David Claybourn: Sports Views: Quinlan Ford coach honored; Boles hitter is impressive

Nov. 11—Congratulations to Quinlan Ford's Todd Wallace, who was named the Class 4A state football coach of the week following the Panthers' 39-36 recent win over Caddo Mills.

"Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine" selected Wallace for the weekly honor, noting that he's got the Panthers "on the brink of history" in pursuit of an undefeated regular season and the Panthers' first outright district championship in that sport since 1979. Ford beat Community 35-20 to go 10-0 for the first time in school history and wrap up the undisputed District 6-4A-II championship.

Not only did Wallace lead the Panthers off to a 10-0 start but they're leading the nation in rushing, averaging 502.4 yards per game. The Panthers have an unheard of three 1,000-yard rushers in their backfield including running backs Ja'Donavan Williams (155-1,728, 25 TDs) and Kaiden Roden (147-1,602, 21 TDs) and quarterback Rowdy Rowan (101-1,002, 13 TDs).

The Panthers strongly emphasize the running game. They've only attempted 36 passes this season and completed 16 of them for an average of 28.8 yards per completion.

The Panthers have been averaging 10.1 yards on every run.

As Wallace told me for a story, when it's third and nine the Panthers like to run it and figure if they get close but don't pick up the first down, they'll get it on the next run.

When Wallace coached the Boles Hornets to a 13-1 state semifinalist season in 2008, they led the state in rushing that season at more than 400 yards per game. — I haven't seen her play in person but I've watched video clips of Boles' 6-3 senior volleyball hitter Bailey Miller and I'm impressed.

There's a string of videos of Miller in action on Hudl. She gets up well above the net and pounds the ball really hard and fast. The Lady Hornets also do a good job of setting her the ball time and time again.

Miller recorded 16 kills in the Lady Hornets' bi-district victory over Linden-Kildare, plus 33 and 27 in District 18-2A matches against Cumby, 26 and 25 versus Alba-Golden and 28 and 20 against North Hopkins. That's a lot of kills!

Boles, now 22-6 for the season, also beat Overton at the area round and Detroit in regional quarterfinals. Boles is scheduled to play No. 3 state-ranked Iola in the Region III-2A semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at Lobo Coliseum in Longview. — Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger made Dallas news this week when he mentioned two Dallas restaurants, Lockhart Smokehouse and Mi Cocina, plus Whataburger during the Stones' recent concert at the Cotton Bowl. He was also spotted around town before the concert.

It doesn't surprise me that Jagger knows about various Texas restaurants. He's visited the Lone Star State many times with the Rolling Stones, plus was married to Jerry Hall, the fashion model who graduated from North Mesquite High School.

Hall once owned a nine-bedroom ranch house between Lone Oak and Miller Grove and did some business in Greenville. She and Mick and their kids would visit the ranch house from time to time, usually in August.

Jagger and Hall were once spotted dining in the Yen Jing chinese restaurant in Greenville. That probably won't happen again since they're divorced. Jerry's now married to the medial mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Former Herald-Banner staff photographer Stan Golightly once snapped Jagger's photo in front of a private jet at Majors Field in Greenville and the photo ran on the front page of the newspaper. Jagger had been visiting Hall at the ranch house and was about to jet off to who knows where. — I wasn't happy to see that 106-0 high school football score in California, with Inglewood showing no mercy in its win over Morningside. The Inglewood high school principal and head coach have since offered their apologies.

Morningside coach Brian Collins said he asked for a running clock after the score got so lopsided but the offer was refused. That wasn't right.

Inglewood left starting quarterback Justyn Martin in long enough to throw 13 touchdown passes. The cardinal rule is when a football team gets way ahead it stops throwing the football and runs the ball and works on the clock. Shame on Inglewood.

David Claybourn is sports editor of the Herald-Banner.