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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 14, 2006 Coaching soccer was quite a ride for Darcy Prep Notebook By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Dick Darcy retired as North Medford High’s girls soccer coach following the 2004 season, then changed his mind and came back. Last week, the venerable coach retired again, and this time he vows to stay off the sidelines. "It’s been such a great ride that it’s tough to step away, but the time has come," says Darcy, who guided the Black Tornado to eight Southern Oregon Conference titles in his 10 years on the job. Darcy, 70, launched his coaching career in 1978 when he took over a rec team that his son, Sean, played on. Soccer was in its infancy in the Rogue Valley, with only a couple fields available for use. Advertisement "People said Hawthorne Park was off-limits, and so I went to (former Medford city parks director) Greg Jones and asked him why," Darcy says. "He said, ‘No one’s ever asked.’ I think we were playing on there within a couple weeks." Darcy also helped launch the Rogue Valley Cup — one of the premier youth soccer tournaments on the West Coast — in 1994. And two of Darcy’s youth club teams, the Rogue Valley Thunder U15 boys squad in 1985 and the Fighting Irish U13 girls team in 1993, bagged state championships. But it was the year-to-year journeys and the extraordinary memories that Darcy treasures the most. "There are a tremendous amount of memories, just wonderful experiences that I’ll never forget," says Darcy, a retired insurance broker. "You don’t realize it at the time you’re coaching these girls, but you later learn that you had an effect and an influence on their lives." Darcy’s wife, Pat, was at his side during his decade-long stint at North Medford. "She spent 10 years with us on the buses," he says. "We were at a tournament in Portland during our 25th and 30th wedding anniversaries. She’s been by my side the whole time. "Now it’s time for me to give something back. We’ll be going on some vacations." Darcy also plans to reintroduce himself to golf, where he once carried a 6-handicap. "I’ll be lucky to have an 18 now," he says. "But that’s fine. I’m just looking forward to pursuing some different activities." AS A BACKUP WING on the No. 1-ranked boys basketball team in the state, South Medford’s Dillon Anderson admits he’s under little pressure. Nearly every time he takes the court, the Panthers have a healthy, double-digit lead. Nonetheless, Anderson’s shooting statistics are impressive. The 6-foot-2 junior is hitting 68.8 percent (11 of 16) from the 3-point line and 76.5 percent (13 of 17) from the free-throw line while averaging 3.4 points per game. "It’s been pretty easy for me to get into a rhythm," says Anderson, who leads the Panthers in 3-point percentage and ranks third in free- throw accuracy. "We usually have a big lead by the time I get in, and so I’m not under any pressure." Anderson has been logging two to three quarters in JV games before suiting up for the varsity contests. He also played JV ball last season. "The coaches sat me down at the start of the season and asked me if I still wanted to play on the JV team as a junior," Anderson says. "I told them yes. I put my ego aside to get more playing time. It’s been fun playing on both teams." Anderson could earn a starting spot at shooting guard next season and play alongside Division I recruits Kyle Singler and Michael Harthun. PHOENIX HIGH wrestling coach Harry Mondale spent the weekend at Rogue Valley Medical Center and had to miss the Skyline Conference district tournament. Mondale, 74, remains hospitalized with cellulitis, a bacteria-caused skin infection, and won’t be available to coach in the Class 3A state tournament that begins on Thursday. "They’re waiting for tests to come back so they can get him on the right antibiotic," said Duke Mondale, Harry Mondale’s oldest son. The older Mondale is in his 38th season as Phoenix’s head wrestling coach. His teams have won 23 district tiles and seven states championships. NORTH MEDFORD’S boys basketball coach Tim Sam told his team to pack some food for their trip to Klamath Falls last Tuesday. It was a school night, and there wouldn’t be time to stop at a restaurant after the game. But Sam allowed his players an ice cream stop after the varsity, JV and freshman squads all registered overtime victories. "That was a once-in-a-lifetime happening, kind of like seeing Haley’s Comet," Sam said. "Remember, these were road games." The Black Tornado JV and varsity teams were on the verge of losing in regulation play, but 3-point baskets by Mike Blashka in the former and Jordan Ellis in the latter sent the games into overtime. Chris Bradshaw also nailed a big trey in the freshman game, Sam said. HERE’S A RECORD to be ashamed of: On Feb. 1, Epiphanny Prince of New York City’s Murry Bergtraum High scored 113 points in one game to break the national high school girls record. That would be a laudable accomplishment, except that Prince played the entire game of a 137-32 blowout over Brandeis High. Brandeis coach Vera Springer told the Post that her team became so discouraged that it quit playing defense in the second half. "(Prince) didn’t earn this," Brandeis said. "It was like picking on a handicapped person." Prince broke the record of 105 points in a game set by Cheryl Miller. Murry Bergtraum coach Ed Grezinsky, whose team is ranked No. 2 in the USA Today poll, offered no apologies. "At the half, we thought she had a chance to break the record, so we just let her go," Grezinsky explained. "I’m not second-guessing it. My first obligation is to my players and this happened in the context of the game." Spoken like a true role model. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Coaching soccer was quite a ride for Darcy ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s