THE LATAEST LINE: WITHOUT MUCH FANFARE, JHS COACH CLAIMS 300TH VICTORY

High school basketball fans in the immediate area no doubt noticed a score from last Tuesday night:

Jackson 56, Cape Girardeau Central 48.

Now, although the Tigers probably rated as solid favorites entering the game, the Indians' victory wasn't really a startling upset, primarily because the schools are big rivals, Jackson was playing on its home court and, although Central does appear to be better on paper, the teams aren't all that far apart talent-wise.

But as I sat among the thousands of noisy fans who helped make it a great atmosphere for basketball, I couldn't help but be impressed by how good a game plan Jackson had -- and how well the Indians carried it out.

By and large, this area is blessed with an abundance of fine high school coaches in all sports. They work hard, put in plenty of hours, take their jobs seriously and -- in most cases -- have the best interests of their players -- both on the court and off -- at heart.

The head coaches along both benches Tuesday night -- Central's Brett Reutzel and Jackson's Steve Burk -- fit the above description.

And Burk in particular has -- without much fanfare -- carved out a niche over the years as one of the premier coaches for any sport in all of Southeast Missouri.

Burk took over a downtrodden Jackson program in 1980. After hovering around the .500 mark for three seasons, he began to build the Indians into one of the area's elite squads.

In the seven seasons between 1983 and 1990, the Indians won at least 18 games every year and they had six seasons of 20 victories or more, including a 25-2 record in 1989.

Then, after a 13-14 record in 1991, the Indians again had a big-time run, going 66-16 over the next three years, including a 25-4 mark in 1993.

The Indians have struggled the last two seasons, going 12-15 two years ago and 11-14 last year. This year, using a basically junior-dominated lineup, Jackson has improved to 15-8 entering the final week of the regular season.

Jackson's 13th victory of the season this year -- a recent triumph over Farmington -- marked Burk's 300th win at the helm of the Indians. All told, he's compiled a 302-151 record in his 17th season at Jackson, reaching the Class 4A state quarterfinals twice. That's pretty impressive stuff.

A high school coach is basically only as good as the players in his program -- sometimes the talent level is way up, sometimes it's way down and other times it's some place in between -- but some coaches have that certain knack of squeezing everything possible out of their teams.

Burk certainly fits that bill.

After I congratulated Burk on his 300th win last Tuesday, he displayed an embarrassed smile, said it was no big deal and told me he's had some really good players over the years.

But in my book, it is a really big deal.

So here's some public kudos to Burk on his milestone 300th victory at Jackson. He's not only a fine coach, but also one of the real nice people -- among many -- on the area sports scene.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian

RM19Where there's a will there's a way

PT4By Michael Wells

Jackson USA Signal

LDPT2

For 58 years Idell Dockins knew she had a speech problem and for 58 year she tried every possible remedy she could get her hands on and they all failed, but one.

Dockins, who was 64 at the time, saw something on TV's "How Did You Do That," that gave her hope.

She was off to the Hollins Communications Research Institute in Roanoke, Va.

She had nothing to lose by going there. When Dockins entered school she first learned of her stuttering problem and had lived with having to have someone there to speak for her for almost 60 years.

She was one of 16 children and her mother never considered her to be any different than the other children.

From the first day in school when her teacher discovered her stuttering problem a mountain of fear started growing inside Dockins.

"We observe people that are watching us and it causes us to be uncomfortable and a chain reaction occurs that doesn't stop and we can't speak," she said.

"Before, I don't think life could have been any worse than hell," Dockins said.

She had to have someone with her to order a Coke at a restaurant.

She couldn't even answer her teacher when roll was called in school.

"I've always thought there's an answer somewhere, it just took finding it," Dockins said.

She was always buying books and trying what everybody said would work, but nothing did.

"I didn't give up. I kept searching and searching," she said.

When she found the Hollins Communications Research Institute, she enrolled and took the three week intensive course.

She started in the morning with her other classmates from around the country and they were in class all day and for two hours at night.

Breaking only for lunch and supper. The course was seven days a week.

The first two weeks of the course Dockins and her classmates were working with clinicians on full breath exercises, stretched syllables and other speech skills that people who don't stutter take for granted.

The final week of the course the students got to go to the mall and try speaking in a public place.

"After the training, it was like you never wanted to stop talking," Dockins said.

"After the class, it felt like heaven," Dockins said.

The institute sent Dockins and her classmates home, but will be there if anyone needs them.

They gave each student tapes to practice with to help them along the way.

"The more you practice the less you do it," Dockins said.

"They taught you what you were doing wrong, it is a fantastic school," Dockins said.

Now she has good and bad days. Some days she talks as if she never had a problem and some days she has to pause and think about what she is saying.

But even on the bad days it seems as if she doesn't have a problem.

She admits she still has trouble with her B's, but she listens to her tapes everyday and works on speaking better along with her numerous hobbies.

At age 67, Dockins is getting the chance she didn't have for the first 60 years of her life. She can speak clearly and she doesn't have to depend on others to speak for her.

About the school, Dockins said "It is something that if I could have had it in school, I'd give everything I ever earned in my life for it."

Dockins said that people who have children with this problem should get it fixed now, so that they can achieve so much more in life.

"I have the tools, now I go and do what I want to do."

CUTLINE FOR PIX ONE FRAME #32A-33: Idell Dockins speaks with her pet. Dockins spent almost 60 years of her life with a stuttering problem that has now been fixed by an intensive training program and practice. Michael Wells/Jackson USA

CUTLINE FOR PIX TWO FRAME #33A-34: Idell Dockins listens to her tapes from the Hollins Communications Research Institute. The tapes have helped her keep practicing the skills she learned at the school to help her speak clearly.