Midland ISD announces name, mascot for new middle schools
May 21—MIDLAND — Midland ISD is excited to announce the names and mascots for two new middle schools opening as part of the 2023 Bond Program: John "Randy" Storie Middle School and Midland Middle School. These names reflect deep community input and honor the rich history and legacy of education in Midland.
The name Midland Middle School was selected for the campus currently housing Midland Freshman High School, located on Gist Avenue. The mascot will be the "Dawgs," a nod to the "Bulldog" tradition at Midland High School. This name maintains continuity as students transition to Midland High School. The school's colors will remain aligned with those of Midland High School, supporting unity and tradition across campuses.
"The committee selected Midland Middle School to ensure a seamless transition for students moving on to Midland High School, while honoring the history of the current Midland Freshman building," said Cyndi Pyles, Executive Director of School Leadership.
The campus located on Neely Avenue — currently home to Legacy High School — will be renamed John "Randy" Storie Middle School, with the mascot "Buffalo," a news release said.
The name honors the late Randy Storie, a beloved and influential band director who served at Lee High School for over 30 years. Under his leadership, the Lee Band achieved national acclaim, including performances at the Tournament of Roses Parade, Carnegie Hall, and three Presidential Inaugural Parades. The Buffalo mascot symbolizes strength, resilience, and unity — attributes Storie exemplified and instilled in his students. It also serves as a meaningful tribute to his alma mater, West Texas A&M University, whose mascot is the Buffalo.
"The buffalo mascot symbolizes resilience and reflects the determination we strive to instill in our students," Pyles said in the release. "It also pays tribute to the legacy of Randy Storie; a proud graduate of West Texas A&M University and former Lee High School Band Director."
The naming process for both schools followed district policy and emphasized transparency and community engagement. Survey results, committee discussions, and input throughout the district played a critical role in the final recommendations. The names were approved by the Board of Trustees at the May regular board meeting.
Brand development for each campus — funded through the 2023 Bond Program — will continue in preparation for their official openings.
For more information about Midland ISD's bond projects, visit MidlandBond2023.com.
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And at the same time, he was doing the same things as those guys and he saw that they're professionals for years and could see the way they managed the workout and the recovery and that was good for him also.' Though Desnoyers says he's 6-2 and 180 pounds, Joseph would poke fun at him and call him 'chicken legs.' But 'he's way stronger than he looks,' Joseph insisted. Ahead of the draft, a few NHL strength and conditioning coaches have asked Joseph to send them Desnoyers' data from the gym. According to Joseph, they've been impressed by his numbers. 'For his size, the way he pushes the bar and the speed with which he pushes the bar is really, really impressive, even with big weights,' Joseph said. 'And when you look at him, he's got like small legs on him right now at 17 years old, and you can see he's got room for growth. But his numbers don't tell the same thing because he's really strong and fast for the size of his legs. I'd ask him sometimes, 'How can you push all that weight with those legs?' and he would laugh.' When Noreau first skated Desnoyers, he wasn't up to date on any of the up-and-coming players. That first skate was focused on shooting (Noreau was known for his shot during his playing career). Desnoyers was a natural, listening intently and picking up on his tips quickly. Right away, Noreau was struck by how hardworking he was. Advertisement 'The big thing with Caleb that I think is even a little overlooked still is attitude-wise, you talk about being a complete player, about being a dog, about being an impact in the game, and some guys want to be that guy but when the big moments come and it's a stressful situation or you've got a lot of pressure to perform, I feel like Caleb is more the type of guy that wants to be there,' Noreau said. 'If a team goes to a shootout, he wants the shot. He knows that there's a big risk and reward to it but I think he knows that 'Hey, I want that. It's on me. And if anybody's going to fail, let it be me.' And that attitude is going to bring him a long way. And sometimes he's going to fail and he won't be perfect all the time, but just to have that attitude, and even in practice he's asking me a lot of questions and why guys do certain things, and just having that, regardless of all of the other attributes that he also has, I think that's huge.' A year after beginning their work together, Noreau now believes the sum of those things will make Desnoyers a player who is used in key situations and put in leadership roles in the NHL. 'You put him out late in a game or on the PK for a faceoff or whatever it is, he's smart enough to know what his job is at that time. It's not about 'I need to be Caleb leading in points,' it's 'Hey, I've got a job to do,'' Noreau said. 'I have a discussion about that with a lot of my top guys, and I always say, 'Do you think that people don't notice in the stands if you're not out there every game late in the game?' That goes a long way, being that guy. And he wants to be that guy.' — With reporting in London, Ont. (Top photo courtesy of Daniel St. Louis / CHL)
