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  August 15, 2007
Dear Bulldog Backers!
Congratulations to all of you for being a part of the 20th anniversary season for us here at James Bowie High School! It's hard to believe that four of our coaches (Gary Pittman, Howard Thompson, "Doc" Patrick, and myself) have been a part of those two decades. We also have four former players that are a part of the coaching team (Brandon Pittman, Sam Miller, Darren Pittman, and Ty Branyon).
While two decades of tradition means a lot, nothing is more important than the season at hand. This particular group of young men have been molding into a team for years. We have 50 seniors this year and they are committed to become a TEAM OF CHARACTER. They are a team of unselfish individuals, working together, willing to do what it takes to succeed both on and off the field.
These efforts do not happen overnight. These young men are molded by you, their parents, and the community. As I've pointed out in years past, Bulldog Spirit of Pride In Performance is unmatched in the Austin Independent School District, the Central Texas region, and the entire state. Our students, faculty, administrators, families and friends, and the greater Bowie community of parents have always been here to support us. This year promises to be special.
On the broader scale, we have an outstanding group of students who are continually eager to participate in hundreds of activities yearlong. We have great administrative support led by our Principal, Mr. Steve Kane. We also have a great new group of freshmen students to welcome into our tradition and to sustain it for the next four years.
All of this happens because of the generosity, dedication, and willingness to make things happen from many people throughout our community. So, I'd like to express my appreciation to the following individuals:
 The student-athletes in all sports
The trainers and managers
The numerous Bulldog Booster Clubs
The Silver Stars Drill Team
The Bulldog Marching Band
The Color Guard
The Cheerleaders
The Coaches' Wives and Families
The Bowie Faculty and Administration
And last, but not least ... the Student Body who attend the games and support their classmates.
Just as we've done in the past and will continue to do in 2007-2008, we will do what we do best - Play with class and represent our school and community with pride.
Please know that we appreciate all that you do to make it work. Our Football staff will take pride in knowing that we are continuing to "Build Champions For Life!" I would like to say a special thanks to all of the young men in our Football Program, you are all winners and I am proud to be your Coach.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
Athletic Coordinator/Head Football Coach
PREVIOUS POSTS ARE BELOW
January 20, 2007
Happy New Year to all Dawg Backers!
First, I want to extend a big thanks to Contessa Skelton and the group of Moms and volunteers who did an outstanding job of successfully putting together our annual Football Banquet on December 3. It was a wonderful event.
I also want to thank our Booster Club for their support throughout the entire season. We could not do many of the things we're able to do without you. A special thanks to our Booster Club officers and the work you've done this year: Jim Brewer, president; Mike & Kelly D'Addeo, co-vice presidents; Suzanne Essler, treasurer; Lila Holmes, secretary; Jennifer McDaniel, program coordinator; and Valerie Hase, volunteer coordinator.
I would also like to thank the following people for a variety of reasons: Contessa Skelton for coordinating the Coaches Wives luncheon; Ricky & Peggy Lancaster for coordinating the fundraiser card; Gary Rossman and Phillip Doak for coordinating our annual Coach Wade Pittsford/Bowie Football Golf Tournament; James Bruce for coordinating our videos; John Silvey for all the great pictures; and Gordon Merrill for doing our web site.
Our banquet honored all the players, managers, trainers, and coaches in our football program. And while it was a great tribute to our Bowie community, the banquet was an extra-special night for our Senior students. It has been an honor for my staff and I to coach these CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE: Derrick Goss, Mark Spears, Jordan Wehr, Nick Huerta, Roger Sanchez, Matt Mokarzel, Eric Bishop, Joey Estrello, Austin Walsh, Bradley Taylor, Ryan Gonzales, Matt Cervantes, Andre Yates, John McDaniel, Desmond Robinson, Jason Lewis, Jason Schaefer, Matt Vaclavik, Harrison Cho, Garrett Heath, Taylor Thompson, Kelton Hurd, and Cody Miller. While we proudly look forward to watch you move into a new chapter of your life, please remember that we are always here for you, and you will always be a part of the great Bowie Football Tradition and Family.
Additionally, congratulations to the following students for making the Academic All-District Team: Barrett Holcombe, Mark Spears, David Ramirez, Armando Martinez, Chiemeziem Eke, Jordan Wehr, Nick Huerta, Billy Blair, Brian Diseker, Greg Hase, Jacob Wiley, Austin Walsh, John Skelton, Greg Kerr, Ryan Gonzales, Jaime Lopez, Travis Taylor, Wayne Decasaris, Harrison Cho, Wade Smith, Taylor Thompson, Nick Grasshoff, Kelton Hurd, Jacob Wempe, Elizabeth Royal, Taylor Miller, and Ryan Walker. We also had three students that earned Academic All-State Team honors: Harrison Cho, Nick Huerta, and Austin Walsh. We are very proud of your achievements.
In addition to these academic awards, we also gave our annual Senior awards to the following:
BACK OF THE YEAR: Eric Bishop
BIG PLAY: Derrick Goss
DAWG DETERMINATION: Ryan Gonzales
LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: John McDaniel
COURAGE: Austin Walsh
MOST COACHABLE: Nick Huerta
BIG HIT: Jordan Wehr
STRONG LINK: Matt Vaclavik
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Kelton Hurd
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andre Yates
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (chosen by his teammates): Roger Sanchez
We have already begun our off-season program of weightlifting and running, which will help our team become bigger, faster, and stronger for the 2007 season. We also are incorporating a lot of mental training and life skills into our off season program.
All of us have observed the improvements in high school football in and around the Austin area, and you can't help but be excited to be a part of it. Our chief competitors in district had great years in 2006, proving that the caliber of football here is as good as anywhere.
As I have said before, there is no magic potion for winning. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, commitment, sacrifice, and everyone pulling together. I believe Bowie High School is primed to be part of that high-caliber competition in 2007, because we have a great nucleus of young, talented men who are committed to being the best players and best team that they can possibly be.
We are looking forward to a great spring semester, and we are excited about the young people in our program. I look forward to updating you on our progress as we continue on into the spring semester. It is an honor to represent the Bowie community as your Football Head Coach.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
January 8, 2006
Happy New Year to all Dawg Backers!
I hope your New Year is off to a great start. We wrapped up our 2005 season with our Football Banquet on December 2nd at the Creekside Pavilion. I would like to thank Contessa Skelton and all of the parents that volunteered to help put on this banquet. What a great support system we have here and I appreciate all you do for us. What a great time to congratulate all of the people in our program and especially our seniors. To these senior players I want to say thank you again for your commitment to our Football program. There were several games that I was disappointed in the outcome of the score, but I was never disappointed in the way our kids played and handled themselves on and off the field. These young men are class acts and I know that their futures are bright. I congratulate them again and wish them the very best in all that they do. And just a reminder, you will always be a part of the Bowie Football family. I think all of these young men know that we will always be here for them. These Senior players again are: Kevin Jones, Steve Alvarez, Michael Holmes, Collin Stubbs, Juston Martinez, Matt Lichtenberger, Ignacio Garcia, Zach Ray, Anthony Ogidi, Trey Gideon, Joey Marmon, Austin Johlke, Travis Johlke, Adam Spiegelman, Kyle Solana, Braden Echols, David Lugo, Brian O’Grady, Steven Brotherman, George Quijada, Josh Hildebrandt, Tom Skelton, Michael Ramirez, Jonathan Walker-Lee, Brett Joyner, and Josh Reed. I am very proud of each one of these young men. It has been an honor to be their coach and I look forward to watching them continue to grow as young men in the future.
We are back in our off-season program lifting and running and trying to get bigger, faster, and stronger for next year. Our annual Dawg Camp will start on January 10th and run through the end of the month. We will have all of our athletes involved in track and power lifting throughout the spring semester. we look to start spring training on or around April 17th. There are no secrets to success. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, commitment, and sacrifice. The work that they put in this off-season, spring, and summer will be very critical. Team chemistry is one of those things that can make or break a TEAM. I feel very good about the young men that we have coming back for next year. The big thing that I like about them is that they are kids with good character. I know without a doubt that they will represent our school, program, and community with class and pride. As a coach, you cannot ask for more than that.
I hope you all have a great spring and please come by and visit when you are near the school.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
July 2, 2005
Dear Dawg Backers:
I hope you are having a great summer and getting ready for a great 2005 season. I wanted to update you on a few things. First of all, I want to congratulate our twenty-two graduating Senior Players: Branden Pennick, Marco Casarez, Aaron Goodwin, Kellen Johnson, Jesse Maldonado, Nick Fitch, Janson Bass, Brad Diseker, Clay Wilson, Nick Lebo, Jason Knoedl, Joel Farias, Jerry Dyer, David Wossum, Russell Hill, Jesse Alba, Dustin Lancaster, Chris Owens, Kyle Hester, Scott Campbell, Kyle Hall, and Garrett Matthews. I thank you for your commitment to Bowie High School and I wish you the very best as you open new chapters in your lives. Remember that you will always be a part of the Bowie Football Family and Tradition. To the parents of these fine young men, thank you for allowing us to coach and work with your son's. They are what the young men in this country are all about.
Spring Training went very well for us. We were able to get in the maximum number of workouts and finished up just before our student/athletes started final exams. The good news is that we were able to get a lot of good fundamental practices in and get everyone more playing experience. The best news is that we did not have any serious injuries as we wrapped things up. Our staff finished spring training with a good feel for where we are and what we need to improve on for next season.
On May 21st, we had our Second Annual Bowie Football/Coach Wade Pittsford Golf Tournament at Circle C golf course. The tournament was a great success and I want to thank all of our sponsors, players, supporters, and parents for all the hard work that went into making this a great event for our Football program and to honor our good friend, Coach Wade Pittsford.
Our Weight and Conditioning Camp began on June 6 and it will go to July 28. We have two sessions for our athletes to choose from. The first session is from 8-10 am and the second session is from 5:30-7:30 pm. This camp is for Bowie athletes only according to UIL rules. Please encourage your athlete to get into and be consistent in this program to make sure that everyone is in good shape, strong, and acclimated to the heat when we start practice on Monday, August 8th. If you have any questions about the Weight and Conditioning Camp, please call me at 414-7349.
Our Little Dawg Football Camp will be Monday July 18-Wednesday July 20. The Junior Division (grades 3,4,5) will be from 8-10 am. The Senior Division (grades 6,7,8) will be from 10:30-12:30.For more information, please call me at 414-7349.
Our Freshman Football Camp will be Monday August 1st through Thursday August 4th from 8-11am. For more information, please call me at 414-7349.
Finally, we will start practice on Monday August 8. All athletes must get a current physical exam and have all paper work filled out and turned in before they can practice. Please make sure that your son has this stuff taken care of so we can hit the ground running on August 8.
As always, it is an honor to be your coach and to work with the young people at Bowie High School and to serve this wonderful community. I am certain that the life lessons that our players will learn playing the great game of football will help them be successful in life. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you in August.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
February 12, 2005
The New Year:
I hope your Christmas vacation was a good one and that you are off to a great New Year. We are off to a great start with our off-season. We started our Dawg Camp on January 4th and finished up on January 27th. The players did a good job in the classroom and the physical parts of the camp. We have now moved into our weight, conditioning, and track phase of our off-season. The players understand that the work we do now will be a big factor in our success next season. We are once again planning on having spring training starting on or around Monday, April 18th. This will take us up to final exams and the end of school. Everyone is welcome to come out and watch practice any time. In all we do, we continue to stress to our players the importance of being good citizens, good students, and leaders in our community and school. As always, it is an honor to coach these fine young men here at Bowie and to represent this great community as your Head Football Coach.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
June 20, 2004
Hello to all Dawg Backers!
I hope your spring went well and you are looking forward to a good, productive summer. I have a lot to catch you up on with this Coaches Corner Letter. First of all, our off-season went very well. Our players lifted and conditioned very hard. In January, we put our players through our first Dawg Camp. The first week we spent in the classroom talking about characteristics of a CHAMPION. We talked about habits, attitudes, values, beliefs, and goals. We broke down the word CHAMPION and discussed what it takes to be a CHAMPION on and off the field. I believe that this character building time together made and will continue to make a big difference for our young men and our TEAM.
The next two weeks were spent working on physical and mental training in the weight room and matt room. Our command weights, matt drills, and jump rope routine were designed to improve strength, quickness, speed, and above all, mental discipline. This three week Dawg Camp was a big success and we will continue to build off of these things.
On April 21st, we started spring training. Over the next four weeks we were able to get our maximum eighteen workouts. These workouts will be invaluable to us. We stressed fundamentals and execution in our offense, defense, and kicking game. The thing that we really emphasized in these workouts was being physical. We feel like we must play a physical game and being physical is just a habit. If we are physical in practice we will be physical in games.
On May 1st we held our first annual Wade Pittsford Golf Tournament. Despite the cool damp weather, this tournament was a great success. I want to thank our Booster Club and officers, parents, our sponsors, players past and present, and those who played and contributed to this fundraising tournament. The money that we raised will help the kid’s in our program for years to come. We are looking forward to making this an annual event each spring and honoring our good friend Wade Pittsford.
The school year ended fast and furiously. We start our Summer Weight and Conditioning Camp on Tuesday, June 1st, and continue through Thursday, July 15th. Our Little Dawg Football Camp will be Monday July 19th until Wednesday, July 21st. Our Freshmen Football Camp will be Monday, August 2nd through Thursday, August 5th. We start practice on Monday, August 9th. It is very important that each player has his physical exam, Parent Permission and Acknowledgement of Rules forms complete before we begin on August 9th. These forms can be downloaded from this web site or picked up from our coaches’ office.
One can argue that the District Championship will be won or lost in June, July, and August. It is imperative that our players work hard and stay in top shape during these months. Please emphasize this to your son. As always, it is an honor to represent Bowie High School and our community as your Head Football Coach and Athletic Coordinator. I am confident that the things that we are doing with these young men will help them be winners on and off the field and most importantly, in life. I hope you have a great summer. See you in August.
GO DAWGS!
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
January 8, 2004
Congratulations are in order:
Happy New Year to all Dawg Backers! I hope your break went well. We wrapped up 2003 with our annual Football Banquet and I want to thank all of the parents and volunteers for making this such a big success. I appreciate all of the work that the Booster Club did to make this wonderful event possible for our program.
I would like to congratulate the following students for making the Academic All District Team:
Scott Campbell, Matt Cartier, Marco Cazares, Brad Diseker, Chris Freeman, Aaron Goodwin, Kyle Hall, Michael Harrison, Kyle Hester, Andy Hopkins, Kellen Johnson, Kevin Jones, Aaron Kiffe, Jason Knoedl, Dustin Lancaster, Nick Lebo, Chris Lopez, Jesse Maldonado, Juston Martinez, Garrett Matthews, Brandon Pennick, Kyle Solana, Clay Wilson, David Wossum, Casey Zook, Adriana Arispe, Colynda Gayheart, Robert Guillen, Jason Johnson, Geneva Matthews, Erin Mazurek, and Robert McCurdy.
A special congratulations to Michael Harrison and Casey Zook for making the Academic All State Team.
I also want to congratulate those athletes who received team awards at the banquet. A listing of these awards/players may be found on the Banquet page.
The 25-5A All District Teams were announced over the break as well. Congratulations to the following Bowie players:
2nd Team Running Back- Brandon Pennick
2nd Team Center- Chris Freeman
2nd Team Defensive Linemen- Andy Hopkins
2nd Team Outside Linebacker- James Turner
2nd Team Defensive Back- Aaron Kiffe
1st Team Return Specialist-Aaron Kiffe
I know that all of these athletes would tell you that the most important part of this experience has been being a part of the TEAM and the relationships that have been built and will last forever.
We will get back to work in our off-season work today. We have a good nucleus of players returning next year. A lot of our success will depend on how hard these young men work during the next several months. I know these young men well and can assure you that they will commit themselves to the challenge and will be winners on and off the field. Once again, it is an honor to be your coach and to represent and serve this great community.
Sincerely,
Jeff Ables
September 18, 2003
Dear Dawg Backers:
I apologize for taking so long to update Coach's Corner. We have taken on two very tough opponents in Leander and Round Rock Westwood. Even though we came up short in these two games, I feel that our TEAM is making progress and is getting better each week. We will take on McNeil this week at the new Round Rock ISD Stadium on Parmer Lane. It is a great atmosphere for high school football. McNeil will be a tough opponent. We have had good workouts this week and I know that our TEAM will go out Friday night ... compete, play hard, and play to win. We will open District play next Friday, September 26th against Hays at Burger Center. I am very proud of these young men who go out every day and lay it on the line for their school and community. They are winners on and off the field and I am proud to be their coach. Thank you for your support and for being the best fans in the state!
Go Dawgs!
Jeff Ables
June 16, 2003
Summer is here!
Well, the school year ended fast and furiously. I want to congratulate all of our graduates and wish them the best of luck in all that they do in life. Remember that you will always be a part of the Bowie Football family. Thank you for the things that you have done for your school.
Wherever I go, people ask me how the TEAM will be this year? I have never been one that has been able to predict how a season will go because there are so many factors that can affect a season. I do know this, we are very excited about the young men that we have coming back next year for several reasons. First of all, they are a group of young men with great character. They are going to be a mentally and physically tough group. They are a group that is made up of unselfish TEAM players. This group works hard and plays hard together. We have a lot of positions to fill but these young men are ready to step up to the challenge and get the job done. This group knows that they must work hard and be committed in order for us to be successful on the field.
Our weight and conditioning program is going very well. Everyone is working hard trying to continue to build strength and get in the best shape possible for the season. Our 7-on-7 TEAM won all four games at the Round Rock tournament and qualified for the state tournament in July. I want to thank Ty Branyon and Justin Grady for volunteering their time to coach our 7-on-7 TEAM.
Just a reminder, since we did not have spring training this year we will start practice on Monday, August 4th. We will have a team of doctors come in to give physicals here at Bowie for $15 on Thursday, July 31st at 4:30pm. We will have Freshmen Football Parent Orientation that same day in the cafeteria at 6:00pm. Everyone must have a physical and have completed all forms in order to practice. Please help us get everyone ready to go on Monday, August 4th.
Have a safe and productive summer!
Coach Ables
March 19, 2003
Attention Bulldog Backers
I hope you all had a great spring break. The team is back at work in the weight room three days a week and conditioning the other two. We are increasing our speed workouts to help prepare for our district track meet on April 9th and 10th. There are no substitutes for speed. Although they are working hard during our athletic period, we still are unsatisfied with the number of student athletes making the commitment to stay after school and get extra work done. In football, like in life, if you want to be successful you must pay the price. To be a champion, it takes hard work and a commitment to improve every day. Please encourage your kids to get this extra work done. We like to remind our players that hard work is a good thing! The quicker these young men learn this, the better off they will be and the more prepared they will be for life in the real world. I would like to recognize and congratulate the following young men for outstanding achievement in the classroom over the last six weeks:
- First Honor Roll
Scott Campbell, Marco Cazares, Eric Dahlke, David Davis, Brad Diseker, Chris Dorsey, Aaron Goodwin, Kyle Hall, Michael Harrison, Aaron Kiffe, Jason Knoedl, Dustin Lancaster, Nick Lebo, Garrett Matthews, Bobby McCurdy, Ryan Robertson, Cody Ross, Zach Sherman, James Turner, Clay Wilson, Casey Zook, Robynn Heymans, Erin Mazurek, Kelly Cordova, Chris Bily, Edward Carmona, Billy Dorman, Michael Evans, Evan Franco, George Goganas, Ben Davis, Max Herschap, Kevin Jones, Juston Martinez, Josh Reed, Bobby Sanchez, Tom Skelton, and Robert Trevino.
- Second Honor Roll
Josh Amador, Janson Bass, John Davis, Nick Fitch, Eric Gonzales, Kyle Hester, Russell Hill, Trevor Hopper, Nathan Israel, Chris Owens, Michael Roberts, Brad Tankersley, John Tomme, David Wossum, Jason Johnson, Michael Brown, Jacob Crofford, Roger Emerson, Ignacio Garcia, Josh Hildebrandt, Brett Joyner, Austin Kent, Matt Lichtenberger, Alfred Morales, Kyle Solana, Collin Stubbs, and Jonathan Walker-Lee.
- Third Honor Roll
Jake Allen, Matt Cartier, Ben Cooper, Chris Freeman, Brandon Hall, Andy Hopkins, Kellen Johnson, Chris Lopez, Jesse Maldonado, Brooks MacDonald, Brandon Robinson, Estefan Rodriguez, West Ashley, Stephen Brotherman, Braden Echols, Jonmichael Goodhue, Antonio Guzman, Jon Kovar, Joseph Marmon, Dusty McKenzie, Brian O’Grady, and Adam Spiegleman.
When you see these young men, please congratulate them and encourage all of our athletes to keep up the hard work in the classroom.
In my last "Coach's Corner" letter, I informed you that we will not have spring training this year. This means that we will start practice on Monday, August 4th. Parents, please make summer vacation plans with this in mind so that we can have everyone on board and ready to go come August. Physicals will be given at Bowie on Thursday, July 31st at 4:30pm. This will be followed by Freshmen Football Parent Orientation in the cafeteria at 6:00pm.
Our Weight and Conditioning Camp (PDF or DOC) will start on Monday, June 9th and run through Thursday, July 17th. The cost of this camp will be $30. We will have two sessions: the morning session will be from 10:30am to 12:30pm, and the afternoon session will be from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The athletes can only attend one session per day. This camp is for incoming ninth graders and upper classmen ONLY. We will also have our annual Little Dawg Football Camp (PDF or DOC) beginning on Monday, July 21st and wrapping up on Thursday, July 24th. The cost of this camp will be $40. The camp will be structured as follows:
- Junior Division (entering grades 3,4,5)
8:00am to 10:00am
- Senior Division (entering grades 6,7,8)
10:30am to 12:30pm
We will also have our Freshmen Football Camp (PDF or DOC) on those dates (July 21-24) from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Applications for these camps will be available at elementary schools, middle schools, and Bowie HS. Hopefully, we will also have them available here on our web site. If you have any questions about any of these camps, please feel free to call me at 414-7349 (school) or 280-6523 (home).
I would like to thank everyone in our community for your continued support. We believe that our program will continue to build character, emphasize the value of sportsmanship and teamwork, build values and character, and help mold young people into strong leaders for the future. This effort is a combined effort. Please continue to emphasize to our student athletes the great things about being a part of a TEAM. Every member is an important part. The better we work together, the more success we will enjoy. These young men need to be reminded of the importance of making good decisions each and every day. We believe in them and feel that we have great people in our program.
Thank you for your help and support,
Coach Ables
February 14, 2003
First "Coach's Corner" ... THANKS!
I would like to thank all the coaches, coaches' wives, players, managers, trainers, teachers, administrators, parents, and the community for all of your support this season. A special thanks to all of those who helped make our banquet go so well. The banquet wrapped up a very special season. A special thanks to all of our seniors. Thank you for all you have done for Bowie High School. Remember that you will always be a part of the Bowie Football Family. We wish you the very best in all that you do.
The off-season program is going very well. The players are all working very hard in the weight room and in our mat room workouts. However, we only have about 40 to 45 minutes during our athletic period to workout. This is just not enough time to get a good full weight workout. Parents, please encourage your sons to get in the weight room after school as much as possible to finish their weight workout so they can continue to get stronger.
We will not have spring training this year. That means that we will start practice on Monday, August 4th. We will be giving physicals at Bowie on Thursday, July 31st at 4:30pm for $15.
Once again, we will have our Summer Strength and Conditioning Camp, Freshmen Football Camp, and Little Dawg Football Camp this summer. We will get you the dates and times of those when they are finalized.
Finally, parents please continue to remind your sons to keep working hard in the classroom. This time of the year is when they tend to let up and their grades can sometimes slide. They need to finish strong in the classroom and on the field. Also, please remind them that they are part of a TEAM. Each one of them is an important part and no one player is more important than the other. This TEAM needs to continue to come together and think, play, and work, unselfishly. I am confident that these great young men will do this.
Thank you for all your support,
Coach Ables
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