Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Dec. 12, 1997, edition 1 / Page 15
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The Guilfordian December 12,1997 Football coach wins ODAC Coach of the Year BY TIM LEADEM Staff Writer The Guilford football team had an excellent season this fall, improving on last season's 3-6 record, finishing at 8-2 and earn ing a share of the conference title. Overseeing this turnaround was head coach Mike Ketchum, who was named ODAC football coach of the year. The award is voted on by ODAC coaches. Ketchum was honored, but pointed to his team as the real reason for receiving the award. He said, "Coaches get awards be cause they have great players. It's nice to be recognized, but what really matters to me is the success of this team, and I am very proud of what we accom plished this sea son. We finished first in the con ference. Some people play football and coach all of their lives ana never get to say they earned a confer ence title. That is what I am truly proud of, but ihe award does mean a lot also." Senior Chris Li was im pressed with the job his coach Search for a new men's baseball coach continues MARJORIE HALL News Editor Coach Robert Fulton resigned this summer and left the baseball team without a coach. Mike Defosse, who had worked with the baseball team as assistant coach, was named interim coach. Hiring a full-time coach, however, proved difficult. Fulton was an instructor as well as a base ball coach. Since Fulton resigned at the beginning of the restructur ing process, it was unclear what exactly the new coach's job de scription would be. did this season, commenting, "He did an excellent job of molding the personnel around the team. We played with what we had this season and did very well. We re ally did not have a true running back. Coach Ketchum did an ex cellent job of keeping us focused. He's a great man. I have the ut most respect for him on and off the field." Junior Humberto Padilla agreed with his teammate's as sessment, saying, "Coach Ketchum is a great leader, and more importantly, a great teacher. He wins your respect by being tough, but fair at the same time. He's turned me into a leader. I can honestly say I wouldn't be where 1 am now if it weren't for "Coaches get awards because they have great players. It's nice to he recognized, but what really matters to me is the success of this team. " -Coach Mike Ketchum pointed squarely at the defense. "At the start of the season, ev eryone felt our offense would be solid, but the defense was a ques- "We didn't want to hire some one who was also teaching classes if their teaching position was about to be eliminated," said athletic di rector Mike Ketchum. "It would have been great if we could've just hired someone in August, but that was just impossible." It has recently been decided that the new baseball coach will only coach baseball and not teach any classes. The five applicants will be interviewing on campus on Dec. 16, 17, and 18, and a new coach should start at the beginning of next semester. Possibly, Mike Defosse, who is one of the five re- Sports The award-winning coach Ketchum. tion mark. However, the offense took a little while to start play ing consistently, and the defense kept us in those games. Also, the seniors showed a lot of lead ership, and that's key." Coach Ketchum is optimistic about next season, even though the team loses some key seniors, namely quarterback Danny Strelkauskus and receivers Jun-, ior Lord and William Rochelle. Ketchum said, "We have a lot of guys returning who can step in and fill those spots. David Heggie is returning from his injury as well, and I'm sure we'll see a lot from him. I think we'll have a strong year." him. I can't thank him enough." When asked what the biggest factor was in the team's suc cess this season, Ketchum maining applicants, will continue with the team. However, Defosse is the least experienced of the ap plicants. "We did very well with what we had this fall," said baseball player Andy Reed. "I think they need to do what's best for the play ers, and get not the cheapest coach, but the most qualified coach, whether it be Mike or some one else." Coach Ketchum has confi dence that the possible change in coaches will not affect the baseball team negatively. "Whoever it is gets a pretty good team," he said. Weekly Whine BY DAN GATTI Sports Editor At some point in this column, I expected to move past baseball and start complaining about either football or basketball. And, while the NBA has tried to appease with the latest absurd incident of vio lence in professional basketball (here's a tip to all the budding ath letes: never, ever, EVER, hit or stangle your coach. It's just stu pid) the tragedy that is the hack ing up of baseball demands my immediate attention. This offseason has to be the worst offseason on record. Con sider: First, American League Coach of the Year Davey Johnson gets fired by the newest Steinbrenner wanna-be, Peter Angelos. Angelos, after spending most of his career battling on the behalf of labor unions and envioronmental groups has apparently decided that his next crusade will be that of money over actual baseball knowledge, a fight that continues in New York (Steinbrenner), Chi cago (Reinsdorl), and Dallas (Jones) with disastrous results for all those teams. Second, shortstop Jay Bell gets a salary of $6 million per year from the Arizona Diamondbacks, in what is quite possible the stupid est free agent signing since the Detroit Tigers gave Cecil Fielder a 7-year, $77 million contract. Jay Bell is a decent middle infielder. And if the decent guys are getting $6 million, Chuck Knoblauch and Roberto Alomar are looking at least $lO million —which the Orioles and Twins almost certainly can't pay. Maybe we won't be seeing Knoblauch play in the Triad in '99. Then, finally, all doubts about whether the good guys won the World Series have been put to rest with the dismantling of the Florida Marlins. Wayne Huizenga, after buying his team a World Series tro phy, is now selling it back. Rent a-series, I guess. The Cleveland Indians, with their financial strategy of signing all their players to long-term con tracts and the resigning of Kenny Lofton (who belongs there) should be a model for all baseball teams. Real success lies in building teams, not buying them. photo courtesty Sports information 15
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 12, 1997, edition 1
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