Joe Chelli

Athlete: Football – Basketball - Baseball

Joe Chelli attended Linden High from 1966 until 1970. During the era of the late sixties, Joe was
one of the finest all around athletes at Linden High School. He was a three sport athlete, earning
8 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball.

In football, Joe was a two year letterman as an outside linebacker on defense and wing back on
offense. A few games into his senior season, the Lion coaching staff decided to put Joe’s
leadership and athletic ability to better use and moved Joe to quarterback to help spark a
struggling offense. Under Joe’s leadership, the Lion offense began to move the ball and the Lions
went on to complete a successful season, including a comeback victory over arch rival Escalon on
a perfectly executed screen pass by Joe for the decisive touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
In baseball, Joe again was a two-year letterman. He was one of the leading pitchers in the T.V.L.
and was selected to the All T.V.L. 1 st team following his senior season. During each of his varsity
years, Linden competed for the baseball championship, losing out by just one game each season.
Joe set a number of pitching records while at Linden High School. Long-time baseball coach,
Bob Amerman, stated that Joe’s record of 15 strikeouts in a game lasted for more than 35 years.
In 1970, his proudest baseball moment came when he was drafted by the Major League Houston
Astros team.

It was on the basketball court, however, where Joe left his most lasting impressions at Linden
High. Thanks to the outstanding basketball skills he developed while playing C.Y.O. basketball
during his elementary school days, Joe lettered as a Varsity player as a freshman. As a guard, Joe
was a mainstay on the Lions basketball team for the following 3 years. He was equally at ease
either leading the Lion’s fast break offense or scoring as an accurate outside shooter in the half-
court offense. If Joe had played during the era of the 3-point shot, he would easily have averaged
at least 3 or 4 points more per game. Following his junior season, Joe was voted to the All T.V.L.
1 st team.

During his senior season in 1969-1970, Joe was instrumental in leading the Lions to the T.V.L.
league championship. That team, known for its high scoring offense, even broke the century mark
by scoring 106 points in a game against Hughson during that championship season. Joe was
again selected to the All T.V.L. 1 st team and was also selected the league’s M.V.P. Ray Butler,
Lion head basketball coach during Joe’s time at Linden, called Joe “the best and smartest
basketball player I ever coached.”

Upon graduation from Linden High School, Joe attended the University of the Pacific where he
played on the Tigers baseball team. He was a two-year letterman as a pitcher under long-time
coach, Tom Stubbs. Following his sophomore year, Joe decided to transfer to Stanislaus State to
focus on his academic career and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Joe and
his high school sweetheart Denise (Ghiglieri) have been married for 33 years, live in Stockton,
and have two grown children, Matthew and Gina. Joe has worked for San Joaquin County over
28 years and is the Director of the Human Services Agency.

The Linden Athletic Hall of Fame is proud and honored to induct Joe Chelli into its Athletic Hall
of Fame for his outstanding athletic career at Linden High School.