Faith football playbook underscores training for life
[This article was written by Albany High School Class of 1974 graduate Mike Parsons for the Albany News Homecoming section in 2019, and it is being reprinted this week in honor of Coach Denney Faith’s fifth trip to the state football championships and his title-winning season with the 2022 team. Although there are a few updates noted within the article, readers should keep in mind that it was written three years ago.]
By Mike Parsons
Bets and I recently traveled to Colorado City for the Lions opener of 2019.
It was a multi-purpose trip.
First…we got to see our daughter Sage, who teaches first grade, and her husband Reggy, the superintendent of Colorado ISD, and spend some time with our grandsons, the twin tornados…Creed and Crew.
We are both very proud of the job Sage and Reggy have done at this school, an amazing story in itself. Sage always says, “You can take the girl out of Albany, but you can’t take Albany out of the girl.” She has done her best to transfer the “Albany school experience” to CISD!
[Editor’s note: Sage and Reggy recently moved to Albany, where Sage now teaches third grade.]
The second purpose was to witness, what we had hoped, would be the 300th win of our friend Denney Faith – an incredible record to that date of 299-100-4. He is number 12 [now number 5] on the all time wins list and fourth [now second] among active high school coaches in Texas. He started in 1987 with a win over the Baird Bears and would reach 300 with a win over the CC Wolves. We were excited for him and his family…and reflective about our journey with Denney over the past 37 years.
It was a simple
beginning...
The first time we met Denney was August 1982. He had just finished college at Lubbock Christian and moved to Albany as the new junior high coach, a fresh-faced New Mexico kid full of optimism and spunk, much like our community in 1982.
In the early 1980s, Albany had lots of optimism and spunk. Rigs were running, oil was high, and manufacturing jobs were plentiful. The population of Albany zoomed to nearly 2,500 people. Betsy and I were glad to get a such a nice, clean cut renter for our small two-room, shotgun house. Little did we know we were meeting a Texas High School Coaching Legend. Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure Denney did not know it either…and even if he dreamed it, his trademark humbleness would never allow him to speak of it out loud.
A leap of Faith...
Then, in 1987, the Albany ISD school board named Denney Faith head football coach. Little did any of them know they were setting a pathway for a legend. It was a leap of “Faith” on both parties.
Albany Lion Football, with as glorious and storied history as it had enjoyed, had been on the skids for 10 years…no playoff wins…not even a district championship. So what did the Albany ISD board do? They hired a single young man with no head coaching experience, a guy who had only coached in Albany under the two head coaches that the same board had watched leave due to a lack of success…a real leap of faith on their part.
A leap on Denney’s part as well. But not surprising. One thing I have witnessed and one thing most opponents over the years have underestimated about Denney is his competitiveness. He was not worried about his lack of experience; he just wanted the chance to become a head football coach…maybe in the mirror in the morning he said it to himself…“legend”…but never did he ever say it out loud.
The beginning of a legacy that’s generational...
Nearly every day at Momentum Operating, a guy by the name of Gary Vickers comes to work and keeps our production going. He runs his well service company unit like no other individual we have ever hired…quiet…unassuming…confident…effective…efficient…a WINNER!
Before the game Friday in Colorado City, I caught Gary behind the stands working with his youngest son on footwork and delivery of a pass. Gary goes through most days without saying too much…much like Denney. Quietly doing their jobs, but always delivering positive results.
Gary was the first quarterback Denney Faith had as a head coach. He was there for his first win against the Baird Bears. It wasn’t a playoff record winning year. Gary would be the first to admit there have been other better quarterbacks in Albany, but the attributes Gary learned that first year continue to show brightly today. Just as those attributes of Denney Faith were taught to Gary, they are being taught to a new generation of Lions. The legacy continues…displayed by Gary both at work at Momentum and behind the stands at Colorado City…they are a window into the impact of Denney Faith and the success of Albany, Texas!
Doing more with less…
like T. Boone Pickens
I’ve raised five kids in Albany. Our two daughters were head cheerleaders for AHS. Both worked as hard as any player to promote Lion Football and the “Faith Program.” My three sons played for Denney…Chad ‘89-‘93; Dustin ‘91-95’, and Peyton ‘99-‘03’. They, along with numerous nephews, have participated in many of Denney’s wins over the years. I haven’t seen all of Denney’s 300 wins, but I do think I’m in the neighborhood of 285.
Some of my boys played with a great deal of success, some with a great deal of disappointment. All contributed to some of Denney’s 300 wins. Chad’s 1993 senior year of 3-7, losing by a substantial margin to eventual State Champion Goldthwaite, might be Denney’s best coaching year! Not because of the win-loss record, but because it is emblematic of Denney Faith success in Albany. Doing more with less.
T. Boone Pickens made a career and a fortune…doing more with less. His first takeover was a company 30 times larger than his company. He could take a small amount of personnel, lawyers, and money and out-work, out-think, and eventually succeed…always doing more with less.
T. Boone recently passed away. He penned a farewell letter before he died to his friends and employees. He asked that it be mailed after his funeral. Some of the things he attributed to his success in the letter follow…
A good work ethic is critical.
Don’t think competition is bad, but play by the rules. I loved to compete and win. I never wanted the other guy to do badly; I just wanted to do a little better than he did.
Learn to analyze well. Assess the risks and the prospective rewards, and keep it simple.
Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader: Avoid the “Ready-aim-aim-aim-aim” syndrome. You have to be willing to fire.
Learn from mistakes. That’s not just a cliché. I sure made my share. Remember the doors that smashed your fingers the first time and be more careful the next trip through.
Be humble. I always believed the higher a monkey climbs in the tree, the more people below can see his ass. You don’t have to be that monkey
Embrace change. Although older people are generally threatened by change, young people loved me because I embraced change rather than running from it. Change creates opportunity.
Have faith, both in spiritual matters and in humanity, and in yourself. That faith will see you through the dark times we all navigate.
T. Boone sounds a lot like Denney Faith.
The keys to success are many…and then there was “The Play.”
There are many factors that have been keys to the success of Denney Faith.
First of all, Denney had the good sense to marry up, something we should all teach our sons. He found a godly woman of faith and sound character, a woman honest to a fault, and hard working. Angelyn has been the rock that Denney built his personal as well as his professional life upon. Legends are not born, they are made, and none are made without the support and love of other individuals who usually sacrifice a great deal for the common good. Denney knows this, and I think that his humbleness is evidence of that knowledge. Football is a team sport…marriage is a team sport…Denney may be the ultimate high school football coach…Angelyn is the ultimate team player and coach’s spouse.
Second of all, Denney landed in a “Football Town.” Say what you will, Albany is a football town. Steeped in tradition, the citizens of Albany support the Lions. Albany folks expect the Lions to exhibit good sportsmanship, discipline, and desire, and WIN! Denney’s 25 playoff appearances in 32 years…11 consecutive District Championships…have not only endeared him to our citizens, but elevated the tradition of Albany Football to a higher level.
Thirdly, while Denney is an unassuming quiet man, he is not beyond taking a risk. Some folks might call that sneaky…maybe Denney should be known as “Sneaky.” His brother, a successful NM and Texas high school coach, is known as Speedy.
In any event, in November 1991, facing a formidable Wellington Skyrocket team and trailing by what looked like an unsurmountable amount, Denney called “The Play.”
If you do not know about this legendary play in Lion Football history, you won’t have to ask many. That single “Hook and Ladder” pass play catapulted Denney to his first title game and Albany’s return to the State Championship after a 30-year hiatus. The video and commentary of “The Play” landed on national television on America’s Funniest Videos…and won. It also was the last football game my dad attended with me. Until the day he died…the man who watched the 1958 semifinalists…the 1960-61 state champions…the remarkable 62-65 teams…my 70-74 teams that won three district titles and advanced to the quarterfinals…remarked that this was the single greatest play…in its timing, its execution, and its resulting in snatching victory from defeat…that he ever saw. I am grateful I was there and even more grateful that my dad was with me.
T. Boone would have approved…“You have to be willing to fire….”
Where did he learn that…
Somewhere in life, maybe as a child in Lovington NM, maybe as the youngest of three boys, maybe as a student at Lubbock Christian, maybe as a single guy living in a two-room shotgun house in a small West Texas oil town…Denney learned to do “more with less.”
Sure all have contributed to his success…a fantastic wife…a supportive family…the A Team… Aaron, Audrey, Alex, and Adam…a “football town” steeped in history…but “more with less” has been that key to 300 wins. Denney has the innate ability to find a way to get young men to play above their ability, with enthusiasm, sportsmanship and precision. The Lions face opponents with a quiet demeanor and confidence…Denney’s hallmarks.
Denney Faith was a great influence on Gary Vickers…he was a great influence on my family…he has and will continue to be a great influence on the children of Albany. All are better for Denney Faith being our coach…the citizens of Albany have been rewarded…the Lion faithful and our community will be forever indebted to him!
It is fitting…
I think it was appropriate in 1969, after the death of Bob Nail, when the Albany ISD board of trustees renamed Lion Stadium…“Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.” Up to that date, and quite possibly since, no other individual contributed more to setting Albany above and apart from all other Texas communities both historically and culturally. Bob Nail’s positive influence on the youth of Albany that began with his teaching English in 1938 continues through today with his gift of the Fandangle. Bob Nail could have taken his talents and lived successfully anywhere in the world…he chose to stay in Albany and make a difference.
In April of 2019, the Albany ISD board of trustees named the field at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium “Faith Field” in honor of Denney Faith. I think that was equally appropriate. Like Bob Nail, up to date, and quite possibly since, no other individual has contributed more to setting Albany above and apart from all other Texas communities on the gridiron. However, the honor was not about his win-loss record…as astounding as it is…it was about his impact on our community and our kids. It’s a fact that Denney could have lived anywhere in Texas and coached. No doubt he had many opportunities over the last quarter century to move to bigger…higher paying…more prestigious positions. But he and Angelyn chose to stay in Albany, make it their home, raise a family, and make a difference in the lives of its citizens…and what a difference they have made.
Denney Faith’s positive influence on the youth of Albany that began in 1982 continues today. Like Bob Nail, it transcends generations.
My hope and prayer is that some of my grandchildren get to experience playing for Denney…and that I get to hang around till win number 400!!
