2022 Howe Bulldogs Black & White Gameday

Cross Country Volleyball Football

Cheerleaders

Howe Enterprise, May 24, 1973

A school band program for Howe moved closer to reality at a meeting of the Band Parents Organization, administrators, and board members Monday night. Due to the time element in employing a band director for the beginning of school next fall, those attending the meeting set a June 11 date for determining if enough interest is shown by parents, students, and other interested citizens to pursue the program further. School representatives had offered earlier to provide a teacher and practice room for a band if funds could be provided by a band parents organization to provide the necessary large instruments for the program.

It was brought out during the meeting that the smaller instruments, which are to be provided by students, could either be rented for about $10 per month on a lease purchase arrangement, or could be bought outright.

Members agreed to prepare a pledge sheet to be distributed throughout the district to further determine interest in the program. The forms outlines the

proposal and provides for persons to join the band parent organization at $2.00 per member, and/or to pledge $25.00 toward the program, which would be used toward purchase of the larger instruments, estimated at a total cost of more than $5,000. Members are striving for a goal of 100 pledges and 200 memberships, which would provide $2,900 toward the

Some of the instruments cost more than $900 each, according to a Sherman music store owner, who provided a list and cost estimate of beginning the program.

Pledge sheets may be turned in at Howe State Bank, City Hall, Reeves Cleaners, or The Enterprise office. They were distributed by school children Tuesday, and copies are also available at some downtown locations.

1975 76

1976-77

1977-78

program, with future fundraising events planned for the additional money. Uniforms would not be needed for two or more years, it was determined.

If pursued, the program would include grades 5 through 12. Supt. Mitchell explained.

"We need a big organization to help finance these expensive instruments," he continued.

During the Monday meeting, officers were elected for the Band Parents Organization. Mrs. Norma Wallace, temporary officer named recently, served as spokesman for the meeting. Permanent officers elected included Sam Haigis, president; Mrs. Haigis, vice-president; Mrs. Glen Mitchell, secretary; Wanda Taylor, treasurer; Norma Wallace, ways and means; Mrs. Virginia Martin, membership and hospitality; and Judy Tracy, publicity.

1978-79

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1989-90

1990-91

1991-92

1992-93

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1994-95

1995-96

1996-97

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1998-99

1999-00

Jerry Taylor

Terri Straw

Robin Hawkins

Robin Hawkins

Robin Hawkins

Valerie Whitfield

Brent Wood

Lex Breeding

David Whitfield

David Whitfield

Danielle Mailloux

Rodney Holcomb

Paula Mullins

Paula Mullins

Sharla Powell

Sharla Powell

Sharla Powell

Kent Bearden

Carrie Mullins

April Taylor

April Taylor

April Taylor

Mandy Summers

Mandy Summers

Aaron Stringfellow

Aaron Stringfellow

Kyle Lowder

Kyle Lowder

2003-04

Laura Stringfellow

Andrew Shaffer

Rhapsody Fearon

Erica Wortham

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2012-13

Kayla Cook

Jesse Richard

Jesse Richard

Ashley Krueger

Travis Fulton

Makenzie Duffee

Madeline Ansley

Madeline Ansley

Jessica Doty

Kaylee Dwyer

Kindle Catching

Kindle Catching

Erin Catching

Erin Catching

Chloe Scoggins

Olivia Morris

The theme for 2022’s Pride of Howe Marching Band performance will be “Above” which all began from one of the band members’ singing performance of “Fly Me to The Moon” by Frank Sinatra. Band Director Angie Liss was given a soundbite of guard co-captain Bettye DeLavan’s singing performance of the song which Liss and the team loved.

“When we were trying to figure out a theme, I thought it would be nice to have a vocalist again,” said Liss. “When I played that snippet for our music arranger, he just took off and we ran with it.”

From “Fly Me to the Moon” the band will move into “Moonlight Sonata” and “Age of Aquarius” by 5th Dimension. A slowed down version of The Police’s “Walking on the Moon” will also be featured in this year’s performance.

One of the biggest changes band fans will notice is the heavy growth of the color guard. Liss says that years ago the number of flags were proportional to how many wind instruments.

“It seems like a lot of the bands around have a lot bigger guards and it makes you look bigger,” said Liss. “We had a bigger winter guard this year with some new people. I encouraged them to all come out. It just happened. I think it is going to make a big difference. You don’t get points for guard, but you do with the general affect of making the band looking bigger.”

Guard Captain Kaylee Laubhan says the guard is double the size from a year ago.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a guard this big,” said Laubhan. “We are trying our best and it is going really

well so far. We had a lot of people who liked it last year with all the work we did, and they became inspired and wanted to try it out.”

Laubhan says being in that leadership role is amazing and allows her to see the progress that people make and allows her to see the all the work coming together with the pre-throws and spins.

Korie Bouse is an assistant drum major and is excited about the show this year. She says the number of tubas helps with the “ performance. Bouse is a fifth veteran of the band as she was on the field as an eighth grader. She has been to state twice during her high school career, but this year is not an advancement year.

“It is a little sad. After we leave, they are going to change it to where it is a competition year every year. So, I am kind of sad that we missed that, but I think it’s going to be fun either way,” said Bouse.

Bouse is also impressed with the freshman class and says there are some good marchers in that class.

Olivia Morris was named the 34th drum major in Howe history. She says that she has had this as a goal since being assistant drum major in the past. She says there is a lot of potential in this year’s show.

“Last year was so hard to beat. We had such a good show,” said Morris. “We’re wondering how we could beat that, but this show has the potential to do greater things.”

The song “Fly Me to the Moon” one would think would be unfamiliar to most of the band, but Morris says she played that tune on the piano as a young girl.

Liss likes to weave youth into the assistant drum major role to groom them for the future. This year’s young assistant drum major is sophomore Brynn Riley.

“I’m excited about our leadership this year and I’m excited about having Brynn as a sophomore,” said Liss. “After cheer practice she got here and jumped right in and that’s what you want to see.”

There are a lot of things Liss sees as inspiration for this year’s version of The Pride of Howe, but she is really excited about the percussion section as there are bass drummers already playing splits.

“I would say there are almost just as strong as we finished last year,” said Liss.

Liss says that they are on pace for the time of year with their

performance. Typically, by week three or four the band will put together the full performance on the field at halftime. Homecoming is September 16 which makes it challenging to add the last two segments by then, but her hope is to have it all complete by then. The first contest is October 1, so she prefers to have the full performance on the field twice before the contest.

The Howe Enterprise July 11, 0222

Austin Haley, an entering senior at Howe High School, was recently awarded his fourth All-Texomaland Award from the Herald Democrat. It was the third different sport that the 17-year-old has been recognized for. Haley was named the starting quarterback for Howe in 2019 even before stepping foot into Howe High School as a freshman and before having one class. He rewarded his coach’s tough decision by being named All-Texomaland for that season and also again his sophomore season. He eventually became Howe’s all-time leading passer in yards with 4,005 entering his senior year.

Haley played a couple of junior varsity basketball games as a freshman before being called up to the varsity where he’s helped the program transform from bottom dweller to the playoffs. This past season Howe won a playoff game for the first time since 2006 and would lose to eventual state champion Dallas Madison. Haley was named All-Texomaland his sophomore season as a point guard and shut down defender.

In baseball, Haley’s favorite sport, he played a couple of junior varsity games as a freshman but was quickly called up and the result has been some of the most incredible set of career numbers since Chris Garner left town. Haley was recently announced as AllTexomaland in baseball as the Bulldogs made the playoffs for the first time in four years. That honor put him in a distinct category of being named All-Texomaland in three different sports. But Haley, the 17year-old who speaks wiser beyond years, says it’s an honor but winning is the most important thing to him.

“I just love to compete. I love sports and I love to get the opportunity to play so whenever I do something I’m going to do it to the best of my

ability,” said Haley. “I’m going to do whatever I can do to help my team to win. If that comes with these awards, then that comes with these awards. I just want to win. That’s my goal at the end of the day.”

Unfortunately, Howe has not done a lot of winning on the football field during his time behind center. Howe is 3-27 entering his senior season. But don't blame the quarterback during those three seasons, he leads all Howe passers in history in yards (4,005), completions (287), and completion percentage (54.6%). Only Mark Wheeler of the early 1980s can compare in completion percentage, but he threw 504 fewer passes than Haley. It’s a stacked schedule against much larger schools that has done a number on the Bulldogs. Howe had never allowed more than 365 yards per game on defense before the last two years in the “Little Big XII” of Mount Vernon, Mineola, Winnsboro, Commerce, Rains, Pottsboro, and Bonham. But in that inflated district, the Dogs allowed 436.67 and 463.90 per game, respectively.

But even against those odds, Howe had chances to win in 2021 with the opener against Callisburg where Howe took a lead into the fourth quarter but couldn't close it out. They had the same scenario against Commerce and at Rains. But the biggest gut punch was a last-second scheduled game with Weatherford Christian who brought two vans and four reserve players. They wore plain white uniforms with no helmet logo, no run-through tunnel, no cheerleaders, no band, no fans, and ditched a Howe first half lead to come back and win 27-20 which put the Howe football program maybe at the lowest rung ever. After the game, Haley told the reporter that the team didn’t know how to win.

We just don t have the mentality of winning,” he told Caroline Slawson after the loss to Weatherford Christian.

He says that the team let up at halftime after having a lead.

“It was like we were satisfied with that,” said Haley. “The year before, we weren’t even close to winning. People just let off the gas. The whole year we didn’t know how to close it out.”

But Haley says that the basketball season that saw them play and win tight games and sweep the back half of district and win a playoff game, coupled with the same type of output in baseball, has served as a steppingstone for this coming football season where they have learned how to win in big games.

“We, as a team, learned how to win that year, even when we didn’t have our best stuff,” said Haley. Perhaps one could place an exact moment to the winning mentality and the winning culture taking form and that was in Gunter when Haley hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give them the win and start them on a winning streak.

“We had a bulldog mentality that whole game that we were going to

win that game, said Haley. didn’t have our best stuff and we weren’t making our shots, but that’s a part of learning how to win. You’re not going to have your best stuff every game. At the end of the day, you have to stay confident in your abilities and that’s what I did.”

Haley has had a lot of head coaches in his three seasons in three sports. From Bill Jehling to Mike Segleski, Ryan Moreau, Jay Forsythe, Cody Nitson, and now Lance Bryan.

“I love them all. They have been great coaches no matter what’s happened over the years with our wins and losses. It doesn’t matter. They’re all amazing guys and each one of them has been able to adapt to us. We have to adapt to them, but they also have to adapt to us,” said Haley.

He says Bryan is helping turn things around and bringing energy and a big weightlifting program where the athletes have added over 18,000 pounds to their maxes (middle school and high school combined).

Studio42 had a chance to visit with Haley in a 22-minute sit-down interview which can be heard at https://youtu.be/YFcN-tmYKtA

Haley is the son of Charles and Kelly Haley and has one brother Howe MVP golfer Talan Haley.

The Howe Bulldogs found their man and made the announcement at January’s school board meeting. The 27th head football coach for the Howe Bulldogs is Lance Bryan who has most recently served as the defensive coordinator at Class 4A Sanger. He would love for his first ever victory as a head coach to be one that snaps a 22-game losing streak for Howe.

Bryan is originally from Gainesville, Texas where he played football for the Gainesville Leopards. He played college ball at Hardin Simmons and eventually became a graduate assistant coach there. He landed a job at Carthage High School in 2010 and then went to Jasper High in 2011. Bryan was at Class 5A Hutto from 2012-2016. He took the defensive coordinator job at Class 6A Baytown Sterling near Houston in 2017 before coming to S&S in 2018 before moving to Sanger for the past three seasons.

Howe, who is winless in the past two seasons, is looking for a jumpstart and Bryan was a part of a similar situation at Jasper who went from 2-8 to a district championship.

“I’m not making those kinds of promises, but you can flip a program quickly if you do things the right way,” said Bryan who had similar turnaround situations in Hutto, Baytown Sterling, and at

Sanger. “I know that the formula for success is involved in the culture. Building a culture is the biggest thing that leads to sustained success.”

He said in January that he would surround himself with coaches that share his vision and coach in a positive way. His vision includes five core values which include effort, attitude, tough, family, competitive excellence trust the process.

“I believe that if we concentrate on those five core values, there’s two absolutes that I can promise our kids are going to be successful on and off the field. All of those things also go into life and into the classrooms,” said Bryan.

“Kids in our program should enjoy being a part of it.

We’re going to have multisport athletes. No coach is ever going to tell them they can’t do something. I was a multi-sport athlete; my son is a multi-sport athlete. That’s going to be the thing that we’re going to do.”

This is his first job as an athletic director and sees the small school as the perfect opportunity for athletes to do as much as they possibly can and maximize the greatest aspect of being at a small school. He is high on athletes being involved in strength and conditioning, powerlifting, and track and

says that those programs build athletes in every sport. Howe first hit Bryan’s radar in 2020 when the Bulldogs hosted Sanger for homecoming. He said he was impressed with the support of the team from the community.

“I know there were some rough years, but the community was still out in force and to me that spoke volumes,” said Bryan. “Coaching against them, I thought there were pieces there that could win some games. All coaches think they can fix everything, but I definitely thought there were some things with the athletes they had that there were ways for them to achieve more success.”

Howe was ranked 9th alltime in yards a year ago and return the school’s all-time passing leader in quarterback Austin Haley. Bryan feels that the Bulldogs could be more of a multiple look offense in 2022 which would allow the team to be able to both throw and pass at any given moment to dictate to a defense.

“There’s definitely elements to the offense that they did last year that we’re still going to do,” said Bryan.

“Some of the plays that they run in “air raid” are staples of that kind of offense. There are still some things that I think we’re going to use with a tight end and some two back sets. You can use formations to put defenses in bad situations and you can get guys open or create running lanes when you do that. I want to be able to do both. Austin Haley is a really, really good athletic quarterback that I’ve had to coach against the last two years, and he was a handful. That’s very attractive coming in here and having a guy like him under center.”

Bryan utilizes a 3-4 defensive scheme with three down linemen. But he likes to move his linebackers to

create a multiple look defensively.

“The biggest thing the 3-4 allows is flexibility in personnel,” said Bryan. “One of the things defensively I’ve always prided myself is I don’t ever want to be in a position where my best 11 players aren’t on the field.

Although Bryan has moved around a lot as a coach, he insists it’s because he was trying to elevate himself to be in the situation he is in now a head coach. He says he doesn’t anticipate the continued movement and wants to settle his family into a hometown situation as he had in Gainesville.

“One of the biggest reasons why I’m in this area right now is because I want to be in North Texas,” said Bryan. “My parents are in North Texas, my in-laws moved from out-of-state to North Texas about five years ago. I want somewhere to call home. I have a son in seventh grade right now and I don’t want to move him in high school. My family has sacrificed a lot for me and my ambitions to try and move up the ladder and I’m here and I plan on staying here and I want some place for them to call home. That’s something that I want for them, and I want that to be

HOWE SCHOOL SONG

Howe School will always be the best school. We all can make it so.

Our pride, our glory and our honor Will guide us as we go.

The teachers always help to lead us

On to reach our goal.

Howe School will always be the best school

‘Til rivers cease to flow.

Howe Enterprise, Feb. 7, 2022

Howe ISD turned in an enrollment number of 349 to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) back in October which turned out to be just barely enough to keep them out of 3A Division I in football again and most likely into the same scenario as before with long traveling games with much larger schools who take football seriously. The move down to 3A Division II was a monumental for Bulldog fans, but most importantly the players in the football program. Howe will no longer have the dubious honor of being the opposing team’s homecoming each week. Coming off an 0-10 record for the second straight year, opposing teams might still be tempted to place that designation, however, when they look under the hood of the Bulldogs returning starters and organizational overhaul, they might want to try and find someone else.

Howe was placed in District 8 along with Bells, Blue Ridge, Gunter, Leonard, and Lone Oak. The six team district is already an advantage over the alignment two years ago which placed them with Mineola, Mount Vernon, Winnsboro, Rains, Commerce, Bonham, and Pottsboro. That district remained intact with Howe moving out being the only change.

But everything about the previous two year death sentence from the UIL is in the rear view mirror. Brand new LED lighting upgrades have already been installed in the victory light box awaiting September and that glorious moment when Howe’s new Head Coach Lance Bryan will press the button on the iPhone which signals his first ever career win which breaks a 2-year losing streak.

Bryan announced through the Howe Enterprise Thursday that the nondistrict schedule would include opening night at Honey Grove and the home opener the following week versus Tom Bean. Howe will then host Commerce and Tioga before traveling to S&S to finish out the nondistrict schedule.

For the first time in 53 years, Howe will not have either Pottsboro or Van Alstyne on the schedule. Also, the matchup with Tioga will mark the first in 74 years when Howe last met Tioga in 1948. Howe’s first ever UIL football game was played at Tioga against the

Bulldogs which saw Howe lose 12-0. However, the Bulldogs of Howe won the next 11-straight which the streak still stands. The Howe players famously traveled to Tioga on the back of a flat-bed truck to the first ever game.

Howe also hasn’t played Leonard since the 2015 mud bowl where the Dogs clinched the district championship that evening. Howe also hasn’t played Honey Grove since 2011 when they were drummed 55-14 at Warrior Stadium. Howe hasn’t defeated the Warriors since 1997.

Heading into last season, Howe’s record against 2021 opponents was a paltry 27-43-2 with Callisburg being the only team the Bulldogs had a series winning record against (editor’s note Bells game was removed from the schedule due to

COVID). Heading into 2022, the Bulldogs hold a series record advantage over opponents of 14280. The Bulldogs since 1935 have an overall losing record to Honey Grove (3-7), Commerce (1-5), Leonard (11-16), and Lone Oak (34). Howe has a winning record against Tom Bean (30-10), Tioga (11 -1), S&S (25-10), Blue Ridge (5-3), Bells (35-10), and Gunter (18-14).

Looking at streaks, Honey Grove has won 6-straight over Howe, Howe has won 3-straight over Tom Bean, Commerce has won 4-straight over Howe, Howe has won 11-straight over Tioga, Howe has won 4straight over S&S, Howe has won 3straight over Blue Ridge, Bells has won 2-straight over Howe, and Gunter has won 2-straight over Howe.

For the playoffs, Howe’s District 8 would be paired with District 7 which includes Arlington Trinity Leadership, Blooming Grove, Cedar Hill Newman, Mildred, Palmer, Rice, and Scurry-Rosser.

Leonard Tigers Head Coach Justin Dozier. 2021: 8-3 area finalists. Howe is 11-16 overall against Leonard dating back to the first game in 1961. The last matchup was in 2015 when Howe won 34-13.

Gunter Tigers Head Coach Jake Fieszel. 2021: 15-1 state finalist. Howe is 18-14 overall against Gunter dating back to the first game in 1935. Howe snapped an 11-game losing streak to Gunter in 2015. Gunter has won two in a row (2016 and 2017).

Bells Panthers Head Coach Dale West. 2021: 9-4 regional semifinalist. Howe is 35-10-5 overall against Bells dating back to the first game in 1936. Howe’s last win came in 2018 (30-15 at Bulldog Stadium).

Blue Ridge Tigers Head Coach Tim Wylie. 2021: 2-8. Howe is 5-3 overall against Blue Ridge dating back to the first game in 2002. Howe has won 3-straight over Blue Ridge but the last meeting was in August 2009.

Ethan Sloan, dubbed by the Gunter broadcasters as “Endzone Sloan” had 27 carries for 330 yards and three rushing touchdowns in 2021. He also caught four balls for 44 yards for the state semifinalist Gunter Tigers.

Brock Baker will finally get to live out of the shadows of his brother Bo Baker. But the younger Baker had over 1,000 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns of his own in 2021. But defensively, Baker had 71 solo tackles to lead the returning Panthers.

Four Year Snapshot of District 8

3A

II Members

Lone Oak Buffaloes Head Coach Logan Turner. 2021: 2-8. Howe is 34 overall against Lone Oak with the series dating back to 1970 in the bidistrict championship. Howe won the last matchup in 2019 at home by a score of 42-6. It was the last Howe win heading into the 2022 season.

Howe Bulldogs Head Coach Lance Bryan. 2021: 0-10. Howe enters 2022 with a 22-game losing streak. New Head Coach Lance Bryan has the school’s all-time leading passer in Austin Haley, four offensive linemen, and leading receivers Ryan Hough, Cooper Jones returning. The defense is the key.

Norman Dickey 1964-1975

All-time leader in wins (51).

District, Bi-District, Regional Champs.

Second in wins (41). District, Bi-District, Area Champions in 1985 and 1989. Four playoff teams.

Davey DuBose

1996-2000

Third in wins (34). District, Bi-District Champions 1998. Three playoff teams.

Zack Hudson 2013-2014

Fourth in wins (30). Most in playoff wins (5). District Champs (1), BiDistrict and Area Champs (2).

1980-1984

Fifth in wins (29). District Champions and Co-District Champions.

Leslie Walden 1938-1939

Sixth in wins (18). Had a winning percentage of .900 with a career record of 18 -2-2.

1946-1947

Tied for seventh in wins (16). His defense in 1945 gave up zero points in the regular season

James "Blackie" Wade

1976-1979

Tied for seventh in wins (16). Brought the Victory Light to Howe.

Joey McQueen 1990-1992

Tied for seventh in wins (16) and first in playoff ties (2). District, Bi-District, Area Champions.

Howe's first head coach, Barnes Milam, seen here with the first Howe Bulldog football team in 1935.

Jim Fryar 1985-1989

John "Buck" Smith

E.G. "Jack" Osborn

L.B. Morris 1936-1937, He was Howe’s second head football coach and his 13 wins rank him 10th all-time. He is a member of the North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame, Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor, and the Fannin County Sports Hall of Fame.

On a field where minutes are kept, it has been over 45 million minutes between the first game at Bulldog Stadium on Oct. 3, 1935 and opening night of 2021. But a year ago the playing surface became no longer grass (and sometimes mud). The Howe ISD Board of Trustees approved a $2 million project from Hellas Construction to rebuild the track that was originally constructed in 1986 and to place artificial turf on the football playing surface.

The school chose the top-of-theline Matrix Helix® synthetic turf system. Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation is what breaks down synthetic turf over time. The amount of play from athletes has very little effect on the overall life span.

The goal for the turf is to get the yard to stand up on end. Over time, the older turf lays flat and the flatter it lays, the more exposed it is to the UV rays.

The Helix-shaped turf fibers feature Shape Memory Technology. The fibers are curled and heat-set during the manufacturing process, allowing each fiber to spring back to its original position and secure the turf’s infill, reducing splash-out of

technology enhances the turf system’s resiliency, stability, and durability over time. The Matrix Helix synthetic turf system is also installed at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

The turf has an 8-year warranty, but the lifespan is expected to be 10-14 years.

Inside the turf are black pellets of rubber, but the installation also comes with a rubber pad underneath the turf surface for more safety.

Even if there were no black rubber pellets in the field at all, it would still pass the safety recommendation. The rubber

The crown of the field was removed and now is a flat surface from sideline to sideline. New goal posts were installed and the board decided on the “Block H” at midfield.

New fencing has been created

lane track, the concession stand would have had to be removed and the project would have gone from $2 million to approximately $10 million which relocation of bleachers on both sides of the stadium.

In 1964, Howe hired former Gunter Tiger and Austin College Kangaroo Norman Dickey as head coach. Howe had finished the ’63 season with 13 kids left on the team and Dickey went to every eligible student before his initial season and rounded up 20 kids to play football. With most of the kids underclassmen, the future looked bright for Bulldog football. Norman Dickey would go on to record more victories than any other coach in school history.

1946 team gave up 19 points in 10 games to become the best defensive team in Howe history. New coach Jack Osborne brought his undefeated record from Missouri to Howe. The Bulldogs had seven shutouts and finished the season 9-0-1. The 6-6 tie with Pilot Point cost the Bulldogs a playoff spot. Howe shared the District Championship with Pilot Point and for the first time had the label of Co-Champions. During that season, Howe sported an aerial attack for the first time with Jack Gattis throwing touchdown passes to Ned Estes time and time again.

Howe had the most successful run since the 1940s when John "Buck" Smith was hired in 1980 through the Jim Fryar years and ended with Joey McQueen at the helm in 1991. From 1984-1991, Howe made the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons back when the UIL only took two teams from each district. Howe won the district championship in 1984, 1985, 1989, and 1991. They were bidistrict champions in 1985, 1989, and 1990 and captured the area championship in 1985, 1989, and 1990.

Dave DuBose took the head coaching position in 1996 and turned the program around after a down turn. His 1998 team tied a school record with 10 wins and were district and bidistrict champions that year. They also made a playoff trip the following two years. In 2010, Howe came from nowhere with new head coach Cory Crane to win nine games and earn a first round bye in the playoffs.

Avery Snapp

Erin Catching

Ally Harvey

Kindle Catching

Alli Morgan

Kaylee Dwyer

Riley Harvey

Madeline Ansley

Emily Dawsey

Miranda Casteel

Kathryn McGinnis

Tiffani Batchelor

Taylor Cook

Britney Bilbrey 2007 Sigrid Debber 2006 Kiley Huntsman 2005 Andi Lands 2004 Rebecca Lowder 2003 Alison Hightower

2002 Benedicte Sebjornsen

2001 April Gregory

Julie Holcomb

Karra Pryor

Katrina Vest

Robin Davidson

Tiffany Orr

Sheryl Anderson

Tasha Johnson

Heather Finney

Heidi Keene

Things were strange in 1942. The world was at war. Howe’s Head Football Coach H.A. McDonald resigned after one season where Howe went 6-3 in 1941 and scored 132 points while allowing 87. In March of ‘42, Howe hired Mrs. Charles R. Thompson to fill the vacancy, but obviously, she was not a football coach. She was to teach until another coach could be selected. Later in the month, the school board approved the hire of J.D. Cochran of Dallas to be the coach, but he resigned to take a defensive coaching position at another school. So, without a coach, the players petitioned the school to coach themselves.

The young men approached Howe High School Principal Charles R. Thompson about coaching themselves. He gave them a stern lecture according to the late L.B. Kirby, that he would not waste his time unless they

were going to take it seriously.

Thompson told them, “If you’re just wanting to go out there and wear the uniforms, I’m not going to fool with it. But if you’re serious about playing, then I’ll drive the bus.”

And with that green light, the boys began to put in the work at Bulldog Stadium.

They elected captains Robert Miller and Henry Lee Allgood. They were led at quarterback by Tony Brinkley. All of these young men would eventually land in combat in World War II. Brinkley became eventually would become Howe’s first casualty of the war. Also on the team was a halfback named L.B. Kirby who would go on to become the most decorated living war hero in the State of Texas.

Howe opened the season at home at Bulldog Stadium with a crushing blow to the Denison B team by a whopping score of 40-0 on a Tuesday afternoon.

Howe scored in every period with Miller leading the way with four touchdowns. Fullback Allgood and quarterback Brinkley accounted for the remaining two touchdowns. It was Kirby who set the table for the scores with good runs.

The final score of the game at Bells doesn’t represent to true dog fight the boys were in. The score was knotted at 13 through most of the game leading to the final stanza. Howe capitalized on fumbles and interceptions to put up three scores in the fourth quarter for the 33-13 win. Miller again scored four touchdowns.

The next game was the second consecutive season Howe played Van Alstyne. It was also the second ever game against the Panthers which eventually became a heated rivalry with a “Silver Spike” name to boot. But in 1942, Howe traveled down Highway 5 for a rare game under the lights on a Thursday night.

The result was a hotly contested 7-6 loss to the Panthers when Glen Whitaker received a pass from Bobby Waters and ran 23 yards for the score. Waters extra point gave Van Alstyne the come-frombehind win. Howe’s score came on a Brinkley 60-yard interception return.

Howe then got revenge the next week at home with a 40 -0 drubbing of Pilot Point as

every article each week noted the Dogs as the “coach less team.”

Kirby scored two touchdowns, with Miller, Brinkley, Allgood, and Jones scoring also.

With that win, Howe, in class 14-B, qualified for a bi-district championship showdown with Sanger in Whitesboro.

The game records indicate the game ended in a 12-12 tie, but Kirby says that Miller scored from the one-yard line as time expired, however, the officials ruled him down after not getting the ball across the line.

“It’s the first time and the last time I have ever seen the fans of an opponent take up for the opposing team,” said Kirby in a 1999 interview. “Miller took a handoff over right tackle and just before he crossed the goal line, he turned parallel to the goal line and fell about a foot across the goal line. The referees brought it back to about one foot inside the line. He was in the air so he couldn't have touched. They called the game as the clock had run out. The fans from Sanger piled onto the field declaring that he had made the touchdown. He had made the score. I was actually afraid for a little while. I thought they were going to do something to the referees.”

The story of the 1942 Howe Bulldogs is one that could very well be written and told on the silver screen. A story of perseverance, trials, tribulations, heartbreak, and tragedy. But out of all of those things came heroes and there was a plentiful heaping scoop of heroes on that team.

In the early 1980s, high school mascots were not abundant in North Texas and Howe had no intentions of having one either. But a cheerleader tryout that went awry for a returning varsity cheerleader led to the creation of something great.

at the NCA store. Betty Terry immediately purchased the $600 Bulldog suit.

"After we bought it, we went and asked Mr. (Donal) Gilstrap (the high school principal) if I could be the mascot," said Tina Terry." He said okay, but you don't have a suit. I said, yes, I do. We kind of didn't give him a choice."

In the fall of 1984, the Bulldog mascot, not yet named, took the field for the first time. The Bulldogs were one of the only teams around to have a mascot, but Terry remembered the first encounter with a rival mascot.

Tina Terry, a sophomore varsity cheerleader didn't make the cut her junior year and to make things worse, her sister Tanja was selected. Both sisters and their mother Betty went cheerleader outfit shopping at the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) store in Dallas. The mom of the varsity cheerleader and former varsity cheerleader had a

"The first other mascot was in Anna, and I ended up motioning to the Anna Coyote to meet me in the middle of the field," said Terry. "We kind of did a little round of fisticuffs right before the game."

Even though Terry was the first mascot as a junior and bought the suit, Gilstrap

be mascot again her senior year. Terry won the nomination against several competitors. Once Tina Terry graduated from Howe High School in 1986, the family donated the Bulldog suit to the school. Jodi Shannon took over as the mascot and the name "Spike" first appeared that fall. Since that first fall of 1984, the Spike club has grown to several members. Following Terry and Shannon were Heather Turnbow, Brandi Whaley, Michelle Haynes, Casey Keene, Janet Middleton, Jamie Middleton, Sarah Earls, Courtney Williams,

Melissa Boatman, Lindsay Nicholas, Ashley Stogsdill, Kelsa Bertrand, Kiley Huntsman, Tayler Earnhart, Hannah Holt, Kallie McClain, Megan Ing, Marissa Rose, Darby Stewart, Rachel White, and Chris Blaszak, Kiley Fleming, Emma Sutherland, Reagan Troxtell, Skiley Buchanan, and now Aviana Acevedo.

When Tina Terry didn't get selected for varsity cheerleader, she didn't tuck her tail, she grew one. And the Bulldogs have never been the same since.

Anna Bi-District Champs* forfeit

Lewisville - Bi-District (home)

Lewisville - Bi-District

Sanger - Bi-District

Frisco - Bi District

Lone Oak - Bi-District Champs

Windthorst - Regional Champs

Farmersville - Bi-District

Farmersville - Bi-District Champs

Grand Saline - Area Champs

Groveton - Regional

Pilot Point - Bi District

Farmersville - Bi-District

Royse City - Bi-District Champs

Electra - Area Champs

McGregor - Regional

Celina - Bi-District Champs

Olney - Area Champs

Mart - Regional

Van Alstyne - Bi-District

Pilot Point - Bi District Champs

Boyd - Area

Pilot Point - Bi District

Farmersville - Bi-District

Grand Saline - Bi-District

Maypearl - Area

New Boston - Area

Cooper - Bi-District

Hughes Springs - Area

Waskom - Regional

Edgewood - Bi-District

New London West Rusk - Regional

Grandview - Bi-District

Jefferson - Area

Mineola - Regional

Most points scored in a single game

Most points given up in a single game

Most points scored in a single playoff run

Most points given up in a single playoff run

Least points given up in a single playoff run

Least points scored in a single playoff run

Most wins in a single playoff run

Most ties in a single playoff run

Most wins vs. an opponent

Most losses vs. an opponent

Most games vs. an opponent

Total shutouts

Total times shutout

Last shutout

Last time shutout by opponent

Most overall points scored vs. an opponent

Most overall points given up vs. an opponent

Most wins by a head coach

Most losses by a head coach

Most playoff games started

Most playoff games started

started

started

started

Panther Stadium, Van Alstyne, TX

Bulldog Stadium, Howe, TX

Teachers College, Denton, TX

Whitesboro, TX

Newsome Stadium, McKinney, TX

Ron Poe Stadium, McKinney, TX

Leeper Stadium, Gainesville, TX

Bearcat Stadium, Sherman, TX

Warrior Stadium, Bonham, TX

Homer B. Johnson Stadium, Garland, TX

Tiger Stadium, Corsicana, TX

Clark Stadium, Plano, TX

Williams Stadium, Garland, TX

Bulldog Stadium, Howe, TX

Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls, TX

Mesquite Memorial Stadium, Mesquite, TX

Clark Stadium, Plano, TX

UTA Maverick Stadium, Arlington, TX

Pennington Field, Bedford, TX

Clark Stadium, Plano, TX

Denton ISD Stadium, Denton, TX

Pennington Field, Bedford, TX

Pennington Field, Bedford, TX

Denton ISD Stadium, Denton, TX

Tom Kimbrough Stadium, Murphy, TX

Pirate Stadium, Wylie, TX

Wildcat Stadium, Paris, TX

Jackie Hendricks Stadium, Princeton, TX

Van Memorial Stadium, Van, TX

Rose Stadium, Tyler, TX

Royse City ISD Stadium, Royse City, TX

Forney City Bank Stadium, Forney, TX

Northwest ISD Stadium, Justin, TX

Lindale Eagle Stadium, Lindale, TX

Royse City ISD Stadium, Royse City, TX

Frisco, Farmersville (2), New Boston

Celina, Olney

all 14 wins vs. 14 different teams

Farmersville

Farmersville

Windthorst, Grand Saline

Frisco, Farmersville (2), Mart, New Boston

Grand Saline

New Boston

Hughes Springs

Lewisville, Farmersville

Zack Hudson

Jim Fryar

Andrew Griffin

Brandon Wall

Tyler Grisham

Brice Honaker

Mike Helpenstell

Clay Marshall

Tanner Hartsfield

Matt Griffin

Game Records

Yards are not a complete list (482 games have been completed). Point records are completed