For the first time since 2016, the Magnolia Bulldogs brought home a district championship as they went 8-0 in a very competitive District 8-5A Division I in 2020.

With the Bulldogs looking to defend their district title, TexasFootball.com was able to talk with Magnolia head coach Craig Martin to get his thoughts on last year’s feats and the season that lies ahead for his Bulldogs.

Q: What was it like playing during a pandemic and what was the key to your team’s success last year?

“Certainly an interesting year that’s for sure. I think that’s the answer that you’ll get across the board from coaches across the state that had to go through that. There were plenty of challenges. I think the hardest part about going into it was just all the uncertainty of what playing football with quarantines and all that stuff would actually look like. So I was very proud of the way that our kids handled that. As coaches, one of the things we talk to our guys about a lot is about how you handle adversity. The answer is that you try to do that with positivity.  Is it what it is, and let’s come up with a plan and attack that plan, so I was really proud of our kids’ preparation.  Summer strength and conditioning was very different than what it normally is. We had a great summer, and we had great leadership from our older guys. That part was cool to watch. Administratively, there were certainly some challenges that us as coaches had to work through, but our kids handled it really well. I was really pleased with our preparation, and I think that’s one of the things that probably helped us the most. We were prepared as well as we could be having no spring or any of that stuff. I think that’s what really set us on a good track to have a good year. You have to have that nowadays. I think talent and coaching across the state is so good, and I think certainly in our district and our region, you better play well because anyone can beat you on any given night. But I think the general reason that we were able to have success is the way our kids handled that adversity.”

After serving as the head baseball coach at Killeen Ellison and Temple, this is Martin’s first football head coaching job. In addition to last year’s 10-2 finish, Magnolia finished 8-4 in his first season back in 2019.

Q: How do you feel about the state of the program, and how will your team continue to build on that success this season?

“First and foremost, I did not inherit a team that was broken. Sterling Doty is a phenomenal football coach, and he had done a great job of building this program prior to me getting here. Had the Stephenville job not come open and he had the opportunity to go home, there’s a good chance Sterling Doty would still be doing the same thing here and having success. But, I have a phenomenal group of assistant coaches and administrators that really do give me the support network that you need to be able to be successful at a high level. The first season, as a first-year head coach, you’re learning a lot and you have to be able to rely on having great help and great kids and we have that here, which is part of the reason that we’ve been successful. I think the kids were hungry to win. The old saying that winning solves lots of problems is totally true. The biggest thing that we took from that 8-4 season, we always say there are no moral victories, but sometimes there are, [was] losing to Highland Park at AT&T Stadium in a game that we played well at times and going into the second half, it was a one score game against a team that had gone back-to-back-to-back. Our kids had never really been to that level of play, so I think that was a huge step in the right direction. I think mentally, it helped us to get to a point where our goal is to win district championships and state championships. We all realize that’s very difficult to do, but if it’s not your goal, you’re certainly not going to reach it. I think the 8-4 season got us off to a great start, and I think that was probably the biggest catalyst to our success in going 10-2. We respect all the opponents that we play for sure because we play a lot of really good ones. But our guys have realized that if you prepare yourselves, and if you play well, you can play with just about anyone out there, talent aside. I think we’ve got some great talent and some really good coaches. This is a profession where you can outwork people and you have to. When you’re playing the Tompkinses, the College Stations, and the Lufkins, you better be prepared. In two years, the state of the program is great. We are trending in the right direction. But I’m one of those guys, complacency and being content with what we have done is never good enough. I’m proud of the two seasons that we’ve had here thus far, but we’re certainly looking toward the future, and we’re having a great summer and looking forward to what the 2021 season brings.”

Linebacker William Alexander was named defensive MVP of the district last year after racking up 117 tackles, 4 interceptions and five sacks for the Bulldogs. He and his twin brother John, a second team all-district selection at outside linebacker in 2020, both return for Magnolia this season.

Q: What impresses you the most about William Alexander as a player and what does he mean to your team?

“The biggest attribute that he has is his insatiable desire to be good at what he does. He’s one of those kids that you have to tell him to go home some times. He’s an incredibly hard worker. He not only leads by example, but he’s a great vocal leader too. He sets a standard, and he expects the guys around him to meet that standard. He just does a really job of leading guys, and I think he’s still got some areas to improve in that role, which is so important for a guy of his stature on our football team to know how to handle that position on a team. He’s an incredibly hard worker. You talk about somebody who gets himself as prepared as possible. He’s an extremely competitive kid. He’s got a twin brother, John, on our team that plays outside linebacker. When we were in the height of the lockdown, everybody was working out at home. Their dad sent me a couple of videos that were like ‘Coach, if we don’t open schools back up, they’re going to burn my house down.’ They’re extremely hard-working kids. They are gifted athletically no doubt. But I think the thing that really sets [William] apart as a player and a team leader is his work ethic and his standards, and he expects everyone to meet him where those standards are.”

Offensively, Magnolia has some holes to fill in its backfield. Running back Mitch Hall (1,548 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) and quarterback Travis Moore (1,980 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns) both graduated, meaning the Bulldogs will be on the search for new starters heading into the season.

Q: How is your team feeling about the quarterback and running back positions heading into the season?

“Those are hard roles to fill. But I do think it’s important as a program that you’re prepared for those guys to leave. One of the things that I think we do a good job of here is looking at what’s coming next. If you wait until that graduation happens before you realize you better have some guys ready to step up into those roles, you’re way behind the curve. We feel good about the guys that we have coming up. I think the biggest thing that we are yet to see is just how quickly they can develop in those roles. They haven’t been in those roles yet. A lot of times from a coaching standpoint, you get very comfortable and confident with guys that have experience, and there’s only one way to get it. You have to be out there when the lights turn on to see how those guys perform. I think we’ve got some capable kids prepared to step into those roles, and it’s going to be fun to see what they do when those lights get turned on because we throw them in the fire pretty fast. We have to go to Katy Tompkins right off the get-go. We’re working our tails off each day to get those guys prepared to step into those big shoes and for there to be no drop off. That’s one of the things that I’ve challenged our entire team with, specifically some of those big roles that need to be filled, is that you don’t want to be the guy that drops that rope. Mitch Hall, Travis Moore, and offensive lineman Matthew Wykoff- those guys set a pretty high standard. So when you’re stepping into their shoes, you don’t want to be the guy that doesn’t hold up their end of the rope, and I think our kids are mentally in that spot.”

In addition to William Alexander earning District 8-5A Division I Defensive MVP, ten other Bulldog juniors earned all-district honors as well, giving Martin plenty of returning talent to work with this season.

Q: In addition to Alexander, what players do you believe could have a big year for your Bulldogs?

“I’m really excited about our defense. Our defensive coordinator Chase Hargis does a great job with those guys, and so we have a lot of all-district guys coming back on defense. We’ve got some holes to fill from some guys that graduated, some two- and three-year starters, but I’m really excited about our defensive line. I think our defensive line is going to continue to be a strength for us. All three of our linebackers are back, which is going to be huge. We’re replacing three of our four backend guys, but we return the guy that led our team in interceptions in Garrison Hefner. On the offensive side, we’ve got some offensive linemen that are back; our first team all-district center [Zac Wilson] and first team all-district left tackle [John Mitcham] are back. Again, we’ve got some holes to fill in those spots, but I feel good about where we are. But the strength of our team will be on defense, and that’s where the majority of our returning stuff is coming from.”

After winning the district title last year, the Bulldogs will be in for another run through the gauntlet that is District 8-5A Division I this season as they look to defend their district crown. District opponents include DCTF’s #3 5A Division I team in 2021, College Station, annual playoff team Lufkin, recent playoff contenders in Porter and New Caney, and archrival Magnolia West among others.

Q:  Can you talk about the challenges that your district poses to your team?

“I think every coach in our district would probably say the same thing: it’s a barnburner. There is not a week that you can overlook and have that easy week; they’re just not there. These teams are too talented, and they are too well coached. Realistically, any team in our district can beat anybody on any given night. When we had that realignment, you look up and you go ‘well golly, we got a nine team district and six of those teams were playoff teams the year before.’ It’s a week-to-week grind. It’s fun. It’s the challenge of what we do, but there’s not much time for taking a deep breath. Last year, we felt so fortunate to get through some of those teams, especially early. We open up with College Station and Lufkin, so we figure out where we sit real fast. We were fortunate enough to get by those guys [last year] and that’s not easy to do. Those guys are super talented. It’s a fun district to be in that’s for sure. I think we all have a very healthy respect for each other in what we do and how we prepare our teams and how our teams play.”

Q: After making it to the second round of playoffs the past two seasons and winning the district title in 2020, what is your overall goal for your team this season?

“Again, our goal is to win district championships, and our goal is to make a run at a state championship, so that’s the expectation. I think that’s what’s cool is that’s what our kids are expecting to do too. I tell them all the time ‘that is our goal and that’s our expectation.’ We all know that it is very difficult to do that. Our plan is to try to defend our district championship. Like I said, we’ll find out where we are on that real quick because we open up with the two biggest contenders for that year in and year out with College Station and Lufkin. But I think that’s the beauty of being in a place now three years is that some of the program stuff that I truly believe in that helps our program be successful is installed and our staff has been totally retained since I’ve been here for the most part. That means the guys want to be here, they do a great job with our kids, and so you’re not having to change offenses and defenses constantly. I’m excited about this year. This year is going to be tough and our kids know it’s going to be tough, and we’ll take it week by week and see where it all falls in the end.”

Magnolia will get its season underway with a tough trip to Katy Tompkins on August 28 that will serve as a barometer for its showdowns at College Station and at home against Lufkin that will come in weeks three and four. Expect that first month to be crucial as the Bulldogs look to take another step forward in 2021.