KILLEEN, Texas — A victory for the Shoemaker Grey Wolves on Friday not only secured their dominance over crosstown rivals Ellison Eagles but also made a historic milestone. Head Coach Toby Foreman, of the Grey Wolves for his seventh season, claimed his 30th win.
The Shoemaker Grey Wolves, won against the Ellison Eagles with a commanding score of 54 to 6. The game, held at Joseph L. Searles, II Stadium, will be forever marked as the occasion when Coach Foreman overtook Shoemaker's inaugural coach, Ken Gray, in the annals of history.
Ken Gray, who began coaching at Shoemaker when the school opened as a four-year high school in 2000, had a long and enduring 11 years. Gray retired in 2011 with 29 wins and 81 losses to his name.
Following Gray's departure, Channon Hall took the reins for the next five years. Under his guidance, the Grey Wolves not only made it to the playoffs but also secured their first playoff win. Hall's tenure yielded 23 wins and 29 losses. Johnnie Fair stepped in for one season in 2016, during which the Wolves faced a challenging year, ending winless.
Foreman, inheriting an 0-10 team from the previous year, embarked on a transformative journey to cultivate a winning culture within the Shoemaker team. His unwavering commitment to building a winning mindset among players and coaches has been the driving force behind the team's resurgence.
Reflecting on the monumental achievement, Coach Foreman expressed his honor at reaching the 30-win milestone. He remarked, "From where we were to where we are now, that’s a huge change in culture. That’s something that took all six-and-a-half years to get to that point. I’m extremely proud of the guys from 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and the current 2023 season."
He continued, "I do believe if you stick with it and continue to do what you believe is right, then good things will happen. This group continues to get better each class each year. We started a tradition, and that’s what the expectation is now - to be successful week in and week out."
Coach Foreman's unwavering determination is clear when he added, "We don’t expect to lose any games. We may not win them all, but we expect to win every game, and that’s what you have to expect."
The journey began in 2017 when Foreman's first Shoemaker team faced a challenging season, going 0-11. However, with each passing year, the Grey Wolves improved significantly, marking their progress with records of 2-8, 7-4, 8-3, 3-6, and concluding the previous season with a commendable 8-3 record.