MISD Football Coach Keeps Hope as Cancer Returns

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Fear, anger and everything in between describe the feelings Daniel Maberry experienced during the past several months.

The emotional journey began in January when the Mansfield High School head football coach went to the doctor after experiencing a burning sensation in his legs and arms. He said he figured the doctor would simply prescribe him something for the pain but was stunned at the diagnosis.

“They did all sorts of tests. They did a bone marrow biopsy, and that’s when they discovered cancer,” he explained.

Maberry said it was difficult telling his family and his football team about his late-stage lymphoma, but he wanted his message to be that he will keep strong and keep on fighting.

After rounds of chemotherapy and before the start of the football season, the doctors told him that his cancer was in remission. He said the cancer was no longer in his marrow and was not visible in tests, but something didn’t feel right.

His uneasy feeling was confirmed five weeks into the football season. The coach noticed a lump on his side and checked into the emergency room. Through a CT scan, doctors found a two-inch cancer mass.

“Cancer a lot of times takes so much away from you,” he recalled about the cancer returning. “I wasn’t able to be at football games. I wasn’t able to be around the kids at school. I’m not able, necessarily, to play with my girls like I want to. So from that aspect, anger was probably the emotion that I dealt with the most; but at the same time, I’ve had a peace about it.”

Lime green and "Maberry Strong" gear popped up throughout
the community after news of Maberry's diagnosis.

The treatment for Maberry’s cancer is more aggressive this time around because doctors want to ensure that the cancer cells die. During his scheduled treatments, he carries around a backpack filled with chemotherapy medication that feeds steady doses of the medicine into his body.

The husband and father of two explained that he has good days and bad days. On the harder days, he said he tries to keep the right perspective on life and finds strength through his faith and the overwhelming community support.

“Seeing the community pep rallies, seeing the kids here and how they’ve responded—the green outs, the video that they made for me—was unbelievable,” he expressed as he fought back tears. “I’ve cried so many tears through this entire time, and it’s not for sadness. It’s for extreme joy of what these people have done for me.”

Maberry also noted that the district’s Colors for Caring initiative, in which the community is encouraged to wear cancer awareness colors to support a loved one, has also impacted his life because it lifts his spirit to see his school saturated with lime green to bring awareness to lymphoma.

The hashtag #MaberryStrong is also used on social media to highlight the different community support efforts.

“One of the biggest struggles that I had through this journey is, ‘How do I thank everybody for what they’ve done for me?’ I don’t think I can. I don’t think I could ever thank the community for what they’ve done for me mentally, spiritually, just being there for me and my family—I know I’m deeply blessed because of this community. And I’m very grateful for them.”

The coach said he doesn’t know what the future holds for him, but he is optimistic and continues to take life one day at a time.

“I know what I have is very serious. I know what I have is life-threatening, but I can’t live my life in fear every day.”

MISD Community Heads North to Support Border Brawl Football Games

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A battle over state lines kicked off the Mansfield ISD 2018-19 high school football season.

MISD football teams, bands, cheerleaders, drill teams and fans made the trip up north to celebrate the inaugural Border Brawl football competition on Aug. 31, in which five MISD teams faced five Oklahoma teams.

“This is something special for our school district and for our kids to experience,” said Legacy High School head coach Chris Melson. “It’s not just the football team. You got the bands, drill teams, cheerleaders, supporting staff… everybody gets to experience it.”

Border Brawl was brought to life by MISD Athletics Director Philip O’Neal and Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas.

Legacy High rush onto the field against Jenks.

The idea was to provide students with new opportunities while engaging in friendly competition.

“I think it’s important for us to create experiences for them,” said O’Neal. “The connections and lessons they learn from going beyond their region will help them in college and in life.”

“Our kids have never gotten to do something like this,” said Daniel Maberry, head coach at Mansfield High School. “You get to see games on T.V. all the time where teams sometimes travel to Florida or Nevada to play some of the private schools, but these are two quality programs coming together to experience something they never have before.”

The Oklahoma competition included teams from Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby and Sand Springs.

Even though the games took place hours away, there was no shortage of MISD fans. Hundreds of people filled the stands to show their support.

“To be here at the Border Brawl is just showing that Texas and Oklahoma can come together and make something like this possible,” said Brandon Jones, junior at Summit High School.

O’Neal said that apart from the competition, Mansfield ISD being able to come together as a unit was priceless.

“This is an opportunity for Mansfield ISD to be unified in their effort to come to Oklahoma and compete against the Tulsa-area schools as one,” he said. “The benefits of that go way beyond the sports field.”

The same schools will face each other again in the Border Brawl track meet, which will take place at the start of the 2019 track season.

Senior on Track to Get Bachelor’s Degree at 18

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When Melody Delatorre was a sophomore, she had a mission: to graduate with an associate degree while still in high school.

The Mansfield High School student visited her counselor to discuss her plans and became laser-focused to earn at least 60 college credits before graduation.

“She could take up to three dual credit courses per semester, so we just mapped out what three she was going to take in her junior year and what three she was going to take in her senior year, “ said Mansfield High School counselor Monica Dabney.

To put her education on a faster track, Delatorre also took courses at Tarrant County College (TCC) on her own after school. She took no breaks and continued taking courses in the summer and winter.

Delatorre met with her counselor to map out her graduation plan.

The senior graduated with her associate degree from TCC on May 12. She will walk across the stage to get her high school diploma on May 25.

“It was really cool knowing I was getting my associate degree before my high school diploma,” said Delatorre. “It took a lot of work and sacrifice. I didn’t always have time to be with my friends, but I’m glad I did it. I feel accomplished and proud.”

“I cannot even describe how proud I am of her,” Dabney added. “She is such a driven student and highly independent, so I was just elated to hear that she had competed her associate’s degree.”

The 17-year-old said she will take summer classes at the University of Texas at Arlington.

She said she won’t take any breaks and hopes to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology in May 2019. Her goal is to become a doctor.

“I want to become a doctor because I like helping people, and I like being able to make a difference in people’s lives,” Delatorre explained.

For those wanting to follow in her educational path, the senior’s advice is simple. She said, “just go.”

Inaugural Texas/Oklahoma Border Brawl Creates New Competition

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There will be a battle over state lines in the upcoming track and football seasons. Five high schools from Texas and five high schools from Oklahoma will be competing with each other to see which teams are the best.

It was an idea that formed after a brainstorming session between Athletics Director Philip O’Neal and Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas.

“I wanted to find a new way to bring attention to our student-athletes,” O’Neal said. “After tossing some concepts around, Dr. V said that we should try to contact schools in Oklahoma to play against.”

The athletics director put in a few calls and knew he had made the right connection when the voice on the other line was just as excited as he was.

Steve Dunlap, assistant athletics director for Union Public Schools, accepted the challenge for the Sooner state. He is enthusiastic about this new relationship and friendly rivalry.

The competitors met each other for the first time on Feb. 27.

“I have no doubt it’s going to be a great event,” said Dunlap. “We start March 10 with the track meet, so I’m excited about that.”

The Border Brawl track meet will feature athletes from all of the Mansfield ISD high schools, along with Oklahoma high school athletes from Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby and Sand Springs. It will take place at MISD’s Legacy High School.

The same schools will then compete throughout the 2018-19 school year in football and track.

Each region has a tradition of excellence; and although O’Neal said he looks forward to the intense competition, his favorite part of the Border Brawl is the experiences it will give students.

“I think it’s important for us to create experiences for them,” he continued. “The connections and lessons they learn from going beyond their region will help them in college and in life.”

The announcement of the inaugural Border Brawl was officially made Feb. 27 in Tulsa. Coaches and student-athletes from all participating schools attended the press conference.

Walk-On NFL Player Returns to Give Message of Resiliency

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In his senior year at Mansfield High School, Lenzy Pipkins decided to quit basketball and start playing football—a move that would help define the rest of his life.

The football coach laughed at him, but allowed the 12th-grader to prove himself.

“I was like, ‘I can ball. Just trust me. Give me a chance. Give me a chance,” Pipkins recalled.

He was a natural at football. He got noticed for his talents and received an invitation to the Nike Combine. There, he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.

Arizona State University offered the athlete a football scholarship. After his first season at the school, his scholarship was taken away.

Pipkins said he hopes his story can inspire anyone who wants to quit.

“The current staff got fired, so the new staff ended up taking my scholarship away,” he said. “They didn’t think I was ready.”

Pipkins later went to the University of Louisiana Monroe to continue playing football. He graduated and played another year at Oklahoma State University.

He was set on becoming a professional football player and declared for the NFL draft. The cornerback didn’t get drafted, but 10 teams invited him afterward to come to try outs. He signed with the Green Bay Packers.

The 24-year-old told his story of resiliency to the students at The Phoenix Academy on Friday. He advised the high schoolers to follow their passion no matter what naysayers may think.

Principal Regenia Crane said Pipkin’s message fell in line with the district’s Vision 2020 strategic plan.

“Resiliency is one of our values, and he is a great example of what happens when you don’t give up,” said Crane. “That’s something our students always need to hear.”

It is reported that less than 2 percent of college athletes reach the NFL, making Pipkins story even more remarkable as a walk-on. He starts his second year in the professional league in September.

New Club Instills Discipline and Leadership in Middle Schoolers

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When a Mansfield ISD counselor noticed that some students at her campus were not getting involved in the available extra-curricular activities, she decided to create one that helped build structure and self-confidence into children’s lives.

Catherine Wimbrey recalled how Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs helped teenagers when she was growing up in California.

So, she picked up the phone and called the JROTC instructor at Mansfield High School to see if he could help bring a similar program to Rogene Worley Middle School.

“I was excited that she contacted us,” said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Kinnel. “I was willing and able to help young students because if you reach the youth, you reach the world.”

Groups are divided into males and females for detailed instruction.

The award-winning high school cadets go to the middle school every Tuesday after school to lead the Junior Cadet Corp club. It’s a structure Kinnel said is a mutual benefit.

“We feed the kids what they need, and then they lead it,” Kinnel continued. “Kids want you to be out their way. They want to show you what they can do.”

The middle schoolers learn different techniques in color guard, marching and armed drills. Wimbrey said she has seen a positive change in the students already.

“There’s a drop in discipline issues, and students are more organized and motivated,” she said.

Because of the club’s success, a similar club was recently started at Brooks Wester Middle School. Wimbrey said she hopes it continues to make an impact in the youth.

“I’m invested into it because I love our students. There are so many of them that I believe that if they had the leadership, if they had the discipline, if they had the family, so many of them would go further in life. Overall lives are being changed by this program.”

Approximately 20 middle school students participate in Worley Middle School’s Junior Cadet Corp. Most of the students said they will join a JROTC program when they get to high school.

Make-A-Wish Surprises Student with Dream Trip

If you ask 16-year-old Andrew Creel the one place in the world he’d like to visit, he’ll tell you with certainty that it’s London.

The Mansfield High School sophomore is intrigued with the castles, towers and other historic landmarks.

He never knew if he’d be able to make the trip across the pond, though, because traveling has become much harder.

“Andrew was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was 2,” explained Shana Creel, Andrew’s mother. “So over time, he loses his strength and ability to get around.”

Andrew (seated) posed with his parents and said
he can't wait to tour the Tower of London.

With the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, Andrew’s dream was about to come true. The organization, which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses, coordinated with school officials and Andrew’s parents to hold a special surprise on campus.

When Andrew heard the news that he and his family would be leaving for London on Saturday, his eyes lit up in disbelief.

“Our hearts were in our throats just trying to keep it together without bawling—just to see how happy it has made him,” the mom described.

Make-A-Wish coordinators said these types of surprises make their job worthwhile, and making dreams come true is not just about magical moments.

“The wishes themselves are medically necessary,” said Make-A-Wish volunteer Dennis Baird. “The kids are responding to treatment better, the families are also responding and communities come together. We like to say that wishes aren’t just nice; they’re necessary.”

For the Creel family, it’s a trip they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

“This will more than likely be the last international trip that Andrew will be able to take,” said James Creel, Andrew’s dad, as he fought back tears. “It’ll be really special for us, and we thank Make-A-Wish for making this happen.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980. To date, more than 285,000 children in the United States and its territories have gotten their wish granted by the organization.

MISD High School Students Unite to Help Hurricane-Devastated School District

Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the shores of Texas in August, and the effects of the devastation will take years to mend.

Bloomington Independent School District is one of the communities that was hit hard by the storm. The area has 85 percent of its homes still damaged, and rebuilding has been a challenge—even for its schools.

When MISD high school students heard that Bloomington ISD students and their families were still struggling to recover, they decided to put their rivalries aside and join forces to make the holiday season a little more joyful.

“What we’re doing is raising this money to give back to the kids in time for the holidays so they can have the stuff they want,” said Dejardin Moffett, a junior at Timberview High School. “Their families may not be able to pay for the toys because it’s not a necessity.”

The community fundraiser was held Nov. 28 at El Primo's in Mansfield.

The students held a silent auction fundraiser and invited the community to come out and bid on several baskets full of goodies. Their goal was $10,000, but they ended up raising $15,000.

Other community members also pitched in so that Bloomington ISD students could have books, a gift card and a t-shirt.

“I know a book isn’t everything they want, but I hope they appreciate it,” said senior Sadie Johnson of Legacy High School. “I hope they feel loved, and I’m really excited.”

MISD staff and a few of the students will deliver the presents to Bloomington ISD on Dec. 13. Moffett said he hopes high school students all across the district will continue to unite for the greater good.

“We are MISD, meaning we are all one district,” he added. “Projects such as this are an example of #WeAreMISD because we’re all coming together and using our power, our great student leaders that we have at every school, and putting it together to do something great—not only for our community, but for other communities outside of us.”

Displaced Foreign Exchange Students Find Refuge in Mansfield ISD

Foreign exchange students Marine Torres and Nina Kuepper took flight from Europe at the beginning of the school year to get a taste of the American experience. They were placed in a Houston home, but things took a turn for the worse when Hurricane Harvey hit.

The damage and historic flooding forced 17,000 people in the Gulf Coast areas to go into shelters. Torres and Kuepper were among those who had to evacuate. They later found out that their host families' homes were destroyed, along with all their belongings.

“After the evacuation, we found out from the television that the area was totally flooded, so the house of my family was flooded too,” Torres, from France, recalled. “I felt very sad for the family.”

“We drove to Fort Hood and then to Dallas, and we lived in a hotel for three days. It was a scary experience,” said Kuepper, a Germany native.

Kuepper and Torres also enjoy Byrum's service dog.

They found refuge at the home of a Mansfield High School teacher. Marilyn Byrum has been part of a foster family for 10 years, but decided not to do it this year. That is, until she received an emergency call from the foreign exchange agency. She then jumped at the opportunity.

“The hurricane of a lifetime had just happened, and they have an experience of a lifetime that was about to happen,” Byrum explained. “I didn’t want the hurricane to interfere with their experience of a lifetime because they’ve been looking forward to this year in America.”

The English teacher took the two teenagers shopping to buy more clothes. Torres said she was excited to see the shops, but most amazed by the warm welcome they received.

“People here are very friendly and welcoming. It’s cool,” the exchange student said.

The girls expressed extreme gratitude to Byrum for allowing them to live with her. Byrum said she wouldn’t think twice to do it again.

“Our motivation in life is to help those who are helpless, father the orphaned, care for the refugees, care for the downtrodden,” she said. “They needed help. I had a room. We did what we could."

MISD High Schools Give Back in Big Ways

Timberview High raised money for more inclusion in advertising.

Whoever said that kids these days don’t care about others obviously has never heard about the charity weeks that happen each year on the Mansfield ISD high school campuses.

Timberview High, Summit High, Legacy High, Mansfield High, and Lake Ridge High all get the entire campus to rally around a noble cause for a week-long fundraiser filled with pep rallies, contests, product sales, and dress-up days.

This year, students from Frontier High School—a school solely for juniors and seniors that focuses on post-graduation preparatory programs—decided they wanted to join their fellow campuses and give back to the community in a big way too.

“Our student council met over the summer and said they wanted to serve the community and create those unique experiences like the rest of the high schools in the district,” said Catherine Dearing, student council sponsor at Frontier High School.

The planning then began for Students Performing Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) Week. Dearing said the kids chose to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association because a number of people, including herself, have had loved ones struggle with Alzheimer’s. The goal was to create support and awareness for the disease.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about Alzheimer’s,” said the English teacher. “We were able to have an Alzheimer’s Association representative do a Q & A at our campus. I was really proud of the students and was excited to see some of the light bulbs coming on as questions were answered.”

At the end of SPARK Week, students created a promise garden to represent how each person is connected to someone with Alzheimer’s.

“It brought people together to see others going through the same thing,” said Dearing. “It certainly increased everyone’s morale and buy-in into our mission.”

She said the total amount of funds raised is still being calculated, but it was not about the money. She was happy that the week allowed students to serve the community in a way that was meaningful to them.

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Take a look at what other MISD high schools did for their charity weeks:

• Timberview High’s Helping Others Through Giving (H.O.G) Week raised more than $19,000 for Changing the Face of Beauty to drive home the need for more inclusion in advertising.

• Summit High’s Friends Reaching Out and Giving (F.R.O.G.) Week made a dream come true for a child in the Make-a-Wish Foundation who desired to go to a Manchester United soccer game.

• Legacy High’s Legacy United through Caring and Kindness (L.U.C.K.) Week contributed to the medical bills of an eight-year-old named Christian who has health complications and has undergone multiple surgeries.

• Mansfield High’s People Encouraging And Caring for Each other (P.E.A.C.E.) Week will be May 14-20. The campus will raise money for a little boy who has ganglioneuroblastoma, an intermediate tumor that grows nerve tissue.

• Lake Ridge High’s Boldly Embracing Acts of Kindness (B.E.A.K.) Week will be May 13-20. Students and staff will raise money to support a suicide prevention agency.

MISD Seniors Prove Hard Work Literally Pays Off

L-R: Grant Wilkie, Kendall Curtis, and Ifeoluwa Obayan

For three Mansfield ISD seniors, hard work in their junior year paid off—literally.

Grant Wilkie from Summit High School, Kendall Curtis from Mansfield High School, and Ifeoluwa Obayan from Timberview High School all received very prestigious scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Wilkie and Curtis received the National Merit Scholarship. Obayan was awarded the National Achievement Scholarship, which is given to high-achieving African-American students. Both of the scholarships are awarded based on a student’s high Preliminary SAT (PSAT) scores.

The winners of the scholarships receive $2,500, and universities often discount their tuition to finalists. For Wilkie, the news couldn’t have come at a better time.

“This is definitely the most important thing that’s happened to me in my life,” said Wilkie, who will be headed to Baylor University in the fall with his tuition fully paid. “I’m finally able to give back to my parents by saving them money. It’s a huge blessing.”

Out of 1.5 million National Merit entrants nationwide, only 7,600 are named as scholarship winners. Curtis, also headed to Baylor, explains what she did to help her odds.

“AP classes helped,” said the future law student. “I would suggest reading a lot of high-level literature and taking the harder math classes.”

Obayan can boast that she’s one of 800 winners out of 160,000 total applicants to receive the National Achievement Scholarship. She said looking back, she’s glad she put in the countless hours to review for the PSAT.

“I really worked hard,” said Obayan. “The District offered a PSAT prep program in the summer in my junior year, and I remember spending every Monday in that class for two to three hours. It really paid off.”

Obayan, valedictorian of her class, will be going to Harvard University to major in biomedical engineering.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and their awards, visit the NMSC website.

Science Coordinator Displays Artistic Side

An attendee admiring Garza's artwork.

As art enthusiasts toured the Mansfield High School library viewing an amazing 35-piece exhibit of paintings, one of the patrons turned to her friend and said, "And to think, this was all painted by some science guy!"

That was the sentiment of several people who attended Tuesday's debut of "Shadows and Reflections" by Dr. Fred Garza, which featured paintings of literary novels brought to life or kitchen tools through the eyes of a cooking aficionado.

Dr. Garza is Mansfield ISD's science curriculum coordinator who has been with the district for more than 20 years.

Science and art aren't typically used in the same sentence. However, for Dr. Garza, those two words sum up his greatest passions.

"It's all about creating to me. In chemistry, you're creating a new product. In art, you're creating a new piece," said Garza.

Garza always had a knack for the arts because both of his parents were artists. He said he would always critique his mother's artwork, which led her to tell him to take art classes and make his own creations. And that's exactly what he did.

Dr. Fred Garza and Suzanne Moncuse enjoying the exhibit.

Although this is the second year the former science teacher displayed his artwork at Mansfield High School for the public to see, he said he wasn't always comfortable showing off his creative side to outsiders. It took some nudging from his friends.

"Once Suzanne Moncuse [Mansfield High School's librarian] found out that I was an artist, she pushed to have me showcase my work in the library," said Garza. "Now, I wouldn't have it any other way. She shows a true appreciation and care for the artwork."

Moncuse said the honor is all hers to be able to host such a local artist in the library.

"With the level of talent he has, he could easily be showing his pieces in art galleries. I'm glad to support him, and even happier that our district also supports the arts." said Moncuse.

Garza hopes his story will encourage others to not be afraid to tap into their own passions.

"Everyone has potential," he said. "They just need to dive in."

Garza's work will be on display at the Mansfield High School library until March 1.

Go to full photo gallery.