A record decades old
The 2016 Wildcats players and fans have experienced what no other Wildcat team ever has, a sideline without Coach Richard Barrett. {{more:Read more …}}Last Friday night at the Mineral Wells/Kennedale game, the familiar figure in green and black pacing the sidelines throughout the game was missing.
Just how unusual was that? Not as unusual as Haley?s Comet but something that has happened only once in 38 years. What sidelined him was a ruptured appendix.At the Mineral Wells game, longtime assistant football coach and head baseball coach Paul Trantham filled in for him. And even though, Trantham now has an undefeated record under his belt, he was the first to welcomed Barrett back and gladly.
it started in the year 1979 …
Richard Barrett is in this 16th year as the Kennedale Athletic Director and Head Coach. Prior to his current position, he held the same position for the Godley Wildcats for 6 years. In addition, he has another 15+ years as an assistant coach at Everman and Kennedale.
According to his wife, in all those years, he never missed a game and even more incredible is that he has never missed a practice until last week. That is years of practices and games that would include 6 days a week during the season, not to mention two-a-days. That is a degree of dedication to the job that goes way beyond the norm.
Coach Barrett often consults with the referees during games
only one losing season as HC ...
But you can say that it shows in his record. In his 22 years as head coach, he has had a single losing season. He has won 178 games which works out to over 70% of his games.As head coach, he has captured 8 district championships plus 1 co-championship. Currently as head Wildcat, he has won 4 straight district championship and will add a fifth this year while winning 77% of his games plus his teams have never missed the playoffs.
I guess it was a good thing that that the two Barrett boys were not born on a Friday night.
