Stats and honors don’t reveal the totality of Dicko Bufkin’s indelible impact, both as a standout player for Jesuit Dallas and as a trailblazer for the entire sport of lacrosse in North Texas. Although the program had already been founded by the time he enrolled at Jesuit, Bufkin quickly emerged as its first true star. Behind his talent, passion, and ability to inspire, Jesuit’s program blossomed.
As a freshman in 1992, Bufkin scored a modest eight goals and helped steer Jesuit to a 7-2 record. His infectious personality and ability to recruit resulted in the program growing from 23 to 75 students in his sophomore year. That season, he led Jesuit Dallas to the THSLL state semifinals, while earning the first of three consecutive all-state accolades. Leading the team in scoring for the next three seasons, Bufkin began entertaining Division I scholarship offers as a junior. He also became the first Texan to be invited to the prestigious Top 205 camp in Baltimore. A two-time team captain and three-time offensive MVP, after Bufkin’s senior season, the lacrosse team was recognized as an official varsity program and awarded letters. Paced by his junior campaign in which he netted a program-record 60 goals, Bufkin scored 152 times while donning the Blue and Gold.
Accepting an offer to Colorado College, Bufkin’s impact at the university level was immediate. Known as the “Texas Tornado,” he set a rookie school scoring record with 44 goals in his freshman season, and as a junior set the Tigers’ single-season scoring record with 62 goals – a mark that still stands 20 years later. He still holds the distinction as Colorado College’s all-time leading scorer (187), and despite being two decades removed from the collegiate game, ranks fourth on the Tigers’ all-time points list (235).
Bufkin appeared and started in all 58 games during his tenure at CC, never missing a game. He helped lead the Tigers to a victory over University of Denver and a claim on the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League Championship as a freshman, and then was named team MVP for the next three years. During his junior year, Bufkin was the team’s leading scorer in signature wins against BYU, Colorado, and Colorado State. His greatest scoring display came in 1998, as Bufkin totaled a single-game school record nine goals against Regis University, another record that has yet to be eclipsed.
Following graduation, Bufkin began serving as head coach at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Calif. Turning the program around the same way he did as a player, he was awarded the Northern California Coach of the Year Award in 2001.
