YUMA, AZ – Cibola’s Lucky Arvizo has been synonymous with Raiders football for more than two decades. But this week, the long-time head coach will be honored as a Criminal.
Arvizo, who graduated from Yuma High in 1985, will be a part of the seventh group inducted into the Yuma High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 29, at Yuma High.
“It’s a great honor to be selected amongst so many talented and generous individuals,” Arvizo said. “I would like to share this honor not only with my family, but all of my past teammates, coaches, teachers, and community members who motivated and allowed me to strive for success.”
In four years with the Criminals Arvizo lettered in football, basketball and baseball. He broke the school’s single-season passing record with 1,574 yards his senior year. He was named All-Central Division and to the South All-Star team in basketball and one of the school’s best right-handed pitchers. He was named Student Athlete of the Year in 1985.
Arvizo went on to play at Arizona Western College and Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Following his playing career, Arvizo returned to the southwest to become quarterbacks coach at Cibola in 1990 and was later named offensive coordinator.
Since taking the head coaching job prior to the 2002 season, Arvizo built Cibola’s program into one of the most consistent in the region. The Raiders have gone 85-59 under Arvizo’s leadership. He was a teacher and administrator there. And his sons Lucky Jr., Bailey, and Ethan, who is a sophomore backup quarterback, have all played for him at Cibola.
However, somewhere deep Arvizo will always remain a Criminal. He met his wife, Claudia, at Yuma High and they graduated together in ’85. She will be with him Saturday when the Yuma High Hall of Fame Committee unveils his plaque in the east end of the Palace Gym on campus and she will stand in for him at the Yuma-Gila Ridge football game Friday when the group of inductees are honored before kickoff.
"My wife and I often recall events from high school," Arvizo said. "She always reminds me of the freshman handshake dance and not asking her to dance. I keep telling her that I was shy. But we have great memories of Yuma High."
Arvizo is one of nine inductees into the Yuma High Athletic Hall of Fame. Jim Marshall, Edward “Vito” Montana, Kenneth Needham, Duncan Phillips, Jess M. Sanchez, Tim Tyree, Tom Tyree, and the 1913 football team will be enshrined alongside him.
