Sachse, Texas

Football

Spruce decision affects Mustangs

Elimination of varsity sports forces school to find new gridiron foe

By Greg Ford
Sports Editor
gford@wylienews.com

The decision last week to drop varsity athletics at H. Grady Spruce didn’t sit too well with school officials, parents and students.

It also didn’t do Sachse head football coach Mark Behrens any favors either.

Originally, the Mustangs and Timberwolves were scheduled to tangle Sept. 12 at at Pleasant Grove Stadium in Dallas.

Now, that’s all changed.

“You’re affecting a lot of people,” Behrens said. “You’re affecting a lot of families. It’s a tough deal.”
The Dallas Independent School District decided to reorganize Spruce for the coming school year, including transferring sophomores and juniors to Madison and Lincoln High Schools.

Incoming seniors have the option of transferring to another district school. According to reports, DISD officials said Spruce made the state’s “academically unacceptable” list for the fourth straight year.

“Obviously, education comes first,” Behrens said. “but when they do this late, it puts a lot of undue pressure on (Spruce’s) opponents. Now people are going to be scrambling.

Should Sachse be unable to find a new foe, it’ll have two open dates; one on Sept. 12 and the other at the end of October.

Behrens said he’s contacted Conrad High School, which was scheduled to face Spruce that week, about playing.

“If not, we’re going to be scrambling to find that 10th game,” Behrens said.

The coach said he was informed ahead of time that the DISD might be handing down such a decision.
Spruce made the 2007 playoffs, defeating Seagoville 31-8 in the first round and then falling to Red Oak 40-24.

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