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Spring sports teams begin practice
Pat McGuire could've been speaking for every spring sports coach at Quincy High School when he expressed his pleasure with the coming of the spring season.
"The start of spring baseball practice means that I get an opportunity to help young players develop their skills in a game that I am very passionate about," said McGuire, now in his eighth year as the head coach of the Jacks' baseball team. "It means that while I am helping to shape character and providing an atmosphere where players can learn valuable life lessons such as dealing with adversity, handling competition and working well with others. I also get to continue to be around a game that I respect and love. It means that I get to share in the success a player has and help them to deal with failures. Spring baseball also means that I get to be around a great group of very knowledgeable assistant coaches that I consider my close friends."
He also could've been speaking for his coaching brethren when he discussed how the spring season affects his wife, Ana.
"On the other hand, my wife does not share the same excitement for the start of baseball season," he said. "She sees it as a time that she must raise two children pretty much by herself since I’m gone from sunup to well beyond sundown. She sees it as a time where she is forced to take a backseat to the baseball program and constantly questions my priorities. Most people recognize the commitment and dedication a coach makes to a program, but few realize how big a sacrifice is being made by a coach’s wife."
The first day of spring sports practices at QHS was March 2. Games and matches for the baseball, fastpitch softball, track and field, tennis and golf teams will begin in earnest later this month.
In the meantime, players and athletes are forced to brave some chilly temperatures if they have to practice outdoors. Fortunately, last Monday wasn't too bad in terms of weather; it rained a bit earlier in the day, but the sun came out and temperatures pushed 50 later in the afternoon.
"This is the first time in several years that we have been able to practice outside on the field (on the first day)," McGuire said.
The baseball team's first day of practice has traditionally been a long one — the players meet in the high school gymnasium at 6 a.m. for conditioning work and mental preparation, a session that lasts until 7:20 a.m. The players go to school, then meet on the diamond for a standard two-and-a-half to three-hour outdoor practice.
The Jacks' two-a-days are held during the first week of practice.
"We kept the team together as a group and methodically went through the fundamentals," McGuire said about his first day of work. "We broke down base-running situations so every player knew how and, more importantly, why we did things. When the sun broke through we changed to a defensive practice to take advantage of the weather. We split the groups up into outfield and infield and again worked heavy on the mechanics. Since the morning practice was heavily focused on conditioning, we were able to get a lot done on the field."
• OK, so can a player grab a rebound off a missed free throw, teeter on the brink of falling out of bounds with the ball, turn around and throw it back into the paint to an opposing player, and watch that player almost can a three-quarters-court shot to win a game — all in 1.5 seconds?
Not likely. But that's what happened at last Saturday's CWAC boys basketball district tournament semifinal contest between Quincy and Grandview at East Valley High School.
The Jacks survived the surreal final couple of seconds, in which Luke Grigg played the part of the rebounder in the above scenario for the Jacks, to win 44-42 and clinch a state berth, their first since 2005, when they advanced to the state championship game.
But imagine if Christian Schrank's miracle heave at the buzzer had fallen through the hoop instead of clanking against the back of the rim and twirling out. Would the referees have allowed the basket to count? Again, it's very hard to imagine that all of what happened could transpire in 1.5 seconds. There almost certainly some sort of clock malfunction that occurred during that period, and Jacks coach Wade Petersen probably would've vehemently argued his case if the Greyhounds' shot went in.
Potential controversy was seemingly averted in a big way.
"I just saw him heave it and thought it had the right distance," Petersen told the Post-Register after the game. "It's a fitting end to a game like this."
• Two fall sports head coaching positions at Quincy High School have been posted, and searches to find people for those spots are currently ongoing.
QHS athletic director Bill Alexander said he was "not at the liberty" to discuss details of either job search when contacted by e-mail Monday morning, but did confirm that the searches are ongoing.
"Currently we still have the jobs open," Alexander said. "Teaching will be arranged and the closing date will be in the next month or so."
Terry Dion's letter of resignation as the Jacks' head football coach was accepted by the Quincy school board last month. Dion replaced Alexander as Quincy's gridiron steward before the 2007 season. In two seasons at the helm, Dion posted a 2-16 Central Washington Athletic Conference record. In 2008, the Jacks went 1-9 overall.
Dion also served as an assistant coach for the girls basketball team.
Jeanne Brindle, the Jacks' head volleyball coach for the past five seasons, has also tendered her resignation. Last season her squad posted a 1-12 record.
Contact Doug Flanagan at reporter@qvpr.com or through Facebook:
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