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Martin & Cotton return as Galveston O'Connell jumps back to TAPPS
Thomas Bingham
Jun 1, 2018, 6:48 pm
Galveston O'connell will return to TAPPS this upcoming school year
Sometimes you don’t know how great you have it until you leave.
That’s the case at Galveston O’Connell, which tested the TCAL waters for three seasons before announcing its TAPPS return for the upcoming school year. The move is a year in the making, after lifetime Buccaneers came home to lead the charge.
The first was Derek Martin, who returned to his alma mater as athletic director and head boys basketball coach last summer. It’s fitting that he’s back for the Bucs’ second run at TAPPS because he helped the basketball and track teams excel in their first three seasons in the league between 1988 and 1991.
“It’s been exciting to be back home, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Martin. “When I was a student-athlete here, I learned so many things that prepared me for the real world. We had coaches and teachers that always went the extra mile for us, and that cared enough about our future success to invest their time into us. And that hasn’t changed at all to this day.”
One of his mentors was Tim Cotton, who coached him in both sports, and has decades-long experience with high school football. He was retired for six years when the O’Connell football job opened in 2017, but couldn’t turn it down.
“The commitment that the TAPPS league made to private schools was something that intrigued me,” said Cotton. “And then to have the opportunity to come back and re-establish those values at O’Connell was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Both have lengthy ties to TAPPS, so they know how to prepare their programs for success.
Martin spent the majority of the past 20 years with TAPPS programs O’Connell and Baytown Christian, serving in roles like JV boys basketball coach, varsity boys and girls basketball coach, and athletic director.
Cotton has been coaching even longer, with stops at O’Connell, Marian Christian and Westbury Christian.
Both want to build on past athletic achievements, so football’s a great time to start.
The program is two years removed from a playoff win, and its strong junior class will put it in contention for another one in 2018. It includes versatile and all-state Izeal Owens, running back/linebacker Josh Hickman and strong-armed quarterback Tanner Adkins.
“With [Hickman] and Owens, we’re going to have two young leaders, [so] I think we’ll make the playoffs this year,” said Cotton. “And once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.”
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Cal Raleigh hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the ninth to give the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Raleigh sent an 0-2 pitch from Josh Hader (1-3) into the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the ninth. Luis Urías tied it at four in the eighth on an RBI single.
Raleigh said he was looking for a fastball, and he got one.
“I was looking for the heater the whole at bat and adjust to anything else,” he said. “He made two good pitches before that. I didn’t come off my plan. He left it middle of the plate, and I got to it.”
Hader said he was trying to go up and in and missed.
“I just didn’t execute my pitch,” Hader said. “At the end of the day, executing your pitches, sometimes it works out for you.”
It was Raleigh’s second go-ahead home run in the ninth or later this season.
“He finds a way,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said of Raleigh. “He typically hits the ball in the air. Late in games, if you have power to hit the ball in the air, good things are going to happen.”
Andrés Muñoz (2-2) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for the win.
Seattle has won six straight series.
“We’re pitching awesome,” Servais said. “I’ve talked about that for the last month or so. Our defense has really picked up I thought. … We’re still not clicking offensively, but we’re starting to make some strides.”
Jon Singleton launched a two-run homer to right to give Houston a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Kyle Tucker cut the lead to 3-2 with a two-run homer to right in the sixth.
Luke Raley hit a solo home run into the second deck in right field to lead off the sixth, and the Mariners got two in the second on an Urías bases loaded walk and Josh Rojas RBI single. Rojas finished with three hits.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts in six innings.
Houston starter Hunter Brown gave up two runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: José Urquidy (right forearm strain) had his live batting practice pushed back from Sunday to Tuesday in Houston to “give him an extra day,” manager Joe Espada said. … INF Grae Kessinger (right shoulder) started a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. … RHP Cristian Javier (neck discomfort) came out of his rehab start Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi feeling “good,” Espada said, adding that the plan is for Javier to rejoin the team on the upcoming road trip.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-4, 3.46 ERA) will open a four-game series Monday at the Twins, who will start RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.45 ERA).
Astros: After a day off Monday, RHP Justin Verlander (1-0, 2.08 ERA) will start Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at the Yankees, who will start RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA).