El Rancho High School

El Rancho High School is a public school located in the city of Pico Rivera, California, United States. It is a part of the El Rancho Unified School District. The mascot is the Don.

History

This school opened its doors in September 1952 and was a part of the Whittier Union District for the first years until 1962 when the El Rancho Unified School District was developed. Its location was the city of Rivera during the time when the city Pico Rivera was not incorporated. Many of the students that first attended El Rancho High School, were part of Whittier High School. The school colors are Blue and Grey. These symbolic colors represented the civil war, referenced from the battle of the North and the South. The two neighboring cities were Pico and Rivera: in symbolic terms, the North and the South. This school is located on 6501 S. Passons Blvd. which is a main street that passes through the end of Pico and the beginning of the city of Rivera during the time. Ultimately it brought students from the two cities together. El Rancho, is Spanish for The Ranch, hence the student body and community refer El Rancho High School by its nickname, "The Ranch".

El Rancho's campus was six acres and was named after what the land used to be a ranch. Before it was home to orange groves and avocados, soon it was made to serve the ever growing population of the two cities. No seniors were present during the first year of school until the Juniors of 1952 graduated as the first batch of seniors to leave the Ranch and head on to be the pioneering Dons of the future in 1954. There is much history to this school that has been around for more than fifty five years. Most of the first students who attended El Rancho High School were students of Whittier Union High School at the time but most of whom lived near the area were now blessed with a school that was near their home.

During the time when El Rancho was in the process of opening, the students who were planning to attend the school attended assemblies to decide their mascot, their traditions that were going to be established in this new educational institution. The school opened it's doors to a population of primarily Anglo students as well as a percentage of Hispanic students. The Don was chosen as the school's mascot which was voted on by the student population. These mascots included the Swallows, the Rocketeers, Grizzlies, the sloths though many other mascots were considered.

Sports

El Rancho High School football team during the 1960s established themselves as one of the most respected high school football programs in the California. The Dons were led by head coach Ernie Johnson, who coached from 1956-1968. In 1966, the Dons were awarded the National Championship and California State Championship when they beat Anaheim High School by a score of 35-14, in the Championship game. Coach Johnson directed El Rancho High to nine League Championships in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968. Three CIF Championships in 1960, 1966 1968, were CIF Runner-Ups in 1960 and 1963 and a National High School Football Championship in 1966. Coach Johnson ended his coaching tenure in 1968 with a 108-31-5 record. [ [http://erfootball.com/records.html Football Team Records] , El Rancho High School Football. Accessed July 15, 2007.] El Rancho last won a league championship in 1997. El Rancho's last CIF Semifinals appearance was in 1991 losing to Nogales High School. El Rancho last made it to the CIF Championship game in 1988 losing to Los Altos high school 12-0.

El Rancho football's crosstown rivals are the Montebello Oilers, Bell Gardens Lancers, Whittier Cardinals, Santa Fe Chefs, and St. Paul Swordsman.

Alma Mater

:Hail to thee dear Alma Mater:Hail to thee El Rancho High:All your sons and daughters want to:Sing your laurels to the sky.

:Wave your banners on to glory:May your colors proudly sway:Let us always tell the story:Honor to the Blue and Gray.

:Hail to thee, Oh Alma Mater:Hail to thee, with heart and tongue:Pride we feel and love yet greater:While we sing this glorious song.

:May the blessings of our school days:Hold us with a binding tie:Let us show that we will always:Honor thee, El Rancho High.

*The Alma Mater above is the original Alma Mater written in the ASB consititution. The tradition is to sing only the first two stanzas.

Notable alumni

*Rich Camarillo, former NFL punter. [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=CAMARRIC01 Rich Camarillo player profile] , database Football. Accessed July 15, 2007.]
*Tom Egan, former major league catcher. [ [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/E/Tom-Egan.shtml Tom Egan player profile] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 16, 2007.]
*Randy Flores, left-handed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. [ [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/F/Randy-Flores.shtml Randy Flores player profile] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 16, 2007.]
*Ron Flores, left-handed relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. [ [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/F/Ron-Flores.shtml Ron Flores player profile] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 16, 2007.]
*Mickey Klutts (1954-), Major League Baseball player from 1976 to 1983 for the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/Mickey-Klutts.shtml Mickey Klutts] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed September 19, 2007.]
*Bill Nelsen, former quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. [ [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=NELSEBIL01 Bill Nelsen player profile] , database Football. Accessed July 15, 2007.]
*Scott Reid, former major league baseball outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies. [ [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/R/Scott-Reid.shtml Scott Reid player profile] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 16, 2007.]
*Jeanette Jurado, actress/singer

References

External links

* [http://www.erusd.k12.ca.us/ElRancho/default.asp The Don Page] , El Rancho High School.
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ca/1694 School overview] at greatschools.net.