Football: Duarte's Tip Sanders will start from scratch
Note: I put in several calls and left a message with LC coach Dan Yoder but to no avail. I'll try again later today and bring you the latest, I hope, in Wednesday's paper.
It's been nearly two months since Duarte High School named Lavelle "Tip" Sanders as the school's football coach, replacing Wardell Crutchfield who was abruptly fired because the school wanted to go in a different direction. It hasn't taken long but already Sanders faces the daunting task of regrouping a divided team. Four varsity players transfered out of the school because they were unhappy with the firing of Crutchfield, leading the Falcons last season to the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division playoffs. That he'll have to practically start from scratch has become a challenge. "From what I'm seeing it's going to be a year we'll rebuild completely," he said. "They tell me some of the kids transferred but I'm looking forward to the challenges." Duarte's missing piece to the puzzle next seasonwill be standout running back Jordan Canada. He rushed for 1,956 yards and 19 touchdowns. "I don't take it personal," Sanders said. "I coached (Canada's) dad and he worked with me. They said that was something they wanted to do. They said that it was a change they wanted to do." Sanders revived the football programs at Blair and Marshall high schools previously. He currently works as security at Blair and coached the junior varsity program last season. He has not formally met the entire team just yet. "I met five guys they said played last year," Sanders said. "Right now we're in a weight program at 6:30 a.m. with four lineman." There will be a football camp open to the public on Saturday at Durate from 9 a.m. to noon. "I'm hoping they all show up this Saturday," Sanders said. "This is the official meeting before spring ball on May 15. I'm hoping that everybody comes out to the camp Saturday." Sanders will target the middle school players at the camp. "If I'm going to start a program I'll start at the bottom," he said. "Seventh and eighth graders; I don't think there's too much I can do with juniors and seniors there already." Including himself, Sanders will have a total of eight coaches in the program. Some coaches he's kept from the previous coaching staff and others will be coming with Sanders. "Some of the coaches are willing to try it again so I'm going to give them a shot," he said. "I kept four of them that came to the coach's meeting."
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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hi
hi
we are going to do it !!!! were the falcons and we have the heart and soul! we just need a lil more support and prayer
we are going to do it !!!! were the falcons and we have the heart and soul! we just need a lil more support and prayer
we are going to do it !!!! were the falcons and we have the heart and soul! we just need a lil more support and prayer
Hi Miguel,
I have never gone on the blog so I hope I'm doing this right. As I understand it, doesn't a student need to get a release from there district in order to transfer out to another district? Is it that easy to get released from Duarte School District? I am assuming that the players that left had to do all this. I don't know exactly what the circumstances where for the firing of the coach but shouldn't the new coach have a chance to prove himself, before you quit on him?As a parent I don't understand how you allow your kids just to transfer out because of a change in coaches. Our kids have to learn that life ain't easy and we have to learn to adapt to changes. Even in Pro Football coaches get changed and as a player you learn to adapt. I wish Mr. Sanders the best of luck in his new venture. I will go buy an catch a couple of games on the weeks that my son plays of Thursdays instead of Fridays. Thanks and best of luck to all the local highschools
If M-town, SG, TC, SM or Muir lost 4 of their best players, it would hurt something fierce...but come September all of these schools would field a "good" team.
It would not kill the program of any of them...not even close. Especially not so much as to shift the talk to upcoming "middle school" players. What the hell? No way Tip expected this level of rebuild.
I am smelling some failure at the Administration level here, for souring kids away from the program and being blinded to the disinterest or distrust they had spawned in canning Crutchfield. 4 lineman in the weight room?? 4 dudes?? I did not believe the negative hype, but here it is clear as day.
Tip is an achiever, proven on multiple campus'- with differing challenges to overcome, and obstacles to work through. It appears Sanders spaceship crashed on a barren planet this time though. I really hope some bodies show up on Saturday and give Tip a shot to do his thing. He can win.