By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

I hope Derek Long and his wife, Nancy, keep coming to Westlake baseball games like they did last week when the Chaps opened the playoffs at Dell Diamond. They remain two of the most devout Chap fans, and retirement won’t change that.

I hope Derek and Nancy still make the drive to events such as the state golf tournament, because their support – regardless of the sport – buoys the Westlake programs that often compete in the shadows of football. Derek’s kind words to girls golf coach Chuck Nowland after the meet – “You built this program, so be proud of this accomplishment”– helped ease the disappointment of a fifth-place finish.

And I hope that Derek and Nancy keep coming to Chaparral Stadium on Friday nights. Heck, I hope that the banquet room in the nominal-only press box becomes a private suite of sorts for Long and his guests, considering the lifetime of work that the coach gave to Westlake High School. 

While I’m at it, I hope that Ron Schroeder joins Derek up in that booth. Schroeder built the Chap program as the nation knows it, with Long at his side, and never received a proper farewell from the Westlake faithful. Both coaches deserve permanent commemoration at Chaparral Stadium.

Ask Long about his Friday-night plans come next fall, but don’t expect any promises. The coach remains ambiguous about his future as a football fan. He and Nancy have plenty of hobbies, and those usually include outdoor excursions to a lake or deer lease or hiking trail. After 30 years of headsets and cold bleachers, a quiet cabin out in West Texas – or parts even farther beyond – must hold a special appeal.

“We may just stay in Wyoming,” says Long, who makes an annual sojourn with Nancy to visit family amidst the endless valleys and snow-capped peaks of the Cowboy State.

Such uncertainty about his spot in the program’s new era doesn’t surprise. Former coaches, especially beloved ones like Long, must tread lightly around replacements. If the new regime doesn’t reach the previous level of success, Long’s presence may serve as a reminder of past achievements.

However, a new coach always brings in his own system and own assistants while leaving the past behind. For Long, the sight of Westlake’s venerable playbook being left on the sideline must sting more than he would admit.

The differences between new coach Darren Allman and Derek Long pale in comparison to a certain commonality, though. They are both now part of a small fraternity: only seven men have served as the head coach of Westlake’s football team in its 40-year history. In time, Allman will develop the type of devotion that carried Long through 30 years of service.

But here’s a hope that those 30 years aren’t the end of a true Chap’s fandom.

 

Derek Long’s retirement party

When: Monday, 5 p.m.

Where: Cover3, 2700 Anderson Lane

Contact: Lisa Schlimgen, 732-9289