COACHES OF THE MONTH SPOTLIGHTS
November 2024
Assistant
Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball Coach Billy Mitchell is the recipient for
the November Coach of the Month! “I don’t think I deserve it,” he admitted when
asked about his feeling of being awarded the title. “I think there’s a bunch of
people here who deserve it more, but I am very appreciative.” Coach Mitchell is
a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to Boswell athletics, having stepped into
multiple roles during his tenure with the Pioneers as not only a coach for now
three separate sports but also a bus driver, all while teaching a full day of
classes in J-Hall. Coming off of another successful volleyball season, Coach
Mitchell explained that he was very happy with how the fall progressed and is
excited to be a part of what basketball is doing, saying, “It’s going really
well. The JV team is really talented, the Varsity team is fun to be around, we
just have to control them a little bit more because they like to get out of
control, and Softball is going to be really exciting. We get to see some new
people and the girls we have coming back are pretty amazing, so it’s going to
be fun to be a part of that.” Coach Mitchell is a favorite among the athletes
and his students. This was made apparent when he was awarded with the
certificate and MOD Pizza gift card after a student he had previously been
conversing with happily recorded his reaction to the occasion. It goes to show
that Coach Mitchell makes an impact on all of the people he interacts with, and
it is not just him that is looking forward to the rest of this year. “I’m
looking forward to getting to know the kids more and having fun with them,
helping them become better people in real life and learn more about the sports
that we coach.”
“[Coach
Mitchell] is a selfless coach that is an asset to the whole school,” commented
Campus Coordinator Wes Weaver. “He constantly looks for ways to help kids and
coaches, and he steps up all the time to make us better.”
October 2024
Head Girls Gymnastics Coach Candice Vincent is the
spotlight for the October Coach of the Month! “It’s an honor,” she expressed when
asked about receiving the award. “It’s an honor, knowing that your peers think that
highly of you. It’s a very cool feeling.” Coach Vincent has over 20 years of coaching
experience under her belt in the sport of gymnastics. Entering her 10th
year as a head coach for the district, she has helped lead the Lady Pioneers to
several titles over the past decade, earning their fifth consecutive district
title last season and clenching a third-place finish at stat in the 2018-2019
season. “We don’t have any seniors here this year, so we have a young group,” she
explained, “but we’re working hard and we’ve been making huge strides over the
past month and a half. I’m excited and the girls are excited.” On top of her
success with the Pioneers, Coach Vincent has taken up the task of being Eagle
Mountain’s first Head Gymnastics Coach ever. Her willingness to drive back and
forth between the campuses is just more proof of her incredible work ethic and
dedication. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how the kids have developed
since last season, through the summer, and throughout this season, about how
much they’ve improved and allowing them to show off their skills.”
“Coach
Vincent is selfless and does a great job of being an ambassador
for Boswell High School,” commented Campus Coordinator Wes Weaver. “Any
duty she is given, you know it is going to be done extremely well and she does
a fantastic job of connecting with her gymnasts. She is an asset to BHS.”
September 2024
Head Volleyball Coach Rafael Lopez is September’s
Coach of the Month. “It’s an honor to be nominated,” he expressed with a smile.
“I feel thankful.” Coach Lopez brings more than 30+ years of coaching
experience to the district and has led the Lady Pioneers to multiple high-level
tournaments during his time with EMS ISD. His passion for the sports shines
through in not just his leadership and personal involvement in volleyball since
he first started coaching in 1991, but also in the way he expresses pride in
his athletes and their work ethic. “I’m feeling really good [about this
season],” he said with a laugh. “The girls have been working very hard and
coming together. Right now, they’re playing really good volleyball, and
hopefully we can keep that momentum up and see if we can win the district.” As
of writing, the Lady Pioneers are undefeated in district play, sporting an
impressive 4-0 winning streak that they seek to carry on to latter half of the
season. It will not be without it’s difficulties, however Coach Lopez is
confident in the team. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the girls react
because we’re going to have tough moments ahead and I want to see if they step
up, which I think they will, and that they can overcome, see if we can get this
district championship first, and then see how far we can take the rest of this
season.”
April/May 2024
Head Baseball Coach Joshua Stone is the April/May
Coach of the Month. “It’s an awesome feeling,” he expressed about receiving the
award, “because I know there’s a lot of great coaches doing great things on
campus, so to be highlighted is a big, big award and I am very proud.” Coach
Stone is a Pioneer alum, graduating in 2009 where he was a two-year letterman in
football and a three-year letterman in Baseball, being named as a First Team All-District
Pitcher. During his collegiate years, he racked up a number of notable
recognitions in his skills playing America’s Favorite Pastime, earning the
honor of being called the NBC World Series Most Valuable Pitcher, All-American,
and Jayhawk League First Team All-Conference Pitcher after leading the El
Dorado Broncos to a third place finish in the National Baseball Congress World
Series. “This season has been awesome, I mean, we’re having fun,” he said with
a smile. “We’re on a roll, the kids are doing great, their having fun, and we’re
doing some good things, so I’m very excited.” Coach Stone has helped coach the
Pioneers to several victories, including the 2021 District 3-6A Championship with
a record of 23-12-3, where he was selected as part of the District 3-6A
Baseball Staff of the Year. “I’ve got a lot to think about between now and next
season, but I look forward to seeing the guys grow. We’ve got a good core group
that we have now that they’ve already shown they were hungry for it this year,
and although we’re still playing now, I’m excited to see their progress to what
they can do next year.”
“Coach Stone has guided the Pioneers to a District
Championship and have them ready for a deep playoff run,” Coordinator John
Reese said. “[He] continues to put a great product on the field and is very
deserving of Coach of the Month.”
March 2024
Assistant Volleyball and Track Coach Hannah Seguin is
the March Spotlight Coach of the Month. “It feels really good,” she said on
being handed her award. “I don’t ever do anything to expect recognition, but I
love that our district does this spotlight and is able to make coaches feel appreciated.” Coach Seguin has worn many hats during her time at
Boswell, beginning as a student of the Class of 2015 before returning to the
Pioneer family as an assistant soccer coach and teacher after graduating from
UTA. “[Coaching track] has been an adjustment for sure,” she admitted. “I
coached track at the middle school level before, but not the high school level,
and we’re having a competitive season now going into district, but I’ve
really enjoyed soaking in the season and learning, especially helping with
hurdles.” Coach Seguin went on to express how she was looking forward to
helping the athletes make it to area and regionals and is excited for the start of volleyball season next school year. “We do what we do as coaches
because we want to love on these kids and watch them grow, and I feel fortunate to help them get better at something they love.”
“Coach Seguin was the 1st assistant for
volleyball and their successful season,” Campus Coordinator Wes Weaver
commented. “She is great with the kids in athletics as well as the classroom.
She moved to being an assistant coach for track and immediately has been an
asset to that program with her ability to connect and learn a new sport for
herself. She is an asset to Boswell High School.”
February 2024
Assistant
Coordinator and Head Girls Basketball Coach John Reese is February’s Coach of
the Month. “I appreciate this so much,” he said when asked about his feelings on
receiving the award. “With as many talented and hardworking coaches that we have
on this campus, it could’ve gone to anyone, so it’s a huge honor.” Coach Reese lives
and breathes basketball. Before dawning the signature Boswell blue, Reese was
head coach of the boys’ basketball team at Bryan High School 15 years, an assistant
coach at Texas A&M University, and assistant girls basketball coach at
Plano East High School where he led the team to the playoffs for the first time
in years. “Ever since I’ve been here, the girls have always been the underdogs,”
he explained, “but they play hard. We had a stretch there of six, seven,
eight games where we were averaging 80 points a game, so they got up and
down the floor this season.” Reese led the girls to the Regional Finals this
season, the furthest they’ve been in over 40 years, after an impressive list of
wins throughout the winter, the Lady Pioneers keeping their opponents 20-to-30
points behind in most of the games that they played. The goal for next season,
according to Coach Reese, is to keep the momentum going. “The ultimate aim is
to duplicate it and do it again,” he said. “We’ll lose three seniors before then,
but these young ladies are hungry and talented, and hopefully we’ll have the
upcoming seniors step up and fill those voids. I’m really looking forward to
it.”
January 2024
Boswell Head Girls Soccer Coach Kristin Williams is
the recipient for the January Coach of the Month. “It was unexpected,” she
admitted about receiving the award, “but it feels great. I feel like the girls
have put in a lot of hard work, so it’s really their work getting rewarded
here.” Entering her second year as head coach for the Pioneers, Williams began
directing athletes in 2010 for the Lonestar Soccer Club. She went on to be a
volunteer assistant at TCU, director of the Dallas Texas Soccer Club Youth
Academy, and most recently lead the Solar Soccer Club to two consecutive
conference championships and a national title in 2021. Her skills don’t just
stop at coaching, however. As a player, Coach Williams won three national
championships with the Dallas Texans and, as a collegiate athlete for the
University of Texas, was team captain and the leading scorer for three years
straight. Though the season is only just getting started, Coach Williams’ experience
is already shining through, helping lead the Lady Pioneers to several early
victories on the pitch. “I’m feeling really good about the season so far. The girls
have made a complete turnaround from last year, so I’m really proud of them and
all their hard work. I love watching them grow in their skills and excitement
for soccer.”
“Kristin has done an amazing job revitalizing the
soccer program,” Assistant Athletic Coordinator John Reese explained. “They are
off to a great start and the future is bright under her leadership.”
November/December 2023
Boswell Head Volleyball Coach Rafael Lopez is the
November/December Spotlight Coach of the Month. “It’s exciting to have won,”
Coach Lopez explained. “There are a lot of good candidates for this who are
doing a great job, so it is very exciting and I’m thankful.” Coming off another
successful season topped with a district championship, Coach Lopez expressed
pride in the Lady Pioneers and how they pushed through each setback that seemed
to come their way. He cited a few injuries throughout the season may have
slowed down momentum but did not stop them on their path towards finishing
first in the district overall, and this wouldn’t be the first victory of its
kind. Under his guidance, the Lady Pioneers have made it to Bi-District, Area,
and Regional Quarterfinals Championships and to the Regional Tournament
Semifinals, adding to an impressive record of 191 wins in 7 years and acting as
another example of Coach Lopez’s more than 30 years of coaching experience. “We
have a strong group of seniors coming back next year,” he said when asked about
the next fall season, “and the redistricting will shake things up and make it
interesting, so I’m looking forward to it.”
“Coach Lopez led his team to another district
championship in volleyball and the program continues to progress under his
leadership,” Campus Coordinator Wes Weaver said. “He pushes the girls to be the
very best they can be.”
OCTOBER 2023
Boswell Head Tennis Coach Nathan Wester is the October Coach of the Month. The Pioneers are coming off another fall district championship, their third consecutive and fell a match short of defeating Byron Nelson in the bi-district playoffs. Coach Wester and the Pioneers are a perfect 21-0 in Fall District Tennis in the span of three years. “This group of kids has handled pressure and adversity so well,” he said. “They could feel the pressure from Paschal and Chisholm Trail. They knew the importance of those matches, and that was something I had been preparing them for throughout the season. As a coach, it was so awesome to see how they responded.” Now, all eyes turn to the spring season, which will be here in the blink of an eye. Spring tennis features a girls and a boys district champion; something the Lady Pioneers have accomplished three consecutive times, and the Pioneer Boys have two consecutive spring district championships. Last season, Boswell advanced eight kids to regionals and with a veteran team, they’re looking for more of the same this year. “We are a very senior heavy team, especially on the girls side with six,” he said. “Last season we took kids from every division to regionals, and I’m hoping to take even more this spring. The Boswell spring tennis season will kick off with a trip to Timber Creek on Nov. 10. “Coach Wester is in the midst of a three-peat district championship,” Assistant Campus Coordinator John Reese said. “He is a relentless worker, built great relationships with these kids, and continue to just win!”
Boswell
Head Cross Country/Girls Track and Field Coach Bryan Ruiz is the October Coach
of the Month. Coach Ruiz is in his second year at the helm at Boswell, and under his
leadership, has a plethora of accolades. His girls team won their fourth
consecutive district championship, placed sixth as a team at Regionals, and two
runners: Lola Deane and Brooklyn Dotts are headed to Round Rock to compete at
state on Saturday, Nov. 4! They are the first teammates to compete at state
since 2019. “When I think back to summer when we first started, I see that all of this work
that the team has put in is paying off,” he said. “It’s so rewarding as a coach
to know that we put in 50 miles a week for 10-12 weeks and they’re starting to
see those results. We’ve had our ups and downs this year, but this team trusted
me and the process when they were feeling down, and I love seeing their hard
work pay off.” The future is bright for Boswell, as Coach Ruiz has been working a lot with the
Boswell feeder pattern schools, and he is seeing an increase in the number of
middle school kids training during the summer, and getting excited for Cross
Country. Boswell is graduating a large number of seniors, but with the program
continuously growing, the future is bright. In his first year, he only had two
freshmen, and this year grew that number to 12. “Coach Ruiz is in the midst of a four-peat district championship,” Assistant
Campus Coordinator John Reese said. “He is a relentless worker, built great
relationships with these kids, and continue to just win!”
SEPTEMBER 2023
Boswell
Head Football Coach Wes Weaver is the recipient for September. “I didn’t realize I was eligible,” he said with a laugh. “But seriously, I
appreciate it. It is nice to be recognized. I come into the job trying to make
these coaches jobs easier, do the best I can for everyone and let everyone know
I am here for them, whatever they need.” The Pioneers are enjoying their bye week sitting at 3-1 (Haltom was ruled a no
contest due to weather) coming off a victory over Paschal last week. “I really liked how we bounced back after the Trinity game,” he said. “We have
had a really great week of practice during the bye week. We’ve gotten better
every week, and we haven’t had a week where we’ve stayed the same or gotten
worse.” The second half of the season, Boswell will enjoy a little home cooking, as
they finish out with four of the last five games at Pioneer Stadium. First up
is a tough test against North Crowley. “It’s going to be another heavyweight battle,” he said. “They’re very good in
all phases of the game. They’re athletic, talented, physical. It will be an
outstanding football game.” That game will take place Friday, Oct. 6 for a 7:30 p.m. kick-off at Pioneer
Stadium. “Pioneer football has not missed a beat,” Assistant Campus Coordinator John
Reese said. “They are 1-1 at the bye week, with promise ahead.”
AUGUST 2023
Boswell
Football Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Track Coach Jay Freeman is the
August Spotlight Coach of the Month. “We have all been working so hard,” Coach Freeman said. “We have so many
coaches that do a tremendous job every day, it’s an honor for me to get
nominated.” The Pioneers are off to an undefeated start thus far in 2023, getting wins over
Mansfield Lake Ridge, and Saginaw. They were also ahead against Haltom, before
the game was called due to weather in the second quarter. “Going back to the summer, our kids have stepped up and worked really hard,” he
said. “Our quarterback Tye Renfro has been a leader and has missed maybe one
workout since May. He spent the weekend watching film, and he’s locked in ready
to get better each day. He and all of our team are focused and want to be just
as successful.” The focus now turns towards district play and getting ready for Trinity in the
district opener. He's excited for district play, and is looking forward to
watching his team go out and compete against District 3-6A. “Coach Freeman has worked tirelessly since he arrived at Boswell, and has been
an integral part of athletics,” Campus Coordinator Wes Weaver said. “He is a
great communicator with athletes and coaches alike. Coach Freeman brings a calm
approach to all things and is meticulous in his preparation for whatever it is
that he does.”
