When Gilbert Inglesias graduated in 1973, Maricopa High School was little more than a handful of classrooms. 

“We only had two wings, two modulars and the gym,” Inglesias recalled, standing near a poster as alumni streamed past him. It was his first time back on campus in decades. His graduating class had just 125 students, and the 70th anniversary celebration gave him a chance to reconnect. 

“The school was smaller, more intimate,” he said. “You knew everybody. Seniors knew freshmen. Classes were mixed, so you might sit next to juniors and sophomores in the same room. It was different, but it was good.” 

On Friday night, the courtyard filled with alumni from every graduating year (or at least every graduating decade) for a free celebration marking the school’s 70th anniversary.  

Students ran the DJ booth, staffed a kid zone and helped serve plates from Helen’s Catering. Red, white and black filled the crowd as classmates reunited, some after decades apart.

Inside the library, alumni paged through old yearbooks on display. A 2004 graduate laughed at a photo of his near-identical haircut. A staff member pointed to Maricopa High’s first yearbook, resting on the face of Eddie Jay Farrell, a member of one of the city’s founding families. 

The library buzzed with rediscovery. From outside came a familiar sound: the marching band pounding through pregame warm-ups, snare drums and brass spilling into the quad. Cheerleaders performed nearby for alumni gathered under the shade. 

The noise signaled time to move on. Student guide Josh Perez InMaricopa across campus, promising a behind-the-scenes look. He pointed to one of the school’s oldest buildings, still used for English classes but slated for demolition next year, he said. It once housed kindergarteners; now it stands as a legacy building on borrowed time.  

Inside, Perez highlighted the Copa Closet, a student-run nonprofit that provides clothing, shoes and even prom dresses for those in need. Across campus, DECA students manage the DECA Café, a snack shop that doubles as a hands-on business lab.  

“Maricopa used to be a retirement community for the most part,” Perez said. “A lot of people came here to settle down after they lived their life. It was nice and quiet. It still is to a degree. It is just a little bit more lively now.” 

At the edge of campus, the band’s noise gave way to the sound of cleats and whistles. Head football coach Tevin Rutherford paused briefly as his team warmed up for the homecoming game. 

“I know there was a football program in the 1970s. I am sure there probably was before that,” Rutherford said. “My wife’s uncle coached in the 1970s and 1980s here.”  

This season marks another milestone: the first full year on the school’s new turf field. 

“It was a big deal to get this redone,” Rutherford said. “We love it. It is not a thousand degrees anymore.” 

Perez broke away to join a group of friends, perhaps imagining the stories he will tell if he returns decades from now. Signs noted decades, where alumni clustered together, remembering what it felt like to navigate these spaces.  

Inglesias, meanwhile, had simple advice for today’s Rams. 

“Enjoy it,” he said. “I really liked high school when I was here.”