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Field for vacancies shaping up for Tornado By Greg Stiles The applicant pools from which North Medford High's new football and boys basketball head coaches will be plucked early next month are all but set. Bruce Howell, Medford Schools athletic coordinator, says the football position could be filled by the second week in May. The basketball hire may come sooner. The openings were posted around the state and on the Internet. Whether its simply a career move or for family reasons, Medford attracts interest in the coaching community. Howell says there are about 15 serious football applicants, among them are former coach Rod Rumrey's offensive coordinator Brent Barry and defensive coordinator John Beck. Three applicants are from out of state and the remainder are from Oregon. "We had many more calls," Howell says. "But we're looking at the teaching vacancies and some of the people that have contacted us wouldn't be a good match with the openings "There are people who know Medford and then there are coaches in Utah or Arizona that see this as a potential position that call and talk about it." Interviews will be scheduled on Fridays and Mondays to allow for travel. "Our goal is to be ready to make an announcement by May 4 or May 7," Howell says. "We want to give the new coach a chance to get ready for summer camps and clinics." The basketball post, vacated by Gene Quilhaugh last month, has drawn less interest and Howell expects to interview three or four finalists. Junior varsity coach Tim Sam is the lone remaining in-house applicant. Kevin Dixon, who was named Phoenix High's coach last week, had also applied. There is one out of state applicant and a second may join the list. "Sometimes you have people making up their minds, because you might be talking about not just one career but two," Howell says. Assistant coach shuffles are likely to follow. Whereas, Howell expects five or six football assistants to return, some of Quilhaugh's assistants were off-campus coaches. "We might be looking for four coaches," Howell says. At South Medford High, the search for a new baseball coach was helped by the knowledge that Pete Whisler was heading to Oregon Tech after this spring. On the other hand, Whisler's departure won't open a teaching spot. Whisler has been a campus monitor. "That does restrict you," Howell admits. CASCADE CHRISTIAN'S softball team may find itself in the National Federation's record book after last Saturday's 37-5 win over North Lake in the second game of a doubleheader. Coach Wally Nye missed the contest while attending his son's wedding. Cascade sent 34 batters to the plate in a first-inning scorekeeper's nightmare in which 30 runners crossed the plate. The Challengers lashed 19 hits, drew seven walks and were the beneficiaries of five North Lake errors. Hannah Gettman, Rebekah Gettman, Laural Kelley, Whitney Brookins and Erin Eselin scored four runs each in the outburst. The listed record for runs in an inning is 37 by Head-Royce High of Oakland, Calif., against Emery High of Emeryville in 1990. Simi Valley Lutheran crossed the plate 35 times against Viewpoint, Calif., in 1987. "I had every girl batting left-handed and they were still getting hits," Cascade assistant coach Tom Brookins said. "I was wondering how not to do this." He solved the problem by having runners take an early lead from third base, which is against the rules in softball and is an automatic out. This is North Lake's first year playing against District 6 competition after playing an independent schedule last year. There is no record for individual runs scored in an inning, although several players have scored 10 times in a game. In case you're wondering, the record for most runs scored by a high school softball team was set in 1983 when Washington Academy of East Machias, Mass., outscored Lubec, 88-6. Cascade's baseball team also had a big day, scoring 10 runs in the top of the first inning and 19 in the fifth inning as it defeated Butte Falls, 29-0, in the second game of a doubleheader. The Challengers, however, didn't come close to the record set in 1999 when Belmont pounded Mississippi rival Ashland for 37 runs in an inning. The Oregon record for runs in an inning was set by Knappa when it scored 33 times against Catlin Gabel. THE SOUTHERN CASCADE League is in for major changes if the latest worksheet produced by the Oregon School Activities Association's classification and districting committee carries any weight. The demise of the coastal timber towns has led to a complete overhaul of the Class 3A Far West League and with several schools dropping into the Class 2A ranks, the Big Fir and Southern Cascade leagues will likely have different looks in the fall of 2002. Bandon, Myrtle Point and Reedsport would join former Far West League foe Gold Beach in the Big Fir. In turn, Glendale and Riddle (along with Milo Adventist Academy) would be dispatched to the SCL. Even if St. Mary's failed to field a football team, that would give the SCL seven football schools - the most since Sacred Heart's demise more than a decade ago. It would also bring back St. Mary's rivalries against Glendale and Riddle that date back more than a generation. While the Southern Oregon and Skyline conferences appear unchanged, if the Class 1A recommendations went into effect, Butte Falls and Prospect would add Deschutes County schools Central Christian and Sunriver Prepatory to their schedules. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.