BREAKING NEWS: Crutchfield fired at Duarte High

Hello Westside, this is your old pal Fred J.. Here is what’s happening. After a tip on the blog, I called Duarte High School to find out if the rumors are true and it was confirmed that Wardell Crutchfield has been removed as head football coach at Duarte. Principal Eric Barba apparently told Crutchfield on Friday that the school wants to go in another direction. “Coaching assignments are on a year-by-year basis,” Barba said this morning. “Next year we’re looking to make a change. We’re appreciative of the time Mr. Crutchfield has given to Duarte and our football program, but we want to move in a different direction.” Barba wouldn’t answer questions about Crutchfield’s coaching performance, or offer any further details that led to his decision, saying it was confidential between him and Crutchfield. We’ll have more in tomorrow’s newspaper. BTW, I talked to Crutchfield about possibly coaching at PHS in December, he said it was tempting, but he wanted to continue coaching Wardell Jr., at Duarte. Now that he’s available, wouldn’t he make a nice fit.

When reached Monday, Crutchfield said he was surprised when told on Friday that he would not be back. “He gave me the same reasons he gave you (newspaper), that he wants to go in a different direction,” Crutchfield said. “I talked to him about our accomplishments, and how we changed the culture, started winning and got kids into college, but apparently that wasn’t enough.” During Crutchfield’s tenure Corey Fluker (UNLV), Mike Harris (UCLA), Chris Harris (Utah State) and Jermaine Thomas (Fresno State) all earned Division I scholarships. They reached at least the CIF quarterfinals in three of the four years he was there, which included a semifinal appearance in 2006.

“I think the school only had one player ever earn a scholarhip in football before I came,” Crutchfield said. “I’m going to remain at the school as a (math) teacher and continue to help these kids get go college. I really think Duarte has a great chance to win the Mid-Valley Division next year. I can sit here and say a lot of things, but I’m going to take the high road. I don’t want to have this turn into something negative for the kids. I’d like to thank Duarte for giving me my first head coaching job, I think I got everything out of it that I could. I’m disappointed I won’t be back, but I’m still going to support the school and help the players in any way that I can.”

We’ll have more in tomorrow’s paper.

Facebook Twitter Plusone Reddit Tumblr Email

Legendary football coach Randall Johnson passed away

It is with heavy heart that I report the passing of legendary football coach Randall Johnson. Rio Hondo Prep athletic director Ken Drain e-mailed late Thursday to write Johnson did not have much time left.

Drain sent an update today and received this e-mail when I walked into the office just now:

Randall did pass away last evening around 5:30pm. He coached here at the school for 25 years before he was forced to retire due to his illness in 2000. He won eight CIF championships in football and two more in girls basketball.

He also ran our summer educational tours. Every summer he would travel around the United States or Europe with either a group of high school boys or girls. He would plan the trips with the kids, work out all the details ahead of time, and handle all the problems that might arise during the trips. He would even drive the bus on the U.S. tours. I knew him before he was a high school coach because he coached me when I was 10 in the Kare Youth League program. He was my coach and leader, big brother, co-worker, and friend. He taught me everything I know about coaching and handling young people, he taught me what it means to be a leader, he taught me that the kids are more important than the game, and he taught me that what you are is more important than anything you can say or do.

He was a great man who was always a great example to the young people he worked with. He always would tell me that we coach not to win games, but to teach our kids values that will help them someday be great fathers, great citizens, and great leaders in their communities.

I will miss him greatly, but I know that every time I walk onto a field or court, for practice or game, the lessons I learned from him will go with me; and that fact alone will give me the strength to carry on no matter how bad things seem to be.

Randall Johnson by the numbers:
*8 CIF football championships (’77, ’79, ’82, ’90, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’00)
*4-time CIF runners-up in football (’81, ’83, ’87, 95)
*First 8-man football coach ever to receive California Small Schools coach of the Year award(1998)
*77 percent winning percentage.
*2 CIF championships in girls basketball (’90, ’94)

Memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 7 p.m. in Rio Hondo Prep’s Pavilion.

I never met Randall but have read stories from him written by the great Keven Chavez. It was clear how much Randall meant to coach Drain. He will be missed.

Facebook Twitter Plusone Reddit Tumblr Email

Melendez: ‘Different direction’ shows no direction

I have again started writing my weekly columns that run in Friday’s sports section. This week’s column (published today in the Star-News sports section on page 2) focuses on the lack of transparency in the recent dismissal of two prominent coaches.

MIGUEL MELENDEZ COLUMN

What is it with schools wanting to go in a “different direction”?

First, Temple City High School and its football coach and now Muir and its track and field coach.

It just doesn’t make sense.

Who fixes something that isn’t broken? More troubling is the timing.

If you don’t agree you might want to read this sitting down.

First, Temple City High School.

The school decided they are not happy with the direction Randy Backus was taking the football program. He got the ax a couple weeks ago, the decision coming two months after an incident in which school officials said he grabbed a student and cursed at him.

Oddly enough, Backus’ firing had little to do with that.

Really? So what was it?

Temple City High School athletic director John Van De Veere said the decision was based on school officials’ overall dissatisfaction with Backus’ performance as a head coach.

Lets go to the source.

“I’m just going to (say) that we decided to go in a different direction,” said Temple City High principal Mary Jo Fosselman-King when finally reached last week for an interview. “I don’t want to get into specifics.”

Of course you don’t, Mary Jo.

And what happens when specifics are not disclosed to the public? They come to their own conclusions, and so far it’s not Backus whose been put in bad light.
Continue reading “Melendez: ‘Different direction’ shows no direction” »

Facebook Twitter Plusone Reddit Tumblr Email