Grooming young talent wasn’t coach’s biggest hurdle

By Dylan Goforth
Phoenix Correspondent

May 05, 2008 11:56 pm

— FORT GIBSON – What’s rather known by now about Fort Gibson’s win over Collinsville on Saturday is that capped a surprising regional tournament championship and clinched a state tournament bid.
What’s not so known is that it also put a positive punctuation mark on one of the most trying seasons of coach Randy Smith’s career.
This past winter, Smith discovered that he had two tumors in his spleen. The tumors, “luckily benign” he says, were removed on Dec. 6 and Smith was back at school in late January. But, down one internal organ, he had to suffer through quite the adjustment period.
Located just behind the stomach and below the diaphragm, the spleen’s main function is to identify and remove old or damaged red blood cells. It’s also a key part of the immune system, recognizing and picking out unwanted microorganisms in your blood stream. Losing your spleen isn’t life-threatening, but it is life-altering.
“My immune system, well, there wasn’t much of one,” Smith said. “Until about three weeks ago I was basically catching everything. I’d go to school and get to practice and get around the kids and I’d get sick. It was a trying year.”
And, as Smith is the first to say, he wasn’t the only person on the field forced to adjust. The Tigers, talented as they are, might be the youngest team still playing baseball. Following their coach’s example, though, they didn’t just survive, they thrived. Despite a schedule stocked with 5A and 6A teams, Fort Gibson stands at 25-7 on the year going into a 5 p.m. Thursday quarterfinal game against Weatherford at Shawnee High School.
“The kids really adapted well. They’ve been really understanding, especially since I maybe haven’t been in the best mood all of the time,” Smith said with a laugh. “They’ve stuck with me though. It’s been fun even though I’ve never been as tired as I’ve been this year.”
But Smith persevered, as did his senior-less roster. In a way, the Tigers’ regular season was reminiscent of their coach’s offseason.
“They’ve gone through the fire all year,” said Smith. “We played five 6A teams and four 5A teams and we got beat really bad a couple of times. But I told them that it would all be worth it in the end.”
And five months after that life-altering surgery, both veteran coach and nubile roster are headed for Shawnee and a first round meeting with No. 2-ranked Weatherford.
“I don’t know much about them right now,” said Smith. “I just found out that we were playing them a little while ago. I know they’re a good, talented team and that they’ve played a lot of good people. They’ll be tough.”
It will be either Brandon Jackson (8-2) or Taylor Richey (7-3) taking the mound on Thursday against Weatherford. It was Richey’s complete game shutout over Collinsville that got the Tigers to this point and Jackson led the team in victories despite only pitching in relief a year ago.
After the Tigers’ win over Collinsville on Saturday, a victory that clinched its first state tournament appearance since 2003, the emotion on the field during the celebration was clear. Some of the players struggled to fight back tears. As did some of the parents.
As did Smith.
“I’m just so proud of these kids,” he said immediately after the win. “It’s been such a tough year for me with the health problems. I couldn’t be happier right now.”
So, yes, the state tournament berth is a nice punctuation mark on a tough, albeit remarkable year for Fort Gibson. But while a punctuation mark ends a sentence, it doesn’t end a story. And no matter how the state tournament ends, there’s more to be written — both for the young Tigers and of course, for Smith.
“There were times last year when I didn’t even know if I’d be able to coach again,” said Smith. “But this has been an amazing season. I wouldn’t say that I’d do it again, though – I don’t want to lose another organ.”

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