Stallard: Funny how the ball bounces

Stallard: Funny how the ball bounces

Published 5:16 am Friday, July 31, 2026

Announcement

As part of my other job as sports editor for the Longview News-Journal, I recently sent out a small sampling of questions to East Texas football and volleyball coaches.

With those seasons starting on Monday for most schools, coaches are busier than a Budweiser salesman at Bristol Motor Speedway right now, so I appreciate all of the ones who have taken the time to respond.

Their answers will run in the Longview, Tyler and Marshall newspapers in the coming weeks.

The questions aren’t difficult, but since I sent them to the coaches out of the blue and gave them a relatively short time to respond, I thought it would only be fair to answer the same questions myself.

Obviously, the roles of coaches and sports writers are different, but there are a lot of similarities – including long hours, no weekends off during the school year and the joy we get in watching an awkward freshman who struggled to find his or her place on a team later become a leader on and off the field of play.

In fact, one of the questions was an inquiry about what the coaches would be doing now if they weren’t coaches, and a couple of them said they would be sportswriters. Ironically, when I left high school, my plan was to become a teacher and a coach.

Here are the questions I sent out, with minor changes to reflect the different occupations.

Toughest stadium you have visited: Coaches responded based on the travel involved, the opposing crowds and even the condition of the field. As a sportswriter, I base my experiences on the press box, and hands down the toughest is Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin.

Beautiful stadium, and always great hospitality from the Lufkin folks, but the climb up Mount Abe to the press box is unlike any of the hundreds of stadiums I’ve visited in 40 years as a sports writer.

And, there is no restroom in the press box, which means you either have to make at least two trips up those steps or risk permanent kidney damage.

Thankfully, Lufkin ISD passed a bond recently, and this is the last year of the old press box. I want to visit one last time when Longview plays there on Aug. 28, but after spending seven years as sports editor in Lufkin and making that climb – without incident – at least 100 times – I’m not sure I want to push my luck.

Biggest influence on your career and why: I was fortunate to be mentored by some great sports writers and newspaper folks early in my career, and I appreciate all of them, but legendary Kilgore College journalism instructor Bettye Craddock is the reason I became a sportswriter and have maintained a love for the profession heading into my 41st year.

Mrs. Craddock put me to work on a newspaper the first day of class and never let me take an assignment lightly. Her love for students and newspapers and teaching in general inspired me and hundreds of her students.

If you had not become a sportswriter, what profession would you have chosen: I mentioned that I had intended to be a teacher and coach, and that’s probably the route I would have taken. I also did a few nights as a honky-tonk bouncer when I was younger, and it was only slightly less dangerous than dealing with a mom after misspelling her child’s name in the newspaper.

Favorite sports movie: “Possums.” Never heard of it? Look it up. Horrible acting, but the plot is awesome, and when I finally write a book and get rich, I plan to do the movie again and set it in East Texas.

One “bet your truck” prediction for the 2026 season: At least one East Texas volleyball or football team will bring home a state championship this fall.

As a bonus, I predict I’ll get at least one email from someone telling me I should have stuck to being a honky-tonk bouncer because my picking against their favorite team once is the reason they lost all 10 games this season.

— Jack Stallard is sports editor of the News-Journal. Email: jack.stallard@news-journal.com; follow on X @lnjsports.