By Juan Montoya
For 30 years, the long-suffering fans of the Faulk Middle School Hawks have waited for a chance to win the district football championship.
It's been a long wait in the barrio school whose practice field (an old resaca bed) gets flooded every time there is a moderate shower. Additionally, unlike other schools, Faulk has no weight room for its young players to tone their muscles. The silver lining there is that the school will inaugurate its' new $450,000 weight room at the end of the season to get ready for the next year.The practice field, however remains a problem. It's too bad, the fans say, that there are no middle school swimming teams.
"That is usually the way it is all season, " said coach Charlie Atkinson. "We practice in the halls and in the pavilion."
But now, after that 30-year drought, the fighting Hawks are 8-0 and looking to make it 9-0 against the Cummings Red Ants and bring back the championship trophy to 2000 Roosevelt Street.
The match will be held this at 7 p.m. Monday at the Porter High School playing field.
"We think it will be a good game," said Atkinson. "We're 8 and 0 and we're ready for the show."
Thirty years ago, in 1985, city commissioner Rick Longoria was playing his trumpet in the school band the last time that Faulk had a championship.
"Y sigue chupando el pito," quipped a wag.
To understand the show that Faulk fans have been enjoying this season, look at some of the statistics the Hawks have compiled.
*They are undefeated
*The offense has scored 240 points
*The defense has allowed only 12 points to its opponents
*Faulk has never punted the ball all year and never from deep in their side
* Faulk kicked onside and recovered possession 12 times
*And over the past four years, it has fed Porter High with outstanding athletes
"We wanted to prove to everyone that Southmost can produce solid football players," Atkinson said. "The kids here just don;t play soccer."
Five years ago the school had only one athletic period and had 138 eighth graders and 177 seventh graders. Today, there are two sixth grade athletics classes with about 160 students in each, a seventh grade athletics class with 85 students, and an eighth grade class with about 55 students participating.
"Kids have really bought into the program," he said.
The results are readily apparent, he says, because Porter just wrapped up the city championship last week.
But on the academic side, there are also some notable successes. For the first time in the school's history, all players passed their six weeks exams and not one player flunked. Usually, administrators say, about half of them fail.
Atkinson said that the support for the success of athletics in the school by former principal Carla Pereira and current principal Benita Villarreal have changed the atmosphere in the school.
"Players must sit up front of their classes and show respect for their teachers and administrators or they don't play," he said. "We wanted to shake things up and improve the program and with the help of our principals we have done just that. Come and watch the kids on Monday."
20 comments:
Their on the left is coach Cornelio Landin, the current husband of Melissa Zamora.
Atkinson is a winner at whatever he does. The secret to his success is whataburgers.
So proud of the kids and the community. They deserve the success they are having. When you have administrators and coaches who believe in these kids then there will always be success stories!!!
Why would a principal want her students picture in a blog that always has really nasty things about people in the community? SMH.
This is my gang that I recruited last year when they were in sixth grade. People don't realize how critical it is to keep tabs on these kids when they are that age. Middle school influences their future decisions. You can be the best parent but if ur kid hangs out with one bad influential kid then it's so easy to lose them. I saw that the gangs heavily recruit in sixth grade and I had to do something. We have more than 120 sixth graders in our athletics classes and we jump on them quick to join our football family. They get tough love but they know I will be there for them way into their adulthood. I have their back and they got mine. Loyalty means a lot in the southmost area so I'm straight up with each and every kid. These kids know when you are fake and not genuine. I'm their dad, their friend, their drill Sargent, their confidant. I love what I do!!! Charlie Atkinson
Charlie was never a humble guy.
La Faulka!!!! Si se puede raza. Porter Nation starts at La Faulka!!!!!!
The coaching community cannot stand Coach Atkinson. He is an arrogant prick who believes he's untouchable because his sister is his boss and her husband is a school board member. Even before he was a coach, he presumably got a good volleyball coach to resign because he didn't like her as his daughter's coach. He harassed and harassed her directly and indirectly via his political connections. He is shameless and justifies his selfish actions.
Good luck to the Faulk kids and coaches. Coach Landin has done a great job turning that entire athletic program around.
Congratulations Faulk Hawks from an alumni of the class of 1972
Typical Charlie. There is no I in team. Exploiting kids for his ego.
Faulk secured a district title for the first time in 30 years. Enough Said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haters gonna hate!!!!!!!!!!!
Impressive especially with the amount of players they have
looks like alotta kids are playing both ways and special teams
obviously the coaching has little to do with the success.
BTW middle schools DO have swim teams
congrats Caulk hawks
if you learn anything from coach Atkinson, learn from his mistakes
( there are plenty)
I guess he finally passed his certification exam from the state.
Landin was there before they started winning. It was not until Charlie got there that the change started...Melissa.
Charlie quit your lying. You have been with Faulk for several years way before lots of our coaches. Coach Landin joined Faulk just two years ago and has really changed things for the better. We all know the truth at Faulk. Thanks for putting that lie out there so people see how much of snake you are. You should also be giving credit to our new principal Benita instead of bringing Pereira to speak to the team. Pereira always sat in the sidelines instead of cheering. Benita has renewed our school spirit.
How did he even get hired atBISD,FIRED FROM ice,and Dwi hmmmm
Leave chubby Atkinson alone. Atkinson's seventh grade team went 6-2 last year and this year they played for your hubby Landin. From what I was told they have only won 1 game. The raza knows the truth Melissa. Facts are facts. Chubby or Hubby? I choose Chubbs!
Faulk Hawks, go fight win, congratulations on your district win.
10:58 pm comment was obviously written by Charlie. Who else would know what last year's record for a 7th grade team was. Keep politics out of your school Charlie and focus on your students and not inflating your ego. Your self absorbed videos only further validate your intentions. Kids first.
If Atkinson wants to throw out his ego, I'm fine with that as long as he wins and gets those kids developed for high school. Politics is everywhere. You can't run from it. I think his intentions is to show people that those kids in the southmost area can play american fútbol. What's wrong with that? 30 years no district titles until now? Yeah, those kids should be praised and noticed so kudos for Atkinson. I was told kids love him there and the other coach Lucio. What videos? I want to see them. Where?
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