Los Banos FB History Highlights

Los Banos players celebrate after recent win over Dos Palos in a rivalry between schools from different CIF sections dubbed the Westside War that dates to first season in 1925. Photo: lbsportsboosters.com.

Up next in this series: Stagg of Stockton. Since the 2015 season is starting, however, that will be the last one for awhile. we’ll be picking the program back up in January when it’s over. Coaches & ADs at eligible schools, look for calls and emails from us to see if you’d like to order this work. For more on the Cal-Hi Sports football archives project and on how we can help your school, CLICK HERE.

Unlike most schools that have had their all-time football scores archive compiled by Cal-Hi Sports, Los Banos of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section has had its most struggles after the calendar turned to the 2000s.

The last few years under current head coach Dustin Caropreso have been pretty good, including last season when the Tigers went 9-3 and reached the SJS Division IV semifinals. It was earlier in the 2000s, though, when the program hit near rock-bottom with one 0-10 team and then five in a row that couldn’t win two or more games in a season.

Fans at recent Los Banos games get fired up for their team. Photo: lbsportsboosters.com.

Most of the best highlights for Los Banos, however, occur in its very early years, especially the 1930s. We don’t have a deep list of teams with the best records in the 1930s, but the Tigers have to be up there among the best in the state at 64-16-3. They also surged after World War II, including back-to-back 8-0 seasons for 1948 and 1949.

The one constant for those teams was head coach Carlyle Loftin. Loftin, who died in 1986 at age 80, coached for 21 seasons at the school (both before the war and after the war but not during the war) and had a 127-39-8 record with 10 league titles.

Keep in mind that in those days teams often only played seven or eight times in a season with no playoffs. If Loftin’s teams got the play the same schedules teams do today, he’d probably have well over 200 wins. He also won four baseball league titles and four basketball league titles as a head coach. It’s no wonder the school named its field for him and why he was in the school’s inaugural induction class for its Hall of Fame in 2012.

Another head coach in Los Banos history who had success was Don Toscano. He guided the teams in 1988 and 1991 that won SJS championships (the school’s only two section titles) and his 1988 squad was unbeaten and state-ranked. Toscano, also inducted with the first class into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2012, coached for more than two decades until 2002. He also won seven league titles in addition to the two section crowns.

Here are some other Los Banos football records that the school now has in its possession courtesy of this archive initiative:

WIN-LOSS RECORDS FOR EACH DECADE

1920s: 21-19-4

1930s: 64-16-3

1940s: 43-23-6

1950s: 46-32-3

1960s: 56-32-6

1970s: 36-56-3

1980s: 54-45-5

1990s: 63-41-1

2000s: 32-72-0

2010s: 41-17-0

REPORTED ALL-TIME RECORD HEADING INTO 2015 SEASON:

457 WINS, 354 LOSSES, 31 TIES*

*Note: Forfeit loss from 1920s and forfeit win from 1930s not included. Including those results, 1920s record would be 21-18-4, 1930s record would be 65-16-4 and all-time would 458-355-15.

56.2 ALL-TIME WINNING PERCENTAGE
(Based on half-win, half-loss for tie)

Best Records For Single Season
12-0 – 1988
9-0 – 1938
8-0 – 1948
8-0 – 1949
8-0-1 – 1933
7-0-1 – 1959
12-1 – 1991

Worst Records For Single Season
0-10 – 1970
0-10 – 2000
0-9 – 1973
0-4-1 – 1925
1-9 – 2004
1-8 – 1946

Most Points Scored (Single Game)
80 – VS. Hughson, 1962
67 – VS. Hughson, 1951
63 – VS. Manteca, 1999
61 – VS. Orestimba (Newman), 1948
59 – VS. El Capitan (Merced), 2014
58 – VS.West (Tracy), 1997
56 – VS. Livingston, 1984
56 – VS. Vanden (Travis AFB), 2011
55 – VS. Tracy, 1997
55 – VS. Tracy, 2011

Most Lopsided Wins
80-6 – VS. Hughson, 1962
61-0 – VS. Orestimba (Newman), 1948
58-0 – VS. Livingston, 1962
56-0 – VS. Livingston, 1984
55-0 – VS. Le Grand, 1948
67-12 – VS. Hughson, 1951
52-0 – VS. Ceres, 2013
48-0 – VS. Mariposa, 1948
48-0 – VS. Livingston, 2013

Most Points Allowed (Single Game)
66 – VS. Bakersfield, 1926
57 – VS. Dos Palos, 1974
55 – VS. Tracy, 2008
52 – VS. Golden Valley (Merced), 2005
51 – VS. St. Mary’s (Stockton), 2008
50 – VS. Ceres, 1973
50 – VS. Downey (Modesto), 2004

Most Lopsided Losses
66-0 – VS. Bakersfield, 1926
50-0 – VS. Downey (Modesto), 2004
49-0 – VS. Granada (Livermore), 2000
47-0 – VS. Edison (Fresno), 1946
44-0 – VS. Fresno, 1929
50-6 – VS. Ceres, 1973

Records Against Notable Opponents
42-7-1 VS. Livingston
3-1 VS. Pacheco (Los Banos)
36-14-1 VS. Ceres*
9-15 VS. Merced**
15-24-0 VS. Manteca
28-42-6 VS. Dos Palos
*Includes three wins in same season (1988).
**Includes games in which Los Banos varsity played Merced JV.

Longest Winning Streaks
19 – 1948-1950 (8-0, then 8-0, then won first three)*
17 – 1936-1938 (last two, then 9-0, then won first six)
12 – 1935-1936 (last 10, then first two)
12 – 1988 (12-0 with loss in last game of 1987, first game of 1989)
*Also part of 24-0-2 unbeaten streak.

Longest Losing Streaks
17 – 1972-1974 (lost last six, then 0-9, then lost first two)
14 – 2000-2001 (0-10 season, followed by 0-4 start)
11 – 1969-1970 (0-10 season, then lost first of 1970)

Remember, any school in the state can have this research finished in a customized fashion in return for a reasonable fee. For details, CLICK HERE.

Thanks to Stockton office assistant editor Paul Muyskens for contributing to this post. Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports