Friday Night Warriors: The Legacy of Ganado Indians Football
A century of grit, community, and Texas high school football-told through the rise of a small town that refused to quit. Beginning with Ganado's humble start in 1928, this definitive history builds toward the program's first-ever state championship on December 19, 2024 - won in a three-overtime classic that turned a dream into reality.
Written by Ganado historian Clint Hensley and Texas football chronicler Chris Doelle, the book blends season-by-season storytelling (with a deep focus from 1995 forward) with photos, box scores, and records. It captures the sound, sweat, and soul of Friday nights under the lights. It also reaches further back, connecting Ganado's football identity to the land's earlier guardians, the Karankawa people, whose resilience still echoes through every huddle.
Inside you'll find:
The "Little SEC" years and why Ganado's district gauntlet forged tougher teams and tougher towns.
Defining coaching eras... Tucker Rackley's turnaround... Mike Rabe's rebuild... Coach Bird's "Go to Work" ethos... and of course, Josh Ervin's state title run.
Player milestones and school records across passing, rushing, and receiving, plus a rich index, resources, and photo sections.
More than a box-score anthology, Friday Night Warriors is a portrait of a town... its heartbreaks, its comebacks, and its collective belief that hard work and heart can carry a team all the way to December. If you love small-town stories, Texas high school football, or the way a community rallies behind its kids, this is your book.
About the AuthorsClint Hensley is a 2001 Ganado graduate who has spent decades preserving the program's history and helped chronicle its journey to a first state title.
Chris Doelle is founder and managing partner of Lone Star Gridiron and a veteran storyteller of Texas high school football.
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