Denton’s Santa Cruz sports legacy lives on in Eloy

His death on June 5 is bringing the community together again, to celebrate the decorated coach and mentor.

A pioneer of Santa Cruz wrestling, Denton started the program in 1969 and led the Dust Devils to championships in 1977, 1991 and 1995. His coaching prowess was not limited to the wrestling mat, however, as he led the Dust Devils to two state championships in football.

For his numerous accomplishments and accolades as a coach, Denton was awarded hall of fame honors both at the state and national level. He was inducted into the Arizona High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame just last year.

Many of the athletes he mentored described him as a tough, hard-nosed kind of coach, but one who would always go above and beyond for the athletes who bought into his philosophies.

“He always invested into the youth and into the community,” Santa Cruz Valley Union High School board member Richie Reyes said. “As I went to high school and entered his program, Coach (Denton) was one of those guys that would give tough love, but he never failed to show how much he cared about us.”

Reyes is just one example of the many lives that Denton had a hand in affecting for the better. After hearing the news of his death, Reyes immediately offered to help the Denton family in any way that he could, as he is still in close contact with members of the family.

While Reyes said that Denton always made sure that his athletes had the necessary tools, on the field and on the mats, he was one of the most competitive guys there is.

His never-ending drive to win and succeed is something that Reyes used later in life as he grew up and moved on from the Eloy high school.

“As I left the school, Coach was still very involved in my life. I would often call him and ask him for all kinds of advice, and he answered the phone every time,” he said. “To me, he was the guy that started the tradition of success, he was addicted to winning. He was a top-notch guy.”

Reyes said that Denton’s impact was felt all over the school, both in the classroom and in athletics. As Reyes became an assistant coach for the Dust Devil softball team, he said he wanted to take the lessons he learned from Denton and apply them to his coaching style.

“He had an impact on our softball team because of his leadership and his tradition that we tried to follow,” Reyes said. “We tried to do a lot of things that he did and mirror it with our program. Everybody knew who he was and everybody respected him.”

Denton’s reach did not end after his students left Santa Cruz, as Reyes mentioned that he always kept in touch with players after they graduated.

Ultimately, Reyes said he wants the community to know how much Denton cared about every person he met and how he played an important role in mentoring the next generation of Dust Devils.

“He cared about his programs, his players, he cared about how we looked and how we presented ourselves,” Reyes said. “Coach would always have a razor, and everybody had to be clean shaven. He didn’t want individuals, he wanted teams. He didn’t compromise on his expectations and his ways, but it was all for a good reason. There were a lot of life lessons that we learned and realized that down the road.”