Sunday, October 30, 2011

HS Football Week 10

Friday was one of the greatest football games I have ever been involved with. It was certainly a game worth the trip and the price of admission. It was so exciting to see us continue to pick each other up as a team. Players refused to quit on teammates and continued to provide opportunities for them to have a second chance. It reminded me of our comeback in the playoffs against Dallas Lutheran except this time we were victorious. One thing that stands out to me is that I actually had difficulty hearing coaches over the headsets because of the tremendous crowd noise. Thank you to so many of you for making the long drive to Evadale. Click here to read more about the game and see video highlights on the website.

Legacy
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Week-10 HS Schedule
Monday, October 31-7:00AM Film 3:45 to 5:30 PM (Helmet-Varsity Only Players)
Monday, October 31-JV Game 5PM at home against Bay Area
Tuesday, November 1- 3:45 to 6:10 PM (Full Pads)
Wednesday, November 2-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Half Shell)
Thursday, November 3-3:45 to 5:00 PM (Helmet-Varsity Only Players)
Thursday, November 3- JV Game 6PM at Faith West (Bus leaves at 4:30PM)
Friday, November 4-at Faith West at 7:00PM (Bus leaves at 4PM)

Directions
Click Here for directions to Faith West.

Playoff Schedule
We will be the favorite to win the first two rounds of the playoffs. The first round will most likely be on Friday and it will be at home. The rest of the games will be at neutral sights and most likely on Saturday. Assuming we are still in the playoffs we will practice the week of Thanksgiving, probably at our regular time. We will not practice on Thanksgiving Day. We really have a great opportunity this year and it takes more players than we have to run a truly efficient football practice so please keep your Thanksgiving plans as flexible as possible.

Winter Sports
On a case by case basis I do allow JV players to participate in certain basketball or soccer activities prior to the end of the football season that does not involve them missing football practice. They need to talk with me directly prior to any participation.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

MS Football Awards Night

We will close out a great middle school season with our fall middle school sports awards on Thursday, November 3 in the gym at 7:30 PM. This is a casual dress event but I would like to request that players at least be in pants and a polo shirt for the event. Your son will get a CD of his football photos. I will also have 3-DVD sets that contains all the middle school A games and the last middle school B game that your son is welcome to have.

Thanks for all your help in making it a Great Year.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

HS Football Week 9

Friday was a great night with so many exciting plays, school records being broken, and the clinching of a playoff spot and district championship. Click here to read the story on the website that contains more details. It was great to honor such a special group of seniors. They are such a cohesive unit that has provided great leadership for a team that is continuing to improve each week. I am looking forward to an exciting finish as we enter the playoffs.

Consistency
Malachi 3:6 “’I the Lord do not change,’…declares the Lord”

Week-9 HS Schedule
Monday, October 24-7:00AM Film 3:45 to 6:30 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 25- 3:45 to 6:10 PM (Full Pads)
Wednesday, October 26-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 27-3:45 to 5:00 PM (Half Shell)
Friday, October 28-at Evadale at 7:30PM (Bus leaves at 1PM)

Additional Drivers
It is a long trip to Evadale and it would be nice to have some space on the bus. If we have two or three people that are willing to drive and take players that would really help.

Playoff Schedule
We will be the favorite to win the first two rounds of the playoffs. The first round will most likely be on Friday and it will be at home. The rest of the games will be at neutral sights and most likely on Saturday. Assuming we are still in the playoffs we will practice the week of Thanksgiving. We will not practice on Thanksgiving Day. We really have a great opportunity this year so please keep your Thanksgiving plans as flexible as possible.

Winter Sports
I know that tryouts for winter sports have started. They are allowed to attend the tryouts but must continue to be at all football related functions unless they have direct permission from me. While a JV player may not play much in the varsity games the extra weeks of practice really benefit them in the future and we need every player to make a practice productive.

JV Game on October 31 and November 3
This is certainly not ideal but we will play two JV games in the same week next week as we make up the rained out game against Bay Area and travel to Faith West. This will conclude our JV games for the season but JV players will remain with the team throughout the playoffs.

Team Pictures
Your son was given a CD of the pictures on Friday. There may still be a few players that need to pick theirs up. If it does not make it home to you please let me know and I will get you another copy. I left a folder of senior pictures off of a few discs so I will get that mistake corrected as well.

Senior Dinner
I will be taking the seniors out for dinner on Thursday. The location is still to be determined. We will leave after practice and probably be done around 7PM.

Directions
Click Here for directions to Evadale.

On-line Film
The varsity game film is up. I will put scout and JV film up on Monday. I am way behind on game highlights being on the website but hope to get caught up this week.

Stats and Website
Each week I post the stats (they are attached to this email) for each game and usually write a story about the game. All of this can be found at www.CypressChristian.org/Football.

MS Football Season's End

I am very excited about the MS football season. I saw so much growth and continue to see so much potential. When I watch players I always look at their potential as a senior and plan for the future. We will have a great freshmen football class next year and should have another great MS season as well. It is always amazing to me how players grow and fill positions. Some of our best HS players hardly played in MS but through continued hard work they have made tremendous impacts at the HS level. HS football also has so much more time to develop deep lasting relationships that will sharpen these young men into the men that God wants then to become.

As coaches we are always planning for the future and plan for each players career through his senior year. If your son does not plan to play football again next year I would like for them to talk to me personally. I think this is an important step in adulthood. It also helps us plan as in just a few short months I will begin the process of purchasing equipment for next season.

Equipment Turn In
Players will turn in all their school issued equipment on Monday after school at the field house prior to the team party. Their locker should be completely cleaned out at this time.

Pictures
I hope to be able to provide the MS players with a picture CD on Monday. The feedback from the players at all levels has been very positive. This is certainly an out of the box way to do pictures and I welcome your feedback. I know we started late as the photographer was coming from another photo shoot that started before dawn and was far more profitable for him then ours was. The original plan was to do pictures very early in the season which is what will happen with winter sports.

Game Film
I will be making copies of game film available. It will be three DVD’s that contain all 8 A games and the final B game. I plan to have those available at the Fall MS Sports Awards Banquet in a couple of weeks.

Clothing
There are still a few players that are missing a shirt or a pair of shorts. I have more coming in this week. I am not sure if I will have them to give out on Monday but I will get them passed out this week.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

HS Football Week 8

Personally, I had a lot of fun this week as a coach. We had a good week of practice and a lot of great conversations. The JV played great followed by an entertaining powder puff game, the painting of the Warrior head, homecoming activities, Travis McGrath pregame speech and a great Friday night. At our coaches meeting this morning we talked about how this team just continues to improve each week. We have not played our best football game yet and still more work to do but I am very excited about where we are at as we defend our District Championship and prepare to make another playoff run.

Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Week-8 HS Schedule
Monday, October 17-3:45 to 6:30 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 18- 3:45 to 6:10 PM (Full Pads)
Wednesday, October 19-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 20-3:45 to 5:00 PM (Half Shell) -Varsity only players
Thursday, October 20-JV Game at Bay Area at 5:00PM
Friday, October 21-Senior Night at home against Bay Area at 7:30PM

Senior Night
We will honor our seniors on the field before the start of the game this week starting at about 7:00 so make plans to come out to the game early. Coach Martin will be in touch with senior parents about additional details.

Team Pictures
I heard a lot of great comments from players about the team pictures. I know we got a lot of great shots. You will be getting every picture that your son is in digitally on CD. It is the goal to have the CD’s next week.

Seniors Dinner
Each year I go to dinner with the seniors after a Thursday practice late in the season. I am tentatively planning on the dinner being on October 27.

Bay Area JV Game
We have rescheduled the home JV game against Bay Area for Monday, October 31 at 5PM.

Directions
The JV team will play at Bay Area this Thursday, October 20. Click Here for directions.

On-line Film
Film will be going up on Monday. I am planning to make all (Varsity, JV, and MS A) the game film for the season available on DVD. There will a small fee to cover the cost of the DVD reproduction.

MS Football Final Week

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of the middle school season. From my perspective it has been a great season. Both teams have shown constant improvement. I am sure they have learned some valuable lessons and I am excited to see how they continue to grow as men and football players in the future.

Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Week-8 MS Schedule
Monday, October 17 -3:45 to 6:00 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 18 - 3:45 to 5:45 PM (Full Pads) – A Team only players
Tuesday, October 18- B Team game vs Salem Trinity at home at 5:00PM
Wednesday, October 19-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 20-A team game vs Woodlands Christian at 5:00PM

Team Pictures
I heard a lot of great comments from players about the team pictures. I know we got a lot of great shots. You will be getting every picture that your son is in digitally on CD. It is the goal to have the CD’s next week.

On-line Film
Film will be going up on Monday. I am planning to make all (Varsity, JV, and MS A) the game film for the season available on DVD. There will a small fee to cover the cost of the DVD reproduction.

Equipment Turn In
I will send an email later in the week about equipment turn in for MS players.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

HS Football Week 7

It is always nice to have a bye week. We had some fun and got to work on a few new wrinkles for the remainder of district play. The JV played a great game that included a field goal on the last play of the first half and a TD in the final minute to secure a 3 point win. Homecoming is a week full of distractions. I will be reminding the team of the proper priorities all week. Friday will be a half day of school that is basically the parade and pep-rally. Players will still stay on campus after school and we are planning to take team and individual pictures. Players are not excused from practice during the week for decorating or other such homecoming activities.

Perseverance
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Week-7 HS Schedule
Monday, October 10-3:45 to 6:30 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 11- 3:45 to 6:10 PM (Full Pads)
Wednesday, October 12-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Full Pads)
Thursday, October 13-3:45 to 5:00 PM (Half Shell) -Varsity only players
Thursday, October 13-JV Game at home against Faith West at 5:00PM
Friday, October 14-Team pictures after School, Homecoming Game at 7:30PM against Faith West

Team Pictures
I am still working on the details but we are planning to take pictures after school on Friday. All players will report to the field house and get dressed in their uniform. I will send out more details on Tuesday.

Powder Puff and Painting of the Warrior
The Powder Puff football game will take place on Thursday right after the JV game at 7:30. The game will be followed by our annual Painting of the Warrior. If everyone grabs a can of paint it only takes about 20 minutes and it really is a lot of fun.

Seniors Dinner
Each year I go to dinner with the Seniors after a Thursday practice late in the season. I am tentatively planning on the dinner being on October 27.

On-line Film
I am limited in how much film I can keep online. I will get the MS games from last week up at some point this week. The JV game against Fort Bend is up along with varsity scout film.

MS Football Week 7

The MS team had a great win at Faith West and a tough loss against a very good team from Fort Bend. It has been a great season and I am looking forward to a great finish in the last couple weeks. Our teams have been challenged but have closed the gap and experienced a lot of success.

Perseverance
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Week-7 MS Schedule
Monday, October 10 -3:45 to 6:00 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 11 - 3:45 to 5:45 PM (Full Pads) – A Team only players
Tuesday, October 11- B Team game vs Western Academy at home at 5:00PM
Wednesday, October 12-3:45 to 5:30 PM (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 13-A team game at Bay Area at 5:00PM (Bus Leaves 2:30)
Friday, October 14 – Team Pictures after school

Team Pictures
I am still working on the details but we are planning to take pictures after school on Friday. All players will report to the field house and get dressed in their uniform. I will send out more details on Tuesday.

Directions
The A team will play at Bay Area. Click Here for directions.

On-line Film
I am limited in how much film I can keep online. I will get the MS games from last week up at some point this week. The JV game against Fort Bend is up along with varsity scout film.