Sabino High School
Encyclopedia
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is located on the city's northeast side. Its current principal is Valerie Payne.
History
The school was established in 1972 in response to the boom of Tucson's east side in the 1960s and 1970s. It is named after nearby Sabino CanyonSabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon is a significant canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, USA. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents and visitors of Southern Arizona, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Minutes away from the...
(Contemporary establishments Santa Rita High School
Santa Rita High School
Santa Rita High School is located in Tucson, Arizona. The school was established in 1969. It was named after the Santa Rita Mountains, one of the mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley. The campus has three main two story classroom buildings where most classes are held. The school educates...
and Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School is a public high school located in Tucson, Arizona, part of the Tucson Unified School District. It is located on the far east side of the city at 545 North Camino Seco, just north of Vicksburg Street between Broadway and Speedway Boulevards. The school mascot is the Cougar, and...
have similar facilities.) Starting with grades 9 and 10, it finally had a full graduating class in 1975. This class chose the school colors purple and gold, and chose Sabercats as the mascot. A committee of freshman at Sahuaro who were going to transfer as sophomores into Sabino came up with the choices put up to a vote of all of the incoming sophomres. The other option was maroon and silver, with the mascot of the Toros.
Sports
Although Sabino is only 40 years old, it has a rich sports tradition, mainly in the sport of footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. Apart from football Sabino has also won team state championships in cheerleading (2004, 2010) golf (1986), baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
(1997), men's (1995, 2003) and women's soccer (1996, 2008), swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, cross country (2007), and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and individual state titles in wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
Sabino has garnered a reputation in the local marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
community for fielding highly entertaining productions which showcase intriguing musical repertoire and a high level of energetic musicality in the areas of percussion, winds, and color guard (flag spinning). Through the years, the band has consistently been considered by fans, teachers, and instructors, as one of the premiere bands in Tucson and in the state of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The band has regularly won state titles and often travels out of Arizona to compete with the top bands from around the country.
Football
Sabino football has been the driving force of the school's athletic program and the primary source of recognition. They have appeared in eight Arizona state title games. The program has produced many college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
players and multiple NFL players. Known as the "Team of the 90s" and "The Program", Sabino enjoyed an unprecedented level of success from 1990–1999, including three state titles (1990, 1992, 1998) and an additional appearance in the title game.
Early years
Sabino struggled through its first two decades. Coached by Don Holley in their first varsity seasons, the Sabercats struggled for wins, culminating with an 0–20 record in Coach Holley's last two seasons. Those struggles were soon forgotten with the arrival of Arizona high school coaching legend Ollie Mayfield, who had led perennial state championship contenders at Tucson High School. Mayfield instilled a sense of pride and commitment that spurred Sabino to its first playoff duel, with powerhouse Washington High School in PhoenixWashington High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Washington High School is a public high school in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. It serves students from grades 9-12. Washington is a part of the Glendale Union High School District, and was built in the late 1950s...
, in 1978. Mayfield continued with his successes in 1979, again moving the team into the playoffs with a first round win against Tucson's Salpointe Catholic High School
Salpointe Catholic High School
Salpointe Catholic High School is a co-ed Catholic high school in Tucson, Arizona, run by the Carmelite Order. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.-Founding and early development:...
, eventually losing in the quarterfinals to the Mesa Jackrabbits
Mesa High School (Mesa, Arizona)
Mesa High School is a public high school in Mesa, Arizona, United States. Mesa High School currently accommodates grades 9-12 as part of Mesa Public Schools.- History :...
in a hard fought game at Westwood High School
Westwood High School (Mesa, Arizona)
Westwood High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona under the jurisdiction of Mesa Public Schools.-Notable alumni:Individuals * Siaha Burley - wide receiver in the Arena Football League* Larry Owens - NBA basketball player with the Washington Wizards...
in Mesa. Those teams generated several All-Star, All-City and All-State selections, thus creating the foundation for those who would follow. Mayfield had set Sabino well on the path of its winning ways with 3 year totals of 23 wins and 12 losses, the latter being primarily attributed to his first season.
1990s
The arrival of coach Jeff Scurran marked the beginning of an era and set in motion the transformation of Sabino into a football powerhouse. This transformation was sometimes literal, as seen with the 1989 alteration of the auto repair garage (a classroom for a popular Sabino course) into an 10000 square feet (929 m²) state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility (See Keys to Success). Many saw this investment as a sign that the school and community was ready to commit to winning.Scurran took over a 2-win Sabino team and turned the Sabercats into a three-time state champion (1990, 1992 and 1998) and led the team to the final four or better in nine of his 12 seasons while posting a 127-26-1 record. Sabino challenged out-of-state competition annually and traveled to play top teams in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. In 1999, the Arizona Interscholastic Association
Arizona Interscholastic Association
The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the major high school sports association in the state of Arizona. It comprises most of the state's public district high schools, various charter and private schools, plus one high school in California San Pasqual High School in Winterhaven, California,...
reclassified the school as 5A due to enrollment growth. That year they became the first team in state history to move up a class and make the state title game in the same year. This quieted many critics who believed that Sabino could not compete with the larger 5A schools. Once Sabino moved from the 4A ranks, Scottsdale's Chaparral High School became the dominant team in that division, winning two consecutive 4A state titles and 28 games in a row.
Rivalry with Sahuaro
During Sabino's decade of dominance the Sabercats renewed their rivalrySports rivalry
A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
with east side neighbor Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School
Sahuaro High School is a public high school located in Tucson, Arizona, part of the Tucson Unified School District. It is located on the far east side of the city at 545 North Camino Seco, just north of Vicksburg Street between Broadway and Speedway Boulevards. The school mascot is the Cougar, and...
. The Cougars of Sahuaro were one of the best teams in the 4A class year in and out, even winning the state championship in 1994. In 1996 the game was moved to the Thursday before opening day. Labeled "The Desert Kickoff Classic", it was the first Arizona varsity game played every year, and regularly drew the largest regular season crowd of the year.
In 1997 Sabino steamrolled their way into the state quarterfinals with a 12–0 record. Sahuaro on the other hand had to claw their way to the quarterfinals, making it there with an 8–4 record. The two teams met on a late October Friday night at standing-room-only Rincon High School. Earlier in the year Sabino clobbered the Cougars 38–7, adding even more hype on the biggest quarterfinal game Tucson had ever hosted. The Cougars came out quickly building a 14–0 lead, but Sabino came back to tie the game at half 28–28. In the third quarter Sabino's first play from scrimmage resulted in a 75 yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
run, putting the Sabercats up 35–28. Sahuaro fought back to tie it once more at 35, but eventually ran out of steam in the 4th quarter losing 49–35 at the end.
Rebuilding
After their dominance in the 1990s, Sabino began a new decade with a new coach. Doug Holland, a long time assistant under Scurran, led the 5-A Sabercats to a respectable 7-3 record, however the team missed the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. 2000 also marked the end of the Sabercats conference winning streak at 42 games in a row. Holland stepped down after one season and the Sabercats were left without a coach. In 2001, Gary Buer was hired to take over and rebuild Sabino's program. After two seasons, Buer left the Sabercats to build a new college football program at a small, private liberal arts college in Virginia. With new head coach Jay Campos and a realignment back to the 4A Conference, Sabino brought the program back to elite level status. In 2005 they made it back to the state title game for the first time in 6 years but lost to Glendale's Cactus High SchoolCactus High School
Cactus High School is a public secondary school located in Glendale, Arizona, United States. The high school is currently a part of the Peoria Unified School District. The school opened its doors in August 1977, since which it has maintained an Excelling academic status...
. In 2006, while compiling a 12–2 record, the Sabercats again reached the state championship game but fell to Scottsdale's Saguaro High School
Saguaro High School
Saguaro High School is a former A+ and Blue Ribbon Schools Program certified high schools of the Scottsdale Unified School District in Scottsdale, Arizona. Saguaro was opened in 1966....
at then-new University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
. In 2009, Sabino made it to the State Championship game again but fell short to Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School
Canyon del Oro High School, also known as CDO, is a comprehensive public high school in Oro Valley, Arizona, located north of Tucson at the base of Pusch Ridge. Established as a high school in 1964, CDO is one of three high schools of Amphitheater Public Schools and serves about 1,800 students in...
.
State Football Records
Sabino High School holds the division 4A record for most shutouts in a season, with 8 in 1990. They finished that season 14-0 and won the state championship. It also holds the record for most interceptions in a season by any team in the state (at any level) with 40 in 1989 and again in 1992. In 192 they again went 14-0 and won the state championship.| Record | Number | Player/Game | |
| Touchdowns (Game) | 8 **STATE RECORD** | Santos Olague vs. Tucson Desert View, 1998 | |
| Touchdowns (Half) | 7 **STATE RECORD} | Santos Olague vs. Tucson Desert View, 1998 | |
| Touchdowns (Season) | 51 **STATE RECORD** | Shane Coopwood, 2007 | |
| Touchdowns (Career) | 60 | Nathan Wize | |
| Points (Game) | 48 | Santos Olague vs. Tucson Desert View, 1998 | |
| Points (Season) | 306 **STATE RECORD** | Nathan Wize, 1997 | |
| Points (Career) | 360 | Nathan Wize, 1996–97 | |
| Longest Touchdown Run (Scrimmage) | 98 Yds | Nathan Wize vs. Marana Mt. View, 1997 | |
| Rushing Yards (Season) | 3,121 **STATE RECORD** | Nathan Wize, 1997 | ranked 4th in the nation in '07 |
Notable alumni
- Cole FordCole FordCole Ford is a retired American football placekicker in the National Football League. He was born in Tucson, Arizona and is the son of AlphaGraphics founder Rodger Ford.-High school career:...
, retired NFL placekicker - J. J. Hardy, Major League Baseball shortstop
- Jonathan PatonJonathan PatonJonathan Paton is a former Arizona Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona's 8th District and an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Paton was first elected to southern Arizona's Legislative District 30 as a member of...
- Brooks ReedBrooks ReedBrooks Reed is an American football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League . He played college football for University of Arizona. Reed was rated as one of the top outside linebacker prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft.-Early years:Reed was born in Tucson, Arizona...
, NFL linebacker - Robert SarverRobert SarverRobert Sarver is the current majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He bought the NBA franchise from Jerry Colangelo in the spring of 2004....
, owner of the Phoenix SunsPhoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...