DRC Football
COVER STORY
August 29, 2013
47
Denton Record-Chronicle/David Minton
Argyle head coach Todd Rodgers thrusts his arms in the air after the Eagles seal a 51-35 win over Gilmer in the Class 3A Division II regional final at Tiger Stadium in Corsicana during the 2011 season. Gilmer came back to beat Argyle in the regional semifinal last year. Those trips deep into the playoffs, and a host of talented players who have committed to play major college football, solidify Argyle’s status as an elite program.
From Page 46
Argyle
The high-profile senior recruits are a testament to the shift that’s occurred over the years at Argyle. Ask different people when the program’s ascent occurred, and different answers will be given.
ON THE COVER Argyle Area High Schools Major college talent, history of success have Argyle ...
Climbing the Ranks
Changing the culture
The list of goals posted in Argyle’s locker room wasn’t always as lofty as it is now. “The goals used to be — beat Bridgeport, make the playoffs and I don’t know what the other one was,” Sadler said. “Now it’s win district, play in December and win state. The mindset coming in is a lot different than what it was.” Sizelove remembers when he was in eighth grade, when his older brother, Jake, was a senior inside linebacker for the Eagles. Back then, Sizelove said it was almost a given that the Eagles would lose to the likes of Prosper and Celina. Then in 2009, Argyle faced Prosper, which entered the contest as the defending 3A champions. Argyle won 17-14. It’s when Sizelove believes the program start-
The Argyle trio of, from left, safety Connor Wilson, wide receiver Ian Sadler and linebacker Sam Sizelove are expected to spark the Eagles this season.
ed its stretch of success. Sam Sizelove wears Jake’s number, plays his position and might be doing it better than the older brother who’s currently playing at Tulsa. Even after that win over Prosper, Sam Sizelove said the mentality hadn’t fully shifted in Argyle.
“Even my freshman year when we played Lovejoy in my first game ever in high school, they were the No. 1 team in the state and there was a huge intimidation factor going in,” Sizelove said. “But I don’t really feel that anymore, just knowing that we can beat anybody we want to.” When Wilson transferred to Argyle from Coppell last season, he said he didn’t know what to expect, but he knew Argyle experienced success in the past. And he’s quickly gained the confidence that the rest of the team carries into each game. “It feels like we’re going to battle,” Wilson said. “We don’t have anything in our minds telling us that we’re not going to come out on top.”
Raising standards When Rodgers took over the program in 2003, Argyle was coming off a 1-9 season. Since then, Argyle has only missed the playoffs once and reached the state championship game in Class 2A and 3A. The first time Rodgers changed the program’s goals was in 2005, when Argyle lost to Newton in the 2A Division I title game. But when it comes to the shift in the
program’s mentality, he pointed toward the time around the 2008 season that saw Argyle unexpectedly fall in the second round of the playoffs to Kaufman. Rodgers believes his team could have advanced a couple more rounds in the playoffs. “I said, ‘I’m sick and tired of that,’” Rodgers said. “There’s got to be higher expectations. We’ve got to set the bar higher. There’s no reason we should lose a game.” The Eagles changed their training regiment and increased the difficulty of summer workout programs, all in an effort to raise standards at Argyle. Argyle is still seeking its first state championship. Hopes of returning to the state’s biggest game after a loss in the 2011 3A Division II to Wimberley were dashed last fall when the Eagles lost to Gilmer in the 3A Division II regional semifinals. This year, Rodgers said his team is poised to make the playoffs and make a strong run. He understands the pressure and the expectations, but he says the goals haven’t changed in the locker room. Another deep playoff run this season will validate the status Argyle has gained the last few years as one of 3A’s top teams.