Association presenter, vice president of the Nebraska Science Teachers Association, Nebraska Hunter Safety instructor, Nebraska Wildlife Federation Board president, Nebraska Council on Teacher Education, certification, president, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, board of examiners from 1997-2009, and Nebraska College and University accreditation teams from 1984-1997.

Mehl graduated from Crete High in 2002. During his time as a Cardinal, Mehl led the football team to a Class B state championship in 2000 and runner-up in 2001. He earned all-state honors in 2001 and honorable mention in 2000. He was named to the 2002 Shrine Bowl and selected as team captain.

Mehl was a two-time state basketball tournament qualifier, playing at state in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he medaled at state track, placing fifth in the high jump and sixth in the 4x100-meter relay.

He was a two-time three-sport academic all state selection for football, basketball and track.

At the collegiate level, Mehl was an All Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honorable mention quarterback and lettered in both football and basketball at Colorado School of Mines. In 2004, Mehl was inducted into the Colorado School of Mines Hall of Fame as a football team member.

Mehl was a participant in the New York Stock Exchange opening July 1, 2021.

McGinnis served as a teacher and coach at Crete High School. He was the varsity football coach from 1999-2014 and won state championships in 2000, 2006, 2007 (undefeated) and 2010 (undefeated) and runnerup in 2001 and 2011. His coaching record was 130-40, a .722 winning percentage, and he is the winningest football coach at CHS. During his 16 years at the helm of CHS football, McGinnis took teams to the playoffs in 15 years.

He was named the Omaha World Herald Male Coach of the Year in 2007.

Reeves graduated from Crete High in 1972. He was a three-time state qualifier in track and nine-time varsity letter winner at CHS in football, basketball and track.

In 1982, Reeves was named all state in football. He was the team captain for football and basketball in 1981 and 1982. Reeves received the Nohavec Award for the CHS Outstanding Senior Basketball Player.

At Doane College, Reeves was named to the first team Doane Football 100-Year Team. He was a two-time All American and three-time all-GPAC selection and a three-time first team All District Region I pick. He was named first-team all state college for three years in both the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star.

Reeves served as an assistant football coach at Crete for 24 years, coaching in four state title games and 19 playoff contests. He is the current offensive line coach at Doane University.

Outside of sports, Reeves published The Crete News for 28 years and is active in the chamber of commerce, country club, Methodist Church and as a TeamMates mentor.