DIANA – An artificial fog drifted across Eagle Stadium a week ago.
The third quarter was under way — New Diana versus Sabine, Friday night football — and long passes and the smaller players were lost as the smoky haze settled on the field.
“It’s just hanging, but it’ll blow out,” said Tobie Turner, the Sabine athletic booster club president.
He grinned sheepishly. The smoke was his doing. Following halftime, he’d gotten a little carried away with the fog machine that he sprays when the players are running onto the field, and now the fans in the bleachers could barely follow the action.
“If we’d just get a little breeze, it would dissipate,” he said.
The best-laid plans
Even when they can’t see the playing field, East Texans are crazy about their high school football. Players, coaches and boosters devote countless hours in the pursuit of Friday night glory. They sweat and bleed and pray for wins.
But try as they might, sometimes a plan goes up in smoke.
For every team with a storied tradition of district titles and deep playoff runs, there is a high school with a less heralded history and a reputation for losing. For every Kilgore Bulldog, there is a Sabine Cardinal.
The Sabine team has posted three winning seasons in the past 30 years – once in the 1980s, once in the 1990s, and in 2002.
Twenty times in the past three decades – two out of every three seasons – the Cardinals have failed to win more than two games.
It makes for a long 10-game season, and it’s a history of losing that is unmatched in East Texas.
“Everybody loves a winner, and everyone wants to be a part of winning,” said Jerry Baker, in his first year as head coach. “Sabine’s kids over the course of a few years have learned, doggone, it’s not so much about winning as it is about surviving, because they’ve taken so many blows and been through so many coaches.”
And yet, hundreds of Liberty City residents made the 30-mile drive to support their Cardinals when the team played New Diana a week ago. Not everybody in the stands was kin to a player, band member or cheerleader. The fans were there because they wanted to be.
Remnants of glory
The old coach from Sabine’s glory days sat off to himself at the Friday game. He chewed on a toothpick as he watched “our little kids” from a lawn chair he had unfolded on the running track near the end zone.
“Of course, I can’t talk much about losing,” said Lonnie Fenton, who retired in 1979 and still lives in Liberty City. “I coached out there for 13 years and never had a losing season.”
Fenton, 78, said the crowds were bigger when the team was winning.
“They’ve still got a good following. They haven’t given up,” he said. “I still follow them, and they’re pretty competitive. It will just take a certain group of kids to overcome the idea that you can’t beat somebody.”
The announcer’s opinion
Keith Wilkerson leaned against the chainlink fence, not far from the old coach in his lawn chair.
Wilkerson, Sabine’s home game announcer for 16 years, said Cardinals fans focus more on community involvement than wins and losses.
“I think a lot of people in the community are interested in what a coach teaches the kids, more than his win-loss record,” he said. “At the end of the day, how many of these kids are going to play in college, much less at the next level? The life lessons are a whole lot more important than wins and losses. At the same time, I know coaches live by their win-loss record.”
Over the years, he said, the lack of success has discouraged participation in the football program.
“But the kids always come and play four quarters, and they play hard to the end of each season,” he said. “I don’t think you can say it’s the coaches or a lack of interest. The community offers its support. It’s all been there. It’s just an odd thing.”
Wilkerson’s neighbor, Bud Florence, offered his two cents: “A lot of kids don’t want to put in the effort to get hammered every week,” he said.
Sabine’s academic record is strong, Wilkerson noted, and the marching band is precise.
“A lot of times we’ll say, well, at least we won halftime,” he said.
The fog clears
The haze that blanketed the field in Diana came courtesy of a new, unexpectedly potent can of “fog juice.” Turner and other boosters run a fog machine at games with the hope that it will infuse school spirit and Cardinal pride in the team.
The players run through an inflatable tunnel shaped like a cardinal’s head, then burst through the fog on their way to the sideline before each half.
“We are trying to come out of the cellar and into the limelight, and I want to do what I can to help the program come forward and start doing things right,” Turner said.
The Cardinals started strong against the Eagles, with help from a couple of New Diana turnovers. But by the early fourth quarter, the fog had lifted and the Cardinals found themselves in a three-touchdown hole.
“This is the bad part of the game,” Turner said. “We should be knuckling down and getting after it. We just seem to get too afraid to make mistakes. Seems like a lot of (the other team’s) big plays take the wind out of your sails, but it’s not for a lack of effort. The kids are putting in everything they can.”
Sabine lost, 38-20, but the fans took it in stride. It’s a rebuilding year.
Since the Cardinals dropped to Class 2A, there have been fewer blowouts, they note.
The Cardinals face White Oak tonight in the final game of the season. Moving forward, Coach Baker has been drawing up plans for offseason workouts, and boosters are expressing high hopes for next year – and the years to come.
“The future’s looking very good,” Turner said. “The JV is on a four-game winning streak. The eighth grade is undefeated, and they’re beating people pretty handily.”
5,436 responses to “Despite 30 years of losses, Sabine stays optimistic”
Porn
Viagra
Right here is the right site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject which has been discussed for a long time. Excellent stuff, just wonderful.
Hello! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My website goes over a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you might be interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Fantastic blog by the way!
F*ckin? awesome things here. I?m very glad to see your post. Thanks a lot and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back in the future. All the best
Soon after, Chicago began requiring LEED certification for all city buildings, and any building projects receiving financial or zoning assistance from the city had to incorporate green features.
invisalign in garland
There are some fascinating closing dates in this article but I don?t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There’s some validity however I will take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well
Pornstar
Buy Drugs
I blog frequently and I truly appreciate your information. The article has really peaked my interest. I am going to book mark your site and keep checking for new information about once per week. I opted in for your Feed too.
This web site certainly has all the info I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
The agency takes credit for the concept of the mug shot, and the term “private eye” came from the original Pinkerton logo.
Porn site
Sex
Great blog right here! Additionally your site rather a lot up very fast! What host are you the use of? Can I get your affiliate hyperlink on your host? I desire my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 52109 more Infos: wesferguson.net/2009/despite-30-years-of-losses-sabine-stays-optimistic/ […]
Scam
Viagra
Porn
I can’t express how much I appreciate the effort the author has put into writing this outstanding piece of content. The clarity of the writing, the depth of analysis, and the abundance of information offered are simply remarkable. Her zeal for the subject is obvious, and it has definitely made an impact with me. Thank you, author, for providing your wisdom and enlightening our lives with this extraordinary article!
Thank you, I’ve recently been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered so far. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
Buy Drugs
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to ?return the favor?.I am attempting to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
I used to be able to find good info from your articles.
Great site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
I’m very happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
I’m in awe of the author’s capability to make intricate concepts approachable to readers of all backgrounds. This article is a testament to her expertise and dedication to providing valuable insights. Thank you, author, for creating such an captivating and insightful piece. It has been an absolute pleasure to read!
I have been browsing online greater than 3 hours as of late, yet I never discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is lovely price enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made just right content material as you probably did, the net will be much more helpful than ever before.
You made some respectable points there. I seemed on the internet for the problem and found most individuals will go together with with your website.
I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You have ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
Good site! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
Porn
Pornstar
Sex
Buy Drugs
Buy Drugs
Sex
Buy Drugs
Scam
Porn
I think this is one of the most important info for me. And i am glad reading your article. But should remark on few general things, The website style is perfect, the articles is really excellent : D. Good job, cheers
I have observed that in the world these days, video games are the latest phenomenon with kids of all ages. Periodically it may be difficult to drag your son or daughter away from the activities. If you want the very best of both worlds, there are many educational gaming activities for kids. Great post.
Normally I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get several emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Thanks!
Viagra
Thanks for this wonderful article. Yet another thing to mention is that the majority of digital cameras can come equipped with some sort of zoom lens that permits more or less of any scene for being included by simply ‘zooming’ in and out. Most of these changes in {focus|focusing|concentration|target|the a**** length are usually reflected inside the viewfinder and on substantial display screen right at the back of any camera.
Buy Drugs
I beloved as much as you will obtain carried out proper here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nevertheless, you command get got an shakiness over that you wish be handing over the following. ill indisputably come more earlier once more as exactly the same nearly a lot ceaselessly within case you defend this increase.