Bulldogs Ready Surprises For New Season
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – Crockett Independent School District (CISD) Varsity Bulldogs will take the field for their first official game Friday, Aug. 30 against Caldwell at Monte Jack Driskell Stadium with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. All eyes will be on the kids, of course, but also on CISD Athletic Director and Bulldog Head Coach Jody Jordan, as he goes into his second year leading the team.
“Senior night is our home opener and the kids are excited about it,” Jordan said. “They’re excited with what we’re doing, in all phases of the game – about our new offense and about some tweaks to our defense.”
Jordan took over the program unexpectedly after the previous coach left abruptly, leaving Jordan to work to reshape and remake the program. One of his first tasks was to bring confidence back to the players and coaches and put his own philosophy and ideas to work. The team had a rebuilding season last year, finding its place, but making great strides in turning the various athletes and coaches into a team, getting them to hold their heads high, work together and be motivated to be better players – and better men.
After the tough season last year, Jordan told The Messenger the kids are resilient and learned from their losses and were going to bounce back. A changed attitude amongst the players had been noted by teachers, impressed by the positive changes Jordan seemed to be having on the young men.
“I talk about the ‘ABC’s.’ A for academics. I want to talk about B, behavior. I’m talking about C, character,” Jordan explained at the time. “Whether they do them right all the time or not, they know them. Number one, be on time. Two, give maximum effort. Number three, repeat one and two. We do things in processes and routines and lay out expectations so they know what is expected of them.”
After returning from the coaches’ conference last week in San Antonio, Jordan took a moment to sit down and give a preview of this year’s season. While he wouldn’t give away anything specific, he promised fans and opponents might just be in for a surprise when the Bulldogs hit the field this year.
“They’d better be ready for Crockett…” Jordan said, mysteriously.
The team is facing some tough teams this year: New Waverly, Centerville, Tarkington, Westwood, Huntington, Diboll, Fairfield – among others – but Jordan has a sparkle in his eye, given the success the boys had over the summer and some of those secret plans he is keeping close to his chest.
“We feel good about the season,” Jordan said. “We think we can be competitive with everybody and we play to win games.”
Jordan is not only head coach for the football squad, he also oversees the entire athletic department, with all boys and girls sports coming under his purview. There are a lot of new faces this year in all of the sports: new basketball coach, baseball coach, girls’ cross country coach and new powerlifting coach. The program is getting attention and attracting talent from all over the state, with the new powerlifting coach – a recent graduate from Sam Houston – participating in the national championships in Atlanta this summer and bringing new enthusiasm and experience to the program. Jordan noted the program he is building is advancing on its own – when he got to the school that morning at 6:30 a.m., the cross country kids were already half-way through practice.
Jordan was also proud of one his players in particular, linebacker Jim Carruthers, who has received a full scholarship offer to play for Sul Ross State University in Alpine.
It’s not just tactics and strategy Jordan teaches the student athletes. Many of the positive changes come from his own life philosophy, which teaches kids to not only be accountable for their actions, but to create the small moves in life which lead to better outcomes.
“The choices we make are our habits. The habits that will take us to the future, good or bad. So if you make bad choices, you have bad habits and bad things happen,” Jordan explained. “The work ethic we want is gradually creeping in.”
Jordan, who grew up in a small community, has taken to the Crockett atmosphere, being close to his students and the program he is molding and shaping.
“I love being close to the kids if they need something,” Jordan concluded. “Just about 24/7, if they need something, I try to be here to help.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
