Well, there’s gotta be a story behind this one.
Yuma is in the southwest corner of Arizona, just a couple of miles away from the Mexican border. It’s pretty large, with a population just under 100,000.
It’s also very hot and sunny. In fact, it’s the driest and sunniest place in the US. The average temperature is a scorching 90 degrees, and the city has 4 months with an average over 100.
All that and the nearby Colorado Rive, though, make Yuma an “agricultural powerhouse.” Several nearby military bases also help shape the local economy.
By the by, Yuma does have one genuinely famous citizen, Cesar Chavez.
Hot, yet flat
Because of its size, Yuma actually has 5 different high schools. The one we’re talking about, though, was the first, dating all the way back to 1909. The original building was, unfortunately, destroyed by fire a year later, forcing the school to move to the then-empty Yuma Territorial Prison. A couple of years after that, though, the city wanted its prison back, so a new school was built in 1914.
That’s the prison, not the high school
In the interim, however, another Arizona high school, which had just lost to Yuma in the state championship, derisively called them the criminals. In the fashion of Yankee Doodle, Yuma HS proudly adopted it as their own.
Indeed, that theme is reflected in uniforms, a group of supporters called the “chain gang,” parts of the old prison incorporated into the stadium, a merch shop called the "Cell Block" …
And, of course, we can’t forget Curt the Crim, black eye and all:
The school is a big one, with 1,200 students, and 22 sports teams. They actually have a famous alumnus as well, a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the wonderful name of Curley Culp.
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