Claim OwnershipBeyond the Lights: Football Across Texas
Subscribed: 2Played: 100
Subscribe
© Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
Description
Go beyond the Friday night lights and get an insider’s look at the world of Texas high school football and the coaches and towns that make it so unique. Hosted by retired head coach and athletic director Brandon Brown.
Follow Beyond the Lights
Instagram:
@FootballAcrossTexas
Facebook
Beyond the lights: Football Across Texas
and X:
@fbacrosstexas
Follow Beyond the Lights
Instagram:
@FootballAcrossTexas
Beyond the lights: Football Across Texas
and X:
@fbacrosstexas
62 Episodes
Reverse
Michael Enriquez is beginning year two as the head coach and athletic director for his hometown of Karnes City. His goal is to restore "Badger Pride Never Dies" to the hearts and minds of his athletes. He is all in for love for family and love for your teammates. This is the driving principle behind everything he and his coaching staff do for their athletes. From the relationships with players and coaching staff to relationships with the community in general, Coach Enriquez personifies what small town Friday night football is all about!
Jose Aguirre, head football coach and asst. AD for Gatesville ISD, promised his family he would not move them all over the state if he could help it and right now they are happy to call Gatesville home for the 4th year in a row. Coach Aguirre just finished his first year as the head man after leading the defense for the three previous seasons. With a tough district once again to look forward to, he is counting on a well organized off season and strong work ethic to have his players ready for the challenge.
Head football coach and boys coordinator for the New Braunfels Unicorns, Brad Molder, has only been the head coach here for 2 years and has already racked up 20 wins over 27 games. Now the unicorns are dropping a classification from 5A-1 to 5A-2 and although their new district is a tough one, just like their old one, they once again will be battling to make a deep playoff run. Coach Molder covers all the bases with his athletes, from character building to the physical toughness demanded from his bootcamp program. These are some of the key reasons they are expected to maintain a high level of competitiveness in the coming years.
From the panhandle of Texas, to the metroplex and now to the hill country, Ben Speer has seen a variety of programs and worked for some strong leaders in Texas High School football (including my co-host for episodes 6 and 7, Mike Fuller). These leaders have helped shape him into the coach and leader he is today for the Bulldogs. With his family at his side they have made the moves necessary to accept his first head role in Burnet, taking over for the retired Bryan Wood, one of his long time mentors. Here he hopes to sink his roots deep in the town he has called home for the last 5 years.
Coach Andy Howard can name drop with the best of them as he recalls the long list of great coaches he has worked for and with. These opportunities have served him well in preparing him for his role as athletic director and head football coach for Goldthwaite ISD. Having been in west Texas his whole life, the country setting of this community is the perfect fit for the cotton farmer turned coach. The uncomfortable should be comfortable, as he likes to put it and hard work is just a way of life for him and the Goldthwaite Eagles.
Pete Hart has spent almost 40 years positively influencing young men and women through coaching. One of those young men was me. My classmates and I were fortunate enough to have him arrive in Bridgeport our 8th grade year and follow us through high school. Coach Hart has influenced and inspired many young men and women to go into the education field and many with great success, such as Carl Abseck of Lufkin and Jeff Riordan of Chapel Hill. His passion, not just for the game of football, but for seeing students grow and develop into good people is noticeable to anyone who has spent time with him. Thank you coach Hart, for all you have done for the young people of the north Texas area!
Jason Reynolds is in his second stint in Natalia ISD. His first role in the district was the OC several years back before leaving for the OC job in Wichita Falls. But as soon as one of his mentors vacated the big seat in Natalia, he jumped at the opportunity to return and take over as AD and head football coach. Coach Reynolds and family are in year two back with the Mustangs and he and his staff are working hard to keep a solid foundation built on character and a positive culture.
John Penn has been officiating for over 30 years and is following in the footsteps of his father, Percy. He has a deep understanding of the game, which allows him to tolerate a lot of the things that go along with officiating at a high level of play. This understanding allows him to see intense situations through eyes of the players and coaches which helps him manage and sometimes de-escalate potentially volatile situations. Randy Jackson joins me for our second episode of the officials series.
Wayne Elliott has been officiating for 47 years, from the junior high level all the way to the NFL. Currently he is the Executive Secretary for the Austin Football Officials Association and officiates high school and college games. We discuss the differences in officiating at the different levels and the challenges of officiating in general. Join me as we take a look at the game from a different set of eyes.
Jeff Riordan, head football coach and athletic director for the Chapel Hill Bulldogs, lives out his motto of Code Blue for his program. With the backing of the district administration all the way to the top, they put character and life before all else and keeping priorities straight has led to high levels of success for the Chapel Hill program.
As the son of a coach, Kody Yeager spent his share of time traveling through Texas working his way to the top. Now he has returned home to find the paradise he left, unchanged from 20 plus years ago. Same hard working kids, same family atmosphere and the same swimming and fishing spots he enjoyed as a kid are now enjoyed by his own family and kids. We talk about what it was like playing and coaching for his father and how he has put the lessons he learned from him into practice.
Steve Huff, head football coach and athletic director for Decatur ISD has coached in 7 different states across our great country from the lower levels to the college ranks. But he found his home under the Friday night lights of Texas in College Station and now in Decatur. Coach explains his program's foundation; built on character, commitment, sacrifice and effort that he expects to be lived out through his staff as an example to his athletes.
Ingram Tom Moore athletic director and head football coach, Tate DeMasco, believes that the foundational pillars for a successful athletic program are the same as those for a successful life. The tragic flooding of the Guadalupe in July put that foundation to the test and Coach DeMasco is proud of the response from their students and athletes. From the tragedy, the community has grown stronger and closer and athletics playing a major part in the healing process.
Jason Pitts is in year one with the Ozona Lions and is farther west than his family has been before. Leaving the trees of east Texas for the western edge of the hill country, Coach Pitts is bringing his positivity with him to his new program. His positive attitude and rise above mindset have caught on with his players helping them to a 5-0 start.
Tony Salazar is the head football coach for Westlake HS and also assistant athletic director the district, Eanes ISD. These roles keep him very busy leading one of the top 6A programs in the state. But he still takes time for the important things, like caddying for his son, who plays competitive golf around the state. Whatever the activity is, his expectations are high. As a member of the Westlake Chaparrals, players know their roll on the team and each roll is important. Whether it is a scout team player or starting QB, players are expected to know their responsibilities for the week and get the job done. From his high school and college playing days, Coach Salazar has learned from the best and applied it all here in Westlake, which is why we will have the opportunity to watch the Chaparrals play well into the post season.
Adam Cummings is beginning year 4 for West Plains high school as the only man to have headed the football program in the schools existence. Coach Cummings was born and raised in west Texas and has spent all of his coaching years there as well, learning under some west Texas legends. In the schools first 3 years he has already accumulated 30 wins but winning isn't priority #1. For him, it's faith and family first. He and his staff work to reinforce family values and work ethic through character and leadership development programs within the athletic arena.
Coach Salazar is a Goliad native who has spent most of his coaching years within a stones throw of home. He begins his 6th season at the helm for the Tigers and hopes to continue their successful ways. He believes "attitude reflects leadership" (as Julius reminded Gary- you football movie fans should get that) and he models this for his players. He loves what he does and it shows in his smile when he talks about football and the town he has called home for most of his life. And if you're a Texas history fan, there's plenty in the books about the small town of Goliad!
Brian Hodnett knows the history of Sweetwater football, having grown up just down the road in Hamlin. Although one day he might go back to the cotton farms he came from, right now he has answered the call to help grow and develop young men and women to be successful after their athletic careers have ended. Promoted to the head coach and AD this year, he is looking to take his 10 years of experience as a head coach at Jacksboro and Haskell and combine them with his predecessors teachings to battle in a tough 3A-1 district that includes Jim Ned and Comanche. With a good coaching staff and a good community behind him, Coach Hodnett and his Mustangs will be a force to contend with in 3A west Texas football this year.
There are a lot of good coaches and men in Texas high school football, and Jim Kerbow definitely ranks towards the top of the list. Every school across this great state where Coach Kerbow has been, he has gone above and beyond to meet the needs of his students and athletes at school and also at home. He stresses the importance of being someone others can depend on and he works to instill this trait in his athletes.
Joel Fontenot-Amedee, head football coach and athletic director for the Bandera Bulldogs, talks about the importance of having a community that feels like family and balancing priorities not just for himself but for his athletes. He has know he wanted to be a coach since high school but did not expect to wind up in Texas high school football after growing up and playing college ball in his home state of Louisiana.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States