RGV Sports Hall of Fame slated to induct seven
The Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame is inducting an all-star roster with seven new inductees for 2025.
The group includes three athletes, three coaches, and one game official. They will be inducted at the 37th annual RGV Sports Hall of Fame banquet Saturday, June 28 at the Harlingen Convention Center.
They are Roberto Garza of Rio Hondo, Jake Gautreau of McAllen, Juan Escobar of Roma, Monty Stumbaugh of Port Isabel, Diana Lerma of Mission, Mario Rodriguez of Weslaco and Ford Sasser of McAllen.
“This is an outstanding class,” RGV Sports Hall of Fame President Gus Torres said. “Each one has contributed to the history of sports in the Valley.”
Garza played 14 years in the NFL including starting in the 2007 Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears. Before his NFL career Garza was an All-American lineman for Texas A&M-Kingsville and All-Valley at Rio Hondo High School.
Gautreau played baseball at McAllen Memorial from 19941998 and during his junior year of high school he led the state in home runs. In college at Tulane University he was All-American, and was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. Currently, he is an assistant baseball coach at Mississippi State University.
Juan Escobar led the Valley and Laredo in scoring with more than 24 points per game. In 1969, he was selected to the first team All-State basketball squad. After high school he served in the Marine Corp. He was wounded in action and received a purple heart plus other military honors and distinctions. He is a former Texas State Representative of District 43.
Stumbaugh is best known for his 16 years coaching at Port Isabel where he won nine district titles and reached the playoffs 15 times. He is a nine-time Coach of the Year award winner. In 2003, Port Isabel reached a rare feat only a handful of teams from the Valley have achieved. The Tarpons played in the state semifinals. That year, Stumbaugh was named Texas High School Football Coach of the Year.
Lerma has achieved a goal that very few volleyball coaches have accomplished – post more than 700 career victories. In her 23 years of coaching, she has won 18 district titles, 11 area titles and reached the sweet 16 four times.
The legendary Mission Veterans coach is also being inducted into the Latin-America Hall of Fame.
“These are quite amazing honors and I’m grateful and thankful for them,” Lerma said. “There have been a lot of great memories, from every district title to every player that has come through our program. Truly I’ve been blessed.”
Rodriguez has accomplished what no other Rio Grande Valley softball coach has done. He won a state championship. During his 18 years as head coach at Weslaco High, he has been to the state final softball tournament twice. In 2024, he became the first coach in RGV sports history to lead his softball team to a state championship. His team won in dramatic fashion with a walk-off grand slam after being down 9-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Sasser is widely known as a respected football official. His extensive experience includes high school, college and arena football.
This year’s class will bring the Hall of Fame’s total membership to 304.