Coronado High School (Scottsdale, Arizona)

History

Coronado High School, named for the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, opened in fall 1961 as a public comprehensive high school, grades 9-12, with emphasis on college preparatory and vocational/technical curriculum. The school mascot is the Coronado Don, don being the name for a Spanish nobleman.

Architecture

Ralph Haver, the noted Phoenix mid-century architect, designed the original school, mostly made of pre-cast concrete. Haver also designed numerous public and commercial buildings, as well as tract homes and private residences in Phoenix and Scottsdale, during the 1950s and 1960s. The neighboring residential community of Town and Country, also featuring classic contemporary ranch style tract homes designed by Haver, was designated as historic by the City of Scottsdale in 2005.

Coronado High was overhauled by DLR Group for the 2008-09 school year, though the white folded plate motif was kept in the new structures as a nod to the former appearance.

Athletics

The Coronado baseball team has been one of the school's most successful programs for over 50 years. The program won four baseball championships, three Class 5A state titles led by coach Roy Coppinger (1961–88) in 1966, 1969, 1979; and runners-up in 1974, 1978, and 1986. The fourth state title was in 4A Division II led by coach Buck Holmes (1989–present) in 2007; and runners-up in Class 4A 1999 and 2003. The Dons baseball program has only been led by two head coaches since 1961.

The Coronado football program has been known for its small but powerful players. In 1976, head coach Ed Anderson led the program to a perfect season and its only 5A state championship.

The Coronado girls' basketball program led by head coach Jerry Smith won state titles in Class 5A in 1979 and 1981; and Runner-up in 1980. In Class 4A (Spring season) led by head coach Jim Ferrando won state titles in 1990, 1991, 1992; and Runner-up in 1993.

The Coronado boys' soccer program led by head coach Mike Tsorin appeared in back-to-back Division III state finals as runners-up in 2012 and 2013. On February 14, 2014, the boys' soccer team led by head coach Nick Barker won their first state title in Division III by defeating Northwest Christian, 3-1.

Shield

The Coronado Shield has been a symbol of the school for many years. It was originally designed by Joe Gatti, who also created another symbol of the school, the Seven Arts mosaic on the auditorium. Gatti was an art teacher at Coronado from its opening in 1961 until 1984. He felt that this shield design fit the idea of Coronado's namesake.

Fine arts programs

Coronado's art classes include photography and 3D art.

The school's most well-known work of art, the Seven Arts mural that hangs above the school auditorium, was pieced together by some of the school's first art students and completed in 1964-1965. Recently, Coronado art students made a mosaic that stands between two of the art classes.

Theater

Shortly after the school opened in 1961, Coronado developed a thriving theater program under Jim Newcomer.

Revival

Coronado High School's theater program had a revival in the 2008-09 school year with its first production to have all fine art departments collaborating in 20 years with the show Once Upon a Mattress. The show was a joint effort between all the fine arts departments, with the show directed by theater teacher Gerry Carrey, choreographed by dance teacher Irma Griffin, pit orchestra provided by band director, Dr. Schultz Bennet, and vocal direction provided by choir director Dr. Sammy Jo Brauer.

In the following years, there would be at least one major performance a year, predominantly helmed by Choir and Orchestra teacher Dr. Sammy Brauer and Coronado alumni Paul Townsend.

Coffee House

In the 2015-16 school year, Dr. Brauer revitalized the Coffee House program and updated it to include students from both Coronado and its feeder schools, teachers, and alumni. The first year of this newly re-branded Coffee House ran November 4–6, 2015.

The 2016 Coffee House ran October 26-28, 2016 and continue to include Coronado students, alumni, faculty, community members, and students from various feeder schools in the district.

Thespians

Coronado High School is home to Thespians Troupe #1557.

Choir

Coronado's choir program has been under the direction of Dr. Sammy Jo Brauer since 2007. The Coronado Varsity Chorus is the main choir at the school. Varsity Chorus' student size has more than doubled in size under the direction of Brauer. Varsity Chorus has participated in a number of heritage festivals in California as well as at many in-state events. In 2011-12, the choir was separated into a varsity and a women's choir. On February 29, 2012 the choirs, along with the orchestra traveled to New York City to perform in the Lincoln Memorial center.

Advanced Choral Ensemble

The Advanced Choral Ensemble is a smaller choral ensemble of 15 members (four tenors, four basses, three altos and four sopranos) chosen by audition. Members must be in the varsity choir, maintain high grade point averages, and display leadership qualities. The ensemble has competed in several heritage festivals as well as the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Jazz and Madrigal Festival, where they received the ratings of "Superior" in jazz and "Superior" in madrigal (February 2015).

Band

The Coronado Dons band program, currently under the direction of Dr. Schultz Bennett since 2006, has continued a longstanding tradition of excellence that includes symphonic band, marching band, and jazz band. During the 2009-10 marching season, the band was a Division II with almost 75 members and continued to be as successful, if not more so, than it was in previous years in Division III. At the ABODA State Marching Festival on November 7, 2009, it was one of three bands to receive a rating of Superior with Distinction as well as four of five captions. At the 2010 ABODA State Marching Festival at Hamilton High School, the Dons Marching Band received a rating of Superior with 3 of 5 captions, and it qualified for the state championships on November 13, where it reached 2nd place for Division II with a score of 71.30. The band also received 3rd place for Division III in 2013 and 2014 and 8th for Division II in 2015.

Past Band Directors:

-Leslie Rich -Kerwin Forest -Chris Reidy -Jon Gomez -Eugene L. Hanson

Clubs

Coronado has a variety of clubs and organizations, which, in cooperation with student government, sponsor dances and other activities. Except for their sizes and specific requirements, all clubs and organizations are open to all students as per board policy. These organizations are under the authority and approval of the school administration and student government.

Listed below are the clubs and student organizations that are active at the school:

Coronado hymn

All hail to Coronado scarlet and navy blue
We pledge to you allegiance,
we Dons forever true
May each year bring more glory,
hold your banner high
Thy praise we sing and vict'ries bring to
Coronado High

Fight song

Coronado Dons go marching on,
Go marching on,
To this, their song.
Ever faithful, loyal, valiant be
Bring victory,
We proclaim it proudly!
Coronado win this game,
Fight on to fame,
Uphold the name.
Take it on the chin and never give in
Coronado Dons fight on!!!

Notable alumni

Filming location

In the late 1980s, Coronado was used as a film location as a less-expensive alternative to filming in California. It was used as the high school that Bill and Ted attended in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, although the high school in the movie was named San Dimas High School (San Dimas was actually the site of the Bill & Ted sequel). The movie finale (Bill and Ted's final on-stage report with historical figures) was filmed in Coronado's auditorium which was torn down for remodeling in 2006.

Disney used the school twice, as Coronado was the site of filming for ABC's Not Quite Human, a film featuring Jay Underwood, Robyn Lively and Alan Thicke. Another movie, Just Perfect (featuring Jennie Garth), was filmed for the Mickey Mouse Club in 1989. The final football game shown in the movie was actually between Coronado's varsity and junior varsity teams.

The 1985 movie Just One of the Guys, starring Joyce Hyser, was filmed at the now-demolished Scottsdale High School as well as at Coronado High School.

Scenes for the made-for-tv movie "Down Will Come Baby" starring Meredith Baxter was filmed on the campus in 1998.