Memorial puts priority on installing new culture as school enters first football season (2024)

What is Maverick Mentality?

For starters, it has little to do with bulls or Hollywood fighter pilots.

Instead, it’s the title Memorial head football coach Marc Bindel is giving the culture he is installing at Wichita Falls ISD’s new high school athletic program.

“We’re working on it from the top down,” Bindel said. “I’ve got every coach taking character lessons. What they learn there, I want them to hand it down to the players.”

More: New traditions already forming at Legacy as first football season approaches

Like their counterparts across town at Legacy, Bindel and his coaching staff have the challenge of integrating players who spent at least one season competing at one of WFISD’s old high schools. A majority of Memorial’s athletes came from Rider, but there is a healthy group of former Old High and Hirschi players mixed in as well.

“We’ve definitely done as many things as we can to get them together as a team,” Bindel said. “We’ve had swim parties where the whole team is invited. We’ve had a senior dinner. We moved lockers around so kids from the different schools have lockers next to kids they didn’t previous go to school with.

“The toughest job for every coach in the district right now is managing the personalities to build and establish a culture. We’re going to continue to do that throughout.”

Another thing the Memorial coach staff hasn’t allowed since the team started getting together for workouts in January is wearing any apparel from the old high schools.

“I know some people think that’s sacrilege, but it’s also necessary,” Bindel said. “From the start, we’ve told them they have to wear Mavs stuff.”

New traditions can help bond a team, and while Bindel is hoping to see more traditions form organically, the school has adopted a hand gesture to represent the Mavericks.

It’s basically the Hawaiian hang loose symbol with the middle three fingers closed and the thumb and pinky extended. The gesture can both look like the letter M or a bull.

But Bindel knows the true test of this developing camaraderie is coming.

“It’s all fine and dandy until the first time something negative happens,” Bindel said. “That’s when we find out what we’re made of, and we’ve got to be ready to respond to that.”

So, what is Maverick Mentality? We’re all about to find out.

Offense

The Maverick offense will look much like what Rider ran the past few seasons, considering Bindel was the offensive play-caller for most of his 15 seasons – five as assistant, 10 as head coach – with the Raiders.

The personnel in the backfield will also resemble Rider’s from last season, including junior quarterback Joe Castles, who completed 127 of 196 passes for 1,690 yards, 24 TDs and eight interceptions.

Castles will often see senior Kenji Johnson lining up next to him at running back. Johnson rushed for 1,694 yards and 18 TDs, setting the Rider single-season records for yards per carry (9.5) and points scored thanks to his other role as placekicker.

But a new addition to the backfield is junior Eric Powell, who led Old High in rushing last season with 866 yards on 157 carries. Powell was an all-state selection as a fullback when he was a freshman starter for the Coyotes.

Another name to watch for at running back and in the slot is junior Marty Hale, who was better known as a soccer player at Old High, scoring the final goal in a WFHS-Rider boys soccer match.

At receiver, former Husky Preston Pitts has the most career receptions, totaling 472 yards and eight TDs on 27 receptions. Justyn Judie had some big receptions for Old High last season and is another quality option at kicker.

Jaleel Thomas is joining the Maverick after playing at City View last season, while Jamari Dean, Romen Peel and Kaedyn Johnson will also figure into the mix at receiver.

The offensive line has two former starters for Hirschi in Colton Carter and Jahleel Claudrick, who will be the bookend tackles. Jalen Leal and Dominic Sanchez are expected to be the starting guards, while Cross Ohmstede is slated to start at center.

Defense

The Mavericks will base out of a 3-4 scheme with Claudrick and Leal, a starter at Old High last season, set to see a lot of time up front. Jesus Yanez, Jase Williams, Dorian Leija-Coleman and Jon Miller are others to watch on the line.

Isaiah Flores was Hirschi’s leading tackler last season with two years of starting experience and will be the leader of Memorial’s first defense. Hunter Talley got varsity experience with Rider last season, and he’ll be the other inside backer next to Flores. Josiah Grant will also be in the rotation there.

At the two outside linebacker positions, look for Isaiah Wetzel, Keegan McCraw and Cuatro Nunez to be in the mix.

Isaiah Watson started at cornerback for Rider last year, and he’ll make up a possible three-man rotation there with Mekhi Haddock and Malachi Sanders. The Mavericks have good experience at safety with Mason Edgett, who started multiple games and proved to be a playmaker at Rider last season, and Braylon Kinzie, who started at linebacker and was Old High’s final state track qualifier.