Rancho Alamitos High School is located in Garden Grove, California. It is a member of the Garden Grove Unified School District.- This high school first opened in the spring of 1957 with no senior class. The first graduating class was in 1958. The school colors are green and gold. The school's athletic teams are known as the Vaqueros, a Spanish type of cowboy figure, though Rancho students tend to shorten its name to "Vaqs". Until the mid-1970s the school mascot had been "Poco" (pronounced pō'kō / poh-koh), a cartoon character of a short male dressed in a large poncho with a serape, a Mexican–Indian throw blanket or rug over one shoulder and a large sombrero on his head, covering the eyes. It was at this time that the Hispanic club, MEChA, decided it was time to protest the stereotype of Mexicans and changed the mascot. Poco was soon replaced with the more racially sensitive logo of a "boot spur" that might be seen today, although an extremely large bold "V" seems to be more common. The former mascot had been revived periodically, and in the 90's was called "Paco" (pronounced pah'kō).
- History of the School
-
Rancho Alamitos High School opened its doors in 1957. Its name means ranch of the little cottonwoods and is an acknowledgement of the Hispanic heritage of this area. The forty acres of the Rancho Alamitos High School campus was part of the original Rancho Los Nietos (grandchildren), circa 1784. Later, the land was divided among many family members into smaller Ranchos. In the 1950’s, the Garden Grove Union High School District purchased the land from the Evans family. Construction of Rancho Alamitos High School began in 1956 and was nearly complete by 1957. There were two homes on the property facing Dale Street. The homes belonged to the Evans and Miller families and were located just north of the faculty parking lot. The homes were used as classrooms until construction was completed in 1959.
- Rancho Alamitos first opened for grades nine through eleven on the Garden Grove High School campus during the fall of 1956. In the spring of 1957, the Rancho Alamitos campus officially opened under the direction of the first principal, Mr. Don Kennedy. The first senior class graduated in the spring of 1958 under the principalship of Mr. Richard Bivin. In 1960, Mr. Sam Chicas was principal and was succeeded by Mr. Vic McClain (1961). Rancho’s next principal was Mr. William Zogg (1964), followed by Mr. Tracy Strong (1966), Mr. Ron Forsyth (1976), Mr. Jim DeLong (1982), Mr. Bob Mesa (1985), Mr. Tom Robins (1991), Mr. Gene Campbell (2000), Mr. Frank Mackay (2006), and Ms Mary Jane Hibbard in 2009.
- Accomplishments
-
Rancho is a comprehensive high school currently enrolling approximately 1,900 students, grades nine through twelve, who reside in Garden Grove, Stanton and Anaheim. Rancho’s student population is very diverse; 65% of our students are Hispanic, 25% are Asian, and 10% are Caucasian, representing approximately 26 different home languages.Rancho is known for its award-winning Title 1 program, nationally recognized football team, and magnet art and music programs.
- In the past five years, Rancho Alamitos has produced 3 National Merit Finalists. Approximately 56% of our graduates continue to pursue higher education; 19% enroll in four-year colleges and 37% enroll in two-year colleges.
- Rancho offers Advanced Placement courses in Art Portfolio, Biology, Calculus, English Language and Literature, Environmental Science, European History, Physics, Spanish Language and Literature, United States Government and United States History.
- In addition, the Vaqueros have distinguished themselves athletically over the past 51 years with 77 league Championships, 3 CIF final game appearances and 1 CIF team championship.
- These achievements have made the faculty, staff and community that Rancho Alamitos High School serves very proud.The Rancho Alamitos mascot is the Vaquero. Vaquero is a Spanish word for cowboy. The Vaquero was chosen in respect for the men who worked the lands of old Rancho Los Nietos. Over the years, the Vaqueros have been known for their hard work, dedication and pride of accomplishment. The traditions started many years ago still continue. We are proud of our heritage and proud to be Vaqueros!
- Sports
-
The athletic teams are governed by the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section and participate in the six-team Garden Grove League with five of the other six high schools within the Garden Grove Unified School District.
- Football
-
The Vaquero football team had success in the early to mid 90's, led by a sklew of talented running. The team made two straight Div. VII Finals appearance. Falling just short in 1992 by a score of 14-13, to Sunny Hills High School. Running Back Leon Vickers was the Div. VII player of the year for his performance. Also in 1992 RB Jeff Byrd set the then Orange County high school single season rushing record and received the Orange County Register Male Athlete of the Year Honors. The following year they fell to Mira Costa 29-17, their last finals appearance. In 96 and 97 the Vaqs posted back to back undefeated regular seasons but failed to capture the cif title after losing to rival Pacifica in the Semi-finals ('96) and Northview in the Quarter-Finals ('97). In 1996 Leo Kosi was the Div. VIII MVP and in 1997 David Vickers held the same honor. Vickers is also the last Vaquero to play on the NCAA Division 1-A level. Since then times have been rough for the Vaqueros who have made 4 playoff appearances since the 1998 season and never advancing past the first round.Rancho also had a fearsome defense led by Ralph Sakaria(garden grove def. player of the year) and Nu Atuatasi,Shawn Young,and Alex Blanco.
- Girls' basketball
-
The Lady Vaqs were a powerhouse in the early 1990s, making it to three Division III-A Championship games in four years ('90, 92', 93'). Their only win, however, came in 1992 with a 68-63 win over South Hills High School.
- Gymnastics
-
In 1982 Christie Robell won an All Around Individual Championship as well as a championship on the balance beam.
- Girls' golf
-
In 2008, Rancho created their first girls golf team. In previous years the Lady Vaqs have played on the boys golf team and competed with other schools. These young ladies worked hard and tied for league champions in 2008.
- Cross Country
-
In 2006, the Vaqs went undefeated in cross country meets. Rancho Alamitos earned the Garden Grove League Championship that year, giving them their ninth championship in the past 50 years, and their first since 1983. On November 6, 2008 Rancho Alamitos won their 10th cross country league title. Since the school opened in 1957 the Vaqueros have won league titles in 1969, '70, '71 ,'72 ,'73, '77, '82 '83, '06, and 2008. The boys are coming into the 2009 season with the strongest team since the 1983 team which finished 3rd in Div. III CIF Finals that year. Notable runners include the freshman 3 mile record holder Darrell Hatfield at 15:11 in 1969 and the school record holder for 3 miles Breggar Moore with a 14:34 in his senior year of 1973. The school record for a top 5 varsity team average currently stands at 78:06, which is a 15:37.2 3 mile average, and all top 5 teams in rancho cross country history are also teams who have averaged under 16 minutes for 3 miles. Since their 9th league title back in 2006, Rancho Alamitos currently holds a 19-1 win-lose in dual meets for the last 3 seasons (06-08), the loss coming from La Quinta's championship season in '07.
- Notable alumni
-
This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness.
- Gary Hall, Sr., from class of 1969 – 3-time Olympian (swimming), 1968, 1972 and 1976. He won three Olympic medals (2 silver, 1 bronze) and had 11 world records. Father of Gary Hall, Jr., ten-time Olympic medalist (swimming), 1996, 2000 and 2004 (5 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze).
- Gary Hill, from class of 1961 – played for the Minnesota Vikings in 1965.
- Jim Silva, from class of 1962 - current State Assemblyman, former Member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, former Mayor of Huntington Beach
- Steve Martin, comedian, writer, actor, musician and composer. He attended Rancho Alamitos his freshman and sophomore years. He was the freshman class president, and a member of the cheerleading squad at Rancho where some of his zanny commical routines were first tested out. When the school boundaries were shifted, they put him in Garden Grove high school attendance area. He graduated from Garden Grove High School in 1963.
- Randy Vataha, from class of 1967 – Wide Receiver, played seven seasons in the NFL. (1971–1977) a Stanford grad in 1971 drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, picked up as a free agent by New England Patriots, played for them until 1976. the following year he played for Green Bay Packers before he retired. While at Stanford, he played in the big upset win over Ohio State in 1971 Rose Bowl.
- Patrick Burris, from the class of 1968 was a Judo Olympian in 1972 and 1976, he won the bronze medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.
- Shawn Stussy (or Stüssy), from class of 1971. In 1980 he was a surfboard shaper around Laguna Beach, CA. In addition, he sold T-shirts with his distinctive drawn signature, that eventually had grown into more than just a surf brand, but became a general "streetwear" brand, which in turn helped propel Stüssy into an international label. Stüssy has over 60 retail stores around the world.
- Vicky Randle, from class of 1973, can be seen nightly as a member of the Tonight Show Band.
- Ray Martinez, from class of 1973 "DJ RayMar" American Disc Jockey Hall of Fame Inductee, and Author.
- Nicole Brown Simpson, wife of football star O. J. Simpson. Nicole Brown grew up in Garden Grove, California. Her family owned a home in the Royal Palm estates tract in Garden Grove. She attended Gilbert Elementary School, Skylark Elementary School, Hare Intermediate School and Rancho Alamitos High School. She attended Rancho Alamitos until her junior year, when her family moved to the gated community of Monarch Bay, California. She graduated from Dana Hills High School in 1976.
- Mark Leyes, from the class of 1976, Garden Grove City Council Member from 1990 to 2006.
- Anita Siriani, from class of 1976 goes by the professional name of Alexa Hamilton; she had guest appearances on Knight Rider and starred in the Invisible Woman with Bob Denver.
- Tom Randle, from the class of 1976 Opera singer based in England, performances World Wide.
- Don Sinclair Fielder, from the class of 1977 played with Philadelphia in the WFL and in 1985 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 1986 with the Baltimore Stars.
- Curtis L. "Curt" Pringle, from the class of 1977 was Speaker of the California State Assembly and currently the mayor in Anaheim, California.
- Richard Andrew Anderson, from the class of 1978 – NBA Basketball player, played 6 seasons (1982-1990) 1982-83 for San Diego Clippers, 1983-84 for Denver Nuggets, 1986-87 Houston Rockets, 1987-88 Portland Trail Blazers, first part of the season he was with Houston, then to Portland, then to Toronto 1988-89 back to the Portland Trail Blazers 1989-90 Charlotte Hornets.
- Craig Paquette, from the class of 1987 – Third Baseman in MLB from 1993-2003, originally drafted in 1987 by the Minnesota Twins, followed by the Oakland Athletics in 1989, the Kansas City Royals in 1996, the New York Mets in 1997, traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, and lastly Detroit Tigers in 2001 until 2003. He is currently on the roster of the minor league Camden Riversharks.
- Ronnie Guyer, from the class of 1960 - Witnessed the heroism of many at the 1st Major Battle for Freedom of the Vietnam War in November 1965. A battle depicted in the outstanding Randall Wallace Motion Picture titled .."We Were Soldiers".. starring Mel Gibson as Lt. Colonel Hal G. Moore, Ronnie's Commanding Officer in Vietnam whom he carried Radio for. Ronnie now represents the City of Garden Grove on behalf of California State Assemblyman Van Tran, the 1st Vietnamese American ever elected to a State Legislature in United States History. Ronnie also appears as invited Guest Speaker at Rancho Alamitos High School's Annual Student Awards Assemblies, in the very Gym where he crowned comedian Steve Martin 'King of the Freshman Class Dance' in 1960.
- External sources
- Gary Hill http://www.fantasyfootballchallenge.com/6-959/gary-hill-profile.html
- Steve Martin http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000188/bio
- Ray Martinez - need a new source ... http://web.archive.org/web/20080107051503/http://www.djraymar.com/bio.htm
- Tom Randle http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=55&c=2
- Don Sinclair Fielder
http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=FIELDDON01
- Ronnie Guyer - http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm ... http://www.RAHSclassof62.org/classmatesnow/ronnieguyer.html
- School website http://ranchoalamitoshs.org/
- External links
- Rancho Alamitos High School
- Rancho Alamitos ALL Alumni
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1959
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1960
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1962
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1974 and 1975
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1982
- Rancho Alamitos Class of 1995
- [1]
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
-
Add/edit information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
|
Visit school website
View current housing listings in this area
Find your graduating class at Classmates.com
Review school: 
