Name: Mike Schmidt
School: Class 2A Platte Canyon Huskies in Bailey, Metropolitan League
Record: 2-2 overall in 2005, 1-2 in league; 38-62 career
Coaching résumé: Head coach at Platte Canyon from 1999-2002 and 2004-present; head coach at Newbury (Ohio) High School from 1996-98; head coach at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, Calif., from 1994-95; assistant at Occidental College from 1986-93.
Life lines: Age 41. Native of St. Peter, Minn., graduated from St. Peter High School in 1982. Earned degree in mathematics from Occidental, 1986; master’s in education and administration from the University of Phoenix, 2002. Assistant principal at Platte Canyon in charge of attendance, discipline and safety.
Back in his day: St. Peter running back and linebacker was all-South Central Conference as a senior on state championship team; then a four-year starter as a defensive lineman at Occidental, and three-time all-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference choice.
What he has done lately: Yes, he’s well aware he has the same name as the Philadelphia Phillies’ Hall of Fame third baseman.
“I used to live in (Los Angeles), and I could tell you some stories,” Schmidt said.
The Huskies told quite the story Saturday with a 10-7 upset of Holy Family, previously undefeated and ranked No. 2 in The Denver Post/9News 2A poll.
The Huskies, 3-15 from 2003-04, quietly have been improving. The Huskies earned their best victory in Schmidt’s tenure, probably the best in school history since the program won its last playoff game in 1998.
Platte Canyon, which Schmidt insists has one of the state’s best settings for schoolboy football, delighted its usual boisterous crowd at its home opener by playing terrific defense and forcing the Tigers to throw. The Huskies took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a 29-yard field goal by Matt Houghton.
“We have to keep it in context, but as far as we’re concerned it’s huge,” Schmidt said.
Note
The Broncos high school coach of the week, in its 10th year, will have 10 honorees during the regular season. NFL Charities will present a check for $1,000 to the school’s program. A coach of the year will be announced at the Broncos’ Dec. 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens at Invesco Field at Mile High, and he will receive $2,000. Coaches are selected from a panel made up of Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post; Billy Thompson, the Broncos; Susie Wargin, KUSA-9; Marcia Neville, KCNC-4; and Andy Lindahl, KKZN 760 AM.
