Coach Frey

I'm waiting to see Houston put a hurting on Oklahoma.

Oh there is no doubt we are going to have our hands full. Moving up from 2A is going to be tough. However, we have our JV squads in place for most sports, got a weight room together for the first time, summer conditioning program is kicking off tomorrow for the first time......so hopefully we keep moving in the right direction!

Oh there is no doubt we are going to have our hands full. Moving up from 2A is going to be tough. However, we have our JV squads in place for most sports, got a weight room together for the first time, summer conditioning program is kicking off tomorrow for the first time......so hopefully we keep moving in the right direction!

Keep moving forward Coach. Building a program is as simple as taking the next step.

Oh there is no doubt we are going to have our hands full. Moving up from 2A is going to be tough. However, we have our JV squads in place for most sports, got a weight room together for the first time, summer conditioning program is kicking off tomorrow for the first time......so hopefully we keep moving in the right direction!

Oh there is no doubt we are going to have our hands full. Moving up from 2A is going to be tough. However, we have our JV squads in place for most sports, got a weight room together for the first time, summer conditioning program is kicking off tomorrow for the first time......so hopefully we keep moving in the right direction!

Go Evadale!

Trust me, I absolutely hate agreeing with OldSchool, especially in matters involving HD, but he is right. I was a part of the first of those Barbay teams, and while we had a big turnout for 2-a-days, we ended the season with 16 players on varsity. I was also a part of a senior class that had 50 people in it, which means that we almost double the amount of senior boys you are saying are available today. That alone makes his point. Barbay and Slack also coached at HD when our enrollment made us a 2A (new 3A) school, and we were able to compete at that level. Slack ushered us into 1A (new 2A) when we were one of the biggest 1A schools in the state of Texas. Frankly, if there was a chance to return to glory, that was our chance. Those teams Slack had in our first two years of 1A were loaded, and we just missed our chance. I do not know how to verify your Finney summer numbers, but I find it hard to believe that Finney turned out 50 kids in his first year at the helm. Maybe the second year because the excitement over the close playoff game with Alto had grabbed a few outliers, but not that first year. Apart from the transfer of the Lavallais boys, that first year team was in deep trouble. Finney did a great job, but I also remember him dealing with several undisciplined knuckleheads that I believe Hodges would not allow to play for him. I have a cousin who was a JV player during the Finney years, and I remember him not having a game that often. The reason wasn't that we didn't have a team, it was because the other schools we were competing with didn't have a team. The Sabine Passes, High Islands, and Colmesneil's of the world couldn't get the numbers together to have a team. Truth is, the enrollment of those schools in 2012-2013 is close to what we are fielding now.
My question now shifts to your comment that there is and always will be interest in coaching at HD. I agree with you, there are always guys looking for that first head coaching job and they will apply. I ask you to go back in time with me to the resignation of Russell Roberts. We are talking 1997 (or somewhere in there). I was finishing up my freshman year, and I was very interested in who they were going to bring in to steer the rest of my high school career. They hired a defensive coordinator from Alto named Randy Copeland, and that was an excellent hire. He was a great coach, a better man, and led the only team out of HD to win a playoff game in recent history. He also hired Darrell Barbay to be on his staff, and that proved profitable because after two years when Copeland took the job at Arp, his predecessor was waiting and willing to take the reins. Barbay was the coach my senior year, and it was great. Barbay was there for several years before leaving for Anahuac, and the powers that be hired home town boy Joe Slack. This was a very anticipated hire and most everyone was excited about it. It didn't go as well as planned and he eventually moved on allowing for the hiring of Josh Finney. Finney came to HD because of his relationship with the Huckaby family and because, by most accounts, he had worn out his welcome in East Texas and needed a fresh start. He was/is a great coach and brought instant credibility to the program, but due to family tragedy (which only expedited the exit because everyone is aware he was trying to get back to ETX), after two years he was gone. After that there was a groundswell of support drummed up for the returning Coach Hodges and after missing out on the job when Finney was hired, he was handed the keys to the vehicle, and we are now two years in.
This is why I recounted all of that. You have to go all the way back to the exit of Russell Roberts to find the last time that someone with no ties applied and made the conscious decision to move their family to HD to pursue coaching football here. That guy was Copeland (although some could argue that he might have been persuaded by Lucky Gamble to accept the HD job that Gamble accepted, then turned down for Alto, when Roberts was hired) and since then it has been a slow progression to get to the place we find ourselves now. When both Finney and Hodges were hired, the finalists were not guys with pedigrees, they were guys looking for that first shot any way they could get it.
My point is, if Hodges leaves, what is our plan to get a better coach? This is a guy who was been a head coach before, been a coordinator at high level schools in the triangle. A guy who has history with the town and really desires to be invested in the kids and community. Who replaces that? There are no Randy Copelands or Darrell Barbays knocking on this door anymore. We will start from scratch with the next guy and just pray he is better. Giving Hodges the time he needs is what I truly feel is the answer, not running him out of town for the next guy.
Also, I hear there is an old coach from the 80's talking about coming back if this job opens. I know that some people truly love him, but he is not a better option than Hodges. These are just my opinions and I do not mean to be offensive or upset anyone but I just think that the approach being taken against Hodges is not fruitful, and this petition could really be something that comes back to bite the entire community and the football program.

Thank you Coach, and a pleasure meeting you.  I noticed your effort to keep things on an even keel and want to thank you for that.  The desire and willingness to be proactive like you did seems rare these days, but says volumes about you as a Leader, and a person of integrity.  

Yeah I'll have to check the book tomorrow. I'm not sure of the score because the game was pretty chippy. I was doing my best to keep everything together between teams, fans, etc. I will say this though, Evadale has some great athletes. Their girls are ridiculously good and their boys are good as well, just cursed to be in Big Sandy's district.

Bob Hope picks up their first district win beating Colmesneil 58-52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob Hope picks up their first district win beating Colmesneil 58-52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big Sandy 82 Bob Hope 29/final

The Big Sandy boys (and Evadale girls somewhat) are in the enviable position of having a real good 2A Basketball team.  BS, probably the best in the State.  Unfortunately, too few schools in their District seem to put much emphasis on basketball (girls or boys).
Evadale will visit them Tuesday.  I hope the Rebs play at the top of their game and force the BS starters to play hard.  They need a little competition, and as good as they are, in 2A, that's tough.  Go Rebs!
 

Gotta start somewhere, coach

Sorry I wasn't able to make it out tonight. With the recent move from Brenham to Port Neches there has been no family time. Had to spend the evening with the wife and kids:) Its hard taking big losses, but its easier when you hear things like that. Thanks for the kind comments regarding our girls.

Big Sandy definitely has a great program all around.

Real class from that kid at Westlake. Right at the end of the game the camera caught him chewing out his own teammate and giving him the finger. Sad. Go North Shore!

Real class from that kid at Westlake. Right at the end of the game the camera caught him chewing out his own teammate and giving him the finger. Sad. Go North Shore!

Congrats to them.   Pleasantly surprised to see Much Improved Volleyball team.  Hope this victory indicates an improved Basketball team also.  Good luck this season.