A Little Slice of Football Heaven

Coach Butch Davis prays with his team before a game. (Photo: Lara Solt DMN)

Just about halfway between the Texas and Oklahoma border, an hour north of Dallas, sits a small town named Celina. Any normal passerby might assume it to be another normal country town in a state filled with hundreds more. Most any Texan, however, will tell you just how mistaken you are. Celina is known around these parts as a town boasting a famous athletic program that includes a football team that once won 68 games in a row according to Texas Football. What impressed me, though, is the spirit surrounding the community of Celina and the traditions that define the football team and town as a whole.


The Bobcats are well-known for their state championship caliber teams, and while that is impressive, the real story is how they manage to win so many games year in and year out. Every small school I attended suffered from the reality that was graduation. Some classes were extremely athletic and some were not, but Celina has managed to find talent and continue to win. 

Clips of the Celina football team in Kenny Chesney's "The Boys of Fall." (Video: courtesy of YouTube)

Perhaps the most longstanding of their traditions is the Quarterback Club that dedicates itself to their "Boys of Fall." This is no ordinary booster club. Most schools have an organization for parents to join that enables them to raise funds for new equipment and activities for the season. This group goes a step beyond just fundraising. 


According to their website, the Quarterback Club has a weekly meeting every Thursday at 5:30 a.m. Yes that’s right… in the morning. Each member attends a breakfast for their update on the Bobcat football team’s status. They get together to discuss scouting reports for future games and watch the previous week’s film with the coaching staff. I cherish every minute of sleep I can get. So the fact that these people start their day even earlier for a football team is one of the simple reasons this team is so special. 


Cassidee Ferry's family moved to Celina after she had moved to college. She said, "I've never seen anything like it. I thought football was big in other places, but the things they do here give a new meaning to the sport." 


I haven’t seen anything like the warmth that surrounds the Bobcat football team anywhere I have lived. The family atmosphere is clearly evidenced by the involvement of the parents of the players. According to Sandy Ferry, a resident of Celina and football mother, the father of each player escorts them to the field before the big rivalry game against Pilot Point High School. The mothers, not to be outdone, decorate the locker room each Monday in a new theme for that week’s opponent.

Many residents are convinced the reason behind their continued success is a strong Christian belief system. Former head coach G.A. Moore, was a huge proponent of instilling Christian values in his players, according to an article written during their state championship bid of 2008. Moore’s successor and longtime colleague Butch Davis was quoted as saying, "We preach it. When you get God to consider in your life, you're in pretty good shape. Good things happen." 

A sign outside the football field posting records. (Photo: Tom Grisak)

When you win as many games as Celina has, you tend to create some enemies. Even though the jealousy is evident, I have seen respect from competitors who can only help but admire what they have done. Celina is definitely “Texas high school football at its best” as their website proclaims, and I cannot do it justice. It is something everyone must experience for themselves.

"My father never got to see me play. You play for your fathers tonight."                                                                                                      -- Anonymous