NIXON, Texas – In his first year on the job, Nixon-Smiley head coach Paul Kirby hopes his football philosophy translates well to his players on and off the field.
Kirby wants his students to play with a “fiery spirit” and bring that to everything they do.
“What really gets them excited is ‘lighting their hair on fire,'” Kirby said. “The ‘hair-to-fire mentality’ exists not only on the field, but also in the classroom. It’s within their community.
“They need to do everything to the best of their ability. Full speed ahead, with passion and heart.”
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Players said they understand Kirby’s mentality and have a better outlook on the task at hand.
“Coach Kirby has always instilled in us the idea of ’fuel on the fire’ on the field, in the classroom and at home,” said Adrian Zamora, senior wide receiver at Nixon-Smiley. “It’s almost like it started to become a part of us, and we’re really grateful to him for that.”
Nixon and Smiley senior running back Aiden Flores said, “For a coach who goes into the game with intensity and is always on fire, the guys who come out with their heads down may not be on fire, but they have hair on their heads. “When I see a coach who is on fire, I get energized,” he said. Said. “(It) wakes them up.”
Kirby’s instructions could be heard from far away, more than 30 yards away. The strong wind could not cut through his coaching.
“I can hear his voice now,” Flores said. “He goes out every day like that, so he feels great.”
When the Mustangs begin playing in the district league,
The Mustangs expect to bring energy and intensity when they host Cotulla on Friday at 7 p.m.
“You know, they (Cotula) are a really physical team, so we just have to go in there and do what we have to do and hopefully compete,” Zamora said. “That’s our main purpose, to fight.”
“Just playing with intensity and destroying guys in the mouth from the jump,” Nixon-Smiley senior lineman Ryan Paez said. “Play with your hair on fire all four quarters.”
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