Saint Francis High School (La Cañada Flintridge)

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St. Francis High School
School Type	Private, Fransican Capuchin
President	Fr. Matthew Elshoff, OFM Cap.
Principal	Thomas Moran
Location	La Cañada-Flintridge, California
Enrollment (as of 2004-05)	659
School Colors	Brown and Gold
Mascot	Golden Knight

Saint Francis High School is an all-boys Catholic preparatory high school in La Cañada Flintridge, California. Founded in 1946 on the lands bought from a golf club, it is currently owned and directed by the Capuchin friars of the Western American Province of Our Lady of Angels. Its unofficial motto, "A Catholic Tradition of Enriching the Mind and Heart," serves as the inspiration for the curriculum. Saint Francis' perennial sports strength is soccer, with their team ending the season of 2005 ranked 4th in Division II in C.I.F.'s Southern Section.

1 Academics
2 Athletics
- 2.1 Football
3 Notable alumni
4 External links

[edit] Academics

St. Francis High School endeavors to develop in its students moral and spiritual maturity, intellectual growth, responsible citizenship, social awareness, physical well-being, and an understanding of the alternatives in their vocational and educational futures. Specifically, the school attempts to develop the intellectual growth of each student by:

• Instructing him to utilize different cognitive processes, reasoning and thinking exercises; • Acquainting him with the basic structure of the English language so that he can manipulate those elements with ease in oral and written communications; • Developing his capacity for understanding mathematical and scientific concepts; • Introducing him to a knowledge of human history from ancient to modern times; • Exposing him to the knowledge and thought patterns of foreign languages; • Providing a well-equipped library learning center and a program of library orientation; and • Giving recognition to his intellectual achievements through membership in the National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, and through participation in the annual Scholastic Awards Night.

[edit] Athletics

St. Francis High School’s athletics program is steeped in tradition; the accomplishments of its athletic teams are impressive. Within the last seven years alone, the Varsity Soccer Team has captured three CIF championships and the Varsity Football team has consistently advanced to the CIF playoffs. With the recently installed FieldTurf and all-weather track inside the Friedman Field complex, gym-nasium renovation, newly completed Field House, as well as home-side bleacher and patio renovation, the athletic program will undoubtedly continue to build on its winning tradition. The Golden Knights compete in nine different sports within the Mission League, which is part of the CIF Southern Section. At the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels, Football, Cross Country, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Volleyball and Baseball are available to students. Golf is also a Varsity sport. Football, Basketball, Track, and Volleyball are also available on the Freshmen/Sophomore level.

[edit] Football

After taking the Golden Knights to the CIF Playoffs for the fourth straight year, head coach Jim Bonds’ .638 winning percentage continues among the best since the school first took to the gridiron in 1949.

St. Francis’ first victory was in the final game of that 1949 season, a 40-6 trouncing of Notre Dame and, four years later, football fortunes took an upswing with the arrival of legendary coach Jack Friedman, who immediately moved St. Francis into the Parochial League.

In 1960, QB Tony Petek (’61) outdueled future Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte, the win over Mater Dei cementing the Golden Knights’ first league championship.

Other early highlights included:

A 29-game winning streak and two consecutive CIF championships (1963-64),
A 13-0 mark, Santa Fe League title and CIF AAA championship in 1964. The team paced by CIF MVP tailback Terry Newlin (’65), is called by many the school’s best ever,
Four Del Ray league titles, including three straight, in the 1970s

The 1980s featured an upset of Loyola and another Del Rey championship.

The 1990s saw a rebuilding program, highlighted by the 1993 hiring of Bill Redell, who led the Golden Knights to its first playoff win in 13 years (1996), its first league title since 1982 and to the 1999 semifinals, losing to eventual champion Hart.

Past Golden Knight coaches include: Jim Glenn (1949-50), John Pacheco (1951-52), Friedman (1953-65, 68-78), Jim Yang (1966-67), Brian Fogarty (1978-82), Terry Terrazone (1983-88), Bill Garrison (1989-90), Andy Boynton (1991-92), Redell (1993-99) and Bonds.