Football: A pleasant exchange with Mike Walsh

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In a previous post I noted my sometimes contentious relationship with San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh while covering the Pirates for the Daily Breeze during the 1999 season.

So I didn’t know what to expect when I approached him following San Pedro’s 6-5 victory over Carson on Friday night, some nine years since we last spoke.

He extended his hand, asked my name and said, ‘Nice to meet you.’ Didn’t see that coming. Maybe he’s mellowed over the years or maybe I was hyper-sensitive. Or perhaps he just never gave me a second thought once I moved on to The Times and he didn’t have to deal with me again.

Walsh was gracious on Friday, praising a first-team defense that has allowed only one touchdown this season and saying he expected four teams from the Marine League to be among the top eight seeds for the City Section Championship playoffs.

But I did get a taste of the coach I remembered when I asked him if the victory over the Colts established San Pedro as one of the teams to beat in the City Section.

‘You’re a newspaper guy,’ he said. ‘I’m not a newspaper guy, so I don’t think about those things. I just know that I’ll be breaking down Narbonne film tonight and drawing up defensive sheets and see if I can produce more offense. I don’t worry about stuff like that. I’ve been in it too long to worry about that.’

San Pedro (6-0 overall, 1-0 Marine League) plays at Narbonne (5-1, 1-0) next Friday in a game that will probably determine the league champion.

--Ben Bolch