By Craig Holamon
sports@mineralwellsindex.com

SANTO — Around a year ago, Santo High School athletic director Jackie Stephens rebuilt the Wildcats football coaching staff.

Stephens, a former Ranger High School head football coach and athletic director, stepped down as the head football coach at Santo High School after he was named athletic director at SHS.

Stephens, one of three former Santo High School head football coaches at the school, didn’t waste much time rebuilding the coaching staff.

The 2007 football season at Santo High School was a rocky one that saw the Wildcats struggle through a 1-9 record season and post a 1-5 district record.

The 2008 season could and should be better as a new coaching staff starts its second season.

The following is a coach-by-coach look at the 2008 Santo High School Wildcats football coaching staff:

Randy Thornton - Santo High School Head Football Coach

Second-season Wildcats head football coach Randy Thornton has been a high school football coach for the last nine years.

The Stephenville graduate participated in football, baseball and powerlifting.

Thornton was a two-year letterman in football and was an all-district defensive end in 1994.

Thornton was a star player on Stephenville’s 1993 and 1994 state champion football teams.

Thornton, who played under Baylor University head coach Art Briles, helped the Yellow Jackets post an amazing 32-0 record during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

Thornton received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Tarleton State University.

Thornton began his high school coaching career in 1999 at Hamilton High School.

Thornton served as the defensive ends coach and defensive coordinator during his tenure at Hamilton.

In 2001, the Hamilton Bulldogs won 11 straight games before losing to the eventual state champion Celina Bobcats in the area round of the playoffs.

Thornton's Hamilton defense team shut out seven of 11 opponents.

His Hamilton High School defensive unit opened the season with an astounding six straight shutout wins.

After leaving Hamilton, Thornton served the Springtown High School Porcupines as the team’s the defensive ends coach and defensive coordinator.

The Porcupines reached the area finals during Thornton's stay at Springtown.

He also spent one year as the special teams coordinator at Midlothian before becoming the head football coach at Santo High School in 2007.

Thornton and his wife, Molly, have one son, Hut, and are expecting the birth of a daughter.

“Coach Thornton has a championship vision both on and off the field,” Santo fan Jill Moore recently said. “He is resolved to building Santo football into a Class 1A powerhouse.”

Ken Kelso - Santo running backs, defensive ends coach

Ken Kelso was raised in a family of football coaches and has been a high school football coach for the last 26 seasons.

Kelso is a former Mineral Wells High School Rams and Burleson High School Elks assistant coach, who is also a former Santo High School head football coach.

Kelso is a graduate of Coahoma High School as well as Howard Payne University.

Kelso has also worked as a football coach at high schools in Coahoma, Kaufman, Big Lake, Kermit, and Ennis.

Kelso is entering his fifth consecutive season as an assistant football coach at Santo High School.

Kelso and his wife, Kim, are the parents of three children — Kelsi, Kade and Kara.

Charles Norton - Wildcats tight ends and defensive line coach

Charles Norton, another former Santo High School head football coach, has been a high school coach for the last 30 seasons.

Norton played football and graduated from Vernon High School and West Texas University.

He also worked as a football coach at schools in Slaton and Chillicothe.

Norton and his wife, Vicki, are set to enter their 22nd year at Santo High School.

Rodney Thornton - Santo offensive line linebackers coach

Third season coach Rodney Thornton is a younger brother of second-season Wildcats head football coach Randy Thornton.

The Stephenville High School and Tarleton State University graduate is set to start his second season at Santo High School.

Thornton and his wife, Alesha, came to Santo after one season at Springtown High School.

Tony Smith - Santo Wide Receivers Secondary coach

Tony Smith, who also doubles as an assistant basketball coach, has been a high school coach for the last 19 years.

Smith is a Peaster High School and Tarleton State University graduate.

He also worked as an assistant basketball coach high schools in Poolville and Graford.

Smith and his wife, Libby, are set to start their fourth year at Santo High School.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picks Santo last

WACO — To hear Dave Campbell’s Texas Football tell it, the Santo Wildcats will finish at the bottom of the District 1A-15 football race.

Texas Football picks the De Leon Bearcats to finish in first place and the Ranger Bulldogs to take second place in the district race.

Texas Football picks the Gorman Panthers third and the Tolar Rattlers fourth.

The Perrin-Whitt Pirates had a 2-8 season record and are picked to finish in fifth place while Santo had a 1-9 record last year and is picked sixth.


District 15-1A By The Numbers

Team: De Leon Pick: First Avg. Enrollment: 196

Team: Ranger Pick: Second Avg. Enrollment: 129

Team: Gorman Pick: Third Avg. Enrollment: 106

Team: Tolar Pick: Fourth Avg. Enrollment: 195.5

Team: Perrin-Whitt Pick: Fifth Avg. Enrollment: 119

Team: Santo Pick: Sixth Avg. Enrollment: 135