Smithville Tigers Gear Up for 2025 Football Season with Grit and Heart

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

Last Friday night, head football coach Layne Neumann made a request to his players: meet me in the locker room at 7:20 p.m.

The team had played their second scrimmage of the season the day before and it should have been a day to recover and enjoy a rare fall Friday with friends. But after an offseason filled with team bonding and building trust, the team showed up for their coach.

With the sun ready to dip below the bleachers, Neumann led the team onto the field, gathering on the Tiger T at the 50-yard line. The clock struck 7:30 p.m. and CLICK the stadium lights came on.

“Gentlemen, at this time next Friday, it's for real. There's no looking back. There's no turning back,” Neumann recalled telling his team. “Who are you going to be? What type of team are you going to be? Are you going to be the team that changes the narrative and get Smithville where Smithville has always wanted to be or are you going to be that same old Smithville?”

With his players locked in, he continued.

“Now is the time that you get to show all the hard work, the blood, sweat, tears and guts you've poured into this on this field, and in that weight room and in that locker room since November,” Neumann said.

He told his team to take five minutes and walk around the field, visualizing the game: catching the game-winning touchdown; intercepting a pass at midfield; making a big tackle.

Then Neumann handed each player a sheet to write two personal goals, two team goals, and one goal for him as their coach. These will be compiled into a poster board in the locker room, which players will touch before every game as a reminder of their commitment.

The visualization exercise, which Neumann had done as a kicker at Texas A&M before every game, was designed to instill belief in his players. Belief they will execute the play as called. Belief they will overcome adversity. Belief they will win.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to come out of it next Friday night victorious,” Neumann said in an interview on Monday. “But you got to believe it.”

The visualization exercise is one of several traditions Neumann has started this year, his second year at the helm. After going 0-10 last season, he is still seeking his first win as Smithville's head coach but is focused on progress rather than the past.

“There's no excuses now,” Neumann said. “You're only given grace for one year, and then after that, you’ve got to produce.”

He’s returning nine starters each on offense and defense and has a robust class of 40 freshmen.

Neumann created a voluntary summer workout program for his team he called Elite Performance Camp. Despite starting at 7:30 a.m. — an early summer start time for sleepy teens — Neumann said he had a 96% attendance rate.

EPC was a way to get his team bigger, faster, and stronger, as well as learn the new offense and defense the team will use this year.

Neumann said he interviewed 15 offensive coordinators and 12 defensive coordinators before settling on coaches who were not just talented, but the right fit for his athletes and the program.

In early June Neumann announced Chris Sexton was hired as the new offensive coordinator. Sexton, who previously coached in San Augustine, Texas, has 14 years of coaching experience, including the past 10 as an offensive coordinator.

On the defensive side of the ball Neumann hired Cameron Greene who was the defensive coordinator at Lubbock Monterey, which recently clinched a district title. Greene brings 12 years of coaching experience, including at Palacios, Flatonia, and Bay City.

Despite needing to learn new plays, the Tigers came out in the first two scrimmages looking sharp. Neumann said his team was physical, flying to the football, and communicating with each other.

“They're not thinking as much this year as they were last year, which is huge,” he said. “The more thinking you do on the field, the less you are able to react and just play.”

Neumann said he also noticed his team wasn’t snipping at each other like they had in previous years. There was no blaming others, no in-fighting, and no drama, creating a culture of, “we’re all in this together.”

When Neumann was thinking about the brand he wanted to use for the athletic department during this school year, he knew he wanted the program to produce strong kids with mental toughness.

He thought about the famous Ray Lewis quote, “effort is between you and you.” And he recalled his mentor telling him the three things that will sink any program: selfishness, laziness, and foolishness.

And then one word kept showing up wherever he went: Grit

So he turned it into an acronym for the entire athletic department — boys and girls teams — to use.

G: Grind - “We're going to grind every single day. Because if we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”

R: Relentless effort - “You give relentless effort and sacrifice for your teammates, for your school, for your program, for your coaches.”

I: Integrity -  “Don't be selfish, don't be foolish, don't be lazy. Do it the right way.” 

T: Toughness - “We will not quit, we will not give up. And no matter if we win, lose or draw, that opposing team over there is going to know they better be ready, because we’re going to give you everything.”

The football team will need GRIT to compete in 4A District 13, one of the toughest Division II districts in the state. Last season four of the seven teams went to the playoffs with Wimberley advancing to the quarterfinals, Lago Vista making it to the regional round, and both Navarro and Salado making it to the area round of the playoffs.

But that doesn’t scare or intimidate Coach Neumann. He’s going to put the best 11 on the field no matter what.

“I'm not running. I'm going to fight,” Neumann said. “Because if you want to be the best, you’ve got to play the best.”

In return, Neumann is asking Smithville to support his team win, lose, or draw.

“Through thick and thin, stick with us,” Neumann said. “Leep those stands packed because it's not about me, it's not about the coaching staff, it's about our kids. And our kids need to see our fans in the stands no matter what.”

Smithville will take on Rockdale at Tiger Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29. You can grab a single game ticket or a season pass here.

Smithville Texas News will be covering the game. You can follow our X account for a score at each quarter and check our website for a game recap after the game.