Judge celebrates alumni sports successes

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James Cordova

By Marianne Bartman

SALT LAKE CITY — Each fall brings the start of the school year for thousands of students in elementary, middle and high schools across the Salt Lake Valley. Also of note are the Catholic high school graduates who have earned the opportunity through hard work and dedication to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

"We have been very fortunate here at Judge Memorial to have developed athletes who can complete not only athletically, but can thrive academically," said James Cordova, Judge Memorial Class of 1988, who begins his 10th season as head football coach of his alma mater. "It’s been a matter of pride for decades, even back when my father, Gil, coached the Bulldogs."

Currently, more than a dozen former Bulldogs compete in football at the collegiate level, and one coaching in the NFL: John Fassel, Class of 1992, the special teams coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. Former Bulldogs on college rosters cover the country, and all divisions of play, including: Jack Barnett, West Point, Sprint Football; Spencer Conley, Southern Methodist University; Ben Cook, Montana Tech; Matt Crispo, University of Montana-Western; Patrick Gibbs, Colorado State University; Will Huntsman, Naval Academy; Will Katoa, Eastern Washington; Dom Lewis, Colorado Mesa State; Matt Lewis, Idaho State; Elliott McGill, Carroll College; Zach McKown, Columbia University; Sean Sellwood, University of Utah; Lewis Walker, University of Utah ; and Christian Weidle, Dixie State.

Gil Cordova, Judge Memorial Class of 1956, taught and coached at his alma mater from 1966 to 1977. He followed a simple motto, ‘You can lose a lot of things in life, but never can you lose an education.’

"We weren’t always the biggest or the fastest, but we always played smart," Gil Cordova said. "All of us coaches wanted our players, no matter what sport, to be students of the game."

Coach Gil Cordova’s Judge teams from 1969 thru 1973 appeared in five straight championship games, winning three. This year’s Homecoming, Oct. 5, will feature a 40th anniversary celebration for the 1972 state championship football team, along with celebrations for seven other state championship teams celebrating anniversaries: 1987 boys’ soccer title, girls’ tennis title and girls’ cross country title; 1992 boys’ tennis title; and 2002 girls’ track and field title, girls’ soccer title, and boys’ cross country title.

"It’s part of the rich heritage of Judge, a school that has served the valley for over 90 years now, to welcome home our alumni and to celebrate their successes," said Dan Quinn, Class of 1982 and the school’s athletic director.

"Former Judge students have been in the news quite a bit as we go back to school this year," Quinn continued. "As a sample, Mo Rockwell, Class of 2009, was named WAC women’s soccer player of the week for Louisiana Tech. Erika Minjarez, Class of 2008, is serving as senior class president for the University of Utah. And next month, Christopher Gray, Class of 2001, will celebrate his diaconate ordination at the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome."

"Across the diocese, the Salt Lake Valley, the state and the nation, Judge grads are going back to school as coaches, teachers, and students," said Rick Bartman, principal of Judge Memorial. "Each fall is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate education, and especially Catholic education, as we help the next generation take their next steps to realizing their dreams."