Category: Howe News Bulletin

Back in 2013, a tall slow walking Texan was hired to revamp a football program that was coming off of consecutive 2-8 seasons.  No one knew much about Zack Hudson at the time, except for the superintendent and school board who met with him and were highly impressed.  It has been said before that Hudson separated himself from the pack and had made himself the clear and obvious choice for hire.

Hudson, who recently accepted the head coaching position at Class 4A Mabank, came to a different Howe than it is today and he is responsible for many of the upgrades.  In 2013, the downtown Howe area was like a deserted movie set, the old First Christian Church was still dilapidated, Summit Hill had streets but no homes as if someone changed their mind about Howe.  While the look of the town nearly scared his wife, the athletic facilities somewhat matched the city.  Hudson immediately went to work.  The young and hungry coach and athletic director quickly showed his meticulous character that is near obsessive to attention to detail.  He was exactly the right guy at the right time.

The class of 2013 male athlete was typical in appearance from many small schools around here, but Hudson immediately implemented a weightlifting program and running program which gradually changed the look of the typical Howe athlete.  The summer before his first football season in the fall of 2013, Hudson had instituted a non-mandatory, peer pressured mandatory workout session.  Kids got off the couches and started making strides to better themselves and the Bulldogs athletic program.

A problem was the ability to have the kids buy into a program when the field house facilities looked as they did at Bulldog Stadium in 2013.  A five-year plan had been in place to upgrade all facilities including the baseball field and the addition of a softball field on the athletic campus grounds.  Hudson, who will say that he is not, IS a salesman and was able to speed up the five-year plan to one.  In February of 2014, the 1960s portion of the old field house was obliterated which left only the 1989 weight room standing.  A matching metal building was placed at an equal distance to the south, for aesthetic purposes to satisfy Hudson’s acute attention to detail.  A brand new scoreboard went up on the south end of the field and was moved to the east side of the field from the west so Hudson could easily see it better.  The pressbox which was built in 1981 and a level added to it in 1991 came down and was replaced with an upgraded facility.  The Howe Bulldog Victory Light was removed, but that would reappear in the downtown area at the end of the 2014 football season as the city had also begun to upgrade the look and feel of the town.  A new ticket office was placed at the entrance of the stadium with a wrought iron fence surrounding the area.  A little over a year after Hudson’s arrival, the Bulldog athletes romped the oldest active stadium in North Texas with pride.  Eventually, the new softball field was completed and the baseball field was upgraded.   Press boxes and a concessions area were placed at each field.  Without Hudson, the facilities would not have transformed from a Sanford and Son appearance to the feel of ‘moving on up like George and Weezie.’  He also took the booster club to another level which helped to financially back his vision.  It took the right guy at the right time.

Not only was Hudson transforming hallowed grounds, he was formulating a plan to transform the football program.  One afternoon late in 2013 as he was working on stadium turf once covered in Dallisgrass, Hudson whispered that he had figured it out.  He was going to search for a guy who could implement the slot-T offense.  Hudson explained that Howe will rarely have large linemen and a dead-ringer quarterback (which historically has come around once every 30 years in this town).  He explained that Howe will always have an abundance of quick guards and hungry kids.  Hudson immediately talked of East Bernard who had recently won the state championship due to the slot-T scheme.  He then ripped off a half a dozen other schools including Waskom that were using this offense to do things that young defensive coaches had never defended.  That afternoon Hudson walked away with a look on his face that he had just discovered the secret code to Fort Knox.  It wasn’t long before he had found his man in Dale West to implement that slot-T offense and we all know what happened 13,269 rushing yards later.  Hudson was right.

The tall athletic director’s knack for hiring great coaches is right up there with his abilities to improve a football program.  Along with West, he was able to land a former athletic director in Wes Rhoten and a dual football and basketball coach in Tim Short.  After his staff was picked over and hired in other places, he once again stockpiled his staff with former athletic directors with a lot of experience including the popular Mike Segleski and the passionate highly qualified head basketball coach Eric Johns.

Hudson’s meticulousness led to him becoming Howe’s all-time leader in playoff wins among the 25 coaches in Howe history dating back to 1935.  Nicknamed the “Riverboat Gambler”, by way of taking fourth-down chances, he also will leave Howe with 30 overall wins which rank him fourth out of 25 only behind Norman Dickey, Jim Fryar, and Davey DuBose.

The play on the field is usually a direct reflection of the head coach and none exemplified that more than Tanner Hartsfield and Andrew Griffin, coincidentally the two players that spent the most time with Hudson.  The two played hard-nosed, full speed, bruising play from the linebacker position which was exactly what Hudson craved.  It earned the players a truckload of gold footballs to boot.  It also earned them a vastly different appearance than the Class of 2013.  With four years in the program, the kids that are walking out of athletics now look like Class 3A big school athletes.  Bigger, stronger, and faster kids help head coaches elevate their careers and Hudson has just done that.

There is no question that Howe ISD made the right choice in 2013 and now they find themselves strapped with the need to do so again.  Howe’s Superintendent Kevin Wilson is a former coach who certainly knows a good one when he sees one.  He hired the right guy at the right time.

The Howe High School Chapter of the Business Professional of American competed on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Regional Leadership Conference in Grand Prairie.

Eight students attended along with their sponsors, Mrs. Dianne Teafatiller, Business Teacher, and Mr. Travis Johnson, Technology Teacher.  Students competed in a total of four events including two individual events and two team events.

For the individual event, Amanda Miller, sophomore, qualified for the State meet in Corpus Christ in February for her excellent work in Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications and was awarded a plaque. Marissa Agee, a freshman, competed in Fundamentals of Word Processing and was awarded a medal for making Alternate.

The Video Production Team members: Freshmen, Jaedyn Tiller and Brooklyn Vallier, and Sophomore, Ryan Haile competed well and learned much about this event. The Parliamentary Procedures Team including Hannah Brown, senior, with sophomores, Amanda Miller, Micaela Wade, and Elizabeth Bollin was awarded a medal for making Alternate for State.

The Howe BPA chapter will continue to strive for excellence as they develop professionalism and leadership while preparing for careers in a world-class workforce.

Howe ISD will soon be challenged to find themselves a new athletic director and head football coach.  It could be the third consecutive year that there is a completely new staff in place depending on if any of the current coaches follow Zack Hudson to Class 4A Mabank ISD where he recently accepted the head football coaching position.  A lot depends on which direction the superintendent and school board want to go in.  But in Texas, like it or not, one must admit that having a good football coach is as important or more important than the marquee sign that welcomes new folks to the city.  But the job of athletic director is much different.  It requires someone who can and be willing to survey the fields and courts from say 500 feet above all sports, not just football.  It’s an interesting dynamic in small school Texas athletics.  Nine times out of 10, the head football coach is the athletic director.  For one, football is the cash cow and where 90 percent of the money is generated.  However, a good athletic director has to be able to distribute the proper time and dollars into other areas.  This is where the challenge lies in small Texas schools.

Knowing that it is important for the ISD to have a good football coach, the role of athletic director is often granted to the good coaches because of the power and salary bump that comes with it.  When a head football coaching position is posted which does not also have the title of athletic director associated with it, the pool of candidates diminishes greatly.  Sherman ISD recently has gone through this by not giving the title of athletic director to their head football coach.  The results were not good for the fans, players, and parents of the Sherman Bearcats for a decade.  One might argue that the lack of a proud maroon-wearing fan base might have been the difference between a mega bond failing instead of passing.  But that’s Sherman.  You could look right here at a Howe coach and go back just a couple of years at an interesting scenario where Eric Johns served in Gainesville as the athletic director and head varsity basketball coach.  Nothing wrong with that for sure, especially for basketball fans and parents.  But Johns was also an assistant football coach under the head coach which ultimately worked for him.  Huh?  Those situations can disrupt the chain of command and usually, those stories end in bitterness and a Paul Harvey ending.

Before anyone gets too excited about any possible candidate, the hiring process has not yet begun as no school board motion has been made.  The possibilities we will mention are all under contract and may not even apply for the position.  There will more than likely be 150 to 200 applicants for this job and there will be excellent choices and there will also be diamonds in the rough that will no doubt be missed.

Again, not to stir things up, but not sure if you noticed but the wind of the rumor mill picked up through town this week.  The mill kicked into high gear from some students, parents, and fans who made it known that they want the ISD to bring Dale West back.  Zack Hudson has shown to be a master at hiring good coaches in Howe and the hiring of West helped him earn a record of 26-12 while he was here.    The overwhelmingly popular West left for Collinsville a year ago to take over as athletic director and head football coach and well deservingly so.  West, while the Bulldogs offensive coordinator, led Howe in the Slot-T offense to an astonishing 13,269 rushing yards in three seasons (349 rushing yards per game), 6.87 yards per carry, 152 rushing touchdowns (four rushing touchdowns per game), and eight playoff games, five of which were wins and all were against teams far more athletic than Howe.  If you want to expand on West and what he brings to the table, there’s his unmistakable uplifting and encouraging and fiery attitude that is infectious not only to the kids but also to the community.  West and his friends have raised thousands of dollars for several years now to deliver Thanksgiving meals to those in need.  That kind of trait is much more important to hand down to a 15-year-old boy than to be able to cut block a defensive end.  But West also is a sincere and honorable man who would be hard-pressed to make a commitment to Collinsville and not see it through, regardless of his affection for Howe.  However, that’s how the job works and that’s how you elevate your career.  Besides, the Howe athletic director and head coach position does pay more than Collinsville one would assume.  In West’s first year as an athletic director, we can with authority say that Collinsville’s girls’ volleyball and basketball improved exponentially from the year prior which indicates that he understands the role of athletic director as well as head coach in football.  By the way, his Pirates made the playoffs and beat a district champion which was far more athletic than them.  Seems to be a pattern.

If West were to come back to Howe after a one-year absence of landing his first head coaching and athletic director position, it would not be the first time in Howe’s history for that to happen.  In 1988, Howe ISD made two young hires for the Friday night sidelines – Ricky Ake for the trainer and Joey McQueen as an offensive assistant.   McQueen was labeled a “can’t miss” coach and was swooped up by Bells ISD to lead the Panthers in 1989.  He did so and took them to their longest playoff run in history that year.  But when Howe’s Jim Fryar left for Jacksboro, calls were made from students, parents, and Howe ISD members to try and get McQueen back to Howe.  Emotionally, for McQueen it was a tough decision to leave Bells after the success they had, the relationships he had made and with the arrow pointed straight up, but that’s how the job works and that’s how you elevate your career.

Another option is to hire from within which didn’t produce the results Howe was looking for in the last situation this occurred.  Upon Cory Crane’s unexpected and shocking resignation after the 2010 fantastic football season, Howe elevated Joe Watson from defensive coordinator to head coach and athletic director.  Watson, a wonderful human being, and good football coach didn’t have the chips to play with as the head coach that he did as an assistant and he survived only two seasons as the leader of the ‘Dogs.  The “buzz” from kids, parents, and fans as their favorite choice among current coaches that Howe could elevate and lead the program would be current Defensive Coordinator Mike Segleski.  He’s had experience in that role previously at Aubrey.

The other option is to just open it up and hire a brand new person to the program.  A new athletic director and head coach would likely be given a year to settle in before any sudden expectations of winning would be applied, especially with the Bulldogs coming off of a 1-9 season in 2017.  A brand new coach would have to be indoctrinated into the Bulldog traditions, that unless he has some familiarity to Howe from the past.  That brings up again Joey McQueen that has made it known that he wants to move back to the North Texas area to be near his grown children that have given him grandchildren near here.  McQueen became Howe’s 17^th head coach back in 1990 when he took over for Fryar and immediately led Howe to the bi-district title and regional championship game in 1990 as well as winning the district championship the following year in 1991 (still ranks statistically as the sixth best team in school history).  He left Howe after the 1992 season to lead the Mason Cowpunchers, where he resumed his playoff success.  McQueen’s only time since 1989 to not be a head coach was a two-year period when he was an assistant at Hardin-Simmons University.  McQueen, who is currently the athletic director and head coach at Comfort ISD would be an interesting choice to once again lead the Bulldogs not only because of his familiarity to the school, his long documented record of leadership, but because he is a professional athletic director who’s experience that allows for him to see the role of all athletic programs, not just football.  It was McQueen who hired Tim Rose to be the head basketball coach in 1990 to help with the struggling program after it was all but squashed before his arrival.  McQueen’s fingerprints are still all over Howe due to his impact he had in his short time.  Those who were highly influenced by McQueen are community leaders now.  HHS Cheerleading Coach Pam Kirby, Community Bible Fellowship Associate Pastor Jesse Farrer, and even this economic developer and journalist all credit McQueen’s leadership as engines for theirs.

For the football fan, those will seek only the one who can get the Victory Light turned on after the games.  For the non-football sports parent, they seek someone who will let their kid practice said sport even during football season.  For those with a dog in the hunt, they just want someone who cares – someone who will not dog-cuss their kid, someone who will get after them when they are doing wrong and tells them that he loves them in the end.  They want someone that can create another generation of leaders in our community and be able to immediately point at the person who influenced them to better themselves because that person cared about them.

This could  be a fairly quick process because the coaching staff is down three coaches at the moment and if any left with Hudson, that will create a dire situation.  But looking at those involved in this process between the school board and the coaches mentioned, they all lay their heads down and night and pray to the same Lord about their future and His desires.  And as a parent of an athlete, that’s already a victory.

Howe, TX – Robert Arthur Jensen, from Howe, TX, was born into this world on July 28, 1938 and departed this world on January 5, 2018, at the age of 79, at the Woodlands in Denison, TX after learning of a cancer diagnosis.

Bob, otherwise known as “Shady”, was born in Elgin, Nebraska to Arthur M. and Helen (Nelson) Jensen. He graduated from Meadow Grove, Nebraska then joined the United States Air Force at the age of 17. His service entry started on September 12, 1955, when Bob enlisted as an Airman at Perrin Air Force Base. After returning home from the service, Bob immediately entered the workforce. He had several business adventures including, owning J & H (Jensen & Helm) Gulf, which he could recite the phone number up to recently, he served as vice president of the Howe Chamber of Commerce in 1972 and was active in the community. Bob retired from Hale Manufacturing Company where he served many years. Back in his younger days, Bob loved to spend his weekends on the dance floor across the Red River at the Amvets where he served as Commander at one time. He enjoyed being anywhere that offered and played good country music. As many knew, Bob could light up the dance floor with his dancing and would ask any woman to dance, married or not. He returned home to Nebraska to attend his 20-year class reunion tagging along with his young son and friend for ballroom dancing. Bob enjoyed rooting for his Nebraska Cornhuskers and would show his spirit every chance he could. Bob had a passion for ranching, loved raising and riding horses, and loved spending time with his Yorkie, Patches, whom he adored.

Bob spent his final weeks being cared for by the wonderful staff on the 400 hall of the Woodlands. On behalf of the family, we thank each and every one of you for the love and respect that you expressed to Bob. A deep gratitude is especially appreciated for the nurses who never failed to go above and beyond to make sure that he was comfortable.

Bob is survived by his caregiver and long-time friend, Mary Spencer, best friend, Lewis Simpson, both from Howe, TX, daughters, Donna Bellamy, Vanessa Walters, both from Whitesboro, TX, and Tiffany Smith and husband Michael of Tyler, TX, son, Danny Jensen of Sherman, TX, step-sons, Jeffery Spencer and Wesley Spencer; sister Deloris and husband Willard Freeman of Norfolk, Nebraska, and brother-in-law, Jim Kacura of Primeville, Oregon; brother- and sister-in-laws, Glendale and Karen Johnson of Omaha, Nebraska, Ronald and Sheryl Johnson of Holliday, Texas, David and Sue Johnson of Lake Kiowa, Texas, Harley Johnson of Gainesville, TX, and Nona and Harry Little also of Gainesville, Texas. He also leaves behind sixteen grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and several nieces, nephews, and friends.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Jensen; sons James and Jimmy Jensen; his parents, Arthur and Helen Jensen; his step-mother, Myrtle Jensen; sisters Marjorie Jensen-Bergan and JoAnn Jensen-Kucera; and the mother of his children, Patsy Goldston.

A come-and-go memorial was held for Bob on Saturday, January 13, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Family Life Center at Waldo Funeral Home. Bob wished to be cremated, and therefore, a private family burial will be held at a later date.

Early Sunday morning, January 14, 2018 at 01:47 am, Howe Sgt. Kieth Milks stopped a silver 1999 Ford Taurus on northbound U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic violation. Sgt. Milks detected signs of nervousness in the driver and passengers.  Once backup arrived, he deployed Howe PD’s new K9 “Loki.”  Loki alerted to the odor of narcotics and during the probable cause search of the vehicle which allowed Sgt. Milks recovered three handguns from under each seat and 15 one-gram packets of marijuana packaged for sale that no one claimed and all had access to. Milks arrested the driver and two passengers and charged them all with POM < 2oz and weapons charges. One of the passengers was a convicted felon and was also charged with Unlawful possession of a firearm.

The arrested and their charges were:

19-year-old Kemond Taylor of Dallas: POM < 2oz, Unlawful carrying of a weapon.
18-year-old TC Jeffrey III of Dallas: POM < 2oz, Unlawful carting of a weapon.
21-year-old Jordan Thomas of Dallas: POM < 2oz, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

Howe’s Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Zack Hudson made the announcement this morning to his players that he will not be returning next fall to lead the Bulldogs.  Instead, he has accepted the position of head football coach at Mabank ISD and will be leading the Class 4A, Division I Panthers.   It is not an athletic director position which will allow him more time with his family during the football off-season.  Hudson will able to build his own football staff.

Hudson came to Howe back in 2013 to be closer to his ill grandfather.  After his grandfather’s passing a year ago, Hudson had declined several job offers but the Mabank position stood out as one he couldn’t turn down.

Apart from his 30-28 winning record (which was 29-19 heading into 2017), most playoff wins in school history, and turning a football program around that had back-to-back 2-8 seasons, Hudson’s long-lasting imprint on Howe may his improvements to the facilities in such a short time that had originally been planned out as a five-year process.  Prior to Hudson’s arrival, the Bulldog Stadium field house, restrooms, and press facilities were dilapidated, the softball fields were still across the track, the bleachers were tight at Bulldog Stadium, and the baseball field had make-shift metal dugouts.

“We’ve accomplished a lot in five years,” said Hudson.  “When we had our first big track meet here in years, we were up in the bleachers and we had just finished up the softball fields.  There was softball game going on, a baseball game going, and a track meet going all at the same time and there were people everywhere.  It was packed and I’ll never forget that moment.”

As far as football achievements, beating Hughes Springs in a bi-district playoff game in Van, Texas stood out to Hudson as one of his most fond memories as the leader of the Howe Bulldogs.

“We’ve had a lot of good coaches and great players.  It’s been a great five years,” said Hudson.  “It’s hard to point out one thing that sticks because there’s so much.”

When asked whether he felt the vast improvement from his time here in five years, Hudson said he couldn’t answer that question because he wasn’t here then.

“I can just comment on what we’ve been able to accomplish while I’ve been here,” said Hudson.  “With our baseball teams, basketball teams, and softball teams getting in the playoffs, I feel like a lot of things were accomplished here and I feel like Howe stepped up and have risen to a different level now.  And I hope the next guy they hire takes it even higher.”

Huson said the hardest part of leaving Howe is departing from the administration and friends and says that he couldn’t ask more from Superintendent Kevin Wilson and what Howe ISD has provided in support.

Hudson will take over a Mabank team that went 1-9 a year ago and haven’t had a winning record since 2006 when they went 6-5.  Bud Hudson says he’s just the guy to revamp a program just as he did in Howe.

“My personality is usually one that fits better when people need a restructure and I think that’s why Mabank was attracted to me,” said Hudson.  “I don’t know if I feel comfortable taking over a program where they’ve been winning and winning and I just have to keep it going.  I’ve never done that before.  I like doing things that people say can’t be done.  If you tell me I can’t do something or I don’t have a chance, well I’m going to try and prove you wrong.”

Hudson is excited about the fact that Mabank has turf and he will not have to stripe a football field again.  However, those who know Hudson realize that he will more than likely miss the area of sports horticulture.

On his way out the door, Hudson wanted to convey his gratitude to the Bulldog Nation and wished them the best of luck.  He will take over at Mabank in two weeks.

Where does Zack Hudson stack up in Bulldog Coaching History?

Playoff wins (first) 

Zack Hudson (5)
Jim Fryar (4)

Wins (fourth)

Norman Dickey, 51
Jim Fryar, 41
Davey DuBose, 34
Zack Hudson, 30

A Celebration of Life for Christopher Lewis Troxtell, 69, of Howe, Texas will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, January 13, 2018, at First United Methodist Church in Howe, Texas. Graveside services will follow at Hall Cemetery in Howe, Texas. The family will receive friends on Friday, January 12, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Scoggins Funeral Home in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Chris was born April 29, 1948, in Howe, Texas to Clessie Arthur Troxtell and Annie Luerene Haws. He married the love of his life Margaret Ann McDonough on March 12, 1971. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Howe and served in the United States Army from 1968-1970. Chris worked at Magni-Fab Southwest as a Quality Assurance Inspector for 30 years and owned his own painting business for several years prior. While raising his children he served as Troop 45 Scoutmaster, coached multiple youth Sports, and helped with multiple 4H and FFA livestock projects. He served on Church committees and multiple organizations during his life.

Chris is survived by his wife Margaret of Howe, his son Thomas Troxtell and wife Andra of Howe, daughters Jennifer and her husband Scott Grogan of Howe and Alicia and her husband Richard Wooddell of Palestine. 6 Grandchildren: Carson and Katie Grogan, Reagan, Riley, and Gage Troxtell, and Kaden Wooddell. Brothers/Sisters: Lynn Dale Troxtell of Howe, Anne Allison of Plano, Patsy Allison of Howe, Fran Frantz of Sherman, Cles Troxtell of Howe, Larry Troxtell of Whitewright, Johnny Troxtell of Sherman, Garry Troxtell of Sherman, Wendell Troxtell of Sherman, Terry Gene Troxtell of Allen, and Ken Troxtell of Sherman. He was proceeded in death by his brother Welborn Ray Troxtell.

Serving as pallbearers will be his brothers: Lynn, Cles, Larry, Johnny, Garry, Wendell, Terry, and Ken.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be sent to First United Methodist Church of Howe in Chris’ memory or a charity of donor’s choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory 637 W. Van Alstyne Parkway, Van Alstyne, Texas 75495. 903-482-5225
The online register book may be signed at www.scogginsfuneralhome.com

Visitation

Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 6 pm – 8 pm
Scoggins Funeral Home
637 West Van Alstyne Parkway,
Van Alstyne, TX 75495

Funeral Service

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2 pm
First United Methodist Church
810 N. Denny Street,
Howe, TX 75459

This morning, Jan. 9, at approximately 5:45 am Howe Police Officers responded to a report of a multi-vehicle accident on US Hwy 75 north, just south of the Haning overpass. A pick up towing a flatbed trailer was traveling in the right lane when an SUV hit the trailer from behind.

Passengers in the SUV had to be extricated from the vehicle by Van Alstyne Fire and EMS. Both the driver and the passenger of the SUV were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup and trailer was not injured. The dense fog contributed to the lack of visibility on the highway.