With eye on future
one mentors face facts
A tall, burly, crew-cutted
man in his late 30s throws a
clipboard down. He kneels on
the sidelines, hands held to his
face. Plays scratched on
paper, clipped to the board,
didn't work.
But he keeps on keeping on.
He looks to the future. A future
that should be a heck of a lot
brighter than this football
season.
Gordon Myers, head football
mentor for Ione's Cardinals, is
coaching his 13th Card football
team. It is the first losing
team he has coached.
But it was a year of no
returner. A building year, if a
likes lone and lone must like,
him.
In 1965, Myers won the
league with a 6-2 record; in
1967, an 8-1 record gave lone
the title; in 1968, a 9-1 mark
sent him to the semifinals
where he fell to Prairie City;
and in 1972, the Cards fell to
Alsea in the state champion
ship. Myers may look perplexed
when he walks back and forth
along the red and white side
line. He is. But in the back of
his mind, there is a smile...
and a smile with a future.
DelLaRue
Del LaRue is a strategist.
He'll bounce up next to his
head mentor and mention a
play. He'll do that about every
third play and for lone, it will
work.
LaRue has a history of
coaching that includes a state
football title when he coached
Wheeler at Fossil in 1968.
LaRue, a shortly cropped
head of hair not shadowing his
rock jaw, looks like a discip
linarian and the way most
coaches look.
Stern face with a smile.
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ha Rue (left) and Myers offer encouragement along
Cardinal sideline. (G-T Photo)
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coach could ever call one that.
Myers was slapped with no
senior leaders. He has a
couple of sophomores, a
Junior, and a whole lot of
freshmen.
They can truthfully look at
the future. But Myers would
like at least one win this sea
son. Since his start in 1964, the
big lanky Myers has compiled
an impressive, 73-28-2 record,
placing second in the state in
1972.
Myers is a bold coach. He'U
criticize another mentor if he
deserves it, pat a player on the
back if he deserves it, and
discipline a player if he de
serves it.
He is constantly molding
fundamentals; always Im
proving his Cards into a team
that will have a future. And
one day, the Cards will be on
the bright side of those 694
scores.
lone is the only place Myers
has ever taught or coached. It
is his 13th year there. One
would ha ve to think Mr. Myers
Gari Gaustad
No. 66
Fr.
160 lbs.
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Motor Service
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He started his coaching in
Lostine in 1960 as basketball
and track heads. He moved to
Wallowa with Lostine's mer
ger and was assistant football
and head basketball and track
coach.
In 1966, he moved to Fossil.
He was there one year as an
assistant football coach and
head basketball and track. In
his last three years at Fossil,
he was head coach in all three
Wheeler sports. In 1968, he had
10-0-1 record, tying with
Riverside for the 8 man
football state championships.
In 1970, a semifinal game was
slowed by Prospect's victory
over his Wheeler squad.
He has been in lone for five
years, serving as assistant
football and head basketball
and baseball mentor.
LaRue must face a winter
and spring of the same losing
possibilities. He faces It the
same way Myers has to. He
will mold his Cards into win
ners. Maybe not this year, but
time will tell.
Avlintjfc'on
Glen Krebs
No. 61
Fr.
115 lbs.
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Terry Starr
No. 44
Fr.
155 lbs.
Chas. O'Connor
Insurance
lone 422-7195