Our Football Friday Night Game of the Week tonight is Santa Fe at Barbers Hill.
Both teams won their season openers but I think one of the big reasons there is so much interest in this game by our KHOU 11 viewers and Facebook friends is the fact that this game will mark the home debut for the new head coach at Barbers Hill, Tom Westerberg.
Westerberg came to the high school located in Mont Belvieu from Class 6A powerhouse Allen. Westerberg led Allen to four state championships and was named National Coach of the Year in 2014.
Westerberg was the head football coach and the assistant athletic director at Allen, but at Barbers Hill he is the head football coach and athletic director. Westerberg has a great reputation as a coach, mentor to young people, and a school leader.
According to the Texas Tribune, he made $109,657 his final year at Allen. In his new role at Barbers Hill it should be assumed he’s making more. The school district’s website says the job pays between $100,000-$130,000 per year.
Westerberg explained in January to our media partner, The Dallas Morning News, his decision to leave Allen, ”When you get the bar raised where you can’t raise it anymore, there’s a lot of stress that comes with it. But in the same breath, there’ll be stress where I’m going (Barbers Hill) to get up to that bar. It comes with coaching.”
The Barbers Hill Eagles went 5-7 last season under another former state championship coach, Ronnie Gage. Gage retired after coaching at Barbers Hill for six seasons.
Barbers Hill beat Vidor 40-6 in the 2016 season opener. Santa Fe is also 1-0 after an opening week 27-0 win over Lamar Consolidated.
KHOU 11 Sports Reporter Daniel Gotera will be videoing Friday night’s Game of the Week and he’ll have a full re-cap of the game on our Football Friday coverage tonight on KHOU 11 News at 10 p.m.
