COACHES OF THE MONTH SPOTLIGHTS

Each month, the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD Athletic Department will recognize a coach for his/her accomplishments in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. The recipient will receive a coupon for a free chicken biscuit or chicken minis, and a plush cow courtesy of Chick-Fil-A. "Our coaches work hard on the field and in the classroom with our students and student-athletes," Athletic Director Brent Barker said. "We wanted to recognize them for their hard work and dedication to EMS ISD Athletics and thank you to Chick-fil-A Saginaw for sponsoring this."

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.”