I know h.s. football is competitive, but this is ridiculous!

[dzandiloo]

Pigskin spy story rocks Cleburne

08:19 AM CDT on Friday, September 24, 2004


By BRANDON GEORGE / The Dallas Morning News



CLEBURNE – An anonymous caller who has offered inside information to opponents of Cleburne's football team has upset this small town and created a head coach who's suspicious about who might be watching.

Cleburne coach Mickey Finley learned last week that someone was trying to sabotage his game plan.

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Local football coaches feel Cleburne's pain
Football coaches at Fort Worth Southwest and Brownwood confirmed on Thursday that they received a phone call from a man who wouldn't identify himself, offering details about Cleburne's plays, formations, personnel changes and injury reports.

Cleburne (0-4) hosts Brownwood at 7:30 p.m. today in its homecoming game. Brownwood coach Steve Freeman said he received a call Wednesday but wouldn't listen to the offered information. Freeman said the caller said he lived in Cleburne.

Cleburne players and the administration were told before the Southwest game last week about the anonymous caller. Parents and students said they're confused about why someone close to the program would leak information.


Cleburne coach Mickey Finley "Whoever is doing this is hurting the kids, and I can't understand that," said Paul McCarty, a parent of a football player. "A lot of parents are very mad."

Finley wouldn't allow his players to discuss the situation. Senior Tyler Shanklin, who's not on the team, said he feels betrayed.

"If it's someone at school doing this, that's not school pride at all and not cool," Shanklin said. "I'm just shocked and in disbelief."

The anonymous calls also have had an impact on the practice field. Finley said he has been looking over his shoulder during practices all week. He checks out the windows of a church nearby. He runs plays with 13 players instead of 11, using two as decoys to confuse any potential spies.

At Finley's direction, the coaching staff has erased all game and practice tapes and makes sure not to leave any information on chalkboards or play cards.

"I'm not good at espionage," Finley said. "I'm good at coaching football, though some people around here don't think so."

Finley said he has sensed a division among the community since his hiring. The Cleburne school district board approved Finley's hiring by a 5-2 vote in early 2003. Four finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 20 applicants.

Finley replaced Gary Keithley, who guided Cleburne to the playoffs in 2002 and was 18-23 in four seasons before stepping down. Finley has gone 1-13 at Cleburne and has been outscored, 191-80, this season.

"There was no question that there was a group of people in town who didn't want me to get this job," Finley said. "I've been able to build programs wherever I've been, but this is a split situation out here."

Finley, 53, came to Cleburne from Arlington, where he improved his record each of his four seasons. He is 190-109-5 in 30 seasons and has led teams to 13 district titles, seven regional championships and two appearances in the state championship game.

UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said the UIL wouldn't investigate the passing of inside information to another team.

Finley said he and school officials would continue to seek the source of the anonymous calls.

"I think it's an organized deal, but really, I'm not a secret agent or an investigator," Finley said. " ...If they're after me, they need to settle it after the football season. Leave the kids out of it."

Staff Writer Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.