WOSgrad

Thursday games: 12:00 pm - Orange Community Christian vs. Galveston O'Connell 3:00 pm - Port Arthur Bob Hope vs. Orange Community Christian 6:00 pm - High Island vs. Port Arthur Bob Hope

Strangely enough, Cornel Thompson would not be on that list. However, I understand (I think) what you are saying with that question. One of the factors of the success of the Mustang football program has been the continuity of the program from Steve McCarty to Dan Hooks, who was McCarty's right hand man to Thompson, who right hand man to Hooks. And it does take this sort of continuity to establish a winning program. This is because as sons and nephews of the original Mustangs know exactly what is expected of them when they show up to run that Mustang Mile and what it takes to earn a silver helmet. And it is the community support for those standards which allows that continuity to remain. Believe me there are some...you have seen some of them post here....who wish to take their shots at Coach Thompson. Every community has their set of village idiots. And he has not always had the golden touch. I remember that it took 4 games for Coach Thompson to win his first game at WO-S as head coach and that he insisted on moving out of the spread to the I formation. Even through all of those the community continued to trust Coach Thompson and believe that his decisions, his words and his action were intended for two purposes, to make the West Orange-Stark Mustangs a stronger football team and to make the individual members of that team better people. You will never see Cornel Thompson saddled with a derogatory nickname from Mustang fans or you won't see "For Sale" signs in his yard after the next loss, which although I find unlikely, could occur as soon as this weekend. You won't see people calling Orange County Sheriff Keith Merritt or seeking an investigation from Orange County DA John Kimbrough for practices that parents think are "a little too strenous." You won't because even those who might not care for Coach Thompson respect him in the community. And of course, you need stellar athletes. Coach Thompson has acknowledged that himself that you need that. hence the now infamous statement that "You can't win the Kentucky Derby with a mule." And yes, this band of athletes is special, on both sides of the ball, in the backfield, on the line and in the secondary and many of them have played together since they were 5 years old. They are not only talented, but they are some of the most grounded, hardest working and intelligent young men you will ever want to meet. They don't need to be prompted by coaches to get work in during the months of January, February or March, they are already doing it on their own. And guess what, the Mustangs that are coming behind them are preparing the same way. Will they be able to continue what this class of Mustangs have done even if that run ends this weekend? The answer to that question we won't know until about this time next year or the next few years after. But it will be certainly fun to find out and those in the community will be as proud of their effort to do so as they are of these young men who have been taking Mustang fans on this fantastic ride.

21-5A

21-5A

21-5A

21-5A

21-5A

TAPPS 3-6A

Aldine Davis at Sheldon C.E. King, 7:00 pm Clear Lake at La Porte, 7:00 pm Clear Springs at Baytown Lee, 7:00 pm Cypress Lakes at Atascocita, 7:00 pm Deer Park at Alvin, 7:00 pm Pasadena Memorial at Houston Spring Woods, 7:00 pm Pearland Dawson at Pasadena Dobie, 7:00 pm Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated at Pasadena, 7:00 pm South Houston at Clear Falls, 7:00 pm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

nm

Anderson-Shiro at Normangee, 6:15 pm Cushing at Garrison, 7:00 pm Grapeland at Crockett, 7:00 pm Nacogdoches at Pollok Central, 7:30 pm New Waverly at Centerville, 6:00 pm Spurger at Warren, 7:00 pm Tomball Memorial at Hempstead, 7:00 pm Trinity at Madisonville, 6:30 pm