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Alonso High again goes pro for football coach
By RICK GERSHMAN TOWN 'N COUNTRY -- The first time Alonso High hired a football coach, it found someone with high-level experience, from Division I colleges to the National Football League. John Fontes quit the following spring. But that didn't stop Alonso's athletic director from going back to the big-time football well. Lou Diaz hired Mike Heldt, who had won a national championship as the starting center for Notre Dame in 1988 and went on to play for the NFL's San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts before retiring due to injury. But Diaz has reason to expect a longer tenure from Heldt. He's a local boy, having graduated in 1987 from neighboring Leto, where Diaz worked at the time. Heldt was an All-American football player and state champion heavyweight wrestler -- undefeated in his senior year -- for the Falcons. Now Heldt, whose Ravens opened their 2002 season Friday at Blake, is hoping to wrestle some football opponents into submission. That's a heavyweight job, since the Ravens enter their sophomore season coming off a brutal opening year. As a first-year school playing a challenging varsity schedule, the Ravens were outscored 452-13 over 10 games. While the Ravens did not win any games on the field, they were awarded a forfeit victory over Gaither because the Cowboys used an ineligible player in their 42-0 victory. Gearing up for Alonso's preseason kickoff classic against Tampa Bay Tech, Heldt was realistic about his team's chances. "So far I think we're doing pretty well, but we're still just above a junior varsity program as far as average age of the kids," he said. Alonso lost that matchup 28-2 in a steady downpour. The teams combined for 10 fumbles, five on each side, and the Ravens could muster only 28 total yards in 51 plays. But it's all part of the process. Heldt, 32, got the nod to be head coach over Lee Meitzler, who stepped in as the interim coach through spring practices. Diaz said it was a challenge choosing between Heldt and Meitzler, who continues as an assistant with the program. "Lee did a fantastic job in the spring," Diaz said. "He's a class act, and I'm thankful he was there, and I'm happy we still have both. It was a tough decision, but it was hard to overlook Mike's experience as a player." At 6 feet 2 and 300 pounds, Heldt is hard to overlook in any capacity. "Well, nobody talks back," he said, chuckling. "It helps that they know that you know what it takes to get there. I think (the NFL reputation) has helped a little bit." And when it comes to academics, an issue all coaches must mind carefully on behalf of their players, Heldt also speaks from experience. He was a member of the National Honor Society, and in the days before weighted grade point averages, he graduated from Leto with a 3.9 GPA. An All-American his senior year at Notre Dame, he graduated with a Management Information Systems degree. When he left the Colts in the mid 1990s, Heldt returned to Leto, where he assisted head football coach Alex Albert for two seasons. Heldt went to King in '99 and returned to Leto in 2001 to be its head wrestling coach. As for his coaching philosophy, Heldt said, "I'm a firm believer in trying to get the little things done right. The mental toughness and the discipline are kind of the biggest things. "If you're lacking in size in high school, you can (make up for it by) being a very intense, tough player." Despite having only five seniors on the squad, Heldt would like to see his team win a game this year. Some rough patches will persist: The Ravens again face such state-level powers as Hillsborough High and Chamberlain. Heldt hopes to set the groundwork that will allow Alonso to become competitive by 2003. From what he has seen so far, that's possible. But first, he wants a win. "That's what this thing's all about," Heldt said. "Anybody can go out there and lose."
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