Nick Kalpin couldn’t believe his former football coach, Butch Cattolico, was on the other line.
The two are all-time greats in the storied Los Gatos High School football program—Cattolico as a coach and Kalpin as a running back. When Cattolico called Kalpin last December to notify him of his selection as a 2025 LGHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Kalpin was flabbergasted—but not for the reason one might think.
“He called me and said, ‘Hey this is coach Cattolico,’” Kalpin said. “I’m like, ‘what the heck?’ He sounded so much different. I guess all those years of him yelling at me finally caught up to him.”
The affable Kalpin is part of a star-studded HOF class that includes Robert Harris (class of 1933), Steve Bauer (1974), Vince Baxter (1978), Ali Dodson (2004), Jaimee Erickson (2007), Geoff Doss (2008), Erich Peske (2011), and Taylor Comeau (2011). They will be honored at the Induction Ceremony May 3 at La Rinconada Country Club.
Harris competed in basketball, track and tennis; Bauer in football, basketball and swimming; Baxter in golf; Dodson in track and soccer; Erickson in field hockey and track; Doss in wrestling; Peske in swimming and Comeau in field hockey and soccer.
Kalpin, a 2008 graduate, also competed in baseball and wrestling. However, it was Kalpin’s accomplishments on the gridiron that left onlookers shaking their heads in amazement. During his senior season, Kalpin set Santa Clara County single-season records in rushing (2,553 yards in 312 carries) and scoring (41 touchdowns).
Incredibly enough, Kalpin managed to set those records in limited action, as Los Gatos often built up huge leads by halftime and had second- and third-string players finishing out the final two quarters of action.
“I didn’t even play many second halves,” he said. “I remember one game I was taken out halfway through the first quarter and thinking this was boring.”
Kalpin also made a huge impact as a ball-hawking safety, resulting in a couple of pick-6s. However, Kalpin said what stood out the most from his athletic career—ironically enough—came in the sport he liked the least: wrestling.
“Football was fun but what stands out the most was me not quitting wrestling,” he said. “I wanted to quit so bad, but my parents didn’t let me and my coaches didn’t let me. Looking back, I think about the fun I had in football and baseball and winning CCS in both sports. But there’s something different about wrestling. I hated it at the time, but looking back it was the best thing for me that I stuck with it. I was good at it, too.”
Indeed, Kalpin advanced to the CIF State Wrestling Championships in his junior year and fell one match shy of repeating that feat in his senior season. Due to a neck injury he suffered during football season, Kalpin missed the first six weeks of the all-important conditioning period for the buildup to his final wrestling campaign, though, ever being the straight shooter, Kalpin didn’t make that as an excuse for failing to reach State.
“In wrestling I did the bare minimum, and I think that caught up to me,” he said. “I think the coaches knew I did the bare minimum, too. We’ll find out when I talk to them (at the induction ceremony).”
Kalpin can’t wait to commiserate with Cattolico—who will emcee the event—and with Doss, his former wrestling teammate. Kalpin and Doss grew up together, played on the same Double-AA Little League team and were wrestling teammates starting in middle school.
“The whole time we were good friends,” Kalpin said. “And even after (our college days) we played a little slow pitch softball together.”
Kalpin noted his family history in LGHS athletics makes his HOF induction all the more rewarding.
“It’s pretty special, especially with my family history being in Los Gatos,” he said. “My grandpa was the class of 1960 and a bunch of my uncles went to Los Gatos, so this is pretty meaningful.”
After graduating from LGHS, Kalpin played for three years at Portland State before finishing out his senior season at Humboldt State. After that, Kalpin came back home and worked at a local concrete company before starting his career for the Town of Los Gatos, where he now serves as the Lead Parks and Maintenance Worker.
“I live in Scotts Valley but I’m pretty much in town everyday for work, so it’s pretty awesome,” he said.
NOTE: The LGHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is May 3 at La Rinconada Country Club. Tickets can be purchased online at GoFan.co or at https://gofan.co/event/3089485?schoolId=CA22963.
