Mancos football fans petition Re

Mancos football fans petition Re-6 Board

Jan. 22, 2002

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

A grass-roots football fan petition is currently circulating around the Mancos area. The petition is addressed to the Mancos School Board (Re-6) and Administration.

It says "We, the undersigned friends and supports of Mancos Schools, wish to see a football program continue to be offered in the athletic activity schedule of Mancos High School and Mancos Middle School in 2002 and beyond."

The petition is just a means of letting the board know that football is indeed wanted at MHS and MMS but something has got to be done quickly in resolving the head coaching job at MHS. Possible football solutions is on the agenda for discussion items for the board meeting set for 7 p.m. today, Jan. 22, in the District Meeting Room in the Administration Building. There will be a 10-minute break following audience comments and questions. The board members will meet one-on-one with members of the audience before resuming the remainder of the regularly scheduled meeting. A large crowd is expected for the meeting.

"I think it is a positive way from the local citizens to let the board know they want football program to stay and not die," MHS Activities Director Kevin Dimmick said.

When longtime MHS head football coach Terry Newlin resigned at the end of the 2000 season, at that point Newlin knew he was not getting anywhere. Newlin had success early in his tenure but suffered setbacks the next few years. The team had then suffered through several losing seasons in a row. Newlin was burned out and bowed out at the end of that season. That gave the board several months to try and find a replacement.

However, the RE-6 board dragged its feet. Several applications were turned it but nothing was getting done in finding a replacement. When Newlin resigned, though, no teaching positions are immediately open. And by the time school was nearly out, there were not many positions open for the following school year. The board had hoped to find a teacher/coach but it was looking like someone outside of teaching would have to be brought in.

By the time May had ended, no permanent head coach had been found. It appeared to many as though the board was dragging its heels in not finding a head coach candidate. But, again, the board also was caught between a rock and a hard place because it wanted to find an "in-house head coach" and not to find someone not working within the school district.

Early in June, Gordon Shepherd, an assistant boys basketball coach at MHS and a past MMS football coach, agreed to take the head coaching job on an interim basis. Shepherd held open weightlifting all summer. Having two sons (Ryan and Matt) playing football, he did not want to see the program go down hill. Shepherd along with assistants Larry Russell and Kevin Dimmick guided the team. Mancos won some games (3-8) but did not win a Class 2A San Juan Basin League contest. True to his word, Shepherd resigned immediately following the season.

Shepherd in his resignation letter and Russell, in his resignation letter, both said they felt a coach was "in-house was needed but that the board should not dragged their collective heels in getting one appointed."