Over a couple of decades, the Waxahachie Indians have had many head coaches within the program. In the early 2000s, the Indians had Coach Ream, Coach Kitna, Coach Alexander and finally Coach Tolleson. However, Coach Tolleson believes he’s found the team that will finally break through and win their second state championship since 1992. 

As the Indians enter district play with a big matchup this Friday against Duncanville, Coach Tolleson has high hopes of not only proving that the Indians can win district, but also that the team is very capable of breaking records. 

This is Coach Tolleson’s fifth season as the Waxahachie Football coach, and according to MaxPreps, his records stand 6-5 (2021), 10-3 (2022), 9-3 (2023), 9-4 (2024) and as of right now, the Indians are 2-0 heading into district play. 

Over the years, one thing that Tolleson emphasizes that sums up his coaching experience and the team as a whole is the concept of the growth of bamboo. 

“It takes up to four years for it to ever reach the top soil,” Tolleson said. Growth and “reaching past the top soil” takes time.

As the Indians plan to make a run this year to win the district, they have many teams to go through. Duncanville, Desoto, Cedar Hill and Lancaster are just a few of many top tier names within the district. But once the Indians reach the playoffs, they have more teams they have to face. 

For three years straight, Tolleson and the Indians have made it to the playoffs, but have not made it past the third round. Round three is Thanksgiving Break weekend, and after moving past this round, teams get the honor of playing in December. 

“When you play in December, those are the teams that you remember,” Tolleson said. 

Tolleson spoke on his approach this year to prepare the team. 

“(We’re) going with a different approach this year called ‘Love Tough,’” Tolleson said. He said this is the practice of the coaches serving the seniors and the seniors serving the underclassmen.

“If a kid needs a ride, our varsity guys should be the ones helping them,” Tolleson said. 

Another side to this approach are the “three H’s.”

“We talk about three H’s: hungry, humble and healthy,” Tolleson said. “I think I could see us playing long into Christmas if we do those things.”

Every year, the players will vote on who they think best represents the team, and those teammates get put on the Player Committee, but this year is a little different. Usually, it is just seniors, but for the first time this year, it is a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors. 

Senior Ethan Guillen and juniors Talyn Pierce and Kade Tolleson are just a few of the names that are on the player committee. Guillen, with the passion to play at the next level, is a 4-star kicker with one offer on the table from Northwestern State University. 

“It motivates me to work harder and keep grinding,” Guillen, 12, said.

This is Guillen’s third year on varsity, and he spoke on his role as a leader “not just on the field, but outside the field,” he said. 

A strong defense is essential and the Indians’ defense this season is led by returning starters Kade Tolleson and Talyn Pierce. 

“My experience from last year comes in handy because I know how things roll,” Pierce, 11, said. 

 “I tell (my teammates) ‘Don’t let other people or actions affect who we are as a unit,” he said.

As the Indians have worked day and night throughout the offseason, the players spoke of their hope that this is the year. 

“Let’s go to state, baby,” Kade Tolleson, 11, said.