Some people just walk in a room and the experience happens.
Some people can bring on the unique response with the gift of gab.
We simply all know when we see it.
It's called the "it factor."
After watching the press conference of new Amarillo High football coach Mel Maxfield Wednesday morning he has "it."
Well spoken. Funny. Sincere. A man who brings his four kids and wife to the interview. And certainly, a man whose eyes lit up when talking about football.
I witnessed a man confident, yet not cocky. A man who can inspire people with his words.
If Maxfield's first day as the AHS football coach is any indication of what's in store for the future, it looks bright in Sandie Land.
Because I saw the "it" factor in Mel Maxfield.
Jan 20, 2010
Dec 19, 2009
The Place To Be
It's still over 70 minutes to the kickoff of the Bushland-Daingerfield Class 2A Division II state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls. Earlier in the day, several young athletes (reportedly Bushland JV players) were playing a shirts-skins game of touch on the field, which indicates either toughness or lack of judgment their part.
I bumped into Crane coach Naldo Esparza in the press box, and he has an interest in this game. Esparza's team gave the Falcons their toughest test of the season so far two weeks ago, battling Bushland valiantly before losing 35-28 in a state quarterfinal game. One of my last assignments at the Midland Reporter-Telegram before moving to Amarillo was doing the season preview for Crane, and Esparza and his players were highly optimistic about their prospects this season. Esparza said the team he'd really have to look out for was Bushland.
Turns out he was right, and Crane should feel no shame in losing to the Falcons. Maybe the Golden Cranes can wear a badge of honor by saying they were eliminated by a state champion, and we'll know for sure in a few hours.
I bumped into Crane coach Naldo Esparza in the press box, and he has an interest in this game. Esparza's team gave the Falcons their toughest test of the season so far two weeks ago, battling Bushland valiantly before losing 35-28 in a state quarterfinal game. One of my last assignments at the Midland Reporter-Telegram before moving to Amarillo was doing the season preview for Crane, and Esparza and his players were highly optimistic about their prospects this season. Esparza said the team he'd really have to look out for was Bushland.
Turns out he was right, and Crane should feel no shame in losing to the Falcons. Maybe the Golden Cranes can wear a badge of honor by saying they were eliminated by a state champion, and we'll know for sure in a few hours.
Bushland has arrived: The scene from Wichita Falls
It's about an hour and forty five minutes before the kickoff of the Bushland-Daingerfield Class 2A Division II state championship game in Wichita Falls.
It's actually going to be a chilly night. Not frigid or anything. But cold. I don't see this as being a factor.
Bushland's skill position players have taken the field and seem loose and calm. The receivers are catching passes without drops.
Daingerfield players are watching from the locker room.
Think for a moment what the Bushland players are going through in their minds. First state football championship game in school history? Will I be a hero? Will I mess up? Just how fast are these guys from Daingerfield?
I do know this. If these Falcons take the personality of their coach David Flowers they are as a calm as a lake on a windless day.
Can't wait to see this showdown unfold.
It's actually going to be a chilly night. Not frigid or anything. But cold. I don't see this as being a factor.
Bushland's skill position players have taken the field and seem loose and calm. The receivers are catching passes without drops.
Daingerfield players are watching from the locker room.
Think for a moment what the Bushland players are going through in their minds. First state football championship game in school history? Will I be a hero? Will I mess up? Just how fast are these guys from Daingerfield?
I do know this. If these Falcons take the personality of their coach David Flowers they are as a calm as a lake on a windless day.
Can't wait to see this showdown unfold.
Dec 18, 2009
Two Weeks, Two Title Games
It's appropriate that the 300th post (if online statistics are correct) on Pigskin Review this season comes during the final week of the season with the last team in the Globe-News area standing. Bushland is playing for the Class 2A Division II state championship against Daingerfield on Saturday in Wichita Falls, and win or lose the Texas high school football season will be over.
In my first year of covering football in the Panhandle, I will have been fortunate enough to have witnessed two state championship games in the same season, as I was at Canadian's ill-fated attempt to threepeat in last week's Class 1A Division I state title game in Lubbock. Saturday, I'll be traveling with the staff to Wichita Falls to give online support to Les Giles game coverage.
These past two weeks have pretty much confirmed what football buffs have long suspected: There's no better small school high school football than what is played in the Panhandle. However, Bushland is the only team which could possibly bring home a gridiron title to the Panhandle.
The program has made huge strides in only four seasons of varsity competition and will make history with a win. Whether or not that means bigger things for head coach David Flowers (such as, say, the vacancy at Amarillo High?) remains to be seen, but for now, it's been a memorable season which seems like it's ended all too soon.
In my first year of covering football in the Panhandle, I will have been fortunate enough to have witnessed two state championship games in the same season, as I was at Canadian's ill-fated attempt to threepeat in last week's Class 1A Division I state title game in Lubbock. Saturday, I'll be traveling with the staff to Wichita Falls to give online support to Les Giles game coverage.
These past two weeks have pretty much confirmed what football buffs have long suspected: There's no better small school high school football than what is played in the Panhandle. However, Bushland is the only team which could possibly bring home a gridiron title to the Panhandle.
The program has made huge strides in only four seasons of varsity competition and will make history with a win. Whether or not that means bigger things for head coach David Flowers (such as, say, the vacancy at Amarillo High?) remains to be seen, but for now, it's been a memorable season which seems like it's ended all too soon.
High school football season at an end
After more than six months of doing high school football, it is about to end on Saturday at Wichita Falls when Bushland meets Daingerfield for the 2A Division II state title.
Boy, how this season has flown by. It seems just yesterday that I began working on capsules for our Pigskin Preview the second week of June.
The season that began in late August will conclude Saturday. Even that has seemed to go by faster than usual. Maybe that happens as you get older.
It's been a very good season too. I can't help but think back over these past three and a half months with a lot of great memories.
Thanks for the season. It's been a pleasure again to cover the Class 3A through 6-Man schools. I regret that I don't get a chance to see more 6-man games in person. I really enjoy talking to the coaches from week to week.
Just think, it's less than 6 months before work on Pigskin Preview begins again.
Boy, how this season has flown by. It seems just yesterday that I began working on capsules for our Pigskin Preview the second week of June.
The season that began in late August will conclude Saturday. Even that has seemed to go by faster than usual. Maybe that happens as you get older.
It's been a very good season too. I can't help but think back over these past three and a half months with a lot of great memories.
Thanks for the season. It's been a pleasure again to cover the Class 3A through 6-Man schools. I regret that I don't get a chance to see more 6-man games in person. I really enjoy talking to the coaches from week to week.
Just think, it's less than 6 months before work on Pigskin Preview begins again.
Dec 16, 2009
Bushland athletes impressive
I'm constantly impressed with the high caliber of Bushland's athletes. You couldn't want to know a better group of young men.
And, they are good athletes to boot.
No matter the outcome of Saturday's state championship football game against Daingerfield, the 2009 football team will go down as one of the best in the history of the Amarillo metro area.
It's already the highest scoring team ever, and the first to record 15 wins in a single season.
Don't count this team out to win a state title. It's within their grasp and they just might do it.
And, they are good athletes to boot.
No matter the outcome of Saturday's state championship football game against Daingerfield, the 2009 football team will go down as one of the best in the history of the Amarillo metro area.
It's already the highest scoring team ever, and the first to record 15 wins in a single season.
Don't count this team out to win a state title. It's within their grasp and they just might do it.
Dec 15, 2009
Can Bushland win it all?
Bushland's task to capture its first-ever state football title is a simple one.
The Falcons will have to defeat a Daingerfield team loaded with Division I talent and a team that has lost only two games the past two years, and that is to Gilmer, which is the Class 3A Division I state champion.
The Falcons have enjoyed a great season and have plenty of reason to be proud no matter the outcome of Saturday's game. It will make a great season all the more special if they win, and I for one think they have a shot to do just that.
Will it be tough? Sure, but Bushland has plenty of talent too, and maybe, just maybe they'll pull it off.
The Falcons will have to defeat a Daingerfield team loaded with Division I talent and a team that has lost only two games the past two years, and that is to Gilmer, which is the Class 3A Division I state champion.
The Falcons have enjoyed a great season and have plenty of reason to be proud no matter the outcome of Saturday's game. It will make a great season all the more special if they win, and I for one think they have a shot to do just that.
Will it be tough? Sure, but Bushland has plenty of talent too, and maybe, just maybe they'll pull it off.
Dec 10, 2009
Stratford playing its 43rd playoff game of decade
The Stratford Elks will be playing their 43rd playoff game of the decade when they meet Albany tonight (Friday) at Wolfforth.
The Elks have made the playoffs 11 straight years and have reached the state semifinals eight times including seven this decade.
Is that impressive or what!
And they do it the old-fashioned way....nothing fancy, just run the ball well and play good defense.
Can they do it this week?
I like their chances and I'd hate to bet against it happening.
The Elks have made the playoffs 11 straight years and have reached the state semifinals eight times including seven this decade.
Is that impressive or what!
And they do it the old-fashioned way....nothing fancy, just run the ball well and play good defense.
Can they do it this week?
I like their chances and I'd hate to bet against it happening.
It's There For the Taking
Brad Thiessen confirmed this afternoon what's been known for the past week: The Amarillo High head coaching job is open.
Thiessen, who resigned the head coaching spot at Amarillo High to take over as the AISD athletic director effective next month, said that his soon-to-be-vacated spot as leader of the AHS football program was posted online Friday. Inquiries about the job should be flowing in soon and continue in the weeks to come.
"If we're going to get some, we'll get some of them (applications) to come in before Christmas, but I suspect we'll get most of them in after people get back from the break," Thiessen said.
While Thiessen was still occupying the football office at the Amarillo High campus, in the next few weeks he'll be moving into AISD's headquarters. His coaching seat is technically still warm, and he's still officially the football coach, but interest in the job has already begun.
"We've had some calls and we'll just leave it at that," Thiessen said.
But we in the press won't do that. Last week Globe-News sports editor Lance Lahnert, in blogging on the announcement, mentioned two possible successors for Thiessen. So I'll do the same.
There are two potentially intriguing candidates who are former head coaches with with West Texas (but not Panhandle) roots. One is Odessa Permian offensive coordinator Steve Freeman, who was previously the head coach at Brownwood. Another is Smithson Valley assistant Randy Quisenberry, formerly the head coach at Midland Lee.
Both coaches (especially Quisenberry) left their former schools acrimonisouly after otherwise successful tenures. Would Amarillo High be the right place for them to return to head coaching glory?
Of course, this is all speculation, and there should many other candidates who realistically will enter this discussion in the next few weeks. The only thing which is official for now, is that the job is open for the taking.
Thiessen, who resigned the head coaching spot at Amarillo High to take over as the AISD athletic director effective next month, said that his soon-to-be-vacated spot as leader of the AHS football program was posted online Friday. Inquiries about the job should be flowing in soon and continue in the weeks to come.
"If we're going to get some, we'll get some of them (applications) to come in before Christmas, but I suspect we'll get most of them in after people get back from the break," Thiessen said.
While Thiessen was still occupying the football office at the Amarillo High campus, in the next few weeks he'll be moving into AISD's headquarters. His coaching seat is technically still warm, and he's still officially the football coach, but interest in the job has already begun.
"We've had some calls and we'll just leave it at that," Thiessen said.
But we in the press won't do that. Last week Globe-News sports editor Lance Lahnert, in blogging on the announcement, mentioned two possible successors for Thiessen. So I'll do the same.
There are two potentially intriguing candidates who are former head coaches with with West Texas (but not Panhandle) roots. One is Odessa Permian offensive coordinator Steve Freeman, who was previously the head coach at Brownwood. Another is Smithson Valley assistant Randy Quisenberry, formerly the head coach at Midland Lee.
Both coaches (especially Quisenberry) left their former schools acrimonisouly after otherwise successful tenures. Would Amarillo High be the right place for them to return to head coaching glory?
Of course, this is all speculation, and there should many other candidates who realistically will enter this discussion in the next few weeks. The only thing which is official for now, is that the job is open for the taking.
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