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TEMPLE -- A long-distance, preseason version of the basketball Crosstown Showdown broke out Wednesday.
A&M Consolidated's Rusty Segler and Bryan's John Reese used good-natured kidding to brag about their rivals at the District 13-5A coaches media day.
Segler reminded Reese that Bryan had the only ranked team in the preseason polls. Bryan is 16th in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 5A poll.
"The champion is the champion until someone beats him," a smiling Reese said back to Segler, whose Tigers are the defending 13-5A champions.
Segler mentioned that he was not waiting for as many football players this year as in past seasons -- though one of his players, quarterback Dominic Preston, is a key member of the football and basketball teams.
"We pray that Dominic keeps being healthy because he's an important part," Segler said. "It's going to be fun to start our season with more of our varsity kids, which is interesting. We still have a little room for a couple of our JV guys to get some experience, too."
Although Jaron Gentry and Stan McGruder will not join Bryan's basketball team until after football season, Reese returns a solid core of players, including point guard Allyn Cooks.
"John's got that great record, a state ranking to start the season and all that stuff," Segler said. "The difference with John is that he finishes [in the rankings], too."
Said Reese: "I need to hire [Segler] for p.r. Wow."
Reese took a critical eye at the rankings.
"It shows our kids have worked hard to get where they are," Reese said. "At the same time, it's how you finish. Late in the year is when you really start to evaluate who is good."
The annual event also included 16-4A coaches. Former 5A district foes Waco High and Copperas Cove now play in that district, and coaches for both boys' and girls' teams gave a thumbnail preview of their season, dropping a few jokes in for the proceedings.
"We are going to do what we always do, press and run." Reese said on a more serious note. "It's organized chaos, and right now it's pretty chaotic in our gym."
Most coaches kept the mood light. Consol girls coach Nelda Gilbert denied the rumor that she had four move-ins to help her team.
"Everybody talks about the move-ins we have," Gilbert said. "Well, we have one move-in, and she used to be a cheerleader."
Killeen Ellison's Sherry McKinnon took the other approach, claiming with a smile that she had "six to eight move-ins from Duncanville."
Harker Height girls coach Lisa Hess, who led her team to the regional quarterfinals last season and has 13 seniors this year, said she was just glad to get out of class.
"I got my oil changed and went by Wal-Mart to pick up some candy," Hess said.
Coaches didn't miss the opportunity to tease veteran Ellison Eagles coach David Manley, who was ill and did not attend.
"If you're wondering where Manley is, he's out recruiting," Segler said.
Temple coach Bruce Etheridge, who organized the event and drew praise from his fellow coaches, complimented Waco University's Joe Fonteneaux, the elder statesmen of the group, and fired a shot at Segler, saying he was the one coach there older than Fonteneaux.
"We have a lot of young, inexperienced players," Etheridge said of his Wildcats. "And our seniors are old and inexperienced."
First-year Bryan girls coach Beth Jesurun talked about the program she takes over. She replaces John Shelton, who led the Lady Vikings to the 5A Region II finals.
"Good coaches never leave an experienced program," Jesurun said, picking up quickly on some of the crying towel aspects of the get-together.
Jesurun, a successful coach at Humble before taking the Bryan job, enjoyed her first meeting with her opposing coaches.
"This is an awesome experience," Jesurun said. "I haven't had one of these in a long time. The Houston area doesn't have one. It's great to get out here and meet with other people that love the game as much as you do."
Temple girls coach Don Layton said he was glad that TV reporters were there because it reminded him of poker on ESPN.
"Everybody does a marvelous job of lying, or at least not saying what they mean," Layton said. "I don't want to wish you good luck, but do the best you can, except when you come to Temple."
Belton girls coach Randy Bell, in a nod to his fellow coaches, did expect game play to be as competitive as the jabs handed out.
"It will be a dogfight every single time we play because there are a lot of great coaches," Bell said. "And there's a lot of great camaraderie."
Segler agreed.
"I think that it's neat the we can be friends and respected colleagues, yet when we get on the floor, the kids are competitive," said the Consol Tigers' coach. "When we play Bryan, I talk to his boys, and he talks to mine. That's the way it's supposed to be, competitive as heck, and our fans have got to get crazy with it, but we're all friends and love each other, and I like that."
• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.
