Monthly Archives: October 2015

Denair Overmatched in Loss to Gustine

Posted on by

DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The harsh reality of too few players matched against a superior opponent was too much for the Denair High football team to overcome in Friday night’s 44-0 Southern League loss to undefeated Gustine.

The Coyotes began the game with just 22 players and then lost one of their best two-way performers, Juan Barerra, to a knee injury in the first half. That came a week after three other players suffered injuries in a hard-fought loss to Mariposa.

“It’s the next man up with injuries. That’s what we tell the kids,” said first-year coach Anthony Armas.

Denair is 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the league play midway through the most difficult part of its schedule. The Coyotes already have faced Mariposa and Gustine, and in the next two weeks host Orestimba and travel to Ripon Christian. Those are the top four teams in the Southern League with a combined record of 20-3 overall and 10-2 in league play. Gustine and Orestimba both are 6-0 this season.

“The league this year, from top to bottom, is very, very tough,” Armas acknowledged. “And that’s what we told our players from Day 1. That’s the situation we’re in. There’s nothing we can cry about.”

Denair is the third team this season to be held scoreless by Gustine, a squad Armas called “big and fast.”

“They played well and we didn’t,” he said. “We’re just making little mistakes. Some of them are mental, like going the wrong way on a block. On defense, we missed a lot of tackles.”

Armas praised running back Justin Steeley for his effort, but said the offense “didn’t go as well as we hoped.”

Things get no easier this week with a homecoming game against Orestimba.

“They’re pretty dynamic on offense, similar to Gustine,” Armas said. “I think Gustine is a little bigger, but Orestimba has a very good quarterback and a dynamic running back.”

Denair Superintendent, District Will Fight Developer’s Request to Change Boundary Line

Posted on by

DUSD Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The Denair Unified School District will strongly oppose a proposal by a housing developer to redraw the district’s boundary to send future students to Turlock schools.

The proposal could cost the Denair district an estimated $1 million in developer fees and about $750,000 in annual state funding based on how many students would live in the new homes, Superintendent Aaron Rosander told the Board of Trustees at Thursday night’s meeting.

The boundary initiative is being pushed by Turlock housing developer Ronald Katakis. He wants 90 acres at the northwest corner of Tuolumne and Waring roads to be transferred from the Denair school district to the Turlock Unified School District.

Katakis sent a letter in September to Stanislaus County Superintendent Tom Changnon petitioning for the change. Under the State Education Code, Changnon was required to form a committee to review the plan and recommend for or against it. The 10-person panel of current and former school board members in Stanislaus County will hold hearings Oct. 28 in Denair and Turlock to take public comment.

Rosander said it’s critical that the Denair community defend the current boundary – which has been in place for decades – and the integrity of the district’s schools. He invited community members to a forum Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Coyote Center to learn more about the threat posed by the plan.

“If enacted, this transfer will cause deep and irreparable harm to Denair schools for many years to come,” Rosander wrote in letter sent Friday to committee members.

The property in question is about a half-mile from the Denair schools complex on Lester Avenue, but more than two miles away from Turlock High School.

Katakis’ development envisions 129 homes ranging from 2,500 square feet to 4,500 square feet to be constructed on 40 acres. Developers in Turlock are required to pay $3.36 per square foot to school districts to help offset the cost of constructing new facilities and hiring teachers for the new students. With an average home size of 3,000 square feet, the first phase of the neighborhood would generate $1 million in developer fees – and many times more if homes also are built on the remaining 50 acres. Continue reading “Denair Superintendent, District Will Fight Developer’s Request to Change Boundary Line” »

Denair Falls Behind Early in 26-20 Loss to Mariposa

Posted on by

DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Through five games, a few things are clear about the Denair football team: They’re small in numbers, but won’t be intimidated. They’re more competitive than they’ve been in years. And they have a habit of getting off to slow starts.

All three characteristics were on display Friday night in Denair’s 26-20 loss to Southern League powerhouse Mariposa.

  • Slow starts. Just as it did against Summerville in the season opener, Denair gave up a touchdown on its first defensive play of the game. This time, it was a short pass that Mariposa’s receiver turned into a long score by eluding a couple of would-be tacklers. The defensive problems lasted the rest of the first half, when the Grizzlies scored all their points.
  • The Coyotes began the game with 26 players, had two injured during the game and another who exhibited concussion symptoms afterward and spent a night in the hospital. Still, Denair’s coaching staff and players showed flexibility with on-the-fly position switches and many guys playing offense and defense. The Coyotes have grit.
  • Despite falling behind early, Denair’s defense buckled down to keep the team in the game. Justin Steeley’s 85-yard TD run late in the second quarter cut Mariposa’s lead to 26-14 at halftime. Juan Barrera cut the lead to 26-20 with his own TD run in the third period. The Coyotes had a final chance with the ball at midfield with about 5 minutes left in the game, but were forced to punt and never regained possession.

Barrera was the game’s offensive start, running for more than 220 yards and the touchdown.

First-year coach Anthony Armas said there were a number of takeaways in the loss, which dropped Denair to 1-1 in league play and 2-3 overall. Continue reading “Denair Falls Behind Early in 26-20 Loss to Mariposa” »

Denair Middle School Hosts Book Fair

Posted on by

Scholastic Book Fair

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair Middle School Library will host a Scholastic Book Fair on October 12-16, 2015 from 7:35 am to 3:30 pm. to help raise funds to purchase new books for the library and classrooms.

The Book Fair will be open each day from 7:35 am to 3:30 pm and feature a wide range of books for middle school, young teens and adults, including mystery and adventure novels, fantasy series, sports guides, graphic novels, and the latest best sellers from more than 100 publishers. Parents, children, teachers, and the community are invited to attend.

On October 14th from 4:30 to 7:30, the Book Fair will feature an evening event for parents, community members, and other staff members that aren’t able to come during the day.

Student volunteers, dubbed the Crew, helped to plan the Fair and will also help run it. From creating special promotions and merchandising displays to managing inventory and assisting shoppers with their selections, Crew members learn real-life skills while helping to encourage reading at their school.

“Our Student Crew is working very hard to put on a great Book Fair event – one that promotes literacy and reading, while at the same time raising money for much-needed school resources,” said Gayle Schell, Librarian, at Denair Middle School.

Fair attendees can also help build classroom libraries by purchasing books for teachers through the Classroom Wish List program. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Schell at (209) 632-2510, ext. 3210, or (209) 632-9911, ext. 4259.