Rifle coach Bonito hit the bull's-eye for the Hillmen

Like many long-serving teachers, Frank Bonito served in different capacities at Placer High School. He was an agriculture and shop teacher, coached various sports, and served as counselor, vice-principal, and FFA advisor. For his outstanding success as the school's rifle team coach for more than 20 years, he will be inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame April 27 in the Earl Crabbe Gym. A highly regarded rifle instructor in the state, Bonito developed many individual and team champions. His Placer High rifle teams won five California state titles between 1950–1956. The 1955 team was considered the best in the United States. Under his direction, Placer never finished lower than third in the state meets. Shooting was considered a minor sport and was not highly suitable as a spectator sport, except in the highest matches on open ranges. It was a sport that required the utmost control of temperament and nerves. It also required a certain amount of technical knowledge of weapons and shooting conditions. Throughout his years of coaching, Bonito's teams enjoyed phenomenal success. The 10-man varsity record was 76-7 (91 percent), the five-man team was 76-7 (91 percent), the JV team was 48-4 (92 percent), and the B division team was 38-14 (73 percent). These accomplishments came through Bonito's great deal of hard work, combined with the thorough knowledge of the sport and the ability to teach and inspire. One highlight came in the 1950 Northern California championship match at McClellan Field in Sacramento.The Placer team was behind by 37 points and languishing in third place. But in an exciting finish, the last Placer shooter, Harold Brunkhorst, made up the 37 points and drilled in four extra shots for good measure. The next day in individual matches pitting the best shooters in the state against each other on the firing line, Placer shooter Bill Husse shot a 179 to earn the bronze medal for third place. It was quite a feat as it was his first year on the rifle team. Loomis resident Ed Horton was on the 10-man rifle team in the early '50s. Bonito was his FFA advisor and counselor as well as his rifle team coach. He called being on the team "a great experience. It was fun, there was a lot of camaraderie, and I met lifetime friends." Of Bonito, he says, "We became better humans because of him, and I have never forgotten him." The rifle range at the time was located in the basement of the Earl Crabbe Gym. "We weren't allowed to point the guns upward," Horton said. "We didn't know if a shot would go into the girls' locker room or the gym floor." After graduating, Horton returned to help Bonito coach the team in 1955 and 1956. Bonito continued to coach the team into the 1960s. From 1949–1961, nine individual Placer shooters won the NRA Distinguished Expert awards. Applicants had to submit to Washington their scoring on 10 targets in each of the four shooting positions – prone, sitting, kneeling, and off-hand. Shooters had to have two shots per bull's-eye. On one occasion, Bonito even drove the team bus to save the school money. In 1966, he left at 5:30 a.m. with 11 members and drove them to the state meet in Santa Ana. Qualified as a rifle marksmanship instructor through the NRA, Bonito was so well thought of as a coach that he was chosen to coach the California team in the national rifle matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1956 and 1958. His California team won the U.S. title in 1956. Bonito taught 37 years at Placer, retiring in 1971. He began as rifle team coach in 1948–49 school year, continuing the long tradition of cadet corps at the school. Placer was the first high school in California to form a Cadet Corps program in 1911. Throughout his career he received several honors. In 1961, he was awarded the Valley Forge Classroom Teachers' Medal for his "exceptional work in teaching responsible citizenship and a better understanding of the American way of life." In 1967, he was appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan to the relative military rank of colonel. He also received a California Certificate of Merit in recognition of 20 years of service in the California Cadet Corps. And he received the Sears Roebuck-sponsored Star Teacher Award of California in Agriculture. A native Californian, Bonito was born in San Jose and raised in Gilroy. He graduated from Gilroy High School in 1926 and received a B.S. degree from UC Berkeley in 1931. He played football for the Bears. An active member of the Auburn community, he was a member of the Auburn Rotary Club and belonged to a local hunting club with other community members and teachers. He also held various offices for the Superior Region of California Agriculture Teachers. In the weeks leading up to the 2019 Placer Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, April 27, The Journal will feature a new inductee each week. Stay tuned for more. The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in the Earl Crabbe Gym April 27. A Meet-and-Greet reception will begin at 5:45 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 13, and $35 after and are available online at the AHOF website, placerathletichalloffame.org or directly at placerathletichof.brownpapertickets.com. Phone orders may be placed by calling 800-838-3006. The 7 p.m. ceremony is free of charge to the public.