‘Game time.’ Fresno’s Central Unified debuts school named for coach lost to cancer fight
Regina Garza described the moment as “game time,” a fitting phrase for the debut of the school named for her late husband.
With the Garza family as featured guests, Central Unified School District had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning to unveil Justin Garza High, located at 4100 North Grantland Ave. next to Koligian Stadium in Fresno.
Justin Garza was the head football coach at Central High from 2012-2015, becoming a beloved campus and community figure after starting his career as a teacher there in 1999 and also serving as a football, track and golf assistant.
So of course the sports references made sense for the more than 100 people who attended the ceremony. Garza High, home of the Guardians, will begin its first school year Aug. 11.
“I was thinking about his preparation for a football game and the excitement for a big event,” Regina said. “When you feel those butterflies ... it’s about preparation and I feel like the Central community did what they needed to do to get where we’re at here.
“I can’t believe it’s going to be ready in two weeks for the students. I’m excited and it means it’s game time.”
Garza died in 2017 after a six-year cancer fight.
In May, the new high school was named after the football coach, chosen from a list of about 200 suggestions submitted by the public.
This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 5:47 PM.
