More Bite Than Bark

One of the state's best high school football programs over the last decade is located here in Tarrant County, but you may not be aware because it doesn't always receive the recognition it deserves. The Everman Bulldogs have made it to the playoffs every year since 1999, and won back-to-back 3A state championships in 2001 and 2002. In district 8-4A last season, perennial 4A powerhouses Aledo and Stephenville garnered most of the spotlight and were favorites to fight it out for the top spot in the district. But it was Everman that captured the district championship, defeating both teams in the process, and advancing all the way to the state semi-finals before losing to Highland Park. Everman, a working-class, multi-racial community of about 6,000 residents located just southeast of Fort Worth, has produced four area finalist teams in the last 10 years and sent many of its players on to Division I universities, as well as former NFL linebacker Barron Wortham, yet it is often overshadowed by its higher profile rivals. Everman head coach Dale Keeling has a theory why. "I think people look at us and think that we have good athletes, but are probably not good enough to beat the teams with 15, 16, 17 or 1,800 kids in a school," Keeling said. "We've always been the small guy on the block. After we came up from 3A, where we won two state championships, I think people thought we were strong in 3A, but were not going to do it in 4A." Everman had an enrollment of just under 1,200 in 2007, but as Mark Twain once wrote, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." And these Bulldogs are always ready for a fight. In 2007, after trailing Aledo 28-14 late in the third quarter, the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points to win 35-28. In the district finale, Everman took Stephenville, then the Associated Press' top-ranked 4A team in the state, to overtime, pulling out a 31-28 victory after stopping the Yellow Jackets on their opening playoff possession. Everman was ranked eighth in the state at the time, and the victory wrapped up a perfect 10-0 season. In the third round of the playoffs, the Bulldogs squared off with Wichita Falls Rider, which took a 13-0 lead into the fourth quarter before Everman exploded with three scores and held off the Raiders for a 21-19 win. It was not until this season that Everman's accomplishments paid off with some respect in the pre-season rankings, and ironically, Keeling said he we would actually prefer it if expectations were not so high. "We have flown under the radar for the last 10 years, and then all of the sudden it's not that way this year," Keeling said. "We sure would rather have it be like it has been in the past. We are ranked number two in the state and number one in the area, but we would much prefer to have it the other way, because nobody expects anything...I think that this year, we are probably going to get everybody's best shot. I think in past years, that has probably not been the case." Everman has amassed a record of 32-9 over the last three seasons and won nine of those games by shutout. Keeling believes success breeds success, and said the Everman football team is a prime example of that. "I think tradition is probably the most important thing that we've got going here," Keeling said. "I think our kids see the signs on the walls. We remind them all the time about certain teams and compare teams to them. I think that it's real important to our players that this year isn't the year it all comes to an end." Cornerback/wide receiver Sam Birdine said the tradition is something that he and his teammates take very seriously and said nobody wants to be on the team that breaks the streak of playoff appearances. "You do have that weight on your shoulders, but we just try to play as a team and work together to get the job done," Birdine said. "It's a great tradition, and it feels really good to know that you are a part of that tradition of winning, and it feels good just being an Everman player, period...we want to keep the tradition going strong every year, and that's our motivation to play as hard as we do." Tight end/middle linebacker Lee Langston said the Everman football team feels an obligation to the coaches and past players to not let them down, and said being a member of the team is something in which he takes great pride. "The teachers will come up to me and say 'good game,' and things like that," Langston said. "I feel real good playing for Everman. Even outside of school, people will come up and tell us that we do a good job, and that feels real good...I don't think we always get the recognition we deserve, though. I really think we're a great team, and we have beaten some very good teams." Keeling said the typical turnout for tryouts for the football program is not great, but once a player is on the team, they normally do not leave. "The unique thing here at Everman is that we don't get a lot of freshman like a lot of teams do," Keeling said. "We typically have 40 to 45 freshman try out. But when we get kids, we don't tend to lose them. For instance, we have 42 seniors this year on our football team. When we get them, they tend to stay...our coaches have all been here for a long time as well. I have been here for 10 years and most of my guys have been with me that whole time." Keeling said the thing he hears most about his team from other coaches is also one of the things that makes him the most proud. "We get this all the time, that our kids come, and they play with class," Keeling said. "They play with sportsmanship. They'll knock you down, but they'll help you up. We have officials tell us all the time that our kids are gentlemen on the field, and we appreciate that, because that is what we are striving to do." The Everman coach said his team has grown accustomed to being at the top, but said they do not take it for granted, and said with the success the team has had over the past decade, the bar has been set pretty high. "Our expectations are probably higher than they should be," Keeling said. "I think what we ask of our kids is probably unrealistic. This year, our goal is to win a state championship. That's a silly goal, because that happens so rarely at a school, but I think our kids just expect that they are going to play there, and I don't think that's going to go away any time soon." -