This past Saturday, two powerhouse high school football teams set out for a showdown in the Lone Star State: Texas’ Cedar Hill v. Nevada’s Bishop Gorman. It was our game of the week here at TexasHSFootball—even if it wasn’t our game of the week, there was no way you could have kept me from seeing this match up. It was seemingly too perfect. You have two nationally ranked teams, both with outstanding quarterbacks. Cedar Hill’s gunslinger is the strong-armed and fleet footed Avery Davis vs. one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation in Tate Martell. With Davis committed to Notre Dame and Martell committed to Ohio State—Could this match up be any better?
I knew going into the game that the team that came out and set the tone early would most likely come away with the victory. Being down on the sideline I was able to scout the guys out, get a feel for the game. After all, the weight of the republic of Texas was on Cedar Hill, and it was nationally televised on ESPN 2—you’re going to be psyched to play this game! Cedar Hill looked confident and ready to play, and they showed it on the very first play. Cedar Hill absolutely pounded quarterback Tate Martell on the first snap for the Gaels. It was one of those hits that seemed to echo through the stadium, it felt like you could feel it in your bones. It was a sack and a loss of about seven yards. After that play you would have thought that the Longhorns would have continued to lay on the pressure, but from that point the wind was slowly let out of their sails as the Bishop Gorman Gaels came away with 44 unanswered points to the Cedar Hill Longhorns 14. It was a devastating loss for the fans, but even more so for the Longhorns.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Cedar Hill’s head coach Joey McGuire and talk with him about the game, and what he’s doing to get the team ready for their game against Mansfield this week.
What did you see during the game that you weren’t expecting?
“On film they didn’t seem to be as physical as they played on Saturday. They had things on the defensive side of the ball that were brand new…it was very frustrating.”
With all the emotion of Saturdays game, how do you get your players back up for the game this weekend?
“Mansfield got us 3 out of the last 4 years—They’re (Cedar Hill) a great group of young men, it won’t take a lot to get them focused on the challenge this weekend.”
There’s so much talk about the team lingering in the social media world from last week, and high expectations for them going forward. What are you doing or telling them this week to be sure they’re ready?
“I’m trying to quiet the noise—by getting rid of all the external noise we can focus on the game this week. What matters most is what we expect of each other, and what our community expects from us.”
I have to ask you this next question, even though I think I know the answer. How are you dealing with the late hits and cheap shots?
“We ran them hard yesterday! You have to be accountable for your actions on and off the field—we addressed the issue as a team. A lot of what you saw was retaliation to them (Bishop Gorman) getting shots in first. They reacted out of frustration. That doesn’t excuse the action in any way, and they know that.”
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Our conversation ended with Coach McGuire sharing things that he talks to his players about daily like accountability, integrity and honor. He referenced these things; and I had flashbacks to my days with Coach Coughlin in Jacksonville. He went on and discussed the integrity of the young men he has on his team, and how they can best accomplish the win next week. He said, “It starts with accountability to each other”. That, in my opinion, is what makes good teams great.
Our conversation today left me with a feeling that there is something a whole lot more special going on at Cedar Hill than producing a great football team. After all, facing adversity is part of life. It’s not wether or not you’re going to have a loss in life or in football, it’s how you react to it that matters most. Coach McGuire’s resolve to learn from this loss will have them ready to meet the challenge next week, but the lessons learned will also undoubtedly serve these young men for a lifetime. That’s Texas High School Football.
