The 41th Annual Induction Ceremony is Set to Take Place on Saturday, August 3, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – MAY 22, 2024 - Catholic High School is excited to announce the newest members of the Grizzly Greats Athletic Hall of Fame: Mr. Cole Stafford ’12, Mr. Ryan Lewis ’08, Mr. Joe Veron ’04, and Mr. Steve Myshrall ’64.
“These four men truly embody what it means to be a Grizzly Great on and off the field of play, and we are excited to honor them as inductees this year,” said Catholic High Athletic Director Ben DiPalma. “The CHS Athletic Hall of Fame is a group of men that portray the values imparted on CHS by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to go along with elite athletic performances. Each member of this year’s class has been a tremendous representative for the school and their community. They stand out as examples for future Bears to follow in their footsteps.”
Cole Stafford becomes the youngest member of this elite fraternity of former Bears. Stafford’s dominance in cross country and track from 2009-2012 made him one of the most decorated distance runners in CHS history. Running for the legendary Coach Pete Boudreaux, Stafford was a pivotal piece of the cross-country program that won two state championships and a state runner-up. As a sophomore, Stafford placed 5th in the state meet scoring valuable points which led to a team title. The following season, he finished second in the state meet and led the Bears to a runner-up finish. In his senior season, Stafford captured the individual state championship and led CHS to a team title. He was named the 2011 Gatorade Runner of the Year and The Advocate’s Star of Stars for cross country. Stafford dominated on the track as well, earning several individual and team championships in indoor and outdoor events. In 2011 as a junior, Stafford helped the Bears to an indoor state championship by winning the individual title in the 3200m. As a senior, he won the 1600m individual title and was a member of the state runner-up 4x800m relay team. Stafford’s outdoor resume is even more impressive. He won the 3200m event for three consecutive seasons from 2010-2012. He also earned back-to-back 1600m titles in 2011 and 2012. His historic performances helped CHS win the state championship in 2010 and 2011 while adding a state runner-up finish in 2012. Overall, Stafford won eight individual state championships during his illustrious career. He went on to run cross country and track collegiately for the University of Louisiana-Lafayette for five seasons.
Ryan Lewis was a standout, two-sport athlete from 2005-2008. In his time at CHS, Lewis starred as the starting quarterback for Coach Dale Weiner and roamed the outfield at Grizzly Field. On the gridiron, Lewis compiled a 34-5 record as the Bears’ starting quarterback and was selected to the All-Metro and All-State teams in both 2006 and 2007. He was also named the district’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2006. Lewis ended his career as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards with 3,998 and completions with 246. On the diamond, Lewis starred in the outfield and on the mound for the Bears. He won the Highest Batting Average Award in 2007 and was voted to the All-State Team in 2008. After his senior season, Lewis was named as The Advocate's Star of Stars Athlete of the Year and the 2008 CHS Student-Athlete of the Year. Lewis also impacted CHS off the field. His teachers voted him a CHS Man of the Year in 2008. When his career at CHS ended, Lewis was offered a scholarship to play both football and baseball at Rice University. He only played in five games for the Owls football team before focusing on baseball. After appearing in 20 games in 2009, Lewis became a mainstay in the Owl baseball lineup in 2011 and 2012. For his career, Lewis batted .253 with three homers and 65 RBI in 135 games.
Joe Veron is one of the most successful swimmers in CHS history. Veron was a four-time individual state champion and a member of four state runner-up teams from 2001-2004. As a junior in 2002, Veron won the 500-meter freestyle state title. He returned the following year as a senior and captured the 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle relay, and 500-meter freestyle titles. Veron held the Division I, as well as a school record in the 500-meter freestyle for 14 years. After his incredible performance during the 2003 season, Veron was named a 2003 High School All-American and was offered a swimming scholarship to LSU. In the classroom, Veron maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and earned the distinction of an honors graduate. Veron was named a 2003 Academic All-American for his efforts. At LSU, Veron continued his success in the pool as a two-time SEC Championship Qualifier in 2007 and 2008. His leadership was rewarded by being named a team co-captain in his junior and senior seasons.
Steve Myshrall made a mark during his time on campus as a three-sport letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. On the football field, Myshrall shined in his senior season along the offensive line. He was given the team’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award and named to the All-City Team. The baseball diamond, however, is where Myshrall excelled. He was named to both the All-District and All-City teams in his junior and senior years. After his senior season in 1964, Myshrall was given the team’s MVP Award. His talent was noticed by Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles. Myshrall became the first CHS athlete to ever sign a professional contract directly out of high school. He went on to play four seasons of minor league baseball in the Orioles organization.
The Grizzly Greats Class of 2024 will be formally inducted on August 3, 2024, in the Brother Donnan Berry, S.C. Student Center on the campus of Catholic High School. For more information, please contact CHS Sports Information Director Ben Relle at brelle@catholichigh.org.
- Alumni
- Grizzly Greats
- Hall of Fame
- athletics