Camping with The J.W. Nixon Mustangs
By Nuno Sciaraffa
For Lrd Sports Wire & laredo 360 Sports Wire and their 436 affiliates.
"They Came Out By The Numbers The Saturday Inner Scrimmage That Shook Central Laredo"
The water sprinklers slashing across David Montes field greeted the 2010 Mustangs as they arrived early
Saturday in the early hours of the morning. The varsity was to scrimmage at 10 AM with the JV scrimmaging
at 9 Am. How big was this for the boys of Central Laredo? The varsity showed early that's how big this was
for them. This is the new aroma of Mustang high school football. Someone drove the 2010 Mustang football
players to bring it. It's those coaches and their Green and Gold mentality that is driving this new aroma of
competitive fight.
Wagner High School a state ranked high school team from San Antonio the last several years was not
enough to hold a coach in their mist. He packed up his stuff and came to central Laredo as defensive
coordinator. It brought Pete Solis Sr to come out basketball coaching only. It brought Bobby Miranda to kick
start the middle school at Lamar. It was Jaime Gonzalez coming back to coach again at THE J.W.Nixon they
played for in their youth.
Linebacker, secondary, receivers, linemen on both sides of the ball all proven coaches came back to bring
the glory back to the football program that was the elite for five years not too long ago. You add Coach
Colin remaining as offensive coordinator and you have a full talented coaching staff that Head football
Coach Tommy Ramirez works with now.
Watching the players arrive early Saturday at the field house with a new attitude a spunk in their walk. They
gathered around the entrance to the field house in groups but the mixing of both offensive and defensive
players together brought it home. This is a group of young boys that turned into men with one week of two a
day football practices.
How quickly they would go into the field house and come out just as fast as they could with their helmets in
toll, their shoulder pads being held by their jersey. The sound of their football shoes on the pavement was
enough to drive any football fanatic into a football state of mind.
The buses arrive and the buzzing started among the men picking up their shoulder pads. As if they were all
seniors by football instinct they carried their shoulder pads on the right side as football tradition calls for.
The striking thing for me watching them was that the eerie mystic game face was not being formed. IT was
with the young men as they arrived. This was going to be intense and will be intense the whole season.
They are ready.
Getting a chance to step up to the front of the bus before they left , I was allowed to take a picture of them
sitting down in their seats. As tradition calls in most high school football teams, Seniors to the front of the bus
with one seat for each one depending on the bus size. This time as it is a custom among all football teams in
Texas there was a bus for the offense and a bus for the defense. There is madness for this. Each group
has different coaches and they use the time on the bus before departing to get their heads screwed on right.
They are about to face a war on their bodies a war on their minds that needs to be taken care off prior to
arriving to the field. They will have to face challenges that a few can only afterwards earned the right to be
called football player.
I left the buses as I had taken a picture of both the offensive and defensive bus. I thanked the coaches and
bumped into Head Coach Tommy Ramirez as I was checking my camera. His game face was on with a billion
things going through his mind that only a head football coach understands before a game.
There are coaches that turn everything around them off in this few moments before departure and there are
coaches that take it all in and make the most of the situation. Coach Tommy gave me a stare with that billion
dollar smile he has. This man had it right he was ready he had done something few felt could he would be
able to do and that was to bring The J.W. Nixon Football team ready to play this season in 2010.
Myth number one imposed by media representatives other football people I had talked to all summer long
had it wrong. This is not a man that is imposing MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY and that he was to tough on his
players. I did not see that B.S. the whole week I was there. At times Coach Tommy did not see or know I as
there until the end of practice . The days he did see me early on it was the same . He acted did the same
things each day he did without changing because the media was watching.
He asked me on the second day if I had taken pictures of his players. I told him I did. He went on to say "take
as many as you want of the players they are the focus they earned it". I took over 300 pictures all week.
Obviously I am not able to place all of them on our sports news wire service but I am going to try.
As I drove off the parking lot the offensive bus got in front of me . Yea it was slow getting out of the parking
lot. I was still focusing on what I had just heard as I went to my Grand Cherokee Jeep. The defensive bus
was the last to load the players into the bus as I was stepping out of the bus the defensive coordinator was
giving them last minute instructions and when he asked "are you ready", I walked off the bus checking the
last pictures I had taken. When the players did not answer him and the coach paused turned around from
the front of the bus before he sat down. The players without saying a word broke into a stumping of their
thigh pads and clapping all as one. They were ready they got it they understood their hard work over the
summer and one hot difficult week of ten practices was about to become reality. They were in a football
scrimmage with full pads ready to give out punishment to anyone in front of them on the grid iron.
Why I was not surprised? As I got to Memorial Field I could not find a parking slot on Marcella Street in front
of the stadium. The parents had arrived early and beat everyone to the few precious parking slots in front of
the stadium. I had to park across the street hoping the neighbors would not call to have the vehicles
removed. I made sure I had all four wheels on the road and walked into the stadium.
This was going to be one hard morning. As soon as I reached the field level to start taking pictures and
video. The heat was unbearable and it was only 8 AM. What awaited for the football players was going to be
demanding with full pads and they had to do this for a full 45 minutes the scrimmage called for. What one
would do to be young again.
I had been asked the night before at get together Laredo style (carne asada with 100 degree weather
outside) of friends what I expected the next day. My friend Vero had asked if the administrator's would care
for a scrimmage. I was not disappointed. The L.I.S.D Athletic Director Coach Ramirez almost beat us to the
field. His tall presences was seen walking from the upper south entrance (where the administrators park) to
the middle of the field as the players were forming to start their group warm ups. This is a man that could
have been else where with his family or things he needed to do on a Saturday morning but instead he
showed up early. The statement he sent by doing that was priceless.
There are several things I need to say about who was at the stadium. There was several other media groups
there as well. I had invited media reps we have being traveling with the whole week in South Texas to come
by before they leave back to Austin and San Antonio. They stayed until around 10 Am . There was one
media photographer from the valley he left as well at 10 Am. From Laredo besides us from Lrd Sports Wire &
laredo 360 Sports Wire . Laredo Media Sports were there filming and using new high tech cameras to take
stills as well. That was it from the media and all of us that went got a life time of pictures and stories to last
all August from the scrimmage. All good.
The Mustang fans were there. There were friends of the players by the numbers. Not only the normal
girlfriend here and there of some of the players but friends. They were there because they wanted to be
there.
The Mustang parents. Some of them are parents that now have freshmen and sophomores in the mix of
things. They have been there before with their older sons who have played through the rough tough several
years. They came ready. Mariachies , water, and Gatorade. The booster club was there and opened the
concession stands and were cool the parents had brought breakfast tacos and had their own water bottles.
Still they had a busy morning people buying stuff from them. IT was all good NO FIJON big time. That t0 me is
a sign things are working right.
There were a few coaches that came by early from other high school teams in Laredo. The word had been
that the varsity was going to play at 9 AM and the JV freshman right after that. Well, the varsity did not play
until way later in the morning. That’s coaching. It forced those visiting coaches to leave early before the
varsity started playing since most of those coaches had to return to their part of the woods for their Saturday
meetings getting ready for their two a days which starts Monday for the rest of them. Obviously LBJ coaches
were not present they were busy with their own scrimmage. The Del Rio and both Eagle Pass teams did not
send anyone either. In the end the varsity scrimmage only had family, friends and those of us that wanted to
be there till the end.
The scrimmages. I came I saw I noticed I asked questions as I was allowed to be on the sidelines but not on
the field for the scrimmages. What I saw was an extension of what I had seen all week at David Montes fields
those hard hitting plays. There was no let up from the players. They puffed sucked hot Laredo morning air
and fought each other like if there was no tomorrow. Yes, there were a few plays while it started of over
aggressive players on both sides of the ball jumping to get the first hits in. For four plays they had to start
again for early encroachments by the defensive line and early false start by the offensive linemen. They
wanted a piece of someone. Until Coach Tommy called everyone in and went over on getting it right. They
got it the next play the first one that counted went off correctly after four false starts. Aggressive playing on
both sides of the ball all scrimmage is the best way to say it.
They did alternate both strong quarterbacks during the scrimmages in the varsity and since they have deep
on both sides of the ball. They had linemen coming in and out. A surprise was that on both the JV and
Varsity the deep in the secondary was impressive. More on the varsity which had more DB's that brought it.
Mind you there are five Db's with speed that is impressive. I saw that Laredo's history of producing tough
nasty in your face linebackers was present in both JV and Varsity. To me the best quarterback did not throw
a single pass did not run a single play in Varsity. He was a linebacker that brought it on the first series of
plays proved he belongs as linebacker as well. That dude will ride in the defense bus all season long thrust
me on that one.
Coaching. There were a few mistakes out there by the players. Yea were bone heads as any parent that has
had a son play football know that even mi hijto can screw up at times. They are young men not collegian or
professional football players. They are high school players. What I noticed was that there was a plan in place
here that I had seen with my two sons when they were in high school at a school in north Laredo. A player
did a bone head play they were taken out talked to as he was leaving the field by the either the offensive
coordinator or defensive coordinator. Then a second coach would come over to the player and talk with
them then a third . The most important thing I noticed the players on the sideline would come up to the player
and pad him on the helmet or pads. That was impressive. Most of those situations I was right there listening
and what I got my big butt all rattled up was of the 8 players taken out for a bone head play. I was right there
and the players all eight of them were talking shop. They would explain to the coaches what he did wrong
why he did what he did and most of all they were explaining what the play called for. They are there early on
with one week of practice one scrimmage. This is a herd of football players that have been coached well
extremely well. The coaches are have their game face on with 10 practices and one scrimmage. They
earned their small additional pay they get to coach. They should get paid more anyone listening!!!
Trainers: Ok, I was used to seeing three to four trainers on the field for each scrimmage or game. Because
of situations at the school district only one trainer was available. Yes, there were four student trainers but not
four paid trainers like the north schools have. I am concerned that there is only one . I asked around and
that is how it is at several schools across Texas now. Some how some way there has to be a better way in
Texas to get more trainers for each team? So much football passion and with that passion comes the needs
for trainers. Something that perhaps gets better for all the Teams in Texas.
As the teams were leaving I always look at how well disciplined the players are. The better teams in UIL
Region IV I see every year in August have one thing in common. They get it. The things they do on the
sidelines is a telling sign how well they are coached or how deep their discipline is. Here I saw several things
that I will briefly touch on. The Mustang players were united on the sidelines. Yes at times they were quiet but
that was due to the extreme heat of being 95 degrees at 10 Am yesterday. They were all wearing their
helmets at all times. They were encouraging each other on good or bad play they were there for each other.
That tells you tons about how well they are being coached. There was not a single play that I saw from the
sideline while taking pictures that someone missed coming in at the right time from the sideline. And this is a
scrimmage where you figure it would be a mess getting the players to be ready. This herd of Mustangs was
ready for each play.
As the players got to mid field for the final talk through after the scrimmage I always tend to watch both the
coaches and the players. The coaches here were not alone by themselves during the final talks. They were
among the players and yes at the end they stood together as coaches watching the Herd of Mustangs. That
is a sign they are on top of their players. The players when they were called to the middle of the field all tired
and heat related tiredness with them rushed to the middle and all stood with their helmets still on their heads.
Coach Tommy asked them to take them off at that point. They all got to one knee not one of them on their
butts resting. Yes, the scrimmage was over and you expect some of them to sit down. Not one of the Herd of
Mustangs sat on their butts. They took a knee and I saw what I saw at Smithson Valley , what I saw at
Reagan in San Antonio, what I saw at Austin Westlake. They had their helmets in their hands not on the
ground not on their head half off half on. That is a sign of strong character by the players and it comes from
the coaching they have received in 2010.
The Herd of Mustangs I saw was not perfect Saturday morning. But there were only 8 plays that were way
bad the rest were tough in your face contact on both sides of the ball. This Herd of Mustangs will surprise
you along the 2010 season. If all things were equal I would not put it past this current batch of Mustangs to
go 4-0 to start the season. 3-1 maybe. Mark your calendar the fifty game the Herd of Mustangs that reside
on Plum Street in Central Laredo will have their A game much better prepared. That is a game of interest. IF
the Herd pulls it off and go and win that game watch out. IF they play that game with their A game and get
beat will only improve their A game. Either way that game shall be interesting. But as Coach Tommy told me
as I interview him after the game. "Wait Mr. Nuno, I will take one game at a time".
Yea, coach one game at a time. But coach could you tell me what your smile was saying inside of you when I
said 4 - 0 and what you really thought about the fifth game. The myth is broken. The 2010 head coach at
The J.W. Nixon football program has it going brought his A team of coaches. Which brought out a Herd of
Mustangs that have A game in them. Coach Tommy tell us what that smile hid about the 4-0 start and most
of all that fifth game coach. How big is it?
Yea, one game at a time coach said. I want to know about that fifth game that one game what that billion
dollar smile you have is holding back. The two defensive geniuses that gave the Mustangs all those
championships will clash that fifth game. The first scrimmage of 2010 for the Herd of Mustangs from Central
Laredo that roam by Plum street pointed to that fifth game glad I went back to my alma mater to go camping.
Pictures and video of the whole first week can be seen at our sister sports wire group at lrdsportswire.com