One week after West Orange-Stark lost their quarterback in a Friday night game, tragedy again comes to South East Texas. Coach Curtis Barbay, long-time head coach of Newton High School, suffered a heart attack during the Buna/Newton game on Friday, 9/24, and was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont where he passed away on Saturday at about 6:30 PM.
Coach Barbay had won at least two state championships. He was 68 year old. He has several sons and a nephew all coaching football in this area.
He was very supportive of the officials, and was famous in this area for stating that he had never lost a game because of anything the officials may have done or not done. He just lined up and played football.
Several years back, when a tropical system was dumping rain all over the area and games were being canceled, I called Coach Barbay (I was secretary) to ask if his game was going to be played that evening. He said, in a country drawl, "Hell yes we're going to play football. We're going to play if I have to get in rowboats and go drag them out of the woods." You got to love a man like that.
GWK
SE Tx Chapter.
