Gridiron Guide: Salpointe has 'first-class facility'
Even an early season freshman practice draws a small crowd at Salpointe High School Wednesday, July 29, 2015, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
School: Salpointe Catholic
Name: Ed Doherty Stadium
Address: 1545 E. Copper St.
Opened: 1958. Before that, the facility existed as a field only. Salpointe in 1991 named the stadium after Doherty, who coached at the Lancers to their first state title game 10 years earlier.
The lowdown: Doherty Stadium is one of Tucson’s most storied venues, in part because of the players and coaches who have called it home. Lancers stars John Fina and Frank Garcia went on to play in the NFL, while Kris O’Dowd (USC) and John Kadous (Notre Dame) were both U.S. Army All-Americans. Doherty was the first in a line of successful coaches that continued to Pat Welchert and Dennis Bene. Both men coached Salpointe to the state finals, and Bene — a Salpointe alum — led the Lancers to their first state championship in 2013. The 57-year old stadium has seen its fair share of change: In the last 15 years, Salpointe has installed a new scoreboard, lights, goal posts, visitor’s-side bleachers and an artificial turf field. Bene said the stadium’s allure and ambiance is the same today as it was when he played there three decades ago.
Don’t miss: Salpointe’s is one of the few high school football stadiums in Arizona that doesn’t include a track, meaning spectators are right on top of the action. Want to get even closer? Savvy fans and students watch from a fence that sits just behind of the end zone.
Biggest game: One of Bene’s most memorable wins at home came in the first round of the 2005 Class 5A-I state playoffs, when the Lancers topped Catholic rival Phoenix St. Mary’s to win the coveted Ed Doherty Trophy for the first time since 1998. Junior quarterback Max Fritz scored on a short touchdown run the final minute to secure the win. “It was more than a playoff game,” Bene said. “It was years and years of history.”
Performance for the ages: Senior quarterback Tyler Graunke cemented his place in Tucson history and took down Phoenix Brophy in the same night in 2003. Graunke threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns as Salpointe beat the visiting Broncos 42-14 in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Graunke broke Tucson single-season passing yardage and touchdowns records that night, and finished the season with 3,372 yards and 37 scores. Both remain the top marks in Tucson history.
Quotable: “We have a first-class facility and we have the success that goes with it, so we’ve been proud of it.” – Bene
