Sports > Schools
TOUGH ENOUGH: Pirates show their mettle in earning trip to regional championship game
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
Before the start of the season, Poteet drew up plans for an alternate uniform to wear on special occasions.
The practice is one that is used across the country, especially on the collegiate level, where programs such as the University of Oregon seemingly break out a different uniform every week.
But for the Pirates, the purpose was more personal.
On the helmet and across the chests of the players are the letters TPW-Tough People Win.
It is a state of mind head coach Randy Jackson started using when he was the head coach at Lone Oak nine years ago and one of the tenets he instilled in the Poteet program when he took over in 2010.
That season, the Pirates went from a 0-10 record the previous year to a 12-3 mark the program's first trip to the state semifinals.
Poteet missed the playoffs by a hair, losing out on a tiebreaker, in 2011, so prior to this season, "TPW" made its way into tangible form on the alternate uniforms.
"It is a slogan I have used for a while," Jackson said. "We have a different motto every year, but that slogan is one of the foundations of what we are trying to achieve."
The Pirates unveiled the new uniforms in the District 10-4A opener against Carrollton Newman Smith and they passed with flying colors in a 43-14 victory.
Poteet broke them out again two weeks later against Highland Park, but a funny thing happened. After controlling the game until late in the fourth quarter, the Scots made a fourth-down stop, drove the length of the field for a score and then converted the two-point conversion-all in the last two-and-a-half minutes-for a 20-19 victory.
The uniforms stayed in the locker room until the season finale against West Mesquite, but the outcome was again not what they were hoping for, as the Wranglers surged in the second half to a 45-31 victory.
Prior to last week's Class 4A Region II semifinal game against Wylie East, the Pirates again had the option of wearing the alternate uniforms.
Despite a mixed track record, the "TPW" uniforms were on display at Rockwall's Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium and Poteet showed exactly what that slogan means as it held off an explosive Wylie East team when Brett Rattan kicked a 31-yard field goal with 48 seconds left to lift them to a 52-49 victory.
"I was kind of hesitant at first because we had our only two losses in them," Jackson said. "But the kids wanted to wear them and we were able to get the win, so I am thankful for that."
The Pirates (11-2) will now compete in the Class 4A Division II Region II championship game when they meet Lancaster (12-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Allen's Eagle Stadium.
The Tigers are considered by many to be a favorite to win the state title, but Poteet is not backing down. And whether the "TPW" is present on their jerseys and helmets, or only in their minds, the Pirates have already shown the ability to follow its statement to the letter.
"That's what makes me feel so good is that last year we didn't get in and the first day of offseason I called the seniors in and talked to them and they looked me in the eye and said 'Coach, it won't happen again'," Jackson said. "I'm just proud of them. It's a good bunch, and it is special getting to make this run and hopefully we're not done yet."
The practice is one that is used across the country, especially on the collegiate level, where programs such as the University of Oregon seemingly break out a different uniform every week.
But for the Pirates, the purpose was more personal.
On the helmet and across the chests of the players are the letters TPW-Tough People Win.
It is a state of mind head coach Randy Jackson started using when he was the head coach at Lone Oak nine years ago and one of the tenets he instilled in the Poteet program when he took over in 2010.
That season, the Pirates went from a 0-10 record the previous year to a 12-3 mark the program's first trip to the state semifinals.
Poteet missed the playoffs by a hair, losing out on a tiebreaker, in 2011, so prior to this season, "TPW" made its way into tangible form on the alternate uniforms.
"It is a slogan I have used for a while," Jackson said. "We have a different motto every year, but that slogan is one of the foundations of what we are trying to achieve."
The Pirates unveiled the new uniforms in the District 10-4A opener against Carrollton Newman Smith and they passed with flying colors in a 43-14 victory.
Poteet broke them out again two weeks later against Highland Park, but a funny thing happened. After controlling the game until late in the fourth quarter, the Scots made a fourth-down stop, drove the length of the field for a score and then converted the two-point conversion-all in the last two-and-a-half minutes-for a 20-19 victory.
The uniforms stayed in the locker room until the season finale against West Mesquite, but the outcome was again not what they were hoping for, as the Wranglers surged in the second half to a 45-31 victory.
Prior to last week's Class 4A Region II semifinal game against Wylie East, the Pirates again had the option of wearing the alternate uniforms.
Despite a mixed track record, the "TPW" uniforms were on display at Rockwall's Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium and Poteet showed exactly what that slogan means as it held off an explosive Wylie East team when Brett Rattan kicked a 31-yard field goal with 48 seconds left to lift them to a 52-49 victory.
"I was kind of hesitant at first because we had our only two losses in them," Jackson said. "But the kids wanted to wear them and we were able to get the win, so I am thankful for that."
The Pirates (11-2) will now compete in the Class 4A Division II Region II championship game when they meet Lancaster (12-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Allen's Eagle Stadium.
The Tigers are considered by many to be a favorite to win the state title, but Poteet is not backing down. And whether the "TPW" is present on their jerseys and helmets, or only in their minds, the Pirates have already shown the ability to follow its statement to the letter.
"That's what makes me feel so good is that last year we didn't get in and the first day of offseason I called the seniors in and talked to them and they looked me in the eye and said 'Coach, it won't happen again'," Jackson said. "I'm just proud of them. It's a good bunch, and it is special getting to make this run and hopefully we're not done yet."
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