09/12/2026
Pirates Win Hall of Fame Night 8-6 as Payette Honors Its First Ten
PAYETTE, Idaho — September 12, 2026
Under the lights on Friday night, Payette High School did two things at once: it introduced the inaugural class of its Athletic Hall of Fame, and it gave that class something to stand and cheer about. The Pirates edged Nyssa 8-6 in front of a home crowd that came out for football and stayed for six decades of Pirate history. More on the game soon.
Ten names were called. They spanned from the Class of 1953 to the Class of 2010, and the group that gathered at midfield included state champions, collegiate record holders, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, a decorated combat aviator, a national championship coach, and a nationally recognized entertainer and entrepreneur.
The Inaugural Class
James L. Davis, DMD, Class of 1953. A three-sport athlete in baseball, basketball, and football, earning All-Conference, All-State, and National High School All-American honors before a distinguished career in dentistry and organized dental leadership in Nevada.
Harmon Killebrew, Class of 1954. The most celebrated athlete in school history: twelve varsity letters, an All-America quarterback for the Pirates, 573 home runs across 22 Major League seasons, 1969 American League MVP, and a 1984 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. The Pirates play their baseball at Harmon Killebrew Field.
Kenneth L. Tams, Class of 1967. Back-to-back Idaho state heavyweight wrestling titles in 1966 and 1967 with a career record of 50-0-1, a WAC championship at BYU, and a lifetime in coaching, athletic administration, and youth wrestling.
Scott Masingill, Class of 1969. Nine Idaho Men's Amateur titles across four decades, a record that stands alone, plus a Pac-8 championship at Oregon State and a state trophy that now carries his name.
Mark Heleker, Class of 1975. A state tennis championship at Payette, more than 20 titles as a touring professional, four Arizona large-school state championships as a coach, and 27 years coaching at the collegiate level.
Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin, Class of 1987. A three-time Idaho A-2 Player of the Year in basketball and a Harmon Killebrew Award recipient who went on to professional basketball in Australia, a finance career, and award-winning work as an actress, singer, and producer.
Rochelle Hair, Class of 1992. Twelve state meet placements including nine state championships, a Big West cross country title at Nevada, and a professional triathlon career that took her to the world championships in Dubai.
Ashlie Irene Christian, Class of 2000. A four-year varsity starter for Pirate softball who pitched 464.1 innings at West Point, then flew UH-60 Blackhawks through deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, retiring in June 2026 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Dominic Bolin, Class of 2009. A nine-time Idaho state champion in soccer and track who has since coached The College of Idaho to back-to-back NAIA national cross country titles.
Tyler Kuder, Class of 2010. A four-sport varsity athlete who earned First Team All-Big Sky honors at Idaho State and signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2016.
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Photo caption: The inaugural Payette High School Athletic Hall of Fame class, honored at midfield during Friday's home game against Nyssa.
By Cody Smithies
