Feel the Sorrow of Panther Nation!

What in the world is HE talking about now?? I know that’s the question going through your minds right now…

Panther Nation, is none other than, Lufkin, Texas.

The town, the community, lost a leader of not only football players on the gridiron, but also a teacher, and a friend to many!

Last Friday morning, two days before Christmas, John Outlaw was out for his morning jog, and came home, and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital after paramedics tried to revive him in his house, and in-route to the ER, only to lose the battle.

John Outlaw was dead at the age of 58.

Now--- WHO was John Outlaw?

I could give you his resume’ like everyone else has done in the media, but I have another side to John Outlaw that I would like to tell you about.

John Outlaw, the person, the one outside of the football field, and his Athletic Director position, was someone who cared about his kids.  His players, the parents of his players, and those who would just go to the games at Abe Martin Stadium, because they have lived, breathed, ate, slept, Lufkin High School Football.

This was a person who once he took the Coaching hat off, would sit and talk about all sorts of topics, that were important to not just him, but of his Community!  He would discuss the direction of education, but he would also talk about the direction of Lufkin, and the direction of what the state of our society was in.

He would use a catch phrase, when he was about to make his point, and drive it home on you…”There’s NO Question……” and then he would give you the reason why there was NO question about his answer!

Now he would do this also when he was giving “Coach Speak” on his team or the opponent he was bout to do battle against on a Friday Night in Texas!

John Outlaw died, as he lived, with energy, and with a drive, a purpose!

I am sure that there will be a few hundred (if not thousands) that will attend his funeral on the 27^th of December in Lufkin,  at the only place, outside of the stadium, that can hold such a service, at the Middle School!

I had the pleasure of dealing with him for two and half years, while I worked for a radio station in Lufkin, from 1999 to 2001, and the fact was that he was the most genuine person I met, he informed me of how this community is united, and comes together for each other, and even for the new people who have arrived in the town.  Just like myself, he wanted to make sure that I was welcomed, and gave me some advice, and introduced me to people who would be instrumental in helping me settle in.

John Outlaw will leave a void, the school, the community and of course his family!

As the saying goes, the good die too young! And in this case, it’s the truth!

Just a thought!

A Perfect Season Ends-- Let's Leave it at That!

I have been reading, and hearing, with some dismay, about how Skyline High School was "robbed" in the State Semi-finals last Saturday night.

Let me preface by saying, I am a Skyline Alum, and I was at the game, I saw the entire game, every play, every down, and Skyline out-played Southlake Carroll, up and down the field.  Some questionable calls from the coaches have me scratching my head, like going for it on 4th an 1 from near midfield and not making it, but the Defense held and Southlake didn't score.

OH! WAIT! Thats the entire point!

Skyline's complaint, from parents, and boosters, to alumnus and anyone else involved, have said, that Carroll's onside kick with 1:07 left in the game, didn't go 10 yards, and that they stole the game. NO they DIDN'T! They beat Skyline, because their defense didn't stop the  Dragons from scoring on a 38 yard run to give them the 28-24 victory.

You see folks, it all comes down to this--- so the call didn't go your way--- so you didn't get the ball and run out the clock-- you had that opportunity earlier in the game when you were up by 10.

The Dragons were able to score-- get the ball back, and gave themselves the chance to win and they did!

Whining about it, and making calls to the UIL will only make you look like whiners. That is NOT what we (Skyline) are about- our motto of the school-- PRIDE and UNITY!Well live it-- PRIDE in what they did for a season and being United as a community of the school and pass students of this institution!

These kids did an outstanding job-- they kept their grades up so they could stay eligible, they played their butts off during the season to run the table-- they were 14-0 going into the game against Carroll and they came up short.

In LIFE, we have winners and we have losers-- not every one gets a medal pass a certain age... the Steelers didn't get miniature trophies for losing Super Bowl XVL, they walked off the field and got dressed and left the stadium.... the Rangers didn't get anything for losing game 7 of the World Series. they just packed their bags, got on an airplane and flew back to Texas.

So Skyline loses-- and for that they will learn a valuable lesson, they had the game in their hands-- they didn't finish the job, they came up short on their accomplishment, of stopping Carroll for scoring on their last possession.... that truly is the bottom line!

Just a thought!