“Being honored by the coaches at THSCA is amazing,” said Halford. “These awards are voted on by other coaches working toward the exact same goal as us. Getting enough votes to win this award means we are doing a great job with our athletes inside the pool, but also that our coaches and our athletes are doing the right things to be looked up to around the state.”
Halford, in his 12th year coaching at Clear Creek, led the boys varsity water polo team to a state championship in October, finishing the season with an overall record of 32-0-1. The victory marked the school’s first state title in the sport since 1991.
“I am so proud that I got to help inspire their dedication to water polo and even prouder that this team came out with a state championship,” said Halford. “The changes and development these athletes have made and the number of hours all of the boys put in to continue to improve during their time at Clear Creek is incredible.”
THSCA and Texas Farm Bureau Insurance host the Coaches of the Year Awards to bring recognition to Texas high school coaches for their accomplishments on and off the field or court with an opportunity to be honored nationally. The THSCA Awards Committee, comprised of athletic directors from across the state, reviews nominations and selects winners.
“Coach Halford is a hardworking, dedicated coach to our student-athletes,” said CCISD Athletic Director Kirby Killingsworth. “This achievement is a great honor that he 100% deserves. CCISD Athletics is proud of Coach Halford and his Wildcats for an outstanding season.”
THSCA will select one boy’s sports coach and one girl’s sports coach from the Coach of the Year sports winners to be considered for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The honorees will have an opportunity to be recognized nationally at the Hall of Fame Banquet the following year.
