ChampionEagles

If the defense enjoys the same success as the boys baseball program under the same leadership, we will be in for a long year.

IMO Newton will have a tough time defensively. Being there a long time and knowing the system still don't make a great coordinator. Having a feeling for when to aggresively go after offenses and getting the team in position to do that counts heavily. Keeping offenses guessing wrong as to what your defense is going to do counts heavily. I think we will be very weak in those two areas. I hope I'm wrong.

But, as we all know defenses win championships. I have doubts based on personal experience. Schemes still have to be called by recognizing what the offense is doing. In it's simplest form football can be a chess game between coordinators.

I believe his wife is going to remain as a Newton ISD employee. I've heard they are not selling their house or moving. W.T. left Newton one time before for a few years, then returned. I wish him well, except when K'ville plays Newton. I think Hatton is in line to call defenses, and IMO we will struggle.

95% of what are on these boards is speculation and opinion and people always want to stop someone else from "being detrimental".  Generally these boards have very little affect on life in the real world. Orangefield is going through some tough times and that's a fact. They are going to go through a lot more because of the timing of all this. That's a fact. Whether they can get a quality coach and assistants and get the kids on board with the program is to be seen.

This is the same person. He has been at Newton many years and actually was there in '98 for the 3A state championship and in both of the appearances in the 2000's in 2A. One we lost and one we won. I've heard he has some issues with other coaches on the Newton staff and was ready for a change. Newton will struggle on defense without him and Kirbyville should get better at whatever he coaches over there. He and Alverez go back to college days in Arkansas.

The good news for Newton is that Barbay is not leaving. Besides, if he has been there that long then his assistants have learned alot from him and someone will step up.

You cannot lose that much experience and continuity in a program without a let down, no matter whom "steps up". W.T has made all the defensive calls for years. Barbay is still there, but on the offensive side of the ball. He has never been a big influence on the defensive side. Kirbyville's program just got a big boost.

This is the same person. He has been at Newton many years and actually was there in '98 for the 3A state championship and in both of the appearances in the 2000's in 2A. One we lost and one we won. I've heard he has some issues with other coaches on the Newton staff and was ready for a change. Newton will struggle on defense without him and Kirbyville should get better at whatever he coaches over there. He and Alverez go back to college days in Arkansas.

I think your correct in what a Coach might be looking for. When Barbay eventually steps down at Newton, whomever takes over will undoubtedly have some big shoes to fill. This will not be an easy task and in the 2A ranks of pay and facilities, why would any coach want to come and try to carry on at one of the winningest programs in East Texas?  :

If they were "facts" they would be on the news and not rumored about on boards like these.

ECBucFan you have once again tried to insult a program by rumor and allegation. Support your Bucs, but get over the every one else cheats and that's why we get beat thing. Your posturing can do nothing for your team but cast a bad light over the good people of Winnie.

td you are absolutely correct. When you drop classifications your exposure(especially by the media), the fields you play on, and yes even the officiating all step down with you. If you have kids that play, every bit of experience as well as talent can count towards moving on to the next level. If they can get a college education payed for, any size school, that is great and they need every advantage they can get. All this about Barbay can be argued from now on, but I hope when the day comes that Newton is not as strong as it has been(and that day will come), we can play teams that are coached by someone like Barbay. I can tell you he is not about embarassing anybody (especially kids) and don't "dodge" any team.

newton, has always been one of the best teams in the state.newton   has one of the best coaches in this great state of texas ,his record proves it and the fans there are super

They might have one of the best coaches because of his record. He might be great to the kids and community like has been said, but the way he talked about some teams to the media is just crazy to me.  Growing up listening to Coach Hooks and hearing him say positive things about teams that we are about crush is different than what happens in Newton.  I don't have the article, but it was talked about on here last season.  I may have just opened a can of worms, but I don't care.  I'm watching the NCAA Basketball Finals and its boring and baseball season is just too long. 

People have made way too much about this. If you are young or new to the area you may not know about Coach Barbay and his attitude. He did not say anything that was not true. The EC people were offended, but Newton blew them away in the playoffs with no effort. The way Coach Barbay has ALWAYS been is he pulls no punches and tells you what he thinks. If honesty in a question's answer is not what you want, don't ask him. He expresses confidence in his teams and sets very high goals for them and expects them to be reached. The kids seem to respond to this as his record has shown. Yea, we're down right now(only made it to the quarter finals last year) but we will be back.

I'm not real superstitous, but I think Mother Nature REALLY Don't want these two teams to schedule one another. It would be a great game and Newton has not ever beat West Orange so it would be a real test. Mother Nature sure has a strong vote though.

The hiring for a program has to look at longevity if success for the program is truly important. Can anyone name me two Coaches in the golden triangle that went more than two rounds deep in the playoffs and only coached two years and left? I can't think of any. Why should this not be an issue?

But looking at his employment history, how long would he remain at Jasper? He has not stayed anywhere more than two years. How can you build any kind of winning atmosphere in that time frame, "good coach" or not?

All the "ones in their backyard" have done is win, win, and win. Including state championships in both 3A and 2A. And that would be a "total change in style" for the recent Jasper program.

if these two coaches would have coached at these two programs for as long as they have at the schools they are at now i believe that these two schools would be better than what they are now and on thier down years they wouldnt really be down years just average years but no i do not think that either school would be top 10 teams in the state year in and year out like newton and WOS are now

You are exactly right. Hooks & Barbay are smart enough to be at schools where:

A) athletes abound, each & every year, and

Football is regarded above anything & everything else.           

When Coach Barbay came to Newton in 1968 the Eagles last winning season had been in the 50's. He was an assistant under Lidney Thompson and the current type program of weights and running was begun. The system builds average into better than average. The scat play that has been Newton's bread and butter was ran during the early days and ever since. It's not brain surgery. You put hard work and the want to win mentality in and that goes a long way when the going gets tough. I can only surmise that it is the same in West Orange. Coach Hooks and Coach Barbay have proven themselves year in and year out with this type of mindset and it trickles down to the kids every year. You've got to hate to lose.

Talent, Athletes and Coaching!!!!!!

Winning programs BUILD better athletes and UTILIZE their talent better. That is why they win. Coach Hooks at West Orange and Coach Barbay at Newton are both masters at this. For years I have heard about how Newton year after year "has" better athletes than their competition and implies that they are naturally so. The reason is not "breeding" or genetics. It's in the program that the athletes Newton has are put through. I think West Orange has the same work ethic for their program. Other districts could learn from these two programs.

Newton will once again be too much for the Kirbyville Wildcats. Wildcats lost lots of skilled position people and Newton's JV beat Kirbyville's this year twice by wide margins(40's to 7's) so I don't see a lot coming up to help them. Plus this game will be late in the year and Newton usually starts to really clicking just as the playoffs arrive. Alverez is a good coach though and should get reasonable play from his team, but Kirbyville's "easy" days are over.

Curtis Barbay  Curtis Barbay  Curtis Barbay  Curtis Barbay

If you don't know, that would be in Newton

I heard it is not a given that WT is going to Jasper. Came from real close to Barbay.

If the UIL is trying to "level the playing field" enrollment numbers have nothing to do with it. They should be looking at the programs. And we all know that will never happen. Winning programs seem to win in whatever district they are in and losing programs always have excuses as to why they lost. These "new" proposals are just smoke and mirrors. Keep the division split numbers as close as they can, but travel expense has got to be realistically figured in. WO-S has been discussing busing expense and Newton gave up two a day practices several years ago because of the expense. Travel to and from games for not only the school but fans has got to be accounted for. If you want to kill high school sports put a two hour travel time one way for a district game and see what happens to the stands.

WT has been with Coach Barbay longer than any other coach on the staff. He has Coached the defense in three State Championship games and won two of those. One in 3A and one in 2A. His youngest son will graduate from Newton this year. WT knows defense inside out and Coach Barbay has let him have total control of the defense for years. His offensive schemes may be different than what Newton runs because he really had limited input on the offensive side of the ball(Coach Barbay's territory). But he has been with Barbay long enough to have gained valuable experience at playing kids where they can help the team the most(one of Barbay's strengths). This means they may not play the position where they are the best, but play where they make the TEAM the best. I think this concept is what has made Coach Barbay so successful over the years. WT should be able to make the transition to head coach with no problems. And yes he is hard nosed and emotional on the side lines. My son played for him and I have no complaints.

Congratulations to Bubba. I played against him and he was a man amongst boys. Was quick, fast, and strong. Could chase you down to run over you and then go 50 for the touchdown!

Maybe he is wanting to see if Alverez's name is on the list. Could seriously affect Kirbyville program. They just lost their Supt to Vidor. Maybe people from Port Neches are playing it close to the vest to keep bickering between locals down, who knows. This is typical situation where you can what if things to death and nobody but the people involved will ever know the truth. But this is a board, and the nature of the beast is to question any and every thing. Sometimes just to get under other peoples skin.