Merren keeps hope alive despite 44 losses in a row

Jayson Merren’s program has not won a game since September 2009. (Courtesy of HISD)

Following their 33-0 loss to Houston Jones, the Houston Scarborough Spartans fell to 0-7 on the season. Unfortunately, that is just the tip of the iceberg for Jayson Merren’s squad.

Generally speaking, a lot has happened since September 2009. The United States has not only killed Osama bin Laden, Kathryn Bigelow has had time to make an Oscar-nominated film about it.  Our country itself has nearly defaulted on its debt twice, Alabama has won three national championships and two former Texas high school players (Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel) have won the Heisman Trophy.

So what hasn’t happened since LeBron James was a Cleveland Cavalier? A win for the Scarborough football program. That’s right, the Spartans are in the midst of their fifth-straight winless football season. They have Texas’ current longest losing streak at 44 games in a row, good for the seventh-worst in the state’s history. If they lose out this season, Scarborough’s seniors will never have won a high school football game. Making matters worse, Jayson Merren’s squad has not scored since a 31-6 opening week loss to Baytown Lee. And their 36-game winless streak in district figures to be extended this week at Houston Worthing.

All-time Consecutive Losses

1.     80 – Houston Davis, 1985-1993
2.     53 – Kountze, 1977-1982
3.     51 – San Antonio Memorial, 1983-1989
4.     50 – San Antonio Burbank, 1989-1993
5.     48 - Houston Reagan, 1991-96
6.     47 - Brownsville Porter, 1990-95
7.     44 - Houston Scarborough 2009-present

If there is a bright side, it is Merren himself, and the program’s faith in him throughout this difficult process. He has been at the helm for the past three seasons and has his smalltown-sized roster of 25 players playing hard for him every week. Between the administration, the players and the head coach, nobody is giving up or walking out on this team. Everyone understands this will be a ongoing process.

Hopefully that commitment to right the ship will keep the Spartans from breaking Houston Davis’ unenviable record of 80 consecutive losses set in 1993. While we all know high school football is not just about winning, every kid in every program deserves his work to be rewarded with victory.

by Zach Shelton
Lone Star Gridiron Intern
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