Beyond the Lights: Football Across Texas

Episode 42: Joel Fontenot-Amedee, head football coach and athletic director for the Bandera Bulldogs, left his home in Louisiana to pursue the career he has planned for since high school.

Joel Fontenot-Amedee, head football coach and athletic director for the Bandera Bulldogs, talks about the importance of having a community that feels like family and balancing priorities not just for himself but for his athletes.  He has know he wanted to be a coach since high school but did not expect to wind up in Texas high school football after growing up and playing college ball in his home state of Louisiana.

Episode 41: David Lucio, head football coach and AD for Tidehaven ISD talks about how hard work and toughness have made the Tigers one of the top 3A schools in the state.

David Lucio starts year 10 in his hometown of Tidehaven with his Tigers ranked as one of the top 3A-2 schools in the state.  His background of Madden football and the military have created the perfect combination of strategy and discipline that have helped him to be successful everywhere he has been.  The pillars of his program are hard work and toughness, and with his son, Eric, at his side, the Tigers will look to make another run at Jerry's World this year!

Episode 40: Head football coach and AD for the Mart Panthers, Chris Lancaster, brings over 30 years of football experience to one of the most successful programs in Texas HS football.

Head football coach and Athletic director for Mart ISD, Chris Lancaster, has spent his entire life on the football field, from high school to the college level and back to high school again.  His years of experience and travel have brought him to one of the most successful football programs in the state, with 8 state championships and 15 state appearances.  There is always pressure in a program with this kind of history,  but Coach Lancaster is welcoming the challenge in his new home where putting kids first is priority #1.

Episode 39: Jax Brown, Pflugerville Weiss graduate, is a recent QB addition to the Arkansas State Red Wolves football roster. This week we get an athletes take on some of our weekly topics.

Jax Brown recently signed with Arkansas State to play football for the Red Wolves.  But previously he had signed and played spring ball at Sam Houston State before entering the portal.  Jax is a good example of why the portal is necessary for athletes.  We discuss the portal and how he managed his serious injuries in high school to keep on his path to the D1 level.  I am joined in this episode by co-host Josh Brown, who coaches at Salado and is also my oldest son.

Episode 38: Head football coach and AD for the Giddings Buffaloes, Luke Hobbs, talks about the strong coaches he has worked for and the importance of having strong coaches on your staff.

Head football coach and AD for the Giddings Buffaloes, Luke Hobbs, started his journey from over 1200 miles away but knew Texas was the place to be on Friday nights.  His family has been in Giddings before, but this time he is holding the reigns for the program.  He has a good staff around him and hopes to do big things for the Buffaloes.  

Episode 37: Head Football Coach and AD for Ruidoso HS, Shane Eidson talks New Mexico football and taking on his new role.

Head football coach and AD for Ruidoso HS, Shane Eidson is taking over as the new coach for the Ruidoso Warriors.  Expanding his role for the district from AD to the combination job, he will take what he has learned from his mentors as a coach in Texas and apply those same principles to football in New Mexico.  Coach Eidson talks about the similarities, differences and challenges for programs in New Mexico versus Texas.  My older brother, Heath Brown, retired head football coach/AD and high school principal joins me for this episode as we enjoy our vacation in New Mexico.

Episode 36: new Blanco athletic director and head football coach Kent Walker talks about the importance of teaching toughness and why it's so important to him.

Kent Walker left his very successful program in Liberty Hill for the rolling hills of Blanco.  Coach Walker brings to Blanco a toughness that he has acquired through the difficult times in his life, that he hopes to pass on to his new athletes so they are prepared to handle the challenges life brings.

Episode 35: Highlights from Season 1

Season 1 had a lot of good information shared by coaches from all of the schools we visited.  I put together some of the more memorable moments and some of the funniest/unusual moments to wrap up the season.

Episode 34: Mason Puncher head football coach and AD, Wade Griffin, brings his four kids and coaching wife to where he hopes to be his last stop on his coaching journey.

From Texas to Oklahoma and back, from small schools to big schools and back, head football coach and AD for Mason ISD, Wade Griffin has seen it all.  With four kids in school and a wife who is also a coach, he hopes to make Mason his final resting place on his coaching journey.  Join us as Coach Griffin shares his thoughts and ideas for successful football programs and what he is bringing to a town with a rich history of success in academics and athletics.

Episode 33: Strawn Greyhound head football coach and superintendent, Dewaine Lee talks about what has kept him in his small town and the challenges of the filming of the "Texas 6" series.

Coach Dewaine Lee wears a lot of big hats in the small 6-man community of Strawn.  Superintendent, head football coach and city council member are just a few.  In his 27 years as a head coach he has amassed over 250 wins and 5 state championships.  The lure of bigger and better things has not been able to drag him away from the town he has called home for the last 22 years.  We discuss the documentary "Texas 6" that was filmed with his 2019 and 2020 teams and also what it means to be "MIS- made in Strawn".