European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday. Juno 4,1987 London three sport coach Kcf a it quits after 28 years by Ben Abrams at wheelus. Burtonwood did t have a we went 10 several Europe wide a prep sports editor football program and the school played Ketba tournaments in Germany and c Raf High Wycombe England n la Basc. No to lbs p16  to kids went to the other . Ii he. A. M have . Which Lewis coached in Loo. Lewis Sard. Those or Arams w edit England Taylor Lewis has called it a Day a 70 year Day of coaching Dodds sports. Thai s 28 years As head football coach 28 years As head track coach and 14 Yean As head basketball Mentor. Whal makes it even More interesting is the fact that All of those years were a London High school. Oiler coaches have had Long tenures in the overseas schools system but most of those Long tenders spent stints at several schools it has been a super experience and Given the same Opportunity again i d do it All Over Lewis 62, said saturday Fol lowing the . Track and Field championship at Mamet copt Haf stadium. Thai meet was Lewis last official coaching chore in Dodds and his boys learn made it More enjoyable for him by closing out with a Victory in both the 1.600-meter relay the grand finale of the Day and in the meet itself. It is Only fitting that London Central gets the last award we Are presenting Here today because this is Taylor Lewis last appearance As a head coach in . High school sports after nearly 30 years upon the scene Public address announcer nordic Albert said. When j came upon the . Sports scene 17 years ago Taylor Lewis already was a legend in High school Spons and Over those years he has made Many mate contributions that have helped improve the entire program. It won t be the same not having Taylor at regular season meets and .  the coach received a standing ovation from several Hundred athletes and Kansas he s Rode across the track to accept the boys championship plaque. It certainly will be different to be away from All the activities after being associated with Young athletes All these year Lewis said later. Going out a Winner certainly is a pleasant Way to exit the Dodds family. 1 appreciate the achievements of All of my London Cen trial athletes today and Over the  Lewis came into the air Force Over seas education system at wheelus Libya in the 1956-57 school year. That was be fore the air Force army and Navy pro Grams had been consolidated into the system currently in Vogue after a year at wheelus Lewis transferred to Raf Burtonwood England and then on 10 London after another year. He previously had taught and coached at Fairfax High sch in los Angeles Lincoln High school in Omaha neb., and Gross Mont High school in san Diego. Lewis coached football and basketball a. Foo Balin the base Flag football league it did hav basketball. I the Spring he organized the school s first track and Field program London has moved twice since Lewis came to the High school. When tie first got that assignment the school was located at Bushey Park. In 1962, it was relocated at Bushey Hall and in 1971, the school was moved o its current site at Raf High Wycombe. I established the first program at London in was at Bushey Park Hen Back in the 1958-59 school year Lewis said. "1 remember the kids used to have to dress in the class room and we did pushups Simps and other calisthenic on the floor of the room. When we went outside we ran around old bomb Shel ters later on they lore Down the bomb shelters and built us a pretty Nice track. However we had no gymnasium Al Bushey Park. We had to journey across town to South Ruislip for practice and games. We also played our football games at South  Bushey Hall was something else and moving to High Wycombe was like Tak ing a step from the slums to Paradise. The Bushey Hall gym was Dilapi dated almost to the extent of condemnation Lewis said. And the track was Only 385 Yards around. We still Hud to play our basketball and football games at South Ruislip. Then we moved to High Wycombe what a contrast. It was like going to a Small College Campus we had one of the Best gyms for boys be basketball and wrestling and the girls had two Small gyms of their own for their activities. And we had our own football  Lewis said that the tackle football pro Gram was inaugurated when Lakenheath was opened. We played each other twice and we were Able to Cross the Channel for games against the american schools in France and Germany he said. I always was glad when we were scheduled against the bigger schools like Frankfurt kaisers Lau tem and Wiesbaden. Those games were a learning thing for our lids even if we did t win too often. I always Felt that the boys Learned a Tot More even i defeat by playing he bigger schools than they did by whipping outclassed  the top teams in the . Were invited to the All Europe basketball tournaments staged by the dependent schools system in those Days in Germany. There was a Well organized championship pro Gram in he individual sports Back then too Lewis remembered. A to basketball Pur kids went o the other championships too Lewi Thos program were Good for the kids not Only for the com petition but because they were cultural trips. Other faculty member complained about loss of school time but you can t convince me that those kids fortunate enough to Cross the Channel did t Bene fit More from such experiences than sit Ting in a class for two or three Days. Everyone involved in those trips came out ahead those trips arc no More first Phil Young then Dodds at lactic regional director banned Cross Channel appearances for the . Schools then Dodds itself go into the act by eliminating the Europe wide championships. For a while the Europe wide championships were continued in some Sporle because boosters clubs the american embassy in Bonn and other interested people who recognized the value of such enterprises staged Post season events. These were not sanctioned by Dodd officials who made school facilities off limits and personnel unavailable and made it virtually impossible for athletes to participate i was son to see the discontinuation of the Cross Channel Competition for our schools Bui i was really disappointed when Dodds did away with the Europe wide championships Lewis said. Those decisions set the program Back considerably and it has gone downhill since. The schedules we have had the past couple of years particularly in foot Ball Border on the ridiculous. Money certainly has become a serious problem but the parents and boosters clubs have shown a definite willingness to support such valuable Post season programs. Despite the Lack of Dodds support the track and Fiel meets in Bonn Berlin Parma sons and Naples demonstrated that willingness perfectly. Those championships certainly were important q the lids. 1m sure the kids that got to participate in similar championships in wrestling Cross coun try and Tennis All appreciated the opportunities test their skills against their  As disappointed As he is Over the cur tailed program Lewis biggest Gripe with Dodds concerns its poor physical Edu cation program be is required at Dodds schools Only in the ninth Grade and the condition of today s youth reflects the Lack of an organised program beyond that Grade he said. Be is Tike the base of a Triangle that includes health and athletics. When m photo Taylor Lewis a super experience the base of any Triangle is removed. Us legs collapse and the entire program is adversely affected. By stabilizing the be program the whole situation would be improved. We Don t have enough people who have physical education backgrounds in our coaching Fields. Many of the coaches and be people have math and science Back grounds and Are Given sports assign ments As additional mics. This could be improved by stateside hiring of coaches and be  Lewis then a 6-4, 210-Pounder, was a basketball and track and Field luminary at University High school in los an Geles. He said he would have liked to have played High school football too Butin the los Angeles City schools at that Lime it was either football or basketball. I was a basketball nut then and that was my Choice he said. After a three year stint in military service and now a 6-6, 250-Pounder, Lewis returned to Urcla where he earned eight varsity letters four i track and Field and two apiece in football and basketball. He probably could have played More football but he was Given an ultimatum by then Urcla football coach red Sand ers full time football or full time track and  he was astounded when i opted for track and Field Lewis said but i was pretty Good in the discus and i had a Chance to go to London for the 1948  Lewis just missed qualifying for the games but he was Pacific coast Confer ence Champion three years and finished fourth in the 1950 Mcaa tournament. He also took a third in the National aau championships that year. So the 70-year Day comes to a close for the Dodds coaching legend a Day in which Taylor Lewis made Many solid impressions and contributions to a better Odds program. Stanford trims no. 1 Texas in College series by the associated press Omaha neb. Lee Plemel pitched a 12-hi Complete game and second ranked Stanford scored two runs on wild pitches and another on a balk tuesday night for a 6-1 Victory Over no. 1 Texas in the College world series. Brian Cisarik s Mcadoff Homer in the eighth inning ended Plemel s shutout bid. Texas added three singles in the in Ning but left the bases loaded and stranded 12 runners in the game. Losing Pitcher Curt Krippner 13-1, allowed Only five hits but the cardinals stole five bases three by Toi Cook. Krippner walked four each leading to a run. Plemel. 9-5, struck out eight and walked one Stanford 50-16, will play Oklahoma stale thursday in a meeting of the Only undefeated teams in the tournament. Texas 59-10, was to play Florida state. Stanford which had won 10 straight games scored the Only runs it needed in the second inning. Two walks and a single by Ron wit Meyer loaded the bases with Don Esquer s sacrifice Fly and a wild pitch accounting for the runs. The Cardinal added two runs in the third on a wild pitch and witmeyer s run scoring single. Stanford scored again in he seventh when Krippner walked on Ruben am Aru s attempted theft of Home. Oklahoma is.  7 Jimmy Barragan homered in the seventh inning to snap a lie and unbeaten Marv Rockman shut out Louisiana state Over the final five innings in Oklahoma slate s Victory Over leu. Barragan the cowboys first baseman hit his 21 St Home run of the season Down he right Field line leading off the seventh inning against leu reliever Ben Mcdon Ald 2-2, to break the 7-7 tie in a game suspended monday by rain. Rockman i 2-0, allowed three hits and struck out nine. The senior right hander walked one after entering the game in the third inning. Oklahoma slate s Robin venture extended his Mcaa record consecutive game hitting Streak with a double id the sixth inning. Oklahoma led 6-2 when play resumed tuesday but leu had two runners on base and went on to tie the score in he found inning. Leu regained the Lead in the Bottom of the fourth on Dave Cunningham s double and two grounders but Ventura doubled Home Brad Beanblossom to tie the score again at 7-7. By Blossom had three of Oklahoma slate s 14 hits. Pete Bush had three hits and drove in two runs for leu