Tuesday, May 7, 2024
After a season of hard work and determination, the Oglesby Tiger football team has been invited to attend the 2024 Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, May 18.
During the ceremony, the entire football team will be presented with the 2023 Gordon Wood Award for their efforts on the field this past season.
The award is given to one Texas high school football team each year and is selected in consultation with members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. It is designed to be awarded to a team who achieves success on the field, displays good sportsmanship, has community support, and has the ability to overcome challenges.
With this being the first time in the school’s history that Oglesby has ever won the Gordon Wood Award, coaches Jebb Dixon and Julian Helms expressed that they are both extremely honored to receive such a title that recognizes their sportsmanship, toughness, and success.
Dixon and Helms said, “To have some recognition for our sportsmanship is truly an honor, and this is reassurance that we are running our program the correct way.”
Both coaches stated that they preach to the boys to let their playing do the talking, and that it is important to never boast or draw attention to themselves, but to play to the best of their ability and to stay humble on the field.
“These young men have grown tremendously, and even the starters from our previous years,” Dixon and Helms said. “Some of our kids had to play in new positions than what they were used to due to injuries and people graduating from last year.”
They expressed that it could have been easy for them to not step up to the challenge of playing a new position, but each athlete showed true grit by figuring out how to perfect their positions.
Earlier in the season, the Tiger football team played against the Waco Methodist Children’s Home.
“They were the first team for us to be behind in the score, but they rallied together and grinded out for a win,” Dixon and Helms said. “From that point on, we knew that our boys were battle tested for the playoffs.”
Both coaches expressed that without these experiences the team may not have had the playoff run that they did.
The Tigers ended their season on a high note by advancing to the 1A Division II State Championship on Dec. 13, 2023, which was held at the AT&T Dallas Cowboys Stadium. They played against the Benjamin Mustangs, and, although they fell 34-82, this made it the first time in history for the Tigers to advance to the state championships.
“Seeing the boys grow and have success is the biggest thing that makes me proud to coach them,” Dixon said. “Even the younger guys that do not get much playing time grew and made every one of us better.”
“We are extremely honored and humbled to receive the Gordon Wood Award,” Dixon and Helms said. “Without all these guys on our team, there would not be the success that we have.”
The 2024 Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at 1108 South University Parks Drive in Waco.
Fear the O #TPW.
