HighSchool Fan
04-30-2005, 07:45 PM
Pilot Point weathers UIL troubles, scathing e-mails, coaching turnover
04:46 PM CDT on Saturday, April 30, 2005
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
PILOT POINT – Football is all that counts.
That's the theme of a January e-mail exchange between Pilot Point High School football coaches. It was part of a string of e-mails – some racist, some sexist, many anti-administration – that revealed the unseemly side of a program that has brought pride and conflict to this northeast Denton County town.
The program has endured a series of recent controversies, including the e-mails, published in a local newspaper; several University Interscholastic League rules violations; and a power struggle that resulted in the resignation of legendary coach G.A. Moore. The UIL plans an investigation that could result in significant sanctions.
Principal Steve Whiffen said that the emphasis on football has divided the community for years, and that anybody perceived to be an obstacle to the football program's progress has been subjected to vicious, personal attacks.
"Frankly, it's time for us to reassess our priorities as a community and as a school district," said Mr. Whiffen, who has been at Pilot Point for six years. "It's time for us to focus on kids and our mission of opening doors of opportunity for children. It is time for us to stop using children."
Mr. Moore, the state's all-time wins leader in football, was considered the program's savior when he returned to his alma mater three years ago after winning five state titles and his final 57 games at rival Celina. It was his third stint at Pilot Point, which Mr. Moore led to state titles in 1980 and '81.
But Mr. Moore's return to a changing town was less than triumphant, and now his fans worry that his legacy could be tarnished.
The recent developments:
•Mr. Moore, who also served as athletic director, stepped down in December after a power struggle with the school district's administration, school officials and football boosters said.
•His handpicked replacement, Mike Russell, and another football coach abruptly resigned before excerpts from offensive e-mails they had written were published in the Denton Record-Chronicle earlier this month. In response to the e-mails, five Pilot Point seniors vandalized the football stadium.
•The school was forced to forfeit all of its football and boys basketball victories from these past seasons for using an ineligible player.
•The UIL plans to investigate whether there is a "lack of institutional control" in a program that has had football players ruled ineligible in three consecutive seasons.
Mr. Moore, 66, who underwent two angioplasties last week, was not available for comment. His sister, Margie Vasquez, said Mr. Moore was recovering at home, and the family did not want him dealing with stress.
Kenny Guthrie, a youth minister who has three sons who are multisport athletes in the Pilot Point school system, is one of many men in the town who consider Mr. Moore a role model. Mr. Guthrie believes Mr. Moore instills character.
Coaching "is a calling for him. It's not just a job," Mr. Guthrie said.
Mr. Whiffen and Glen Ray, the vice president of the school board, said the recent developments are part of a disturbing trend. They describe a community divided between a local legend's loyal followers, including several players who won state championships under Mr. Moore, and an administration that was criticized for not granting Mr. Moore autonomy.
"It's just small-town politics," said Mr. Ray, a 1979 graduate who played in the marching band.
A matter of control
The crux of the friction between Mr. Moore and the administration, several people involved said, was control. Mr. Whiffen and Mr. Ray said that Mr. Moore was given too much leeway since being hired back to his alma mater three years ago. Mr. Moore's vocal backers argued the administration meddled by not giving him the authority to run the girls programs.
Superintendent Cloyce Purcell said Mr. Moore understood when he was hired that girls basketball coach Deryll Friday was the girls athletic director. Mr. Purcell said Mr. Moore requested control of the entire athletic program.
"We just wanted it for our kids like we had," said Johnny Schindler, a staunch supporter of Mr. Moore's who starred on the 1980 and '81 state-title teams and has two daughters attending Pilot Point. "It's been a fight for control ever since he [Mr. Moore] has been here. If you've been an athletic director for 42 years, I feel you probably know what you're doing."
Control of the girls athletic program continued to be a contentious issue after Mr. Russell was promoted to replace Mr. Moore. Mr. Friday said personnel issues were a major sticking point, because Mr. Moore and then Mr. Russell wanted the authority to hire the coaches in girls sports. Many athletic directors hire assistant football coaches and assign them to girls sports as a second job.
"Football is king in Texas, there's no doubt about that," said Mr. Friday, in his sixth year at the school. "Sometimes anyone that pushes their programs or defends their programs is seen as an enemy."
The e-mails
Excerpts published by the Denton Record-Chronicle of e-mail exchanges between Mr. Russell and his assistant coaches indicated a disdain for sports other than football. The e-mails were written after Mr. Russell, who declined to comment, was promoted Jan. 10.
Darren Hall and Mike Segleski, who is also the head track coach, sent e-mails encouraging Mr. Russell to fire several coaches. Mr. Friday was a frequent target of criticism. Mr. Hall, who also resigned, expressed disappointment about the success of Mr. Friday's girls basketball team in one e-mail.
Other material in the e-mails included racial epithets and sexual innuendo about students and derogatory comments about administrators and board members.
Five Pilot Point seniors responded to the release of the e-mails by vandalizing Massey Stadium. They planted a basketball goal in concrete on the football field's 50-yard line and spray-painted graffiti.
The UIL was alarmed by references to recruiting in the e-mail, UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said. In one e-mail, Mr. Russell described Mr. Moore as a full-time recruiter.
Pilot Point has appeared in front of the UIL's state executive committee three consecutive school years. All three cases involved football players who the UIL ruled had moved for athletic purposes or did not meet residency requirements.
Pilot Point self-reported the violation that resulted in the forfeiture of the football and boys basketball seasons. The District 6-3A executive committee ruled sophomore Adam McBride, who moved from Missouri, did not meet residency requirements after his family left a rental property in Pilot Point in early November.
Executive committee member Ray Lea, superintendent of district foe Whitesboro, said the Pilot Point athletic program was "out of control."
Dr. Breithaupt said if Pilot Point is found guilty of further violations, penalties could include suspension from competition. He said Pilot Point could have to forfeit more games if a court rules in the UIL's favor in a pending case.
Pilot Point school officials said UIL compliance would be discussed at length during upcoming interviews with athletic director/head football coach candidates. They also said that the new athletic director would report to the high school principal. Mr. Moore reported to Mr. Purcell, leaving Mr. Whiffen out of the athletic loop.
Turmoil preceded Mr. Moore's return to Pilot Point. Former Pilot Point coach Eddie Baca said he asked to be reassigned "in the best interests of my family" after the 2001 season when Pilot Point missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. Mr. Whiffen said a faction of Bearcat boosters essentially ran off Mr. Baca.
"When you put winning at a premium, then I think you are subject to problems," said Mr. Baca, now the principal, athletic director and six-man football coach at Denton Calvary Academy. "When you have character, integrity and hard work as a premium, winning will be the byproduct."
The new Pilot Point
Much had changed in Pilot Point since Mr. Moore left in 1986. The school had moved from Class 2A to 3A. It no longer is a rural town known primarily for horse ranches and high school football.
New homes have been built, and new people moved in, many of whom were commuters with no local ties. Some are more passionate about fine arts than football, said Mark Foster, the school board president, who moved from New York in 1981.
"I think sports are an awesome thing because they teach discipline," said Amanda Watson, a math teacher whose son played football. "But I think we focus on the wrong things around here. I want my kids to grow up and be successful because of their education."
The current Pilot Point athletes are the primary concern, several people said. They'd rather celebrate the playoff-bound baseball and softball teams than discuss the controversy. A short-handed coaching staff is putting football players through Mr. Moore's off-season program.
"We're going to make sure these kids don't get cheated," said assistant football coach Tom Swartz, who is in charge until an athletic director is hired.
The new athletic director will have plenty of challenges. He'll be replacing a legend. He'll have to earn the trust and confidence of athletes caught in the storm of controversy. And he'll have to hope for the support of a community that has historically been tough on coaches who weren't homegrown.
"We might not have a good season," Mr. Schindler said, "and then what happens?"
04:46 PM CDT on Saturday, April 30, 2005
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
PILOT POINT – Football is all that counts.
That's the theme of a January e-mail exchange between Pilot Point High School football coaches. It was part of a string of e-mails – some racist, some sexist, many anti-administration – that revealed the unseemly side of a program that has brought pride and conflict to this northeast Denton County town.
The program has endured a series of recent controversies, including the e-mails, published in a local newspaper; several University Interscholastic League rules violations; and a power struggle that resulted in the resignation of legendary coach G.A. Moore. The UIL plans an investigation that could result in significant sanctions.
Principal Steve Whiffen said that the emphasis on football has divided the community for years, and that anybody perceived to be an obstacle to the football program's progress has been subjected to vicious, personal attacks.
"Frankly, it's time for us to reassess our priorities as a community and as a school district," said Mr. Whiffen, who has been at Pilot Point for six years. "It's time for us to focus on kids and our mission of opening doors of opportunity for children. It is time for us to stop using children."
Mr. Moore, the state's all-time wins leader in football, was considered the program's savior when he returned to his alma mater three years ago after winning five state titles and his final 57 games at rival Celina. It was his third stint at Pilot Point, which Mr. Moore led to state titles in 1980 and '81.
But Mr. Moore's return to a changing town was less than triumphant, and now his fans worry that his legacy could be tarnished.
The recent developments:
•Mr. Moore, who also served as athletic director, stepped down in December after a power struggle with the school district's administration, school officials and football boosters said.
•His handpicked replacement, Mike Russell, and another football coach abruptly resigned before excerpts from offensive e-mails they had written were published in the Denton Record-Chronicle earlier this month. In response to the e-mails, five Pilot Point seniors vandalized the football stadium.
•The school was forced to forfeit all of its football and boys basketball victories from these past seasons for using an ineligible player.
•The UIL plans to investigate whether there is a "lack of institutional control" in a program that has had football players ruled ineligible in three consecutive seasons.
Mr. Moore, 66, who underwent two angioplasties last week, was not available for comment. His sister, Margie Vasquez, said Mr. Moore was recovering at home, and the family did not want him dealing with stress.
Kenny Guthrie, a youth minister who has three sons who are multisport athletes in the Pilot Point school system, is one of many men in the town who consider Mr. Moore a role model. Mr. Guthrie believes Mr. Moore instills character.
Coaching "is a calling for him. It's not just a job," Mr. Guthrie said.
Mr. Whiffen and Glen Ray, the vice president of the school board, said the recent developments are part of a disturbing trend. They describe a community divided between a local legend's loyal followers, including several players who won state championships under Mr. Moore, and an administration that was criticized for not granting Mr. Moore autonomy.
"It's just small-town politics," said Mr. Ray, a 1979 graduate who played in the marching band.
A matter of control
The crux of the friction between Mr. Moore and the administration, several people involved said, was control. Mr. Whiffen and Mr. Ray said that Mr. Moore was given too much leeway since being hired back to his alma mater three years ago. Mr. Moore's vocal backers argued the administration meddled by not giving him the authority to run the girls programs.
Superintendent Cloyce Purcell said Mr. Moore understood when he was hired that girls basketball coach Deryll Friday was the girls athletic director. Mr. Purcell said Mr. Moore requested control of the entire athletic program.
"We just wanted it for our kids like we had," said Johnny Schindler, a staunch supporter of Mr. Moore's who starred on the 1980 and '81 state-title teams and has two daughters attending Pilot Point. "It's been a fight for control ever since he [Mr. Moore] has been here. If you've been an athletic director for 42 years, I feel you probably know what you're doing."
Control of the girls athletic program continued to be a contentious issue after Mr. Russell was promoted to replace Mr. Moore. Mr. Friday said personnel issues were a major sticking point, because Mr. Moore and then Mr. Russell wanted the authority to hire the coaches in girls sports. Many athletic directors hire assistant football coaches and assign them to girls sports as a second job.
"Football is king in Texas, there's no doubt about that," said Mr. Friday, in his sixth year at the school. "Sometimes anyone that pushes their programs or defends their programs is seen as an enemy."
The e-mails
Excerpts published by the Denton Record-Chronicle of e-mail exchanges between Mr. Russell and his assistant coaches indicated a disdain for sports other than football. The e-mails were written after Mr. Russell, who declined to comment, was promoted Jan. 10.
Darren Hall and Mike Segleski, who is also the head track coach, sent e-mails encouraging Mr. Russell to fire several coaches. Mr. Friday was a frequent target of criticism. Mr. Hall, who also resigned, expressed disappointment about the success of Mr. Friday's girls basketball team in one e-mail.
Other material in the e-mails included racial epithets and sexual innuendo about students and derogatory comments about administrators and board members.
Five Pilot Point seniors responded to the release of the e-mails by vandalizing Massey Stadium. They planted a basketball goal in concrete on the football field's 50-yard line and spray-painted graffiti.
The UIL was alarmed by references to recruiting in the e-mail, UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said. In one e-mail, Mr. Russell described Mr. Moore as a full-time recruiter.
Pilot Point has appeared in front of the UIL's state executive committee three consecutive school years. All three cases involved football players who the UIL ruled had moved for athletic purposes or did not meet residency requirements.
Pilot Point self-reported the violation that resulted in the forfeiture of the football and boys basketball seasons. The District 6-3A executive committee ruled sophomore Adam McBride, who moved from Missouri, did not meet residency requirements after his family left a rental property in Pilot Point in early November.
Executive committee member Ray Lea, superintendent of district foe Whitesboro, said the Pilot Point athletic program was "out of control."
Dr. Breithaupt said if Pilot Point is found guilty of further violations, penalties could include suspension from competition. He said Pilot Point could have to forfeit more games if a court rules in the UIL's favor in a pending case.
Pilot Point school officials said UIL compliance would be discussed at length during upcoming interviews with athletic director/head football coach candidates. They also said that the new athletic director would report to the high school principal. Mr. Moore reported to Mr. Purcell, leaving Mr. Whiffen out of the athletic loop.
Turmoil preceded Mr. Moore's return to Pilot Point. Former Pilot Point coach Eddie Baca said he asked to be reassigned "in the best interests of my family" after the 2001 season when Pilot Point missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. Mr. Whiffen said a faction of Bearcat boosters essentially ran off Mr. Baca.
"When you put winning at a premium, then I think you are subject to problems," said Mr. Baca, now the principal, athletic director and six-man football coach at Denton Calvary Academy. "When you have character, integrity and hard work as a premium, winning will be the byproduct."
The new Pilot Point
Much had changed in Pilot Point since Mr. Moore left in 1986. The school had moved from Class 2A to 3A. It no longer is a rural town known primarily for horse ranches and high school football.
New homes have been built, and new people moved in, many of whom were commuters with no local ties. Some are more passionate about fine arts than football, said Mark Foster, the school board president, who moved from New York in 1981.
"I think sports are an awesome thing because they teach discipline," said Amanda Watson, a math teacher whose son played football. "But I think we focus on the wrong things around here. I want my kids to grow up and be successful because of their education."
The current Pilot Point athletes are the primary concern, several people said. They'd rather celebrate the playoff-bound baseball and softball teams than discuss the controversy. A short-handed coaching staff is putting football players through Mr. Moore's off-season program.
"We're going to make sure these kids don't get cheated," said assistant football coach Tom Swartz, who is in charge until an athletic director is hired.
The new athletic director will have plenty of challenges. He'll be replacing a legend. He'll have to earn the trust and confidence of athletes caught in the storm of controversy. And he'll have to hope for the support of a community that has historically been tough on coaches who weren't homegrown.
"We might not have a good season," Mr. Schindler said, "and then what happens?"