Yuma High inducting more into hall of fame

Five athletes, a coach and a state championship team will be enshrined in the Yuma High Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday.

And when hall of fame board member Oscar Chavez speaks of each of them — Jim Bright (football/baseball, class of 1953), Samantha Ezel (basketball, 1989), Dennis Frinfrock (football/wrestling, 1965), Ricardo “Tank” Ochoa (football/wrestling 1960); Tim Rooney (wrestling, 1963) coach Bob McLendon (basketball coach from 1961-80) and the 1959 football team — he uses glowing, exemplary terms referring to each and every one of them.

“Sam Ezel in the 1980s was an incredible volleyball and basketball player, went on to be a great coach at the college level,” Chavez said. “Coach Bob McLendon, of course, how could we forget how much he did for basketball here in the 70s. And he represented us at the state level legislature for so many years. Tank Ochoa, again part of that ‘59 team, but we're inducting him for wrestling as well. Jim Bright, a good baseball player who played for the University of Arizona. Also we're looking at Dennis Frinfrock. He was a great man. He was team captain back in 1965, went on to start the wrestling program at UNLV. He became the athletic director at UNLV and later opened up the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV. He was very influential in many of the big fights that took place in the '80s and '90s. He was credited for bringing bull riding to Las Vegas. At one point he was named the most individual man in Las Vegas sports. And let's not forget Tim Rooney, for wrestling and football. What a great guy. His contributions to sports here at Yuma High School is incredible.”

Chavez — one of nine members of the school's hall of fame committee that chose this year's class from nominations submitted by the community — used some of his most glowing terms in talking about the 1959 football team, which tied South Mountain in the state championship game. He said it has extra meaning since it was the last year Yuma had just one varsity football team, adding that Kofa started playing in 1960.

“When we can bring to life an event, such as the induction of Hall of Fame members, it give us a gathering place to celebrate,” Chavez said. “This 1959 team is an awesome example of coming together. It unified the city. It was the last year there was only one high school in town.”

Surviving members of the team — as well as the other inductees — are meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Yuma High cafeteria for their induction ceremony.

“It's a thrill and something that happened unexpectedly,” said Ochoa, who was a part of the 1959 team and also for his prowess on the wrestling mat. After Yuma High, he went on to wrestle for the U.S. Army national team. “One of the things I look back at is I'm kind of ashamed they didn't have a playoff system in case of a tie. Everybody else had it at the time. But it was a thrill to play on that team.”

This is the third induction class for the hall, which opened in conjunction with the school's 100th anniversary celebration in 2009.

Billy Fregozo, another member of the state championship team, said he hopes the ceremony will remind current and future students that a state football championship is possible at Yuma High.

“It means a great deal,” Fregozo said. “Fifty-two years ago, something happened. We won the state, we were a part of history. For someone to bring it up like this is memorable. It's great. It makes you wonder if we could do it, maybe others can do it. Especially with this school here, Yuma High, having their problems right now in the athletic department, maybe us older people can give them some encouragement.”

And teammate Ish Castro shares that sentiment.

“We feel the inspiration we can give them as a result of this, if they can remember their history and tradition Yuma High has here, it goes a long way to inspiring these young people,” Castro said. “It shows them what they can achieve if they want to achieve if they have the motivation and drive and desire and if they work hard and set a goal for themselves.

“We are just gratified and thrilled the committee decided to go ahead and put us into this hall of fame and I hope the tradition continues,” he said. “I'm sure there are going to be better athletes that follow us, but I hope we're the example.”