When Al Wilson started as an assistant coach with the Skowhegan Area High School baseball team, he was paid under the table by then-head coach Don Finley.

"He'd pay me so much for a win, and so much for a win in the playoffs," Wilson said.

Don't bother trying to calculate how much Wilson has been worth to Skowhegan athletics through the years. The number is so high it will make your nose bleed.

Last week, Wilson was named the Eastern Maine assistant coach of the year by the Maine Baseball Coaches Association. We was recognized at the East/West Senior All-Star Game at St. Joseph's College in Standish.

"It's a great honor," Wilson said. "I was kind of surprised. There are a lot of good assistant coaches out there. I've been around a while. Maybe that's why I won it. Maybe they ought to call it the dinosaur award."

Dinosaur? Hardly. Wilson has been around Skowhegan athletics for more than 30 years, joining the football coaching staff after graduating from Skowhegan in 1978. Dinosaurs outlived their usefulness and went extinct. Wilson still has tons to offer, and he's not slowing down.

"I met him in 1985 when I walked into Skowhegan High School," said Skowhegan head baseball coach Rick York, who nominated Wilson for the award. "He hasn't changed a bit, and he's probably gotten better with age."

You'll see Wilson in the first base coaching box during a baseball game, cracking jokes for the umpires. You'll see him prowling the sideline during an Indians' football game, a dynamo in black and orange yelling encouragement to every player. You'll hear Wilson at Skowhegan basketball games announcing the starting lineups with his own carnival barker flair.

Last year, Wilson gave up coaching wrestling, but he's sticking with football and baseball. Wilson is living history, and Skowhegan is lucky to have him. The entire state is lucky to have Wilson, and don't we know it.

In the fall 2006, Wilson was diagnosed with leukemia. The support he received from around the state was beautiful. Across the Pine Tree Conference, schools donated their take of the 50/50 raffle to Wilson. When the Indians played at Lewiston, Wilson was presented with $450. Then, the 50/50 winner donated his cut back to the coach for another $450.

"I was overwhelmed," Wilson said. "I've made a lot, a lot of good friends over the years."

Wilson won't say much about his illness now, only that he feels great, and he tries to walk 2 to 2 1/2 miles every day.

"He never says anything about it. He goes to the fields and the locker room and he fights every day. He's there for the kids," York said.

The kids. There's been a lot of them through the years. Wilson is working on his second generation now. He's proud to coach with his former players, like York, who he first coached on Skowhegan's freshman basketball team 24 years ago. Wilson looks across the diamond, from the first base coach's box to York coaching third, and sees the same passionate kid who played for the Indians 20 years ago.

"He's still got the fire, and you know what?" Wilson said. "You want the enthusiasm. You want the kids to see you're still excited."

Wilson still gets excited. His favorite part of last Friday night wasn't accepting his award. It was watching Skowhegan players Cody Vigue and John Little play in the all-star game. When Billy Clark was a Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist following last football season, or Aaron Chambers was up for the Fitzy in 2005, Wilson was there, cheering for his guys.

"When the kids get honored like that, it's a great feeling," Wilson said.

Football season starts in mid-August. Before that, Skowhegan has its football camp at the end of July. Wilson will be ready.

"I take it year-by-year. I always joke, the gate is open to the pasture," Wilson said. "This community has been very good to me."

Wilson is wrong in that sentiment, but not by much. He just has it backwards.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com