Streaming live on the iHeartRadio AaB. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty eight.
Hey, welcome back to why I'm the bbaull heroll Fock Sports fourteen fifty I'm Steve Rivera in today's high school former high school coach and maybe trying to find a high school coach. Jeff Scurring obviously, and now we have Henry with breaking news.
Well, this is Eye on the Ball breaking news on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs this morning for a fifth round pick that will become a fourth round pick if the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays at least sixty percent of the snaps.
You just got better.
Yep, yep, I said, that's that's ever been talking about. Are their Chiefs going to do anything at the receiver position because they've lost a few and big Gower.
There you go.
That's what good teams do, right, And we talked about this yesterday or Monday, right Henry, Oh, they're not playing as welllah blah blah.
The NBA season kicked off last night the Celtics defeat in the Knicks one hundred and thirty two to one hundred nine and tied the record for most threes in a.
Game with twenty nine.
Nice and the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves one ten two, one o three.
And Ronnie and his son played. Yep, that was kind of a well where, you know, obviously historical, but it was I don't I don't know. How would you say, did you watch some of it?
Yeah?
I watched when how was that? I think it was cool. I think if they were obviously, if they were losing by a lot, I think they wouldn't have done that. But I think in that moment they were sixteen or something. Yeah, it felt right in that moment, and it was just a really cool moment to watch.
As a parent and a grandparent, I love that. I'm sorry, I don't know. I'm not you know, the basketball aficionado here for sure, but I just as a parent a grandparent, I thought that was just really really cool. And I
want to say one thing about the Knicks. Losing got to be a little bit of pressure on Knicks with us with that T David looking pretty dark that I would think that in that town, if you're in New York right now, and you're not going to produce it the next I have a feeling that something's going to happen.
Okay, so you heard it here.
First, Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton was injured in a car crash, and they announced that Bryce Young will be the starter for a weekly eight.
Yeah. So did they say what the injury was.
They didn't say the specific injury, but they said he was banged up from the Well.
Okay, now you know why they pay backup quarterback so much money.
Well, and in the back of this guc it was the starter. Get with it.
There you go.
Former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Vealezuela died last night at age sixty three. It wasn't announced the specific cause of death, but he took a break before the playoffs for health.
Yeah. When when that happened and you saw photos something when he took the break, you're thinking, what the heck? He was very thin and obviously looked sickly, and that what maybe a month later he passed.
Yeah, I'll never forget him looking up at the sky when he pitched that. Just that's just an iconic picture of a guy that I mean, come on, he brought a whole different level when he pitched.
Sure they're all excited.
Sure, No, Back in the day, for me, you had Louis Tiant who did this, you know that motion look to the sky and that's kicking that wind.
Up and the stop Martin.
Yeah, just you know you you remember those dudes who pitched like just just unorthodox.
Yeah, and you just just think about it though, But he was. There was more than that. There was something about his personality. It was a kind of a happening and a time when baseball really needed that.
No question with a dog in eighty one. Yeah, this hispanic kid coming in and just kind of getting lucky and the guy rouse I think it was who got he couldn't come and play, or he couldn't he wasn't physically ready to play. Bernando comes in and throws a shut out and the rest of history.
Yeah, And he was a phenom, but he stayed, he lasted. I think of Mark the Bird, Fedric and people like that, and they were they were a thing and then they were gone. But he was a thing and he stayed. And that was his great story. Plus I heard heard nothing but great things about it.
As a person.
That's a good pool with Mark the Bird Fedrich Detroit. Yeah, don't give me the bird coach.
It was announced today that Oregon State and Washington State will play each other in football two times next season before the Pac twelve expands in twenty twenty six, two times in the season in the same season. Wow, four weeks apart, it said.
Oh wow, and they do it in the NFL, right.
That's that's true. Well, that's interesting.
Yeah.
I was surprised when I saw that the NBA is going to investigate seventy six Ers center Joel Embiid over his participation after not playing in the preseason for what the team said was injury management, and he will miss the first three games at least of this season.
That's a that's that's such a difficult situation.
You know, if you don't know what's going on behind the scenes, and the doctor's not gonna he's they're going to give you a general updates, and usually it doesn't come from the doctor itself, it comes from the management of the team. That's just that's one of those situations.
Having worked seventh summers with Utah Jazz in the weight room, that's just those types of situations are the types that you'll never see other players criticize the guy over that those things are so individual and unless you're there, you just don't know.
He would could speculate all we want.
Commander's quarterback Jane and Daniels missed practice today. His status is still uncertain for Sunday's game against the Bears and number one pick Caleb Williams.
I didn't realize, coach, that someone told us last week that he was being well, I know Clill Tate said that he was being recruited here back in twenty eighteen, so something like that seventeen, and then he obviously took a different route and went up north.
There there's a guy that was was really kind of a not an unknown but you know, we just couldn't put the finger on athlete, quarterback, thrower, you know, and and now who could have I don't even think until he went down to Florida State that anybody could have seen this in his background.
He certainly was pretty good.
I mean, Daniels, yeah, l I mean you could see it kind of happening. But but boy, yeah no, he blew up, he did, he did.
You know.
It just goes to show you the development of these guys happens if they got the basic stuff and they got.
The wherewithal to study of the game.
That's the biggest thing going from college to the pros.
You got to study the game.
Well, that's that's the difference, coach, Because I asked you, who would you rather have if you have both? And that's what you're Yes, If you guys have a guy who has talents and then studies it, do you have a deadly combination?
Yeah, Because here's the thing.
Everybody in the end of the NFL had all something in front of their name. They're all all America and all conference. They are all or they didn't get there in the first place.
Sure they know how to get there. Yeah, that's all I got. Okay, I got an email, coach. I have a question for you. Can you tell the coach that if he is looking for a job, there was a school near Campbell and sixth that could use an offensive coin coordinator drust that resume off.
Offense or coordinator. I don't know, I never really thought of that.
Sure you have it, Sure you have it. Okay, Okay, if anybody wants to call, we have some time here. We can take a call. Five two oh for one six seventy four forty If you want to call, talk to coach, ask him a question. Is he coming back or not? Your seventy something seven seventy seven? You know, Hey, why not just get it at the morning, sip your coffee, your legs up on your chair, kind of enjoy the moment and say, God, I'm glad it's all behind me. But you need something, don't you?
First of all, I don't drink coffee. Ask number one. Number two. I really don't sit around hardly.
At all, ob zero for two? What else you're wrong?
I just and I'm just not the guy that sits around and waits for things to happen. I'm gonna go. I'm going to go someplace. I'm going to do something. You know, I've I've hit all seven continents now. I love travel, I love adventure. Life is about experiencing things. And and I tell you what there's to me. There's nothing like being in an exciting game and that whistle blows and they kick it off, and no matter how nervous or how whatever I was before.
The game, I'm in that moment.
And there's very few things in life outside of being a husband or a parent that even come close to matching that. Mm hm.
And you you're world travel you played, you coached everywhere, and now do you know you're at Florida as a small quarterback. Yeah, the things I learned every day. Hey, did you see that Salah's gonna go with the Green Bay Packers.
I didn't know if that was confirmed or not. I saw he was at the practice.
Looks like he's going to join them, join him. I guess he is close to friends with the head coach. Yeah, they're in one of the he was either he's wedding or vice versa.
Part of me was thinking he's trying to get back at Rogers, go back.
To his old team. Who knows, who knows?
You know, people just got to understand these, you know, it's it's always situational.
You know.
He didn't become a bad coach when he went to the Jets. He was a good coach. He's recognized as a good coach, He's recognized as a solid guy. He's going to be successful, He's going to get another shot somebody else.
Because it's in.
Fact, it's a very small fraternity and the situation, I don't know many guys in the NFL, and I know quite a few of them, but I don't know many guys in the AND that really would want that as their first choice of a job. Right now, they're playing with Aaron as their guy, even as good as talented.
That's just a tough that's a tough way to go.
Dynamics is difficult. Let me ask you a quick question. So you're the head coach at X y Z school and you have a good contract. Obviously you're doing well. Now you have a quarterback who's making X amount of money, like a decent money. He's a quarterback. How do you how do you coach that when? When when the kid probably doesn't want to listen to you, doesn't want to be coached or whatever. Maybe he does be he doesn't, but he's making money. Now.
Yeah, that dynamic has changed things a little bit. That's why the relationship that you know with a player and the coach is so important. You when you walk across the white line, it's got to be all business, and that business is winning football games. And if you can't handle that, you don't belong there as a player or as a coach, because in fact, that player is never going to reach their potential.
They're not.
They're not going to get seen by the next level, which is why they're making these transfers.
They want to get there. They're looking for opportunity.
And without that combination of player and coach working hand in hand for the same goals. And it better be that mutual goal of winning games and this kid looking good, it better be that. And not every game has to be this guy's Bailli Wick, but certainly it's got to be a well thought out strategy. I'll never forget when I took PEM out of the bowl game on national television and we figured out the strategy real quick. And I had the leading quarterback receiver combination in the nation
and we were averaging thirty four passes per game. And guys, this was two thousand and four. It wasn't the same level of ago. Yeah it was, And so I had to sit down. I looked at the films and I look at their pass defense, and I see guys, you know, catch a pass, and I don't see them anymore in film, because you know, we don't see the full game.
We see just the stop action.
And I'm looking at that, and I'm looking at I'm saying and seeing their defense and how their three tailbacks and their full scholarship, and we don't have any scholarships. And I'm looking at that, and I come up with a strategy. And I got to bring in my quarterback and receiver and sit them down and say, guys, if we throw the ball twenty two times, we lose. And they got to understand the strategy to win the game.
I said, but that fourth quarter, guys, that's your time, and you're going to shine and you're going to win the game for us. And guess what, we won the game on past number two on one.
Now you can't you can't. You can't make that up.
I mean, but that's just not a strategy that worked out for me. That's because the kids bought into that strategy.
Yeah, twenty oh four, yep, twenty years ago, that's when it happened. I would have been I would have lost my life if you would have said, okay, I want to bet your life. If if you remember what I would have say ten years ago? Tops, really can you believe that, I know you were a young man fifty seven years old, then that what's happening? Holy moly? Where the time was coming gone?
And I had a big national magazine LESBI as one of the top ten coaches you know you got to look for in the future, not quite knowing.
I was fifty seven at the time.
Right, did you let me ask you a question? Because I was Jay and I go through this all the time. Uh, what point? At what point? Maybe you don't know feel it now? What how old is? When did you realize you're old? Ye know? At what age?
I think it's I think it's probably different from everybody. I just think I know a lot of young people that are old souls, and they're really nice people.
This is another noun answered question. Give me an answer.
I just age is relative. I don't know. I just I don't feel old.
There's a lot of things I can't do that I used to do, and I recognize these things that are happening, and I see other people.
But you know, it is what it is.
You just you take today, you get up in the morning, You make the best days you can.
If you don't do that, it's kind of depressing. And I went through a little.
Bit of this not too long ago, when I gave up coaching and everybody was starting to you know, I did a bunch of quarterbacks. I trained in the off season and that went really well. I had a great great amount of fun with that, and I had like forty kids that I was training, and I was out on the field almost every day and it was a real kicking And I do my charity work that I do in Mexico that you know about, and I like
to stay active like that. But then the football season started and my kids went away that I was coaching, they went to their teams, and it was all of a sudden it hit me. And it wasn't that I was old. It's that I'm am I useful anymore?
Am I?
You know?
I think to stay the vibrant in life, you have to have a purpose.
You have to feel active.
And I was kind of searching and I still am kind of a little bit to what is my purpose?
A little bit.
And jeez, I'm a football coach. Now, that's not the greatest thing in the world. That I'm not making peace treaties to solve the problems in the Middle East.
I'm not on that level.
But you know what, I'm the guy that takes a little pebble and I throw it out into the water and it hits in the middle of that pond, and I watched the ripple go to distant shores, and those ripples are people.
They're kids.
And my wife gets on me for calling these guys that are now fifties and sixties for calling them kids, but they still are to me. They were my players, they're my kids, and I watched them be successful in life.
And I was just a little little little part of that. And you know what, that's really good. I really like that.
Henry. What did I ask when I what age did you give me? When I said old go ahead?
I said sixty?
Did you okay?
Six?
Oh?
It was it was met I said forty, Matty sentiment, Okay, we got to take a break. You never gave me an answer. You're like, you're great with no no answers. Coach, I'm gonna ge. I'm wanna get you son.
Some people a politician, no worry.
No, no, no, that's not a good They had the big twelve media day to day in Kansas City, uh and and Tommy Lloyd was on the podium and I guess someone asked him who put the non conference schedule together? Came up with the funny line, it depends. He said, if we win, I'll let you know. If we lose, I'll probably let that person know.
That's a great answer.
Yeah, yeah, Okay, let's go.
Now your chance to win one thousand dollars. Just entered this nationwide keyword on our website. Check that's check. Enter it right now, Fox Sports fourteen fifty dot com.
Are you ready?
Ready to discover your soul, your wild side, your passion, your joy and from the latest slots and table games, to award winning dining, to world class entertainment to a luxurious resort.
Discover all this and more.
Discover with Soul Casino del Soul, the Soul of Tucson.
Are you ready enterprise so Fasco.
Yaki Try The Window Depot has everything you need to create the kitchen or bathroom of your dreams. Browseyisles of instack cabinets available in a variety of sizes and configurations, and instantly elevate your space.
Today.
Visit a showroom and let our experts guide you. Whether you're choosing for ready to go designs or creating a custom masterpiece. We can help you select the perfect wood, type, color, and style and top it off with unique hardware to complete your look. Find a location near you at the window deepot dot com. The window Depot more than a windows store.
Steve Rivera here to talk about doratle Rocky Materials. I needed a lot of gravel from my driveway, so I called Eric at Dorato Rock. He found out the amount and color I needed and boom, it was taken care of and at a great price. How do I know radio commerce work? I heard one of his on the radio. Dorato Rock and Materials provides a wide range of landscaping materials, including decorative rock, boulders, gravel, soil, and sand for residential
and commercial use in the Tucson area. They are locally owned and have been around for more than fifteen years. Give them a call at five two zero four zero zero for two three three.
Where do you buy exercise equipment?
Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health.
Of course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals. Your health and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the leading edge and exercise equipment on twenty seconds just west of Wilmot.
School and the Falls fourth season are in full stride. Time to give that special student athlete a creative award for his or her efforts they are deserving. It's also time to rejuvenate your fall apparel with a crisp looking embroidered school corporate logo on caps, shorts or long sleeve follows.
And why not get some fresh looking promotional products representing your school or corporation, or just giveaways for the upcoming twenty twenty five season for over one thousand fun items of choos room don't visit Creative Awards at Creative awardsaz dot com or see our Idea Center at two twenty eight West TrackMan Street.
At Nova home Loans, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy the independence that comes with home ownership. Paul Volpi is ready to help you find an option that best fits your needs. Whether you're a first time or veteran home buyer or want to get cash out with the refinance. Nova has a variety of home loan programs to meet your unique situation. Visit Voltpe team dot com.
That's Volpe Team dot com or call five two oh six eight five six two six today in MLS three oh eight seven arizon A b K NINEZ two nine four two Equal Housing Opportunity got to commitment to Lindrix syn credit rates and available loan programs of SUBJCT to change the NUNT notice.
Did you know collecting sports cards is one of the fastest growing hobbies around.
Whether you're looking at chart or expand your collection, Showtime Cards is your ultimate destination. As one of the leading card shops in the country, we've been serving our community for over twenty five years with the best in sports cards.
And trading card games.
From rare fines to the releases, Showtime Cards has it all. Check them out at Showtimecards dot com or visit them on EA Speedway and discover why collectors everywhere try Showtime Cards for their passion.
On a road trip or just around town.
Driving a car you can afford is more important than ever. At Pyramid Federal Credit Union, our one rate auto loan is for everyone. One rate offers a single competitive rate no matter your credit score. You can borrow better with Pyramide. For details or to.
Apply online, visit Pyramid.
FCU dot com.
Slash one rate Pyramid.
Federal Credit Union is an equal opportunity lender federally insured by NCUA.
Got bugs, termites, bees, or rodents, Arizona Pest Control will hunt them down. Arizona Pest Control is your complete desert pest management specialist that's can't run or hide from Arizona Pest Control. They use only the latest and most technologically advanced methods of pest elimination available, which minimizes the effects on the environment. Let Arizona Pest Control get rid of your bad bugs, termites, bes, or rodents. Serving Tucson and
Southern Arizona since nineteen forty seven. Go to azpast dot com to schedule your free evaluation today.
Want to build your business better, There's no place better than the Arizona Business Networking Conference December tenth through the twelfth at Casino del Sol. Meet thirty five premier speakers including u A All American, Ricky Huntley, Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Kendrea, CEOs and more. Expand your professional network, explore new opportunities, and learn from industry leaders. Get your tickets
at Tucson Business Networking dot com. Slash Leadership that's Tucson Business Networking dot com slash Leadership.
Breaking down all the xys and os. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to my I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. You're Jeff skurin the age. Listen, Jeth Scart down the phone. We have mister Javio Morales from Allsports Tucson dot com. How are you doing, haf good?
How are you guys doing?
We're doing fun. Gimme give me a short or two sentence, a short sentence or two about the guy that's with me here.
Innovator, great communicator. That's two Well, that's that's a word and a sentence, two word sentence.
Okay, yeah, I agree with you.
Thanks Avy, I are you next?
Next?
I like that?
And obviously and obviously those two those qualities tie into a good coach and being able to work with different coaching staffs and players that he's been able to do.
Right right, right. So now you're you're following football like most people know, and you do it well. Who are we going to watch the next month or so? Oh?
Marana Mirana right now is the number one team in the whole state, if you can believe that, because they're number one in the Open division. Uh there eight, No, And it's held up that be number one in the Open Division, even though Phoenix has all those powerhouse six A teams like Red Mountain and Bashia and you know, Brophy Prep and all those type of programs. But there's still number one with only two weeks. They only have
two games left. So even if they even if they went out, I think they'll I'm sorry, even if they might lose a game, they might still be in the Open Division. If they went out, they probably won't be number one because of those six eight teams are starting to climb up those power ratings because they're playing each
other up there. But it looks like I would say, like a ninety percent chance that Morana will be in the Open Division, which is which is phenomenal when you consider the amount of resources that Southern Arizona schools have compared to what's going up in Phoenix.
I've gotten to see them play twice and they're they're exciting, just an exciting ball club and they're they're playing kids. They've got a freshman linebacker. They're they're playing kids all over. They just there. They have fun out there on the field. And I saw him play Solid Point and one other game and that was just fun to watch.
Well, I think the biggest difference issue with them is their defense. Their offense is always poland, but their defenses really come around this year. You know, Phillip Stewart is a former linebacker at Houston and he played for the Rams, so he's got a he's got a good defensive background and and he has been calling.
Their plays on offense also.
So he's one of those coaches that, you know what, five years from now, we can hear about him being being a coach somewhere in college assistant coach maybe or or even a you know, uh, a head coach somewhere down the road at at a higher level, because he definitely has shown that he can he can he can run a program to this to this extent at a at a at a small school area like Marana. Just imagine what you can do in a city.
Uh.
And you know, more resource, I get it.
I get a lot of my Phoenix friends coaching buddies call me up and they that. And unfortunately, and and course this is kind of the nature of the beast. Unfortunately, they start off by saying, well, you know, they really haven't played the schedule we have and this and that, and then they so but and then they ask me questions about them, and it's it's so funny. It's just like, well,
why what can I say? Now you've already prefaced this with all the things that you really want to add to it, and to to kind of detegrate the fact that a Southern Arizona team is actually higher than you guys in the ranking, and that that's really interesting how that does not sit well up there, you.
Know that well in a selfish way that that pleases me to see like a Morana number one and all these other teams are below them that are up in the Phoenix area. Because we hear a new coach coach, you know this, We hear it every year that you know, Tucson teams can compete. They and it's true to an agree, they don't have the resources that the Phoenix area schools do.
But this could show that Southern Arizona school if they put their time and effort and resources into a program, they can actually compete at.
A high level like this.
Yeah, but you said the magic words there if they put those things into it. And unfortunately that's the problem down here is there's Steve and I were talking about this off the air.
You know, there's just too many schools.
And I don't want to blame the administrators or any part to finger at any one entity, but there's just too many schools in general that don't see what a good coach can teach away from the classroom that really directly applies to being successful in life, to being a better husband, to being a better father, to be a better employee, and to be frankly, to be a better student at the.
Next level, not just an athlete.
And they don't get what a good coach like Stuart's doing with those kids, not just the confidence of winning, but the discipline and the hard work it takes to get there, and the teamwork and the camaraderie and all the little details that a number one team has to have or they're not there. And if more administrations would see that, you wouldn't see a team here and a team there once every three years or five years, you know, you would see this kind of thing on a much more regular basis.
Yeah, I don't know if you've been up there to Marna, like away from a football game that you go to a practice or you go on campus. I've seen him in both areas, and people gravitate to him on campus. He's got like a magnetic personality. The players will go
through a wall for him. And I know you guys talked earlier about that the players have to have some kind of a I don't know, I fear factors the right word, but some kind of a high level of respect for their coach to get the most out of the their ability.
And they definitely have it there.
You know, they have a great quarterback called Meyer and Desmond Roebuck. They have some really high levels old players. But they do have some guys who are you know that would have to struggle.
To start at other high schools and and but.
They're they're performing at a high level because of his coaching and the coaching and that coaching staff.
Well, when I went out there, I mean, he greets me when I've got a couple of his his coaches were assistants for me along the line, and he greets me like I'm old family. And he's just got that magnetic personality. But he also has that mystique that there's just a little bit different. There's something about him and you kind of put your finger to your brain and.
Say, Okay, what is it.
This guy's there's something unique about this this guy, and I think I think that's a real special quality.
This has been building too, hasn't It just just didn't happen.
Oh yeah, they've I mean even going back to the Borgade with any Any Litton as a coach and Trent Borgay was there, Luis Amidas replaced him and kind of kept it, kept the ship floating. And and then Stewart came and coached with uh ramidez Uh. You know, God bless his soul. He passed away a few months ago, but you know Stewart was his one of his assistant coaches, and now he took over and it's.
Just it's gone.
Uh you know, skyrocketed to be number one in the open division. Their their their passing game, and I'm sure coach could appreciate that. Their their passing games. Ever since Lytton was there, has just really taken off and been a model program for a lot of other other schools. The way they do their their offense. So they do they do the no huddle, quick read offense kind of like rich rod And And I know, I know you you coached Ritrot's.
Son, so it is a high powered offense.
That and again that if if given another you know, possibility of.
Coaching a high higher level, I think he would flourish. I think the Stewart flourished.
But thank god he's at Morand and he's in southern Arizona, and we hope never leaves.
Yeah, I hope so too, because we need more guys like that down here. And the one thing that you can't predict them, he says, well, what's going to happen when they have to play for you know, high level competitive teams in a row, because let's face it, there's some holes in the schedule down here.
And that's true.
And I just say, you know what, that's why we play the game. We'll see because you know, who knows, maybe they can step up the challenge and maybe they got a few kids. You know, I've had two losing efforts in state championship games. One of them lost my quarterback and one of them lost my key running back. And you know, stuff happens, and you know, but they have not had to have that kind of weekend, week out schedule, and other than that, there's just not a
weakness out there. And they go out there, they do their thing. And here's what I like the most watching them. They seem to have fun and I like that.
Yeah. Yeah.
What's interesting is there's three five A schools in the open division. They're not the only five A school there's three up. There's a couple other ones, So the five level kind of risen and it could be competitive with
some of those big SIXCES schools. So if Morana stays at number one, they'll play the number eighteen and all indications are that and they'll play that game at home that they can they can move on in the open division, which is you know, again, like I said that, use the word phenomenal, that a team from down here can have those kind of aspirations, whereas before it was pipe dream.
Yeah you got sent up there. You've got Centennial and the Desert Edge. That both of them became literally new teams with transfers at games number sex when kids could become eligible. And so that's going to be the thing that's going to disrupt that open division, which personally I do not like the open division. To me, the open division is the AIA's excuse for the fact that they can't get conferences correct. And if they got if they
had conferences correct and they had the right thing. But you can take for you know, there's there's four A teams that used to get in it. Now that won't happen anymore, but there used to. Do they get in and they would be they would have been the four A state champion and the open division I lose in the first round, and I never thought that was fair
to that. I could say the same thing too about five a's because at some point depth enrollment kind of meet meet somewhere in the middle and it kind of catches up to you.
Yeah, I you know, will Morana survived through the open division.
That's that's another thing.
Getting there and maybe winning a game or two will be a great accomplishment. It's going to be hard for them to go four and oh in the open division.
And I agree with you.
I think I think that they need to look at it, make it even maybe a tiered open division, like A six A has an open division, five A has their own open division.
Something like that.
Yeah, you're around when we had we had four A one and two and five A one and two, and that was that was a great thing. If you were in the second level of five A, you you just didn't have the resources of the other schools. And we all knew it. It was pretty obvious, particularly when they started it. And then schools like Notre Dame Prep frankly somehow ended up going down into the four A two and they have all the resources in the world, and you go, how did that happen?
This was supposed to.
Be a kind of a have and have not type of division, because let's face it, we've got, you know, except for one or two schools. You got TUSD that can't find their way in the world athletically, except for a coach here and there that does the best job of coaching, frankly, off anybody in the city. Those two USD coaches that produce winning that they those guys deserve medals.
I've been there, I can tell you.
And then but in Phoenix you got Phoenix Union that has the same issues. But in Phoenix you've got Glendale, You've got Tempe, You've got all these you know, Mesa, You've got all these other places that are kind of energy their Tucson on their own, so to speak, if you know what I'm saying, you know, and they don't have that inner city school that people just don't want to pour resources into.
I mean, we're out there.
I go to games with the National Football Foundation in the Arizona ball and do their Friday night lights thing, and there's fifteen, seventeen, eighteen kids on the field for a team, and then you've got to play a team with forty five and it's it's just it's just not fair. It is what it is. And they step up the plate, and God bless those kids.
They give it a go.
But as you you could see it yourself, and you've written about it too, it's just it's just not fair.
Yeah, And I don't know if enough it's being done to address that. I mean, TUSD doesn't even have an AD yet, and it just seems like it's in you know, it's a neutral There's got to be some like you got to be aggressive and plan and get get get it to where these programs have the resources, you know, get get each weight room improved, get the fields improved, make it so it's inviting to students that are there that they can be part of that kind of a
winning culture. But I just don't see it at some of these schools, like like.
Santa Rita and Catalina. Unfortunately. I know the coach there, Andy.
Fessus, is doing all he can did make that and you.
Played for me, want to state championship with me in nineteen ninety and he's a smart guy and he knows football and he loves it. And yet you still you got to have kids, and that's something the NIL and things like that. You know, of course, you know people are maybe unaware. We're almost every state is going to have the NIL in high school in the next few years.
And it's just reality.
And if you if you know, if you want to play that game, if you want to be the champion, there's a way to do it. And it's not the way that I grew up. So if I go back and coach, you can't do it on your own. You have to have these resources. And like you know, we went down there and and we went from that had won and I think like two and a half years down to Ria Rigo, they built U facility. We got up to about fifty to fifty and and you know, I mean when we beat Nogallas for the first time
in school history. You would you would have thought that that that I want the presidency of the United States.
I'm telling you, it was something else.
That's one of those games and really kind of a nothing situation to the rest of the state. But I am so glad I got to go through that that No Gallus Rio Rico rivalry. And actually, you know, of course we were two and zero against them, and people say, well.
They're not this, and I don't care. We weren't that either, you know what I mean.
But those kids were playing for the real deal, and that's when it gets to be fun, you know. And but schools that that happened because the superintendent stepped up to the plate, David Verdugo, and made positive things happen. And and then then that year they we get the A Plus School Award. And it's just not an accident. These things kind of travel hand in hand. And if you want, if you want kids to do great things, you got to teach them how to be great.
It just doesn't fall out of.
A tree, right, I mean, you have to have the right people in place. And if you look at the facilities brought to people, the Rio Rico facilities they challenge like small college facilities.
The way the way they have it over there, it's it's amazing.
And that is an example, like you said, of a school district stepping up to realize the importance of having those facilities to generate interest, excitement, and get people more involved. Sponsors, advertisers. All that ties in if they can see that there is an emphasis placed on an objective, whether it be football, the madiachi.
Program, a folkaloo program, you know, you name it.
If if a school shows that in our school district shows that initiative, it's going to get supported, yep.
And it brings the whole community or city together, it's amazing.
I said, that's it, guys, we got to go. So we talked about one school with you guys. I don't know about that, Thanks holl There's other.
Schools that are gonna be doing really well.
Yeah, we'll get to those. We'll get to those as the season progresses. Thanks, Thanks Hobby, Hey Aby, thanks for all you do.
Buddy. You guys do you and your brother do a great job. Thanks.
I appreciate it.
Thank you you will that. Javier Morales from All Sports tsun dot com if he's never gone there, please do a lot of good local stuff going on there. Let's take a break here and come back. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the
Ludolsen era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot, it was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them. Twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from Lut is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email me at Steve dot RIVERA ninety five at gmail dot com.
Hi, this is formal while get Leman hontly with Arizona Health. Imagine how home GM can change your health, your comfort, and your time. Arizona Health is everything you need to transform your personal space.
In your life.
We off a complete line of cardio machines, multi gyms and freeway equipment. I'll certify fitness experts and technicians will set you up with the right equipment and training to get you started and keep you going. Visit our share room today at twenty second in Wilmot, Arizona.
Health the lead to edge and exercise equipment.
What's your goal a new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. PEMA Community College can help you make Someday today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule. With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial laid available, it's time to earn the degreer certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PEMA offers free career exploration classes so you
can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at PEMA dot edus slash someday.
Hey Tucson, Steve vera heir, and I've got a tip for you. Want to be in good hands while cruising the desert kicking back at a home, then you need to call my friends at the Edmond Marcus All State Agency. These guys are the MVPs of home and auto coverage. Whether it's a fender vender or a leaky roof, They've got you covered. Don't fumble your chance to say call them today and score big on your insurance with the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. You're always in good hands.
Visit them at twenty seven nineteen North Campbell or call them at five two zero three two three nine three three three. Selling your home want to get more money for it? Will Danny Roth can help you. He told me about as you Flip the Home You Own program. The program allows for a homeowner to fix up their home to sell without using any of their own money. They will be able to sell the home for a
much higher price. Danny Roth with Omni Holmes International is the real estate consultant in Tucson that offers this program. He has consistently been the top agent in Tucson for the last thirty years and has sold over ten thousand, five hundred homes. For more information on this program or just buying our selling a home of Danny Roth at five two zero four nine zero four thousand, Tucson.
Listen up.
Al tourte two Son is rolling in on November twenty third, and you won't want to miss it. DNA Shair Conditioning is proud to be a sponsor of this fantastic event, supporting our cyclists and celebrating the vibrant spirit of our community. Huge thanks to our title sponsor, Banner University Medicine and are presenting sponsors Rio Nuevo and CMC Health for making this possible. So are you ready to ride, Grab your bikes and your buddies join DNHAC for an unforgettable day
at the El Tooty two Son. For more info, check out el toour Day two Son dot org.
This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio WIP just search Ie on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to I on the Ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. In today with me is coach Jeff Scurrin. Hangling board is Henry. We got about twelve minutes or so. If you want to call, this is your perfect chance to I have two zero four one six seventy four forty. Let us know what you're thinking or what you want to talk about. So, as you were talking about how a coach, I wanted to ask you who is your toughest competitor here as.
A coach, all there's two guys that come to mind or that I personally enjoyed competing against, but it was just the biggest challenge. The first one was my old friend Howard Brannick. Oh, yeah, Toorrow Howard, and I of course it was Sabino Touorrow. That that's that was part of it, that that you have to have that natural rivalry set in stone. But what people don't know is we met on our cruise ship on the way from
Crete to North Africa and we became instant friends. I hadn't even moved to Tucsion, and so when I came to town here, it was instant friendship. And we loved competing against each other and it was a great rivalry. And the other one was Dennis Binet when he was at South Point and Dennis, Dennis is a great, great coach.
Yeah, well that thought. We're ubbug. We have a call. You're on the air and I on the ball. I see this is done, don, I'm.
Doing coach, How you done done?
All right? I got a.
Quick question for coach. Years ago, when I was coach in Little League, I used to I used to tell people these kids are a sponge. They'll take in everything you give them. And so with ten and eleven year olds.
We'd come up.
To bat, I'd have my first three batters and I'd say, I tell him, after he gets on base, I want you to bun him over and you to hit him in. And then I would but I would say, but if he gets a double to lead it off, I'll bets are off, go ahead, hit away. And I didn't have to give a signal, didn't have to do nothing, and I'd let the.
Kids go.
Images and those kids.
And you go to high school football games and it seems like it takes forty five seconds for these kids to run one of the five or six plays that they run, and then the other team is running motions back and forth across the formation with seemingly effortless, effortless And I say that's coaching.
Those guys don't.
Either, don't trust those kids. Well, no, I think that's what it is, is trust, because I think these kids they will take it and they will run with it if you let them.
Well, some people are natural teachers. Done some people just come by it naturally. You know, there's some people that can go to education, to go to college and that study become a teacher for twenty years and they're still not going to be a good teacher.
They just don't have in their soul. It's just not who they are.
And you're obviously one of those guys that had it and some of these guys that are coaches that are really not teachers that come from off campus.
That used to be the golden rule. You had to have your staff on campus.
In states like Texas and Georgia, that's still a ninety percent requirement. And matter of fact, in Georgia, everybody has to be on campus in some form or another at least to be around the educational system. But I think you've hit You've really hit the nail on the head, and I think you're one hundred percent correct, And thank you for trusting those kids and teach them to do what you do, because that that's really the hard of coaching. It's just teaching.
Good job, Thank you.
I just was wanting a little backup on on my idea.
But you got it from me, buddy.
That's all right, Thanks coach. That might have been the nicest call you've ever made. Usually you're kind of complaining.
Done well, it's only been one game of the basketball season.
See, we got plenty, we got plenty.
I didn't know there was a university in Port Tallis.
Now you know? Now you know, I don't know.
Is that where eastern New Mexico is?
That's where they're at, right right?
Oh? Is it?
I was just guessing because I heard they were like a stone's throw from the.
Border, so near. Love, Look, you're on the borders. It's more East Texas than it is New Mexico.
Oh no, I got a guy that would probably want to fight you on that one.
I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that. Okay, thanks, thanks guys. Yes, good another call?
Cool?
Yeah, you're on the air on Eye of the Ball. Who is this?
Hey?
This is Tim Hey nice here in some high school football and Tucson coach Stern. I coached you football in northern California and a lot of our kids went to Da La Salle High school football and it's something different. And when I came back to Tucson, I had a buddy whose son was at Santa Rita, and I said, hold on to your helmet because you're gonna You're gonna learn something.
Well, that was probably one of the most fun jobs that I'd ever had, you know, And Berry says, oh, yeah, that's because you went from zero and ten one of nineteen before I got there, and the first year he went to the you know, to the state semifinals and then to the championship game. But it wasn't it was more than that. It was the buy in from the kids. Like like we were talking about earlier with Javier Morales.
It was the administration. We really had it going.
I had Jim Ferguson there was the basketball coach, and he was taking teams to the state championship game, and it was it was we were rock and rolling.
That was a fun That was a fun time.
The hard part was it was in the era of TUSD when that when the administration it was. It wasn't that they didn't care. They just didn't want winning football. But you come from one of the areas of the United States where there is not only talent, but there's a commitment to these those youth programs and a lot of you you'll see a ton of kids in college coming out of the area you were coaching in.
Yeah, our youth program, I mean we'd have seventy five kids try out and we'd have to cut down to
thirty five and it was just different there. I do remember this was like in the year when Dayla Saw was first going to go play Long Beach Polly on TV, and you know, all the youth coaches were saying, wow, wait till day Sell plays Polly, and it was like it kind of reminded me when you guys were talking about Ran and the Phoenix coaches and it would be nice if Moranna could get in there and have a good game or two and show what they can do.
But as a Santa Ria I know what's going on now, and on Javier's post, I always put go go Eagles or go Santa Rita, And it's kind of a joke with the guys that I played with. But when you went to Santa Rita, that was something and we really enjoyed that as old ballplayers at Santa Rita.
Well, thank you.
Let me tell you something that that the ladissier at at where you were up in Northern California, A Dallasal that's one of the finest men that ever put on a coaching whistle.
I'll tell you what.
That guy not only knew how to win, but he taught kids how to win in life. I respect that whole situation more than you could possibly imagine.
Yeah, thanks coach, and nice talking high school football with you.
Thanks for calling? Is just your first time calling? I guess he's okay, cool. We gotta know the call though. Hey, thanks for calling. You're on the year and I on the ball. Who is this Nico? What's up?
Hey?
I just want to ask coach a question.
Go ahead and make you clean please.
Hey, what would it take you to go back to Santareta because we need a coach man.
My wife has a no two USD rule. Let's start right there. I was.
I was at Sabino and and I love the kids, I love the community.
I left for a reason.
That when I left San Rita, I was having the time of my life coaching those kids and doing really good things there with people and getting a lot of support. But you know, it takes it takes a village to raise a football team. I really mean that. I'm not being sarcastic. It takes a village to raise a child.
You can imagine when it takes to produce a good football team, and you have to have all hands on deck, and that means you've got to have people that really care about and it's not just winning on the field, it's winning overall and teaching. And nowadays you get such a dangerous sport. You have to have the right equipment. You've got to have a good staff, you got have great trainers, you have to have good facilities. And kids want stuff. Come on, you know you played. Kids want stuff.
They want things, and you know what, I want them to have stuff. When they produce, when they come to work, when they do it right, when they have great behavior, make good grades, I want them to have cool things too. And that takes that takes a commitment from the community. And that's the problem out there. It's it's it's not an easy problem to solveyh.
Well, that's like coach eating your left junior year.
Yep, I remember him, or a good coach.
Hey, well, thank you coach Mano. Thanks for being so nice on this call. I appreciate you. We get into the call. No nowhere calls. Okay, we got very little time. We got to get out of here in about three four minutes. So good to have you, coach.
I tell you, this is fine.
I as a former journal as a major, this is always the type of thing that you think about today. Maybe someday I'll sit in the booth. But now I'm sitting there watching Tom Brady. Now as a coach, you got to understand, I love watching Tom Brady.
Now do I think he's a good anouncer? Hey, it's a long.
Way, but hey, let's judge too quickly. He's learned over, you know, he's the kind of guy that's just going to work at and get better. But the insight that that guy gives me, I mean, I sit there.
And this is a disease.
I watch college, I watch NFL football, and I sit there with a pad and pencil taking notes.
Let me ask you, because you did say, maybe before some of the colors called in that when you were a GA back in Florida, back in the day, many years ago, the one thing, a couple few things you did. You listened yep, and you took notes yep. And that's how it starts.
Hey, Hey, listen, you know we all think growing up that we're the best or we know this, and we know that. Then you sit in a room with some really special people and you sit there and you go, I don't know a dog one thing about this, But I'll tell you what if I want to sit in that chair. Someday I better pay attention and learn. It's all been done before. We just got to be smart enough to look at history, not just national politics, talking about overall. We've got to look at history of what
you do. It's all been done before. Let's study the masters. Not some guy over here that had all the different things, but a guy in my situation taken over. I had four zero win teams, and all of them, you know, we had the big win down at Rito Rico, but all the other three got.
Me on the USA today.
You know a newspaper for putting all three of those teams in the playoffs.
Okay, we got Oh man, I was gonna ask you a question. I'm not sure you can answer this in a minute. Give it the answers. The secret to becoming a good success you got about forty seconds.
You got to surround yourself with the right people. I mean, that's what it's all about. Whether it's in a family situation, whether it's a work situation, whether it's a sports team, you have to surround yourself with the right people. If they don't have the skills, you got to provide them the education and knowledge to step up to the plate and know it. Everybody doesn't know everything. They're not born
with the knowledge. It has to be taught somewhere along the line, and you got to have people that are hungry to do it right.
Yeah, good answer, good answer. I agree with you, because there's not enough of that. There's not enough of that. Henry, are we good to go? We are good to go. Thank you very much. Hey, Jeff, thank you, coach.
Appreciate I enjoy this has been fun. I really appreciate it.
Thank you, See you guys tomorrow.