Sources within the Brownsville Independent School District say that Hanna Golden Eagles Coach March Guess was able to overcome the political machinations of past district trustees at Memorial High School to land at Hanna and steer his football team toward a historic performance and a shot at third-round regional competition in the post season.
The Brownsville Herald reported that no Golden Eagle team has advanced to the third round of regional competition since the school started competition in the sport way back in 1909. Only five teams, the paper reported have had a 10-win season and only four have advanced to the second round.
This included the Brownsville High School Golden Eagles under Joe Rodriguez in 1969. That year, they shared the District 26-4A championship with Harlingen and advanced to the state playoffs by virtue of a 27-0 win over the Cardinals in the regular season.
In bi-district, they won 25-15 over a Corpus Christi Miller team boasting three future NFL players. The Golden Eagles then fell 47-14 to Seguin in the regional round to finish 10-2.
Guess left Memorial after serving there as head coach through the 2010 to 2011 seasons and then made BISd Athletic Director in 2012. He would become the Hanna coach in an interim role in 2016 and then finally made head coach under Principal Blanca Lambarri, who withstood the political pressures of the board to install Guess as head coach.
Rodriguez, who was a BISD trustee for 19 years, coach for 17, and Athletic Director for 27, cast a wide shadow over the district's personnel and purchases of sports equipment as a vendor for BSN Sports and Herrf Jones (ringmaker). During a Level III grievance by Veterans Memorial former principal Mary Solis, her complaint included allegations that he and other trustees had tried to bypass Human Resources recommendations, lean on the principal hire their favorite coaches, purchase equipment from their "friends" and manipulate the administration to replace personnel at the different schools.
Even though Solis won her grievance and the board ordered the BISD administration to return her to her former level, she never returned to Memorial after having been sent to Lucio Middle School.
Obviously, Guess was not one of Rodriguez's favorites. In her complaint, Solis said Rodriguez, himself a vendor for BSN, pushed for the school's coaches to buy from that outfit.
Her complaint also stated that Rodriguez's pushed for his preferred vendor for graduation products Herff Jones. The same sources say that Rodriguez told Solis that "You need to give business to these people. They take care of us."
It's fortunate for Guess and his Golden Eagles that he was able to course through the byzantine BISD politics and guide his team to a historic shot at a third-round regional title. Had he and Lambarri had not, who knows how the team would have fared.
16 comments:
And because of all this, Memorial is stuck with Coach Cantu. Thanks guys (sarcasm).
Leave the politics out and enjoy this endeavor. Celebrate it happened.
But, Juan, please check on this. In 1962-63, under coach Lloyd Parker, the Golden Eagles went up all the way to what was then called the quarterfinalists where we lost to Varen McVey and his time from Spring Branch, I believe. So BHS, Class of 63 celebrate such win. Isn't that better status than this current team? I don't understand the levels.
"Coach Joe" has always thrived off of intimidation and corruption. Glad he is off the BISD Board. Not sure he will give up on his intimidation of the schools to buy his products and we just hope that Zendejas doesn't force the schools to support her friend "Coach Joe". Corruption continues to be alive and well in BISD.
Coach Guess is a straight shooter he listens to parents talked to him about a certain baseball coach ,gave him a time to recognize the problem and he took action.BISD needs more of these type of coaches
tom chavez and joe rodriguez run the bisd coaching carrosuel like a mob family
enough is enough
we need to bring in outside talent
loom at how good starky did before mo ing on.
Meanwhile, Tom Chavez running Rivera in to the ground...no reason why Rivera cannot win one game while Hanna is in the third round of the playoffs.
Do you have to politized all aspects of BISD? Celebrate the good work by students and coaches. Enough of the political second-guessing. People get tired of that and the atkinsons, rodriguez and cowens.
We do have good talent here. I agree with original poster though. Cantu is going to be just like Chavez. He is going to run that program to the ground and is already starting. As for the talent, Cantu passed up the promotion of a certain coach two of three times at memorial. The coach finally got fed up and left to become the defensive coordinator at Hanna. Look at how well he is doing there. Cantu has the “its all about me mentality” and doesn’t care about anyone else. He needs the glory, and can’t have any coaches around him who take the spotlight off of him. Just ask his players. They’ll tell you he doesn’t prepare them for possible college, only for helping him. Sure in the weak districts he’s been Winning, he’s made the playoffs and won some titles, but has this translated to playoff wins? He’s content on just getting to the playoffs. The only playoff win was when he took over the team and advanced to the second round. Who’s team was that before he took it over? Coach Guess.
McVea was one of nine children of Daniel and Mattie McVea.[1] He was known as "Wondrous Warren" during his high school football career at San Antonio's Brackenridge High School. He was a multi-faceted player, playing running back, flanker and a punt/kick return specialist.
Good luck to the Hanna Football team as they go to the Alamodome once again, Go Fight , Win. Southmost kid BHS Class of 1973
If Cantu is that type of Coach then he needs to go period BISD doesn't no more parlance coaches.,either you produce or your OUT!!
Ha. Cantu is not going anywhere. Get used to it. They’re too afraid to get rid of him.
By the way, who is the new athletic director? What is his name and where does he hide, for I have no recollection of what he looks like. But I do see him at this desk with his evaluation forms in front of him to qualify his need to start firing coaches who do not produce year after year, currently, and not just because he used to have a good record or his team will be better next year. They need to be evaluated just like every teacher is year in and year out. The athletes join a sport with joy and pride and to show off the skills that they have, but they are so ill-prepared by some coaches that they go out on the field with skills that a girls' physical education flag-football class can beat. It has come to parents pressuring the coach who gets to play and who warms the bench. It not only goes for football, but for all sports, male or female. Why is BISD so fearful of firing coaches or why do they hire coaches because of who they know? Make them work for that really good stipend that they get.
We support ALL Brownsville schools and whoever from the Valley plays up-state they have our support.
porter needs a real coach
not a tom chavez drinkin buddy
The Coaching Cartel or popularly called the RGV Coaching Association is run by a bunch of thumbheads that just rotate from one distict to amother milking every penny they can from every department that will bend over and take a dry one for the "TEAM".
Hanna had a good run but look to lose the Head coach and the OC and DC, the stable is empty and its a good time to move on.
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