Unsung Hero nominee found true calling as Las Vegas High coach

The Las Vegas High football team’s linemen were chasing a tennis ball around the weight room during this spring workout. Here’s the best offensive line in the state and instead of lifting weights to get bigger and stronger, they are aggressively chasing this tennis ball as if it were made of gold.

So, out of curiosity, I questioned the line coach.

Art Plunkett, a massive human being at 6-foot-8 and “too much,” wasn’t having any of the small talk. He seemed bothered to explain how the drill developed agility and footwork, which is just as important as strength in having a complete lineman.

I didn’t see Plunkett until the following fall, when Las Vegas wasn’t playing its best on this particular Friday night. He jokingly — at least I think jokingly — credited the poor play to me covering the game on the sideline and suggested moving to the other side of the field.

I did. Las Vegas rallied to win. The next game, when I approached the Las Vegas sideline, he quickly pointed in the other direction.

For the next decade or so, every time our paths would cross, Plunkett assumed Las Vegas would lose because I was in attendance. It took about five years for me to realize he was joking and actually enjoyed having me around. His bark was worse than his bite.

“He’s a grounded guy, a calm guy,” said Kris Cinkovich, the former Las Vegas