Recruiting rumors fly around Durango

      Durango High boys basketball coach Al LaRocque is constantly accused of recruiting players.
      Other coaches say the number of student-transfers to Durango shows LaRocque is recruiting star players. Yet, LaRocque confidently states he follows the rules, and it is the players and their parents who opt to move into the Southwest school's zone.
      LaRocque said he receives probably three or four phone calls a month from parents inquiring about Durango and its basketball program.
      "Because we're so high-profile and under such a microscope ... I take those people right in to see my athletic administrator (Dan Reese)," he said. "All conversations like that appear in front of the athletic director. There is a rule in the state about school shopping, and that conversation can be considered school shopping."
      Recruiting is prohibited by the Clark County School District and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association. School shopping by parents is also prohibited.
      When asked about the allegation, however, local coaches generally answer with an evasive smile, followed with vague opinions on if recruiting takes place throughout the Southern Conference.
      "I don't think it's as widespread as people might think," said Tom Farnsworth, who coaches at Las Vegas High. "But I do think it goes on."
      Larry McKay, athletics director for the Clark County School District, said various incidents can happen that may be considered recruiting, yet unless someone was around the player and coach to witness the actions, it would be hard to prove.
      "I think a person would be naive to say that it doesn't (take place)," McKay said. "Now to prove it, that's another issue altogether."
      Sufficient proof this past summer resulted in a written reprimand for Rancho High physical education teacher Melvin Shivers, who was cited for recruiting seven local players.
      "I think there are isolated incidents, just like what appeared to have happened this year," LaRocque said. "But generally, recruiting and everything that goes along with it is so blown out of proportion in Las Vegas, it's ridiculous.
      "I'm a high school basketball coach, nothing more nothing less. We don't have a budget to recruit players. We don't have the capability to do the things for players that (colleges) do."
      Since he began building the program five years ago, LaRocque said he has heard it all: that he provides housing, transportation, cellular phones and free meals for players.
      "And probably even more bizarre things than that, that maybe haven't got back to me," said LaRocque, who contends the only thing he is guilty of is building a high-profile basketball program.
      "People give us more credit in other areas maybe that seem to be deceptive or illegal," he said. "We're guilty of trying to be the very best at what we do and that doesn't sit right with people, and I can accept that."
      Much of this scrutiny stems from the number of transfers he receives year after year.
      Ten basketball players have transferred to Durango in the last three years. In that span, the Trailblazers won two state championships (1995-96) and reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
      Five of the Trailblazers' transfers were local and five came from other states. During the same span, five players left to play at other schools.
      "I guess my answer is that, `If I had a son in Las Vegas, I'd want him to play basketball at Durango High School,' " LaRocque said. "And I'd do whatever I could to get him to school here. If that meant moving, then I'd move. I don't think that's unusual in any sport."
      Valley coach Paul Aznarez said he believes recruiting is ongoing, but would not specify where he thought the violation occurs.
      "It used to be, I'd say, one or two kids a year," Aznarez said. "Now, there are some gray areas within the school district I think some people exploit. In running our program, I would like to be able to think when I'm through coaching we always did it the right way and didn't have to put three and four kids from other schools on the floor to win. I just don't think it's what it's all about."
      Even though Aznarez contends he doesn't believe in building a program with transfers, he has had a couple of players take advantage of Valley's magnet and ROTC programs in the past few years. Entrance into such programs would allow a student to attend a school out of his or her zone.
      "I don't want to have five kids from five different teams," he said. "I think you're ruining high school athletics when you go out and step on your younger kids, your foundation and your reason for having those programs.
      "I think at some point, respectability as far as doing the right thing as a coach should be real high on your list. Taking care of the kids in your program that play on your freshman and junior varsity (teams), those are the kids you should win or lose with at the varsity level."
      While Durango has had success with new players on a yearly basis, the two other state champions since 1994 have done it mostly with their own players.
      Bishop Gorman, last year's state champion, has had only three transfer students in the past three years, all of whom came from other states.
      Cimarron-Memorial, which won the state title in 1994, had the highest percentage of junior varsity players advance through its program. Of 29 new varsity players, 25 were in the Spartans' system. The other four came from local schools, three from Durango and one from The Meadows.
      Since taking over the district's athletics director position this past fall, McKay said he hasn't had too many reports of recruiting.
      "But as a high school athletic administrator, when I was at Durango, I heard a lot of whining," he said. "Usually you hear it third person, you don't even hear it from the source. I really can't deal with that. If somebody wants to go on record, if they have some proof, then show me the proof and if it looks legitimate ... then we'll certainly look into it.
      "You can deal with all the rumors that you want and you'd end up spending a lot of wasted energy, but when people have hard facts and want to go on record with some accusations, I think it's important that you follow up on those."
      If rumors about one school are widespread, McKay added, he'll let the school administrators know there are issues for them to look into. The problem, he said, is a lot of coaches get half-truths and do not know the situation, nor will they know the particulars of the student.
      "In some cases it's really maybe none of their business because of privacy issues," McKay said. "So they go along with what they believe to be true, and it's just like any other rumors. As they filter around a circle, they have a tendency to not have all the facts in line and sometimes that's how people build a case and really in fact there isn't a case to be built."
      Aznarez said at times he has had a hard time mentally in dealing with recruiting issues.
      "I've been head coaching for 11 years and haven't won a state championship yet," he said. "I think people evaluate programs on whether they've won a state championship, but I'd rather finish second and do things right than win it and do things outside the rules."
      And until someone comes forward with proof of a coach going outside those rules, frustration likely will continue for coaches who believe recruiting takes place.
      "My personal philosophy is worry about your own house," McKay said. "If you have some specifics or some concrete evidence bring it forward, otherwise coach your team."