Left: Coach Jim Yerkovich celebrates the 1980 championship. Right: The 2002 girls soccer team after the program's first state championship.
According to athletic director James Cordova, it wasn’t until 2017 when the UHSAA introduced the sixth classification that Judge was moved to the ‘middle’ classification now known as 3A. “For the majority of the school’s history, Judge has been in the upper half of schools, enrollment-wise,” he said.
Originally there were three classifications, and Judge was in the B class. During Cordova’s time as a student and teacher here when there were only five classifications, Judge was either 4A or 3A.
Probably the oldest rivalry is with Murray. According to Judge alum Mike Gorrell’s school history on our website, in 1930 Judge was placed in a league called the western (Jordan) division of Region II, which included Grantsville, Cyprus, Bingham, Murray and Tooele. The 1953 Judge yearbook shows results from football and boys basketball games with Murray.
The rivalry must have gotten heated through the 1940s. Again according to Gorrell, in 1949 after a 36-32 loss to Murray, the Catholic Register chided Judge fans for displaying bad sportsmanship. ‘Particular attention is called to the booing of the referees and to the disturbing remarks and booing made when a Murray player was trying for a free shot at the basket.’”
The Bulldog Press reached out to Judge alumni through social media and learned that the Bulldogs have had some classic rivalries with Murray in other sports too. For example in 1990 Judge was edged out for the state championship in boys tennis by the Spartans.
“Murray Cross Country during the early ‘80s was a talented team,” alum Felix Salazar said. “They had some great male and female runners. One who stood out was John Franco. That guy could fly without breathing hard.”
“In the ‘90s with Murray we had a thing called ‘Swim for the Fin,’” Aldo Littig said. “We had a trophy that went with whoever won the meet.”
Highland is another school who the Bulldogs have had some classic games with.
In 1969 the boys tennis team finished second at state, tying Highland with eight points but losing out because its players lost 11 sets to just five for the Rams.
Next year Judge will be restarting its hockey program which brought back some memories for some former players. The Bulldogs and the Rams were the teams to beat in the early ‘90s. Highland beat Judge in the state finals in 1992, but the Bulldogs were repeat state champions in 1993 and 1994, beating Highland each time.
Boys basketball has also had some great games with Highland. The 1990-91 team of legendary Judge coach Jim Yerkovich finished the regular season with a 20-1 record with their only loss each time coming to Highland. In 2006 Judge finished the regular season 20-1 and went on to win the 3A state championship. Their only loss that year? You guessed it, Highland. Coincidentally the Rams also won the 4A state championship that year. But in 2013 Judge beat both East and Highland in games that went down to the last shot.
Judge has been in some classic contests with Park City, especially in girls sports. Park City won five championships in a nine-year period between 1997-2005, and either Judge or Park City were region champions. The 2000 girls soccer lost to Park City 1-0 in the state championship. In 2003 JM girls soccer finally got the best of the Miners, winning its first state championship in school history.
The Judge girls swim program has won 15 state championships. In 2004 girls swim team won state, and Park City was second. When Judge won its fifth state championship in a row in 2007, Park City was second. And in 2011 Judge won another state championship with a score of 323.5, edging out Miners who had 311 points.
Judge won the state championship in cross country in 2006 in cross country. And when girls tennis won state in 2011, Park City was second.
Former Judge cheerleader Makyla Lou Grant remembers the atmosphere at the boys basketball games with Park City: “Park City was always an amazing basketball game in ’06, ’07, and ’08. The Judge and Park City cheerleaders had quite a rivalry to say the least! Our Judge Cheer Captains would call a cheer, and when we were done, the Park City cheerleaders would immediately call the same cheer so the crowd could determine who did it best. Coach Natosha Marie Washington, our fearless coach in those years, who taught the Judge Cheerleaders how to stomp. That skill always left the talented Park City cheerleaders in our dust.”
Judge football had a great rivalry with Jordan. In 1981 the Bulldogs beat Jordan 52-13 in the state championship game and again in 1983.
“Women’s soccer had a huge rivalry with Jordan,” alum Cara Michele Tangaro said. “They had three sisters on their team. Our junior year in 1991 we were beating teams by scores of at least 15-0. We ended up in the state championship game against Jordan. The school was let out for the game. We lost in double OT. I was the goalie. There was the saddest picture of me in the newspaper. Albertina Cabal, Sarah Semerad Anderson, Danielle Drew Reilly, Toni Ouellette Nelson (check my facts).”
Judge has never been in a region with Cottonwood in the school’s history.
“The traditional region six was a great place to compete with Jordan, Murray, East, West, South and Tooele,” alum Bill Batt said. “Non-region games would include larger schools like Bingham, Skyline, Taylorsville, Roy. Wishing the Bulldogs success as they strengthen the level of competition.”