Crawford Takes Over North Forest Job

[KFDM COOP]

Football: Crawford takes over Bulldogs

Lionell Crawford is not quite sure how the North Forest Independent School District decided who would be the new high school's head football coach, but he is glad he was the man picked for the job.

"The athletic director (Jenkins Mason) made the decisions on who was going to be where (as far as the head coaches at the new school)," Crawford said. "I was obviously happy with the decision. We will let the other chips fall where they lay."

Former Forest Brook head football coach Marshall Lawson was reassigned within the district, Crawford said.

"At some point at the end of the season, they elected not to bring him back," Crawford said of the Forest Brook coach. "He went through reassignment and was placed somewhere else."

But Crawford, who guided Smiley to an 8-3 record and co-District 19-4A title a year ago, said he does have five former Forest Brook assistant coaches on his football staff.

He also said he was able to keep all of his assistant coaches from Smiley.

James Norman, who was Smiley's head basketball coach, also is North Forest's new head boys' basketball coach, while Louise Madison, who was Forest Brook's girls' basketball coach, is North Forest's new girls' hoop coach.

"I think 90-95 percent of our (head) coaches are from in-house (either Forest Brook or Smiley)," said Crawford, who also will serve as the campus coordinator. "I didn't have anything to do with the naming of the new head coaches. But I should have more say in the hiring of the assistant coaches."

Crawford said he was named the new school's head coach in time to have spring practice.

North Forest High School, which is now the combination of Forest Brook and Smiley high schools, will be housed at Forest Brook High School.

"Spring practice was great," Crawford said. "We had the opportunity to meet a bunch of the kids and what talent we had coming over and the numbers we could expect."

Crawford doesn't expect North Forest to be elevated to Class 5A anytime in the near future.

"I don't know how many kids we have lost throughout the district due to some of the turmoil (of being a low-performing academic school)," he said. "I don't know how many of them would be willing to come back and how many in the middle school programs are going to remain with the program.

"It is kind of a toss-up question," he added. "If the kids in the area stay in the district, we could go to 5A down the road. On the flip side, if some continue to leave, I am sure we won't."

Crawford said he completed spring football with 92 players.

"That was next year's 10th through 12th graders," he said. "What has helped me at Smiley the last couple years was that the kids got to know me and know what to expect. Plus, we were fortunate to have a successful season.

"But, now, it really starts over," he said. "Now, we have to train the kids at Forest Brook about the same expectations. The kids at Smiley know what to expect. They can help those kids out."

The North Forest Bulldogs will open fall practice on Aug. 11. They will scrimmage Washington on Aug. 23 and open the season against Episcopal on Aug. 30 at Cowart Stadium.

North Forest also will host Worthing in non-district play on Sept. 6 before having a bye before the start of district play.

"What happened when we merged schools is that removed one school out of the district and created a bye week for everybody," said Crawford, who played college football at Wisconsin and had a brief NFL stint with the Green Bay Packers. "We are still looking for a game (during the bye week). It depends on what they are going to do with Sam Houston. If they don't play a varsity schedule, we could possibly play Spring Woods in the third game."

Crawford said the goal this season is to make the playoffs.

"Obviously, for the kids who play football, that would be something they remember for the rest of their lives," he said. "It all depends on how our senior class reacts to the merge. They are the ones who are starting all this. They will be the doormat for the remainder of the classes to come through. There are a lot of incentives to play for and a lot of pressures to play for."

Smiley and Forest Brook were housed at the same school for the first semester of the 2007-2008 school year.

"These kids go to elementary and middle school together, then separate in high school," Crawford said. "The only time there is a rivalry is when they play against each other.

"The two schools were housed on the same campus for football season (last year)," he added. "We were having a great football season and Forest Brook was not. But it got to the point in the season where the Forest Brook students were rooting for Smiley and the Smiley students were rooting for Forest Brook.

"This spring has been nothing but joy," he added. "If we can get the kids to jell and play together on Friday nights, we have an opportunity to be successful."

[BHFAN]

Mark my word that this team will be the new power house in this district soon. I watched this coach last year and the difference from how Smiley played before him was night and day! He beat us last year during the closing seconds with a hook and ladder play that caught our D completly off gaurd. I like seeing coaches that take chances and Crawford does just that!

[SFA85]

FB hasn't been the same since Holmes left for Ball High.  Smiley finally made the playoffs for the first time since like '88.  I'm glad Crawford got the job because even with all the drama @the school board, the whole NF program can win in both boys and girls sports....

[Bucof2010]

They should have renamed the school smiley forest.

[Guest etbu]

They should have renamed the school smiley forest.

LOL Visited with Coach Crawford last year after our game and he is a very classy man. Loves his kids and played college ball at Wisc. and some pro ball.

[gringo]

They squeeked by in several games last year to pull out some last minute wins - but - Crawford did an incredible job last year turning that program around - he has the talent to work with if he can get them to play as a team.  Agree with BHFAN this team may become a powerhouse - IF they can play together.

[1906]

Anyone know who the North Forest baseball coach will be?