Aledo coaches accused of bullying

[JoAnn Purser]

This coach was a KHS grad and is one of the best of the best. Great integrity and leadership.

So sad that this has happened to him although it does highlight his excellent ability to coach.

Hang in there Tim.



http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id...lying-91-0-win


Aledo football coach Tim Buchanan was sitting in his Texas office Saturday morning watching game film from a 91-0 victory over Western Hills on Friday night when an email popped up on his computer.

The subject line read "Bullying report."

Buchanan couldn't believe it and thought it was a joke until he read the email and realized a Western Hills parent had filled out the district's online form, accusing the coaching staff of bullying thanks to the lopsided score.

Buchanan spent an hour in the superintendent's office this week and the school is currently investigating, as mandated by the state. The Aledo principal told Buchanan that a written report is expected in the next day or so, something required by state law. Buchanan -- who is in his 21st season as head coach at Aledo and said he has never been accused of bullying -- said he has the support of the Aledo administration.

"[The report filed] compliments our players, saying they showed extremely good sportsmanship," Buchanan said Tuesday morning. "This was not directed at our team, but the coaching staff for not instructing our players to ease up and quit playing hard once the game was in hand."

Western Hills coach John Naylor, whose team dropped to 0-7, didn't have any issues with how Buchanan and his staff handled the game, telling the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the athletes played hard and didn't "talk at all."

"They're No. 1 for a reason, and I know Coach Buchanan," Naylor told the newspaper. "We're fighting a real uphill battle right now."

Undefeated Aledo, No. 1 in the Associated Press Class 4A state poll (the second-highest classification in the state), is racking up ridiculous yardage and crushing opponents this season. They are averaging just shy of 70 points per game, making some of those games essentially over before halftime.

In fact, at the half Friday, it was 56-0 and Buchanan and his coaching staff spent the intermission trying to figure out how to tap the offensive brakes without embarrassing Western Hills or hindering his own team's progress. Buchanan had one thought: "What are we going to do to not score 100?"

But he was also balancing that with the fact that his team is going to start facing tougher competition in the coming weeks and he wants to be sure his starters are used to playing at least some in the second half.

Buchanan simplified the playbook. He put in the second- and third-team offensive line and got the backups as much time as he could, while still playing a few starters here and there at the beginning of the third quarter. He told his punt returner to fair-catch the ball. All told, his offense had 32 snaps. His starters began coming out in the third quarter, some of them having played just 16 snaps, Buchanan said. The Bearcats rushed for 391 yards with eight touchdowns.

Buchanan said his starting running back touched the ball six times and scored four touchdowns. His backup kept finding holes as well, even without the starting offensive line in the game.

"I can't tell the backups not to play hard," Buchanan said. "They've worked their tails off all week. They've lifted weights in the offseason. I'm not going to tell them not to play."

But he did whatever he could to try to slow down his offense short of taking a knee in the third quarter.

The result was another easy win, but also some time in the principal's office after the report was filed.

Buchanan is now trying to focus on preparing his team for the schedule to stiffen and to be fully ready for the playoffs and a shot at a state title.

[Iteachtoo]

He cannot help it if his second and third string's play as well as most teams first string's. Hope this blows over and does not ruin his reputation.

[CenTexDave]

It is really totally ridiculous.
First off, Aledo is three time defending state champions. Most likely will win another one this year. They have been a powerhouse in 4-A for years. It isn't their fault the UIL put them in that weak district.
Secondly, the starters only ran 16 plays. Not their fault they scored on every other play.
Even the opposing coach didn't have a problem with it. And at 0-7, maybe the opposing team needs new coaching.
The parent who filed this "bullying" charge needs to let his kid grow up and learn that an a$$ whooping once in a while builds character.
By the way, Aledo's coach, as JoAnn pointed out is a KHS grad. He was quoted as saying, just prior to the state semis in 2007 when Cove played them, "When I was at Killeen it was unacceptable to lose to to Cove". The Dawgs decided times had changed and rolled them. Just for good measure we did it again next year too.

[gnatsum]

91-0 isn't an "a$$ whooping", it's a 'bombed back to the Stone Age"-level of war. 50-0 is an a$$-whooping.
The UIL has rules for Six-man Football that mandates "When one team is 45 or more points ahead at the end of the first half or if a team achieves a 45 point lead
during the second half, the game is ended immediately." Perhaps this rule needs to be applied to the other classifications for football in Texas?
http://www.uiltexas.org/files/athlet...COMPARISON.pdf
Then again, maybe FW Western Hills is such a...bad team, that they are simply incapable of putting up ANY points on the gridiron?!?

91 points..and Aledo was putting its second and third-string players out there...yow.

[CenTexDave]

Like you said, wasn't 6 man football. You see scores like that a lot in 6 man - 90-75, etc.
Maybe they do need a rule like that - have it in UIL girls' softball.
I just think this is overblown. FW Western Hills is just a crappy team.

[siamcat]

So what did the parents want to happen is what I'm wondering.

Have the Alcedo team just take three knees on their turn?

Hand the ball to their son's team and walk off the field?

Where the Alcedo team taunting the other team or did they just keep scoring?

[JoAnn Purser]

No rudeness from any players on either side the dominate team just kept scoring. Coach Buchanan said basically every third play.

He mentioned that he played third string players too.

Unfortunate but no scoring rules to stop this from happening.

I thought the coach's comments were sensible.

[CenTexDave]

Nobody would like to be on the losing end of a score like that, but it happens.
His comments were sensible.
Too much PC these days.
Maybe what FW Western Hills needs is a new coaching staff, although this coach did stick up for Aledo's coach.

[JohnKilleen]

The FW schools are generally terrible in football. It can also work against Aledo; they are not facing the level of competition they will face in the playoffs. I have noticed some outrages scores all over this year. Maybe it is time to put a mercy rule in for all classes. After the total blowout starts, the game gets slow and boring and there is more chance for injury.

[CenTexDave]

Kind of agree, but those kids that sit on the bench all the time do get a chance to play. They practice, they hit the weight room too.
This happened when I was in the Army a verrryyyyyyyyyyyyyy long time ago and stationed at Schofield Barracks. They had the kiddie league. One team was terrific and would win games by huge amounts. Parents complained and the post commander relieved the coach. Ridiculous.
What's next - starting the crap in college? Oh, Baylor scored 78. Let's fire Art Briles!!