Colorado County Living Fall 2022

Colorado County Living

Fall Festivities

Going to the waterpark in the fall? In Colorado County we can do that!

Recipes for the holidays

When fall arrives, thoughts turn to the holidays and delicious holiday feasts

Friday night lights

Football has always been a staple in Colorado County

female pro athlete

Colorado County Living

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RAE DRADY editor@coloradocountycitizen.com

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ON THE COVER

What better way to get into the “holiday spirit” this fall than by attending a pumpkin patch event? Colorado County Habitat for Humanity will be holding their first annual Habitat Pumpkin Patch event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22.

THE MEASURE OF STRENGTH

4 Columbus’ first female pro athlete creates history.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE

9 Habitat for Humanity’s pumpkin patch fundraiser set for October.

FALL FESTIVITIES

11 Going to the waterpark in the fall? In Colorado County we can do that!

HOLIDAY MEAL RECIPES

14 When fall arrives, thoughts turn to the holidays and delicious holiday feasts.

PLAYERS TURNED COACHES

18 Former Raider players become current Raider coaches.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

21 Football has always been a staple in Colorado County.

THE STRENGTH MEASURE OF

Columbus’ first female pro athlete creates history

BY TRENTON WHITING

How do you measure strength? Sure, you can measure how much weight you can push and pull, but what about the strength to battle through adversity? Or the strength to perform under pressure? Lissa Hoe lscher is one person who has obtained a great amount of these strengths along with the physical strength it takes to become a dancer, her lifetime pursuit. Her story is one of perseverance through failure and success through determi nation. Her story also added a major plot to its pages in recent months. By becoming a dancer for the Houston Rockets professional dance team, she also became the first female profession al athlete from Columbus.

Lissa’s roots in dance stem from a literal lifetime of practice. The Live Oak Dance Center is where she got her start in the sport with the pre-ballet dances being offered there by owner Gladysue Hovis. She hadn’t even reached the age of three. But the roots had already taken hold from her first taste of what would become her passion.

“I instantly loved it.”

All she needed was what she de scribed as “a little bit” of ballet for her to develop a fascination with the things she could do with dance. While continuing to dance at the Live Oak Dance Center, she also began pee wee gymnastics at Weido’s Tumbling and eventually joined the competitive cheerleading team led by Laura Weido. This is where Lissa set the foundation for the elite core strength and body control she would eventually develop which are necessary to be come a great dancer. From the ages of 10 to 17, she further trained her skills at the Live Oak Dance Center while also traveling all over Texas and the country for intensive camps in the summer. It was also during this time that she be gan attending high school. As a youth dancer growing from Columbus soil, eventually joining the Cardinal Belles for Columbus High School was almost

an inevitable or even destined part of her journey.

This was not clear at first as Lissa didn’t join the Belles until her junior year. But once she stepped into the program, she made an immediate impact on her team. Team manager and advisor Belinda Hastedt helped Lissa by giving her the opportunity to grow and share her extensive dance knowledge with her teammates. After only one year with the Belles, Hastedt promoted Lissa to captain of the team, tasked with leading the girls through out the season. That team went on to perform in a nationals competition and came away with great results. The summer competition in Ft. Worth was the Belles’ chance to show their skills on a national level. They took total ad vantage of the opportunity by placing in the first or second spot for every rou tine they brought to the competition.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Lissa said of the season leading up to Na tionals, “but it was definitely worth it.”

Once she completed her senior year at Columbus, Lissa went on to college where she experienced the first significant setback of her career. Her plan was to attend Texas State Uni versity in San Marcos to study Dance Education and dance for the school’s dance team, the Strutters. Unfortu nately, things didn’t go as planned when she failed to make the Strutters. This was a moment when Lissa truly showed her strength to fight through adversity. Despite facing her first major disappointment in dance, she never let that sway her laser focus on her dream.

“That’s just the dance world,” she said, “Some days you’re going to be somebody’s yes, another you’re going to be somebody’s no.”

She may have been a no for Texas State, but she was an emphatic yes for Missouri’s Central Methodist Universi ty. Lissa accepted a dance scholarship to attend the school and performed college level dance there for her first two years of schooling. The competitive collegiate dance world was an advanced

“You’re training to do these incredibly hard skills that are at the very advanced level and you can’t just do them, you have to execute them with perfection as a team.”

— Lissa Hoelscher

and accelerated version of what she had grown through during her time at Columbus. While there was some added pressure due to the increased difficulty of the skills and faster timing for execu tion, she fit in nicely with the competitive nature of that realm.

“You’re training to do these incredibly hard skills that are at the very advanced level,” she said about her college competitions, “and you can’t just do them, you have to execute them with perfection as a team.”

After building up quality experience as a mem ber of CMU’s dance team and following the rise of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Lissa transferred to Texas A&M Corpus Christi and joined the Island ers’ dance team. She made the move to be closer to her family during a difficult time. While she was there, she gained experience that she never knew would become so relevant to her journey.

The Islanders were not a dance team that performed in national competitions. Their main focus was on performances for a crowd, especially for basketball games. The team taught and performed NBA-style techniques and rou tines and also gave Lissa extensive experience with that form of dancing. Her career for the Islanders mirrored her Belles career also as after joining the team in her junior year, she became team captain for her senior year.

Lissa never intended on letting her dance career end in college, and she immediately started pursuing professional dance positions for NFL teams. Her initial steps into the professional world brought Lissa face to face with more disappoint ments, but it also introduced her to great oppor tunities as well. These disappointments can only really be considered as such because of the great expectations she has of herself. In the video tryouts for the Atlanta Falcons, her first ever pro tryout, Lis sa made it to the semifinal round of cuts before just falling short of reaching the Finals. No setback was too great for this determined dancer as she went on to try out for the Houston Texans, making the third round of the tryout stage. This round marked a big milestone for Lissa as it was her first in-per son professional tryout. It also meant she was in the top 100 dancers of everyone who submitted videos to the Texans dance department. It was also in this round, where she was matched up with sev eral of the most recent Texans cheerleaders trying to keep their spots and return to the team. Despite the odds being stacked against her, she took the opportunity to soak up as much information as she could from the professional dancers around her. Their mannerisms, how they carried themselves, how they spoke to each other, as well as how personal their tryout performances were. She may have eventually gotten cut from further consider ation, but she had added invaluable knowledge just from having the opportunity to be surrounded by women who had already reached a professional level in her passion.

“If you look and watch and listen close enough, they’re giving you answers to the ques tions you have.”

Following the audition Lissa gained another opportunity to learn in the form of former Rockets power dancer Stephanie Marie. Marie’s company reached out to Lissa after interacting on an Insta gram post for a future workshop they were hosting in Houston. Marie sent Lissa her phone number with the directive to find some time for a phone interview to see if she would be a right fit to attend

the workshop. After seeing Lissa’s potential, Marie invited her to the July workshop where she helped hone her skills. Lissa engaged in a three-day camp of professional training. Practice interviews, morning workouts and constant skill training were the sta ples of the intensive workshop. It was here that Ma rie began giving Lissa a slight nudge to think about the NBA side of things instead of just the NFL. Lissa took Marie’s words to heart, and when the Houston Rockets’ Clutch City Dancers opened auditions for their team, she put her name in the running.

This tryout was different in a lot of ways for Lissa. It was the first time she had experienced a first-round audition in person instead of through a video. She also had a much calmer demeanor, and a mature mindset on the task ahead of her. The last thing she brought to the tryouts with her was a change in her approach. Lissa eased on her usual perfectionism to give way for a performance she felt was truer to herself. She trusted that the skills she had been developing her whole life wouldn’t abandon her, and she would focus on giving the judges the purest form of her self expression.

“My intention was to reach for authenticity over perfection,” Lissa said on her tryout ap proach, “I’m just going to show the judges who I am and what I have to offer. If they like it, great. If they don’t, I’m going to keep working.”

Fortunately for Lissa, the Rockets’ dance team liked what she had to offer, and they notified her at the end of training camp that she had made the

team. Lissa was caught off guard by the result but felt happy that her extensive training had yielded its first fruits on a professional level. Not only had she reached a milestone in her own career as a first-time professional dancer, but she also created a historical milestone in Columbus by becoming the first female athlete to reach a pro fessional level. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration for the girls and young women of the area as they aspire to do great things of their own.

“If you work hard and you don’t take no as a final answer towards your dream, you can achieve it.”

The Rockets open the season in early Octo ber, and the home opener will be soon after that if not the first game. Those in attendance will be able to watch the results of someone who has had a lifetime of chasing their passion as Lissa continues to add to her story in dance.

“That’s just the dance world. Some days you’re going to be somebody’s yes, another you’re going to be somebody’s no.”

— Lissa Hoelscher

Habitat for Humanity’s pumpkin patch fundraiser set

BY RAE DRADY

What better way to get into the “holiday spirit” this fall than by attending a pumpkin patch event which raises funds for a good cause that gives back to the community?

Colorado County Habitat for Humanity will be holding their first annual Habitat Pumpkin Patch event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22.

Many people are familiar with the name of this non-profit organization but have miscon ceptions about it providing homes for free, which is not actually how the program works. As the cost of building a Habitat House has in creased from $75,000 to $97,000 post-pandem ic, the local chapter is getting creative about new ways to raise funds.

This inaugural pumpkin patch will take place behind the Habitat for Humanity office at 602 Walnut Street in Columbus and will be free to the public for entry.

During the event, patrons can buy $1 tickets that can be used for the booths and buying

tickets automatically qualifies the purchaser for door prize drawings.

Some events will be free and donation only, like Pictures with Pumpkins. Pumpkins of all sizes will be available for sale.

The Colorado County community has joined forces to assist with this fall-themed, fami ly-friendly shindig. The Frerichs family of the Jersey Barnyard has generously donated all the pumpkins for the event. Sarah Koller of The House will be having pumpkin patch activities like the Pumpkin Pond to support this Habitat fundraiser and will be donating 10 percent of profits for the day. The First National Bank of Eagle Lake is sponsoring the Pictures with Pumpkins booth. Lee Ann Dorsett of Living Texas Real Estate is sponsoring the face paint ing booth. The First Baptist Church is sharing their popcorn machine and personnel to staff the popcorn sales booth. Jane Vasquez of Simply Jane will be selling delicious tacos and donating a percentage of profits for the day.

For entertainment, The Atomic Armadillos will be playing a variety of lively music from country to classic rock to entertain music lovers of all generations.

Every dollar counts towards Habitat’s goal

of ensuring their ability to continue helping Colorado County families have affordable and modest homes. A child who grows up in a safe and stable home can focus on a brighter future for herself and others.

Contrary to popular belief, Habitat for Humanity does not give away free houses. According to Executive Director of Colora do County Habitat for Humanity Charmaine Katz, Habitat Homeowners are partners with the non-profit in many ways. They go through Habitat financial classes to ensure they have financial tools in their belts to help pay off their mortgages. They provide “sweat equity” of 200 hours to show their commitment to the goal of providing modest homes and in the process, they learn about how to take care of their own homes.

Habitat homeowners pay mortgage pay ments, homeowners’ insurance, and property taxes. They do not get a discount on property taxes because they own a Habitat home. The big difference between most people and a hab itat homeowner is that they do not have to pay for mortgage interest and most labor costs. The mortgage payments Habitat receives are then used to build more homes for the community.

Going to the waterpark in the fall? In Colorado

County we can do that!

BY RAE DRADY

What does Colorado County have that most places don’t? A waterpark that is open into the fall months, with a camp ground that is open ALL Year round and consistently host ing fun activities for the whole family.

Splashway Director Matt Tice probably said it best when he said, “We know plenty of people around the area know that our Waterpark is open May through September, and even some weekends in October, but what some families around our area may not know is that our campground is open year-round.”

He went on to explain, “We have several events in our camp grounds from fall all the way through Spring Break. Some of our most popular events include Halloweekends, Wine Festivals, Winter Markets, Car Shows, a BBQ cook-off, a chili cook-off, 5k runs, New Year’s Eve, and so much more. You can even get your family Santa Claus pictures during our Christmas events.”

The Splashway Waterpark is open Saturdays and Sundays through Octo ber 9, and Fridays through Sundays from September 16 until October 9 are the facility’s Fall Festival weekends, featuring a pumpkin patch, trick-ortreating, and a haunted house.

The next three weekends are the Halloweekends. November 11 through 13 is the Great American Car Show, featuring a chili cookoff, and Fall Wine Walks are scheduled for November 4 to 6 and November 18 to 20.

For those looking for live music, Splashway has that covered as well.

Tice shared, “We have an awesome restaurant on site called The Hide away that is open to the public with live music on Friday and Saturdays throughout the year.  The best part is you do not need to be camping with us to enjoy the amazing food or enjoy the free concert. We love to provide our community with a place for mom and dad to dance on our outdoor dance floor while the kids play in the sandbox or climb on the playground.”

With a place like Splashway just a few short miles away, folks in Colora do County aren’t just living, they are living well, “Texas-style.”

For more information on special events that happen in the camp ground, go to: https://www.splashway.com/things-to-do/special-events/

For information on the restaurant and free concert line-up, go to: https://www.splashway.com/the-hideaway/

“We know plenty of people around the area know that our Waterpark is open May through September, and even some weekends in October, but what some families around our area may Not know is that our campground is open year-round.”

— Splashway Director Matt Tice

HOLIDAY MEAL RECIPES

BY RAE DRADY

When fall arrives, and the weather slowly starts to cool down, thoughts turn to the holidays and one of the first things that come to mind are the delicious holiday feasts shared with family.

Even if the family tradition is to ALWAYS use great-grandma’s recipe for the green bean casserole, trying new recipes can be a fun part of preparing the holiday meal. Wine is also a staple for many seasonal gatherings with friends and kinfolk.

So, The Citizen has put together some suggestions on holiday recipes and local wines to pair with festive dinners, to help take the stress out of your planning.

RECIPES:

• Champagne Turkey

• Bourbon Glazed Ham

• Cheddar Mashed potatoes

• Chestnut Stuffing

• Spiced Cranberry Sauce

• Baked Mac & cheese

• Grandma’s Green bean casserole

WINES:

WHISTLING DUCK WINERY

Cattle Guard Sweet Red (Tempranillo)

This is a heavenly sweet red wine with a medium, fruity flavor exhibiting hints of sweet cherry and plum. A great sippin’ wine that can be enjoyed slightly chilled and goes great with all kinds of foods, especially desserts and main dishes with a hint of sweetness, like this Bourbon Glazed Ham recipe.

Texas Sparkler - White Wine

Off-dry sparkling blend of Rousanne and Viognier grapes, because “champagne” is synonymous with holiday meals, and the touch of sweet brings out the flavor in this champagne turkey recipe.

Using a local wine for pairing can make your meal even more mouth-watering, as the flavors of the wine and food enhance each other and can make your dinner even more “festive” while you are also supporting local small businesses and the local economy.

GRANDMA’S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

GREEN BEANS:

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sour cream

• ¼ cup diced onion

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained

TOPPING:

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

• ½ cup crumbled buttery round crackers

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Make green beans: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in sour cream, onion, salt, and sugar. Add green beans, and stir to coat.

Transfer mixture to a 2 ½-quart casserole dish.

3. Spread Cheddar cheese over green bean mixture. Toss cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl; sprinkle over bean mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. dried elbow pasta

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 11/2 cups whole milk

• 21/2 cups half and half

• 4 cups shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese divided (measured after shredding)

• 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided (measured after shredding)

• 1/2 Tbsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/4 tsp. paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13”).  Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.

3. While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles.  Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 11/2 cups for the inner layer, and 11/2 cups for the topping.

4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.  Mixture will look like very wet sand.  Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.  Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth.  Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.

5. Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency.  It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.

6. Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 11/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine.  Stir in another 11/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.

7. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with 11/2 cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.

8. Sprinkle the top with the last 11/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.

SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz fresh cranberries washed

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 orange zested and juiced (divide the zest in half)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, add all but 1/2 cup of the cranberries.

2. Add sugar and water, half the orange zest, and all of the orange juice. Stir to combine.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

4. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg.

5. Add in reserved cranberries, and stir to blend.

6. Simmer for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

7. Add remaining zest and allow to cool before serving.

CHAMPAGNE THANKSGIVING TURKEY

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

• 2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary

• 2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage

• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

• 1 medium orange, cut into 8 wedges

• 1 medium onion, chopped into large pieces

• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a roaster with sheets of aluminum foil long enough to wrap around turkey.

2. Stir together parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon-pepper seasoning, and salt in a small bowl.

3. Rub herb mixture into the turkey cavity, then stuff with orange wedges, onion, carrot and celery. Tie the legs together with kitchen string, then tuck the wings under the body. Place turkey on the foil in the roasting pan.

4. Pour champagne and chicken broth over turkey, making sure to get some liquid in the cavity. Bring aluminum foil up and over the top of turkey and seal; try to keep the foil from touching the turkey.

5. Roast turkey in the preheated oven until juices run clear, 21/2 to 3 hours. Uncover turkey and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 to 60 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh, near the bone, should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

6. Remove turkey from the oven, cover with two sheets of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area before slicing, 10 to 15 minutes.

BREADING:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 loaf white bread, cubed

• 1/2 loaf wheat bread, cubed

Note: You can totally just use one or the other, but I like the mixing.

SAUSAGE BASE:

• 1 pound pork sausage. Spicy is good, but not essential

• 1/2 large onion, diced

AROMATICS:

• 1 Cup celery, chopped (about 3 stalks)

• 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, minced

• 2 Teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

• 1 Teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

OTHER FLAVORINGS:

• 1 Golden delicious apple, cored, peeled, and cubed

• 1 pound roasted chestnuts (about 11/2 cups)

• 1 Cup dried cranberries

• 1/3 Cup fresh parsley, chopped

BOURBON AND PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 6 cloves

• 6 bay leaves

• 1 pineapple, core removed, sliced

• 2 tbs chardonnay vinegar

• 1/2 bunch bay leaves

• (1) 8kg smoked ham

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the glaze, place sugar, spices and 1 tablespoon of water in a large fry pan over high heat. Swirl pan occasionally until bubbling and golden. Add pineapple pieces and vinegar and cook for 6 minutes, turning pineapple pieces occasionally, until pineapple is golden, and a glaze has formed from the fruit juices. Set aside to cool slightly

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rack with bay leaves. Using a small sharp knife, cut around ham shank in a zigzag pattern, then carefully run knife under skin, around the edge of the ham.

3. Gently lift off skin in 1 piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat. Discard skin, then score fat in parallel lines, 1cm apart. Baste fat with some of the glaze and place ham on the rack and set in a large roasting pan.

4. Roast ham, basting with remaining glaze every 20 minutes, for 21/2 hours or until caramelised. Add the pineapple pieces in the last 30 minutes. Slice and serve with caramelised pineapple.

CHESTNUT STUFFING

• 2 Cups turkey or chicken stock (this varies depending on your breading. More on this later)

• 1/3 Cup melted butter

• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cube bread up into relatively large pieces and toast it in a 300 degree oven until it’s super-crispy and dry for about 2030 minutes. Give it a quick stir halfway through just to make sure it’s cooking/ drying evenly.

2. Cut an X on all of chestnuts and roast them (you can do it at the same time you are toasting your bread) for about 20 minutes or until the shell peels back nicely on each chestnut.

3. When they are roasted, halve each nut and then handle each half basically like a clove of garlic. Gently smash it with the side of a knife, the chestnut will pop right out. Do that for each one.

4. Take the casings off sausage and cook

over medium-high heat in a large skillet. If sausage is on the leaner side, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of oil just to help it out.

5. After it cooks for a few minutes and starts to brown, add diced onion to the pan.

6. When the sausage is completely cooked and the onion is translucent, add celery and cook for just a few more minutes.

7. Toss all of this stuff in a bowl with your roasted chestnuts. Add other aromatics (herbs) and flavor ingredients to the sausage mixture and then toss that all together with your bread mixture.

8. Stir it together well to make sure the bread soaks up as much moisture as possible from the sausage and onion.

9. Add stock and butter in 1/2 cup batches and stir well after each batch (approximately 2.5 Cups of stock). Add a big pinch of salt and pepper.

10. Pour stuffing mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.

11. Bake at 350 degrees with foil cover for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)

• 1 to 1-1/4 cups half-and-half cream

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place potatoes in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat cream, butter and salt until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.

2. Drain potatoes; return to pot. Mash potatoes, gradually adding cream mixture. Stir in cheese.

PLAYERS TURNED

COACHES

Former Raider players become current Raider coaches

BY TRENTON WHITING

The pipeline for players turning into coaches is a common sight in the world of football. Many former athletes may take their talents up to the collegiate level, but unless they are truly world-class talents, many of their careers will end before reaching the NFL as a pro. Despite taking football as far as it will take them as an athlete, many players never lose their passion for the sport as they move past their physical primes. They continue to watch, follow and study football and gain a deeper understanding of the game. Coaching ends up being the perfect outlet for these players who have built up significant foot ball knowledge and can’t fight their itch to return to the field. The same is true for former Raider players and current Raider coaches, Jordan Johnson and Todd Nicholas.

“It was home,” Johnson said on why he returned to Rice to become a coach, “I figured I could help the kids grow and be able to show them that you can do anything you put your mind to.”

In the near decade since Johnson and Nicholas finished off their playing careers at Rice, much has changed for the two men as well for the Raiders’ program in general. The one constant for both the program and the former Raiders is the presence of Raiders head coach Brad Dumont. Dumont made his return to Rice after a long break following his first stint with the Raiders. Johnson and Nicholas were among those who were coached by Dumont during his final years as head coach at Rice. Their familiarity with the program and with Dumont has made for a natural pairing as the two former players continued their football careers.

“Being a coach under my old coach is something special,” Nicholas said, “I don’t think he would have ever thought he would be back and one of his last athletes before he retired would be working along side of him.”

Both these players took similar paths back to Rice as they each decided to go through the college route to find opportunities for themselves. For Johnson, his professional aspirations were still a major motivation as he moved forward into the next stages of his life. While maintaining his physical abilities and body, he worked through a collegiate education as he looked to broaden his opportunities until getting a chance to show his abilities in front of a professional team.

While he hasn’t gotten the NFL call he was hoping for yet, he had a successful college career and finished his undergraduate program with a degree in General Business. He continued his schooling and came away with a master’s degree in Business Administration in Management. After taking some time after grad uation and looking for jobs in the business world, Johnson’s love for football brought him back to the field despite being in a different role than he had pre viously been striving for. He joined a Raider coaching staff that reunited him with his former coach, and a friend and ex-teammate in Nicholas.

Nicholas’ college journey was slightly different as he navigated through the programs at Texas A&M University Kingsville on a track scholarship. His speed made him a big part of the track team, claim ing two conference championships and two national championships during his time at the university.

Nicholas was yet another athlete whose performance and athletic ability didn’t culminate in a professional contract, but like many oth er athletes in that situation, he didn’t let that stop him from being more involved in sports and educating himself on the human body in general. He graduated in Exercise Science for his undergrad degree and finished a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education. Like Johnson, Nicholas entered the world of business after college. He started his own company, STRYD PERFOR MANCE, to help athletes train their bodies and skills for athletics. Being able to help young athletes in the Kingsville area was a satisfying experience, but he felt he was missing an opportunity to make a similar impact in his hometown of Eagle Lake.

“I wanted to come back to where it all started and to share the things I learned and experienced and put it into the youth,” Nicholas said on his choice to return to Rice, “I kept thinking that I’m helping a lot of other towns, but I have not been back home to help the community that made me first. That’s why I wanted to come back home to bring a spark.”

The athletes in the Rice district can benefit from knowing that regardless of their future goals in athletics or in life in general, they have some coaches that have their best interests at heart and have been in their shoes at Rice High School. Coaches like Todd Nicholas and Jordan Johnson are just the type of community leaders that can best lead their students and athletes through the hallowed halls of a school they once called home.

Nicholas poses during media day of his collegiate track season.

“I wanted to come back to where it all started and to share the things I learned and experienced and put it into the youth.”

— Todd Nicholas

Johnson was an effective running back for West Texas A&M.

Johnson’s profile on hudl is of him fighting through two defenders on a rush attempt.

Nicholas runs during an event from his days a Rice athlete.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Football has always been a staple in Colorado County

BY TRENTON WHITING

Football is as much a part of the Fall as the changing leaves and Hallow een, especially here in Colorado County. There is a lot of history with the teams in the area and plenty of success to look back at in retrospect. With a strong tradition of good teams and season per formances, Colorado County football looks to continue to write history as they move forward.

To understand the love for football in the area, one must look at the old school teams of Columbus, the largest high school in the county. They have also shown a deep history of success from even the earliest years of their organized football history. Columbus football debuted in 1926 and didn’t even don the nick name “the Cardinals” until 1927, but it didn’t take long for them to earn their first winning season. Three years after their inception, they punched in the first positive record of their his tory with nine wins to only three losses in 1929.

However, that season would stand as the only winning year for the next several seasons until they finally broke the seal on postseason play with their first ap pearance ever in 1935. Their first playoff run in history started with a bang as the Cards made it to the regional cham pionship which was the highest level a team could reach in the postseason during that era. A tie prevented them from taking their first postseason cham pionship win, but that year started a strong run for the Cards started as after a difficult season following the regional appearance, they went on to have 22 winning seasons out of their next 27 years. That includ ed their first undefeated season in 1941, in which they allowed only one touchdown from an opponent all season.

A couple years later in 1946, Columbus got their first regional championship title which they brought back to the city again in 1950 and 1984. Despite their success, they’ve yet to claim their first state championship title since the smaller division schools gained the opportu nity to do so in 1948. The closest they’ve gotten was the state semifinal round which they first reached in 1993 and again in 2019. The Cards haven’t gotten as close since losing in that Final Four round as they look to add to their winning history.

Eagle Lake has seen a couple of different

eras of high-quality football in their own long history. The old-school Eagle Lake Eagles for a good amount of their early history functioned as the top dogs in the county. Their history was deeply intertwined with Columbus as they were annual rivals with lots of community pride on the line as each team rose to play at high levels. The Eagles had the advantage of that matchup all the way until the late 40’s and 50’s when Columbus started making a come back in the all-time series. While the Eagles were an important piece of Colorado County football history, their major change in 1970 created the high school landscape we know today. The creation of the Rice Consolidated school district combined all the students from Garwood, Altair and Eagle Lake to attend one high school.

Unfortunately, in terms of football, Rice took a long time to reach close to the level of heights the old Eagle Lake team met in the first half of the 1900s. Maybe they were waiting for another turn of the century as they completely flipped their fortunes as they entered the early 2000s.

Their first playoff run in history started with a bang as the Cards made it to the regional championship which was the highest level a team could reach in the postseason during that era.

Starting in the 2000 season, they went on an 11-year postseason streak that included four quarter finals appearances, and two state semifinal appearances. Head coach Brad Dumont was a big name behind the era and was a part of Rice completely changing its for tunes from its prior struggles in its history. The Raiders didn’t have quite as strong a peak after the end of that era marked by the departure of Dumont, but they still added further success to their resume with seven more playoff ap pearances in the ten years.

The Wildcats in Weimar took a different historical journey than their fellow Colorado County counterparts, but one that still in cluded great success and signature moments. However, there was very little of either of those things early in their football program’s history.

After playing one game each in 1921 and 1922 and getting blown out in both games, Weimar started up an official program in 1926.

The Wildcats struggled for over a decade to get wins as they finished with over three wins in only three seasons in the first 13 years of football. The three winning seasons were all in a row under the direction of head coach C.P. Wall from the 1931 season to the 1933 season.

After a few more rough seasons follow ing that stretch, Weimar dropped to 6-man football in 1939. That proved to be a fortunate decision for them at the time, as they went on to dominate their fellow teams in the division. They had seven winning seasons in their next eight years including three unde feated seasons.

They got their first taste of the playoffs also with three appearances during the time. The Wildcats of the 6-man era were known for huge offensive performances, regularly scoring over 30 and 40 points in games. After having their fun in the 6-man division, Wei mar returned to 11-man football in 1947 and suffered more of the same struggles they did prior to moving divisions. They didn’t return to the post season until 1960, marking the first time an 11-man team for Weimar qualified for the playoffs. The rest of the 60s went well for the Wildcats as they finished the decade with only two losing seasons and reached seven or more wins in many of their winning seasons. Weimar struggled to reach similar success for a long time after the end of the decade. Not until the 2010s did they reach the sort of success they were looking for.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, that decade brought a new golden age for the program. Not only did they pick up their first ever postseason win in 2011, but they went on to get five more playoff victories before 2020 as they now hope to rebuild the program to that recent peak.

The teams of Colorado County have such a deep history, it’s no surprise that some of the citizens in each town are passionate about the players and performance of the team. Many were even present during some of these his torical moments for each team. As each team tries to create more history for themselves, they’ll be remembering the past and recogniz ing what it has taken to reach this point.