Bullard recent vs older history

[knightsrule04]

I was wrapping up the Bullard football history and records updates recently. Looked over program history and ran some numbers from the time between Don Arax's playing days and coaching days at Bullard. Some crazy differences here:
-Between the 1982 season (the year after he finished playing at Bullard) and 1999 (the final year before he became head coach), Bullard was 82-101-2 (18 seasons, just 3 winning records). Arax took over and immediately took the team to a semifinal and 9 wins, neither of which been done since his senior year. He ended up 162-103-1 overall in 23.5 years with 7 league titles – Bullard had 6 league titles total before his tenure – and 15 winning seasons.
-From 1982-1999, Bullard was 0-33 vs Clovis schools: 0-18 vs Clovis (outscored 553-166) and 0-15 vs Clovis West (outscored 521-193). In his time, 9-9 vs Clovis and 10-16 vs Clovis West.
-Arax's Bullard teams won a total of 30 games vs Clovis schools, the most of anyone in the section outside the TRAC.
-From 2005-2015, Bullard probably had one of the best records in the upper divisions of the section at 87-41, and that's including two down years (combined 5-15) after making Valley title games. That run included 5 semifinal appearances and 3 title games, with of course the 2009 championship.

That's all impressive in its own right. Now consider the handicaps:
-No on-campus stadium
-Sub-par practice facilities
-No support from the district (like much of Bullard)
-Inconsistent feeder program, especially compared to similar schools/districts
-A failing district overall (and most other FUSD varsity football programs dropping down divisions rapidly over the last 20+ years, while Bullard remained in DI).

Really makes you think – what could have been if FUSD had a shred of competency? Certainly more football valley titles is plausible, which would have helped other programs on campus. Any way you slice it, though, a pretty good run for Arax at his alma mater. Looking forward to next fall!

[TeddyKGB]

that is impressive what Arax got done at Bullard especially when you take these two items into account:
No support from the district (like much of Bullard)
-Inconsistent feeder program, especially compared to similar schools/districts

[RayRea]

Anyone who thinks Arax was not a good coach is out of their mind.  He accomplished a lot of great things at that school.  Bullard is a school with great resources just not the structure and support of CUSD. Not sure an on campus stadium is a big deal though.

[TeddyKGB]

I don't think anyone with any sense would say Arax was not a good coach. The fact that he went toe to toe with Clovis and CW and held his own every year speaks volumes.

[Darth Backer]

I just think nowadays that anyone pushes hard enough for change and makes the powers that be uncomfortable is putting his job on the line. Most administrators are trying to avoid confrontation at all costs. They don't want to make hard decisions. This word equity has created a mess too. Anything you give to football, you've got to give to anyone else, which means none of us get anything...

[TeddyKGB]

I just think nowadays that anyone pushes hard enough for change and makes the powers that be uncomfortable is putting his job on the line. Most administrators are trying to avoid confrontation at all costs.

This is without a doubt the situation in public schools, admin are spineless they want as little to do with confrontation as possible and I have to believe that much of it steams from their inability to solve problems with the proper negotiations. All an admin has to hear is "my lawyer" and they will, like izne after his 10th Johnny Walker Blue Label, p*ss down their leg. I'm of the opinion that parents should be handled in the fashion that years ago a client that was being quite belligerent was: the guy said/shouted "I'M GOING TO CALL MY LAWYER", he was told in a very calm but stern tone "you go ahead and get your lawyer I'll call our LAWYERS and we'll see who runs out of money first"...he stormed out and was never heard from again.

[izne1home]

Not sure an on campus stadium is a big deal though.

Helps with recruiting...

Arax is a legend in Bullard Football history. 

[anthilllegend]

Some local schools that at times or never had an "on campus stadium."

Clovis West (these 3 CUSD teams shared Lamonica and The Vet with CHS and Buchanan
Clovis North
Clovis East
Central High School (east campus) played at old Kauffman and site of Justin Garza HS
Edison (these 5 FUSD schools shared McLane Stadium, Ratcliffe, Sunnyside and Chukchansi
Fresno High
Roosevelt
Hoover
Bullard
Merced HS (played for years at the fair grounds)
Paso Robles (played at the junior HS)
Torres (don't believe they have one)
Madera South (didn't for awhile, they have one now)
Hanford West (do they have one?)

The Anthilllegend

[izne1home]

Some local schools that at times or never had an "on campus stadium."

Clovis West (these 3 CUSD teams shared Lamonica and The Vet with CHS and Buchanan
Clovis North
Clovis East
Central High School (east campus) played at old Kauffman and site of Justin Garza HS
Edison (these 5 FUSD schools shared McLane Stadium, Ratcliffe, Sunnyside and Chukchansi
Fresno High
Roosevelt
Hoover
Bullard
Merced HS (played for years at the fair grounds)
Paso Robles (played at the junior HS)
Torres (don't believe they have one)
Madera South (didn't for awhile, they have one now)
Hanford West (do they have one?)

The Anthilllegend

You could also prepare a list of schools with on-campus stadiums that perpetually suck...   When's the last time the Highlanders made any noise?  Having an on-campus stadium is nice, but like Teddy's girlfriend, it's not exclusive use. 

[TeddyKGB]

You could also prepare a list of schools with on-campus stadiums that perpetually suck...   When's the last time the Highlanders made any noise?  Having an on-campus stadium is nice, but like Teddy's girlfriend, it's not exclusive use. 

East Bakersfield High School & Highland High played home games Bakersfield College, they built stadiums and continue to be awful.
Really any school east of Chester Ave

[Darth Backer]

Some local schools that at times or never had an "on campus stadium."

Clovis West (these 3 CUSD teams shared Lamonica and The Vet with CHS and Buchanan
Clovis North
Clovis East
Central High School (east campus) played at old Kauffman and site of Justin Garza HS
Edison (these 5 FUSD schools shared McLane Stadium, Ratcliffe, Sunnyside and Chukchansi
Fresno High
Roosevelt
Hoover
Bullard
Merced HS (played for years at the fair grounds)
Paso Robles (played at the junior HS)
Torres (don't believe they have one)
Madera South (didn't for awhile, they have one now)
Hanford West (do they have one?)

The Anthilllegend

Hanford, Tulare and Porterville all have a 3 for 1 stadium situation. Visalia has a 4 for 2 situation. The worst is Clovis with a 5 for 2... I hate Thursday night games.

[TeddyKGB]

I don't like the Thursday night games either, But I would rather see a couple schools share really nice facilities than each school have their our crappy set of bleachers.

[izne1home]

Hanford, Tulare and Porterville all have a 3 for 1 stadium situation. Visalia has a 4 for 2 situation. The worst is Clovis with a 5 for 2... I hate Thursday night games.

Probably should have designed a stadium at East.  Maybe it's not too late.  If they add one at the new South, CUSD will have 6 for 3 but that's halfway to Pine Flat.  Otherwise, it's 6 for 2 almost every week and both natural grass stadiums will get chewed up.

[TeddyKGB]

Is CUSD building a new school?

[izne1home]

Is CUSD building a new school?

Clovis South.  Clinton and Highland, BFE. 

[TeddyKGB]

Are they going to name it Clovis South? How original. They Should a CUSD football coach, like Simmons

[izne1home]

Are they going to name it Clovis South? How original. They Should a CUSD football coach, like Simmons

It's situated at the future Bradley Educational Complex, but from what I understand, the HS will be called Clovis South. Sort of fits with Clovis West, Clovis North, and Clovis East.  Of course, you have the original Clovis High, and Buchanan named after the district architect.  Not sure there will ever be another Clovis HS named after a person. Those honors go to elementary and middle schools, or stadiums. 

George Kastner, a legend in the annals of CUSD, got a middle school named after him, only to be trumped by Doc Buchanan.  When they did that, I think CUSD forever closed the chance of another HS being named after a person.  Who could top George Kaster? 

I could see naming a stadium after a legendary coach, like Hartigan, Martin, Kinne..., but that's a stretch.  Nobody is at the same level as the Mad Bomber. 

[TeddyKGB]

They should name a school after the ref that didn't throw a flag when CW used an illegal punt formation against the Drillers in the 2010 VC game.

[knightsrule04]

Some local schools that at times or never had an "on campus stadium."

Clovis West (these 3 CUSD teams shared Lamonica and The Vet with CHS and Buchanan
Clovis North
Clovis East
Central High School (east campus) played at old Kauffman and site of Justin Garza HS
Edison (these 5 FUSD schools shared McLane Stadium, Ratcliffe, Sunnyside and Chukchansi
Fresno High
Roosevelt
Hoover
Bullard
Merced HS (played for years at the fair grounds)
Paso Robles (played at the junior HS)
Torres (don't believe they have one)
Madera South (didn't for awhile, they have one now)
Hanford West (do they have one?)

The Anthilllegend

True, but how far do all of those schools have to go to their "home" stadium? Generally a couple miles at most? Bullard has 6+ miles depending on what their "home" was at the time (McLane/Ratclife/Chukchansi). I've also heard that FUSD, in the 60s, promised Bullard a stadium...and I for one am SHOCKED they never followed through. In any case, it's just one in the long list of issues that Bullard overcame to have lots of success since 2000.

[anthilllegend]

Probably should have been the Highlanders and Roosevelt sharing McLane Stadium. With Edison and Fresno High playing at Ratcliffe or the Chuk.  And, Hoover and the Knights alternating dates at the "never built" Bullard Stadium.  Instead the district went 40 years without building an on campus football stadium (McLane, 1959 & Sunnyside, 1999.)

The Anthilllegend

[anthilllegend]