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Stanislaus State to host Turlock High’s annual Godinez Tournament
Junior varsity games to take place at Marchant Gymnasium, Dutcher Middle School
Stan State pic1
New maple flooring, fresh white paint and a new set of bleachers comprised the nearly $1 million makeover Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena received over the summer of 2017. - photo by ANGELINA MARTIN/The Journal

For the first time in the nearly five decades of the Frank Godinez Boys Basketball Tournament, varsity games will be played off the campus of Turlock High School.

The 48th edition of the popular winter tournament, sponsored by the Turlock Journal, will tip off Thursday night across town, at Stanislaus State’s Fitzpatrick Arena. The university will host each varsity game of the three-day event, which features Turlock, Oakdale, Modesto, Grace Davis, Patterson, East Union, Johansen and Golden Valley.

Opening night of the tournament gets underway at 4 p.m. when Patterson takes on Modesto. At 5:30, Johansen and East Union will clash. The Bulldogs, under new head coach Rick Fetter, will begin their quest for their third tournament title in four years, and 13th overall, when they face Oakdale at 7. The night concludes with Davis and Golden Valley tipping off at 8:30.

2024 Godinez Bracket

The tournament, which usually takes place the second week of December, has also been pushed up a week after timing conflicts came aboutwhen the 2024-23 schedule was being constructed last year. Despite the move in dates, there remained a scheduling conflict, as the usual venue, Bulldog Arena, had already been booked to host the annual Bulldog Classic wrestling tournament, an event that requires mats to be put in place a full day before action on Saturday. Luckily, the Stanislaus State volleyball and basketball teams are all on the road this week, and the folks there were quick to welcome Turlock High with open arms.

Even with the varsity games moving to North Turlock, there remained a conflict with the junior varsity competitions. While those games will remain at Marchant Gymnasium for Thursday, Friday’s slate will take place at nearby Dutcher Middle School to avoid the heavy traffic and closed closures leading up to the annual Turlock Christmas Parade. Games will return to THS on Saturday.

Fetter, a longtime hoops coach for the program’s junior varsity and freshman levels, took the reins for Doug Cornfoot this offseason. Cornfoot, one of the most celebrated coaches in school history, stepped away after last season following a one-year comeback from retirement.

The tournament is named after another local legend, Frank Godinez, a longtime sports reporter for the Journal. He was nicknamed Mr. Bulldog, as he was known to be on the sidelines for most Turlock High’s sporting events.

Admission for the varsity games at Stan State is $10 for adults and $5 for children, seniors and armed service veterans. Kids ages 12 and under are free on Saturday.