“Let’s go, Spartans!”
If you’ve uttered that phrase, you may have Ralph Martinez to thank for it.
Martinez, a member of the inaugural Bernalillo High School graduating class of 1953, was one of the original proponents of changing the school nickname from “Cobras.”
He will be grand marshal for the BHS Homecoming parade, which takes place Wednesday along Camino del Pueblo, the town’s main thoroughfare.
Paul Madrid, president of the Bernalillo school board, told the Sandoval Signpost Martinez is the right choice because of his history with the school and his extensive service tenure in Sandoval County.
“I was very excited when he surfaced as a candidate,” Madrid said.
Martinez was one of the school’s first letter winners, playing guard on the basketball team and outfield for the baseball team. He also volunteered as a judge at local polling places for decades.
“He was really instrumental in bringing water to San Luis,” Madrid said, referring to a community in the west central part of the county.
Johnny Martinez, Ralph’s son, said his father maintains a love for his alma mater and even at 91 remains active. He said the pair are restoring a classic car together.
Martinez, who retired from Sandia Labs and served 18 years on the county’s planning and zoning commission, said he was excited about the honor, which will lead to his first visit to the parade.
He said he liked the diversity of classmates he had at BHS, where he was bused daily from Corrales.
He and a friend successfully petitioned school authorities to change the mascot, though not necessarily out of fondness for ancient Sparta.
“We just decided we wanted something better than ‘Cobras,’” Martinez recalled.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. at the south end of Camino del Pueblo and travel to the campus, just north of U.S. Highway 550. Madrid said 1,500 to 2,000 typically attend.
BHS Homecoming Week ends Friday with the football game against Aztec, followed by Saturday’s Homecoming Dance.