by Terry Johnson
Yesterday, I received the call that I knew I would someday. Just hoping it would be down the road more. “Terry, I have some really bad news”. These were the words I heard Cornel articulate. They were somber and penetrating. It was fitting that I heard it from Coach T first. These two guys were inseparable. I was asked by Gary Stelly if I would consider writing an article for KOGT. I told him I’d be honored to do as such. All of Orange County (and beyond) is aware of how Gary has always covered Orange County sports – and the whole town. He’s the “Voice of Orange County”. Hence, I call him G-Voice. Moreover, I call him a friend.
In the Fall of 1977, two schools came together to form West Orange-Stark High School. Those two schools were Lutcher Stark and West Orange. It was a daunting task to bring the Tigers and the Chiefs together. Two fanbases and histories of their own. I was in the 10th grade at Stark and clearly remember 8th thru 11th grades of 1976 got to vote on the school name, colors, and mascot. Doug Farmer was co-student body President with Ron Sigler. Doug for the Chiefs and Ron for the Tigers. They would help bridge the gap the first year. Doug told me, “Terry, you are absolutely correct. The 8th graders (incoming 9th grade) participated in the vote”. The task of bringing these two schools together was a decision the WOCCISD Board had made. The formulation / decisions in “who was going be what”, was surely not easy. Without spending too much time on that – Steve McCarty was hired to be the first Head Coach of the West Orange-Stark Mustangs. I can attest to the truth that Coach McCarty helped us instantly mesh as a student body. He was a great “people person” guy. He was a “uniter” by these eyes. Coach Hooks and Cornel have both told me, “he was a great choice as his skill-set fit the task at hand. Coach McCarty was the head coach from 1977 – 1980. His defensive coordinator he hired was a guy name Dan Hooks, who he’d worked with at Lamar University. For the future of WOS, this proved pivotal; in my opinion. Coach McCarty noted on Facebook yesterday that, “we would not be as successful as we were if we did not have Dan Hooks”. Another huge piece to our history is Cornel Thompson (graduate of “old West Orange” and Stark High baseball coach) not being selected as the baseball coach for the merged schools. That went to Ronnie Anderson – longtime WO baseball coach. Cornel would be the linebacker coach and equipment manager. This allowed Cornel to focus squarely on “the game of football”. Sometimes out of “what you want”, and what is your “calling”, are different things. I personally believe this was a monumental part of the success of the dynasty that would come to be. This is a position he continued to personally coach during his whole career. He became a “student of the game”. A “master technician on the 50 defense”. Dan saw that and often told me at halftime in the locker room, “we’ve got the best defensive football coach in Texas”. Somehow, I think he was confidently comforted by knowing that. A great leader who is confident himself, will allow others to flourish in their own gift. I witnessed this for years behind the scenes and respected Coach Hooks for that “strength”. Another guy that was hired was a secondary coach – Mark Foreman. This proved pivotal to what a great Mustang friend – Cedric Lee – called “The Trinity”. To me – and MANY – they are Mount Rushmore to Mustang Nation. The history of West Orange-Stark is something I love and hold very close in my heart. Personally, it did become a “Way of Life” for me.
In 1981, Coach Hooks had become the head coach. He promoted Cornel to DC. The ’83 season proved most difficult as the team went 3-7. I only followed the team from afar at this point. I know there were some foundational changes that took place. The Mustang Rules were adopted. The P.O.T. rules were instilled to drive a new discipline. Coach Hooks once told me, “that decision saved my career”. In July 1985, I married my ’81 grad. Holly Weber-Johnson. During the “voting year”, she was one of those 8th graders; and I a10th grader. We did not know one another then. My junior year, I met her at a church where I was invited to a Youth Skating Party: First Church of God. She was a freshman. Her dad was the Pastor. The rest is history. We lived in Austin as she was finishing at The University of Texas. I got my summer edition of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine 1985 and was super excited to see we were ranked in 5A. There was no 6A, yet. I could not wait until the fall arrived. We had barely missed the playoffs in ’84. I decided I was going to drive to Houston and watch us play Houston Westbury in week two of ’85. As I was entering the gate by the ticket booth, I saw a few friends I’d gone to school with since we were kids at Wallace Elementary. I had not seen them since graduation in ’79. We are ‘79ers forever. They were telling me all about our team before the game. I had seen a few players names in my magazine, but saw many last names in the program I recognized. They were super excited about “Andre’s little brother Rod the QB, this big running back Eric Williams, this ‘Rebo boy, and this cold kid named Brian Cleveland – he’s only a junior, TJ”. The Mustangs beat them “like a tied up goat”. This is a saying I heard Dan say so many times. The game was over almost when it started. It was bad that quick. Brian Cleveland remains my favorite Mustang running back of all-time. Not necessarily the best, just made that impression on me that night. I went to Orange three weeks later and saw us whip a sound West Brook team in Beaumont 41-10. My brother in-law Randy Branch worked with Bo Robertson at DuPont and introduced me to him in the stands. That second half, Bo and I must have high-fived fifty times. I knew that night that I would be going to see my Mustangs more. To me, that’s the year “the baby grew up”. The dynasty was ignited; in my opinion. They now believed.
Mustang Nation – I could tell y’all a million stories like this that I’ve experienced with my Mustangs. The players, the numbers, the games, the stories, the friendships, and all that came along with this Highway Run journey. I am of the opinion that Danny Ray Hooks was the guy that made this “go” in the community. During his 30 years as Head Coach at “our place”, Coach cemented a community with his charisma, wit, fierce competitive spirit, and ability to get others to “believe”. He had a knack for getting the best from his program. His one-liners were unmatched. He was part stand-up comedian (his timing was impeccable), and part motivational guy. He was a ball of fire. There were some things that lit his furnace. He loved to hear Cherokee when we played PN-G: especially over there. That song gave him chill-bumps. He told me so. He said once, “I love to hear it three times on a Friday night. Once when the game starts, once at halftime, and once at the end of the game. Anymore than that Terry, is trouble”. He meant it. It was true, also. Nothing moved Dan like those Friday Night Lights. When those lights came on, he was a different guy. It’s like he flipped his own switch. The fierce competitor emblazoned the sidelines. No referee ever really liked having to explain a call to him. He wasn’t having it. He knew the game and they knew he knew the game. In case they forgot, he reminded them! In 2000 we were playing Magnolia in a second round playoff game in the ‘Dome. There was a call he wasn’t enamored with and he was working that side-judge for “the next call”. During a timeout, he called the guy over to him and asked him, “Son, what do you do for a living”. The guy told Coach, “I work at NASA, Coach”. Dan stared at him hard for a few seconds and replied, “no wonder we can’t get anybody back to the …. Moon”. Dan turned and walked off and the sidelines fell out like the
Red Sea parted. This space is not big enough to write all of ‘em. “When the game’s over, you wanna look up there and you have more than they got and go to the Waffle House”. Yep, many of us got to eat with him late on a Friday night there after games. Skip Moore and Linda were a huge part of this memory.
Somewhere along the late 80’s, I got to really know Cornel very well. I credit T with “adopting” me inside those walls. Each year, he’d see to it I got some good Mustang gear to wear. I became very close to “inside those walls”. I witnessed many things. I saw some guys who were committed to winning. I saw a head coach in Dan Hooks that recognized what he had in a Cornel Thompson and a Mark Foreman. He allowed them to flourish and live in their own strength. I learned something from that as my career grew in Austin in leading people. Empowering people is something that is intentional. You must make that a priority to succeed. I respected Coach even more by allowing Cornel to be “his own guy”. That was the mark of a strong man to do that. Dan allowed me to experience something I will forever be thankful for. Many may never have known the side of Danny Ray Hooks, and his heart, unless you knew him up and close. I saw it very real. A story that is sensitive and personal: in January 1999, my niece Katie tragically died in an accident. She was 11 years old. My sister Ida’s daughter. I came in from Austin that night when I got the call. The next day, I stopped by the Field House. I walked in and Dan was sitting there in the coaches office. I sat down and he asked me, “Terry, how is Ida”. He knew very well. It’s a rhetorical question we seemingly all ask. He told me he was at the skating rink in Bridge City “last night” for a grandkid and heard there was an accident. I was trying to do my best to not just break down from the grief. Dan himself started crying almost uncontrollably. He just couldn’t deal with knowing this happened. It was like I was having to console him – and I was a mess. It was the heart I knew about Danny Ray Hooks. He was a giant for that football program in millions of ways. He was a champion in more ways than his state championship trophies. He loved those kids. He knew the obstacles some of our kids faced on a daily basis. He hated that. It bothered him. These are facts. He told me how important it was for him to help them through this game he loved so much on how to be a man.
I raised my two sons going to Mustang football games all their childhood. First Josh, then Grant. They know how important this was. It was a Way of Life. I travelled for over 30 years – back and forth from Austin – often with my brother Ray and nephew Jarrod – to almost all games. Coach adopted me amongst the “inner circle” and Cornel and Dan embraced me as family. I will never forget those years in my life. I’m so grateful that my ’81 grad allowed me to be gone like that. She always knew around 2:30 AM, I’d roll in. She regretted it for me when our season came to and end. It always took me a few weeks to get over it – mostly. Well, this season of life is over as Danny Ray Hooks has seen his Savior. There is no State Championship he’s ever won that compares to what he saw yesterday. He saw his dad again that watched him win big. He saw JB again. I’m quite sure that Reggie walked up and hugged him. I can picture Clutch doing that. Perhaps our own mother met you and thanked you for how much she enjoyed those two State Titles with us as she was still with us in ‘86 & ‘87. She loved that for her kids! When Coach heard, “Well done……..” He probably jumped up in the air and pumped his fist like he’d finally really WON IT ALL – this time on the biggest stage of all.
I was standing by Dan on the sideline once a particular play. He was listening to the play call on his headset. He looked at me and said, “somebody’s band’s is about to play”. He knew that probable trick play was gonna be great, or be bad. I’ll see you again, Dan. You were in a class that didn’t take long to call roll. You will be missed. What you created at West Orange-Stark will forever be echoed down through the history of Texas High School Football. Any list without your name would not be one worth reading. Coach, you heard someone’s band play yesterday. It was music filled with Angels singing over one of God’s kids coming home. How incredibly majestic it surely was.
I love ya, Coach. Thanks for the memories. You are – to me – forever – The Architect of Mustang Football.
The Johnson kids will never forget you – all my siblings, my nieces and nephews, and my own kids.
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