School Spotlight: Lufkin High School (Lufkin, Texas)

Lufkin High School-located in Lufkin, Texas-plays in the 5A classification of Texas High School football. They are ranked as the #204 team in the state and the #34 team in their division of the 5A classification. The Panthers, whose colors are purple and gold, are led by coach Todd Quick. Lufkin has had several former and current players in the league such as Dez Bryant, Keke Coutee, and Erik McCoy. The Panthers had a good year going 6-4 in a very tough district. This week, I had the privilege of talking to Coach Quick discussing topics such as the vision and future of this team, and the Lufkin Panthers’ identity.

Talking with Coach Quick, I asked him about what this program is about. He described this program as tough and hard-nosed. Lufkin is in the middle of nowhere out in the country, and they prefer to be this middle-of-nowhere country town. Since they are not the biggest school, these kids know the expectations of winning. This school has won a state championship before, and these kids know about how everyone in the town looks up to them and expects a lot from them. Coach Quick talked about how this upcoming senior class is really good, and this upcoming junior class has a lot of experience. Last year, 14 sophomores played a lot of meaningful snaps so this team does not lack experience playing underneath the bright lights of Texas High School football. These guys are starting to get back into a football routine, with spring ball and summer workouts coming up. Coach Quick and this team are excited and can’t wait to get back to work.  

Lufkin High School-located in Lufkin, Texas-plays in the 5A classification of Texas High School football. They are ranked as the #204 team in the state and the #34 team in their division of the 5A classification. The Panthers, whose colors are purple and gold, are led by coach Todd Quick. Lufkin has had several former and current players in the league such as Dez Bryant, Keke Coutee, and Erik McCoy. The Panthers had a good year going 6-4 in a very tough district. This week, I had the privilege of talking to Coach Quick discussing topics such as the vision and future of this team, and the Lufkin Panthers’ identity.

Talking with Coach Quick, I asked him about what this program is about. He described this program as tough and hard-nosed. Lufkin is in the middle of nowhere out in the country, and they prefer to be this middle-of-nowhere country town. Since they are not the biggest school, these kids know the expectations of winning. This school has won a state championship before, and these kids know about how everyone in the town looks up to them and expects a lot from them. Coach Quick talked about how this upcoming senior class is really good, and this upcoming junior class has a lot of experience. Last year, 14 sophomores played a lot of meaningful snaps so this team does not lack experience playing underneath the bright lights of Texas High School football. These guys are starting to get back into a football routine, with spring ball and summer workouts coming up. Coach Quick and this team are excited and can’t wait to get back to work.  

Asking about the future of the program, Coach Quick talked about how this coaching staff has been here for over 20 years. Some of the coaches here at Lufkin have been here the entire time that this school has been in existence. The past teams, with some of the players making it to the league, have set a high bar. The expectations of this program is to keep having hard-nosed players that can take hard coaching. These current kids have lived up to the expectations, and Coach Quick and his team are so proud of them. They know that winning is expected from everyone, and these kids love to work hard while being hard-nosed country kids.