July 01, 2009 12:24 am
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By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Jimmy Dushane, whose football coaching career began as an assistant at Commerce High School, has returned to the Lucky ‘7’ Conference at Fairland.
Bill Pascoe, who came to Fairland last season, moved up to the position of principal.
The Class A Owls missed the playoffs in finishing 4-6 last season.
“Coach Pascoe started the rebuilding process,” Dushane said on Tuesday. “I’d like to continue it.
“We have a bunch of good athletes,” Dushane said. “We want to utilize them the best we can.
“We have a job to do,” Dushane said. “I like our chances. We want to fight for a playoff position.”
Dushane said that Jerry Johnson and Chuck Preaus are scheduled to assist in football.
Dushane, who will be 44 on Aug. 27, was at Class B Fox the past three seasons. The Foxes were 28-5 in that time with three appearances in the playoffs. They reached the second round in 2006 before falling in the first round the next two years.
Dushane, a 1983 graduate of Commerce, didn’t start in the coaching profession. The product of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M of Miami and Northeastern State of Tahlequah was a recreation therapist for some 10 years before helping Rick Trimble at Commerce as a volunteer for five years.
Dushane moved to Class C South Coffeyville in 2000. He assisted Ron Coppedge for a year before taking over as head coach for five.
South Coffeyville, rebounding from a lengthy losing streak, reached the playoffs the last three years with records of 5-6, 9-2 and 10-2.
Dushane said that Trimble, who left Commerce after a lengthy stint, is scheduled to assist again (running backs) next season at Owasso.
Dushane, a native of North Carolina, said his mom has died. But his dad, Jerry, lives in Pottsboro, Texas, near Sherman.
Dushane is married to the former Mary Cervantes of Seneca. They have three daughters and a son.
The daughters are Leandra, 18, a Fox graduate who’ll be a freshman at NEO; Whitney, 15, and Chelsey, 9. Son Peyton Ryan, 3, naturally got those names from guys named Manning and Nolan.
Whitney will be a sophomore at Fairland and is involved in basketball and softball.
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