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Monday, May 4, 2009

Trinity coach has faced Vietnam, now cancer


Fight of His Life

Trinity coach has faced Vietnam, now cancer

By BUDDY SHACKLETTE
Staff Writer

DELTONA -- "He's been my best friend, my coach," Mikey Maples says with a cracking voice as his eyes well up with tears.

It's the kind of emotion that only a son, even at age 35, can feel for his father.

Mike Maples, Deltona Trinity's baseball coach, has been dad, coach and the example, among many other things, to sons Mikey and Bryan, along with countless other kids who have played for him over the last three decades.

But as the Trinity Christian Eagles (15-12) open the Class A state playoffs Tuesday, and begin what they hope is another trip to the Final Four, their coach is fighting for his life.

"That's been tough," said senior center fielder Cory Stafford. "Knowing (he's sick) it makes you want to work harder and go out there and play better because you want your coach to have a successful season, knowing that this could be his last season."

Maples, 61, is in this third season coaching the Eagles, but he's battled cancer for the past two decades.

The Vietnam veteran has undergone 85 skin cancer surgeries, had a kidney transplant 13 years ago and is undergoing radiation treatments five days a week on the left side of his face.

The cancers he has battled for the last 10 years are basal and squamous cell, and while this year has been his most trying thus far, he has not been diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

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