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Thursday, Sep. 10, 2009

James Burns: A last hurrah for Dos Palos football

Football coaches and band rooms.

How's the saying go -- "Never the twain shall meet"?

But out here in Dos Palos, where small-town football takes on a Texas-sized importance, head coach Mike Sparks has his hand in everything.

Including the music.

The Burn List caught up with Sparks on his way to the school's band room on Wednesday, where he was scheduled to coordinate music for Friday's home opener.

He gave TBL five answers to five questions, and then played us back up Highway 152 with the soft, soothing sounds of his clarinet.

Just kidding. About the clarinet. Not the answers.

TBL: On paper, your Zero Week victory over Mendota looks a lot like last year's win. Any fear of that being a bad omen?

MS: Last year, we got into a tough game against Kingsburg (in Week 1), lost some guys to injury and then the lead with 16 seconds left. We couldn't finish that game, and it seemed like the rest of the year we had nothing but tough breaks.

We're trying not to dwell on last year. We're hoping this team can create its own identity. We want to have a good year. We want to have a traditional Bronco season.

But we got the same schedule. It's going to be tough. We don't get to play Mendota every week.

TBL: Funny you should mention a traditional "Bronco season." How do you balance the expectation of being one of the Valley's top programs with a young team in transition?

MS: We'd rather have high expectations. We want them to feel like they need to be 10-0, and believe they can play in every game.

When I say a traditional Bronco season that means we're going to improve every week. It means solid special teams, play hard, all of those things. It's being in every game and giving yourself a chance to win.

Last year, I was worried they folded up and didn't think they could win. That's what we need to get away from.

We have a saying: "Temporary setbacks, but something good will happen." Last year, nothing good ever happened.

TBL: Can this team compete in the North Sequoia League, erasing an 0-6 mark in 2008?

MS: Do I think somebody could automatically beat us? I don't think that's the case. I've been in a lot of games where something has happened and we've pulled it out.

If someone is rated higher than us, our guys are still confident we can go out and win that game. I won't say that we'll beat each of those teams -- the teams picked to win league -- but a lot things can happen.

Realistically, I think we have a chance to win every game. I don't say that as a politician or a coach. I think it's possible.

Could we end up 2-8? Yes, but we're going into every game with a plan.

We're not going to thump somebody. We've had years like that, where we could go in and put it to another team. If we win games, it's going to be because something good happened.

TBL: This season is bittersweet for you and your program. It's your last in the NSL before starting anew in the West Sierra League. Have you had time to think about the finality of it all?

MS: Our whole history has been in the North Sequoia League. The Fresno Bee said because we were 0-6, (the Central Section) was moving us to another league. ... It was just the decision of the re-leagueing committee to place us there -- not because we went 0-6.

It does (make me sad), because all of our history is there. You play where they tell you to play. It's always been that way. But with all the history there, it's an odd feeling to know you're moving.

TBL: Did you fight the move? Seems like the NSL really ain't the NSL without Dos Palos.

MS: I'm not involved with those meetings. It would be the athletic directors and all that. I don't know how much we fought to stay in there. Some of the proposals had us in the NSL, but I don't know which way our AD voted.

Every two years, there is a re-leagueing that takes place. Maybe we do good and those other teams push us back out. But if we fit, we fit.

James Burns is sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.