So I received an email asking if we’ve ever had this much hype to begin a high school football season? I assume the question is raised because all of the social media buzz surrounding Toby Foreman’s hire at Jasper which was followed by the hiring of Cornel Thompson as Defensive Coordinator. Then Foreman released all the names (meme by meme) of his new coaching staff for all sports.
It gave the impression that Foreman was given a blank check and he hired 100 coaches. But actually his coaching staff is no bigger than other 4A schools. Then there were memes made by others with the help of AI that had Foreman hiring other people like Deion Sanders as well as Coach Boone and Coach Yoast from the movie “Remember the Titans” and local weatherman Kerry Cooper (Foreman’s hype man) and they were hilarious.
A few people took the banter too serious (Naw, not on Social Media!) but those involved were having a good laugh. And Jasper ISD has to be enjoying all the attention that has overshadowed the Derek Peveto hire and fire and the horrendous season they had last year.
And it has the Jasper fan base fired up as they won the popularity contest Ashly Elam put together with the Southeast Texas best helmet contest. No way they win the survey last year. And I have to add my own two cents here. The best helmet is the West Orange-Stark helmet because of the Flyin’ WOS logo created by Thompson and Mark Foreman, who are now on the Jasper staff. (Weird wild stuff). It’s the only unique logo and the football success has turned it into a brand that is known throughout the state and beyond. But again, this was a popularity contest and congrats to Jasper, and to Vidor for making the finals.
But back to the original question about the hype. I can remember a similar thing happening when Eric Peevey was hired at LCM in 2021. Coming from 6A West Brook after taking them to the State Championship game in 2018 had Bear fans fired up and then the sky was the limit after winning 11 games his first year after a one win season the year before.
With the season right around the corner we’re going to introduce you to two words most of you have probably never heard together…ready…Wet Bulb.
Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, monitoring Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is the required standard for every UIL school that runs outdoor athletics or marching band. It’s another way to try and keep students from heat related illnesses. Under the new standard, schools must use WBGT to monitor practice and workout conditions and adjust activity based on the readings. This covers hydration, rest breaks, and activity modifications that follows the UIL’s heat protocol chart.
And to go along with the interesting name is the space age meter that looks like a wireless microphone. And unlike plain air temperature, WBGT accounts for multiple factors that drive heat strain, including humidity (your ability to sweat and cool), radiant heat (sun or hot surfaces), and air movement (wind/ventilation). And I’ve learned WBGT isn’t new. It was created by the military in the 1950’s.
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Business news – You may have noticed some work being done at the old Church’s Chicken building on 16th Street. That will become a business called Oscar’s Fresh Mex. It will be just their second location in Texas as they are currently open in Port Arthur. They also have several locations in Arizona, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Great to see the former Sprad’s Boat Town property being cleaned up. David Hinds has purchased the property but hasn’t told us what he’s doing with it.
The new Discount Tire on I-10 has announced they’re planning to open in August. And we’ll have an announcement soon about a big business changing hands. There’s also rumors about a new bank coming to town.
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TV personality Greg Kerr has announced his retirement. At the time of his retirement he was a TV anchor up in Amarillo. Kerr was the sports guy at Ch. 6 back in the 80’s when I was thinking of a career in sports. He had a great delivery and he let me shadow him when I was at Lamar. Good luck in your next chapter Greg. Kerr is not the first TV sports guy that I remember. I go back to Cy “Tell them Cy sent you by” Hurst. I’m sure some of you remember him too.
Linda Cohn announced her retirement from ESPN after anchoring a record 5000 SportsCenter shows. Never one of my favs but total respect for the longevity, especially at ESPN. Who is my female fav on SportsCenter? Probably Hannah Storm. I like Suzy Kolber when she subbed in too.
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Just watched UFC 329 and wow, I’m so glad I didn’t have to use pay-per-view because I probably would have to see Conor McGregor’s comeback. And thankfully it wasn’t one of those cards where you had to wait until 1am to see the main event. But man, what a disappointment and what a dumb move (flying leg kick) to start the fight after rehabbing a broken leg. At 37, I can’t see him coming back after another rehab stint. Unfortunately we don’t always get to leave on our own terms.
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We have two new podcasts coming out this week. We talk cars and career with Al Granger, and Margaret Toal turns the tables on me.
Have a great week and stay cool!
-Gary Stelly-
gstelly66@gmail.com
Volume 2 No. 9
The Juice is a column where Gary Stelly discusses things that’s happened in the area and mixes it with 40 years of being involved in the Orange County community. (If we think of a better way to explain it we’ll change it) You can also check out his podcast by clicking on the Behind the Mic banner on the KOGT.com front page.
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