Earning the subjective title as the ‘Number one Mineola fan’ has to have a beginning someplace. For Bruce Armstrong, that initial draw to the thrill of Texas high school competition came on a peanut farm outside Tolar.
“It was in the fall, when we harvested the peanuts on the family farm,” he explained, “and as a boy I was often assigned to climb up atop the big hopper to ensure that all the peanuts made it down through the hopper.”
On one such task, the cheers from the nearby Tolar Rattlers Stadium reached his ears. “I remember looking over in that direction and thinking, ‘someday I will be there.’”
Armstrong did indeed become a Rattler athlete. He related, “We all still worked the farm while in school, so I didn’t have the time to develop basketball skills, but I was strong, so I could run and jump.” He graduated in 1976, having competed in six-man football, track and tennis.
While at Tolar, Armstrong was greatly influenced by his high school coach, Jim Coleman, a relationship which continues to the present day.
Armstrong attended nearby Tarleton State and began a coaching and teaching career. His initial coaching stint was at Lewisville High School. His wife, Kim, was a Lindale native, so in time the two relocated to Lindale and Armstrong focused on the classroom.
He hired on at Mineola Schools and began a 16-year stint teaching Biology. Although he had hung-up his coaching whistle, the lure of scholastic athletics continued to burn bright.
Joining Mineola schools placed him in the middle of a community which was on the verge of burgeoning athletic success. Armstrong got caught-up – no, became fully enveloped – in Yellowjacket and Lady Jacket sports.
Go to practically any Mineola sporting event and you will likely see him – an athletic -looking man with a shock of silver hair, usually sporting Mineola orange.
Pressed on why Mineola seems to enjoy program-wide success across the spectrum of sports, Armstrong described three attributes. “Parents in the community put their young kids in great position to improve their skills,” he detailed. Also, he credited the work of youth program coaches and junior high coaches in training young athletes in sport-specific basics.
Lastly, he recognized how varsity sports nurtured an environment in which high school athletes are willing to get better through work. Armstrong called it, ‘being all-in.’ “There is an expectation of improvement, day-by-day, often play-by-play” he stated.
Naturally, over 26 years of watching Mineola sports, Armstrong has a few favorites. He was unable to name his absolute best Mineola memory, but he offered a couple.
“The Lady Jackets versus Henderson, game three, in the area round playoff in 2013. Score was tied, 1-1, in the ninth. Ali Galaz scored on a bunt by Cassie Skinner. I still call Cassie ‘Bunt’ when I see her,” he related.
Two football games made the short-list.
The first was a 14-7 win over Pottsboro in the 2014 playoffs, up in Royce City. “No one knew what kind of a team we had that year,” he recalled. In a flash, Armstrong picked up his phone and produced a photo of the scoreboard at the end of the game (that is serious fandom).
The other gridiron memory was the 17-14 win at Gladewater a few years back. “We had an outstanding open field tackle by Dalton Rogers to prevent a late score by Gladewater. A four-down goal-line stand followed,” Armstrong related. Mineola then marched down the field for a game-winning field goal.
Of course, no discussion of recent Mineola football would be complete without mention of Dawson Pendergrass’ six-touchdown, multi-faceted performance.
Two recent softball series, both against Hughes Springs, made the list, as did some memorable basketball games, especially against Edgewood.
Edgewood, White Oak, Grand Saline and especially Winnsboro represent some of the more compelling rivalries for Yellowjackets and Lady Jackets alike.
Armstrong was involved in more than just spectating. His time in the classroom gave him unique insight to the athletes and their families. So too did his involvement in the weekly Coaches’ Outreach Bible study program.
His recommendation to present and future fans is simple: don’t forget that we all face adversity, and at times, we all fail. “Don’t make the game bigger than it is,” he offered, “remember that the greatest lesson of athletics is how to respond to adversity – how to carry on after a mistake.”
Armstrong recounted an episode at a track meet not long ago. He was volunteering as a time keeper, and a young Mineola athlete faltered in his race. “I watched many track teammates, both boys and girls, come to him in turn. Their message was not critical, but rather remindful of what the young man was capable of. It was heartening to observe.”
He mentioned two other Jacket fans who would be more than worthy of recognition, James Dowdle and Kendal Banks. Dowdle, a long-time Mineola faithful harkens from Grand Saline, while Banks is a fixture outside the baseline of the Lady Jackets’ dugout, scorebook in hand.
Reflecting on the gift of watching the next generation perform on sporting fields, Armstrong touched on the value of humility, which he defined as acknowledging the need to improve. He wrapped up his thoughts with this nugget, “While the will to win is important, it begins with the will to prepare.”
He also shared how the concepts often associated with athletics have come to permeate Mineola Schools, as success is realized across the scholastic spectrum, from athletics to band to drama to FFA and academics. It is all worthy of the community’s support.