REBIRTH: Why the Booker Kiowas should inspire all small towns
Head out of Amarillo and jump on I-40 East toward Oklahoma City.
Eventually you'll hit Highway 60 and take that about 50 miles before getting on Texas State Highway 70. Ride that another 50 miles or so and you still have a few twists and turns to make, but you've pretty much reached the town of Booker.
It only takes up about 1.05 square miles of land and, according to the 2020 Census, the population is around 1,427. If you're heading out that direction, and blink, you could very well miss it.
Towns like Booker used to be a staple of America. With the evolution of technology and further globalization, small towns across the United States have begun shrinking even further or in some cases disappearing outright. This year, however, Booker has seen its profile raised across the Panhandle. More over, the community in Booker has seen its spirits raised from what some might find to be an unexpected source.
The Booker high school football team.
For the first time in almost a decade, the Kiowas are a winning team and the people of Booker aren't the only ones who should feel inspired by that.
As Good As I Once Was
You know how they say, "Remember the good old days?" Those days were the 2010-2014 seasons for the Booker Kiowas.
Then-head coach James Henton turned the Kiowas into a successful program nearly overnight. The Kiowas went 10-2 in 2011, were district runner-ups the next two years and finished 2014 with an undefeated regular season, district championship and trip to the playoffs.
Quarterback Hunter Lile is still to this day the leading passer in state history in yards and completions while Jared Reagan is still Texas' all-time leader in catches.
You know how they say, "Nothing lasts forever?" That was also true for the Kiowas.
Henton resigned after that season to look for a bigger place to live and a better job for his wife, as he told the AGN in 2014. From there, Booker won 10 games between 2015 and 2021, three of them coming in 2016. They had four head coaches in that time.
Then, the fifth head coach came along.
Failure is not an option
Enter Nic "Buddy" Williams, an assistant principal at Palo Duro High School. Williams took the head coach and athletic director position at Booker last summer and made it his mission to turn the football program around.
So far, so good.
The Kiowas are 4-1 so far this season. They began the year with a pair of comeback wins over Wheeler and Guymon (Okla.) before being defeated by Clarendon. Since then, they've downed Memphis 39-6 and Morton 48-0 after triggering a running clock in the second half.
It's fair to say that the Kiowas have been absolutely dominant with a relatively unchanged roster from last year's 1-9 team. What's the difference been?
"The coaching staff," Booker defensive back Eduin Gallegos said. "The coaching staff has made all the difference."
People associated with the team have noted the energy Williams has brought to the team. Fans on social media have noted the love and positivity he's shown the players. It's that kind of change in culture that's led to Booker's success.
"Our kids have been beat up on for years," Williams said. "I think our job as a coaching staff is to make kids realize that winning is an option. I think our kids are tired of being beat and they do a great job of practicing, concentrating and make sure we're staying focused on the task at hand."
He's right to praise what his players have accomplished.
Hugo Avila was an offensive lineman before converting to quarterback last summer and has thrown eight touchdown passes the past two weeks. Jared Rosales is tied for the Panhandle lead with six sacks while Eduardo Cruz has five while handling kicking and running back duty. Gallegos has intercepted six passes in five games to lead the Panhandle
They've followed Williams' lead, though, in sending their praise to others.
"Coach Williams is a great coach," Booker wide receiver Leo Banuelos said. "Our defensive coordinator (Kris) Vasquez is great. The staff has just changed the culture."
It's true.
When you look at the pregame schedule Williams put up before the Kiowas' most recent game against Morton, the task scheduled for 5 p.m. is "BEAT MORTON!" That's the attitude of belief Williams has the Kiowas buying into.
It's more that just words written on a piece of paper, however. It's an attitude that Booker carries with them every day.
"I think we just have a new mentality now," Booker linebacker Erick Ramirez said. "We walk in thinking we're going to win and not lose. We threw away our old mentality and have a new one now."
Ain't That America
There's two restaurants in Booker. One, Booker Grocery Cafe and Catering, closes at 2 p.m. Fridays with a sign on the door reading. "Closed for the football game. Go support the Kiowas!" The game against Morton was played at Highland Park in Amarillo, more than two hours from Booker. Dozens of family, friends and fans showed up to root for the Kiowas.
When the game against Morton was over, Williams told his team they needed to get to the bus to not keep the driver waiting, but first to take 10 minutes to be with those who made the trip to show appreciation.
"Our community has been great man," Williams said. "They've allowed us to come here and try to change these kids' lives. They're not afraid to take a risk on new ideas and things happening. I tip my hat off to them for allowing our kids to be a part of our program."
A winning attitude and positive culture is what's helped Booker bounce back so strongly on the gridiron in such a short time. That in turn has helped excite an entire town and region for the first time in nearly a decade. It's helped remind us all that towns like Booker can still make some noise.
The Kiowas start District 2-2A Division II play this Friday. They'll play Gruver, which heading into last Friday had just one loss on the season. Boys Ranch is off to its best start in over a decade, Sunray has just one loss on the year and Vega has one of the best athletes in the Panhandle in Joaquin Segovia.
Making it through district will be no easy task.
Making it to 4-1 regardless of opponent would've seemed near impossible just a few weeks ago, however. These Kiowas, like the town they hail from, are built to withstand the odds and expectations.
Sure, maybe the magic won't continue through district, but this team believes that it will.
Maybe small towns across America won't last forever, but this town believes that it can. That type of belief and positive attitude has helped lead the Kiowas to an unprecedented start and could serve as a lesson to all other small towns across the country hoping to keep going.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: REBIRTH: Why the Booker Kiowas should inspire all small towns
