Former coach adds author to resume
It has been a while since Dave Bates has been in the WPIAL sports spotlight. He certainly shined as baseball coach at tiny Carmichaels High School in Greene County, winning three WPIAL titles in his 11 seasons and making the title game two other times.
But Bates has to be one of the most interesting former WPIAL championship coaches — ever.
Since he resigned as baseball coach at Carmichaels in 2010, all Bates has done is work as a high school principal and teacher, and opened a shooting school (Alpha Omega Solutions) that teaches people firearms safety and how to properly handle weapons. Five years ago, he went to a police academy and became a licensed municipal police officer, while keeping his teaching job.
And the Dave of all trades has recently added this to his resume: Book author.
Bates recently published a book, “Friendship Afield, A Collection of Short Stories and Snapshots.” Only a few hundred copies of the book were printed and Bates is selling the book online, but he has a “book chat” at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels and Bates says he has a few book signings upcoming.
What next for this 55-year-old man who is a husband, father, still works here and there as a police officer and is still a fifth grade teacher at Carmichaels Elementary School?
“Doing so many jobs could mean a good thing,” Bates said. “Or it could just mean I can’t hold a job.”
Bates’ book has nothing to do with his days as a highly successful coach. It is a collection of 25 stories, many of them hunting related and all having to do with folks who impacted Bates deeply throughout his life, including his brother, Glenn, a former police officer who was nearly killed in the mid 1990s by a drunk driver while Glenn was making a sobriety check on another person.
I have no idea if the book is a good read or good for the recycling bin. I have not read the book. But I know that Bates always was a good storyteller in his days as a coach, wore his emotions on his sleeve and was never at a loss for words. He was an enthusiastic, successful coach, and to this day, I still remember his comment after losing to Neshannock, 15-0, in the 2004 WPIAL Class 1A championship. The game was stopped after four innings because of the 15-run rule.
After the contest, a small gathering of reporters interviewed Bates on the field. He had one of the most memorable post-championship comments. When Bates was asked if he had ever lost this bad, he quickly answered, “I was beat up one time in 10th grade. He was a real big fat kid. It was close to this.”
Bates isn’t a new author. He has written stories for a few magazines. He said he has been working on this book for about three years. For now, the book can be purchased by contacting Bates through email at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com
While Bates likes this writing stuff, there is yet another job he’d like to try. Well, it’s actually an old job.
“I’d like to coach high school baseball again — at a small school,” Bates said. “I don’t mind being a fish in a small pond.”
Recruiting frustration
You could make a case for Central Valley’s Landon Alexander being the top running back in the WPIAL. He’s talented and has proven it, running for 999 yards so far this season and 1,443 in a shortened season last year. Plus, he has averaged 11 yards a carry over the two seasons, playing against some top competition. But no FBS schools have showed much interest in him. That’s not a surprise. Not many WPIAL running backs get recruited over the years by FBS schools. But Alexander is getting minimal interest from FCS schools.
Alexander isn’t a speed burner, at least in the 40yard dash. But Central Valley coach Mark Lyons believes colleges are missing the boat if they base everything just on Alexander’s 40 time.
“He’s frustrated and we’re frustrated,” Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. “It’s to the point that he is the poster child for the COVID19 pandemic and high school football recruiting. I commend the NCAA for giving an extra year to college kids. But nobody thought about the high school kids.
“Colleges had a small pocket of running backs to bring in pre-pandemic. Now, everyone I talk to says they want to find just one or two — and they have to hit a home run. They say, ‘we’re bringing in only one running back because we have two already that will be in their fifth or sixth year.’
Then you throw the transfer portal in. He’s stuck in the middle of this and it’s frustrating.”
Massachusetts did offer a scholarship earlier this year and Lyons said there is hope for Alexander because he will visit James Madison soon. James Madison is one of the top FCS programs in the country.
“They have a lot of Western Pa. guys coaching down there,” Lyons said. “I think it’s a great fit for him. I hope it works out.”
Another Manning QB
The top junior quarterback in the country is named Manning and calls Peyton and Eli uncle.
Arch Manning is the son of Cooper Manning and plays for the same school that Dad, Peyton and Eli all attended. And Arch Manning, ranked the No. 1 QB in the 2023 class, is tearing up the competition this season.
Arch Manning is a 6-foot3, 215-pound junior at Newman High in New Orleans and has thrown for 871 yards and 12 touchdowns in three games. Manning already has scholarship offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and many other colleges across the country.
Arch Manning wears No. 16, the same number Peyton wore at the University of Tennessee. Watch film of Arch Manning and you’ll see he even runs a little like Peyton or Eli and has some of the same mannerisms.