Coacher Fellas: Conroe ISD football coaches visit Woodlands Rotary, talk about the new season

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The head coaches from the considerable slate of Conroe Independent School District’s – and two local private schools’ – football teams set rivalry aside and gathered at a recent luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of The Woodlands to talk about their upcoming season, their star players, and their dreams of championship.

Introduced by Rotarian Val Rupp, the coaches each took the podium and the microphone for a few minutes to discuss the season that – officially for most – started the day before.

In order, Erik DeHaven (The John Cooper School), Kolby Hull (The Woodlands Christian Academy), Kendall Hineman (Caney Creek High School), Tyler Blackshire (Oak Ridge High School), Shaun McDowell (Grand Oaks High School), Jim Rapp (The Woodlands High School), and Kyle Coats (The Woodlands College Park High School) discussed their hopes for their new cadres of players.

DeHaven and Hull both discussed the issues of being a four-team district and how both of their seasons last year were rife with injuries. Blackshire, of the entire coaching lineup at the meeting, was brand new to his position, having come to coach Oak Ridge after being the defensive coordinator for Magnolia High School.

Though frequently facing each other across the field in the heat of pigskin battle, this luncheon was a time of camaraderie and humor, with the coaches good-naturedly ribbing each other even as they showed respect for their opponent squads.

TWHS coach Jim Rapp talked with Woodlands Online after the luncheon and sounded excited about the upcoming season.

“I’m excited about the Highlanders in 2025. I feel really good about where we are defensively, with a lot of returners and experience and a lot of kids who really like getting after the football. And offensively our quarterback, Jack [Daulton], who did a great job last year, is coming back. We have some talent around him and it promises to be fun. Our district from top to bottom is tough; obviously we’re going to try to make the playoffs again for the 31st year, and see what we can do there,” he said.

The season kicks off August 28. Woodlands Online will bring you complete sports coverage with livestream broadcasts, highlight videos, posted scores, stories, and spotlights, and recap video series like The Weekly Fall-Out. Additionally, Woodlands Online invites businesses to sponsor its sports coverage with available opportunities.