By Chelsi Jennings
Wood County Monitor
The Mineola High School Meet the Jackets event was canceled following a storm delay Aug. 7, but that did not stop members of the community from showing up to support the Yellowjackets and local vendors.
The event, held at Meredith Memorial Stadium, was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and give the community an opportunity to meet athletes representing Mineola High School’s fall sports programs, including football, volleyball, cross country and cheer, as well as members of the Sound of the Swarm band.
Planned activities included a bounce house, dunk booth, face painting and mini games for attendees.
As storms moved into the area, posts on the Mineola Football and Mineola High School Facebook pages asked attendees to remain in their vehicles while organizers waited to see if the weather would clear. Lightning in the area ultimately led to the cancellation. After an hour-long delay, organizers announced the event would not continue due to safety concerns.
Despite the weather, community members turned out and remained hopeful the event would continue as planned. Even after the cancellation was announced, many attendees stayed to support the local businesses that had set up for the evening.
Food and drink vendors included FatBaxx BBQ, Juicy J’s Texas Melts, Kona Ice and AJ’s Sweet Ice.
Mineola Football Coach Cody Moore said he hopes the event can be rescheduled, as athletes and coaches were looking forward to introducing themselves to the community. Moore said he hopes another event can take place soon, with the 2026-27 school year set to begin Aug. 19.

Coaches Look Ahead
This will be Moore’s first season coaching the Mineola Yellowjackets football team.
Moore said the team is off to a strong start following its first week of practice, and the coaching staff is pleased with the progress players are making as they prepare for their first game against the Hooks Hornets on Aug. 28.
“I didn’t come here to only build for the future. I want them to be successful now. The kids have put in a lot of time and effort for the team,” Moore said.
When asked about this season’s players, Moore described them as great kids and good football players. He said he wants his athletes to have the best experience possible while working to win as many games as possible.
With about 10 returning seniors on the team, the Yellowjackets will rely heavily on underclassmen this season. Moore said the seniors have already put in three years of hard work and dedication, and he hopes to give them a great final season as Yellowjackets.
Mineola Lady Jackets Volleyball Coach TaShara Ryder also expressed excitement about this year’s team.
“I’m really excited about this year’s group. We have a mix of experienced and young talent, and I truly believe this team has the potential to do some special things,” Ryder said.
Mineola volleyball finished last season with a 23-15 overall record and a 10-3 district record.
The team’s theme for the season is “Believe it. Build it. Become it.” Ryder said she wants her athletes to believe in themselves and their teammates as they work to build something special together.
Ryder said the team will continue putting in the work needed to reach its goals.
“We look forward to representing Mineola and making the community proud,” Ryder said.
Although the weather prevented the Yellowjackets from officially meeting the community that evening, the turnout showed the support behind Mineola’s athletes as they begin another fall sports season.
Schedules for Mineola fall sports can be found on the respective teams’ Facebook pages or on the Mineola ISD website.