2024 LUFKIN PANTHER VARSITY FOOTBALL DISCUSSION TOPIC

[PackAttack]

Who all is going to make the trek to the scrimmage in Huntsville?

[Pack13]

I’m really thinking about it. 

[mrballin936]

I probably going to go ahead and go and watch some football already ain't nothing to do 

[PurpleNation]

14 hours ago, PackAttack said:

Who all is going to make the trek to the scrimmage in Huntsville?

I believe last year Huntsville live broadcast the scrimmage from Lufkin. I'm willing to bet they will broadcast it again.

[PackAttack]

Huntsville ISD  has transformed their old practice field/middle school/soccer stadium to a really nice new football facility.  They had been playing at Sam Houston U for years and years. Now they have their own place.  I wish Lufkin would do more upgrades, I have never understood why some of the most necessary repairs or upgrades can not be done, at least to consider replacing that 1973 press box.  Our district has such big money problems now, it's a mess, make you shake your head when you see other schools our size or even smaller classification schools upgrading or building new stadiums. I mean, School Board Member Joe Caesar said they needed to cut $10M more from the budget. Talk about becoming a bare bones school. Well, we have a Superintendent and two Assistant Superintendents on staff.  Is this a normal thing in administrations today?

I've always wondered why they didn't ask for a larger bond back in 2017 to include Abe Martin upgrades to match the new PAC build.  There is a stark different look between the two.

The new Panther Activity Center looks fantastic connected to ABE.  That was a really thoughtful concept, and maybe some thought was made to integrate future upgrades to Abe to match the PAC were considered?  Good for Huntsville, they have a place to really be proud of playing now, on their campus.

 

[mr. b]

No it’s not normal for so many assistants and administrators.  Lufkins problem arose from promoting people that could not do their job.  When it was determined they were terrible, instead of getting rid of them or demoting them, a new position was created for them.  Now we have so many administrators and assistant this and that we are too top heavy.  The new superintendent has his work cut out but from what I understand he is cutting pretty well.  If it was me I’d put all those useless people back in the classroom.  If they didn’t like that, so long.  

[Pack13]

For the bond I’d imagine they raised the taxes the most they could. There are limits and they probably addressed the most urgent needs first. The football facility as a whole needs a massive overhaul. The indoor was modern 20 years ago but compared to similar schools of today it’s laughable. The stadium needs a complete facelift. The Weightroom is outdated and lacking. 

[PackAttack]

13 minutes ago, Pack13 said:

For the bond I’d imagine they raised the taxes the most they could. There are limits and they probably addressed the most urgent needs first. The football facility as a whole needs a massive overhaul. The indoor was modern 20 years ago but compared to similar schools of today it’s laughable. The stadium needs a complete facelift. The Weightroom is outdated and lacking. 

Well, if the proposal to eliminate $10M more from the budget gets any traction at all, it's doubtful any new additions much less ABE improvements will happen.  That would also entail the hiring a a really good AD/HC if and when that happens in the future.  Somehow, we really are hamstrung now after they complete this MS project. With the tremendous inflation cost of building goods these last two years, I assume that has been some of the extra cost expenditures in the districts budget.

Seriously doubt there is any Bond money left from any open bonds of the last few years.

[Pack13]

46 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

Well, if the proposal to eliminate $10M more from the budget gets any traction at all, it's doubtful any new additions much less ABE improvements will happen.  That would also entail the hiring a a really good AD/HC if and when that happens in the future.  Somehow, we really are hamstrung now after they complete this MS project. With the tremendous inflation cost of building goods these last two years, I assume that has been some of the extra cost expenditures in the districts budget.

Seriously doubt there is any Bond money left from any open bonds of the last few years.

The districts budget shouldn’t have anything to do with the bond to build. Those are designed with inflation in mind and fluctuation in prices. A factor of the budget being so bad, as mentioned before, is the top heavy side of the admins in the district. They are also probably closing down a school that is no longer needed. As for hiring of new coaches, that’s probably will save money to bring in someone new and a needed position. So there won’t be a freeze if the district plans to go in that route 

[PackAttack]

2 hours ago, Pack13 said:

The districts budget shouldn’t have anything to do with the bond to build. Those are designed with inflation in mind and fluctuation in prices. A factor of the budget being so bad, as mentioned before, is the top heavy side of the admins in the district. They are also probably closing down a school that is no longer needed. As for hiring of new coaches, that’s probably will save money to bring in someone new and a needed position. So there won’t be a freeze if the district plans to go in that route 

A recent article published recently stated that the MS project was going to total $53 million. Depends on what you read. The original bond money designated for the MS according to LISD was $60M, so by deduction of $53M, that's $7M dollars difference. 

https://lufkindailynews.com/news/community/lufkin-isd-board-sets-guaranteed-maximum-price-for-lufkin-middle-school-bond-project/article_be4f213c-5ade-588c-8230-f5fdf8b53527.html

https://www.ktre.com/2024/0article published in the last dew months4/17/lufkin-isd-completes-middle-school-redesign-funded-by-75m-bond/

That would leave at least $22M for the purpose of the new PAC and ballfield complex. Not sure what they actually cost. I know for whatever reason the baseball boosters had to raise the money to pay for the parking lot to remain as originally planned or it would have been a smaller lot.  I do know cuts were made on that project. 

Originally the PAC was designated for $9.75M and the ballfield complex at $5.25M.  That adds up to $15 million dollars total.  Add $53M and $15M equals $68M dollars.  That would leave approximately $7M on the original bond.  I don't know the exact figure but there was more spent on the PAC than the $9.75M.  

Anyway, I would like to see the actually expense break down on the PAC and Ballfield Complex, and maybe why the boosters had to pay for the parking lot.  Did the district use part of that bond money to put in the new parking lot by soccer field or the new concrete driveways and sidewalks around the stadium?  Maybe it was  invested in the new ticket booths?  I would like to know.  It looks like they could be under budget on the bond and if so how much?  

In reading some other articles from 2018 it states Lufkin ISD having a 8300 student enrollment, then I just read this month that the district in 2024 has 6,649 students. So, the district has lost 1751 students in 6 years?  Probably another instance of not recovering from the pandemic losses. 

That can only mean that the high school enrollment might continue to decrease over the 2 or 3 years before a reversal can happen.

 

 

[Pack13]

52 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

A recent article published recently stated that the MS project was going to total $53 million. Depends on what you read. The original bond money designated for the MS according to LISD was $60M, so by deduction of $53M, that's $7M dollars difference. 

https://lufkindailynews.com/news/community/lufkin-isd-board-sets-guaranteed-maximum-price-for-lufkin-middle-school-bond-project/article_be4f213c-5ade-588c-8230-f5fdf8b53527.html

https://www.ktre.com/2024/0article published in the last dew months4/17/lufkin-isd-completes-middle-school-redesign-funded-by-75m-bond/

That would leave at least $22M for the purpose of the new PAC and ballfield complex. Not sure what they actually cost. I know for whatever reason the baseball boosters had to raise the money to pay for the parking lot to remain as originally planned or it would have been a smaller lot.  I do know cuts were made on that project. 

Originally the PAC was designated for $9.75M and the ballfield complex at $5.25M.  That adds up to $15 million dollars total.  Add $53M and $15M equals $68M dollars.  That would leave approximately $7M on the original bond.  I don't know the exact figure but there was more spent on the PAC than the $9.75M.  

Anyway, I would like to see the actually expense break down on the PAC and Ballfield Complex, and maybe why the boosters had to pay for the parking lot.  Did the district use part of that bond money to put in the new parking lot by soccer field or the new concrete driveways and sidewalks around the stadium?  Maybe it was  invested in the new ticket booths?  I would like to know.  It looks like they could be under budget on the bond and if so how much?  

In reading some other articles from 2018 it states Lufkin ISD having a 8300 student enrollment, then I just read this month that the district in 2024 has 6,649 students. So, the district has lost 1751 students in 6 years?  Probably another instance of not recovering from the pandemic losses. 

That can only mean that the high school enrollment might continue to decrease over the 2 or 3 years before a reversal can happen.

 

 

To my knowledge the bond can only be used on what was originally voted on and approved. So if it comes in under budget that will just go towards paying the bond off sooner and easing the taxes. Sadly that money doesn’t play a factor in anything else. 
 

The drop in enrollment plays a big factor. I think each kid is $6000 of funding. So there is $10 million of the budge. 

[mr. b]

Wait until the governor passes school vouchers and we will really see a drop in enrollment 

[PackAttack]

https://lufkindailynews.com/sports/high_school/former-lufkin-athletes-mcdonald-taylor-set-to-join-coaching-staffs/article_8ba51950-eeb6-5a3b-82a1-2af1f43da3e2.html

A pair of former Lufkin athletes are returning to their alma mater as members of the Lady Panthers’ and Panthers’ coaching staffs for the upcoming school year.

Mycah McDonald, a 2018 graduate, and JaBryce Taylor, a 2013 graduate, are both excited about the opportunity to return home.

Taylor, who has been living in Houston and working in construction, said he was contacted recently by Lufkin head football coach and athletic director Todd Quick.

 

“Coach Quick shot me a text that said, ‘Are you still interested in coaching?’” Taylor said. “I told him ‘Yes sir’ and we talked and next thing you know it was happening. It’s a blessing and it’s just crazy how it worked out. It’s a conversation that I’ll never forget.”

Taylor, who was a second-team all-state wide receiver and District 14-5A MVP his senior year at Lufkin, played at Navarro, SMU and UTSA.

“I learned a lot playing college football and training and trying to get to the next level,” Taylor said. “I want to utilize the things I’ve learned and help educate the guys I coach on how to be successful.

“I want them to know if they want to play at the next level what college coaches are looking for and what they expect.”

Taylor said coaching has always been something he was interested in doing.

“I just never pulled the trigger on it. My dad always asked me why I didn’t do it,” Taylor said. “I wanna do something that makes me happy and talking football all day and coaching it is what this opportunity has given me.”

Taylor, who will be coaching the defensive backs group, said he’s thankful for the chance to come back and coach where he played.

“To come back to where I played, to my old stomping grounds where I had some success means a lot to me,” Taylor said.

“I want to help these guys learn the routes to go with their lives and the routes not to go.”

 

 

Edwin Quarles’ email address is edwin.quarles@lufkindailynews.com.

[PackAttack]

Great that Taylor is coming back to Lufkin, but the guy was a WR here, that is what he played in college. Where do they put him??? Coaching defensive backs????  None of that makes sense.  I realize we already have a WR coach, just saying Taylor has no experience with DBs.

James Durham was coaching Defensive Backs last few years.  Is he still there, coaching a new position or what?

 

[PackAttack]

Lufkin coach says team is working to get back ‘Where we wanna be’

https://www.ktre.com/2024/07/17/lufkin-coach-says-team-is-working-get-back-where-we-wanna-be/

 

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - The Lufkin Panthers finished with five wins last season, and for head coach Todd Quick, that’s not Lufkin football.

“We have expectations here and that’s not it,” said Quick. “We’re working everyday to get back to where we wanna be.”

The big story this offseason for the Panthers was district realignment. Lufkin was put in one district by the UIL and immediately appealed the decision.

“The day it came out, I met with the deputy superintendent and we decided right then that we were gonna try and appeal it.” Quick said.

The team had to get approval to leave the district they were put in by the UIL, and get approval from the district they were going into. In the second phase of the appeal process, Quick had to go in front of the UIL and plead their case, which Lufkin eventually ended up winning.

“It’s been a long process, but it worked out,” said Quick. “It’s better for our kids, and we don’t wanna have to do that again, but we will.”

Lufkin will open their season at home against the Longview Lobos on August 30.

[PackAttack]

What are your thoughts on what Coach Quick said about the team.  I agree an upgraded OL is a must, but I also think you can replace Young using a mix of several kids we will have in the backfield. The D should be tremendous. 

Then again, what do I know?  "We're not where we want to be"?? No kidding, I definitely have agreed with that statement for the last three years.  I'm frankly just tired of hearing that analogy. I would like to see them walk the talk for a change.

[PackAttack]

U I L is in consideration again about a 7A Football Classification.  There is a lot growth ahead that needs to take place for this to work correctly.  Not going to happen for a few more realignments.

 

[PackAttack]

DCTF seem to be real high on the Angleton Wildcats in District 11-5A DI bringing a talented presence into Region III.  We have not been speaking about them at all to this point.

The Angleton Wildcats look poised for a big 2024 season as coach Jason Brittain welcomes back a veteran squad and an exciting crop of youngsters.

https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2024/07/19/in-angleton-excitement-abounds-as-wildcats-expect-to-roar?ref=article_preview_title

[PackAttack]

U I L has some new 2024 Rule changes and are going to really watch other rules that are existing on the books. 

Locker room technology, horse collar tackles, field goal blocks among the rule changes coming to UIL Texas high school football this season.

Horse Collar tackles now within the BOX will be an automatic 15 yard penalty. This is an enhancement of the 2009 rule that has been in place. 

All players rushing a kicker must be in a 3 or 4 point stance within one yard of the LOS. This means no more stand up rushers and any violation is a 15 yard penalty and automatic 1st down.

New technology like I Pads, Lap Tops, smartphones can be used starting in 2024 in limited capacity. (In coaches booth or locker room, not on the sidelines)

 

[PackAttack]

The 2024 Texas High School Coaches Association is urging in-state colleges to stop scheduling Friday night games to keep those nights reserved for high school football.

[PackAttack]

We are 4 weeks from the Panther scrimmage in Huntsville.

[PurpleNation]

17 hours ago, PackAttack said:

We are 4 weeks from the Panther scrimmage in Huntsville.

Can't wait!!!

[PackAttack]

10 hours ago, PurpleNation said:

Can't wait!!!

The anticipation of this year has been lingering and building for the past three years. These expectations have been talked about more times than I can count, the talent has been evaluated to the point where we make all these comparisons to the 2017 team or the teams of 2004 or 2005.  Things are about to show the reality of all the thinking, talking and anticipation.

Have a confession and I must get this out of the way before the season starts, I won't mention it again. It's been real hard for me to get past these last 3 years and to believe this coaching staff can be different than those years.

Usually teams build up with successful playoff seasons leading into something great that many are expecting for this years Panthers.  Missing the playoffs three straight years doesn't do that, please correct me, but you don't see it happen very often in HS football.

Of course this thinking is my thorn to bear and not anyone else's. At this point, I've got to see this success, I'm way past talking about it.  Just the way I'm built, I believe in only the results I can see, and results show football success has been hard to find around here the past 3-4 years.

I'm ready to see how this show unfolds, it definitely has the parts to be a good one, but if it doesn't work out, then we know where to look.

[timeout!]

13 hours ago, PackAttack said:

The anticipation of this year has been lingering and building for the past three years. These expectations have been talked about more times than I can count, the talent has been evaluated to the point where we make all these comparisons to the 2017 team or the teams of 2004 or 2005.  Things are about to show the reality of all the thinking, talking and anticipation.

Have a confession and I must get this out of the way before the season starts, I won't mention it again. It's been real hard for me to get past these last 3 years and to believe this coaching staff can be different than those years.

Usually teams build up with successful playoff seasons leading into something great that many are expecting for this years Panthers.  Missing the playoffs three straight years doesn't do that, please correct me, but you don't see it happen very often in HS football.

Of course this thinking is my thorn to bear and not anyone else's. At this point, I've got to see this success, I'm way past talking about it.  Just the way I'm built, I believe in only the results I can see, and results show football success has been hard to find around here the past 3-4 years.

I'm ready to see how this show unfolds, it definitely has the parts to be a good one, but if it doesn't work out, then we know where to look.

Failing to make the playoffs or beat anyone we weren’t heavily favored to beat. Is a real sore spot for this senior class going into the season. I don't place much blame on the players. I feel they have been mismanaged by the staff and not given the opportunity to always be successful.

Wasting Phillips Sophomore year playing a position, they had no intentions of letting him compete for on varsity. And let's not forget them not fully utilizing Preston at WR. I could go on about several other things. There are some positives that could make a difference this year. Playing in an easier district and region. Although I still think it will be very competitive. And the coaches still have a ton of talent to work with. 

That Longview game will be here before we know it. It's prob a bigger game for us than them IMHO. A loss for them will simply be written off as down year. A loss for us will reinforce the naysayers about the state of this program. A win for Lufkin would do wonders for the players confidence going forward. 

[PackAttack]

Last three meetings with Longview, 41-5 (2020 playoffs), 56-7 (2022) and 42-0 (2023). The last two loses were with a good number of the Lufkin Seniors who will be playing this year. Longview has outscored Lufkin 139 to 12 those last three games. Kind of fell off the rails the last two years with a P5 RB and a decent defense in this game, so what's the game plan against Longview for 2024? 

I was looking recently at the Panther records and statistics for the last 12 years. Has anyone really looked at them?  I'm going to list the classification, year, record and offensive and defensive points for the year.  Some were great offensive and defensive years like 2017, 2018 and 2019. Lufkin went 3-3 in the playoffs those years. Lufkin has actually had more playoff success in 6A (5-4) than 5A (1-5).

6A 2012 (9-4) 598-305
6A 2013 (5-6) 363-325
5A 2014 (6-5) 475-306
5A 2015 (7-4) 358-232 
6A 2016 (7-4) 483-391 
6A 2017 (11-3) 484-290 
5A 2018 (10-2) 504-199 
5A 2019 (9-2) 465-167 
5A 2020 (6-5) 299-290 
5A 2021 (4-6) 218-296 
5A 2022 (6-4) 288-265 
5A 2023 (5-5) 275-258