Kerry Barboza grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After attending high school at Thomas Jefferson, Kerry was on his way to Oral Roberts in Tulsa, before checking out the coast of Virginia while working on his Master’s Degree and getting his feet wet in the news/sports reporting business. Kerry made it back to the San Antonio area in February of 2002, when he took a job at the Boerne Star. For nearly 20 years, Kerry Barboza has been around every state championship moment, the UIL Lone Star Cup, the split of two high schools, the development of a major private school, and the coverage of the Comfort Bobcats/Deer, and he’s seen it all. From the Paul Talbert years in Comfort, to covering so many amazing Boerne coaches, athletes, programs, and moments, Kerry Barboza got a great seat for the action. The thing is, he was usually standing the whole time, taking pictures, and then headed back home to write about all of these moments and give Boerne Athletes coverage that few are lucky to receive at the prep level. You won’t want to miss it as we cover the top ten stories in Boerne over the last many years. We talk about all kinds of things, but you’ll have to tune in to hear for yourself. Episode #48.1 includes Kerry’s life, growing up, going to college, and returning to the SA area, and then we dive right into the #’s 10, 9, and 8! Later in the week I’ll release #48.2, and we’ll finish out the top 10, by coverings #’s 7-1. I’d have released the entire interview at once, but with a day job, I needed a few night to clean it all up for maximum enjoyment! Don’t miss us discussing the Hall of Honor, Sam Champion, and so much more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/erik-thormaehlen/support

Kerry Barboza grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After attending high school at Thomas Jefferson, Kerry was on his way to Oral Roberts in Tulsa, before checking out the coast of Virginia while working on his Master’s Degree and getting his feet wet in the news/sports reporting business. Kerry made it back to the San Antonio area in February of 2002, when he took a job at the Boerne Star. For nearly 20 years, Kerry Barboza has been around every state championship moment, the UIL Lone Star Cup, the split of two high schools, the development of a major private school, and the coverage of the Comfort Bobcats/Deer, and he’s seen it all. From the Paul Talbert years in Comfort, to covering so many amazing Boerne coaches, athletes, programs, and moments, Kerry Barboza got a great seat for the action. The thing is, he was usually standing the whole time, taking pictures, and then headed back home to write about all of these moments and give Boerne Athletes coverage that few are lucky to receive at the prep level. You won’t want to miss it as we cover the top ten stories in Boerne over the last many years. We talk about all kinds of things, but you’ll have to tune in to hear for yourself. Episode #48.1 includes Kerry’s life, growing up, going to college, and returning to the SA area, and then we dive right into the #’s 10, 9, and 8! Later in the week I’ll release #48.2, and we’ll finish out the top 10, by coverings #’s 7-1. I’d have released the entire interview at once, but with a day job, I needed a few night to clean it all up for maximum enjoyment! Don’t miss us discussing the Hall of Honor, Sam Champion, and so much more!

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Dickie Faught grew up near Brownfield, Texas, and attended college at San Angelo State University.  Coach Faught began his coaching career in Klondike, Texas.  After a two year stint in Klondike, Coach Faught made a jump back towards home and went to Brownfield as an assistant coach for a few years before taking over the girls basketball program at a time when 3 time WNBA MVP, Sheryl Swoopes was in high school.  Coach Faught would coach Brownfield to a state title in 1988.  Soon after he took a job as Girls Coordinator at Hereford High School where he stayed for three years, before jumping to Ozona, Texas, a place where his teams went on to play for three state titles, and win two.  Coach Faught finished his career with a 9 year run in Seminole, and more than 600 wins throughout his amazing career. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/erik-thormaehlen/support

Coach Shivers grew up in Boerne, Texas.  He graduated the Salutatorian of BHS in the Class of 1992.  As a high school basketball player, Robbie helped the Boerne Greyhounds reach the 1990 State Championship game.  He then went on to Stephen F. Austin University to play college basketball and continue his education, before transferring to Concordia University in Austin, to team up with his older brother David, in a reunion that saw Robbie named as a 2nd Team NAIA All-American.  After graduating, Coach Shivers headed back to Boerne to work as an assistant basketball coach, under his high school coach, and previous podcast guest, Stan Leech.  After 4 years of being an assistant, Coach Shivers decided to move into the head coach world which saw stops in Utopia, Brazoswood, San Marcos, and Lampasas.  Join us as we take a trip down memory lane in the virtual yellow dog, cruising throughout numerous parts of Texas, and expanding upon impressions of each place and the good times.

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In the 45th edition of the Tale Lights Podcast, I did something different.  I sat down with a former player of Coach Rip Sewell to honor the deceased coach that made a major impact in the lives of kids out in Ozona, Texas, for many years.  Blake Moody not only played football and ran track for Coach Sewell, but was also the son of the superintendent during Coach Sewell's time as AD/HFC. We talked about what it was like growing up in Ozona,, playing for Coach Sewell, the experience of an undefeated 1976 season, and much more.  One road we go down is the disappointing 4-3 school board vote in 2015 that determined the stadium would not be named in Coach Sewell's honor.  Coach Sewell is in the THSCA Hall of Honor, and a legend in West Texas.  The fact that small town politics so often get in the way of doing what's right, is as usual, highly disappointing to many of us that appreciate the decades of love and dedication Coach Rip Sewell showed to the kids out in Ozona.

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Rick Keith grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast, when his family's livelihood sent them headed out east to Connecticut.  In many ways it was a real blessing because in Connecticut, "Tex", as he was called, would find the sport of cross country.  As a state qualifying cross country runner, and a member of the varsity hockey team, Rick had quite the adventure in a place where many believed he was a foreign exchange student.  He returned to Texas to attend UT before serving in the military, overseas in Germany.  After returning and completing his education, Coach Keith began a journey that eventually led him out west to Alpine, Texas.  During his time in Alpine, Coach Keith served as the head coach of volleyball, girls track, and cross country.  With over 300 wins as a volleyball coach in 11 seasons, learn how Coach Keith made the switch to cross country and launched an entirely new program at AHS.  Coach Keith and I even engage in a fun debate over whether or not the girls in Texas should be running a 5K. https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews [email protected] --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/erik-thormaehlen/support

Steve Taylor grew up the son of a Baptist preacher in Spur, Texas.  He went on to play college football at San Angelo State University.  After a couple of years as a graduate assistant, Coach Taylor decided it was time to go for the "big money" in the Texas Public School System!  Coach Taylor headed for Muleshoe and joined Mike Wartes and Alan Cornelius to make up a trio of a head coach, an offensive coordinator, and a defensive coordinator, that is their ages had been added together, didn't even equal 75 years of age.  From Muleshoe, that same trio headed on to Denver City, where Cornelius would take the head job after Wartes departed, and then finally Coach Steve Taylor would take his first head coaching position, as he was promoted to lead the Mustangs.  Coach Taylor spent 6 years at the helm, before taking a job in "the biggest little town in the world", Ozona, Texas.  Coach Taylor and his staff took the reigns and immediately put the Lions on track for a great season.  After 5 years of leading the Lions, Coach Taylor would take a job at Midland Greenwood, where he and his staff would lead the Rangers to the State Quarterfinals in 2006.  After 5 years in Midland, Coach Taylor decided to head further west and took the job as the Head Football Coach of the Brownfield Cubs.  A year later, he was headed home to Denver City for another great run with the Mustangs.  Tune in for all the great details.  You won't want to miss a great story about Coach Rip Sewell, a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, Hall of Honor.  Not to mention, discuss one of the most incredible ladies I've met in my life, Anne Shaw.  It's an interview that you won't want to miss!

https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

[email protected]

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Chan Priest grew up in the small town of San Saba, Texas, where his father was the Head Football Coach of the Armadillos.  We talk in depth about the history of "The Graveyard" (the football field in San Saba) and  Coach Priest tells a great story about the time his father and older brother (who were strong influences on his life), were involved in an altercation (which emanated from Mason, TX.) between the two and a couple of chain crew cowboys in the land of the Punchers, which from the sound of it, likely would have been a main event at the old Dallas Sportatorium.  Coach Priest played football at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and headed out to New Mexico to begin a career as a game warden.  He ended up following in his father's footsteps instead, and coaching a year in New Mexico, before returning to Texas and going to work at Early High School.  From Early, Coach Priest headed to De Leon, and went to work for Coach Jack Waggoner, where the Bearcats won the 1975 state championship in football.  By 1980, Coach Priest was ready to fly out on his own, as he accepted the position of Head Football Coach of the Goldthwaite Eagles.  Coach Priest, and his staff (which included our previous guest, Coach Gary Proffitt), would take a football program out of the slumping seventies, ending a decade long playoff drought, to kick off the electric eighties!  After the Eagles won the 1985 UIL Football State Championship (and a great story about Coach Gordon Wood's halftime locker room visit on that night), Coach Proffitt goes on to discuss the time he followed legendary Coach Randy Allen, to become the HFC of the Ballinger Bearcats.  After 5 years at Ballinger, Coach Priest had won 98 football games (as a head football coach) in his first ten years, and he was riding high into Gatesville, Texas, as the newly hired leader of the Hornet football program.  Coach Priest won 16 games in 6 years at Gatesville and his story of of the time he spent in Gatesville is every bit as interesting, honest, and fun to listen to, as the great triumphs of his life and career.  Coach Priest is pictured above, to the right of Coach Gary Proffitt, following the 2009 UIL State Championship won by the Goldthwaite Eagles.  Coach Priest's description of the picture is as follows "Gary's 4th and my 5th. I started adding Gary's to mine after I retired. When you get over 60 you can do that."   

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Gary Proffitt grew up in Ballinger, Texas.  Coach Proffitt went to college at San Angelo State University, and then entered into his coaching career as an assistant coach of the Goldthwaite Eagles in 1980.  Working under Coach Chan Priest, the Eagles won their first state football title in 1985.  In 1986, Coach Proffitt took over the program and would lead Goldthwaite to 5 additional state championship football games, winning 3 state titles in all as the head coach, and sending the community on numerous enjoyable runs over the course of 27 seasons.    We discuss the old playoff formats, the new playoff formats, the crazy method of breaking tie football games back in the day, and much more!

https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

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 Lynn Graves grew up on a farm in Buncombe, Texas. He attended high school at Carthage High School and then went to college at Stephen F. Austin State University. Prior to being a head coach, Coach Graves spent time as an assistant at SFA, and in Jacksonville ISD. Coach Graves began his head coaching career as the Head Football Coach at SFA, where he coached the Lumberjacks all the way to the National Championship Game in 1989. With a close loss in the championship game, and impatience during a time of building the program back up, SFA decided to go in a new direction. Coach Graves did the same and took the Head Football Coaching job for the San Augustine Wolves and led the team to a 2003 UIL State Title against the Tuscola- Jim Ned Indians and quarterback Colt McCoy.  Four days later, he was fired.  No worries though, they rehired him later on down the road, and Coach Graves has a tremendous outlook on life and didn't let things get to him, as his mission of building kids into quality people, always took the forefront. You won't want to miss this wild and incredible story.  

https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

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Matt Wernecke grew up in Wharton, Texas.  No thanks to the help from a pair of double bogey's, Matt caught the eye of the Sam Houston State University Golf Coach, where he went on to play golf in college.  After graduating, and finishing his collegiate career, Coach Wernecke began his career in education at Rice Consolidated.  Following a semester stay at Rice Cons, Coach Wernecke headed home to Wharton, where he became the head golf coach and found himself running the program fresh out of college.  After 5 successful years at home, he decided to head towards Austin and made a short stop at Pflugerville Hendrickson, prior to making a jump to lead the golf program of the Vandergrift Vipers.  As the first and only head coach in the golf program, Coach Wernecke has led both groups to state on multiple occasions, including numerous third place and runner-up finishes on the boys and girls side, and an incredible three year run of state championships for his boys program.   

https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

[email protected]

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