Excuses simply aren’t allowed in Dumas, Texas.
Don’t want to go to work? Coach Murga showed up.
Not in the mood for practice? Coach Murga’s there.
Too tired? We can promise Coach Murga’s exhaustion far exceeds what you’re feeling, but he’s still out there giving it his all.
If anyone is worthy of an excuse in Dumas, located 45 miles north of Amarillo in the Texas panhandle, it would be Antonio Murga. But you’ll never hear one from the high school’s offensive line coach/Spanish teacher who is going on Year 2 of battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which, as of now, has no cure.
This week provided the perfect example. Murga, 45, has been on a break from chemotherapy treatments since March but went back to his doctor in Amarillo on Monday for a check-up.
“My cancer market numbers are going up again,” he said. “There is an active cell somewhere. I’m going to get a scan tomorrow to try and figure out what’s going on. Will start chemo again on Monday.”
That news is enough to make anyone want to curl up in a ball, but Murga had other business to tend to.
Monday also happened to be the first day the UIL allowed coaches and student-athletes to return to school for summer workouts. Dumas was going to be on the field bright and early. There was no questioning whether he’d show up.
“He was here to start the day and then he ran over to his doctor’s appointment, and then he was back,” Dumas head coach Aaron Dunnam said on Tuesday. “Then he was here at 5:30 a.m. this morning ready to go again.”
Ponder that for a second, if you will.
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