At Cedar Park, work ethic has been a long-established part of football culture

Photo Credit: Scott W. Coleman

From coaches to players to the community at large, one thing has been consistent at Cedar Park for more than a decade: work ethic.

As the Timberwolves prepare to face Denton Ryan in the fourth state championship appearance in school history, the roots of their current success can be traced back more than 20 years.

“When Chris (Ross) got there, he began to build the work ethic in these guys,” Joe Willis, who won the 2012 state title as head coach of the Timberwolves, said. “That’s been the Cedar Park culture. Our defensive guys were the kind of people that would tackle you through the ground, not to the ground. They still do that to this day, there’s a determination at Cedar Park.”

Ross was hired in 2005 and established a culture that Cedar Park still embraces.

His initial coaching staff featured the likes of current Cedar Park head coach Carl Abseck and current Rouse head coach Josh Mann.

Willis was hired in 2007, and it wasn’t long after that the ‘Black Rain’ defense was born. Willis can still remember the team meeting when he took over as defensive coordinator where the group said they wanted to have an identity.

“We had some great defenses there, and when the media picked up on the ‘Black Rain,’ we were able to tell the kids that that means someone else is acknowledging what you’re doing,” Willis said.

The Timberwolves got to the quarterfinals in 2010 and lost again in the quarterfinals in 2011 to Baker Mayfield and Lake Travis.

The next year, Ross decided to get into athletic administration and Willis took over as head coach. Abseck was promoted to offensive coordinator, while former Leander head coach Tim Smith and current Glenn coach Rob Schoenfeld were added to the staff.

Michael Quintero was in charge of the defense that year for Cedar Park. Quintero would go on to work with Willis at Colleyville Heritage before taking Red Oak all the way to the quarterfinals this season.

“2012 was a combination of the coaches that had been put together there,” Willis said. “We had a really good run there for three years.”

The first couple of games for head coach Willis didn’t start as he hoped in 2012, losing to Westlake by two touchdowns and falling on the road against Abilene Cooper on a last-second field goal.

But again, the work ethic has shown through.

“I remember thinking as we went into a key stretch of the season that none of the kids were panicked, and they all knew the culture that was there and the culture that was in place,” Willis said.

When Willis left after spring football had finished, but he remembers telling them as he left that they were in good hands because the staff that was there was outstanding.

“Coach Abseck has continued to build on the culture,” Willis said. “I can’t say enough good things about Carl and what he’s continued to do there. With his record, he’s outperformed anybody that’s ever been there. What a great deal to take them back to the state championship.”

What’s extra exciting for Abseck is the alumni encouraging the current team to go on and break their records and coming back to offer support in person.

Western Kentucky offensive lineman was at Cedar Park practice on Tuesday, defensive stalwarts Levi and Ben Bell swung by practice last week and 2012 title-winning quarterback Brian Hogan reached out to offer support earlier in the week.

“Our kids and the community who support them makes Cedar Park special,” Abseck said. “Success is something that our kids are pushed towards, and it’s something that’s ingrained in their work ethic.”

Steve Battles has been in coaching for 30 years. He was the linebacker’s coach in 2015 when the Timberwolves won their second state title and still coaches that group along with serving as the defensive coordinator today.

When Battles took over for Willis, he was determined not to change too much and keep on winning.

“I didn’t come in and try to change everything,” Battles said. “I tried to keep it as close to (what was established). Coach Willis did a great job. It’s changed over the last five years, but it also hasn’t, a lot of the same principles are there.”

He said some schools have a really good athletic program and good athletes, but the support can be lacking. In other places, there’s a great administration and community, but the athletes might not be as widely talented.

“Cedar Park is the perfect storm,” Battles said. “Cedar Park has got everything. The parents, administration, school and teachers are all supportive. You have great kids and athletes. (The program) keeps growing because of the support.”

Willis agrees.

He said starting from Pop Warner and Cedar Park Youth Football, it’s all the same culture. The youth coaches and players from the attendance zone come to spring practice and start getting accustomed to the Cedar Park way of life early on.

“They’re a group of overcomers,” Willis said. “I think at the end of the day, the kids that buy into that and buy into the tradition and culture that the program has got going really make the difference.”

For Willis, it was a winningness and trust in a successful system that very good coaches learned from and took along with them that makes Cedar Park one of the best places to coach football.

The key for Willis is the extra work the players and coaches continue to put in, which helps make the program extraordinary.

“Cedar Park is one of the outliers that stands alone,” Willis said. “People talk about culture and how culture wins football games, I think the Cedar Park culture is as good as there is in the state. Its record speaks for itself.”

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Originally published at https://www.hillcountrynews.com/stories/at-cedar-park-work-ethic-has-been-a-long-established-part-of-football-culture,83801?