By Johnna Reynolds
Picture it. Jaybird Stadium. It's a hot Thursday night; I'm about to photograph my first scrimmage of the year. As I drive up, I'm asked to give the Cliff Note version of my life in ten seconds or less. As I drive through the gate, I notice that there is a caution tape running down the middle of the stands on both the home side and the visitor side. That's interesting. Four schools, four areas for the fans to cheer on their teams. Together, yet apart. Seriously, it was great getting to be out on the field once again. Even though I was a big sweat puddle! I knew I missed watching all the action unfold through my little camera lens, but I didn't know how much until that moment. Although this season may look a little different, it's still going to be filled with the same picture perfect passes, awesome blocks, tackles, and terrific touchdowns. Every football Friday or Thursday is going to be so exciting! Who's going to make it to the big dance? I can't wait to find out! I'll be on the sidelines capturing each moment.
0 Comments
By Bobbie Brown
This time of year makes me incredibly happy. More so this year than any other! I pulled into Silverton and noticed right away two things: very green grass on the football field and a really nice concession stand. Although I was early, cars were steadily pulling into the stadium. I think we were all just a little excited to see Silverton, Crowell, and Springlake-Earth take the field to scrimmage. I couldn’t stop smiling! I wandered out to the north end of the field to get ready for some good action shots. Silverton and Crowell were already warming up. Coach Parham on one end and first-year head coach, Mitchell Parsley, on the other end. Without much ado, they got right to it! I got the chance to talk to Coach Parham for a short minute. I noticed two very tall players for the Owls. One is a 6’2 freshman and the other is a 6’4 sophomore. They also had a shorter player (number 8) who did really well running the ball for the Owls. I didn’t get his name, but you can bet I will the next time. He wore glasses beneath his helmet and never stopped. He was always moving. The Owls moved well together and focused on wrapping up on defense. They were really good about tightening around the defenders legs. That came as a surprise because I don’t normally see very good wrap ups in a scrimmage. That is usually perfected during the season – if at all! Silverton looks to be on the right track. They will face Groom, Hart, and newcomer Wildorado in Division II, District 2 this year. Although they are young, they worked well together. The Crowell Wildcats are coached this year by outstanding alumnus Mitchell Parsley. He was all business! I did not get to talk to Coach Parsley, but there were several things I noticed about the Wildcats right away. They are big and they have some speed. Jamaal Lane returns for the Wildcats. He had some breakout runs into the end zone several times. Once he jukes and gets past defenders, it’s very hard to catch him. Harold Chapman also stood out. He rambled for a good number of yards. I have to mention Harold’s brother, Freddie. Sometimes I hear really funny things on the sidelines, and he was the subject of one such thing. Freddie plays on JV and got free for a long run into the end zone. As he was galloping down the field, I swear I heard someone yell, “Go get em, Cheeseburger!” As his run was the only thing happening at that time, I have to assume Freddie is Cheeseburger. I guess someone from Crowell will have to let me know on that one! Coach Parsley wasn’t the only one on the Crowell end of the field that was all business. His Wildcats were serious and focused during the scrimmage. You could tell they were listening to every word from the two coaches. The Wildcats also wrapped up nicely. I spotted the coaches actively showing the Wildcats this maneuver during the scrimmage. They took it to heart. Crowell is in a tough Division I district this year with Knox City, Spur, Northside, and Paducah. While they are a young team, I think they will make some noise if they stay focused. Crowell is on track to make a run in the coming years. And now to the newcomers of six-man, the Springlake-Earth Wolverines. Coach Ethridge (Leakey) & Coach Baker (Baird) made the move to S-E. Two things are interesting about this team: Both took an 11-man Baird team and made them into a six-man team. And they are doing it again this year! Braxton Ethridge played on a Leakey team that went from 11-man to six-man his freshman year. Braxton is now a Wolverine and doing it again. On the way to Silverton, I thought about the excellent basketball season Springlake-Earth had two years ago. Two players on that team stood out. They were so athletic and just outstanding players! I really thought they were seniors. After a peek at the roster, I was shocked! Both were freshmen! I couldn’t help wondering if they would participate in football as they were both pretty fast and wiley on the court – sometimes that translates well to six-man football. Sometimes it doesn’t. Because I’m older and have a horrible time remembering names, I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name of those two excellent players. I’m pretty sure I picked them out on the field – again, S-E fans will need to correct me if I’m wrong. Both stood out. Keshan Holmes and Wolverine #1 (yes, I need to get his name). For their first outing, the Wolverines did very well! They didn’t seem to have the growing pains of past newcomers I’ve watched right out of the gate. Ethridge definitely helped with that. He comes from excellent six-man lineage, and he is a definite leader on that team. The Wolverines will improve a lot under Deleon, Ethridge, and Baker and will face Kress, Lorenzo, Nazareth, and Petersburg in Division I District 2 this year. Just because they are new to six-man means absolutely nothing. If Keshan figures out how powerful he can be on a shorter field, it may be all over in District 2. Many very good players for the Wolverines this year. Watch out. They are coming! Scrimmages provide a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get back in the swing of things before games officially start. It is no different for me and the rest of the Texas 1A Fan team. The time before games start gives me a chance to warm up the old camera and talk to coaches. I see now that I’m going to have to work on remembering names. We all have something to work on. Silverton, Crowell, and Springlake-Earth are definitely headed in the right direction. We all came away with things to work on before next week. Week 1. First game of 2020. I cannot wait as it is so awesome seeing kids playing the game they love. It oozed out of them during the scrimmage. And that is what it’s all about. I’m ready for Week 1. Are you? While we’re all waiting impatiently, always remember… go forward and do GOOD! ![]() By Dency McClure I arrived in Perrin and found the school parking lot packed. Not only was this their first scrimmage, it also was meet the Pirates. Argh! By the way, they have an octopus flag in the pressbox with an eye patch. I only saw it from a distance but it looked really cool. What a fun mascot to have. Their mascot uniform is also amazing. Once I got to the field, I started searching for Tammy Reynolds. She sends us fantastic photos of the kids to post on our Instagram. She is a great photographer and gets amazing volleyball photos. If you shoot sports, you know volleyball is one of the hardest to get good action photos of, and she nails it. I did find her! She is very down to earth and has a warm personality. I liked her instantly. We visited a bit and then got to work doing what we do... take pictures. The festivities kicked off with a beautiful memorial tribute to Jo Brumfield. The class of 1984 presented a gorgeous wooden rocker with an engraving on the back to be placed in the school library in memory of her. I could quickly tell she had been a blessing to many students over the years and dearly loved. The evening proceeded with the introduction of all the sports teams, players, coaches etc. It’s always nice to see everyone mentioned and honored as a new school year kicks off. It's a great time for the community to reunite and visit. I heard many conversations of people catching up on each other’s lives. With the spring break vacation blended into the summer one, many people hadn’t seen each other for months. It was good to see and hear the reunions. While the festivities were finishing up I made my way over to the Forestburg coaches. I told them my photos from the evening would be on Texas 1A Fan Facebook page. I did not forget to talk up Gold-Burg to them for Coach Helms. In true form, I told them about his 20 big fast players. They responded that I needed to let Coach Helms know they had 21. We all laughed. As I walked away, I realized I had not formally introduced myself… Sometimes I just start talking and forget to do that. After sizing their team up, I’m not sure they had 21, but they couldn’t be out bragged. Gold-Burg definitely doesn’t have 20, but they will do just fine with their Swiss Army Seven. There were so many referees in brand new stripes, it got a bit crazy. I sent a phone photo to some friends and asked them what do you call a cluster of seven or more referees? They responded with a herd. I was hoping for something a bit funnier but a herd it definitely was. It’s pretty normal to see lots of new refs at scrimmages. They have to get their training games in somehow. Just like the coaches and players are practicing at a scrimmage, so are the referees. The experienced ones are getting back in the swing of things and training the new ones. I myself am doing the same. Getting back in the photography mode and back on track for catching the best shots. Both teams were doing well and looking very good for the first and only scrimmage of the season. The quarterback from Forestburg did catch my attention, though. I think I’d have to not even been there to have missed him. He definitely looks to be a player in Six-man that you would want on the line for your defense. So, I was a bit surprised to see him in the backfield throwing some sweet, steady passes almost as long as the field itself. The plus side to all that controlled power was that they had some boys that could receive those sweet passes. I got a nice surprise visit from a young lady that used to play high school Six-Man football. She walked up to me and asked if I remembered her. I did and I called her by name. We chatted for a few minutes. I took lots of pictures of her when she played. There is one of her that I still treasure. I caught it before she got her helmet on. It showed her beauty and her strength. She is still a beautiful, strong young lady. Proud of her and glad that she took the time to greet me. The sun got low enough I was able to get a few photos of the Forestburg sidelines before things wrapped up. I spied a photographer on their side as well. Schools with their own photographers are blessed. There are so many that just don’t have people capturing those moments for them. I’ve noticed over the years many come and go from the sidelines as their kids graduate and they move on to other things. If you have one for even a short time, be thankful and let them know they are appreciated. You will cherish the memories they captured for you for years to come. See you on the sidelines! By Jason Henderson
In keeping with my theme for the week of new coaches and schools, I visited with Coach Dodson and the Groom Tigers. The Tigers have a new school and a brand new state of the art football field that is worth the trip to see along with one of the great concession stands in the panhandle. The Tigers, who had a great 2019 season, fell just short of a trip to AT&T Stadium after falling to Motley County last year in the State Quarterfinal Game. Coach Dodson is very excited for the upcoming season and said that he has at least four players who he can give the ball and expect big things. Two of those players he lost last year on back-to-back plays with torn ACL’s. He said in his long impressive coaching career that was the first time he had ever seen that happen. Coach Dodson said they will start the year with 13 healthy players and in my opinion, a good chance to represent Division II in Dallas as I see the Tigers and Motley County Matadors as the two top teams in their tough region. Groom has been to the big game several times in the past, and with Coach Dodson and the Groom Tiger’s speed, they will be a key team to watch as the season goes on. By Dency McClure
I made my first ever trip to Gold-Burg ISD. I immediately fell in love with the little school on the hill in the country. Across the road was a field full of round bales. The football field was at one end of the campus with lush green grass surrounded by open countryside as far as the eye can see. Behind the visitor stands was a barbed wire fence separating the open country from the little stadium. It’s definitely a peaceful country setting, except for the roar of a truck from time to time on the nearby highway. It was about 90 degrees and there was a good, cool breeze. Definitely not what one expects of an August afternoon. The school is located in the town of Stoneburg. Ringgold and Stoneburg consolidated school districts making Gold-Burg. I thought it was neat how they used the ending of both towns to make the name for the new school district. It is always hard to give up a bit of your community identity to consolidate. I arrived shortly before school let out and the junior high boys were on the field and finishing up their athletic period. I sat at the picnic table, at the end of the field, and watched. I was impressed by the number and their ability to throw and catch a football. I soon heard children behind me rushing to their buses. This was the signal for Coach Helms to release the junior high boys. Coach Helms walked over, greeted me and then introduced me to his assistant Coach Vaughn. He told me it would be a few minutes until the high school boys would be out. He then told me he had seven players. I asked both coaches about the other town that made up the school district and was informed of Ringgold and where it is located as well as that Ringgold had maintained its own elementary until a few years ago. The boys came out and greeted me as they hit the field. I heard them chuckling in the background as I was snapping pictures of the countryside. They found it funny I was there to take photos of them but instead taking pictures of the distance. It was kind of funny, but the views needed to be captured as well. With only seven, it didn’t take me long to know I had captured pictures of all of them. They laughed and teased each other as they did their stretches like siblings and cousins would. The seven are already a family on and off the field. The lone waterboy, an 8th grader, used his down time to practice kicking field goals. During one water break, Coach Helms walked over and spent a few moments with him showing him how to mark his steps and kick. As practice continued, he got better and better; carefully replicating what Helms had shown him. When the high school boys got to his end of the field, he would simply pick up his tee and move to the other end. I was extremely impressed with his persistence and self drive. He also kept the water ready for practice. Coach Helms and Coach Vaughn spoke to me off and on over my time there. We talked about their district and upcoming scrimmage. Helms is looking forward to getting the boys some practice with six opposite them on the line. He chuckled and told me drills didn’t take long with only seven. He also told me they would look good at the beginning of games but that stamina would be their enemy. I bet stamina will build quickly as the season progresses and he helps them build it during practice. Cooler weather will probably also be their friend. I told them I was going to the Perrin for their scrimmage with Forestburg. Helms told me to be sure and let Forestburg know that Gold-Burg has about twenty players and that they are good and fast. We all chuckled about that. I told him I had his back and would talk them up to Forestburg. I have shared the sidelines many times with Coach Helms during games over the years. I am always impressed by his calm, thoughtful demeanor and respect for his players. Today was my first time watching him in a practice setting. I was even more impressed today. I watched him calmly and intelligently walk the seven through play after play. Often asking the boys what they saw and what they expected and then telling them now this is what we are going to do. Every one of the seven was listening and answering and responding with knowledge. Today was not about physical conditioning, as it was the day before a scrimmage. It was a day about mental focus and the power that can bring. I watched as he would bring the boys in and assign their positions and send them out again. Each round of plays a player would have a different position to fill. This continued as each boy played many different positions. When you only have seven, they must all become utility players mentally and physically. This is why I have dubbed them the Swiss Army Seven. Each and every one of them is learning to fill many positions and many roles for their survival as a team. They have to think smarter and perform smarter than a larger team player. They have to be able to play both sides of the ball every single down of the entire game. Giving it their all from whistle to whistle. There are no offense and defense players called out as the ball turns over. They are it! They won’t leave the field except for the occasional relief from their seventh man rotation. I can’t even begin to imagine the mental and physical exhaustion it would take to do that play after play and game after game. A true testament to the game. Lots of teams have done it over the years just to play the game. The Swiss Army Seven have a strong chance to do well this season. They are all quick, smart, athletic and already a family on and off the field. With Coach Helms at the helm they have a great chance of riding the waves of turbulent trials with their crew of seven strong. As long as they can face the cross winds, they have a good chance of sailing into the playoffs. See you on the sidelines! By Jason Henderson
The 2020 Jaguars may be low on numbers but not on enthusiasm. I had a great visit with Head Coach, Kyle Timmons, and Assistant Coach, David Jeffrey. Coach Timmons said as of play time for his first scrimmage, he will have six kids suited up with another couple, hopefully, coming back from early injury. Coach Timmons said that he will be starting two Juniors, two Sophomores, and two Freshmen this season. The future is looking bright as all six of those players will return next year along with 8th graders who will suit up next year as well. Coach Timmons is very excited about his season and mentioned some of his top players to watch for:
I have visited many six-man fields, but one of my top three is without a doubt, Jack Huey Field. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a must! They are well known for their concession stand, The Jaguar Gridiron Grill. It was featured on Texas Country Reporter! A big thanks to Coach Timmons and Coach Jeffrey for the great visit and hospitality. We ask that the entire six-man community keep the coaches, players, and community In your thoughts and prayers as one of their own was injured during two-a-days and is currently in Houston at Children’s Hospital. By Jason Henderson
I was unable to make it to the Cowboy Corral last week, so I reached out to a good friend and mentor, Craig Sperry, who gave me a lot of great insight on the Cowboys upcoming season. Craig is also the voice of the Happy Sports Network and another great show we all enjoy, The Press Pass with Kale Steed. The Cowboys led by Head Coach Stacy Perryman had a great season last year with an early loss to McLean in the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys are excited for the new year and return four starters on both offense and defense and will be anchored by Senior, Stetson Jameson, who takes over at spreadback and will anchor the defense from his outside linebacker position. I look for the Cowboys to be right at the top of their district this year and look forward to the games when they play McLean and White Deer as these three teams know each other very well after the last four years. I expect there to be some epic battles for the district title as the rivalry between those three teams are definitely in play. If you’ve never been to the Cowboy Corral in Happy, it’s worth the trip as they have a great concession stand along with a rich tradition of very physical hard-nosed football. Good luck to the Cowboys and a huge thanks to Craig for the info and great pictures. By Jason Henderson
When visiting McLean, as the players walked out of the locker room, they passed by a large sign on the fieldhouse wall that says, “2018 Division I State Champions.” Coach Brad Ranier was a big part of the historic three year run in McLean and as the new head coach, he has no plans of letting off the gas. Coach Ranier, along with 16 players, stepped onto the field ready for action. McLean will be very young this year and will have their work cut out for them in a very tough district along with White Deer, Valley, Happy, and Claude. Coach Raider said he is excited and will need some very new faces to step up this year to continue to be a team to watch. Coach Ranier has two starters returning from the State Runner-up team from last year and said his dynamic will change this year as they will look to spread the ball out. District 1 Division I will be fun to watch this year as it will be very competitive. Thank you to Coach Ranier and Superintendent, Oscar Muniz, as always for the hospitality. By Jason Henderson
I always love visiting Miami as it has arguably one of the most appealing settings for a school and football field in all of Six-man. The school is not the only new edition to Miami as they welcome new head coach, Clint Linman, who had historic run at McLean over the last three years, including a State Championship and an impressive 41-5 record. As I visited with Coach Linman, he was very excited about the upcoming year. Coach Linman told me he has a great group of kids and they really want to turn the program around. He said it’s going to be a process as they are very young and will depend on several freshmen to take starting roles. Another challenge facing the Warriors is depth. Suited up on the field that day was a total of nine kids, which is one of the reasons Miami dropped to Division II Six-man after the last re-alignment by UIL. Coach Linman told the boys that they must first do the little things consistently and the rest will come with time and hard work. Miami will be competing in a district against Follett, Lefors, Hedley, and Darrouzett. I can see them being a strong contender for a district championship. Thank you to Coach Linman and Miami ISD for the hospitality and support for Texas 1A Fan. By Dency McClure
I rolled into Moran and made a beeline to the old Methodist church building. When I was in Junior High, my dad was pastor there. I have such fond memories of the monthly covered dish socials in the church basement. What a beautiful building. There was a woman that played the upright piano and a man that played a fiddle (violin). The music vibrated through that church basement and into my being. We always closed with “Til We Meet Again.” Well, many have since passed I’m sure, but today our souls met again as I passed by and the memories flooded back. I refocused and headed up to the school. If you know the big water tower is on the football field, then it’s easy to find. Man what a field. It looks like a mansion as the sidelines are spacious and the areas behind the end zones are never ceasing. It is such a huge space. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a six-man field with that kind of space around it. The field was a beautiful green. I know coach Hughes and his helpers have been working hard to make it a masterpiece. Their hard work is paying off. The boys were working out on the large practice field behind one of the field goals. They even have it clearly marked off with yard lines. Such a great space. There was a horse that neighed every now and then whose home is right next to the practice field. Coach Hughes greeted me and welcomed me to their field. I saw a familiar face, other than Coach Hughes, working with the boys. It was his son Braden. With the world as it is, he has decided to continue his college courses online instead of in person. He told me he has a job at the school and is helping his dad with football. Sounds like a great set up in the current world. I spied a wooden cross staked under a tree near the corner of the main field. Similar to what you might see along the side of the highway. You can’t just see something like that next to a football field and not ask. Of course my imagination was running away with me before I got the answer. Coach Hughes told me the best he could remember being told was that the Ag program had a well loved shovel, might have been a hammer they may have crafted, which they used for many projects. They were using their beloved shovel one day and it broke. They had a little ceremony for it and buried it there under a big tree. Now that is a great story. At one point, the boys ran the length of the field to the nice area on the other side of the other goal post. On this end they had all kinds of things set up for drills. After running through some drills they ran back across to work on the practice field some more. I admired the water tower off and on during my visit. There were several large birds enjoying resting there. I bet they don’t have to deal with many small animals around the field if those birds stay around. Snake and varmint control never hurts in Six-man towns. Having served on the city council in a town this size, I did began to wonder a bit as to who owned the property the tower sat on and what agreement had been made about it? Did the school own it or the city or just what? In small towns things like this are usually something that has been easily agreed upon for the best of all parties involved and just understood as time passes. Coach Hughes had a well planned practice with lots of drills to get the boys ready. Some were fundamentals and some were more complex for preparing them for pushing through defense. They also ran lots of plays and scenarios. All in all, a great well-rounded practice. Coach Hughes was hands on and keeping an eye on things to make corrections as needed. The boys worked well together and owned their roll in things. If they knew they were the reason for a play not going off as planned, they owned it and made adjustments to fix it. I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, at the end of practice, when Coach Hughes told the boys what their meal options from Dairy Queen would be after their upcoming scrimmage. I have taught pre-k and secondary, and I am here to tell you, there isn’t much difference at times. They had questions and wanted to know details and if they could change the menu he had offered etc. All in a day's work with kids. I chuckled to myself as he stayed strong, held his ground, and quickly shut the conversion down. He handled that like a true champion. At the end of practice Coach Hughes asked me how far I had to travel to get back to my camper. I told him about an hour. He responded with “that’s not bad.” I agreed that it wasn’t. In this part of Texas and further west, an hour to travel is nothing. Now, when you cover schools around the Waco area an hour is starting to get a bit too far. It all depends on where you’re at in Texas. After practice all the boys came up to me one by one and thanked me for coming. That made my day and left me with a great feeling for the trip back to my base camp. See you on the sidelines! |
The Zone
We all have a story... a funny story or a serious story. This space is for those stories that make us laugh or cry or feel motivated. Archives
September 2023
|