The petition was initiated by past presidents of the Quarterback Club. Its members will go before the Vacaville school board on Aug. 16 to request the removal of the Youngblood name from the football field, which presently graces both the stadium and the gymnasium. He points out that Zunino, now retired, taught at Vacaville High for 38 years. He was a football coach and the Bulldogs' boys athletic director for 37 years. The field is Zunino's as far as we're concerned.
Barker intends to spark a dialogue between supporters and opponents of the proposal.
He hopes to generate enough interest to approach the school board with significant amounts of feedback about how best to honor Zunino. Harold Youngblood, for whom the stadium was named in 1951, was a former teacher, principal and superintendent at Vacaville High before his death in 1959 at the age of 48. The field currently serves football, soccer and track teams at Vacaville High, as well as the Will C. Wood football and track teams. According to Joan Mumaugh, Vacaville's girls athletic director, the request for the change was sent to Youngblood's only known living descendent, nephew Jim Cummins. Mr. Carroll supports the change since the gymnasium at Vacaville High School will still bear Harold Youngblood's name.