GAMES
RANKINGS
THE ARCHITECTS: History being made as minorities lead all Class 6A state final super-programs
As Texas High School football takes center stage this weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, history is being made.
All four head coaches in the Class 6A title games are Black… Duncanville’s Reginald Samples, North Shore’s Willie Gaston, DeSoto’s Claude Mathis and Summer Creek’s Kenny Harrison.
Last season, Claude Mathis was the first Black head coach to win a state title at the highest classification of Texas High School football. A few hours later, Samples became the second as the Panthers knocked off North Shore.
Willie Gaston, who played QB for North Shore over 20 years ago before starring for the University of Houston, was elevated from his offensive coordinator position last spring after coach Jon Kay took a college position at Rice University. The first-year head coach has carried on the success of his predecessors as the Mustangs are in their fifth Class 6A DI state title game in six years. He will face Duncanville and coach Reginald Samples, the winningest black head coach in Texas high school football history with over 340 wins.
“It’s a special moment,” Gaston said. “There is a lot of people pumped up for this. There was a stereotype that minority guys couldn’t coach over the years. This weekend just shows you the growth of minority coaches and how good we have become.”
This week, the Houston TD Club awarded Gaston and Summer Creek coach Kenny Harrison as their 2023 co-Coaches of the Year. It is only the third time in the club’s history to have awarded co-coaches. Gaston and Harrison have led their teams to the top of the Texas high school football mountain this weekend… the coveted state game.
No team in the 105-year history of Humble ISD has ever reached a state final… until now. Harrison and his Summer Creek Bulldogs face DeSoto in the Class 6A DII championship. The history is not lost on Harrison, who grew up playing for Port Arthur Jefferson and SMU.
“It means a lot that all four of us have this opportunity,” he said. “We’re all quality coaches who have built tremendous programs. I’ve followed them for a long time and their successes. I’m excited to be a part of this for black coaches but even, more importantly, excited about the opportunity to win a state championship.”
Mathis, who was a star RB at Texas State, smashed through the ceiling last season, beating Austin Vandegrift 42-17 to win the Class 6A DII title in 2022. He’s back…
“This is just wonderful… this is history,” he said. “The only bad thing is that someone has to lose. We have come a long way in this profession of coaching and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
While all four are playing to win and fit for championship rings, history is at hand as these four are breaking Texas-sized barriers.
LISTEN UP: The key to unlock the new football recruiting game
RECRUITING 101
After talking with college and high school coaches and athletes over the past few cycles, it has become obvious that the recruiting game has changed. It’s not a subtle change but a complete overhaul of the college football recruiting process.
The COVID “extra year” and the portal has completely turned the recruiting game on its’ head.
Everyone could figure that out, but how and who is it affecting the most?
The three, four and five star recruits are still being offered early by the Power 5 Schools (those are changing as well) during the Spring of their sophomore and junior years. Texas, LSU, Bama, Texas A&M, OU, USC and the likes are still offering those prospects, who are considered can’t-miss.
That’s an elite and small number of athletes who fall in this category. They are fine.
The DII and DIII schools are still recruiting the “good” high school players. High schoolers in Texas, however, see themselves as a cut above this level. There are plenty of opportunities to play at this level, so don’t rule this group out.
The DI-FCS and Group of 5 schools are out of the high school market. OUT OF THE MARKET. That is a huge void for the high school football player.
But why?
The way that the portal is now set up, the DI-FCS and Group of 5 schools have virtually become the landing spot for Power 5 players, who “portal down”. That means that these players are not getting playing time at a high-major DI or are strongly suggested to get into the portal by their existing assistant or head coaches.
Instead of developing high school players, this middle group of schools are more willing to take college athletes who have game file and are already used to the college life.
One flip side, a lot these athletes in the Group of 5 and DI-FCS are able to “portal up”. That means they had solid seasons at that level and use the portal to get to the Power 5 level.
This has become virtually what the junior college training ground used to be.
So, what gives?
What advice would I give to those athletes who still have that burning desire to play football in college?
Market yourself. You are your own marketing program. You can sell yourself better than anyone else can, right?
Get to work.
My other advice is to leave all options open. Do not rule anything out. If you can play, go to a lower-level college program and work your way up… “portal up” to where you want to be. Go somewhere you can play and get some film. That is your “new” resume to the next level.
Understand the new assignment, you have been given the Spark Notes.