By Kevin Lonnquist
NTX Varsity Sports Columnist
Butterflies come in all kinds of shapes, colors and sizes. However, the one constant they are known for is causing anxiousness or eagerness for anyone embarking on a new journey. They fill the stomach fast.
All football players feel them right before they rush through the blow up or tear away sign before that first game. They’re about to find out how good they are with that first contest.
No doubt those feelings are shared by new head coaches who are making their debut this first weekend of the 2025 Texas High School football season. They’ve worked their whole careers for this opportunity to wear the lead headset. The thrill of running a football program for the first time reaches this pinnacle.
From the day they were hired, it has been a hectic pace between evaluating the players in the program, hiring or retaining new coaches, structuring an offseason program, organizing the middle school teams and then coaching through a season.
Then there are the casualties of this job. Eating habits probably meet a daunting fate. Spousal support comes in the form of windshield time, which is new the version of quality time.
Within the NTX Varsity Sports area, there are several who fit this description: AJ Sheppard at Cleburne, Tommy Koch at Paradise, Blake Meyer at Burleson Centennial, Shawn Sparks at Boyd and Chris Taber at Krum.
They’ll remember the first game. All of them are on Friday. Cleburne takes on Corsicana. Paradise meets Gainesville. Krum plays at Wills Point. Boyd travels to Howe. Centennial meets rival Burleson in the annual battle for the boot.
Their stories on how they got here are different. Sheppard was the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Mansfield Lake Ridge when he pursued Cleburne.
Koch is following his father, Joe. The school district promoted Tommy. And there’s probably the internal pressure to maintain the standards his father established. After all, the Panthers played in the 2024 Class 3A DI state semifinals.
Sparks is a long and faithful coordinator who worked under two established leaders, Ken Peters at Saginaw and Mark “Red” Behrens and Sachse in the Garland ISD.
Meyer is only the second head coach in the history of Centennial football. He served as Kyle Geller’s defensive coordinator. Meyer is now tasked to keep the program’s streak of never missing the postseason going. It sits at 11 consecutive appearances since the school started playing at the varsity level.
Taber was promoted to succeed Chuck Caniford after serving on the staff for the previous three seasons. However, Taber had to find a new quarterback. His son Ty graduated.
I don’t want to omit Ennis’ Don Drake. He is what you would call the outlier. After serving as Ennis’ athletics director for several years, he decided to return to coaching following Sam Harrell’s retirement.
Drake’s return should be memorable. Ennis opens at home Friday against Waxahachie. It’s the 104th playing of the Battle of 287.
Whatever it is each learned about being a head coach is what drove them to Friday night lights. Still, it comes down to their way of doing things. Mimicking the predecessor is not a wise choice.
Each must be himself. But what will define these new head coaches is that he must have the conviction of every decision between the white lines and within the walls of the field house. Right or wrong.
When it’s right, keep it going. When it’s wrong, admit it and make the adjustment.
Should they earn and ultimately secure the buy in from their players, coaches, administrators and community, they’ve won half the battle. Then it’s about posting a bunch of Ws and very few Ls.
Good luck to all of them for reaching this part of their dreams.
