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SEPTEMBER 2019

Cowboys Super Fan Players Then & Now Small Town Football Mustang Memories

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FROM THE EDITOR Ready for the game PUBLISHER Sandra Castillo EDITOR Karen Gleason WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Brian Argabright Xochitl Arteaga Karen Gleason Vanessa Salas ADVERTISING Xochitl Arteaga PRODUCTION

Roland Cardenas EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 247 ADVERTISING xochitl.arteaga@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 250 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

I don’t know much about sports, especially football but I also know it is a passion for many Texans, my husband and son included, and many Del Rioans, so when Del Rio News-Herald Sports Editor and Grande contributor Brian Argabright suggested we do a football issue, I was all in. I got the chance to interview some friends – Alonzo Martinez, Eddie Amezcua Jr. and Mack Pusley. I’ve known these men for some time, and it was a pleasure to talk to them in-depth about their lives and fascinating individual journeys. Alonzo also organized a “mini reunion” of more than a dozen members of the old San Felipe High School Mustangs, and I spent a pleasant hour listening to those “Old Horses” reminisce about growing up in El Barrio de San Felipe and hear their pride at carrying the purple and gold onto the field of battle. Brian interviewed another one of Del Rio’s former gridiron greats, Jorge Fernandez, now a trainer and living the good life in San Diego, Calif. Brian also took us into the Dallas Cowboys shrine that is the home of Del Rioan Neto Hernandez and gave us an inside look into a nearby football program at Brackett High School. I’d like to close this month’s letter by dedicating this issue to the memory of Guadalupe “Lupe” De Hoyos, who passed into the spirit world on Aug. 23, just as this magazine was going to press. Mr. De Hoyos was the only person who coached at all three of our local high schools, leading the San Felipe High School Mustangs, the Del Rio High School Wildcats and the Del Rio High School Rams. Lupe’s home is located in the same north Del Rio neighborhood where I live, and when I drove to work on the morning of Aug. 23, I passed his home and realized from the vehicles outside that he had passed. I drove to work thinking of his many contributions to our community over the long years, but what really came to mind was part of a poem called “Alumnus Football,” by Grantland Rice: “You’ll find the road is long and rough, with soft spots far apart; Where only those can make the grade who have the uphill heart. And when they stop you with a thud or jolt you with a crack, Let courage call the signals as you keep on coming back. Keep coming back and though the world may romp across your spine, Let every game’s end find you still upon the battling line. For when the One Great Scorer seeks to mark against your name, He writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.” Godspeed, Coach. Karen Gleason Del Rio Grande Editor

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

CONTENTS 8

CALENDAR Keep busy this month at these local events.

THEN AND NOW: JORGE FERNANDEZ

THEN AND NOW: MACK PUSLEY Former Wildcat spent career on the railroad.

COWBOYS SUPER FAN

Rams standout now a personal trainer.

Dallas team collectibles fill this fan’s home.

THEN AND NOW: ALONZO MARTINEZ Mustang alum retired after Border Patrol career.

THEN AND NOW: EDDIE AMEZCUA JR. Football lessons translate to business arena.

SEPTEMBER DRINK

DRESSED TO THRILL Rams ready to shine under Friday night lights.

SMALL TOWN PASSION Brackett Tigers get ready to roar.

A BROTHERHOOD REMEMBERED Mustangs recall San Felipe’s pride.

Salted Watermelon Paloma lets summer linger.

FOOTBALL PICKS

Get in the game with these gridiron favorites.

FOOTBALL FROMAGE This easy dip is sure to wow gameday fans.

LAST LOOK Grande writer and photographer Brian Argabright wraps up the issue.

ON THE COVER: Del Rio Rams Defensive Back, Grady Joseph Scholz is ready for the start of the 2019-20 varsity football season. Scholz is a Senior at Del Rio High School, and has grown to love the sport since his Pee Wee and Prep days playing with the Del Rio Longhorns. Photo by Vanessa Salas/Vanessa Salas Photography.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

Keep busy this month at these fun local events 7

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FRIENDS OF THE NRA ANNUAL BANQUET • 5:30 P.M. IMPERIUS EVENTS CENTER • 9935 U.S. HWY 90 Join the Friends of the NRA for their annual fundraiser. There will be gun raffles, live auctions, special drawings and limited-edition firearms. Tickets are $40 per person, $400 for a table. Contact Fernando Garcia at (830) 5916834 for more information.

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COOKING WITH THE BULLS • 10 A.M. – 2 P.M. CIVIC CENTER • 1915 VETERANS BLVD. A barbecue competition and plate sale to benefit Del Rio’s Loaves & Fishes Food Bank. A family fun event with food, bouncy castles, music, raffle prizes, games and much more.

DEL RIO BUSINESS SHOWCASE • 6 CIVIC CENTER • 1915 VETERANS BLVD. Presented annually by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, this event is a chance for local businesses and their employees to mingle and network in a fun atmosphere. “Superheroes” is the theme for this year’s showcase. Lots of giveaways.

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Del Rioan Jorge Fernandez works with one of his clients during a recent training session. Fernandez’s passion for physical fitness began during his collegiate pitching career.

Then and Now

JORGE FERNANDEZ Story by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT; photos by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT and contributed by JORGE FERNANDEZ

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

orge Fernandez has always been a team player; only now his teammates are models instead of football players. Fernandez, a 2013 graduate of Del Rio High School, traded in his football pads years ago but said the lessons he learned as the starting quarterback for the Rams he carries with him in his everyday life as a personal trainer and owner of SloanFit. “What did I learn from football? Man, what didn’t I learn from football,” Fernandez, 24, said via telephone from his home in San Diego, Calif. “I still, today, use everything I learned in football and growing

up with Coach Hoffman and Coach McCrea. Anytime I’m doubting myself I always go back to those lessons. One of the biggest things I learned is always pull from the same side of the rope. It’s very easy to become an individual, to make it all about you. In high school, I did have a lot of attention from friends and family, but the people that kept me grounded were my coaches. It always felt good and helped elevate my game when I helped a running back or lineman to understand how to play the game. It was always about my team.” Fernandez was the Rams starting quarterback from 2010-2012. He was a three-time all-district selection at quarterback and guided the Rams to the playoffs in each of those three years. He also led the Rams to their first district championship in 19 years when Del Rio ran the table in District 29-5A in 2012. That season was one of the most memorable for Fernandez. After starting the season 0-2, Del Rio rattled off eight straight wins including a perfect 6-0 mark in district. However, Fernandez broke his leg in Del Rio’s win over Laredo United and could only watch as the Rams beat Eagle Pass to seal the district crown and then earned wins in the Bi-District and Area rounds to reach the regional semifinals for the second time under head coach Steve Hoffman. Fernandez returned to the field for that third round game, but his football career ended with a 63-7 loss to San Antonio Brandeis. “On that first snap … it was a slant to the right … I received the ball and dropped back to throw. The wide receiver was wide open as the safety and corner had dropped back, but they broke on the ball and knocked it down. I remember thinking I’d never seen a safety and a corner break that fast to block a pass. I knew at that point we were gonna have to strap this on,” Fernandez said. “In the huddle I told G-Lo (running back Gudelio Garza) no one has ever broke to the ball that fast. I told G-Lo, ‘I love you and let’s get this going.’” Baseball was Fernandez’s other

Jorge Fernandez, a graduate of the Del Rio High Class of 2013, works out near his home in San Diego, Calif. Fernandez, a former quarterback for the Del Rio Rams, is now focused on physical fitness through his personal company and through his competing in CrossFit.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Jorge Fernandez was a three-time all-district selection during his time as quarterback for the Del Rio Rams.

Jorge Fernandez scrambles out of trouble during a 2011 football game. Fernandez helped lead the Rams to their first district championship in 19 years when Del Rio went unbeaten in district play in 2012.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Former Rams assistant coach Chris Wren works to help Jorge Fernandez contain his emotions following the news Fernandez had broken his leg against Laredo United in 2012. Fernandez would miss the remainder of that game and the next three games before returning in the third round of the playoffs.

Jorge Fernandez heaves a pass downfield during the 2011 Del Rio High football season. Fernandez was the Rams quarterback from 2010 to 2012.

love and the former Rams hurler earned two all-district selections and a playoff appearance before graduating. He went on to become a collegiate pitcher, first at Texas State University and then San Jacinto College before finishing his career at San Diego State University. He had an opportunity to play at the next level, but in July 2018 he announced his retirement from baseball. Despite his playing career coming to an end, Fernandez stayed active and focused on physical training, something he had become interested in during his time as a pitcher. He went to work for a corporate gym in San Diego and eventually formed his own company, SloanFit, to help train models and help them reach their fitness goals in a more healthy way. “I knew a bunch of friends here that model and we were talking and I learned they were getting the wrong direction on how they were eating and trying to get fit. I helped them out and fell in love with the idea of pushing and helping them reach their goals to achieve a better lifestyle,” Fernandez said. “I chose the word ‘sloan’ because it means warrior in Gaelic. I want to turn these women into warriors. It’s kind of hard for them to believe in themselves sometimes, but all they need is a little help.” “The time I work with them depends on their needs and the initial consultation. We’ll sit down and go over their goals. Their agents will show me photos and let me know what they want to achieve in terms of their weight and their size, like in their waist. Some of my clients are fitness models, some are lingerie models, so it’s all different because they all have different frames and different goals,” Fernandez added. Fernandez is also training to compete in CrossFit. He said he’s been training at CrossFit Invictus and working his way to become a competitive athlete in that sport. His ultimate goal is to compete in the CrossFit games. •

Del Rioan Jorge Fernandez works with several of his clients through his SloanFit business. Fernandez helps models achieve their fitness and personal goals through a program catered to their specific goals and needs.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Then and Now

ALONZO MARTINEZ Story by KAREN GLEASON; photos by KAREN GLEASON and contributed by ALONZO MARTINEZ

lonzo Martinez played for the San Felipe High School Mustangs from 1967 through 1970, the year he graduated. He was on the “B team” for one year, then played varsity for three years. He played offensive guard and tackle and in his senior year, he played defensive and offensive tackle, playing the entire game. Martinez said when he left high school, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. “The only thing I knew for sure is that I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be, but I had some very good teachers who inspired me, and

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

one of them was Mr. Ruben Flores. He taught social studies, and he was one of our football coaches, too. He was just awesome. He was very powerful in the room, his character, and through him, I developed a liking for government and history,” Martinez said. For a time, Martinez said he thought about becoming a lawyer, but he changed his mind when he went to Angelo State University and began taking pre-law courses. “It wasn’t the law that made me decide not to go into this field, it was that it seemed to be about who sits on the court and who’s in the executive branch as to how

the law is going to sway, and I said, ‘I really don’t want to play that game,’ but that is where I really wanted to be,” Martinez said. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State in 1973, majoring in government and minoring in history and took his required education courses and received a teaching certificate. After graduation, he returned to Del Rio, still trying to set the course of his life, and taught at Del Rio High School for a year. “Besides a lot of work, teaching is the hardest job I ever tried to do. I taught for a year, and I knew it just wasn’t for me. It’s a great challenge, and it takes special people,” he said. Martinez said he then decided to fulfill one of his childhood dreams and join the military. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for two years and two months. He married while he was in the Army, and his daughter was born about a month before he left the service. In the service he served as a military policeman, stationed in the Washington, D.C., area. From that experience, he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement once he left the Army. “I thought about where I wanted to work, Del Rio PD or the sheriff’s office. I knew I didn’t want to go to a big city, and then it dawned on me: Border Patrol. So that’s what I did. I joined the Border Patrol on Nov. 7, 1977,” he said. His first duty station was Yuma, Ariz., where he spent five years, which he remembers being among the best of his career. He came to Del Rio in January 1983 and served at the port of entry for two years, then “went back into the green uniform” for another two years. Martinez spent nine years “in the Border Patrol uniform.” He served in inspections for two years. The rest of his years in the Border Patrol was spent in investigations. “It was something I never thought I would be interested in, because I loved being out in the field so much, but I took a job in Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 1987, and opened up a one-man office,” he said. He spent the next 17 years as an investigator for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. “The first thing I learned in investigations was patience. You couldn’t just go out there, pick a target and arrest them. You had to develop a case, so you had to use your brain a little bit more,” he said. Martinez moved to Omaha, Neb., when a friend called him and asked him to take the position of assistant district director of investigations there in October 1998. He stayed in Omaha until his retirement in July of 2004. In the last years of his career, Martinez led a major anti-smuggling investigation after 11 immigrants were

found dead inside a grain car in Iowa. The case garnered national media attention and led to prison sentences for a dozen defendants. Now retired, but still active in community activities, Martinez said he has always looked back on his days as a Mustang with an indelible fondness and nostalgia. “One of the things that stands out to me is the pride you always feel in being a Mustang and the pride because you were from San Felipe. When I was playing football, I wasn’t thinking of the lifelong lessons. That would come later, and the coaches would tell us that: ‘Someday you’ll appreciate all this, because it’s going to teach you things.’” “It taught us discipline. It taught us perseverance. It taught us that if you like something, you keep working at it, even when it gets hard,” Martinez said. He remembers how tough the coaches were and how players knew that if they complained, they would simply be invited to sit down and stop playing and how none of them really wanted that. “Looking back at all of it, I learned how important they all were, the coaches, the teachers, our mentors, and to follow their advice,” he said. He said he also remembers the unwavering support of the San Felipe community. “I remember on Friday nights when we would go play, that stadium was packed. Even when went out of town, the people of San Felipe would follow us, and you’d see the line of headlights, just like in that movie ‘Field of Dreams,’ and it wasn’t just parents. It was fans,” Martinez said. “On Monday morning, you’d go back to school, and I remember Mrs. Rosario ‘Chayo’ Cardenas. She was the librarian, and she would always tell us, ‘That was a great game you guys played; good job.’ Even if we’d gotten beaten up, and the coach had told us how lousy we’d played, we appreciated that and next Friday we’d be back to go again,” he said. “If you play a team sport, it teaches you that you have to rely on the other players. I did that in football. I did that in the Army, and I did that when I was working in law enforcement, and you have to trust them to do their job, just like they’re trusting you to do yours, and we’ll be okay,” Martinez said. He said he also learned that things would always get better. “In my senior year, we lost eight games out of 10, but those two that we won are so very special. I learned the respect that you get when you do your very best, and the same thing happens when you go out into life. You have to earn respect. If you mean what you say, and you do what you say, people are going to respect you, and they will come back and look for you,” Martinez said. •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Then and Now

EDDIE AMEZCUA, JR. Story by KAREN GLEASON; photos by KAREN GLEASON and contributed by EDDIE AMEZCUA, JR.

ddie Amezcua Jr. played for the Del Rio High School Rams in 1996, 1997 and 1998, going to the Rams program after playing for the Garfield Cowboys. He played football from fifth grade until he graduated from high school in 1998. As a Ram, he played as a lineman, both on offense and defense. Amezcua attended Southwest Texas Junior College in Del Rio for a year after graduating from high school. He said he wanted to move to Austin, but his life took a different turn when he decided to join the United States Marine Corps.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Amezcua said he dug deep and persevered through basic training, then stayed in the Marine Corps, serving as a communications radio operator in Japan for two years, then returning to the U.S. after 9/11 and doing two tours of duty in Iraq. He spent a total of four-and-a-half years in the Corps. Using the lessons learned from his football days, Amezcua said he integrated the Marine Corps mantra of â&#x20AC;&#x153;adapt and overcome.â&#x20AC;? After serving his country, Amezcua went to the University of Texas at San Antonio, earning a degree in criminal justice in 2006. He said he considered joining the Border Patrol,

but went to work as a loss prevention officer for USBC, a communications company, in San Antonio. After AT&T bought USBC, Amezcua went to work as an investigator for Child Protective Services, where he stayed for two years. At that time, Amezcua’s father decided to start a business in Del Rio, and Amezcua returned to the Queen City to help open and run Buffalo Wings & Rings restaurant in the fall of 2009. Today, Amezcua is helping his family with its newest business venture: the operation and renovation of Skillets restaurant. Amezcua said among the most important lesson he learned from those football days was never giving up. “Coach Evans and Coach Golightly, those were the people that shaped your life. . .They gave you the sense that, ‘We might be a small community, but don’t give up. Push, push, push.’ And that’s what I remember. I remember those hot days, asking myself why I was doing this,” Amezcua said. Amezcua said he bonded deeply with his teammates and said they are still all friends today. “We saw each others’ blood, sweat and tears come out, and we became vulnerable with each other, and going forward, the Marine Corps did the same thing, and even with business, the same thing,” Amezcua said. Most importantly, Amezcua said, he gained a deep sense of the community’s optimism. “It showed me how supportive the community is, how it bonded around the football team. People talk about ‘Friday Night Lights,’ we lived that. . . And it was, the sense of pride in your community. People are giving you so much love, you strive for that extra mile because you want to show them you did it. . . The other thing was that as soon as the season was over, no matter if you went 0-10, it was, ‘We always have next year. Go Rams, we love you.’ It was an optimism, a looking to the future,” he said. •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Then and Now

MACK PUSLEY Story by KAREN GLEASON; photos by KAREN GLEASON and contributed by MACK PUSLEY

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

ack Pusley played for the Del Rio High School Wildcats in the years just before the Del Rio and San Felipe school districts were ordered to consolidate. Pusley graduated from Del Rio High School in 1970 and played football every year starting in the seventh grade. He played defense on the varsity team. “Nobody knows it now, but it was called an ‘Arkansas monster’ defense, and I was a monster man. I played defense almost exclusively. I enjoyed hitting people more than I enjoyed getting hit,” Pusley recalled. Pusley said although he played football for many years, baseball is the sport where he truly excelled. “I played All-Stars every year, and I played high school varsity and Babe Ruth All-Stars. I played with Larvell Blanks. I played against him when he played for the San Felipe Mustangs, and I played for the Del Rio Wildcats, but in Babe Ruth, we played on the same All-Star team and traveled around. “I also played with Wayne Benson, who played pro ball for a few years, and he was a real good player,” Pusley recalled. His time on the baseball team paid off in a way Pusley never imagined at the time. “After high school, because my high school All-Star coach was an engineer on the railroad, when I graduated, he asked me, ‘Do you want a job on the railroad?’ And that was back when, if you knew somebody, you could get a job with them. And he said, ‘Well, if you want a job, go down there and mark up. Go to work.’ I said, ‘Just like that?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, tell ’em I sent ya.’ He ended up taking me down there and introducing me to the manager, and two weeks after I got my high school diploma, I went to work for the railroad,” Pusley said. He began working as a brakeman for Southern Pacific in the summer of 1970, then moved up to conductor. “The last 13 years I worked for them, I was a union rep. During my years there, the railroad still had a culture of management by fear and intimidation, and I’d get between the men and the company,” Pusley said. Pusley worked for the railroad for 42 years, retiring in December of 2013. Since then, he and his wife Nancy, a former teacher, have traveled and volunteered, and Pusley has taken up gardening and bird photography. He and his wife are active in their church, where he chairs the finance committee. He is also a volunteer chaplain for the

hospital. Pusley said among his most valued lessons from the gridiron were getting along with other people. “In August, when I was playing, we went to two-a-days, when it was 100 degrees plus. We would go at 7:30 in the morning and have a practice and come back at 5 and have a practice, and it was murder, so everybody you went through that experience with, I guess you’d say you have a bond that most students didn’t have. “I also learned to appreciate the effort that it took to do those things. Most students go to school at 8:30 and go home at 3:30, but we did all this over and above that. It took quite a commitment to do that. Of course we were just teenagers playing a game, but little did we know that a federal judge, William Wayne Justice was going to order consolidation, and that it was just around the corner,” he said. He said he laughed when he read “the uproar” about a change in the Rams’ football helmet decals. “For us, our Del Rio Wildcats and maroon and gold and school song went away forever, and the San Felipe Mustangs and their purple and gold went away forever (because of consolidation). Changing a decal seems pretty insignificant compared to that,” Pusley said. Pusley said the team in those years also had a yearround workout program. He said some of his best memories include a game in Fredericksburg. “We went up there, and we played them to a 0-to0 tie at half-time and listened to our coaches. We were in there for 30 or 40 minutes and when we came out, everything was white. It had started snowing after we went into the dressing room, and when we came back out, the whole field was covered in snow. For a Del Rio boy, that was pretty unusual. We ended up losing, 20-to-0 or something. I think we were all a little freaked out to be playing in the snow,” he recalled with a laugh. He also remembered the pride in representing his community. “Just running out on the field and representing your town, your school. That was a big deal for a kid,” Pusley said. “I was never All-State. I was never that player. I can say that I called plays on defense, and I ran that part of the game, but I was never the star of the team or anything like that. I was the captain of the team my senior year, but I wouldn’t change any of it,” Pusley said. •

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Ernesto â&#x20AC;&#x153;Netoâ&#x20AC;? Hernandez holds a replica of the Dallas Cowboys famed white throwback helmets. Hernandez said he was a Cowboys fan when he was a child and is now an avid collector of sports memorabilia, but especially Cowboys items.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Crazy ’Bout Them Cowboys Story and photos by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT

hen Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez dies he said he wants to be buried in a casket painted in the official Dallas Cowboys shade of blue. For Del Rio’s Cowboys super fan, it would be a fitting tribute. Hernandez, 64, has been a Cowboys fan since his youth. He was a fan of Dallas greats Roger Staubach and “Dandy” Don Meredith and the famed “Doomsday Defense.” But in 1985 Hernandez decided to get healthy and cut drinking alcohol from his life. He said after that he needed something to keep him busy. And thus, his passion for collecting all things Dallas Cowboys was born. “I watched a lot of the Cowboys as a kid. They showed them on TV just about every Sunday,” Hernandez said. “I grew up as a fan of Staubach, (Bob) Lilly and Meredith. I just liked the team.” From the outside, Hernandez’s modest house doesn’t look like it would house a mini-museum of Cowboys collectibles, but the first thing you’ll notice is a pickup truck painted in Dallas Cowboys navy blue. Take a peek inside and you’ll see the floor mats and seats bear the mark of the Cowboys.

This miniature replica of the Dallas Cowboys throwback helmet features the signatures of members of the Cowboys famed Doomsday Defense.

That’s just the beginning. Once inside you’ll see the first remnants of the collection. One and a half of the walls in the living room are covered, ceiling to floor, in Cowboys merchandise. There are photos of players and of the team. There are pennants, action figures, keychains, baseball caps, mugs, cups, helmets, dolls, footballs, Santa caps, garden gnomes and more. A soap dispenser sits on a shelf near a plush, handmade Cowboys doll from the 1970’s. In storage he has even more items including Wheaties boxes that feature the Cowboys on the front following their Super Bowl championships. He admitted two of the boxes still have the original cereal sealed inside the bags. The others are empty. “I’m just a diehard fan,” Hernandez, who said he gave up counting how much Dallas Cowboys merchandise he owns years ago, said. When asked roughly how many pieces he owns, Hernandez shrugged his shoulders and guessed about 500 different pieces but admits that it could be closer to 800. Down the hall is a room that features a door marked by three distinct items – a sign that says, “Dallas Cowboys Locker Room,”

One of Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez’s favorite collectibles is this group of vintage Genesco Pepsi Promo Bobbleheads from 2001. Only 10,000 sets were made. He is missing only the Ed “Too Tall” Jones to complete the set. GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez points out a pair of jerseys that hang in his Dallas Cowboys room.

A large Emmitt Smith cutout adorns one of the walls in Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez’s Dallas Cowboys room.

Neto Hernandez said his grandchildren are usually the only people that spend time in the Cowboys room.

a license plate that says, “Dallas Cowboys #1 Fan,” and the largest item, a wool blend banner that features the words “Dallas Cowboys World Champions”, the logos of each of the Super Bowls the Cowboys have won and the years of those championships. Beyond that door are some of Hernandez’s most prized possessions. Every wall, nearly every space in that room, is covered in Dallas Cowboys memorabilia, highlighted by a light-up Cowboys clock, “because it’s always Cowboys time somewhere,” Hernandez said, and his favorite piece – an autographed Emmitt Smith jersey that features Smith’s career highlights embroidered beneath the number. Hernandez said no one comes into the Cowboys room except for his grandchildren, but they know the rules when it comes to staying in that part of the house.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

This is one of the walls in Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez’s living room, covered from ceiling to floor in Dallas Cowboys memorabilia. The longtime collector has lost count of how many items he owns, but estimates it is more than 800 unique pieces.

“They aren’t allowed to touch anything in the room except the TV remote. If they get mad at each other, they come to me and say, ‘Grandpa, he touched this or that,’” Hernandez said. Hernandez’s collection came from a variety of places. Some were gifts from friends and family, some was from his years as a sports memorabilia collector and other times it was from trips to garage sales and flea markets. “I’m always looking for Cowboys stuff. The unique stuff is the most fun to find. Of course, people always give me Cowboys stuff. My daughters, my son and my wife will buy me Cowboys stuff because that’s what I like and it makes me happy,” Hernandez said. Hernandez has also made the trek to watch the Cowboys play live multiple times. He said he’s lost count of how many times he’s seen the Cowboys play, but said he remembers his first playoff game was Dallas versus the Los Angeles Rams in 1979.

“My brother and I would go to games every year throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. I used to go every year also with the San Felipe Lions Club or some of the local postmen. The last game I went to was in 2016. Ticket prices have really gone up since then,” Hernandez said. Most of his photos bear the signatures of the people featured. Hernandez said he was able to acquire the signatures by going to training camps and through trade shows. “I’ve met Emmitt and Staubach and so many other famous Cowboys. Seeing them turns me into a kid again. I see them out there and catch myself saying, ‘Golly, look there goes Emmitt,’ and I still say that at age 64. I even got to try on Drew Pearson’s Super Bowl ring,” Hernandez said. Hernandez said he had a normal childhood. He played pee wee football and wore the same number as his childhood favorite,

“Bullet” Bob Hayes. He played football, basketball and baseball growing up, but when he got to high school he turned his attention to golf. He helped his team win two district titles in his time at San Felipe High and the consolidated Del Rio High. Thirty-six years later, his son, Ernie, won a district title with the Rams. Hernandez admits that there’s a limit to his collecting. He said his wife has objected to the collection taking over too much of the house, so that’s why he keeps the remainder of it stored away. “I had to stop trying to put it out. That hallway was next and that’s where she drew the line. She said that was for family, so that’s where those photos go,” Hernandez said. “I’ve already said what I want if I ever die. I want to be buried in my Emmitt Smith jersey and the casket will have to be Cowboys blue with little footballs or helmets on the corners.” •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

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Salted Watermelon

PALOMA Recipe and photo by XOCHITL ARTEAGA

am excited to share with you this watermelon paloma cocktail that’s both pretty and delicious. With the summer drawing to a close, I’m determined to live each one of these days to their fullest. When it comes to watermelon, I usually love to eat it as is. It makes the perfect snack: sweet, cool and refreshing. It also makes it a great addition to a wonderful late summer cocktail. It’s possibly the easiest and most delicious drink to make. If you are unfamiliar with the paloma, it is a Mexican cocktail that consists of a mix of grapefruit juice, silver tequila, lime and club soda. It is so good: super simple and very thirst quenching. You know what I think? I think I am going to be making palomas every weekend from now until October. They are very good, easy cocktails that are always a winner. Start to finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients • 2 cups of cubed watermelon • Kosher salt • 1/4 cup fresh watermelon juice • 2 ounces of silver tequila • 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice • Sparkling water for topping • Fresh mint for serving

Method Add the watermelon to the blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar. You should have about a cup of watermelon juice. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and coat the rim in salt. Fill your glass halfway with ice. Add the orange juice, tequila and lime juice. Stir to combine, then top with sparkling water. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Football

Cheese Dip Recipe and photo by MARA ALAYON/XOCHITL ARTEAGA

hen it’s football season, it’s fun to have friends and family over to snack and watch the game. This tasty cheese appetizer will feed a squad of fans and become your new go-to whenever the crowd lands at your house. It is so easy to make, too. This dip is the perfect “football” appetizer with bacon, and trust me, everyone will rave over at it at your next TV game party. It’s also the perfect Super Bowl potluck appetizer that’s inexpensive to prepare and really tasty with crackers. This tasty snack will be a big hit with football fans of all ages. Here’s how you make a football-shaped cheese snack that’s fun to look at and fun to eat.

Ingredients • 1/2 pounds sliced bacon • 1 to 2 medium jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped. If you want extra heat, retain some of the seeds. • 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature • 1 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped scallions, light green and white parts • Crackers for serving

Method Heat oven to 400 F. Place the bacon slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets lined with foil and bake until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Spoon two tablespoons bacon drippings into a skillet and reserve the rest of the drippings for another use. Once the bacon has cooled, coarsely chop it. Heat the bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together 1 cup chopped bacon, the sautéed jalapeño, the cream cheese, Cheddar and

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

the scallions until combined. Scrape the mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and, using the plastic wrap to keep your hands from getting messy, shape the mixture into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, with the cheese ball still wrapped in plastic, form it into a football shape. Remove plastic wrap and cover “football” in the remaining chopped bacon to coat it completely. Strategically place a few strands of Cheddar cheese on the football to resemble laces. Serve with crackers and be ready for cheers. •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

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GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Small Town Passion

n the state of Texas, football isn’t so much a sport as a way of life. From A&M Consolidated to Zephyr, towns across the state celebrate the fall by firing up those Friday night lights and coming together in support of their schools or towns as they take to the gridiron and make memories that will last the rest of their lives. In the small town of Brackettville, located about 30 miles East of Del Rio, football isn’t just another sport that dots the school calendar. It’s a unifier that brings together folks of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds to cheer on the

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

young men who wear the black and gold and call themselves Brackett Tigers. Brackett High School is the heart and soul of Brackettville. With a student population of roughly 170, it is almost always the smallest school in its district, which includes defending Class 2A, Division I State champion Mason. With such a small student body, it’s not unusual for Brackett’s football team to run small as well, in terms of players. This year, Tigers head coach Gary Griffin said he expects about 30 players to suit up and take on the challenge of returning to the playoffs for a second straight year.

Story and photos by BRIAN ARGABRIGHT

Brackett High head football coach Gary Griffin talks to his players following a recent morning practice session. Griffin is entering his third season as head coach at Brackett High following more than a decade as head coach at Uvalde.

“Last year we had 45 kids, but this year we are senior heavy. The good thing is nearly every school in our district faces the same kind of scenario as us, except Mason,” Griffin said. Just like the majority of other schools in Texas, Brackett’s football practices begin with the first Monday in August. Most of the players arrive on the first day and start working, but it’s not unusual to have players roll in days or weeks later. Many of the players work on ranches or out of town, and work comes first during the summer. This year, Griffin said he may pick up one more player for the team, but he said he doesn’t expect more than that. Practices are held on a grass field within steps of the fieldhouse. There are no trainers to bring the players water. Players from the junior high team will volunteer just to be a part of the high school team. Even the Tigers’ home field is unique. Drive down Ann Street and you’ll see a sign that points you towards Tiger Stadium. Tucked away at the end of West Second Street is a football stadium that doesn’t have the bells or whistles that dot most modern stadiums. The pressbox is a two-story, metal shed with the familiar Tigers logo smack dab in the center of its front. The scoreboard is digital, but the field is grass and is cut by a diligent Brackett ISD employee who will make several passes on a riding lawnmower until the height of the grass is just right. The lot the stadium sits on is so small that it’s not unusual to have a stoppage in play to retrieve the official game ball after it sails over the fence behind either end zone. The home side seating area is nearly completely metal, from the long rows of benches to the handrails and safety fencing that fills in most of the gaps, but for those fans willing to pay a little bit more, there are reserved seats that come with plastic seats.

New plastic seats, complete with seat backs, dot the home side seating area at Brackettville’s Tiger Stadium. The plastic seats are intended for reserved ticket holders.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Offensive line coach J.J. Guidry discusses a situation with a Brackett Tigers player. Guidry, a Brackett High graduate, returned to coach at Brackett last season.

The black and white metal scoreboard at Tiger Stadium watches over the groundskeeper tasked with cutting the grass on the football field. While many Texas schools have gone to turf fields, Brackettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game and practice fields are still natural grass.

Coach Ricky Creel explains strategy during a recent practice session. Creel, who coaches wide receivers and cornerbacks at Brackett High, is entering his 24th year of coaching.

Members of the Brackett Tigers football team work on their tackling technique during the first week of fall practice. About 30 kids will make up this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s varsity team.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Running back Christian De Leon looks for running room around the right end during the first week of Brackett Tigers football practice.

James Kay keeps an eye on his Brackett Tigers players during a drill during the first week of fall practice. Kay oversees the offensive and defensive line.

“That was an idea from the booster club,” Griffin said. “They upped the ticket prices for those seats, but they’ve become pretty popular.” It’s a stadium that is filled on Friday night with fans who expect to see their team fight to victory. Everyone has their usual place to watch the game, even if they’re standing along the metal piping that separates the fans from the field along the nearly non-existent sidelines. Visiting media sent to cover the game have been yelled at for blocking the view of the Tigers’ fans. “This is Texas high school football at the next to smallest level. There’s virtually no sideline, so it feels like the crowd is right on top of you,” Griffin said. “There’s one gate where both teams pass through, so there’s that air of excitement from the get-go. On football days, the town closes down and everyone comes to the game. It’s a real positive attitude here because everyone wants these kids to succeed for all the right reasons.” Even halftime has the football team’s fingerprints all over it. The band will usually feature one or two players, meaning that those young men will spend the first half in football pads, battling it out on the football field, and then remove their helmets and shoulder pads to stand shoulder

to shoulder with their fellow bandmates as they perform the halftime routine, including the Tigers’ fight song “Jalisco”. Griffin said three of his starters this year will also perform with the band. “We don’t have a lot of traditions in Brackett football, but we have some things you’ll always see here. It’s not unusual to have folks gather during pre-game and tailgate, enjoying some barbecue from one of the pits near the stadium. On Veterans Day, every kid on the team carries the US flag onto the field. For homecoming, the kids go to school half a day and then everything shuts down for the homecoming parade. It’s not very long, but the entire community takes part. The exes have floats, every grade has a float, the whole street shuts down for those two hours,” Griffin said. No mention of Brackett Tigers football would be complete without mentioning the adjacent field and the family of goats that call it home. During games, the bleating of the goats could be heard often, providing a rural backdrop to the sounds of football. It almost seemed the four-legged farm animals were watching the game and voicing their approval, or displeasure, at what was transpiring. “The goats have a new metal shed they stay in now. You can still hear them, you just can’t see them,” Griffin said. •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Remembering the brotherhood Mustangs recall legacy of pride and community Story and photos by KAREN GLEASON

An old helmet from the San Felipe High School Mustangs program on display at the San Felipe Exes Center.

he San Felipe Exes Center on West Garza Street is a small complex of buildings that houses a rich and important history. The center is a respository, not only of the memorabilia of students of the former San Felipe Independent School District, but also as a storehouse of moments, memories, aspirations and dreams. On a hot morning in early August, a handful of men who once played football in the purple and gold colors of the San Felipe High School Mustangs shared some of their best memories of being a Mustang and growing up as a member of the San Felipe community •

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Arturo O. Rocha is a member of the SFHS Class of 1967. He played for the Mustangs from 1963 through 1966 and played center, defensive tackle and did the kickoff in his senior year. “One of my best memories from playing football was when we beat Devine two years in a row, here and at Devine, and back then, Devine and Hondo, they were the biggest. You beat Devine, you were on top. “Football in San Felipe was always talked about at home. My mom was overprotective and didn’t really want us to play sports, but four of five brothers got to play football. I remember an awards ceremony in December, and when I went up to get my senior jacket, Coach (Robert) Chavira said, ‘And now

“Old Horses,” former San Felipe High School Mustang football players, gather at the San Felipe Exes Center to reminisce about the glory days: From left, Eloy Padilla, Manuel Guerrero, Alonzo Martinez, Gus Chavira, Arturo O. Rocha, Frank Sanchez, Ernesto Martinez, Roger T. Blanks, J.R. Garcia, Felix “Cat” Sauceda, Wayne Benson, Roberto “Bob” Chavira and Gilbert “La Titila” Martinez.

to get his senior jacket is the last one of the Rochas, Arturo Rocha.’ I’ve never forgotten that, standing on that stage with my new senior jacket. “I have a lot of memories, good memories. During football games, nobody was at home. Everybody was at the stadium, win or lose. In out-of-town games, I think there were more people on the visitor side than the home side. It seemed like all of San Felipe was there. One way or another, they went where we went,” Rocha said. • Eloy Padilla is a member of the SFHS Class of 1966. He played for the Mustangs from 1963 through 1966. He played tackle and middle guard. “I started out with the Del Rio Wildcats, and one of the coaches, Lupe De Hoyos, would come to our house almost every night and try to recruit my brother to come over to San Felipe because he was such a good baseball player. He wasn’t recruiting me, but I was the one that paid attention. We had to walk across the creek, and the first thing my so-called friends from Del Rio told me was that I was going to get beat up every day.

“My neighbor, Robert Vela, told me not to worry about it. He just told me to show that I could play ball, and I would be accepted. I proved myself and made the team, and I never had one problem at all. I felt like I belonged from the very first. “One of my best memories was beating Devine for the first time in 1965, 1966, with a last-second touchdown, and it was the first time in history San Felipe beat Devine. But what everyone is talking about is right, the brotherhood, the feeling that here we are, 50 years later, and we still identify ourselves as Mustangs,” Padilla said. • Felix “Cat” Sauceda is a member of the SFHS Class of 1972 and played for the Mustangs from 1970 and 1971. He played fullback and defensive end. “I want to thank Coach Robert Chavira, Danny Chavira, and all the other coaches for teaching us discipline. My best memories of football are rushing for 120 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a game against Samuel Clemens High School and another memory is that I had five sacks against St. Gerard High School, and they were rated the number one Catholic school,” Sauceda said.

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Frank Sanchez points to a photo of his younger self, a member of the San Felipe High School Mustangs that won a district championship in 1949.

• Wayne Benson is a member of the SFHS Class of 1972. He played for the Mustangs in 1969 and 1971 and moved to DRHS in 1972. He played running back and free safety. “Some of my best memories are getting up in the morning before school time. The band would be playing, and you could hear them all over the neighborhood. It used to wake me up. Real early in the morning, there on De La Rosa and Bridge streets, you could hear them, and you’d really get excited. You’d know, especially on Fridays, okay, it’s time to go, and I’d really get fired up, so it was good.

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“One of my fondest memories is playing the Del Rio Wildcats. I was a freshman under Bob Chavira. They were getting ready to kick off, and I was one of the guys in the back and Coach told me to switch with one of the other guys, so they kicked off to us and the other guy got the ball. We set up the line, the wall, and this guy took off. He was running, so I turned around and one of the Wildcats was getting ready to tackle Pete, but I hit him. I wiped him out, and that’s one of the things I’ll always remember,” Benson said. “After I left high school, I was an All-American at the junior college where I played. I got drafted by the Yankees and the

Chicago Cubs, and I signed with the Yankees in 1973. I was there for five years, and made it all the way to Triple A, then ripped my hamstrings,” Benson said. • Ernesto Martinez played for the Mustangs from 1969 through 1971. He was a member of San Felipe High School’s last graduating class, the Class of 1971. He played offensive center and played linebacker on defense. “We all grew up in the neighborhood of San Felipe. We first lived on Morin Street, and then we moved to Bowie Street. I remember us playing the street, and I used to idolize some of these guys here. We used to play street ball and I remember yelling, ‘Larvell Blanks moves back and throws the ball, and it’s caught by Earl Hicks.’ All of these people here they were the stepping stones for me. These guys paved the way for me to eventually play. “I remember going to the football games and the band. The stadium was full of people, there in the barrio of San Felipe, and they had the ‘High-Stepping Senoritas,’ who came into existence in 1968, and we would peek out at them,” Martinez said. “In 1969, I remember we played the Del Rio Wildcats, and San Felipe won. In 1970, Del Rio won, and there was a lot of talk about consolidation and who would have the ‘bragging rights,’ and little did we know, we played the last game (against Del Rio), and it was a 0-0 ball game, and, deep down, I feel like that’s the best thing that could have happened. We won one, and they won one, and nobody has bragging rights, and our kids have been able to play together now, from both sides, Del Rio and San Felipe, since then. Now they’re the Del Rio Rams. We came together, we bonded,” Martinez said. He also remembers his own personal best game, against Rio Grande City, in which he had 44

San Felipe Mustangs MVPs reunite: From left, Ernesto Martinez, Wayne Benson and Eloy Padilla.

Mustangs who played ball after their high school days include, from left, Wayne Benson, Gilbert Martinez, Roger T. Blanks and Roberto “Bob” Chavira.

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tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries. “That’s something I’ll never forget, and I’m lucky to have had the opportunity,” he recalled. • Frank Sanchez played for the Mustangs from 1948 through 1951 and played guard. “I had to run interference for all the backfield. “In 1948, we won the regional (championship) in Floresville, and in 1949, we lost the regionals here against Port Lavaca. Regionals was the highest you could go at that time,” Sanchez said. “Well, beating Floresville in the championship game by two points, that’s a great memory, and the reception we had from our fans here in Del Rio, because at that time we had a lot of fans, but times were hard, and they couldn’t all go to the games. That was something that I’ll never forget. “Of course, we had a great coach, Salvador Piembert. He had played football in Del Rio High School and from there he went to Sul Ross and played over there. He had gone to the Army and been wounded, so he couldn’t walk very well, but he was such an athlete that he would put on a uniform and get on the field with us. He was very, very quick and he would show us, and we’d be amazed how he could do all those things. “We didn’t know how to go to a restaurant and order a meal because we had never been exposed to that, so he took us to a restaurant after the game and he told us, ‘Look, they’re going to feed you, and after that you can ask for whatever you want.’ We ate and they used to have cans of fruit there on the shelf behind the counter, and they had all kinds of fruit. Well, when we saw them, we wanted them. We also got some ice cream and they asked us if we wanted some fruit with it, and we said, ‘Yes, yes, yes,’ and we ate all that fruit over there.” “I think that we were very proud of each other, and we encouraged each other a lot. We didn’t have the best of uniforms. . . It was kind of hard, but we managed. When they gave out socks or cleats, that was something special,” he said. • Gus Chavira is a member of the SFHS Class of 1964. He played for the Mustangs from 1960 through 1963, playing guard and linebacker. “I played under my brother, Roberto ‘Bob’ Chavira,” he said. “We were on that team that beat Hondo, and I’ll never forget the onset of that night. My brother Mike, may he rest in peace, made the opening tackle. We kicked off to them, and you could hear that hit all the way up to the bleachers. Bam! It made for an opening statement for that night, and we played like that the rest of the night. The final score was 36 to 20. We didn’t just beat them, we whupped them,” Chavira said. “This game of football really set the stage for my life. I knew when I was playing in the Ponies and the Mustangs later on. I knew I was going to be a coach, no ifs, ands or buts about it. But like these guys said, it’s really about brotherhood. I don’t remember a lot of guys that I went to school with, but I remember all the guys I played ball with,” Chavira said. •

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Manuel Guerrero is a member of the SFHS Class of 1971. He played football from 1969 through 1971 and played guard and sometimes tackle. “For me, it was listening to the high school band, because I used to live up here behind the Catholic church. You could hear the band and feel the pride of being a Mustang, but then I started playing, and I played under Bob Chavira, under Danny Chavira. I remember playing with Gilbert, with Larvell, with Wayne. It was really the pride of being a Mustang, of representing the barrio,” Guerrero said. • Roberto “Bob” Chavira played for the Mustangs from 1953 through 1957. He went to Howard Payne University on a football scholarship despite not playing football his senior year and graduated from there. He played nose guard and offensive guard in high school. “In high school, I played everything,” he said. “It was the togetherness that existed, then and throughout the years, the feeling of belonging. A lot of times people talk about pride, but we exercised that up here, it was something that you felt after you left San Felipe. You were able to tackle just about anything life threw at you because of the sureness that you had, that you had developed in high school,” Chavira said. • Roger T. Blanks played football for San Felipe from 1960 through 1963. He played running back and quarterback during his senior season. “We had the great distinction of being the only class in 1963 to beat Hondo, and you want to know the irony in that? I wound up coaching at Hondo High School,” Blanks said. “Besides beating Hondo, when I was round about nine years old, where I lived, close to the stadium, we could hear the band, we could hear when the team was doing calisthenics, and I couldn’t wait until I could get my ass up there and put that purple and gold on,” he said. • Gilbert “La Titila” Martinez Jr. was in the SFHS Class of 1970. He played from 1966 through 1969. He played offensive guard and middle linebacker on defense. “The word that they say now, the brotherhood, it started here because we were all brothers, and one of my fond memories was playing for UCO when Roger’s brother, Herbert Blanks, used to have the most unassisted tackles, and I broke it, but Nicho Pena was the statistician and Sam Barrage was the teacher and he commented on that. That was in a game against Uvalde. “But the main thing was the brotherhood. Somebody was in trouble, we were there. Somebody needed help, we were there,” Martinez said. • Alonzo Martinez graduated in 1970 and played 1966 through 1969. He played mostly defensive tackle and offensive tackle. “One of my best memories is beating Del Rio when I was a junior, but I remember even more clearly when we lost to Del

San Felipe High School Mustangs who went on to become coaches of their own teams: From left, Gilbert Martinez, Roger T. Blanks, Gus Chavira, Roberto “Bob” Chavira and Ernesto Martinez.

Rio in my senior year. The following week I remember Mr. Ramon telling us we needed to redeem ourselves and we could redeem ourselves. He said, ‘Samuel Clemens beat Del Rio, so you guys go out there and beat Samuel Clemens.’ And we did, and I was so damn happy, I even hugged the coach. “I started listening to the Mustang band when I was in third or fourth grade. It was your alarm clock in the mornings. They would be out there at 6:30 in the morning . . . That purple and gold was a badge of honor. It’s something we all wear, that we’re all proud of, and we remember the people who played before us. We all wanted to be Sidney Blanks, and I played under Coach Chavira, and the lessons that you learned were not only about football. He would say, ‘They’re eating your lunch, now go out there and take it back.’ Set your goal as high as you can, and throughout life, I think that’s something we always carried. We don’t just remember the people we played

with, but the ones who came before us. • Jose Roberto “J.R.” Garcia graduated in 1971 and played football from 1968 through 1971. He played back, defensive left end. “Coach always said, ‘I know you guys are going to give me 100 percent, but I want 110 percent. Never quit. Keep going. If you get knocked down, the wind knocked out of you, get up, shake it off. Don’t stop. The biggest thing was discipline. I remember they used to check on us, ‘You guys better not be going out after 10.’ “The coaches were showing that they cared about us. . . I know Coach Chavira has never forgotten anybody’s name. We played flag football out in the street. . .I used to live in the 200 block of Linda Vista and the band would always wake me up, and we’d be, ‘Gotta get going, gotta get going.’” •

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FOOTBALL PICKS

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GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Show your pride with these Battle Oxygen mouthguards in Lone Star flag and U.S. flag patterns, $16.99 each; available in a variety of designs.

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GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019

Last Look

Football is still king in Texas, and in Del Rio its history stretches back through generations and through the city’s cultural lines. One of the best things about the Del Rio Grande’s football issue is it gives all of us working on this issue a chance to learn something new about the place we call home. Digging through the files, I came across names of men I’ve met who once played for now-defunct teams such as the San Felipe Mustangs and Del Rio Wildcats. They grew up to become community leaders, but most of them got their start as part of those sports teams. Some of those men, like Alonzo Martinez, are doing their best to keep the memories of those years gone by fresh. Places like the San Felipe Exes Center serve as a place to remember those good ol’ days and reminisce about the heroes of the gridiron. There’s also men like Jorge Fernandez, who turned his passion for physical fitness into a business opportunity that is now aiding a variety of people. Of course we also took some time and visited with current members of the Rams football team and decided to give them a chance to be featured as models. Don’t let the good looks fool you – these young men are ready to give it all they have for Del Rio High and as Rams. As much as high school football has been a part of a lot of people’s lives, including people like Mack Pusley and Jorge Fernandez, it’s the pro game that many fans choose to follow. I got the chance to sit down with longtime friend Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez as he showed me his extensive collection of Dallas Cowboys memorabilia. It’s the kind of collection that separates the regular fan from the super fan. We also took the time to travel to Brackettville and take in some small town football life. The town of Brackettville loves its Tigers, and it’s a place where the size of the team doesn’t always tell the full story. There are still so many football stories to tell that filling them all in one issue would be impossible. If you know of a former San Felipe Mustang or Del Rio Wildcat, and we haven’t featured them yet, please let us know and we’d be happy to follow up. If you’ve ever looked through an old yearbook and wondered, “Whatever happened to …,” maybe the staff at Del Rio Grande can help you out. Thanks for reading! See you next month! BRIAN ARGABRIGHT Grande Writer/Photographer

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Clockwise from top: - Del Rio Grande writer/photographer Brian Argabright looks over possible photos for use in the September issue of Del Rio Grande. - Behind the scene Vanessa Salas husband Marco Salas - Del Rioan Rodney Martinez brought in a small piece of paper that featured the 1962 roster for the Del Rio Wildcats, one of the precursors of the Del Rio Rams. Recognize any of the names? - Houses and trees surround Tiger Stadium in Brackettville as the groundskeeper trims the field’s natural grass to the appropriate length. - Del Rio High School athletic trainer Liana “Nanners” Escareño makes sure the Rams have water during the annual Blue and White Scrimmage. - Besides being an avid collector of Dallas Cowboys memorabilia, Ernesto “Neto” Hernandez also has a wide variety of Del Rio sports memorabilia including football cards featuring San Felipe High standout and former NFL player Sid Blanks.

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You are Cordially Invited to the 2nd Annual

Mariposa Brunch

Honoring Mary L. Pierce Sunday, September 15 11 am to 1 pm Ramada Inn Ballroom Tickets $35 per person

To purchase tickets, contact Stacey Covarrubias at 830.778.3852 or stacey.covarrubias@vvrmc.org

he Mariposa Brunch is a fund raiser for Val Verde Regional Medical Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HOPE Cancer Resource Room. The Room supports your friends, family and neighbors as they deal with any cancer related health issue. Proceeds raised will support the services offered by the HOPE Cancer Resource Room.

hy is Mary L. Pierce the honoree of this event? Ms. Pierce fought tirelessly to get the HOPE Cancer Resource Room started. Once it was established, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop. She continued to volunteer in the room, fund raise, support people fighting cancer and help fit women for special bras, prosthetics and wigs. The only thing that stopped her was losing her nearly decade long battle with cancer last year. We honor her achievements, her memory and her dedication to our community with love and respect.

ou can help by attending the Mariposa Brunch or providing a sponsorship for this event. Perhaps your business would like to buy a table for staff. Maybe you want to know how else you can support the HOPE Cancer Resource Room. How about a nice treat for a Cancer Survivor? All you have to do is call Stacey Covarrubias, Cancer Navigator at 830-778-3852.

FOR TICKET, SPONSORSHIP OR OTHER INFORMATION: 830-778-3852 living our mission, focused on our vision and empowered by our legacy 56

GRANDE / SEPTEMBER 2019