Greetings, Lion fans. Brian, Billy and I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone out there an abundance of blessings and best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This past year has been a true test of courage and strength-both mental and physical. In a year in which we have seen…
Greetings, Lion fans,, and today, we take a look back at the what was a very promising and exciting look, not only at what might have been, but what lies ahead for Lion football. It was a picturesque afternoon in Commerce, America, and despite the safety protocols in place, a good time was had by…
Greetings, Lion fans, and first, I would like to say that it has been way too long since we’ve been able to talk football. This Saturday, however, that finally comes to an end with the 2020 Fall Game. The staff here at The Wire would like to thank AD Tim McMurray, Head Coach David Bailiff,…
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be sung May you stay……forever young Bob Dylan 40 years ago, they were lean, tough, battle tested. They bonded through a…
“Winning is the only thing.” Probably one of the most quoted lines in sports history. Yet, the legendary Vince Lombardi, the man who said it, is often misunderstood. The line, borrowed from a John Wayne movie, Trouble Along The Way, was interpreted by many as a singular focus by a tyrannical man, to win at…
Greetings, Lion fans. The thing that we all thought would never happen, has. For the first time since the end of World War II, the Lions will not be taking the field this fall. Today’s announcement from AD Tim McMurray, in essence, stated, that with no Lone Star Conference or Division II championship to play…
Greetings, Lion fans, I wish we had more to write about for the upcoming season, but for now, it’s the Great Unknown. If you’ve been under a rock (given the events of the past 24 hours, it’s not a bad idea), or otherwise out of contact, the Beaumont/Port Arthur area, and southwest Louisiana are just…
Greetings, Lion fans, and the staff here at The Wire wish we had better news. With the announcement yesterday of the cancellation of championships in all fall sports in Division II, the almost certain run that the Lions would have at a national title in 2020 is not to be. Further details have been reported…
Greetings, Lion fans! Today on The Wire, we have a chance to have a virtual sit down with AD Tim McMurray, Associate AD Taylor Phelps, and Lion senior defensive back Alex Shillow on the recent announcement of the Lion Varsity L Club, and what we can look forward to. Let’s dive right in. The Wire:…
Greetings, Lion fans. Today’s feature is going to be a little different. So far in the 2020 season, we’ve broken down every match up the Lions will face, and tried to familiarize everyone with each week’s opponent. This week, we turn that same camera inward, and take a closer look at our own squad. Let’s…
Greetings, Lion fans. The staff here at The Wire hope that each of you had a safe and happy Independence Day weekend. For us, it’s back to business, and wrapping up the game by game preview of the 2020 season. In the regular season finale, the Lions will travel west to Portales, New Mexico, their…
Greetings, Lion fans, and normally, we would be breaking down the Lions final regular season match up against the always tough Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds. These are not normal times, however. Not after AD Tim McMurray did his best wizard impression and pulled off the move of the year in adding the defending Division II…
Greetings, Lion fans, and there is much to be excited about in Commerce, America. The recent announcement of a home and home series with defending Division II National Champion West Florida sent shock waves throughout the country and sent the message loud and clear that the Lions will not back down from a challenge. Kudos…
Greetings, Lion fans. In Week 9 of the 2020 Season Preview, we’ll take a closer look at the UT Permian Basin Falcons. Billy, Brian, and I all hope that you’re staying healthy and safe during these turbulent times. At the Week 9 point, the Lions are in the home stretch. By now, team roles should…
Greetings, Lion fans. The staff here at The Wire hopes everyone is staying safe and healthy during these trying time. Hopefully, we’ll be back to normal soon. This week, we’ll break down what could very well be the Lions toughest conference opponent, the Buffaloes of West Texas A&M. WTAMU gave the Lions a battle last…
Greetings, Lion fans, and in this week’s 2020 season preview, we’ll take a look at the Lions week six opponent, the Western New Mexico Mustangs. The Lions at this point have completed non conference play, so the pressure ramps up from here on out. So let’s break down the match up with our friends from…
Greetings, Lion fans, and the staff here at The Wire hopes everyone is staying safe and healthy as things begin to return to normal. Again, we’re one day closer to a solution. Ordinarily, we would be breaking down the match up against the Lions week six opponent, the Knights of Middle Georgia State. Alas, there…
Greetings, Lion fans, and the staff here at The Wire would like to wish everyone health and happiness, and we hope you are staying safe. We are closer to a solution. In this week’s edition of the 2020 season preview, we’ll break down the Lions week five matchup with the Cougars of Azusa Pacific University,…
Billy and I here at The Wire wanted to pass along the best of birthday wishes to our editor and, more importantly, our friend, Brian Pate. Brian’s love for Commerce, superb writing style, and willingness to take a chance with a couple of older Lions make him a great friend. Happy Birthday, sir.
The 1980 football season in Commerce was eagerly anticipated. After a lackluster 4-7 season in 1978, 1979 showed promise despite an average looking 5-5 record. They had shut out the defending NAIA champions in Texas A&I, and were in the hunt for a conference title until the very end of the season. The Wizard of…
