The Tigers Are Back, and the Heat Continues My vote is to petition the powers that be and move football season to late September. Let’s start this thing when it is cooler, because it doesn’t exactly feel like football when the flames of the sun are scorching the souls of everyone in the stadium. I checked the weather app several times, hoping it might eventually apologize and change its mind. It did not. Until somebody listens to my petition, I guess it is what it is. If you are coming to a game, stay hydrated. I mean it. Friday night football should not require survival training and an emergency contact. Besides the heat, the atmosphere did not disappoint. Folks were lined up buying Tiger gear, Junior Tigers were wearing their freshly made jerseys representing their big brother Tigers, and of course, the Tiger stood tall and the horn blew loud. You just can’t beat it. The boys in red were hyped and ready to get those first game jitters out of the way, while the rest of us were trying not to melt into the aluminum bleachers. It was fun seeing Clark Anderson front and center, being the team leader we know he is. Y’all better pay attention now, because when that boy is playing on Saturdays, you are going to wish you had watched a little closer. You will be telling everybody you always knew he was going somewhere, so you might as well start gathering evidence now. I think all of us were ready to shake off some of the uncertainty surrounding the start of a new season. The opening minutes did not look quite as good as we had hoped. There may have been a few nervous glances exchanged in the stands, along with some amateur coaching advice from the high school sports analyst. IYKYK.... It did not take long, though, to watch the team begin coming together in real time. For the first time in a while, the defense is jiving early in the season, and y’all know I am a defense kind of guy. The glamour of offense is fun, but you can have the best offense in the state and still not win if your defense does not have grit. Touchdowns get the pictures, but a defense willing to knock the shine off somebody is what helps fill the trophy case. Ty Simmons was flying to the ball Friday night and leaving people with little choice but to fumble it. At this point, opposing players may want to save themselves the embarrassment and just hand Ty the football when he arrives. It looked like he was going to leave with it anyway. By the time Friday’s game was over, that defense had developed the confidence to take on anyone on the schedule. There will be plenty of talent and plenty of tests waiting for them. Don’t let up, boys. It is going to get wild. Keep the camaraderie, protect the brotherhood, and keep finding a way. Confidence is a good thing, just don’t let it get so confident that it forgets to tackle. The offense looked pretty good, too, although it may need a little more time to get completely in sync. Cross Littlejohn ran around like a little banty rooster that had escaped the coop, and Judd Connally found room to scramble and pick up some great yardage. There were moments when Connally appeared to be running out of options, then he would take off and remind everybody that the play is not over just because the original plan went missing. Once this offense discovers its identity, settles into its style, and figures out exactly what works best, it is going to be a force. Kudos to Coach Byrd and Coach Marwitz on their season premiere leading the defense and offense. I am sure Coach Pair was chomping at the bit as he settled into a different role Friday night, but there is nothing better than taking the reins and collecting your first win as a head coach. Well, maybe collecting that first win in cooler weather would be better, but a win is a win. I love these coaches and what they stand for. All four of my boys have experienced their leadership, and I will personally vouch for the compassion and love they have for our kids. There is absolutely nothing anyone could say that would change my mind about the character of these men. I have been around them too long, seen too much, and known too many boys through this program to change my mind. Now we hit the road, where we will continue to sweat, spend a small fortune in diesel hauling the Tiger tunnel, and deal with the rules and regulations of other school districts. Some schools can make a visiting football game feel more complicated than crossing an international border. At least the border usually has signs telling you where to go. One rule that has always bothered me is when a school refuses to allow parents onto the field after a game to greet their own sons. I have seen just about every version of it, from the COVID years when Godley police were confronting parents, to schools simply denying families access altogether. I won’t be too rude, but I have to admit the irony is pretty funny. We aren’t allowed on YOUR field, yet I’ve seen plenty of Facebook posts this weekend of parents standing with their players on OUR field. Enjoy opposing parents! We're just cool like that! Glen Rose doesn't bat an eye. Why? Because Glen Rose cares about family. Nobody is trying to storm the castle, steal a goalpost, or sneak off with a blade of your precious grass, fake or not. Parents simply want to hug their boys, take a picture, and tell them they are proud. Most of them will be gone in ten minutes, assuming somebody’s mother does not require 47 different poses. Maybe I am the only one who notices these things, but I do notice, and I do not forget. If your field is too vulnerable for parents to walk across after a football game, perhaps we should return the favor when you visit ours. Then again, we won’t stoop to that level. We will keep welcoming families because that is who Glen Rose is. Walk on our field, take your pictures, hug your kids, and try not to uproot the artificial turf on your way out. So, Gatesville, what say you? Are visiting parents allowed to greet their sons on the field, or are we considered too dangerous for that? I promise most of us can be trusted around fake grass and rubber track without direct supervision. For anyone wondering ahead of Friday’s game, the train horn is not allowed in Gatesville. We have been told the prison is the reason. I am not exactly sure how our horn might interfere with the Texas prison system, but I assume somebody, somewhere, has a clipboard and a very serious explanation. Rules are rules, so the old girl will have to sit this one out. The Tigers will simply have to create enough noise on the field to make up for it. After Gatesville and Godley, the next home game is Homecoming. Get those Texas sized mums ready, finish up those Homecoming proposals, and prepare yourselves. Some of these mums have become large enough to require structural engineering and a small trailer, but that is Texas tradition. We have a parade, a hamburger supper, a football game, and a whole lot of people coming home to impress. The Tigers are back, the first win is in the books, and football season is officially underway. Now, if somebody could just turn the temperature down about 25 degrees, we might be able to enjoy it without losing three pounds of water weight before halftime. Before I wrap this up, I need to give a well deserved thank you to Tully and Tara Janszen. Some of you may have seen my Facebook post about the dolly we requested to move the Tiger tunnel around. Tully and Tara stepped up and sponsored it, and I cannot tell you how much easier that is going to make my life. The Tiger may be inflatable, but apparently nobody told it that it was supposed to be light and easy to move. Their generosity is sincerely appreciated, and since they support what we do for the Tigers, I want our community to know a little more about what they do. Tully and Tara bring a unique combination of ranch expertise, local roots, and genuine community connection to their work in Texas real estate. They understand that buying land involves much more than acreage, fences, and improvements. It is about how someone intends to live, work, invest, and build a legacy on that property. Together, they bring two important sides of real estate to the table. Tully understands the land, while Tara understands the people and communities that make this part of Texas special. Tully’s passion for the outdoors and land stewardship began early, spending countless weekends hunting, fishing, and helping with operations on his family’s North Texas ranch. After graduating from the University of Texas, where he was a member of the 2005 National Championship football team, he continued his education through the respected TCU Ranch Management Program. For more than 15 years, he has managed Cross J Ranch in Bosque County, giving him firsthand knowledge of what ranch ownership and operation actually require. Today, as an Agent Partner with Texas Ranch Kings Realty, Tully puts that experience to work for his clients. He understands cattle and livestock operations, wildlife management, hunting and recreation, equine use, agriculture, water resources, and the infrastructure needed to make a ranch function. Whether someone is considering a working cattle operation, recreational property, horse facility, weekend retreat, or a place their family can hold for generations, Tully can help them understand what they are looking at, what it could become, and whether it truly fits their plans. He does not simply open a gate, point toward the back fence, and call everything beyond it “good land.” His knowledge comes from years of actually living and managing the ranch lifestyle, allowing him to offer practical insight that reaches well beyond the transaction. Tara brings an equally valuable but different set of strengths to the partnership. With deep roots in Cleburne and Glen Rose and 14 years of experience in event management, business promotion, and community engagement, she knows how to connect with people. She brings thoughtful marketing, attention to detail, strong local knowledge, and a service driven approach that supports both buyers and sellers throughout the process. Their approach fits naturally with Texas Ranch Kings Realty, a full service rural land brokerage built around proactive marketing, extensive buyer representation, and firsthand knowledge of Texas land. The brokerage represents everything from small ranchettes and recreational retreats to cattle operations, equine properties, hunting ranches, legacy properties, and development opportunities throughout Texas. Tully and Tara are not representing this area from a distant office. They live in Glen Rose, are raising their three daughters here, participate in the community, and understand much of the lifestyle their clients are searching for. They know what makes a property more than a piece of acreage on a map. Their goal is simple: listen first, understand what matters to the client, know the land, and serve people the right way. Whether they are helping a family purchase its first piece of Texas, helping a ranch owner market property built over generations, or helping someone find the place where a new family legacy can begin, Tully and Tara approach every opportunity with integrity, purpose, and a genuine commitment to the people they serve. Thank you again, Tully and Tara, for supporting the Tigers, supporting our community, and saving my back from a little unnecessary wear and tear. At my age, every trip to the chiropractor avoided should probably count as a community donation.