The New Era season in review
By the spring of 2022, word was out that Menard ISD had made a decision, and the 6-man world was tuned in. With Menard’s official move to Class 1A football, there were coaching positions to be filled, particularly head football coach and athletic director. Bryson Oliver was then the Defensive Coordinator at successful Gordon football program, under his own high school coach and mentor, Mike Reed. Both Reed and Oliver knew there would be a time for Oliver to “fly the nest,” and the Menard opening stood out to them both.
Oliver had his own personal achievements on the field as the two-time state champion quarterback for Throckmorton. When his education and life barreled toward teaching and coaching, it was no surprise he landed under the tutelage of his high school coach, Reed.
Menard seemed the ideal placement for Oliver to start his head coaching career and build a strong program at the ground level. They had both heard of the athletic ability among student athletes, namely statistical and physical beast Joel Guerrero, who would be a senior.
It took a couple of phone calls, one in-person interview, and a healthy mix of young coach anxiety, but the deal was done after spring break of 2022. Oliver received the job offer and the wheels were in motion for the new era of Menard Yellowjacket football.
Oliver visited Menard several times in the late spring as he finished out his commitment to Gordon. A friendship was soon cultivated with remaining Menard coach Will Barker, who helped him learn the local ropes, the kids, and in hiring a coaching staff they could rely on.
After a few months, the coaching staff was compiled. Will Barker, along with Trever Wright were already on staff in Menard and willing to obligate themselves to helping build 6-man program. Tyler Ross, who had just graduated from Tarleton State University that May, hired on as well. To round out the group, Jeffrey Campbell was brought in as boys head basketball coach and assistant football.
Summer fun
Oliver said he was initially warned that he’d have to work hard to get students out for football in Menard. The change was a big one with years of losses and failure still fresh in young minds. “That may have been one of my proudest moments—when we had about 98% of the male students there for summer workouts,” Oliver recalled. “I just wanted to establish a relationship with the them, let them know I believed in them.”
With the immense shake up within the program, there were several student athletes on the fence about participating in 6-man football. Oliver must have won them over, because every player who was initially undecided ended up committing.
Per U.I.L. regulations, the team had just two weeks of padded practice. The Jackets were catching on quickly, and catching on to complicated things, said Oliver. The first scrimmage was in Lometa, the second in Rochelle. In a susceptible moment, the oft-positive Oliver admitted he was somewhat disappointed following the scrimmages: “These guys just caught on so fast, I had it built up in my head that we were further along then what we were.” The truth was his 6-man newbies were on the right track, they just needed the time to learn. Oliver’s frame of reference for where a team should be by this time of year was developed from his time at established six-man schools- as a player and as a coach.
Oliver was discouraged, but was quickly talked off the ledge by mentor Reed and other experienced coaches he leaned on for advice. It did not take long for Oliver to perk up and get back in the game: “I realized I needed a new yardstick to measure progress. It’s not what I was used to, but I got a new mindset and my confidence back.”
Bigger, more noticeable leaps happened from the last scrimmage to week 1 of the season. The first home game took place August 25 when Hill Country Christian Academy of San Marcos came to Menard. The stands were packed. The initial identity of the team from that evening would look much different across the season as players and coaches tested different plans. The Yellowjackets pulled off a solid victory, 45’ing the private school 47-2, making Findlay Field history and boosting confidence across the school and community.
On September 2, Menard travelled north to visit a giant. Garden City remains a perineal, blueblood powerhouse six-man program. The matchup was scheduled prior to Oliver being hired, but it was obvious the new-to-the-game Yellowjackets had no business facing such an advanced program in week 2 of their inaugural season. “We were moving way too fast to play Garden City that early,” said Oliver. In the 8-54 loss, Menard lost quarterback Jay Guerrero to injury. Jay broke his collarbone and had surgery a couple of weeks later. The Yellowjackets took their loss and returned home, almost undeterred.
Next up was one of Oliver’s stated favorite matchups. Menard hosted San Marcos Academy. San Marcos Academy is consistently dominant across the TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) league of competition. Oliver was pleased with how his team performed against the SMA Bears. “We just came out and played so dang hard—that was a wakeup call for us. Extra points can win or lose a game.” Menard was unable to complete a successful PAT that evening, losing the game 57-68, due to missed kicks.
To remedy the vacant kicker position, senior Roy Brown approached Oliver about utilizing him in a dedicated kicking-only role. Brown had started out the season at quarterback. He suffered a severe concussion early in the season, resulting in a family decision to avoid the football field altogether. Brown’s carefully-considered plan convinced both his parents and coach Oliver to allow him back out there. It would also prove to be a solid move on behalf of the Jackets.
Despite the loss to SMAs, Oliver describes the game as “Joel’s coming out party.” Senior Joel Guerrero was already on the radars of all competition. He verified his reputation with 6 touchdowns in that game.
The following weeks saw the Jackets pummel Bronte on their home turf (50-0) and suffer a bit of a momentum break with a forfeit by Valor Charter on September 23.
Nueces Canyon arrived for the Homecoming game on September 30. The Panthers drove and hour and a half just to experience the wrath of a Yellowjacket team that was on fire. Menard 45’d Nueces Canyon by halftime, 72-13. This win provided boundless momentum for Menard going into district play.
“Obsessed”
Robert Lee. The very first Class A district 13 contest for the Yellowjackets, and against an undefeated Robert Lee squad. On the Steers’ home turf. The Jackets came out hard and fast, blindsiding the seemingly unprepared Robert Lee team. “You could tell early-on that we were the more prepared team,” said Oliver. “We were locked in and mentally prepared. It was easy to coach that one.”
The concentrated Jacket mindset did not happen coincidentally. Oliver, along with his staff and athletes spent many hours studying Robert Lee prior to the initial district matchup. Oliver quipped they were borderline obsessed with Robert Lee. “We watched a LOT of film on them in the weeks leading up to the game. We picked up on clues of the offense. It all clicked for our guys, and it all paid off.”
The unpredicted district win was definitely a high point; however, the second quarter saw high school football tragedy at its peak. “I knew it when I saw it,” Oliver said of Joel Guerrero’s seasonending knee injury. “It was a hard cut, no contact. I could just tell,” he described. That night coach Oliver rewatched the clip of Guerrero’s injury over and over. “In the back of my mind I knew it was not something we could brace up and play on.” As Oliver struggled to accept and deal with the underlying truth, the official diagnosis was a torn ACL, requiring at least one surgery—possibly two— to repair the ligament.
Losing a player to injury is never ideal, but losing a Joel Guerrero was devastating. Guerrero consistently carried the ball 30-40 times per game. He scored 33 touchdowns in the 5 and a half games he played this season. Though Joel was not often vocal, he was a strong team leader through his intensity and actions. He was their “Superman.” Although one player rarely makes a team, Joel’s presence was substantial.
With Superman forced to retire his cape, the Jackets were in need of someone else to lean on.
By this time, several lesser injuries had plagued Menard’s team. William Doyle had a ruptured tendon in his pinkie finger. He was referred for surgery, but chose to refrain until the end of football season. A couple of other key players suffered various issues— concussions, pulled muscles… The Jackets were running low on pieces to move forward.
If anything was going well for Oliver it was that his team had a bye on October 14, giving them time to adjust to life without Joel, and hope for a new leader to rise to the top. Oliver’s plan was to keep the same playbook and insert new players in the vacant positions.
October 21 was the second district game—Veribest at home. This was the Jackets’ first test without Joel. Oliver concedes his guys did not come out with the intensity they needed to start the game. Senior Isaiah Stanislawski had worked his way consistently and quietly though 4 years of varsity sports. Oliver describes Stanislawski as a willing second fiddle. “Isaiah always loved blocking for Joel, letting Joel go on and get the points,” explained Oliver. “Joel fed off of Isaiah’s work. When Isaiah got moved to Joel’s spot, there was no one to feed off of Isaiah.”
Stanislawski toughed it out, and proved he too, was a force to be reckoned with. His transition to the spotlight included 6 touchdowns and 200 yards in that Veribest game. Oliver was proud of his team for the district win (54-8), yet couldn’t help but notice the wind taken out of his players’ sails.