First and foremost, The Lion Wire sends it’s prayers and condolences to the family of Harry Icenhower. Mr. Icenhower passed away Monday at the age of 94 in Commerce. For those who do not know, he and his wife Rheba have been two of the biggest boosters and supporters for the Lions and not just…
LSC Coach’s Cross Country Poll came out today, The Men are picked to finish second, duplicating their conference finish last year, while the Ladies are picked to finish fifth. Below are the respective polls: 2017 LSC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll Pl. Team 1st TOTAL 1. West Texas A&M 21 221 2. A&M-COMMERCE 1 185…
Volleyball workouts for the Season have started, and the Lady Netters are picked to finish fourth in a loaded LSC. Angelo State’s Rambelles are picked to win it as they finished as national runner ups last season. Here is the full coach’s poll. 2017 Lone Star Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll Pl. Team 1st TOTAL…
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) polls were released late Monday, and they gave the Lions the fifth best spot in the country. The teams coming ahead of the Lions were defending National Champion Northwest Missouri State at 1, followed Grand Valley State (the team that knocked the Lions out of the NCAA playoffs last…
In Commerce, Texas, Colby Carthel had brought Championship Football back to Commerce. His first season established a winning culture. The second season overlapped winning and championship cultures. The third season was all about winning and going to the next level, competing for the playoffs. The fourth season would be about competing IN the playoffs, and…
The NCAA published their attendance figures for the 2016 season. TAMUC has the 4th highest game attendance in the LSC and the 11th best in the entire country. Here is a list of the top programs. So, we can make a few assumptions about this. First, TAMU-Kingsville is still a huge draw and their fans…
After the breakthrough season of 2014, expectations for 2015 were measured and tempered based on what the Lions had coming back and what they had lost. Two of their best wideouts had gone to the NFL along with their starting tailback. Though there was bevy of talent waiting in the wings, the Lion faithful were…
After the 2009 season, expectations were high that Guy Morriss would be the man to lead TAMUC Football back to what it once had been. In the Spring of 2010, Memorial Stadium received it’s largest renovation and expansion ever. Safeplay turf had been installed in 2006 and the track had been resurfaced, but the renovation…
In the late 2000’s, A&M-Commerce Football showed some signs of life and positive movement. After the 2007 season, winning was not just going for average anymore, but the athletic department tried to take an approach of making things “big time” in Commerce. Calling it the “Restore the Roar” campaign, Carlton Cooper, the new athletic director…
In 1996, the Texas A&M University System bought East Texas State University. The institution had fallen on hard times from an enrollment standpoint and the school was quickly becoming an afterthought to many future college students. Most of the students from the Metroplex and the surrounding North Texas area were deciding to go to schools…
1985 was the end of an era, the Ernest Hawkins era. The man waiting in the wings was a 38 year old tough as nails defensive coach from Oklahoma named Eddie Vowell. Having been with the program for 5 years, Vowell knew the program well and had earned the respect of the team and the…
The early 1980’s saw the Lions of East Texas State have a solid run of winning seasons. After the 1980 run, the Lions went 7-4 in 1981 and 6-4 in 1982. 1982 was a season that had given ET fans a preview of the season to come. ET and the rest of the LSC had…
It is hard to believe it, but in just over 30 days from today we will be seeing the 97th season of Lion Football. Conference media days were held in Odessa this past week and here some bits from that day- Pre-Season Polls- No. Team 1st Total 1 A&M-Commerce 21 229 2 Midwestern State 2…
1980 was an odd year. Changes were on the horizon for the teams of the Lone Star Conference, in fact, many of them had been looming for a while. Two members of the LSC, Southwest Texas State and Texas A&I, had joined the NCAA and left the NAIA. The rest of the members of the…
23 Texas A&M-Commerce Teams can call themselves conference champions, 3 more can call themselves Division Champions, 4 can call themselves Bowl Champions, but only one call itself a National Champion, and it was the 1972 Lions. In the previous 2 seasons, Ernest Hawkins squad had gone 12-12 from 1970-1971, so expectations were not particularly high…
Basics: Texas A&M-Commerce Lions Head Coach: Colby Carthel Offensive Coordinator: Matt Storm Offensive Formation: Spread Defensive Coordinator: Justin Deason Defensive Formation: 3-4 Multiple Last Conference Title: 2016 Last 10 Win Season: 2016 (11-2) Last Postseason Apperance: 2016 NCAA Second Round Last All-American: 2016: Luis Perez and Jarred Macharro Last Harlon Hill Nominee: Luis Perez (2016)…
In his 5th season as the head coach at East Texas State, Ernest Hawkins had brought the Lions back from mediocrity to being LSC contenders. Having won his first title in 1966 and followed with a 7-2-1 season in 1968, things were looking up for the 1969 season. Hawkins said prior that season there “was…
Many coaches who take over programs do so under situations that are not ideal. For Ernest Hawkins, taking over for the East Texas State Lions came in a hard time not only for the Football team, but for the entire nation as well. At the beginning of the 1960’s, the Lions were not the dominant…
The 50’s were truly golden for the ET Lions. Prior to the start of the 1959 season, ET had reached a position of national prominence. Since 1951 The Lions had won 8 Conference Championships, 3 Tangerine Bowls, and had notched 4 seasons with at least 10 wins. Firmly one of the best in the NAIA,…
At the start of the 1958 season, expectations were high for the ET Lions. They had won the conference outright, brought home a Tangerine Bowl Title and had double digit wins. They were also returning an All-American Quarterback that was leading an offense that was almost as potent passing as it was running and featured…
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