A Blast from the past.
LoneStarPreps - Staff loyalty key for Pottsboros Poe (rivals.com)
POTTSBORO — When Matt Poe took over as the head coach at Pottsboro, the first thing on his agenda was putting together a staff.
He didn't have to look very far to find the coaches he trusted to help him turn around the program.
"I knew what kind of people they were and what kind of coaches they were," Poe said. "We were just real fortunate. There's a lot of fortunate things that have happened the last three years."
The seven assistants each Pottsboro player can turn to all came out of local programs.
"The biggest deal with our staff is we work well together," Poe said. "Respect is a big thing. No one has any problem bringing up something new or questioning something to make us better."
Both coordinators — Randy Matthews on defense and Bart Williams on offense — were at Van Alstyne.
Secondary coach Keith Bates and defensive ends coach Steven Foster were two assistants Poe kept when he arrived at Pottsboro.
Coming from Sherman, the first-time head coach brought along defensive line coach Ryan Tate and receivers coach Mark Towery. He also plucked offensive line coach Jeff Slagle from Denison.
Poe sought out advice from his father, Ron, who knew a thing about assembling a successful staff. The stadium in McKinney is named for him.
"Being around it all my life, loyalty is No. 1," Poe said. "Are the coaches working with you going to be loyal to you and the program?"
The effort this year throughout the program has delivered historic results as Pottsboro (13-1) takes on Cisco (13-1) in a Class 2A Division II state semifinal at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Texan Stadium in Justin Northwest. The winner will face either Daingerfield or Blanco for the state championship.
"Business as usual. We're concentrating on the team at hand," Poe said. "We don't talk about it being the game before the state championship. Saturday's the most important game of the year."
The Cardinals advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in program history with a 31-9 victory over previously-undefeated Grandview. Before this season Pottsboro hadn't had any playoff success since 1987 and it was a decade before that when the Cardinals had last played in the region final.
"Our kids believe in our system," Poe said. "They could have panicked the other night when we ran three offensive plays and turned it over twice."
Cisco, whose only loss was to District 6-2A champ Clyde by 14 points, is back in the state semifinals for the second straight season and fourth time in the last six years. The Loboes lost to eventual state champion Canadian at this point last season and were the state runner-up to Mart in 2006.
"When you're playing playoff game No. 5, I think the kids have already been in that atmosphere," Poe said about his team. "I don't see it as much of an advantage, if any."
Realignment moved the Loboes into Region I starting with this season. Last year Cisco knocked Gunter out with a 21-14 victory in the Region II final.
Cisco defeated Idalou, 27-13, in the region final as Robert Medina had a touchdown run and returned an interception for a score. Medina and quarterback Josh Bridges were key parts of the Loboes' run last season as juniors and this year has been no different.
Both have run for more than 900 yards and combined for 19 touchdowns while Vegas Hastings has 800 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and Bradley Toler has scored seven times on the ground as part of an offense that is averaging more than 40 points per game. Outside of the loss to Clyde, Cisco's lowest output was last week against Idalou and the Loboes have scored at least 42 points in 10 games.
Those numbers are impressive, but Grandview had similar success — at least 48 points in 10 games — before the Cardinals held them well below their previous point total last week.
"Their strength is probably offense. They're very good at what they do," Poe said. "They're going to run right at you. There's a couple things we feel we have to stop that they do best. The quarterback is the one that makes them go."
QB for Grandview?????????? Reid Gholson might be the best QB Grandview ever had. Take a look. LOL A Tatum Coach hits him as he's going in the endzone. Can you find him? Also, After the vid, Some highlights fro Grandview/Malakoff. I just found this stuff and wanted to share. BTW, Poe is a Great coach!
Some one will have to!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or I'll listen on the transistor Radio !!
