Sometimes the world proves itself to be small in certain ways, where running into someone from your past in towns hundreds of miles away is par the course.
I played football at Midlothian High School back in 2008, at the back of the depth chart as was the case my whole football journey since a lack of physical ability and shaky self-confidence did not pair well together.
Starting the second half of my freshman year, after the football season, the school district hired a new head football coach named Robby Clark.
Sixteen years later, I finally had the guts to go up to Coach Clark at the district track meet since I had been seeing him at Henrietta sporting events since the beginning of the school year, when I read his wife, Jaime Clark, was hired as Henrietta’s new superintendent. Funny enough, she also taught me pre-calculus the second half of my senior year.
Midlothian was a huge growing school at the time and the football program had more than 150 kids in it, so I was not sure if he’d remember me, but he said he did and we caught up. It probably helped in part by being in the same senior class as a player that would eventually go on to the NFL, quarterback Bryce Petty.
Seeing him recently at a 7-on-7 event at Bowie and hearing him coaching up kids like he did half my lifetime ago, got me thinking about things.
My memory is good, but the fact I can remember several distinct things about the offense we ran nearly 20 years ago shows how important it was to me during that time.
We ran a spread offense out of the shotgun formation almost every play, a sort of precursor to the pass-happy way football has been heading since then. We went through three different centers because we had trouble finding one wouldn’t at least once a game snap the ball over our pretty tall quarterback’s head.
The year before my senior year, when we had a better running back and an offensive line that was both huge and experienced, it brought the beauty out of an offense that, despite appearances with three and four receivers lined up every play, was built around being balanced both running and passing the ball.
Instead of a traditional tight end, we employed an H-back, who could line up both in the backfield at fullback or line out wide like a receiver.
Despite having a quarterback who would go on to set records at Baylor and be drafted by the New York Jets, we found out my senior year when the running game struggled, the whole offense did as a result.
That experience proved to me how some team-focused activities, even ones that include having a superstar teammate, need everyone else to truly shine the way they are designed.
Football offenses shape entire teams. Some coaches are as defined by their systems as they are at every other aspect of coaching. It can be the identity of a team or program if one sticks for several years, but that is a luxury of either huge high schools, colleges and NFL teams.
At certain levels of high school, the best coaches try to be malleable enough to change with their available talent, not trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Almost every football coach was once a player at the high school level. Those who are more interested in offense usually played on that side of the ball more before becoming coaches and their experiences there can shape them into the coaches they later become.
Bowie’s head football coach Tyler Price is a Jackrabbit alumnus, playing for Bowie 2007-2010. He played every offensive skilled position during that time, quarterback, running back and wide receiver, while playing in coach Brad Keck and later Josh Castles offenses. Both coaches operated out of the spread offense (shotgun formation with three to four receivers) but did things differently.
“Under Coach Keck, we really established the run with zone read plays and it forced teams to tie extra men to the box,” Price said. “When teams did this we would throw the ball to Cyler Matlock who was the area’s best receiver at the time. Under Coach Castles, we were true spread offense and threw the ball around a little more. A lot of quick passing game stuff with the idea of getting the ball to receivers in space. Both offenses really liked to run with the quarterback.”
When he was later a quarterback, he relished using his head as well as athleticism on plays where he would have to make a read on either to hand the ball off or keep it on a run.
That experience helped shape him as a coach.
“I think giving your quarterback a read on every play is so beneficial in every offense,” Price said. “I want our players to have fun playing the game. This offense allows that. The great thing about the spread offense is that it allows a lot of flexibility on how you want to attack each week.”

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.

The Jim Bowie Days Celebration starts this weekend and lasts all next week, with several events taking place at Bowie’s Rodeo Arena.
The week kicks off on June 21 at Amon Carter Lake with the bass fishing tournament starting at 6 a.m. As of Tuesday, the lake is still closed due to water levels being too high from the abundance of rain, but look for updated information on if the tournament will take place at the Bowie News social media pages.
Also on June 21, Bowie’s Top of Lake is hosting a two-man golf scramble starting at 8 a.m. The cost to sign-up is $150 per team. You can call 940-531-1489 for more information.
Rodeo events start on June 22 with the Open 4D Barrel Racing event. Pre entries have been open since June 1 and will stay open until it is done.
This year the event will have two sections. Section one starts 2 p.m. Section two will start later at 7:30 p.m. Both section winners will have prizes of $3,500 awarded to the top riders.
For more information call either Blake Myers (254-977-2395) or Kellin Ann (254-223-1224).
The youth rodeo is set to start at 7 p.m. on June 24 and June 25.
The first night the activities are poles, barrels and goats.
The age brackets will be broken up into six and under, 7-10, 11-14 and 15-19.
No leadline category is available and the cost for entry is $35.
The second night activities will be breakaway roping, tie-down roping, ribbon roping and team roping. The age categories will be 13 and under and 14-19. Entry fee is $45.
All around buckles for one boy and one girl will be given for the person who earns most points on both nights.
Mutton bustin’ will be both nights before activities start, limited to 15 contestants per night for kids aged 4-6.
The books will open on June 23 from 6-9 p.m. Call Tennile Green at 940-577-9740 to sign-up.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.

Bowie had six players play in the Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl football all-star game. For pictures from not just the football game, but the basketball and volleyball games as well that feature athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6875584&T=1