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By FRANK PASTOR, Times Staff WriterHudson assistant Keith Newton, fired last year from Gulf, can't deny a special feeling when his new team reaches the playoffs with a win over the Bucs.
HUDSON - Keith Newton tried to force the thoughts from his mind all season. He put the team first and stayed in the background. When he finally stood in front of his players four days before Hudson's game against Gulf, it was to tell them it was about them, not him.
But as he renewed acquaintances and greeted former players Friday, Newton no longer could deny the obvious: This game was different.
Ten months after he had been fired at Gulf, Newton was back at W.D. "Des" Little Stadium as an assistant with Hudson, which needed to beat the Bucs to assure their first playoff berth in 26 seasons.
After the final seconds ticked off the Cobras' 32-22 victory, linemen Robert Allen, Allen Wynn and Roger Hill put Newton on their shoulders and carried him around the field.
"It was very exciting, any time you win a district title," Newton said. "I thought it was kind of ironic it was against Gulf, and that made it a bit different for me, but I think our kids rose to the occasion when they needed to and did the job."
Gulf administrators didn't think Newton did a good enough job last season, when the Bucs went 2-7 in what was expected to be a rebuilding year. Newton learned of his dismissal when principal Thomas Imerson called him into his office in late November.
"I was very disappointed when the situation happened over at Gulf," Newton said. "I was extremely surprised. It was a sneak attack. I hadn't expected nor had I been forewarned about it. It hurt for a while. I had some hard feelings there because of that situation. I thought I deserved a little more respect."
Newton felt better after a couple of coaches asked him join their staffs, including Hudson's Mark Nash, who approached Newton at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association clinic in Orlando.
Newton coached at Hudson from 1976-84, serving as an assistant to Wilbur Lofton for three seasons before taking over as head coach for the final five, including the last playoff team in '79. Though he saw similarities between the '79 and current squad, he understood this was a new situation and his role would be different.
In addition to his defensive coordinator duties, Newton works with Hudson's interior defensive linemen, who have contributed to the team's 40-plus sacks this season.
"He's been a huge addition," Nash said. "He brings 30 years of experience to the coaching staff and the team, and that's immeasurable. He's respected in our hallways and by the players on the team and has earned that respect."
Knowing how much was at stake for his team, Nash said he had some reservations about bringing a former head coach on board to coach a defense (a 46) that is seldom used by high school teams. But Nash said he and Newton jelled from the start.
"A younger-type coach would be more interested in making changes and putting his signature on the defense," Nash said. "Keith is a more experienced coach and isn't concerned with his own signature as much as being successful."
Newton, whose bellowing voice is the most recognizable on Hudson's sideline, quickly became a father figure to the players, who pleaded with Nash the week before the Gulf game to allow them to carry Newton off the field if Hudson won.
"He accepted everyone really easily and we accepted him really easily," senior running back and cornerback Vince Ferlita said. "We wanted to get (the Gulf win) for him because he's done a lot for us this year. It was icing on the cake having him here and winning it for him."
Though the win knocked Gulf out of playoff contention, Newton did not see it as payback. He helped new coach Jay Fulmer during his first few months with the Bucs and was first in line to shake his hand after the game.
"I knew from last year with the kids Gulf had coming back they could be a very respectable team this year," Newton said. "If they got a few things taken care of, they could be trouble."
The Gulf game behind him, Newton turns his attention to Orlando Bishop Moore, Hudson's first-round playoff opponent. But there is a part of him that craves more responsibility.
Though he teaches physical education at Hudson and transferred his son, Hunter, a freshman tailback/middle linebacker, to the school, there is no guarantee Newton will be back with the Cobras next season.
"Once you've been a head coach, that always stays in your mind," Newton said. "I'm not beating the bushes right now looking for a head job. If something came up and it was a good situation for me, I would definitely consider it. But right now, the plans are I'm here and I'm here for a while."