ARLINGTON -- In a state rich in high school football tradition, the Mansfield school district hasn't often had much to brag about.
The fact that this would change in 2011, some may say, was written in the stars.This afternoon in Denton, the Timberview Wolves go where no Mansfield football team has been before: to the fourth round of the playoffs. If they defeat Abilene, they'll be one victory away from the Class 5A Division II state championship game.The magical playoff run by Timberview High has not only boosted civic pride but also created a feeling of hope after twin tragedies rocked the high school in October. Offensive coordinator Cody McCarty, 29, died of an apparent heart attack, and two students were killed in a car wreck.When the game ends, win or lose, members of the football team may point to the heavens toward Jupiter. The planet, bright enough to be seen under stadium lights, has come to symbolize McCarty's presence. He and another coach had studied the planet during a weekend hunting trip exactly a month before McCarty died.The players also know that their classmates, through shared pain, will be there for them, too. The healing process has dissolved cliques and made all the student body a family."You can just feel the unity of the whole, entire school," Student Council President Kelsey Frette said. "It feels good to have that school pride."Timberview, which opened in 2004 and sits along the Texas 360 access road in southeast Arlington, draws students from that city as well as Grand Prairie and Mansfield. The school has struggled to form its own identity, and some students have felt as if their peers at Mansfield High looked down on them.But that feeling, for now, has been swept away. After Mansfield High narrowly lost its game last Saturday in Abilene, Tigers fans stuck around and braved the cold wind to cheer for the Wolves, who were playing in the same stadium, district athletic director Debbie Weems said."I think the entire school district is turning out for them now," she said. "We all pull together. That's the way it's always been."The unthinkableWhen it comes to athletics, Mansfield schools may be best known for powerhouse girls basketball teams. Three schools, including Timberview, have won at least one state title in the sport.Of football glory -- for many Texas communities, a key component of self-worth -- there has been little.Mansfield High, which fielded its first football team around 1940, didn't win its first playoff game until 2008. At one point, it went 23 years between playoff appearances.The Tigers did win an outright district championship in 1970 -- the only time a Mansfield school had done that until this season, when Summit High finished alone atop the District 7-4A standings.Timberview finished 3-7 in 2010, when it jumped from Class 4A to 5A. Coach Mark Walker, having laid the groundwork for his program in 2009 and 2010, expected more success in 2011.The Wolves started 3-0, suffered close losses in their first two district games and won their next two. Then the unthinkable happened. McCarty died Oct. 16, leaving a wife and two daughters.Football and baseball players and students in the physical education classes McCarty taught were stunned to hear the news. The next day, leaders on the football team asked Walker about dedicating the rest of the season to McCarty.After a draining week, the team faced district rival Duncanville. A lackluster first half sent the Wolves to the locker room trailing 21-7."It wasn't that our guys weren't playing hard," Walker said. "It was just mental exhaustion. I told them, 'I'm not mad at you, but if we're going to say that this is for Coach McCarty, can you say you're doing your best for him?' They had every reason to fold. Every reason."Instead, they hung tough in the third quarter, then exploded for 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for an important 39-28 win.They haven't lost since, reeling off six straight victories."They're the kind of kids you want to cheer for," Timberview Principal Derrell Douglas said. "They're not a bunch of bad guys with attitudes. During our passing periods, you can walk right by the starting quarterback or the starting tailback, and you'd never know he was any different from any other student."Friday night lightsOn Oct. 22, theater students Carlos Marquez Jr., 15, and Kimberly Pimental, 17, were fatally injured in a car accident. Two others -- Isaiah Rodriguez, 16, and Flordeluna Flores, 15 -- were taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center with injuries.Rodriguez, who classmates said is recovering from his injuries, is described as an ardent supporter of the Wolves. Because he couldn't attend games, fellow students stood in for him.Supporters have also shared words of encouragement on Facebook and Twitter, teacher Heather Mills said."It's a beautiful thing seeing over 2,700 people rally and come together," she said. "I can honestly say that is what I love about Timberview the most. When there is a need, someone is asking for help, this is the place to be. I have never felt it more than now -- the power of school pride in death and life, winning and losing, we need each other."The idea of pointing at Jupiter and thinking of McCarty came after the team heard about a weekend hunting trip McCarty took during a bye week with Jason Young, another coach and teacher at Timberview. Because Young teaches astronomy, he thought it would be interesting to view the night sky away from city lights.On the evening of Sept. 16, they studied Jupiter and its four main moons. They also looked at several constellations and the moon.McCarty, Young said, enjoyed learning new things. The men, who were good friends, planned a return trip with their families to share the same views with them.Now the largest planet in the solar system serves as a reminder to the players McCarty loved."It is fitting that Jupiter rises mainly during football season and is visible through the Friday night lights," Young said. "That's how Cody was. He is missed, but never forgotten."Patrick M. Walker,817-390-7423Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
