Toon hopes to make senior season one to remember
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

GOOD OUTING - Former Kilgore High School and Kilgore College athlete Clint Toon (above) will begin his final season with the Texas State University Bobcats this fall. Toon had a great spring game last month, going 6-for-6 on his first drive, ending it with a touchdown pass, and finishing the day 13-of-17 for 177 yards, and had a long rush for about 20. The former Bulldog and Ranger has said he hopes to become a football coach.

It seems like it's only been a couple of years since Clint Toon was leading the Kilgore High School football team's offense down the field against Highland Park in the regional quarterfinals of the Class 4A football playoffs.

That was actually four, almost five, years ago, but Toon is very much still in football, and with one more year of college eligibility, the former KHS two-sport athlete is hoping to make the 2008 season one to remember.

Toon now suits up for the Texas State University Bobcats in San Marcos, after successfully walking on there in 2005. He's a 22-year-old senior now, majoring in kinesiology, but says he'd love to be a football coach one day. He's well on his way. Toon, always strong academically, continues to be - he was recently named to the Southland Conference's Academic Honor Roll.

TOON

"(Coaching) is something I think about," said Toon, who helped Kilgore to a 12-4 record in 2003, at the time tying the school record for regular-season wins, and then helped Kilgore College to a conference championship in 2004. "I really enjoy being around the game, and I think I've been able to learn about it from a lot of people."

Toon, who was on his way back to Kilgore to visit family when the Kilgore News Herald caught up with him this week, said he enjoys living in San Marcos. He has two close friends there, Andrew Terrell and Josh Majors, also a pair of former KHS athletes, and is close - sometimes a little too close for comfort, he jokes - to former teammates Britt Mitchell and Eddie Jones, who now suit up for the Texas Longhorns.

Another close friend to Toon is Kilgore College head football coach J.J. Eckert, who coached Toon as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach when Clint was here at KC. Toon said he was glad that Eckert was offered and accepted the KC head coaching job when Jimmy Rieves retired from the position following the 2006 season.

"Great guy. Really intense, though. Kind of scary-intense," Toon said, and laughed. "But I think he'll be very good for KC. He really loves football."

This just in: TSU starting quarterback Bradley George, originally from New Braunfels, better look in his rear-view mirror, because Toon is gaining ground. The former Bulldog, a 2004 KHS graduate, went 13- of-17 for 177 yards and a touchdown in the Gold and Maroon spring game on April 12, and also had a nice run for 20 yards. On the first offensive series for the Maroon team, Toon went 6-for-6 for 70 yards, and finished the drive off with a touchdown pass. The Gold team would take a 15-9 win in the spring game.

Last year, Toon completed 29- of-49 passes for 299 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Toon was fifth on the team in total offense gained.

Another good thing is that Toon likes his coaches.

"(Position coach) Travis Bush is a great guy - he'll be a good head coach one day," Toon said. "Brad Wright is our head coach. This will be his second year. He's very old-school, kind of like (Kilgore football coach Mike Vallery) coach Val."

The Bobcats open the season at home on August 30 against Angelo State, but Toon and the Bobcats do come closer. They'll be in Dallas on Sept. 6 against Southern Methodist University, and come to Nacogdoches on Oct. 25 to face Stephen F. Austin University, a 2 p.m. start.

Toon is the son of Steve and Katherine Toon of Kilgore.