The phrase "Speed Kills" is more than just a phrase at Fort Bend Thurgood Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas.
The Southwest Houston suburb has made a name for itself throughout the state and even nationally in track and field.
Led by coach Lloyd Banks, Marshall has become one of Texas' perennial track programs by placing second place at the UIL 4A state meet in 2013 and 2014 and following that up by winning the UIL 5A division in 2015, 2016, and most recently in 2018.
"I think both sports go hand and hand with each other and help each other."
James Williams, Ft. Bend Marshall head football coach
The school's football program has been successful as well and is becoming increasingly more successful as the years pass.
Led by coach head football coach, James Williams, tonight, they will play for the UIL 5A state championship against state powerhouse Aledo. The success isn't due to a fly-by-night win or two. The Buffalos have been turning out elite football players for years. They have several alumni players both in Division I programs and in the NFL.
Success through the two programs is due to institutional cooperation between the two sports. Banks, who is the head track coach and the running backs coach for the football teams believes in making dual-sport athletes. "We build good athletes, get them bigger, faster, and stronger. With what we do on the football field, it works out wonderfully."
The football and track situation at Marshall is more than just a recent happening. It's not only the student-athletes who are dual athletes, so are the coaches. Banks participated in both sports both at Houston Yates High School and Southern Methodist University (SMU). Much of the coaching staff were also two sport athletes. "It's a culture of being in dual sports (track and football), we love it, we embrace it, and we encourage our kids to do it also," Banks said.
With that, goals are being accomplished at Fort Bend Marshall and the biggest goal of all right now is adding a state championship in football tonight to go along with the track and field title from the Spring.
Williams said, "Hopefully, we can take care of business this week and it can sling shot us into basketball season, and we always have high expectations from our track team."