The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section announced its A. Dale Lacky Scholar-Athlete Award winners for outstanding athletic performance, community service and academic success during their four years of high school.
The award, named after former Section and State CIF President, A. Dale Lacky, recognizes the top male and female student-athletes within the Section. Each league is able to send two winners, one male and one female, to be honored. The scholarship committee selected four male and four female students as the recipients of a $2,000 scholarship. The remaining nominees are awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Section. Escalon senior Ryan Murphy was one of the $2,000 scholarship winners.
In addition, the Clarke Coover Award is given to two of the top honorees. This award is named in honor of former Section Commissioner Clarke Coover. The 2025 winners of the Clarke Coover Award are Golden Sierra’s Zofia Bradford and Union Mine’s Brock Buak. They received $3,000 each.
“Ryan was one of only eight kids that was selected amongst 52 top scholar-athletes in our section to win the $2000 scholarship,” said Escalon High School Athletic Director Andrew Beam, who also was Murphy’s head coach in varsity football.
All schools were allowed to play one extra boys and girls volleyball match, an extra flag football game, and an extra boys and girls basketball game; The proceeds from these games went directly to the foundation for the scholarships. These games are called the Peter J. Saco Foundation Games, named after the former commissioner. More than $60,000 was generated through the foundation games.
Murphy is a three-sport athlete at EHS, boasts a 4.0 GPA, and will attend the University of Southern California in the fall. He has played football, basketball and baseball for the Cougars.
In football, he was part of two SJS championship teams while being named All-League twice. In basketball, he was team MVP once. He’s a member of CSF, FFA, Chess Club, Bowling Club and he won FFA bronze and silver proficiency awards. In college, he plans on majoring in business, ag business or real estate development with the future goal of being an entrepreneur.
“We are very proud of Ryan and everything he has achieved in his four-year time at EHS,” Beam said. “He is one of the most well rounded, respected, and genuine young men to walk the halls at Escalon High in many years.”
All of the winners were recognized at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Breakfast Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 22 in Elk Grove.
The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section oversees high school athletics for 208 schools and 225,000 students. Its geographic boundaries stretch from Merced in the south, Grass Valley in the North, Vallejo to the west and the Nevada state line to the east. The Section is the second largest of California’s 10 athletic sections.
