Track much more than a hobby for Buffaloes’ players

Fort Bend Marshall track and field coach Lloyd Banks remembers the way his old coach would tell his athletes something was not mandatory.

“He would always say, ‘You don’t have to be there, but you might want to be there,’ ” Banks said.

That certainly applies to current Marshall football players and their participation in track and field.

But Marshall coaches don’t have a difficult time steering players from the football field to the track. And it’s a big reason Marshall is successful every fall. The Buffaloes, who are in their first state football quarterfinal since 2012, play College Station at 7 p.m. on Friday at Panther Stadium at Prairie View A&M.

No second fiddle here

Track and field is the tried-and-true secondary sport for football players who want to stay in shape before spring ball and 7-on7.

Banks calls that “playing” track and field. At Marshall, they run track and field. The team has won the last two Class 5A state championships, and a lot of Marshall’s biggest contributors this varsity football season were on the junior varsity track and field team last year — an example of how good the Buffs have been recently.

Junior quarterback Jabari James ran on all three relay teams last year. Junior receiver Henry Thomas was second in the 200 meters in the junior varsity district meet and anchored the 4x4-meter relay.

Sophomore running back Jerry Davis was second at the freshman district meet in the 400-meter run. Sophomore receiver Korey King was a district champion in the 200 at the freshman meet. Sophomore quarterback Kacey Barnett won the 400-meter dash at the freshman district meet.

This is a school that could probably fill a track team without football players. The synergy between the track and field team and the football team is present at many schools, but it’s not always prioritized like it is at Marshall.

Marshall emphasizes winning in the trenches, but it seemingly always has the speed and athleticism at the skill positions. Some of that comes from running track, or better yet, taking it as serious as football.

“I think that we’re a little more successful,” said Banks, also the running backs coach. “I think a lot of times, they play running track in the spring. They don’t really emphasize it. The head football coach might be like ‘Hey, I want you to go out there and run.’ But he’s not really interested. He isn’t really running or participating. It’s something to do to occupy your time.”

Marshall football coach James Williams said track and field is one of the more mentally tough sports.

“It helps tremendously because literally every day at practice, those guys are running and pushing their bodies and hurting,” Williams said. “You have to be mentally tough to get through that. It’s something we incorporate into our program.”

Competitive edge

Marshall uses it to keep a competitive edge, which translates to the football field.

Track and field matters. That competitive nature matters.

“It could be badminton,” Banks said. It doesn’t matter. We’re going to go.”

Marshall football’s relationship with track isn’t unique relative to its surrounding area, however. Next door is Stafford, which won the Class 4A track and field state title last year. The Spartans are also in a football state quarterfinal this year. The rest of Fort Bend ISD has a staunch track reputation.

Further south is Manvel, Class 6A track and field champions in 2015 with some notable football representation on the track team.

Banks notes all the summer track and field programs surrounding Missouri City and Sugar Land, too. Track and field season is marked on the calendar in this corner of Houston.

It’s about cultivating the natural athleticism players already possess.

“Still, that talent has to be developed,” Williams said. “That talent has to be molded. You can’t just win on talent alone.”