With the school year coming to a close at McMullen County ISD, athletic director Tony Taylor reflected on the successes of the Cowboys and Cowgirls’ athletic programs. 

“I thought last year’s accomplishments would be hard to top, but I think we’ve surpassed them this year,” Taylor said. “We’ve had a great run, and hats off to our athletes, coaches, administration, parents and school board who have supported these groups.”

This season, the girls cross country team finished as district runners-up, qualifying for regionals. The Cowgirls volleyball team was regional finalists. The Cowgirls varsity basketball team was regional quarterfinalists, and the varsity Cowboys basketball team made it to the area finals. 

Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls track teams won the district championships and sent a combined 13 athletes to regionals. The Cowgirls finished fifth as a team at the regional meet, and Makinna Serrata and Hallie Taylor advanced to state competition, where Serrata earned silver medals in long and triple jump, and Taylor finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles.

The Cowgirls varsity tennis team won the district championship. Brett Acker made it to the regional semifinals in the singles bracket, while the duos of Cayden Turner/Garrett Blaha Baily Dawson/Dustin Allen advanced to the regional semifinals in doubles and mixed doubles, respectively. The Cowgirls and Cowboys golf teams won the district championship, and both groups finished fifth at regionals. 

“As I’ve said previously, I know for a fact that athletics play such an important role in a student’s educational journey,” Taylor said. “We pretty much live in a ‘watered down’ society, and athletics is a place where it is still ‘true to life.’ A score is kept, there’s a winner and a loser, and sometimes an athlete experiences failure, which is going to happen in life, but the good thing is when failure does happen, each athlete can ‘game plan,’ so hopefully a different result can happen the next time around. Don’t get me wrong, I love team sports, and I coach a team sport where hopefully, each player can put aside their own agenda and ego and bring a quality or characteristic that will make the whole greater. However, I really like the spring sports because most of them for our school involve areas of individuality as well as the team concept. When an athlete is on the track, tennis court or golf course, the result falls solely on them. There’s no subjective judge, subjective official or colleague/friend of the family involved in the outcome. We all experience success and failure, and hopefully, we as coaches teach our athletes how to handle both. A former principal of mine, who was an ex-coach, always stressed this to us: ‘We’ll win with class, and we’ll lose with class.’ Everyone can be a good winner, it’s when we lose that we have to test that inner strength.”

Taylor expressed his pride in the coaching staff at McMullen County ISD.

“Scott Smith, Darcy (Stockton) and Tracy Dawson have put in many hours at our school,” Taylor said. “They sometimes spend more time with our athletes than they do with their own children, but their commitment to our students is a huge reason why we’re so successful. I also firmly believe this, and will until I retire someday. Coaches and teachers are the last line of defense in shaping students and athletes in learning how to deal with ‘the real world.’ Some of us may not want this responsibility, but as I like to say, ‘it comes with the territory.’ We have a chance to make men and women out of our athletes, and to equip them with tools to face society. Hopefully, we’ve taught them discipline, a work ethic, respect, honesty and integrity which will help them stay the course once they’re away from high school or their parents. 

Taylor recognized some of the standout athletes from this school year.

“Congratulations to Charlsie Harris for winning a state championship in prose,” Taylor said.

“Congratulations to Makinna Serrata for all of her accomplishments over a four-year career. Everyone knows about her basketball success, where she’s received a full ride to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, but her high school track career was not too shabby either. After placing second in the long and triple jump this past month, her medal count for a four-year career ended up being nine. Yes. Makinna won nine medals over her four-year high school career, and is still one of two athletes who hold the Class A state record in the long jump, with a leap of 5 feet, 4 inches. 

“My last shout-out goes to my daughter, Hallie. Being a coach’s kid is not always easy, and sometimes, we as coaches don’t appreciate them enough as we should because we don’t want people to think that we’re favoring them or that they’re getting a ‘pass’ on things, but in actuality, we’re probably harder on them than most athletes. We’ve been in Tilden for seven years now, and I’ve had the opportunity to coach Hallie for six years in basketball and track, and as I told her on Parent’s Night in basketball, I’ve had the best seat in the house watching her compete all of these years!

“Since this will be my last article with her in it, I’m going to be a parent and brag on her like there’s no tomorrow. I figured this up the other day, and it’s pretty remarkable. Through athletics, UIL academics and ag, Hallie has been to state in 16 different events over her four-year high school career. I’m truly amazed at all she has done, and, yes, there have been times where I thought, ‘This girl is doing too much,’ but she managed to pull it off. Would she have been able to do this at any other school in Texas where our faculty and staff make it work? I know the answer to this, and it’s no!

“As my daughter is about to graduate, I look back, and at times have wondered why we decided to move to Tilden seven years ago, and the answer is real clear seeing the fruits of her labor, both individually and teamwise. Hallie, I do want you to know this. You have a dad who loves you so much, and wants to say thanks for the last six years. I know we’ve had a few bumps in the road, but what parent who coaches their own kid hasn’t? I know God has big things in store for you, and you’ll make him and your Tilden family proud as you start the next chapter of your life. Love ya, Hal!”