Sports Editor, Gatesville (Texas) Messenger

... from jj.com - $25-30K per year AND Christmas Club - so that lets me out.

Immediate opening for full-time sports editor at 4,000 circulation semi-weekly Texas county seat newspaper. A one-person show that covers three Class A schools and one Class AAA school. Health insurance coverage, vacation benefits and Christmas Club. Send resume and references to: publisher@gatesvillemessenger.com or snail mail to: Gatesville Messenger, P.O. Box 799, Gatesville, TX 76528. No telephone calls.

 

Found this post I made on a Gatesville opening a year or so ago. I'm sure most of this still holds true.

Don't know much about the intricacies of the job itself, but I know a little about the area. Gatesville is small (want to say city population is around 15,000?), and lacks the obvious amenities, but there's a drive-in movie theater there! It's about 40 minutes west of Waco, give or take. "Quaint" about sums it up, if you're into the small-town thing.

Gatesville High is your most obvious beat, and the Hornets are pretty good in a couple sports. A generally competitive football team, a consistent regional volleyball team and a boys' golf team that has a few state titles in the last few years leap to mind. The football team won a state title as recently as 2000, though they didn't make it out of bi-district this year. There's enough in the immediate vicinity to keep you busy, no doubt. Gatesville is one of the biggest 3A schools around, so they can generally bully some of the smaller kids in district, even in down years. Their district is made up mostly of Waco schools.

I'm not sure which 1A schools they cover. A quick glance at a map shows Evant and Jonesboro close, which both play six-man in football, I believe. I'm not certain who all they consider coverage teams outside of Gatesville, though.

Plus -- and do not take me lightly on this matter -- the Gatesville press box has the best Friday night food spread of any box I've ever seen, DI college football and NFL included. They've actually got a press box coordinator to organize it all. Copious amounts of home-cooked barbque, pizza, fresh Italian food ferried in from the restaurant down the street, every dessert imaginable... hell, they bring you hot donuts at halftime. I'd gain 40 pounds every fall working those games.

 

Any of you know why the current sports editor is leaving?

 

What's with all the openings in Texas lately?

 

Right? I have tossed around moving to Texas for the past month or so, and seeing all these openings gives me optimism that I could find a job down there. But 25-30k? Ugh, tough to live on.

 

Are you single? If so, I can't imagine it'd be tough to live on that in rural Texas. I have friends here in NWA earning 26K working at the university and are able to live just fine.

 

Yeah, I am. But I make more than that now, tough to justify moving cross country for over 10k less than what you make, ya know? Thanks for the response, though.

 

When you have to settle for $26K and people say you can live just fine shows how far we've sunk in this country.

 

One of the benefits of a down housing market, I suppose.

 

That... that sounds like something one should not do. Just my opinion.

 

Yea, if it's that big of a pay cut, then now way.

 

Evant, Jonesboro and Oglesby. All three are six-man football (Evant is Division I, Jonesboro and Oglesby are Division II) but play Class A in all other sports. The football teams played in three different districts, which would be a pain in the ass, but realignment could change that.

Jonesboro was pretty good in 2010 — 11-1 and a perfect regular season.