Texas High School Football Series: History
"If you want to understand Texas and Texans, watch high school football. There is nothing like Texas high school football. – Joe Nick Patoski"
Intro – History – Blitz Camp – The Experience/Training – The Future
I’ve always enjoyed history when I was growing up. It’s fascinating how one event can effect the world. One man or a group of people can change a culture.
It’s widely known that the history of football started in the northeast in the late 1800’s. By the early 1900’s the game had trickled down to Texas and was in full swing.
A governing body called the UIL was created in 1910, to put some type of rules, regulations, and organization to all the sports that were being played in public schools. In 1922 Roy Bedichek and Roy Henderson took over the UIL.
Without those two guys at the helm, who knows what would have happened to Texas sports. They designed a playoff bracket and divided up the schools into different divisions, to make the competition more balanced.
So from the bottom of my heart, thanks Roy and Roy.
The theory behind the Texas High School football craze, stems from the notion that there wasn’t anything else to do in Texas before television. So, that was a towns main source of entertainment.
Wheather there is truth behind that or not, I’m not sure. I do know that the tradition is deep. Football is as serious as they make it out to be on the big screen. In Texas you start at a young age, because the older you get the deeper the competition.
In high school kids are fighting for exposure. There’s around 1200 high schools in Texas. You have to set yourself apart if you want to be noticed.
On a Friday night it’s showtime.
The Jack’n The Box across the street is the eyesore that just won’t go away.
This past Friday evening I met up with a couple of staff writers at House of Houston, Mac Wolff and Blair Parker, to do a little team building and to go over ideas for the website. Prior to Friday, we’ve never met. I was faced with a challenge early on in the evening. I was the first one at the bar, and I was working off of Facebook profile pics to determine their appearance.
Mac’s profile showcases a picture of him wearing a racing helmet and Blair’s is a picture of J.J. Watt. So basically, I was screwed. Or maybe, Mac would walk in with a helmet under his arm and Blair would walk in with J.J. Watt, because that’s her boyfriend. As much fun as that sounds, I think I would be completely annoyed throughout evening. People trying to talk to J.J. Watt and watching Mac constantly looking for a place to set his helmet.
As you probably imagined, J.J. Watt didn’t show up and Mac wasn’t holding a helmet.
I’ll admit, we didn’t talk much about the site. We mostly chatted about sports and thanks to a surprise visit from Mike Meltser that’s a host on Sports Radio 610, those talks only intensified.
I’m a talker already, when you throw in beer, and logical sports conversation, I can be downright annoying with my chatter.
When I got home later in the evening, it dawned on me, that I had to be up early to go out to Blitz Football Camp. Blitz Football Camp is located in Spring, TX and is owned by Rischad Whitfield. I’ve known Rischad for some time, and have been wanting to see what all this hype on the northside was all about. Rischad also told me that he was going to have some Division One Football athletes out there as well. Umm, you don’t have to ask me twice… I’m there.
Saturday morning, I hopped in my car and headed to a place I was very familiar with, Klein High School [KHS ’01]. When I was about 30 min away I received a message from Rischad, saying that they were moving the training to Doerre Intermediate. It just so happens that I went there as well.
When I left my house that morning, I had no idea, how much of my own past I would see that day.
I was armed with a notepad, a list of questions, a GoPro, and my phone. There was only one problem, I chatted myself stupid on Friday night. I had no ambition to talk to anyone.
I thought this was going to be a huge problem. When it was actually a blessing in disguise. Instead of running around talking to people, I got to sit back and absorb the atmosphere and watch. It made me appreciate Texas High School Football that much more.