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Friday, October 25, 1996
PECOS, Oct. 25 -- The Pecos Eagles have a playoff spot, even if they
don't have the respect of the San Angelo Lake View Maidens.
The Eagles got the former Thursday night, thanks to the Andrews
Mustangs' 15-8, 15-13 victory over the Fort Stockton Prowlers, and can
earn the latter on Saturday, when they close out regular season
volleyball play at home against Lake View with junior varsity and
varsity matches at 2 and 3:15 p.m.
The Eagles earned their first post-season trip in four years thanks to
back-to-back wins over the two teams chasing them, Fort Stockton and Big
Spring. A win on Saturday would match their high-total so far this
season of four straight wins, and avenge a 15-13, 15-10 loss in San
Angelo last month.
Lake View's Jennifer Casey didn't give Pecos much respect after that
match. "It's good when you can play bad or be off and still win," she
told the «MDUL»San Angelo Standard-Times,«MDNM» and Eagles' coach Nora
Geron is hoping he team is "mean enough to take that as a challenge."
"When they serve first, they're strong up on the net," Geron said.
"They've got some good athletes, but they're beatable."
Lake View had trouble with Big Spring's Tosha Wilbert when they didn't
serve first in Game 2 on Thursday, but scored a 15-8, 7-15, 15-6
victory, lifting them to 8-1 in district, 24-6 on the season. Saturday's
game is actually bigger for the Maidens than for the Eagles, since a win
(or a loss by Andrews to Big Spring) would give San Angelo its
first-ever district volleyball title.
Pecos, at 5-4 in district, 13-15 overall, is locked into third place no
matter what happens. "We may be a little more relaxed than they are,"
Geron said. "I just hope we play hard, because it would be nice to go
into the playoffs with a win."
The Eagles' coach added that Pecos' bi-district opponent is already set,
though the site, date an time are up in the air. Pecos will face the El
Paso Burges Mustangs, runners-up in District 3-4A, in either Pecos or El
Paso next Thursday or Saturday.
"I'd like to have it next Thursday, because we can't get a game Tuesday,
since 4A is the only conference that's finished," Geron said. Geron said
Burges, which finished second to El Paso Bowie, did not want to play a
neutral site match in Alpine or Van Horn.
San Angelo (2-0 district, 6-1 season) at Andrews (1-1, 3-4): Eagles'
coach Mike Belew said Andrews outplayed Sweetwater two weeks ago, but
couldn't get into the end zone in their 14-0 loss. Last week, they
didn't stall in the red zone against Pecos and won 30-7, thanks to Shaud
Williams' 248 yards rushing.
Lake View's defense has bent-but-not-broken in the last three games,
holding things close in the first half until the offense could get
going. Quarterback Sterlin Gilbert will hope for a faster start against
an Andrews defense that has allowed just two touchdown passes against 11
interceptions.
Fort Stockton (0-2, 3-4) at Big Spring (1-1, 2-5): Big Spring was very
good against Pecos, and in the early going of last week's game against
Lake View. But the Chiefs then put up 28 straight points, too much for a
late Steers' rally to overcome. All three Big Spring TDs were through
the air last week, but expect them to go back to Antwoyne Edwards and
the running game tonight.
Fort Stockton had their chances against San Angelo Lake View in the
first half two weeks ago before the Chiefs pulled away, while last
week's numbers looked more like the Panthers' teams from the past
several seasons. Still, Fort Stockton has usually come up with a good
effort against Big Spring even though their last win over the Steers was
in 1987, and a great effort from running back Jacob Vasquez tonight
could give them a shot at an upset victory.
PECOS, Oct. 25 -- Three members of the Balmorhea Bears' cross country
team qualified for next weekend's Region I-A competition in Lubbock,
following the District 8-A meet this past weekend.
Coach Adolfo Garcia said freshman Manny Mendoza won the boys' division,
with a time of 19:34 over the three mile course. Teammate Arturo Miranda
was second with a 20:03 time, and Keyon Roman placed fourth, with a time
of 23:42.
"The top five qualifiers go to regional," said Garcia, who went the
past couple of seasons with Junior Dutchover, who graduated this past
May.
On the girls' side, Balomrhea's Celia Rodriguez just missed a regional
berth, and she finished sixth over the two-mile course with a time of
18:33. Sierra Blanca's Patricia Candrell won the girls' title, with a
14:57 time, Garcia said.
The Region I-4A meet will also be in Lubbock next week, but the Pecos
Eagles' cross country team won't know whether or not they'll be there
until Saturday morning, when the District 4-4A meet takes place in Big
Spring.
PECOS, Oct. 25 -- Seven local teens placed this past weekend during the
two-day high school rodeo at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena, with three
taking first place ribbons home.
The rodeo made its first Pecos stop in several years as part of the fall
circuit, and there were a total of 304 entries from all over the state
participating, with 150 entered on Saturday and 154 on Sunday.
DeAnda Allgood placed first in the cutting competition on both Saturday
and Sunday. She received an eleventh ranking in the barrels on Saturday
and fourth on Sunday.
Barrels competitor Renea Rasberry placed seventh on Saturday and 15th on
Sunday in her competition, which had a total of 28 barrel racers both
days.
The other two PHS students to receive a first place award were team
ropers Randel Barmore and Trever Warren. They placed third on their
Saturday run and brought home a first place for their Sunday effort.
Team ropers Rasberry and Joe Bob Hayter finished tenth on Sunday after
their run.
Finishing up at ninth on Saturday after their team roping stint were
Clay Ryan McKinney and Will Haws.
A total of 21 roping teams competed on Saturday and 20 on Sunday.
On Sunday, Rasberry brought in an eighth place ribbon for her breakaway
roping performance out a total of 24 such competitors.
The Pecos rodeo team will travel to Eden for its final fall competition
dates, Oct. 26 and 27.
The spring schedule for high school rodeo members will begin sometime in
March, 1997 and continue on for about six weeks.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one of four stories on football coaching salaries
in Texas high schools, as compiled by the Associated Press. The other
stories, plus a complete list of salaries for the 428 coaches in Class
5A and 4A during the 1995-96 season, will appear in Sunday's Pecos Free
Press.
A survey by The Associated Press found that nearly 80 percent of the
coaches make more than the best-paid teacher in their districts. Those
educators earn about $44,000, many of whom are department heads with
master's degrees and at least 30 years' experience.
It's not just the top coaches, paid up to $83,000, who make more than
teachers. Even the lowest-paid coach is paid more than the typical
teacher.
Some of the best-compensated coaches also are among the most successful:
Stephenville's Art Briles, Temple's Bob McQueen, Converse Judson's D.W.
Rutledge, La Marque's Alan Weddell and A&M Consolidated's Ross Rogers.
Those five coaches, all among the dozen best paid and earning at least
$67,000 a year, have been to 11 title games in the past five years,
winning eight.
Coaches attribute their higher pay to several factors: the extended work
year, long hours at practice and games, extra duties as athletic
directors, and the pressure to succeed in football-obsessed Texas.
``People see you on Friday night at the football game and they think
that must be a nice job,'' said The Woodlands coach Weldon Willig, whose
$72,544 salary ranks seventh. ``They aren't there with you on Sunday
afternoons and Sunday nights.''
The AP study is based on 1995-96 salary information from the 238 school
districts representing 428 schools that played Class 5A or 4A varsity
football. Those schools made up 44 percent of the 976 that played 11-man
football last year, but their athletes comprised more than half of the
state's varsity football players.
The information was requested under the Texas Public Information Act.
The highest-paid coach was Briles, who made $82,658 in 1995-96 after
winning Class 4A championships in the two preceding years. Briles earned
more than 2½ times what Stephenville paid an average teacher, $30,390.
He made $41,962 more than the highest-paid teacher in his district.
The lowest-paid coach was 4A Dallas Wilson's Damon Miller, who moved to
Dallas Skyline this year. His $34,474 salary was still $1,981 more than
the average $32,493 Dallas teacher's salary.
The statewide averages are not inflated by just a few high-earning
coaches. The typical coach makes $54,239. Half make more, and half make
less.
Coaches say fans expect them to win to keep their jobs -- and big wages
can be a reward for success.
``It's a shame that coaches are not hired and fired on some other thing
other than their won-loss record,'' said Eddie Joseph, executive
director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
``A guy may be a fine teacher ... and a great role model, and if he
doesn't win enough ballgames he has to find another place to put his
suitcase down.''
Teachers weren't surprised to hear that coaches make more money.
``There's no question that football is king in Texas. That's always been
true in Texas high schools as well as colleges and professionally,''
said Richard Kouri, president of the Texas State Teachers Association.
``We ought to place a higher value on a good pre-K teacher than a good
head football coach. But that's not the way society thinks or operates
and it's not the way the schools operate,'' he said. ``My problem is not
so much that a coach can make $83,000 but that a teacher can't.''
The highest-paid teacher in Texas -- a 28-year Junior ROTC instructor --
made $63,086. Joe Pedigo, who worked year-round in the North Forest
Independent School District in Houston, retired in July.
Joseph said a $54,000 salary for coaches is ``not a great, great deal of
money'' when accounting for the number of days and hours coaches work.
``I guess it is a lot of money for teachers, but it's not a lot of money
in the business world,'' Joseph said.
Coaches work an average 216 days a year; teachers, 184 days. Some
coaches said they work at least 80 hours a week during football season.
Many head football coaches are also athletic directors or coordinators,
meaning they have administrative responsibilities for other sports.
Teachers also put in long hours. In addition to grading homework,
lunchroom duty and parent conferences, they sponsor clubs, contests and
dances. Classroom teachers, on average, spend 56 hours a week on the
job, not including meetings, Kouri said.
``It's something all the time. It's some committee meeting, it's some
kind of faculty meeting, it's some responsibility you have in addition
to your classroom,'' said Joanne Bowers, Plainview High School's science
department coordinator. ``Sometimes you find you're meeting yourself at
the door.''
Coaches in 4A and 5A programs who also are athletic directors generally
don't teach classes. Elsewhere, it varies by campus. The Texas Education
Agency defines a classroom teacher as one who spends four hours in a
classroom daily.
Coaches, like teachers, receive a minimum base salary that is set by the
Legislature and based on their years of experience. Coaches also receive
a coaching stipend, established by the school district, and those who
are athletic directors receive an additional bonus.
The AP asked for all taxpayer-funded compensation, including allowances
for cars, travel and other perks.
Any compensation from sources other than the district -- for example,
from radio or TV shows, country club memberships or dealership-sponsored
automobiles -- must be spelled out in the coach's contract, said UIL
spokesman Peter Contreras.
University Interscholastic League rules prohibit coaches from accepting
gifts valued at more than $300 per year from booster clubs, parents or
others. Coaches may not receive bonuses or portions of gate receipts.
Still, the athletic pay scale puts coaches above the typical Texan,
particularly if there is another breadwinner in the family. The typical
Texas household of four people had estimated earnings of $32,039 in
1995, according to the Census Bureau.
The average wage for a federal, state or local government employee was
$25,774 in 1995, so both coaches and teachers do better than the typical
Texan on the public payroll, according to the state comptroller's
office.
Teachers and coaches also share an interest in children and the chance
to influence their lives. But coaches say they have more obligations and
endure far more public scrutiny: the results of their week's work are
printed in newspapers and discussed throughout town.
``Coaches certainly have many more responsibilities from what the
classroom teacher has. And I speak from experience on both ends. I was a
classroom teacher for 10 years,'' said Kelly Reeves, a former science
teacher and coach who is now the Round Rock schools athletic director.
``Usually the people who want to compare the salaries are the teachers
when they want a pay raise.''
Coaches also say they can be booted for a poor season while teachers
will return even if their students struggle.
``I would say we have no job security. I've been fired before. I
understand that goes with it,'' said Bryan coach Marty Criswell, No. 5
on the money list at $74,625.
``The expectations are so much higher for excellence that, yeah, it
might be nice to make those dollars, but you're not going to make them
long if you don't perform like people expect you to.''
Others said they're just paid the going rate.
The top-paid coach, Briles, said he started out with a much more modest
salary when he arrived at Stephenville in 1988 and that he has never
asked for a raise.
``I honestly find it hard to believe I'm the highest-paid coach in the
state,'' he said. ``After I started as low as I did -- which was low --
and we started producing, then we began looking around at some other
salaries in the state. Stephenville just decided to match some of the
salaries that were going around.''
Miller expressed only mild surprise at his ranking as lowest-paid coach.
Even though he's paid more for having a master's degree, Miller said he
will receive only small, incremental pay raises if he stays in the
metropolitan district.
``I've been in Dallas for seven years. I know what it's all about
here,'' Miller said. ``Wherever I am I try to do a good job. I feel like
someday I'll get rewarded for that.''
PECOS, Oct. 25 -- Sweetwater Mustangs' head coach Tom Ritchey is the
highest paid head coach among District 4-4A schools, according to a list
of salaries from the 1995-96 school year released Thursday night by the
Associated Press.
Former Pecos Eagles' head coach Felix Urias, meanwhile, ranked 422nd out
of the 428 coaches listed by the AP, while the Eagles' new head coach,
Mike Belew, would still be the lowest-paid coach out of thosse at the
six district schools, based on last year's figures.
Urias earned $39,800 last year, his third year as head football coach
for the Eagles, while Belew was hired in April at a salary of $48,000,
according to information released at that time by the
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah school district. Based on last year's numbers, that
would rank him 339th on the list of 428, tied with Pat Patton of Class
4A's Fort Worth Castleberry.
Belew also serves as P-B-T athletic director, while Daylon Whitehurst
served as athletic director while Urias was head coach.
Ritchey, the district's senior coach, was the 58th highest-paid coach in
Classes 5A and 4A, with a salary of $60,817 last year, his 10th at
Sweetwater. He was followed by Andrews' Mike Lebby, who earned $56,998
in his second year as Mustangs' head coach, 140th highest on the list,
while Big Spring coach Dwight Butler, in his sixth season, was 148th,
with a $56,564 salary.
Third-year coach Kyle Gandy of San Angelo Lake View earned $55,733,
169th on the list, but his pay was for coaching only, while Ritchey,
Lebby and Butler also are their district's athletic directors.
Fort Stockton's Philip Lopez earned $52,500 in his first season as that
school's head coach and athletic director, 248th highest overall, while
Monahans' Windy Williams was paid $54,530 in his first season as
Monahans-Wickett-Pyote AD and head coach. Monahans dropped down from
Class 4A to 3A this year.
Stephanville's Art Briles was the state's highest-paid coach, at
$82,658. Dallas Wilson's Damon Miller was 428th, with $34,474.
Among former district coaches who have head coaching jobs at other
Class 4A or 5A schools, Gary Gaines (Monahans) earned $64,424 at Abilene
High last year, 25th highest overall, before moving over to San Angelo
Central; David Visentine (Andrews) was 40th highest at $62,479 at San
Antonio Marshall; Ken Herring (Fort Stockton) was 68th, earning $60,110
at Fort Bend Clements; and W.T. Stapler (Sweetwater, Andrews) was 216th,
earning $54,200 at Brownwood. Snyder's David Baugh, who has been the
Tigers' head coach for the past eight seasons, since the team was a
member of the district, is 283rd on the list, earning $50,812.
He'll remember the last game even more.
The New York Yankees moved within one win of the World Series title,
holding off the defending champion Atlanta Braves 1-0 Thursday night for
a 3-2 lead.
Andy Pettitte outdueled John Smoltz, and gimpy right fielder Paul
O'Neill made a running catch with runners on first and third for the
final out. The victory gave the Yankees an 8-0 record on the road in
this postseason.
Next up is Game 6 Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, where New York is
just 2-4 this October. Jimmy Key will start against Atlanta's Greg
Maddux.
``I'm sure the crowd will be on a high, but he have to keep our emotions
under control,'' Cecil Fielder said after doubling home an unearned run
in the fourth inning.
Torre, who hit the first regular-season home run at this ballpark in
1966, had a hard time watching the wrapup. Next year, the Braves will
move across the parking lot to the not-yet-named Olympic stadium.
``I really was very nervous tonight,'' the Yankees manager said. ``I had
a feeling from about the fourth inning that one run was going to have to
be enough.''
The finale at the park once known as The Launching Pad did nothing to
enhance its reputation as a haven for hitters.
Instead, the House that Hank Built -- this is where Hank Aaron broke
Babe Ruth's record with home run No. 715 -- went out with a whimper.
There were only nine hits, nothing really close to a homer, and the lone
run scored as the result of an outfield misplay.
As it wound up, the last home run was Jim Leyritz's three-run shot in
Game 4 in the middle of the Yankees' rally from a six-run deficit for an
8-6 win in 10 innings Wednesday night.
This was the first time in major league history that the last game at a
ballpark came in the World Series. The crowd of 51,881 filed out
quietly, having seen the Braves blow a big chance in the ninth and lose
for the third straight night.
``It's a game of inches,'' Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. ``The breaks
haven't gone our way much here.''
Pettitte, tagged for seven runs in 2 1-3 innings in Game 1, shut out
Atlanta on four singles for eight innings, but gave up a leadoff double
to Chipper Jones in the ninth. Fred McGriff then pulled a groundout to
the right side, moving Jones to third.
John Wetteland relieved and, with Pettitte holding a towel over his head
in the dugout, Javy Lopez grounded the first pitch to drawn-in third
baseman Charlie Hayes. Jones had to hold as Hayes made the play for the
second out.
Ryan Klesko then pinch-hit for rookie Andruw Jones, and the Yankees
intentionally walked him. That put the winning run on base, a night
after Cox was criticized for an intentional walk in the 10th inning that
set up the go-ahead run.
Cox sent up ex-Yankee Luis Polonia to bat for rookie Jermaine Dye, and
Wetteland started throwing fastballs. After six two-strike fouls,
Polonia hit a drive into the alley in right-center that O'Neill managed
to catch on the run with his glove fully extended.
``In batting practice, I caught a ball like that over my head and I
thought, `That would be a funny way to end a game,''' O'Neill said.
Wetteland earned a save for the third straight day. Polonia's out made
Braves pinch-hitters 0-for-20 in this postseason, and a record 0-for-23
in postseason play dating back to last year's Series.
``I thought he had a bad leg,'' Polonia said. ``I thought I had a hit.''
Smoltz fell to 9-2 lifetime in the postseason despite giving up just an
unearned run. He struck out 10 in eight innings and permitted four hits,
three by Fielder. Smoltz had been 4-0 in the NL playoffs and Series this
year.
Hayes opened the fourth with a fly ball into the gap in right-center.
Four-time Gold Glove center field Marquis Grissom was calling for it
when Dye cut a few feet in front of him. The ball fell out of Grissom's
glove for a two-base error.
``With all the crowd noise and all that, I finally heard him at the last
second and there was no other way for me to go but in front of him,''
Dye said. ``I'm sure I probably blocked his view a little bit.''
A day earlier, Dye made an ill-fated try to catch a line single by
Fielder, letting the ball skip past him and keying New York's rally from
a 6-0 deficit.
``I made the error, the error hurt us,'' Grissom said.
Hayes moved to third on Bernie Williams' grounder and scored on
Fielder's double.
This was the 23rd 1-0 game in Series history, with the Braves winning
the previous one last October in Game 6 over Cleveland to clinch their
first World Series title.
The road team has won all five games in the Series. The only other time
that happened was 1906 when the Cubs and White Sox played in Chicago.
The game was an adventure for Pettitte. In addition to his pitching, the
major league leader in pickoffs trapped Andruw Jones off first base and
also made a slick fielding play on Mark Lemke's bunt to get a forceout
at third.
Pettitte, who had never batted in the big leagues, went 0-for-4, though
he reached base on a bunt that resulted in Leyritz being caught in a
rundown.
First base coach Jose Cardenal went so far as to walk onto the field and
draw a line in the dirt with his spikes, showing the pitcher how far to
take a lead.
The advice did not help, though, when Derek Jeter hit a line drive
directly at McGriff at first base. Pettitte was only a few steps off the
bag, but knew he was doomed and he merely doubled over while McGriff
doubled him off.
By the end of the evening, the Yankees were the ones cheering as they
prepared to head back to the Bronx.
``It's going to be crazy there,'' Pettitte said. ``We need to figure out
a way to go home and relax and play better baseball.
``I've been telling everyone I don't know if we get too pumped up
playing at home,'' he said. ``We may need to bring it down a notch and
just play our game.''
State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times
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