Top 26 storylines for 2016: No. 14 – The Allen connection

[caption id="attachment_21596" align="alignright" width="350"]Allen vs. Cy Ranch Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Matt Garnett/Special Contributor Tom Westerberg (Photo by Matt Garnett)[/caption] When news broke that Tom Westerberg was leaving perennial powerhouse Allen to take over a middle of the road 5A program at Barbers Hill, many were left scratching their heads. For Westerberg, the timing to leave Allen just seemed right. The Eagles won three state titles from 2012-2014 and lost in the semifinals a year ago. There wasn’t much more that could be accomplished at the nation’s largest high school. "When you get the bar raised where you can't raise it anymore, there's a lot of stress that comes with it," Westerberg told the Dallas Morning News in January. "You look back on that and know it's in great shape, that you've left it in a better place." With the head football coach position open at Allen, rumors abounded as to who the Eagles would go after. They had their pick of coaches from the state and the country, but Allen ISD choose to stay with a familiar face, bringing back former defensive coordinator and Waco Midway head coach Terry Gambill after just a two-week search. Gambill, who was the DC for Allen’s first title team in 2008, had built up an impressive resume at the Central Texas power, guiding Midway to a 68-13 mark in seven years. He led Midway to the 4A Division I title game in 2011, and in the school’s first year as a 5A program, he led the Panthers to the state quarterfinals. Gambill, with his DFW area ties, was a natural fit at Allen. “Allen is the best program in the country and I’m fired up to be here again,” said Gambill, who has brought a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm to the Eagles program, which is flying a bit under the radar heading into 2016. While in the Houston area, Tom Westerberg is quietly going about the task of turning Barbers Hill into a winner. BHHS – by most accounts – would be happy to just make the playoffs this year. But the infrastructure is in place in Barbers Hill, an affluent community that’s fast growing. The school has tremendous facilities, is just on the outside of a major metro area, but still far enough away to maintain some small town charm. Sound familiar? It’d be unfair to say Barbers Hill is the next Allen, but when you look closely there are similarities to the Barbers Hill of today and the Allen of 20 years ago. It’s possible that small town feel and program building is what really attracted Westerberg to Barbers Hill. Maybe he’s just more comfortable there, and for Terry Gambill it’s a win-win as he gets to come back to a place that means so much to him. The best part for us? Watching where both coaches and programs go from here.

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