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October 15, 2004
Bradley to coach PVHS baseballFIRST GOAL: MOVE PLAYERS TO NEXT LEVEL
By DON McDERMOTT
Bradley succeeds long-time Pahrump Valley baseball man Lou Banuelos, who guided the Trojans to a 14-19 record and a spot in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League playoff finals. One of the Trojans' big wins was a 13-12 conquest of Mesquite Virgin Valley in the Southern semifinals at Overton in May. "I am happy to get all of the kids who will be returning," said Bradley, "and we will want any kid interested in playing to come out. I am not a guy big into cutting players." Bradley, an Oregon native, coached six years at Cerro Coso College in California, where Pahrump Valley grads Matt and Nick Wagner were among his players. His chief assistant, Lee Ring, played for Bradley in college. Ring was 12-5 as a righthanded pitcher; his goal is to get a professional league tryout in the not-too-distant future. Who his other assistants will be is to be determined. "Everything we do will be at game speed, from the minute we go onto the field tiLl the time we leave it," said Bradley, who is working as an athletics strength and conditioning coach for fall and winter sports. "And during games, we want all of our players to be on the field before all of our opponents are off." Translated: Hustle will be the name of the game. Bradley's No. 2 goal is basic: Win the league, something Boulder City's Eagles have been doing without interruption since the 2001 season. The first objective has nothing to do with direct competition. "It's to give each of our players a chance to move on to the next level," said Bradley. The next level? Collegiate baseball, with financial aid. "The third goal is to win the state championship," said Bradley. "What we want our players to do is to walk softly and carry a big stick," with no apologies to Teddy Roosevelt. Bradley also wants to develop a strong summer program for Pahrump Valley players. "It won't be American Legion per se, but it will be a program that will help people develop fundamentals," said Bradley. Pahrump Valley has not had a legitimate American Legion or summer program for high school age players for several years. The Pahrump Little League had a senior team, under the direction of Banuelos, that at times was highly competitive this past summer. And, for the last two years, some PVHS players have gone to Las Vegas to play for the Faith Lutheran American Legion team. "But what ever we do, we are going to do it together," said Bradley. "No one will be isolated; a program cannot work that way." The Trojans will feature a new-look baseball complex in 2005. Home plate will be relocated in deep centerfield, with the dugouts being relocated accordingly. The work is ongoing, with Bradley and Ring heavily active in the process. |
