kepdawg
10-02-2008, 12:25 PM
I was born in North Richland Hills, Texas but soon there after my family moved out of state. After spending some time in Georgia as well as Louisiana my family returned to Texas in the fall of 1984.
We moved in to a house across the street from Bulldog Stadium in Jasper; the rest is history. For anyone who has lived across the street from their town's football stadium you know how great it is, especially as a kid. Just playing in the front yard listening to the sounds of the pregame before dad took us across the street to the game was an experience in itself. Anyone who has been to Bulldog Stadium knows that it is nothing special, but that it is something special indeed. If you want luxury, glitz and glamor and easy parking then Bulldog Stadium was not, and still is not, the place for you. But if you want a place where you always feel at home and are able to witness some of the best athletes in the state, on both sides of the field, then Bulldog Stadium is the perfect place for you. Now I know a lot of the names I mention might not mean much to a lot of you, but to me the names are just a few of many that have helped me grow to love Texas high school football. Tony Allen and Reggie Davis; later Zack, Ben, and Bryan Bronson. To this day the first chance I get I check to see how many Bronsons are on the roster for Jasper. I'll take a roster full of Bronsons any day of the week! I was lucky to be friends with a couple of the coaches' sons while in Jasper so I spent numerous games on the sidelines. I also got to know the late Coach Spoon who led his track teams to numerous state championships and coached the 1991 team that set the national record in the 4x100. There was a lot of hype surrounding Jasper football when I got there and the team never quite lived up to expectations. Kevin Smith and WOS played a part in this. I remember epic games between these two teams but WOS always had the edge when it mattered most. I grew up dreaming of being a Jasper Bulldog and while I never set foot on the field for them a Jasper Bulldog I will always be.
My family moved to Buna 2 weeks before I began 7th grade. If you know anything about Buna you know that football is not a big deal. There's not much to say about my football experience in Buna. It was an interesting experience.
I was only in Buna 1 year before my family moved to Denison; the rest is history. As an 8th grader at B McDaniel Middle School in Denison I don't think anyone knew quite what was in store for the years to come. I played with Aaron Hunt who went on to play at Texas Tech. He left Tech as the Big 12 leader in sacks. I played with Chris Robertson. He lead Texas in scoring his sophomore year. In the spring following the 8th grade season I shredded the cartilage in my left knee. On my doctors recommendation I sat out my freshman year. Unfortunately following my freshman year I had to have knee surgery. It had been 20 months since I had been on the field so I made the decision that my time as a player was done. The next 3 seasons Denison would compile a 44-4 record losing to La Marque in the state championship game. There are so many amazing memories: beating Stephenville for the 1st time, shutting out #2 Sweetwater in the quarterfinals, and of course the devastating championship losses.
But my family moved during the Christmas break of my sophomore year. It was back to Jasper to finish my sophomore year and then to The Colony to finish high school. Luckily The Colony was close enough to Denison that I could still follow their runs after a championship. The Colony was somewhat like Buna when it came to football. It just wasn't a big deal. Partially because the school had only been around 10 years and partially because being in a district with Lewisville and Flower Mound Marcus wasn't exactly easy. One thing, or I should say person, stood out at The Colony. Mike Williams was our 6'6" 339lb defensive end. That would be the Mike Williams that went on to play OT at Texas before becoming the 4th overall pick by the Bills in the NFL draft.
Since my graduation I have done the best I can to keep up with Jasper and Denison. They will always be #1 in my heart. At times I have joked around with others about my schools and the fact that one of them should always be winning. I can't change the fact that I moved and that I do have allegiances to more than one school.
Since my time in Jasper the Bulldogs have dropped to 3A, something I had never imagined. Some will say they haven't been successful simply because they haven't won a state championship. If that's the case there aren't many successful schools around. I have been lucky enough to attend the playoff games since 2001 and have seen my share of the next generation of Bronsons. A few years ago a player passed through Jasper that may stand above them all; Spoon, that is Sean Weatherspoon, currently playing at Missouri. I said before I'll take a roster full of Bronsons any day of the week, but the Bronsons have to make room for Spoon! There were other players as well, Red Bryant who is now with the Seattle Seahawks, among others. Denison has been up and down the past few years, 3 rounds deep 3 years ago followed by a coaching switch last year. In the end the record doesn't matter to me. Win or lose I will support my schools.
But in the middle of all of this something happened. I can't tell you exactly when, but one day about 8 or so years ago my dad who first introduced me to Texas high school football in Jasper so many years ago introduce me to "The Pig;" the rest is history. It is because of the Pig that I am here today. I had no anxieties about meeting with a group of strangers in a restaurant in Richardson 7? years ago, G2 with pig mask in hand. We met with dozens of fellow pigsters from all over the state in downtown Dallas. The lesson that night: don't be the last in line to pay! We met again with dozens of fellow pigsters in Arlington and presented gifts to a fellow pigster who was going through hard times.
The Pig is where my allegiance to Celina began. It had nothing to do with the town or the success of the program. It had everything to do with the people! That's what is so great about Texas high school football and now the opportunity we have through sites like the Pig and now the 3ADL to interact with people all across the world. It was the people I met from Celina that sold me. They didn't try to sell me on the town or the program. They were themselves and they were damn good people! One in particular, Bruce, stands above all. I would have supported whatever school that man was from because he was such a good person and is now such a good friend. So some may say I am a bandwagon fan of Celina, and that is fine. Just don't accuse me of being a bandwagon friend of the great people I have met. Since originally meeting Bruce I have made friends through church and school from Celina. Yes, I have seen my share of Celina football games, but I have also been to volleyball games, basketball games, baseball games, softball games and track meets. So if that makes me a bandwagon fan, so be it.
It is because of the Pig that I have seen track meets in Sonora, Abilene, and Austin. It is because of the Pig that I have eaten diesel cooked ribs and seen a game in El Dorado. It is because if the pig that I put my life on the line while sitting next to a giant of a man at a Midland Lee/Duncanville playoff game. That giant just about killed me when Lee scored to win the game! But that giant is a great friend! It is because of the Pig that I follow schools all across the state because friends are coaching there or have family playing there. It is because of the Pig and now 3ADL that I have been on roadtrips and seen games in Giddings, Abilene, Waco, Nacogdoches, and Marshall just to name a few.
So I am thankful that out of the Pig sprung 3ADL and I am thankful that Gobbla and Bearcat1 felt so inclined to invite me to join the fun so many years ago.
Through all the arguing we may do, for all the times we may step on each others toes, for all the times I have put my foot in my mouth, I am so thankful for the role that Texas high school football has played in my life and I am so thankful to be able to share it with all you stupid people from all over the world thanks to sites like this!
We moved in to a house across the street from Bulldog Stadium in Jasper; the rest is history. For anyone who has lived across the street from their town's football stadium you know how great it is, especially as a kid. Just playing in the front yard listening to the sounds of the pregame before dad took us across the street to the game was an experience in itself. Anyone who has been to Bulldog Stadium knows that it is nothing special, but that it is something special indeed. If you want luxury, glitz and glamor and easy parking then Bulldog Stadium was not, and still is not, the place for you. But if you want a place where you always feel at home and are able to witness some of the best athletes in the state, on both sides of the field, then Bulldog Stadium is the perfect place for you. Now I know a lot of the names I mention might not mean much to a lot of you, but to me the names are just a few of many that have helped me grow to love Texas high school football. Tony Allen and Reggie Davis; later Zack, Ben, and Bryan Bronson. To this day the first chance I get I check to see how many Bronsons are on the roster for Jasper. I'll take a roster full of Bronsons any day of the week! I was lucky to be friends with a couple of the coaches' sons while in Jasper so I spent numerous games on the sidelines. I also got to know the late Coach Spoon who led his track teams to numerous state championships and coached the 1991 team that set the national record in the 4x100. There was a lot of hype surrounding Jasper football when I got there and the team never quite lived up to expectations. Kevin Smith and WOS played a part in this. I remember epic games between these two teams but WOS always had the edge when it mattered most. I grew up dreaming of being a Jasper Bulldog and while I never set foot on the field for them a Jasper Bulldog I will always be.
My family moved to Buna 2 weeks before I began 7th grade. If you know anything about Buna you know that football is not a big deal. There's not much to say about my football experience in Buna. It was an interesting experience.
I was only in Buna 1 year before my family moved to Denison; the rest is history. As an 8th grader at B McDaniel Middle School in Denison I don't think anyone knew quite what was in store for the years to come. I played with Aaron Hunt who went on to play at Texas Tech. He left Tech as the Big 12 leader in sacks. I played with Chris Robertson. He lead Texas in scoring his sophomore year. In the spring following the 8th grade season I shredded the cartilage in my left knee. On my doctors recommendation I sat out my freshman year. Unfortunately following my freshman year I had to have knee surgery. It had been 20 months since I had been on the field so I made the decision that my time as a player was done. The next 3 seasons Denison would compile a 44-4 record losing to La Marque in the state championship game. There are so many amazing memories: beating Stephenville for the 1st time, shutting out #2 Sweetwater in the quarterfinals, and of course the devastating championship losses.
But my family moved during the Christmas break of my sophomore year. It was back to Jasper to finish my sophomore year and then to The Colony to finish high school. Luckily The Colony was close enough to Denison that I could still follow their runs after a championship. The Colony was somewhat like Buna when it came to football. It just wasn't a big deal. Partially because the school had only been around 10 years and partially because being in a district with Lewisville and Flower Mound Marcus wasn't exactly easy. One thing, or I should say person, stood out at The Colony. Mike Williams was our 6'6" 339lb defensive end. That would be the Mike Williams that went on to play OT at Texas before becoming the 4th overall pick by the Bills in the NFL draft.
Since my graduation I have done the best I can to keep up with Jasper and Denison. They will always be #1 in my heart. At times I have joked around with others about my schools and the fact that one of them should always be winning. I can't change the fact that I moved and that I do have allegiances to more than one school.
Since my time in Jasper the Bulldogs have dropped to 3A, something I had never imagined. Some will say they haven't been successful simply because they haven't won a state championship. If that's the case there aren't many successful schools around. I have been lucky enough to attend the playoff games since 2001 and have seen my share of the next generation of Bronsons. A few years ago a player passed through Jasper that may stand above them all; Spoon, that is Sean Weatherspoon, currently playing at Missouri. I said before I'll take a roster full of Bronsons any day of the week, but the Bronsons have to make room for Spoon! There were other players as well, Red Bryant who is now with the Seattle Seahawks, among others. Denison has been up and down the past few years, 3 rounds deep 3 years ago followed by a coaching switch last year. In the end the record doesn't matter to me. Win or lose I will support my schools.
But in the middle of all of this something happened. I can't tell you exactly when, but one day about 8 or so years ago my dad who first introduced me to Texas high school football in Jasper so many years ago introduce me to "The Pig;" the rest is history. It is because of the Pig that I am here today. I had no anxieties about meeting with a group of strangers in a restaurant in Richardson 7? years ago, G2 with pig mask in hand. We met with dozens of fellow pigsters from all over the state in downtown Dallas. The lesson that night: don't be the last in line to pay! We met again with dozens of fellow pigsters in Arlington and presented gifts to a fellow pigster who was going through hard times.
The Pig is where my allegiance to Celina began. It had nothing to do with the town or the success of the program. It had everything to do with the people! That's what is so great about Texas high school football and now the opportunity we have through sites like the Pig and now the 3ADL to interact with people all across the world. It was the people I met from Celina that sold me. They didn't try to sell me on the town or the program. They were themselves and they were damn good people! One in particular, Bruce, stands above all. I would have supported whatever school that man was from because he was such a good person and is now such a good friend. So some may say I am a bandwagon fan of Celina, and that is fine. Just don't accuse me of being a bandwagon friend of the great people I have met. Since originally meeting Bruce I have made friends through church and school from Celina. Yes, I have seen my share of Celina football games, but I have also been to volleyball games, basketball games, baseball games, softball games and track meets. So if that makes me a bandwagon fan, so be it.
It is because of the Pig that I have seen track meets in Sonora, Abilene, and Austin. It is because of the Pig that I have eaten diesel cooked ribs and seen a game in El Dorado. It is because if the pig that I put my life on the line while sitting next to a giant of a man at a Midland Lee/Duncanville playoff game. That giant just about killed me when Lee scored to win the game! But that giant is a great friend! It is because of the Pig that I follow schools all across the state because friends are coaching there or have family playing there. It is because of the Pig and now 3ADL that I have been on roadtrips and seen games in Giddings, Abilene, Waco, Nacogdoches, and Marshall just to name a few.
So I am thankful that out of the Pig sprung 3ADL and I am thankful that Gobbla and Bearcat1 felt so inclined to invite me to join the fun so many years ago.
Through all the arguing we may do, for all the times we may step on each others toes, for all the times I have put my foot in my mouth, I am so thankful for the role that Texas high school football has played in my life and I am so thankful to be able to share it with all you stupid people from all over the world thanks to sites like this!