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The Bronchos have reached the pinnacle of success, when it comes to state titles, in the sport of basketball – boys & girls.
Read all about it in the Roll Call of State Championships below…
Boys Basketball
1995…Former Bronchos’ standout player J.D. Isler is now the coach as Grady captures the Class 1A crown with a 92-83 victory over Melrose
1980…Grady and coach Larry King cap 27-2 season by routing Rehoboth 97-70 in the small schools championship game
1978…First boys title for Bronchos, coached by Lucky Carter, when Grady knocks off Rehoboth 72-67 in 1A finale
Girls Basketball
1986…Second straight title for Grady, now coached by J.D. Isler, as the Bronchos beat back Melrose 58-47 for the blue trophy
1985…A tight battle between rivals goes to the Bronchos, led by coach Jesse Pape, after a 46-44 victory over San Jon
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“Ole!” greets drive-through customers from the speaker box.
If that’s the case, it can only be one business in Clovis: Taco Box.
From frijole burritos to Spanish fries to pig-in-a-panchos, and quite nearly everything in-between, the restaurant has been serving up its eclectic menu for 40 years from its location on 21st Street.
As a result of clever promotions and an undying passion from its regulars, Taco Box has turned into a major bit of Clovis tradition itself.
The Taco Box logo has made an appearance on the Clovis High School yearbook cover on a couple of occasions, many customers have taken to collecting the vast array of re-fillable plastic cups offered over the years and each Fourth of July the store is swamped by those looking for refreshments during the annual fireworks display at Greene Acres Lake.
And then there’s the food itself.
According to owner Tom Martin, who has run the eatery for almost the entirety of its 40-year existence in Clovis, the number one seller is the simple-and-tasty frijole burrito while tacos, chalupas and cheese sticks follow closely in popularity.
A popular side item are Spanish fries, a Taco Box-invented title for another potato-based munchie (any guesses?). Martin says his restaurant has only occasionally ventured into making regular french fries and the attempts have ultimately always been futile with the Taco Box customer base.
“I always joke that I don’t make french fries so I can help keep McDonald’s in business,” Martin says.
Other items also remain popular to an extent even though not officially on the menu board anymore – a testament to the loyalty of the typical Taco Box consumer.
The Mexi-Burger was on the menu back in the early 1980s and still gets ordered today. By those in the know, at any rate.
“There’s probably at least a dozen different items over the years like that,” Martin says. “We took it off, just because of space, but we still make ‘em. We probably sell as many as we did when they were on the menu.”
Martin lists breakfast tacos, frijole tacos, guacamole tacos as other such “underground” items. And that’s not to mention the vast array of drink combinations, utilizing the different soft drinks and flavorings, that have actually never been listed on the big board at Taco Box.
At one point, many years ago, there were several Taco Boxes. The franchise was based in El Paso and the store in Clovis opened in February of 1969.
Martin, raised in Cleveland and a graduate from Cornell University in New York, ventured west after college and tried his hand with the Taco Box brand. He took over the Clovis Taco Box on June 1, 1970.
Remembering his first foray into Mexican food, Martin has an oft-repeated story with some variation or another.
“I never had a taco until I was 21. I remember having a mild green chile taco and I thought I was going to die,” Martin recalls.
After having a tastebud-adjustment and following countless tacos served to his customers at Taco Box, it’s safe to say one thing about the guy who originally thought he’d be in Clovis for “a couple of years.”
Tom, you’re a New Mexican now!
