Energetic youngster joins Apache coaching staff

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GONZALES — Coaching runs in the family for Brett Poynor, a new assistant coach for the Gonzales Apaches, and family is one of the reasons why he joined the Apaches.

Born in Portales, N.M., Poynor moved around a few times, ending up in Lubbock where he graduated from Texas Tech. After Lubbock he moved to Pampa and now here as the defensive backs coach for the varsity football time as well as helping out with the junior varsity and freshmen football teams, JV basketball and possibly help out with track.

The coach may be busy all year, but that’s the profession he’s chosen, a profession that seems to be a family business of sort.

“My dad, he’s been a coach, my brother’s been a coach,” Poynor said. “I’m a coach now too, it kind of runs in the family.”

Greg Poynor, Brett’s father, is currently the head football coach for the Pampa Harvesters. And Gonzales athletic director and head football coach Kodi Crane knows a thing or two about the Poynor family.

“I’ve known Brett his whole life,” Crane explained. “Brett’s dad played football for my dad. His dad was the defensive coordinator whenever I played. We worked together. I’ve known him and his family my whole life. Whenever we had a job come opener, [Greg] has three kids and always seeing if any of them was interested, and Brett was. So, it was a great fit.”

The 26-year-old coach comes to the staff prepared to take on the duties of an Apache coach, especially with the amount of athletes on staff that partake in multiple sports.

“I [coached] football, basketball and track as well,” Poynor said of his last position. “All the same things that I’ll be doing here, so I’m used to it.”

“We tell the athletes ‘we want you to do the most that you possibly can, we want you staying busy,’” Poynor explained. “Football makes you better for basketball, basketball makes you better for track, track makes you better, etc. Just staying competitive throughout the year, always training, getting better and being in a sport helps that.”

Crane believes Poynor’s intelligence is just one of many qualities that will make him a good fit for the Apaches. The amount of energy needed to get through the whole year is there as well.

“He’s young, energetic,” Crane said of Poynor. “He has an outstanding knowledge, he’s been around the game his whole life, his dad has been a coach, been around it forever, so with his young energy plus his knowledge, he’s going to be outstanding for us.”

Poynor is ready to start this adventure, citing the newness of the job as something he’s looking forward to this upcoming season.

“Coming into a new school, I’m excited to meet all the coaches, get to know them, get to know the kids,” Poynor said. “It’s just a new experience for me, I’m really excited for stuff like that.”

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