DECATUR - Now that summer is over and school is back in session, it is time to dust off the old pigskin, oil the old glove, replace the old nets and stripe the old soccer field, for it’s sports time at Decatur High.
Football season began Aug. 29 at home against the Gentry Pioneers. The boys (and girls) look good pushing the pigskin up and down the field at Bulldog Stadium. The seventh graders and junior high teams won their games. However, the senior varsityteam fell a little short, losing to Gentry 28 to 10.
Decatur High offers several other kinds of sports besides football. There are boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track and field, cross-country and even a trap shooting team. And not to forget the one team that binds all of these sports together, the cheerleaders. With all these sports on tap, the 2013-14 sports season should be very exciting.
The expectations for the Decatur Athletic program this year are simple, according to Athletic Director John Unger, in his third year atDecatur.
“Overall, it’s not based on wins or losses; we’re trying to change the culture to a way where all the kids can be successful in those types of things, with attitude, commitment, hard work. If we can get them believing in that, then we will have success on the field and court.”
These are the goals that Unger and his entire coaching staff set for their student athletes on and off the athletic arena.
Coming off a successful season in 2012-13 puts addedpressure on both coaching staff and students alike. But last year has to be put aside and the focus has to be on the long road ahead.
Unger, who is the head basketball coach, hopes to lead the Bulldog basketball team to the 2A championship this year. Decatur made the 2A west regional playoffs last year but lost in the fi rst round. The good news is that there are several returning members of last year’s team. It promises to be an interesting season. Basketball starts in December.
Bill Niven, like his colleagues, will play a dual role as head girls’ basketball and softball coach. He expects to have a good season in both sports in the coming school year. His season will begin around December in basketball and March in softball.
The Bulldogs have a new baseball coach in Jason Porter.
Unger commented, “He took St. Paul’s 1A baseball (team) to the state playoff three years ago.” Porter, with the right talent, could take the Bulldogs to state this year.
Barry James is taking over the soccer program for Decatur this year. Pre-season will start in September with the actual games slated for February.
The Decatur soccer program has a unique distinction. Unger explains, “We are the only 2A school in North Arkansas that plays soccer. We are actually competing with 3A and 4A schools. Our conference is 1A and 4A, and they put us in there.” The soccer team made the playoff in 2011 and 2112, but failed to reach the 2013 contest. With James, the Bulldogs have a chance to excel beyond the playoffs and win a conference championship this year.
Soccer is a relatively new sport in the United States, coming from Central and South America. Since Decatur has a large Latino population, offering soccer was a way to keep them excited in sports.
Last season, the track and field team at Decatur did exceptionally well at the state meet, with Evan Owens bringing home the state championship in pole vault. Mario Urquidi, already an exceptional athlete in football and basketball, will carry the torch for Decatur in the pole vault and high jump.
“Decatur has always done well in track and fi eld over the past few years.” Unger explained, “We have some of these young guys that will take over some of the openspots. We will have a good relay team. We will have some long distance runners, if they will come back out for us. We will have some good triple-jump guys that can help us score points at the state meet.”
He adds, ”We have a good mix of track events and fi eld events; that’s why we do pretty good. Coach (Shane) Holland does a very good job mixing those kids up and putting them in the right spot.”
This method works very well for Decatur, looking back at the last two years. The fact that the school does not have a track like bigger schools in the area is no deterrent for the team.
Decatur has a strong crosscountry team this year. Many of the runners from last year are returning. Unger, who is the cross country coach, expects them to do very well this year. Their season began Sept. 7 in Elkins.
One advantage that Decatur has is that the junior and senior high school are combined. This gives Unger and his staff a chance to teach the fundamentals of each sport to the kids as soon as they reach seventh grade. By starting them early on the same principles and practices as the higher grades, everybody is on the same page.
“As a head coach it gives me an advantage because I get those kids from seventh grade through twelfth grade so I can teach the same thing from seventh all the way through graduation,” Unger said. “This way, the athletes from the lower grades know what is expected of them when they enter the higher grades.”
Many of the Decatur athletes participate in several sport disciplines.
“We have 17 basketball players on the roster this year; 13 of them played football,” Unger said, adding, “When football seasonis over, those 13 players will transition into basketball.”
For the student who plays multiple events, scheduling can be hard. A player may have a soccer game on Monday and baseball game on Tuesday. This is where discipline and dedication can guide them to succeed in both sports.
Victor Urquidi is just one example of a well-rounded athlete. He plays football, basketball, baseball, soccer and runs track. Mario Urquidi (Victor’s brother) plays football, basketball and fi eld events.
“We encourage our kids toplay as much as they can,” Unger said.
“The athletic department is way ahead of where it was when we got here three years ago. But there are still things we’re doing to make it better,” Unger said.
The community can take great pride in the Decatur Bulldogs this season. One way to show that pride is to turn out for events, whether it be football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, cross-country or track and field. Community support helps the players gain confidence and a strong will to succeed.
Sports, Pages 9 on 09/18/2013