No Program has dominated like Lovejoy Volleyball! 10 State Championships in just 17 years of existence and the Coach of the Year Natalie Puckett is running out of fingers for all this State Title Bling! Coach Puckett has won 3 State Championships as a player, 1 as an assistant coach, and now 2 as Head Coach! Lovejoy is a DFW Powerhouse located in the most volleyball talent rich area in the Country! More than 60% of the state titles come from the DFW Region. Lovejoy has been to State 13 times in the last 16 years and by far the most storied program in America the last 2 decades. The Lady Leopards are led by State recognized talent in Skylar Jackson, Shelby Burris, McKenna Brand, Bethanie Wu, and SuperStar Freshman Gentry Barker. It’s a school that produces both athletic and academic excellence. Several girls are going to Ivy League Schools. It’s not often that a freshman even makes varsity…Not only did Gentry make the team but she also led the State’s juggernaut in kills (424) and had 17 kills and 11 digs in the State Title Game where she was named the State Championship MVP. It’s an easy argument to make that Gentry is the best high school freshman on the planet! She’s dominated in club volleyball since she was 7 and won National Championships in club volleyball and on the beach! She has a bright future and the Olympics are definitely in her future. It’s a spectacle everytime she spikes the ball! Lovejoy dominates in both athletics and academics as a Lone Star Cup Contender. Football is State Title Caliber with the legendary Todd Dodge now leading the way but, it’s Volleyball that sets the standard of excellence. It’s a special community that wins in so many ways… Both the Boys and the Girls won Cross Country State Championships.

Jeff Joseph is a rising star in the Texas High School Football Coaching Ranks. In just 2 short years as a head coach, he’s coached in every game possible at Port Neches-Groves. Back-to-Back State Championship Games and brought his Golden Triangle Community it’s first title in nearly 50 years! And even more impressive, took-out the defending champs of South Oak Cliff who were trying to complete the 3-Peat! Led by the biggest and baddest offensive line in the State on the 5A level…PNG’s Stars like Jackson Christian, Isaiah Nguyen, Connor Bailey, Shea Adams could really shine! Defense wins Championships and the Purple Wall was just too much for SOC.

Jeff is making his own legacy from an enormous coaching family! He’s a 3rd Generation Coach with Hall of Fame Pedigree. His Dad, Gary Joseph, led the Katy Tigers to 8 appearances in the State Title Game and 4 State Championships. Jeff played in one of those title games at the Houston Astrodome where he learned about the football crazed community of PNG that would eventually lure him there for his first Head Coaching Job. Jeff’s Grandfather Eddie had a long successful coaching career at Wharton HS and became the Executive VP of the Texas High School Coaches Association. Jeff has been surrounded by coaching greatness in stops as an assistant at Katy, Katy Seven Lakes, Magnolia West, Austin Westlake, Southlake Carroll, and Texas A&M. Jeff has coached in 4 State Title Games and 3 NCAA Bowl Games. The famous Dodge family has an assist in his coaching development. Coaching Icon Todd Dodge was on the district’s selection committee and recommended Jeff who had no head coaching experience for the job and the rest is history! Jeff also coached under Todd’s son Riley Dodge at Southlake Carroll. It always seems like 7-degrees of separation from the Dodge Football Family. Jeff is 28-4 in 2 seasons with a Ring and was born to coach with a heart of tradition at Powerhouse PNG.

It’s remarkable what Gilmer’s Alan Metzel has done in 4 short years as Head Football Coach. He’s won 21 of 24 playoff games with 3 trips to Jerry World. The Buckeyes win their 4th State Title in 9 appearances and Metzel’s first as a Head Coach. Alan is the nicest guy you will ever meet and hails from the Jeff Traylor coaching tree that’s turning into 5 trees! The Gilmer stadium is named after Metzel’s good buddy and the two combined for 3 State Championships together building Gilmer into a State & National power! UTSA’s Traylor left the perennial power in good hands with his assistants Matt Turner and Metzel. Eventually Metzel would get his shot as Head Coach after 17 years of being an assistant in the storied program. Traylor talks so fondly of Metzel and was at AT&T Stadium for his protege’s crowning moment!

What a journey it was… the Buckeyes started 0-2 and completely changed the defense at midseason when they were 3-3. That genius move rattled off 10 straight wins and the coveted Class-4AD2 State Championship. In the quarterfinals, Gilmer finally got over the hump and upended their heated rival Carthage! In the State Championship, it pitted the top two offenses in the State that couldn't be more different. Bellville’s Slot “T” and #1 Offense in the state against a traditional offense based on speed and talent. Gilmer’s revamped defense held an offense scoring 53 ppg to just 26 points in the Title Game! Gilmer is led by endless talent and a community that supports them through adversity. Super Stars like Cadon Tennison, Will Henderson, and Brendon Webb lead the way in a season inspired by the Japanese word Kaizen…continuous improvement!

Claude Mathis led arguably the greatest team this State has ever seen in a perfect season! An average margin of victory of 35 points. Destroyed a gauntlet of DFW Super Powers: Beat 6AD1 Champ Duncanville by 14, Allen by 32, SOC by 40, and Big Rival Cedar Hill twice. Claude may have earned a 25-year contract extension for winning the “Battle of Beltline” by 110 points in the last 3 contests! It was a Record-Breaking Season with an historic finish, 74-14 over Summer Creek in the Title Game. That was a 6A record for most points scored, shattering Kyler Murray’s record of 63 points during Allen’s 3-Peat! The Closest game was against Southlake Carroll in the State Semifinals where the Eagles overcame 4 turnovers to persevere by 7! Claude did it with the greatest DeSoto QB ever in DJ Bailey who threw for over 7100 yards, 90 Tds, 67% Completion Rate, and Just 4 INTs in 2 State Title Runs. The Eagles had a bevy of weapons with 2, 1000 yard RBs in Marvin Duffey and Tiger Riden with a trio of WRs that made the Eagles unstoppable with Daylon Singleton, TJ Pride, and “Boobie” Feaster. It all starts with that incredible OLine with Leon Brigham and Social Media Sensation Byron Washington who stands at 6’8’’ and a whopping 380 lbs. Defense was loaded with Brandon Booker (SMU), Mario Buford (Neb), Sael Reyes, and State Title MVP “KeKe” Abrams (Purdue). 

In 2008, Claude took over the program and saw something in a community nobody else did! He turned DeSoto into a perennial national power.  In 2020, Claude fought for his life in a COVID hospital room that only 3% make it out of. Thanks to incredible support from his family and a relentless fight, he’s one in a million.  Mathis led DeSoto to Back2Back Titles in his second stint as head coach in South Dallas. Now, he’s walking on red carpets, enjoying the parades, and polishing his rings! His Locker Room Speeches and Band Dances are legendary and “DeSoto U” is a Statewide Passion. He’s changed many lives along the way… including mine! He was the first guest on my podcast when I had no idea what I was doing… and now we make it an annual thing after all of his State Championships! So Proud to call him my good friend!

He’s the King of the Eastside! Galena Park North Shore is one of the State’s premiere programs with a State Championship Habit and Willie Gaston is a BIG part of it. He grew-up there, coached there, and now leads his alma mater to an even higher level. Willie learned from Texan Legend Jon Kay who has too many rings for one hand. The two have been linked at the hip since childbirth…well, maybe not that long… but, it’s been ever since Willie put the pads on. Last off-season, Kay shocked the world and moved up to the college ranks at Rice and handed the keys to the State Powerhouse to his Star pupil and Gaston never looked back! 

Willie G has been a part of two of the biggest Texas high school football games in History! Who could forget the shootout with Vince Young’s Madison Marlins at the Astrodome that drew tens of thousands. Gaston quarterbacked one of the State’s most potent offenses but lost to VinceSanity 61-58 in a season ending loss. In 2018, North Shore needed a prayer to beat Duncanville in the State Championship Game. The original call was the infamous Boise State Lateral play from midfield…but, Coach Kay and his lead assistant Willie Gaston could see it in their kids eyes…that play wouldn’t work! Willie said “Hail Mary” and the rest is history! The Mustangs practiced it, perfected it, and executed it which began one of the State’s greatest championship runs in the largest classification! As a first year Head Coach, the Mustangs haven’t missed a beat… footsteps from the Promised Land! 

Anthony Black takes his “Big Texas Hair” and even Bigger Game to Orlando. He stands at 6’7’’, 7’7’’ with hair and is one of the best all-around players in the country with an extremely high Basketball IQ! The 6th Pick overall in the NBA Draft is already paying huge dividends to the Magic. Thanks to early season injuries, the Stud Rookie is already contributing in the rotation and making it a seamless transition. 

In High School, he was heavily recruited as a Basketball and Football Player. Arkansas, Texas, and Baylor had eyes on him to play receiver where he was always open above his head at Coppell High School. He transferred and was the MVP on Duncanville’s 2022 State Championship Basketball team. That title was eventually stripped because he was ruled ineligible by UIL transfer rules. But, Anthony averaged 13.5 ppg, 5.8 rebs, 2.2 steals on the nation’s #1 High School Basketball Team. It was like a show every time the Panthers took the court having 2 McDonald’s All-Americans with Anthony and Texas Gatorade Player of the Year Ron Holland. Black has been surrounded by legendary coaches… David Peavy at Duncanville and Eric Musselman at Arkansas. The Hogs were special and loaded with great young talent including Texas State Champion Jordan Walsh of Faith Family in Oak Cliff. What a run by Arkansas where they took out Defending National Champ Kansas on the way to the Sweet-16!

Draft night was special for Anthony and his family as Orlando made his dreams come true. It was a fun night to watch his buddy Keyonte George (Baylor) go in the first round as well to the Utah Jazz. Keep an eye on Anthony’s younger brother Beckham of the 2027 Class. Anthony says he’s more advanced than he was at that age! Anthony will be the first to tell you that his Mom Jennifer is the driving force behind his greatness and he’s thankful for her, every day! Teammate Pablo Banchero won Rookie of the year last season…Anthony is looking to make it Back2Back for the Magic!Duncanville,UIL,Arkansas,Hogs,Razorbacks,Orlando,Magic,Rookie,State Championship,NBA,Celtics,Jordan Walsh,RJ Hampton,Ron Holland,David Peavy,Panthers,Anthony Black,Eric Musselman,Basketball,Texas High School Hysteria,Beckham Black,McDonalds All-American,Texas Gatorade Player,Keyonte George,Pablo Banchero,Orlando Magic,Disney,NBA Draft,MVP,Baylor,Adam Silver,NCAA,Coppell High School,NCAA Tourney,Ric Renner,Ford,Best in Texas,Greater Texas Ford Dealers

Mike Miles, Jr. is living the dream to play for his hometown team! Imagine playing your entire basketball career in the same DFW Metroplex, he’s doing just that! He led Lancaster High School to a 36-1 record and a trip to State. Webo Nation would have won it all…but, COVID canceled the State Championships. Mike took TCU Basketball places it’s never been and won GOLD under his illustrious college coach Jamie Dixon with Team-USA at the Under-19 World Cup. Mike burst on the Hoop scene with a viral YouTube video when he was in the 4th grade. People called him the Elementary School “Allen Iverson” for his moves and incredible ability at his age. But, despite that…he was only ranked as the 179th player in the country coming out of High School. Mike beat all odds and rose to become TCU’s first ever Big12 Preseason Player of the Year and would have won it if not for injury! 

Growing up in a difficult upbringing in South Dallas, Mike chose basketball rather than trouble. He was raised by an amazing Mom and pushed by an older brother to be the best he could be. He’s also had tremendous support from Jones' family of the Dallas Cowboys and his second Mom, Charlotte Jones. Mike beat all odds to make it Big out of Highland Hills, Texas. His AAU Titans teams are famous for the most amazing collection of talent including former NBA #1 overall pick Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State). You could make the argument that he played in the best high school backcourt in State history with Lancaster teammate Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M). And now, he’s teamed up with Buddy Greg Brown on the Mavs, who was the State’s #1 Ranked kid. His Mom is so instrumental in his life and wears a different shirt at every game. That will be put to the test with an 82-game schedule and the playoffs! Mike’s achievements are immense… he scored 2000 points in high school, 1000 points in college, Big Tough Frogman belt, multiple MVPs, All-Conference, All-State, and the list goes on!  He has a heart of gold and a game of legends. That’s why he’s starting his career with the Texas Legends in Frisco.

The King of H-town! Gary Joseph is already in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and in the THSCA’s Hall of Honor but continues to coach one of the State’s most elite programs. It’s a football hobby that turned into a lifetime passion with the mighty Katy Tigers! Coach Joseph has enjoyed every bit of 4 decades of commitment at one school where he’s had a hand in 8 State Championships, Several 16-0’s, and won more than 90% of his games. He comes from a tremendous coaching family… from taking PNG back to prominence to winning the Cotton Bowl with the Green Wave of Tulane! It all starts with his legendary Christian Dad. 

We talk about his youngest team ever ! and how the expectations are always high in a district that’s grown so much that conference play starts in August. He’s coached some of the State’s most memorable players in Seth Davis, Andy Dalton, Collin Wilder, Kyle Porter, Rodney Anderson, Coen Echols, Jed Olotu-Judah, and many more. Is the 2015 team the Best ??? Coach Joseph even won a title in a pandemic. So many great battles over the years with Cedar Hill, GP North Shore, Austin Westlake, and Cibolo Steele. Katy and Cedar Hill were a “State Championship Holiday Tradition” that left Texas Tech Head Coach Joey McGuire and Joseph as good friends.  

Gary won’t wear Mike Johnston’s Suspenders… but, he raises the community’s standards and builds great young men who are successful in life, not just football! The Program is built on unselfishness, smarts, and an obsession to Win!

To view this show in video format please launch this episode on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U0wHkaCm20