The idea of moving to Southern California was, he admits, pretty daunting. He was just more of a kid that soaked it all in. Its something that weve both always wanted, Caitlin Riley said. Riley still has an itch to scratch when it comes to winning at the highest level of the sport and must feel he can reach the summit more easily from USC. When Wood talks about Riley, it sounded like Lou Holtz, who a couple of months ago came through Oklahoma City and noted his innate ability to immediately see and comprehend the intricacies of football. California? In each of his first three seasons at Oklahoma, Riley led the Sooners to a 12-1 regular season, only to lose in the College Football Playoff semifinals to Georgia, Alabama and LSU of the Southeastern Conference. "As long as I could have kids like Lincoln, I knew I could compete.". He inspired the whole town, Wood said. As soon as Bob Stoops handpicked Riley to coach the quarterbacks and run the offense at Oklahoma in 2015, Riley began to prove what he had already shown at East Carolina in Conference USA: The guy knows how to motivate and prepare players at footballs most important position. The new coach inherited around two dozen players, barely enough to field a full team, and the program was plagued by a lack of discipline. The town wanted to be good. Going [to USC], hes obviously ready for that challenge. From Muleshoe to Clemson, Riley carries on the principles of Mike. And I think the value of honesty from my parents and in the community, those were things that people expected of you and took pride in. He was a young man who could create plays, said Black, the longtime mayor. It shaped who I am, Riley says. Things always change year to year in college football and that's one of the things we enjoy. Conventional wisdom might tell you to stay in that, thats what you do, and I certainly think that wouldve turned out just fine. A Texas map on the wall of Muleshoe, Texas head football coach David Wood's office marks the location of their West Texas opponents, Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. only a means to a football end. Greatness, yes. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) My daddy would roll over in his grave if I said I was gonna root for USC, Sam Whalin, the schools retired maintenance director, says with a laugh. Ive never been afraid to go against the grain if I felt like it was the best thing for the team, for the program. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft during back-to-back seasons. When he'd watch film he'd just remember defenses and what not. "Each year presents new challenges, but there are parts of the job and all the things that come with it that I'm a little more settled in with for sure.". That was pretty exciting.. Riley isnt known only as the OU head coach. Under Walkers leadership, the Mules went 1-19 over the two seasons. Some speculate the injury mightve changed his trajectory, but the next season, Riley led Muleshoe to new heights as its quarterback anyway. But it was no mirage. Richards grew up in Clovis, where he was quarterback/defensive back for the high school from 1999-2001. All rights reserved. Muleshoe dropped a 28-27 decision to Merkel in the area round of the Class 3A Division I playoffs last weekend. Cheerleading Sponsor Cheyanne Cage. After watching Riley try to make it as a walk-on quarterback, the coach offered Riley a student assistant coaching job. "That's a good question," he said. In Texas, playing football is practically a birthright. But he happily embraced the familys other enduring legacy in town, as the third of four Rileys to quarterback the Muleshoe Mules. I am a Haskell Indian Nations University graduate. We were on the way to San Antonio and the bowl game and we were obviously thinking we were going to have our normal role at that Alamo Bowl game, said Simmons, who coached wide receivers at the time. Head coach Jason Richards hopes that preseason growth can be turned into regular-season success. No telling if the city founders had any inkling the name might itself become a celebrity of sorts. Others speculate he wanted nothing to do with the Southeastern Conference. Muleshoe, which would become the seat of Bailey County, then was just a few houses, a school and a cemetery. It would be a challenge, Simmons said, but one that the then-26-year-old coach accepted and conquered. Eight years later, on the brink of that state championship, Riley returned to Muleshoe High for a pep rally. "I really . He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. J. Brady McCollough is a sports enterprise reporter for the Los Angeles Times, focusing on national college football and basketball topics. 1. MULESHOE, Texas -- Magann Rennels has been on the job as a local television newshound for almost four decades. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. That will never change.. As of September 2019, Harrell and Riley kept in touch often via text message. But I think we saw this move as potentially a chance for them to experience new things, and when they get out in the real world which will come way too quick I want them to have been exposed to different things and different areas and different kinds of people. His final game at Muleshoe and last as a quarterback in a competitive game was a senior-year loss in a state semifinal game at old Texas Stadium. Even his childhood mischief has become a part of the town mythos. The Mules won one game in Wood's first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first. HomeDirectoryPhotosAboutContactAdvertise. Its probably one of the most supportive communities youll find in the state of Texas, said Richards, who had been Flour Bluffs offensive coordinator for the past five seasons. After coaching for 14 years, the Clovis native got his dream job and was named the Mules head football coach and athletic director in February. Never mind that Riley was only 19 years old. Some were convinced hed leave for Louisiana State. He wasnt afraid to change things up, to do things different from what had been done there. Each of the thousands of bales waiting to be loaded and shipped off weighs up to 500 pounds. The only time they were away was when they attended the University of Texas. "Didn't see eye-to-eye with the coach," Mike Riley said. Aaron Simon, an Angelo State University graduate whos been coaching with Richards for the past nine years, will be the Mules offensive line and associate head coach, while Portales, New Mexico native Chris Mosier the step-brother of former Mule standout receiver Kyle Atwood was hired as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. The older he got is when I was more impressed with him. "It runs how long it needs to," Rennels said. "We had great success there throughout our years. Lo and behold, we get there in the team meeting and Lincoln was told, Coach (Leach) isnt coaching this game and guess what? Stoops said he wouldnt have retired this offseason if not for his confidence in Riley. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley yells from the sideline during a game. I knew he was headed somewhere, said Wood. The day he interviewed, Wood recalls, there were three fights in the schools halls. It was so sudden, Graves says. Two years into that gig, Riley found himself promoted to head coach when Stoops unexpectedly retired in June of 2017. Wes Wood, the coachs son who led the Mules to a state title as quarterback in 2008, said that season cemented Riley as his childhood hero. Caravans of pick-ups and SUVs would filter out of town for road games, packing visiting bleachers across the plains. You can cancel at any time. The run still resonates here. Muleshoe, just 22 miles from the New Mexico border, is home to the National Mule Memorial. The expectations for a quick rebuild will be ever-present, trumping any old loyalties. Volunteer. He's been too busy. It's pretty much the talk of the town.. A lot of times when people get success at a young age, the humble factor tends to get put on the backburner, Simmons said. I knew he'd be the best next coach at a major Division I school. Riley was a defensive end during his sophomore season at Muleshoe, but he was shifted to quarterback for his final two years. He brought belief and hope. As you might expect, Runnels, who could double as a one-woman Chamber of Commerce, has a special sweet spot for Riley. Maybe even an astronaut. Wes Wood has hit the ground running, already meeting with the coaching staff and some of his new players. Garrett, six years younger than his brother, is currently the quarterbacks coach at, But on this Tuesday, the first day of August, Mike Riley is sporting a crimson. But as much as he relished playing the game, Riley suspected his playing days were over when he passed on small school college football to attend Texas Tech. Hes a great, great dad, Caitlin Riley said. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. Seeing the Mules football program flourish while learning from his coach, Eric Roanhaus, New Mexicos winningest football coach, added to Richards desire to become a mentor in the football ranks. Once she was his Sunday school teacher. Now that Riley is a head coach, it probably is harder. That includes a winless 2019 season and missing the playoffs the past two years. Will fame (and the fortune of a new $3.1 million annual contract) change Riley? I remember wed be playing football in the yard and hed be drawing up plays and things, his lifelong friend and former Texas Tech roommate, Jeff King, said during a 2015 interview with the Tulsa World. Start End Years Coach Name Record; 1996: 2011: 16: David Wood: 139-51-0: Add Team Photo. He doubled that win total in his first . By June, however, coach Mike Leach had seen enough. It was a fortuitous first step on a coaching ladder that has led him to. They embraced whats good for it. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. Mike Riley, Lincolns father, was a Mules quarterback through some of those down years. Duncan drew close to Riley and McNeill during the Alamo Bowl and was a mentor to the pair until his death on March 12, 2016. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, center, talks with quarterback Caleb Williams (13) and quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) before a game against Iowa State on Nov. 20. Small town, feels like he's their own. Mayfield and Murray became the No. (Reyes) is a stud. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Richards noted the juniors ability to play wide receiver, running back and quarterback on offense as well as defensive back on defense. The streak ends this year. After two years as OUs offensive coordinator, hell take over as head coach. A high school portrait of USC football coach Lincoln Riley hangs on the wall of his parents home in Muleshoe, Texas, on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Muleshoe, just 22 miles from the New Mexico border, is home to the National Mule Memorial. That number barely fields a varsity team. Then cast your vote, Bruce Springsteen adds to mythology with three-hour show at Tulsa's BOK Center, State board approves new academic standards with Ryan Walters' last-minute revisions, More than 800 Oklahoma medical marijuana farms linked to organized crime, drug agency says, Gov. There are many friendship threads in Rileys small hometown of nearly 6,000. Momentum was building, and at quarterback, the attention turned to Riley, who Wood says was set to take the reins as a sophomore. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas. As a junior in 2000 he helped the Mules reach the state semifinals, where they lost to Forney at the Dallas Cowboys' old home Texas Stadium in Irving. And, of course, who knows when those smitten might get engaged or married or when babies will be born? Stitt expresses 'strong disagreement' with Oklahoma AG over Catholic charter school, Bill Haisten: A massive event NCAA wrestling in downtown Tulsa, Lincoln Riley: 12 things you may not know about the OU football coach, Big 12 Media Days: After a whirlwind month, new OU coach Lincoln Riley takes center stage, Dan Snyder is under investigation over line of credit taken out by Commanders, Lionel Messi named men's Player of the Year at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards, LeBron James is facing weeks on the sidelines after foot injury, "I am scared of needlesr" Lillard on getting a drug test after his 71-point game. By Gail M. Williams But Riley is still so young in the profession, and the longer he stayed in Norman, the more he risked the fan bases appreciation of him running dry. Its going to be a total change for Muleshoe to think about Lincoln being in California. Conventional wisdom would say that you guys have been smallish-town people. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in last April's NFL Draft. Ask anyone in Muleshoe about Lincoln, whose first name is enough around these parts, and they swell with pride. Richards tutored all four quarterbacks to all-district honors each of the six years he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Mules won one game in Woods first season, then five the next, giving Muleshoe its first non-losing season in two decades. In the beginning, it was because he was the only guy that was around to watch film with me.. In a ceremony held Jan. 28 in the Muleshoe High School Library, Jason Richards signed on as the new head football coach/athletic director for the Muleshoe Mules. According to a press release, while serving as offensive coordinator, Richards football program had a 51-21 record, including three regional semi-final appearances and two area championship appearances. But truth be told, Horsley never really was an integral thread in the town's fabric. He raced through his homework as soon as he got to the house simply so he could get back to football as quickly as possible, his mother recalled. School was. His immediate retirement plan is . He took the whip smart but physically limited quarterback aside and asked him to be a student assistant coach. The Mules are set to kickoff the 2021 football team on Friday night by hosting Sundown. A look at what Lincoln Rileys USC team could look like come the 2022 season. 2023 www.lubbockonline.com. Plus, he has the trust of his predecessor. I would put those at the top of the list.". It didn't take much, however, to get his competitive football juices flowing in Lubbock. Muleshoe football went from one of the worst programs in the state to one of the best. Seems that back when Riley. I had to explain everything to him only once. A rocket scientist. Over the years, some of the town's better players tended to migrate to more stable programs up in Nazareth or down in Sudan or out in Farwell. Muleshoe went 1-19 in the two years preceding head coach Jason Richards' arrival. Still, the savvy proprietor of the town's only cable station can't possibly know what stories might fall into her lap for the three times a week Muletrain report on her family-operated Channel 6. Riley had instant success at East Carolina, and drew job opportunities from four schools. David Wood was Riley's high school football coach. As a quarterback, Wood says, his intellect was his greatest asset. Muleshoe, Texas might see it a little differently. Hes got size, hes got a great family.. One asset he had last year that he is without this season is Mayfield, who was selected No. Notice something in common about the starting quarterbacks for Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia entering this year? October 1, 2022, 12:22 AM. Patience and a well-timed recruiting pitch helped USC lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, sending shockwaves through the college football world. 0:46 The Muleshoe Mules had a combined 1-20 record in the two years preceding the hiring of head football coach and athletic director Jason Richards in January 2020. Its like Christmas Eve and Im 6 years old. The theories are numerous, but some here who know the Rileys wonder if the sprawl of Los Angeles might offer a semblance of anonymity. "I don't think they would havehad to pay him," his father Mike said. The word snake is being used a lot: How new USC football coach Lincoln Riley may have replaced Kevin Durant as Oklahomas public enemy number one. Los Angeles, on the other hand that felt like a world apart from Muleshoe. Just do what got you here, Riley said. . Did Riley envision himself as a future coach? There was some nervous energy, Riley says. He wanted to win in the classroom like he won on the field.". Hidden facts about Muleshoe, the best restaurants discovered while recruiting and plenty more fun with Coach Riley on this week's Fifth Quarter! Mike Riley, Lincoln's father and a lifelong Muleshoe resident, said he didn't even know his son was interested in coaching until his senior year of high school. ", 521 Pile StreetClovis, NM 88102Ph: (575) 763-3431, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation "But he had a really good memory, was really good at math and he was very competitive. Maybe even a national title. Fans are already convinced Rileys arrival signifies a triumphant return to the Trojans rightful place atop college football. "A really exciting time," Rennels called the high-adrenaline week that followed Riley's ascension from offensive coordinator. ", Three Oklahoma stars to keep an eye on in 2017 season, Watch for these three Oklahoma players to have breakout seasons in 2017. All rights reserved. He has deep roots here. You are the OC (offensive coordinator).. He could think on the field unlike anybody else. "He knew all the progressions. USC won 11 national titles under icons Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. Whatever he chose to do, hed be something special. After all, Muletrain isn't 60 Minutes. Some people dont desire to be a head coach. We're very excited, Mike Riley said. "It was a great place to grow up," Riley said on Wednesday afternoon during a telephone interview with The Eastern New Mexico News. If you did they all hail from the Southland then Lincoln Riley probably did, too (and that list doesnt even include Mississippis Matt Corral, who is a possible Heisman Trophy finalist along with Alabamas Bryce Young and Ohio States CJ Stroud.). He could think on the field unlike anybody else, Wood said. Oklahoma University head football coach Lincoln Riley raises the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners beat TCU 41-17 in the conference title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last December. Gonzalez, Donavan ( Jr.) Vasquez, Uriel ( Sr.) Morales, Aaron ( So.) Anytime they wanted to bounce something off of someone, Donnie was the person that they talked to , I think it was their mutual love and admiration for college football. Muleshoe Journal Correspondent. Oklahoma mightve tested their allegiances as Texans, but Norman was still the Great Plains. Rileys coaching success has been anchored by a spread-it-out, fast-paced attack. Muleshoe will be Richards first athletic director and head football coaching position. Clovis was district and state champion in 2001. Coaches came and went. "I think grit, never giving up and just playing . He once played quarterback for the Muleshoe. Muleshoe, a 5,000 population town about 68 miles northwest of Lubbock, sits about 17 miles east of the New Mexico line. Richards comes to Muleshoe from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, where he served as offensive coordinator. Access your Muleshoe Journal e-edition or subscribe here. David Wood was Rileys high school football coach. Upon the completion of his degree in 2012, he was named the running backs coach at Augustana College in Illinois. But I think its a wonderful move.. It wasnt until Wood came to town in the spring of 1996 that the teams fortunes started to turn around. Still, he opted not to play as a senior. Take a stroll along Main Street in Muleshoe; pay your respects to Old Pete, the mule monument standing guard near Muleshoes only stoplight; hit the livestock auction just outside of town; and maybe stop for a tamale or two during the lunch rush at Leals, the towns beloved gathering spot, and youll start to understand what they mean. We were huge Muleshoe fans.. It was a Sunday afternoon game decided by a Hail Mary on the final play. I cannot wait to get this thing going. He introduced his fianc, the head softball coach at Flour Bluff. Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) The pride of Muleshoe is the new head coach of Oklahoma football, and to paraphrase a certain Oklahoma humorist, no one ever met a Muleshoe man who didn't like Lincoln Riley. Muleshoe Mules Class: 3A Division I DCTF High School Ranking: NR Location: Muleshoe, Texas 2022 District 2-3A Division I Standings Team District Record Overall Record Next Opponent Shallowater Mustangs 4 - 0 10 - 2 Idle Bushland Falcons 3 - 1 11 - 2 Idle Muleshoe Mules 2 - 2 8 - 4 Idle Dalhart Wolves 1 - 3 5 - 6 Idle if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'easternnewmexiconews_com-box-2','ezslot_3',128,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-easternnewmexiconews_com-box-2-0'); Oklahoma University head football coach Lincoln Riley raises the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners beat TCU 41-17 in the conference title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last December. Learn how this Muleshoe High School student is connecting with coaches in TX and nationwide. Makes a lot of people feel good., Wood -- who also coached Lincoln's brother, Garrett, when the Mules won the 2008 Class 2A Division I state championship with the younger Riley quarterbacking -- said he was surprised that Stoops stepped down, but didn't surprise me (OU) named Lincoln the head coach. Riley played briefly for Texas Tech, but spent more time there coaching than playing. COURTESY, Grandpa Claude, father Mike and Lincoln Riley, Lincoln and Caitlin Riley are from small Texas towns separated by a 45-minute drive. Were not allowed to talk about the wind in my program. In a back corner booth at Leals, where cowboy hats line the front walkway and tables are filling ahead of the lunch rush, Bob Graves is still sorting out his emotions over fresh-baked tortilla chips. blockbuster came in June when Muleshoe's own Lincoln Riley, whose parents Mike and Marilyn still live in Rennels' neighborhood, was named the football coach at the University of Oklahoma soon after the unexpected resignation of Bob Stoops. Lincoln, theyll tell you, couldve been anything. He used to be a defensive end Lincoln Riley didnt start his Muleshoe High School playing career as a quarterback. No one thought it was possible, Riley remembers. He was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in the spring and summer of 2003 before starting his coaching career as a student assistant there under head coach Mike Leach for three seasons (2003-05), working with the offense. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. What had been done was history or tradition or how theyd always done it, but it wasnt working. As a freshman, he had a team-leading 221 receiving yards with a touchdown and will be expected to stay on the field for as long as he can to play on offense, defense and special teams. Hes gonna make the Trojans a powerhouse again.. 12 and led the Mules to a state semifinal finish his senior season. Has to have shaped him a little bit.. So how'd he end up as Oklahoma's headcoach? One newcomer Richards is excited about is Nic Reyes, a 5-foot-11, 275-pound sophomore offensive lineman. They are high-integrity people who recruit the right way and have a unique ability to work with players on and off the field.. While the Sooners did not recruit as much in the Southland in Rileys first five years in Norman, theyve made camp in recent years, pulling commitments in the last year from some of the top offensive talent in the region 2022 five-star Santa Ana Mater Dei running back Raleek Brown, 2023 five-star Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson (the top quarterback in his class), 2023 five-star Los Alamitos athlete Makai Lemon and 2023 four-star Los Alamitos receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Those players could switch their commitments to USC soon enough, and there will be more local players and coaches taking immediate notice of Riley putting down roots in Los Angeles to restore the proud tradition of the USC program. Family roots run generations deep in Muleshoe, making it sometimes feel like time is standing still. Davis will be Muleshoes defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after previously being at Texico (New Mexico) High School. District 514 W. Ave G Muleshoe, Texas . 4 min read. Many of those lakes that Will Rogers saw in the 19th century have now dried out, but the area is prime for agriculture. Riley showed the coaches just enough that he was invited to join the team in January. One of those guys, not necessarily write things down. He told his assistants, "We've got to keep him around. It has been assumed Harrell would move on next season, but, with the hire of his friend, it will certainly be interesting to see if Harrell remains a part of Rileys USC staff. He just knew the game. And sometimes he'd double back and explain to me what I was missing.". He keeps things pretty close to his sleeve, Garrett says. sternly in a slow West Texas drawl, leaving no doubt that there would be nothing further from him on the topic. (Staff / The Dallas Morning News, courtesy), Are these Rangers good? Which brings us to our next topic . In addition to coaching the Mules to their only state championship in 2008, David Wood put up a. As the young mayor explains, change often comes to town at a particularly cautious pace. "He had great math skills, intelligence and a photographic memory, stuff that you just don't see.". Suddenly Muletrain was competing with SportsCenter for eyeballs. But Muleshoe wanted discipline, he said. And mirages! Mike Leach and his Texas Tech Red Raiders were only an hour away, and Lincoln had already traded his helmet for a coaching whistle as a GA by the time Garrett was ready to be the starting quarterback back home. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), AgTexas Farm Credit awards $9,000 in local scholarships Muleshoe Journal | Intl' Scholarship News, AgTexas Farm Credit awards $9,000 in local scholarships. Jason Richards grew up in Clovis, New Mexico knowing about Muleshoe, which was only about 30 miles from his hometown. Every time we get steaks and have friends over, they ask, Where did you get these knives? Always my wife will say, The Rileys bought them for us as a wedding gift. He tells me to come and visit him. It's just that they have their own homegrown hero Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. But the last 103 years havent been all wins and Roses. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has agreed to become the next USC football coach. Will Oklahoma fare better or worse in 2017 season? While Riley stayed loyal to McNeill, he also wanted to make sure his next jump was the proper one. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - After two seasons as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director at Muleshoe High School, Lee Walker has been reassigned. A humorist and actor and political pundit and newspaper columnist. Today, he contends that their prank, now a part of town lore, was delayed payback for Friona painting the previous seasons score all over Muleshoes own weight room. a job as an assistant coach who worked with receivers. Ive got to do my best to take advantage of the situation the continuity that was kept on so many different levels: players, staff, so many different people, with how this (coaching transition) went down, Riley said. "But he was the kind of athlete you wanted running the show. Jalen Hurts could be next for the Sooners. One is USC head coach. Leach took to introducing Riley, then 23, as the youngest full-time major college assistant coach in the country. That plains was the prettiest country I ever saw in my life, as flat as a beauty contest winner's stomach, and prairie lakes scattered all over it. That was the best the town had ever done, Wood said, until Lincoln., In West Texas, Muleshoes team was for decades a source of disappointment. With a coach of Rileys pedigree now leading the Trojans, the Pac-12 is unquestionably now USCs for the taking in the coming years. When Riley was a freshman, the Mules won 10, including a playoff game. Muleshoe rolled through four playoff games on their way to the Class 3A state semifinals, including a rare win over Friona that inspired Riley and three teammates the next summer to climb the rival towns water tower and spray paint the winning score, 23-13, for all to see. Kids just loved him, said David Wood, Muleshoe High School's football coach since spring 1996, when Riley was in sixth grade. He was a defensive end as a sophomore, but took over the offense in his final two seasons which included one state semifinal finish. Thats something they never felt in Norman, where fans would recognize Rileys wife, Caitlin, at the grocery store and knew their daughters names. As soon as the band quit marching, itd just be a few of us, some parents and the coaches wives in the stands, Stacy Conner, pastor at the First Baptist Church and a Riley family friend, jokes. And it's no mirage.