Marble Falls football honors two greats
CAPTION: The two decals on the backs of the Marble Falls Mustangs helmets: the logo of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department on the left to honor Chief Michael Phillips and a red chair to honor Brother Max Copeland. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
Before the season started, the Marble Falls High School football program added two decals to their helmets to honor to men who have made big impacts on the community.
The first, which has been apart of the helmet for awhile, is a red chair to honor Brother Max Copeland, the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Marble Falls, who died 10 years ago. Copeland was a huge fan sports fan and bigger fan of the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs. He attended numerous ball games of all sports and ages. When he died, it was estimated that he attended so many games that people would have to attend a contest daily for 22 years to catch him.
He wore red socks and suspenders. So when Marble Falls Independent School District constructed Mustang Stadium and the gym named in his honor, two red chairs were bought and installed at each facility for him. They’re still there.
“I feel like it represents all the things Marble Falls is known for – community service and love,” head coach Keri Timmerman said. “And I think that it makes an impact with us.”
The other is a fire chief’s helmet in honor of Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department Chief Michael Phillips, who was responding to flood rescue calls near Cow Creek July 5 that is known as the Fourth of July floods. His vehicle was found but not him.
Before committing to adding the decal, Timmerman wanted to make sure the Mustangs understood the meaning. After speaking with community members, other firefighters and leaders, he made the decision to add it.
“We want to make it meaningful and not something that’s cliché, that we just put a sticker on our helmet and say, ‘Here we go,'” he said. “We’ve put thought behind it.”
Phillips began his service to Marble Falls Independent School District as a maintenance employee in 1995.
“I am very proud that our football team chose to honor Mr. Phillips by wearing the decal on their helmets,” Gasaway said. “He worked his way up through the ranks not only in MFISD but also in Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department. That strong work ethic and pride in all aspects of his life are strong qualities for our team to recognize and honor.”
Phillips was the maintenance director when Gasaway joined the school district in 2016. After the 2018 bond was passed, Phillips became the bond director. And no matter how busy he was, he made it point to attend games.
“He was a true Mustang fan, and he was a familiar face at Mustang sporting events — sometimes there on duty, sometimes just as a fan — but always in support of the kids,” the superintendent said. “His love for sports was really a love for the students he’d built relationships with over the years, and he could often be found at Mustang games cheering them on.”
The year Gasaway joined the school district was the year Phillips became fire chief. In all he served Marble Falls and Burnet County as a firefighter for 26 years.
Gasaway said he thinks of three attributes when describing Phillips.
The importance of his family, the pride he had in all he did, and his generosity.
“He would often go out of town on a weekend to see his daughter (Megan) and granddaughter,” Gasaway said. “He loved his wife (Cecilia) and would share many memories about the trips they took, the time they spent together and I knew how much he loved her.
“I think about the pride that Michael had in all that he did,” he added. “Not just at work but in every aspect of his life, including the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department. That pride gave the students and staff of Marble Falls ISD facilities that they can enjoy and the quality he expected from those facilities. The final word is generosity. He took care of people, his employees, his friends, people he did not even know because his heart was extremely generous. I shall always look back on my time with Mr. Phillips and feel extremely blessed because of the time that I had with him and that I can call him my friend. And I know that his spirit will live on in the community because of the love our community had for him.”
The week the Mustangs added the decal, Timmerman invited a friend of Phillips to address the players. Though Timmerman, who was hired in December 2023 and began working January 2024, didn’t work with Phillips, who had retired from the school district by then, he recognized the servant heart the chief possessed.
“And we feel like it’s something that, again, goes back to reminders for our kids,” the coach said. “There’s a lot of people that pour into our kids, a whole lot of people love and care for them. And he was one more example of that from our school district when Chief Phillips worked for the school district. We just wanted to make sure we honored (his service) and recognized that.”
The superintendent said the decal “is a wonderful way to honor” Phillips.
“Our team is striving toward greatness,” he said. “I cannot think of a better man to exemplify greatness than Michael Phillips. It is a constant reminder to the student athletes to work hard and build every day on what you did the day before.”
