Smoaky's News & Notes

The Elysian Fields search committee will recommend Ford to Board meeting on Tuesday. Ford has been told it is a done deal.

"A week ago, I never would have dreamed I would be leaving Hidalgo," said Ford, "But the search committee at Elysian Fields
contacted me, and I had to jump at this chance to go back home."

Click "more" for the rest of this story.

Here's a link to numerous interviews we've conducted on ESPN-Central Texas since the Fertilizer Plant Explosion in West, Texas.

The interviews include the West I.S.D. superintendent, West H.S. Football Coach and others involved at the scene or local hospital.

West Explosion Coverage.

Jeff Bell has won two state championships at Brock High School and 688-games during his career in coaching, but his next opportunity is a big step-up from Class 2-A Brock to 5-A Waco Midway.

Bell was approved on Tuesday night as the new boys basketball coach at Midway High School and told David Smoak, "I'm excited about this opportunity, and I can't wait to be a part of the great history and tradition at Midway High School."

During his career, Bell has won 19-district championships, made 9-regional appearances, four state tournament appearances, winning twice.

Bell has also coached at Smithville, Liberty Hill, Taylor and Lampasas.

He was a starting point guard at Dimmitt High School and played in the state championship game against Whitehouse in 1978. He told Smoaky.com he has never gotten over that loss, "it still stings and hurts even today."

Bobby Chadwick is leaving as the AD/Football Coach at Spring Hill to become the athletic director at East Texas Charter School in Longview, "I could not pass up the chance to be on the same campus with my father (Dan), and we've been talking about this awhile and now is the right time."

Chadwick was 3-7 in his one season at Spring Hill after a 20-21 record in four years at Ore City High School.

Chadwick told his staff on Tuesday and informed his athletes on Wednesday morning.

Larry Prince, who has been the AD/Head Football Coach at Bandera High School the last six years, is the new AD/Football Coach at Dawson High School.

Click "more" for the rest of the story.

After spending the last five years on the opposite sideline as one of Tenaha�s most intense rivals, Cayuga Athletic Director Head Football and Head Basketball coach Greg Jenkins has decided to join the maroon, white, and Tiger stripes. In last night�s regular April board meeting in the Tenaha ISD Tiger Den, Jenkins and his wife Carrie accepted positions within the TISD family. Jenkins will join the Tiger football staff which enters the spring and summer off-season period thought to be 2013�s pre-season number one ranked team in Class A Division II having 10 starters return on both sides of ball. It was the opportunity to have multiple chances at championship runs that appealed to Jenkins. When asked about the move from Wildcats to Tigers, Jenkins added �I have had a front row seat to see the Tenaha Tradition, and no one respects the way Tenaha kids play, the way they refuse to lose better than me. It was something that I thought I wanted to be a part of at this point in my career, and I�m excited to be a part of it.�

Click "more" for the rest of this story.