"Mustangs Returning To Glory"
By Nuno Sciaraffa c/s
For Lrd Sports Wire & laredo 260 Sports Wire
When the colors and mood changed at a storied football program on Plum Street, the resounding concept on
what it will take to bring back the Green and Gold of The J.W. Nixon Mustang Football program to the level of
its gloried championship past, was sounded when Tommy Ramirez became Head Football Coach and
Campus Sports Coordinator for the 2010 football season.
IF ever there was someone that has the formula and concept on what it took the Mustangs to win high school
football district championships. Is the defensive coordinator during those glory years.
Coach Tommy as many of the parents and players call him took over in the spring of 2010 to make sure of one
thing. That there was a understanding that Nixon was not going to be pushed around anymore. He did a
remarkable personal sacrifice and stepped down from a high paying high profile job as Assistant AD at L.I.S.D.
This happened in earnest not in the spring but in the fall when in one brief moment in sports that stopped the
game to a slow motion. The scene is at a football game Laredo Nixon was in verses a UISD (LBJ) at the
Student Activity Center. While LBJ had never beaten the once powerful Green & Gold Machine of Nixon in
football, this night in the fourth quarter LBJ was taking it home and from the distant mist came a remarkable
moment in Mustang football mystic history.
Walking from the AD boxes on the north End Zone at S.A.C. will go down as a most passionate action taken by
a die-hard Mustang ever. Coach Tommy left symbolically his A.D. hat / cap and took on a Mustang Coaches
cap/hat. He went straight to the defensive unit who had just been scored on by LBJ in the middle of the fourth
quarter and started to get the attention of the players as they all looked up at him from the bench with humbled
eyes.
The passion was to be remembered. From the press box I kept trying to find a place of all the years I have
been in the media if something like this had ever happen. Everyone in the stadium on the Nixon side was
watching as well. That was the moment that should be the starting point of the transformation to bring the glory
back to the Green & Gold at Nixon High School Football.
Yes, as time went by into the early spring in 2010 the change was made and L.I.S.D. made the change and
Coach Tommy became the head football coach. Just in time to save the 2010 fall season in April of 2010. He
guided the team through spring workouts without having traditional spring two week training but instead went
with the development of the existing players that were coming back in the fall of 2010. Coach Tommy instead
regrouped the players and sent out notice to any coach that had Green & Gold in their blood to come join him
in his quest to bring back the glory years again with the current players now at Nixon.
Look at what Coach Tommy has done. He brought the coaches that had made a difference years ago when
they were winning 5 championships in a row. The running back coach, the linebacker coach, the defensive
back coach and the defensive coach they wanted came back to the Mustangs.
With the offensive coordinator Coach Colin in place the receiver coach and linemen coach were in place.
Things started to get together for them in June and July of 2010. They had the coaches in place now the call of
the wild to bring the Mustangs charging back to come play for the Green & Gold once again was issued.
This week the thundering Mustang band of football players showed up in numbers. The first day of practice was
amazing with so many players showing up in shape. By this morning Nixon has gained 10 football players a day
and more are expected as school starts soon. The word was spreading around central Laredo among the
students. The herd was back get on board now and they did.
On the second day the practices were in full station participation across David Montes field. This time there
was a qualified coach doing what they do best coach their specific group of Mustang football players. Coach
Tommy directing the symphony like it was the Boston POP's. As I was taking pictures from the middle of the
field watching the offense on 7 on 7 against the defense 7 on 7. The place was electric.
Coming off 6 years watching two of my sons in a high powered offense when they played high school football, I
was looking for the things that had made them set record in passing and offensive achievements. There were
there. The receivers were on the same page with the quarterbacks. The passing by their two quarter backs
fighting for the position was a marvel to watch. The pieces so early in the two a days were paving the way.
This is now Friday and the first day of pads. Yesterday the last thing the Mustangs did was scream as they
were done with their work on Thursday. The coaches were telling them that Friday would be PAD day. The
screams were let out by the players all at once. They were pumped and ready.
This morning, as the Mustangs were going through their practices in full pads for the first time. The effort was
seen on all stations. The Mustangs were in full swing getting their work in for tomorrow they will have their first
scrimmage. Mind you it will be against their own players. The best offensive player’s vs. the best defensive
players in freshmen, JV and Varsity. Yes. Nixon has now enough players to make three teams and growing. By
the end of August I feel they will have a two freshman team format and a strong JV in numbers that will be
pushing to get to the varsity fast.
I watched the defensive units today and the motivation the coaches were placing on the players was rubbing off
on the players. They were in rotations since they have several now deep in each position. They were edging
to get back for each play and play they did. The hitting across David Montes field made you want to put pad as
the parents and side line buddies were saying they wanted to do watching and hearing the hitting going on.
A strong practice ended and they were ready to face their first full inner scrimmage tomorrow. I will leave it at
this for now. Tomorrow the Herd is coming out to play against each other and I know the 2010 Mustangs will
give plenty to write about after their scrimmages. More tomorrow.