By JACQI LEYVA-HILL
Special to the NEWS
A group of San Benito alumni is working to create a Greyhound Hall of Honor to recognize outstanding athletes and preserve the school’s long-standing athletic legacy.
Among those leading the effort is former Greyhound athlete, coach, and school administrator Ray Saldana, who said the goal is to honor the character, leadership, and achievements of athletes who have represented San Benito High School over the years.
“San Benito has produced many great and successful athletes,” Saldana said. “We wanted to celebrate and preserve the character, leadership, and legacy of athletic excellence that define our Mighty Greyhound tradition.”
Saldana’s ties to the program run deep. His father played on the 1961 Greyhound football team that reached the state semifinals and was also part of the district championship basketball team that same year.
His mother made history at the school as the first Hispanic drum majorette in the Greyhound band. By his parents’ accomplishments, Saldana went on to become a multi-sport athlete at San Benito High School.
He earned four varsity letters in baseball as a third baseman and pitcher and was a three-year varsity football letterman, playing kicker, running back, and strong safety. During his senior season, he was named First Team All-District at strong safety and later received recognition as the school’s Best All-Around Athlete.
After high school, Saldana continued his football career at Texas A&I University, now known as Texas A&M University–Kingsville, where he was part of the 1985 Lone Star Conference championship team.
He later returned to San Benito to start a coaching career before eventually becoming head football coach and athletic director at Progreso High School, where he helped lead the program to its first winning season in over 20 years.
The effort to establish the Hall of Honor is led by fellow alumni, including former Greyhound athlete Tony de la Cruz, a co-founder of the initiative, who said that the program reflects the strong sense of community shared by many San Benito athletes around his generation.
“We spent our childhoods together playing Little League Baseball and knew each other’s families,” de la Cruz said. “On the court or on the diamond, I remember our teamwork, our dedication to each other and the leadership skills that guided us throughout our lives.”
De la Cruz said Saldana was highly respected by teammates during their playing days.
“Other players looked up to Ray when we played ball,” he said. “Whether it was making the winning kick, sinking a basket when we needed one, or striking out the opposing player.”
Supporters say the Hall of Honor will showcase athletes who showed dedication and perseverance while representing the school’s purple and gold colors.
“The Hall of Honor is meant to recognize individuals who have worn the purple and gold and demonstrated their athleticism through resilience and dedication,” de la Cruz said. “It will honor the past and inspire the future. All I want is to show the younger generation that there have been outstanding players who have come out of San Benito, and hopefully this will motivate them to say, ‘Hey, I want to be like them.’”
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