eagles’
nest fall 2019
» THE PRESIDENT’S FIRST 100 DAYS » MISSION POSSIBLE TO HONDURAS » BIGGIO ’13 BASH TO BIG LEAGUES » PATRICK RYAN ’99 FORTY UNDER 40 » GUYS AND DOLLS SPRING MUSICAL
eagles’
Eagles’ Nest Printed August 2019
nest
The Eagles’ Nest is published three times annually by St. Thomas High School 4500 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77007 713.864.6348 Rev. James Murphy, CSB President Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96 Principal Mary Criaco Assistant Principal Mark deTranaltes ’83 Vice President for Advancement
fall 2019
St. Thomas High School Community Magazine
events SEPTEMBER 13 SEPTEMBER 20-21 OCTOBER 11 OCTOBER 18-20
Patricia Miller Vice President of Finance Rodney Takacs Dean of Students
Founders Day Mass Homecoming Weekend Good Ol’ Boys Luncheon and Alumni Tailgate Fall Theater Production
NOVEMBER 1
Father/Son Mass
NOVEMBER 9
An Evening in Paris Auction & Gala
NOVEMBER 19
Hot Art/Cool Jazz Performance
NOVEMBER 22
Thanksgiving Prayer Service
DECEMBER 8
Open House
Keith Calkins Director of Communications
DECEMBER 10
Mother/Son Mass
DECEMBER 12
Christmas Concert
KH Studio Layout + Design
DECEMBER 23JANUARY 3
Chirstmas Holidays
Nathan Lindstrom Cover Photography Fr. Murphy
to learn more visit us at sths.org/events
DEPARTMENTS 14
Eagle Flight
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Eagle Pride
Kellin McGowan ’19, Tuscan Savarino ’19, Cole Carrabba’19, Seth Deitz ’19 and Ian Wheeler ’19 front an array of leadership excellence.
The St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame relishes the Class of 2019 while the 28th Annual St. Thomas Golf Tournament unites Eagle brotherhood.
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Eagle Fight
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Eagle Spirit
Eagle Athletics earns riveting success surrounded by state championships in swimming and track while Peyton Matocha ’19 and Josh Wolf ’19 brace for future success.
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The annual Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge Society and 48th Annual Mothers’ Club Style Show & Luncheon celebrate rich St. Thomas traditions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Features THE FIRST 100 DAYS
God is at work within our walls and within our faculty. You can see it in the students as they make their way into the world.
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EAGLE EYES FIXED ON THE FUTURE
ANOTHER RIP-ROARING REVVED UP ROUND-UP
Cheers and tears abound as St. Thomas recognized and bid farewell to the Class of 2019.
Without the students who otherwise would not be attending, you wouldn’t have St. Thomas. Our guys understand that.
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MISSION POSSIBLE
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PATRICK RYAN ’99 HERE’S THE TOP 40 TICKET
Cavan’s encouraging Blue Jay launch could eventually forge a fantastic big league Biggio twosome.
What I cherish about these efforts is the outpouring of our Basilian DNA. This is the tangible impact of goodness.
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Our initial goal was to get to $10 million in revenue annually. Now we have many weeks when we do $10million.
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GUYS AND DOLLS PLAYS ALL ITS CARDS RIGHT
Like us, follow us, keep up with us! @sthcatholic
#mySTH
... a masterclass that could be called How to Make a Classic Producation More Accessible to Modern Audiences.
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THE FIRST 100 DAYS From the very beginning of his new command role at St. Thomas, Fr. James Murphy, CSB embraced the benefit of introspection, not just inspection. Named on January 31 the third president in the school’s storied history, Fr. Murphy was intent on an ego-less approach to his 100-day action plan that would introduce and reflect his leadership style.
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He was armed with crossover lessons from his previous positions within the campus community including the Board of Directors, faculty, assistant dean of students, assistant athletic director, assistant drama director and in Campus Ministry. Communication, patience and precision served as the launch pad for Fr. Murphy to instill confidence, and enhance moral within senior administration and throughout the ranks. He discusses his initial 100 days as St. Thomas president.
What would best describe your intent since succeeding Fr. Kevin Storey, CSB following his appointment to Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil? “More than anything else I wanted to meet with and confirm the strengths of those around me. I was seeing them from a much different perspective than in my previous years, just as they were viewing me through a much different lens. I wanted to establish the working relationships within our inner circle moving forward and a trust within the team’s collaborative expertise. (Principal) Aaron Dominguez is a phenomenal leader and does incredible work relating to the totality of our academic programs. There’s great respect for Mark deTranaltes in advancement and Patty Miller as the vice president of finance. We have tremendous talent and proven professionals in place in athletics, admissions, counseling and support staff. And I see much of my role as supporting them now that I’m better attuned to their roles.” What was essential in building rapport and demonstrating connections with key stakeholders? “The importance of listening is often overlooked and underused in setting an effective tone. I’m studied enough to ask the right questions and have no issue deferring to superior expertise. I’m flexible which is not the same as malleable. There’s a self-assurance to grapple with the breadth and depth of responsibility while understanding overconfidence is often at odds with reality. Smartness is helpful, but so are humility and inquisitiveness. I’m not going to rewrite the St. Thomas story or my own story, for that matter. I hold with great regard the work that has been done here for generations, is being done right now and will continue to be done by those who know what they’re doing. We have a roster of marvelous contributors. I’ve merged the team and set an effective but ambitious agenda for prompt and far-reaching results.” What is your singular consistent message to faculty, parents, students and donors? “That there’s a joy that is central to my personality. I’m very positive by nature and I hope to convey that to whomever I’m engaging. I try to be someone who is approachable, respectful, thankful. I value those qualities in moving our institution forward. “Education is an amazing enterprise. Our faculty are among the brightest minds in their fields, challenging and inspiring students across our curriculum. And in my time at St. Thomas I’ve seen our young men develop in incredible ways, as scholars, and as people. All of them have obstacles in their four years ... some more profound than others ... some needing more time to figure out the now leading to the next. St. Thomas plays a pivotal role in that process.
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God is at work within our walls and within our faculty. You can see it in the students as they make their way into the world. And I believe we can be an anchor for them after they leave and throughout their lives.” Given the ongoing internal dialogues, what’s your insight relating to the Joplin Campus expansion? “Our master planning today is much different than five years ago when we entered into the transaction with HISD. For example, the renovations to the Basilan residence, an iconic building within proximity to Clay-Story Hall, is now available as a versatile adult meeting space. That conversation opens Mary Moody Hall as a student center. All of which more clearly defines how we are best utilizing the neighboring property. As we continue to better understand our enrollments, our admission priorities, and how we are to serve the campus community needs, the Joplin expansion has assumed a unanimous vision. The impact on athletics will be first and immediate. “What hasn’t changed in five years is that Houston remains one of the most dynamic parochial and private school environments in the United States. And St. Thomas is uniquely positioned, both physically and strategically, to play a vital role in the heart of one of the nation’s most thriving urban centers. “The Joplin Campus represents a period of unparalleled fundraising from the St. Thomas community. We have been incredibly blessed by the generosity of our alumni and benefactors involved in the historic 4500Forever capital campaign. It’s exciting to honor that philanthropy with the proper concepts to transform our campus before our eyes.” How would you qualify the success of the 2018-19 academic year and how are you preparing for increased success in the next academic cycle? “It has nothing to do with the brick and mortar. It’s not campus expansion and test scores. All of which are unquestionably important, demand expert attention and excellence. And we’ll exceed the prescribed marks. But what strikes me most deeply is the humanity of our campus community. St. Thomas is not immune to real-world problems. It doesn’t take Hurricane Harvey for personal lives to be shaken. In recent years we’ve had to deal with tragedy and its consequences, the loss of life. Again, we’re not immune. Those challenges are never-ending. And I’m extremely proud of how we react to mission critical situations ... with intelligence and support ... faithfully and prayerfully. That’s been our Basilian identity for 119 years. And that quality will always be the most defining measure of who we are, the best that St. Thomas can be.”
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EAGLE EYES
FIXED ON THE FUTURE For 119 years St. Thomas has primed its graduates for a life of purpose and continual exploration young men empowered to bridge divides and engage in public service, poised to pursue human aims and define true worth in the eyes of God. The latest commencement exercises proved triumphant, a reverence to Basilian principle in lockstep with rightful respect to a milestone moment, all in celebration for the exceptional achievements of 157 graduates who were awarded nearly $11 million in merit-based scholarships to renown colleges and universities throughout and outside the United States.
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Features Former St. Thomas president and faculty member Fr. Kevin Storey, CSB, Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil, delivered the keynote address, offering personal insights reserved primarily for the Class of 2019, those who rose to embody the value of a formative college preparatory experience rooted in the Basilian ideal of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.
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With the threat of inclement weather forcing the exercises from the traditional Granger Stadium venue to Reckling Gymnasium, Fr. Storey shared advice from an African proverb “which says if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. You already intuitively know this. You have gone far at St. Thomas because of all the people here (today). Thank everyone that came ... they love you! Most of the people (in attendance) have had your back since the day you were born and they will be there for you always. Don’t forget that. Lean on them when you struggle and don’t neglect to let them lean on you when they need your strength.” In July 2018, Fr. Storey accepted a four-year term as the lead position within the Basilian Fathers. He was succeeded in February 2019 by Fr. James Murphy, CSB. Fr. Storey discovered his most recent return to campus particularly poignant. “This is much more emotional for me than I expected,” Fr. Storey explained following the exercises. “I distinctly recall this group arriving as freshmen and to see how they have matured, even since my being away for not quite a year, to see how their lives are lunging forward, really strikes me. There’s a great satisfaction to be here and be a part of their salute.” Fr. Storey initially joined the St. Thomas faculty beginning in 2004. After earning his Master of Education, Administrative Leadership from Basilian University of St. Thomas in 2011, he followed Fr. Ronald Schwenzer, CSB, the school’s inaugural president and invaluable influence who had served in that role since 2006 after eight years as principal. During his term as president, Fr. Storey played an essential influence in elevating St. Thomas for future growth. He assumed a prominent and pivotal position in the most ambitious capital campaign in school history - the $66 million 4500Forever which included the single-largest donation in the institution’s history, the $10 million transformational gift from Dona and Al Clay ’61 that resulted in the naming of Clay-Storey Hall on the St. Thomas main campus. Both Clay and Fr. Storey were honored as inspired leaders who boldly stepped out to help advance an extraordinary period in St. Thomas history. Under Fr. Storey’s stewardship in June 2017, Aaron Dominguez ’96 was named in a breakthrough appointment the 27th principal and first layman to assume that role in the school’s illustrious history. While Fr. Storey’s introduction was met with an emphatically warm welcome, the most stirring ovation of the evening engulfed senior Kellin McGowan - the first African-American valedictorian in the school’s history. The compelling story of McGowan’s distinction was shared extensively in recent weeks by local network television affiliates in Houston and spread on various media platforms throughout the United States. Houston Public Media News 88.7 was in attendance for the graduation ceremony to showcase McGowan in a National Public Radio feature. McGowan challenged his classmates “to live lives as authentic individuals because doing so will enable us to achieve true happiness. Obviously, this does not mean that we are to bury our friendships and live by ourselves; rather, this means that we are to build upon the moral foundation established at St. Thomas and use it to navigate the world and to develop our future friendships.
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“As we have done during these past four years, we must associate with those who have our best interests at heart and those with whom we will form fulfilling lifelong relationships. Some of us will be going to the east. Others will be going to the west. Regardless of how far apart we are, we will always be united by the bond that exists between us all.” McGowan will enroll with an extensive scholarship at the University of Chicago with the intent to attend law school. His litany of academic acclaim and rewards include a National Merit Corporate Scholarship, a Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship, the Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship and the St. Thomas Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge Award. In his closing remarks, McGowan envisioned “of where the class of 2019 will be in 10 years ... I think of men in an emergency room saving lives as doctors. I think of men working for major news organizations as journalists. And I think of men guiding their children along the sidewalk as fathers ... Whether the road you’re on leads you to the Oval Office or to a small business, always remember where you came from, sit down, be humble, and complete every task ethically, thoroughly and honestly.” Two weeks earlier Andre Hence ’67 was on campus attending the 2019 St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame induction. He along with Tom Gray ’67 represents the first African-American graduates of St. Thomas. With no direct connection or familiarity of McGowan, Hence embraces the extension of what he actively established more than 50 years ago. “I’m very proud to have been that trailblazer,” Hence said. “I have seen so many African-Americans who followed here at St. Thomas. I hope that some of what I contributed, what I did and did not do during my years, allowed what was started to move forward. And now we have a valedictorian ... extensive accomplishment in academics, athletics and everything that defines St. Thomas. It’s extremely gratifying to have played a role.”
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McGowan and salutatorian Tuscan Savarino were the highest ranking members of their class based on the calculation of their four-year grade point averages. Savarino leads another large St. Thomas contingent of graduates attending the University of Texas where he will study engineering. The president of the St. Thomas chapter of the National Honor Society was also a two-sport scholar-athlete. He was named to the 2019 TAPPS Division I baseball all-state tournament team and was a contributor to the school’s first-ever state swimming championship. Savarino received the Texas A&M University Opportunity Scholarship, a scholarship from the United States Air Force Academy and a Colorado School of Mines merit scholarship. A legacy graduate following his father Dominic ’88 and uncle J.J. ’94, Savarino related that “the time we all spent here at St. Thomas will be remembered not just for our collective successes ... because when we failed a test or lost a game, we will remember that our Eagle brothers were there to pick us up and motivate us to keep going. Whether it was here on campus or beyond the school walls, this place is made special by the people - past, present, and future - who have lived the life of a Man of St. Thomas. Everyone struggles, this place definitely showed us that reality. More importantly, it showed us how to overcome those struggles together. “The journey to this point has been sometimes painful, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but through it all, we have grown into Men of St. Thomas and are all stronger because of it. I’ve enjoyed my time here with each and every one of you and I wish all of you the best in whatever comes next. Congratulations class of 2019!” Savarino and McGowan were previously among nine members of the class of 2019 gaining permanent membership into the prestigious St. Thomas Club - elite students with a minimum 4.0 grade point average for seven consecutive semesters. The elite group includes Armando Amador, Jarrod Brown, Joseph Chavez, Hunter Henderson, Gabriel Lenz, Angel Sosa-Yanez and Maxwell Voltz.
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Griffin Wilkins was recognized as a National Merit Commended Scholar while Amador, Chavez, Brandon Jackson and Plato Pappas were named National Hispanic Scholars, all among 33 senior members in the National Honor Society. In addition to the University of Texas, significant numbers of Eagle graduates are enrolled at Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Galveston, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, Rice University, Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Creighton University, Loyola Marymount University, the University of Colorado, the University of Mississippi, the University of Missouri and the University of North Texas. Eagle scholars are also attending DePaul University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, George Washington University, Howard University, Louisiana State University, New York University, Seton Hall University, Texas State University, Tulane University, the University of Alabama, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the University of Miami, the University of Michigan and Washington University in St. Louis among many other prestigious institutions. Twelve St. Thomas scholar-athletes across six sports seized opportunities to extend their careers at the collegiate level, including six to Division I programs, increasing the number to 131 since 2012. Collectively the Class of 2019 provided superior leadership to fuel yet another remarkable Round-Up fundraising effort which produced more than $525,000 in raffle ticket sales. The resounding total means Eagle scholars crashed the half-million dollar mark for the fourth consecutive year, raising the recent seven-year mark to $3 million, with all monies annually and always devoted to St. Thomas tuition assistance, a Basilian practice which dates for 92 years. Fr. Storey was the latest in a recent succession of dedicated and vibrant advocates for St. Thomas who have engaged as commencement speakers including legacy benefactor Clay and essential 4500Forever capital campaign contributor Vincent Giammalva ’80, along with Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien in 2016, Weldon Granger in 2017 and Tom Vaughn ’85 in 2018 - all long-time champions for Catholic education in Houston.
new york state of mind
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legacy graduates
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senior stories
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eagle rocketeers blast off
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NEW YORK STATE OF MIND William Castillo ’19, one of the most acclaimed scholar-artists in recent St. Thomas history, was accepted during his senior year to study studio art in the renown Steinhardt School at New York University.
“The opportunity to experience one of the great cities in the world and the rigors of the NYU curriculum is a dream come true,” Castillo said. “The competition there to excel in the arts is intense and there is a proven plan to develop the artist. I was ecstatic when I received the (email) acceptance (in late March). My plan is to explore different mediums but specifically animation and digital graphics.” Castillo was attracted to the heart of the thriving New York City art world after taking part in an exhilarating one-month NYU summer program for high school students in 2018. Assistant principal Mary Criaco strongly encouraged Castillo to pursue the option and ultimately he was one of only 46 students enrolled into an intensive discipline that brought a wide diversity of participants.
“NYU wasn’t really on my radar until last summer,” Castillo said. “Without that exposure, I’m not sure I would have targeted the school. But I sampled the life of an NYU student and that absolutely told me there would be no better college destination. I lived in Founders Hall (located in the Union Square/East Village area). I was involved in printmaking, painting and video production. And it wasn’t just learning enhanced techniques. There were discussions on art philosophy and history, plus field trips to galleries all over the city. The entire (NYU) campus and facilities were made available. I mixed with students from Beijing, Ireland, France and throughout the United States.” Castillo then navigated the daunting process to secure a place in one of the most selective universities in the nation. For the first time in NYU history, the initial acceptance rate for students at the New York campus dipped to 19 percent in 2018. His application included award-winning credentials, national recognition, an uber impressive portfolio and emphatic artist statements. Castillo then utilized and leveraged a bonus element that no doubt provided a measurable impact.
“One of my letters of recommendation came from the Steinhardt’s director,” Castillo said. “He one of the instructors during the summer program and I was able to create that connection.” Castillo’s rise to prominence is even more profound given his sparse artistic practice as recently as his sophomore academic year at St. Thomas. A self-taught visual performer with only one fundamental course to his credit, 14
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Castillo was essentially operating off the grind. Yet he thrived on that feeling of urgency and excitement when the creative juices flowed and the urge to draw took command, not for prestige or profile, but simply for the sheer enjoyment. Once his raw talents were brought to the attention of fine arts dean Mike Nebel and instructor Chau Nguyen, the depth and scope of Castillo’s natural range emerged with a willingness to push his skills into action. The expressive, gestural and technical aspects of his drawing soared, the results as jaw-dropping as they were daring. “And I attribute that 100% to St. Thomas,” Castillo said. “There has been so much acceptance and support for me to pursue my ambitions and be successful. I never imagined that all this was within my reach.” In 2017, Castillo became the first-ever Eagle to be honored with Gold Key distinction in Drawing and Illustration in the prestigious National Scholastic Regional Art Competition, receiving one of only 80 Gold Keys awarded among more than 1,500 entries from private and public schools. As a junior, Castillo collected two Silver Keys in that same category and then completed his career with Silver Key distinction in Digital Art for his compelling Frankenstein show card promoting the 2018 fall production staged by St. Thomas Drama. “Art had never been my passion ... more like a hobby,” Castillo recalls. “Math was always my preferred subject. I thought I would end up in accounting or working statistical analysis. But all that has changed and I’m so excited for what the future may bring.”
SENIOR STORIES SHANE WILLIAMS Imagination and will power were always the most important gifts granted Shane Williams ’19. He applied the powerful pair in equal doses during a St. Thomas career marked by brilliance magnified by his own appreciation. “I love this school because of the opportunities for every student,” Williams says. “The gut-feeling to attend here was strong. That same intangible didn’t register when I was considering my other options (in 2015). I almost instantly knew this was the place for me.” A promising swimmer from the age-group club scene near Lake Jackson, Williams chose St. Thomas in small part “because they had never won the state championship and I wanted to make history.” Which he did in the most outrageously robust fashion, a record-smashing finish to make any Hollywood screenwriter jealous (see page 57). But for Williams, the taproot of his drive that determined St. Thomas as the destination was foremost about “academics ... always my first priority. Swimming was important but second. College preparatory is not casually slapped on the name here. It’s demanding. And that’s what I was seeking.” The transition for Williams from Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic school was hardly seamless. He committed to an exhausting daily routine multiplied by four years - an unbending combination of commutes, classes, tutorial, pool practice, weight training, competition, no distractions.
A grueling schedule that Williams never begrudged for an instant. He grinded with an incredible tolerance for work while adhering to a Hemingway-esque code - craft a plan, be the best, stay humble, make your family proud, that’s all you can control. “My first two years were especially challenging,” Williams says. “I had to discover the necessary discipline to bring out my best. The academic results in my junior and senior years were dramatically improved. I tapped into the time management and focus that swimming taught me.” Williams was recognized during the annual Academic Awards Assembly with distinction within the anatomy and physiology curriculum. He was then celebrated in May along with a host of fellow Eagle scholar-athletes extending their careers at the collegiate level (see page 72). Division III Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota offers Williams the properly calibrated mix of academics and athletics within a college mission that matches his St. Thomas experience. “My professional goal is to be a financial planner,” Williams says. “I know if I continue the ethic that St. Thomas helped me develop, the opportunities will continue to present themselves. Perhaps graduate school, then a Fortune 500 company. There are no limits.” Only a quote for the journey - Warriors don’t live in the past. The past is dead; life is now. And the future is waiting.
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SENIOR STORIES PLATO PAPPAS Plato Pappas ’19 leaves St. Thomas with a substantial record of academic acclaim and accomplishment. Pappas earned recognition as a National Merit Hispaic Scholar, earned entry into the National Honor Society, excelled in the rigorous economics curriculum and served on the student board of directors of the Houston Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve where he gained insight to the inner workings of the banking system through some of Houston’s most influential power brokers. But beneath the radar of resume building was a substantive purpose supporting his plan that revealed both character and resolve. Pappas had remained undeterred academically and personally despite the absence of his father Jimmy who passed away in September 2011 after a courageous 14-month battle with lymphoma. “Graduating from high school is perhaps more meaningful for me given some of the challenges of the last four years,” Pappas says. “Having my entire family here for the ceremony was definitely emotional. That was the support group when times were tough, especially my mother (Monique). And honestly, I often had to dig deep and rely on myself especially after my sophomore year when my sister (Anastacia) left for TCU. My mom was obviously occupied helping her make that transition. I had to grow up much sooner than I expected but I also learned that I’m capable of much more responsibility than I thought I could handle.”
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For all his accomplishment, Pappas holds a particular pride for an association unrelated to scholarship. In 2014, seven of his father’s closest friends established the Jimmy Pappas Memorial Sporting Clay Shoot Tournament. The fundraiser has generated valuable dollars and awareness for the Halo House Foundation and Sunshine Kids charity. This previous spring Plato was asked by the group to serve on its board of directors assuming a more active role in organization and execution. “I can’t describe how important and meaningful that involvement is for me,” Pappas says. “Shooting was one of my favorite pastimes with my father. It’s a way to stay connected to him. And I want to remain loyal to the fight against cancer so that others who are suffering may someday benefit.” Pappas remains absolute in continuing his father’s rich legacy for life and success. Plato will study engineering at Texas A&M University where Jimmy was a distinguished member of the Aggie Class of 1981 before obtaining his MBA from St. Thomas University. When self-doubt tested Pappas internally throughout his Eagle years - Will I lie down or will I fight? - the resounding response was a tribute to the lasting example set by his mentor, friend and forever influence, departed but never forgotten. “I have a sense that I’m much more focused and driven than some other college freshmen who are making the move,” Pappas says. “I’ve learned the key to everything is all about keeping the proper balance, not too low or too high.”
SENIOR STORIES DANIEL GRIGGS Daniel Griggs ’19 impresses in first-time encounters as real and deep and earnest. And the deeply real and earnest feelings of his initial days and weeks as a St. Thomas newbie are as fresh as the sudden flurry of Instagram flashes. “I was terrified,” Griggs says. “I think I knew two people. And it took time to reach a comfort zone.” Not an altogether uncommon introduction to a college preparatory experience and Griggs eventually regrouped from the somewhat unsteady start to develop a decided admiration for his school and classmates. But it was not until the start to his final Eagle campaign did a particular awakening strike Griggs which proved powerful throughout the fall and spring into his graduation. Griggs was an active senior participant in the inaugural Camp Aquinas, a week-long off-campus immersion designed for incoming freshmen to ease the untold pressures and challenges awaiting them - academically, socially, personally and spiritually. In reaching out to shaky nervous newcomers who Griggs could readily relate, his own communal identity became more defined. “I discovered how genuinely comfortable I was within my own peer group, almost like a family,” Griggs says. “For my first three years at St. Thomas, the brotherhood aspect here didn’t really register with me as perhaps other students. But after Camp Aquinas, I was energized and sought out the campus community in many different ways.
I was involved much more in outside activities ... attended football games ... embraced the school spirit and pride and togetherness unlike before. I found that I love my school even more than I thought.” Griggs arrived at St. Thomas in 2015 with dizzy hoop dreams swirling within his stop-and-pop soul, all of which were quickly dashed by his sophomore year. As a second act, he channeled his creative flow into the acclaimed theater and performing arts program directed by faculty member Dan Green. Without the least of repertory reps, Griggs gradually paid his due diligence, stair-stepped into preferred billing, and emerged as a thriving presence in riveting roles in Frankenstein and Guys and Dolls to close out his Eagle career. He also received medal recognition for both ensemble and solo performances at the 2019 Texas Private School Music Educators Association state competition. “The first two years of high school I tended to keep to myself and stay in the background,” Griggs says. “Getting in front of an audience allowed me to be more open with myself ... build my confidence ... explore who I am ... who I hope to be. How I go about expressing myself and engaging people now is dramatically different from even last year.” Griggs will next study at Texas Tech armed with an inner strength gained from his diverse St. Thomas experience, a path paved through academic excellence, and rave reviews on stage, and networking the extensive alumni base for summer employment. “I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate my time here in terms of what opportunities I see for the future,” Griggs says without hesitation. “The environment in which you learn is critical. I never anticipated the success I had in theater, or the St. Thomas Club (seven semesters of at least a 4.0 GPA). In no way would I be leaving another school the same person I am leaving St. Thomas.”
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MAY GOODNESS, DISCIPLINE AND KNOWLEDGE GUIDE YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS AS YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
WA MT OR ID
3
1
WY
NV
4
UT
1 - California Loyola Marymount University (2) University of San Diego
CO
CA
2 - Arizona Arizona State University (5)
2
3- Wyoming University of Wyoming
AZ
4 - Colorado Colordado School of Mines University of Colorado at Boulder (2)
NM
5 - Nebraska Creighton University 6 - Texas Baylor University Blinn College (9) Houston Baptist University Rice University (2) Richland College Sam Houston State University Stephen F. Austin State University Southern Methodist University Texas A&M University (20) Texas A&M University System (8) Texas State University Texas Tech University (17) The University of Texas (8) The University of Texas System University of the Incarnate Word University of Houston (13) University of North Texas University of St. Thomas
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7 - Minnesota Gustavus Adolphus College 8 - Missouri Missouri University of Science and Technology University of Missouri (2) Washington University 9 - Louisiana Louisiana State University Tulane University 10 - Illinois Depaul University University of Chicago
13 - Michigan Central Michigan University University of Michigan 14 - Ohio University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music
11 - Mississippi Millsaps College University of Mississippi (4)
15 - Florida Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2) Jacksonville University University of Miami
12 - Alabama The University of Alabama
16 - New York New York University
7
ME
ND MN
VT
WI
SD
MI
5
13
IA
NE
10
8
KS
RI
NJ MD DE
WV MO
CT
OH
IN
MA
PA
14
IL
NY
16
NH
VA
KY NC
6
TN
OK
AR
SC
12
11
TX
MS
9
AL
GA
LA FL 15
EAGLES SOAR The Class of 2019 embarks on their next chapters all across the country. FALL 2019
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CLASS OF 2019 ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS Andres Aiza Suffolk University, University Achievement Grand
Aucker Hamlin Alch Louisiana State University - Academic Scholars Non-Resident, Texas Tigers Scholarship, President's Student Aid Scholarship The Catholic University of America - Catholic University Award, Parish Scholarship Armando Serapio Amador Rice University Rice Investment Plan Scholarship Daniel Robert Bixby New Mexico Military Institue Regent Incentive Scholarship Zachary Natheniel Blice Jacksonville Univeristy Athletic Scholarship Logan Christian Bobo Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship Jarrod Chad Brown Tulane University Founder's Merit Scholarship Nathan Wade Bryant Texas A&M University at College Stations Corp of Cadets 21st Century Scholarship Cole Laughlin Carrabba Baylor University Scholarship Southwestern University Ruter Scholar Award Texas State University Texas State Achievement Scholarship University of Houston Academic Excellence Scholarship Austin Blake Castro Houston Baptist University, University Grant I Scholarship Joseph Armando Chavez Rice University Rice Grant Hunter Dane Cheek University of Incarnate Word Academic Scholarship Aidan Gregory Clark University of Mississippi Eagle Scout Gold Award Carl Donovan Collins Jr. Pepperdine University Merit Scholarship DePaul University Merit Scholarship 20
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John Marshall Cordes Creighton University Father Joseph Labaj Award Regis University Scholarship
Matthew Jacob Cotrone Texas Tech University Zugheri Family Endowed Scholarship Jackson Eaton Crawford Creighton University Founder's Award Miami University RedHawk Excellence Scholarship St. Edwards University President's Excellence Scholarship Xavier University Xavier Excellence Scholarship Saint Louis University - Catholic High School Award, Dean's Scholarship Nathan Alan Cueau Abilene Christian University, University Award Houston Baptist University, University Grant I Scholarship Jackson Eastham Dawkins Texas Tech Univeristy Scholastic Success Scholarship Seth Thomas Deitz Baylor University Founder's Scholarship Jonathan Gately Evans Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship Douglas Patrick Fahrenholz National Security Language Initiative and the International Education and Resource Network Scholarship Anthony Joseph Farino IV University of St. Thomas Celt Award Josheph Kameron Freels Texas Tech University Scholarship William Stuart Garner III Missouri University of Science & Technology Reception Scholarship Bennett McGowan Gist Louisiana State University Texas Tigers Scholarship Transformation Merit Non-Resident Scholarship Millsaps College Founder's Grant, Legacy Scholarship Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship
Ethan Gould Texas Tech Univeristy Scholastic Success Scholarship Diego Alejandro Guajardo Schreiner University Mountaineer Scholarship University of Houston Downton Merit Scholarship University of St. Thomas New Student University Grant Ian Bradley Holcomb Texas Tech University Scholastic Success Scholarship Benjamin Murdock Huggins Texas Christian University Scholarship Ethan Thomas Hunter University of Louisianna Lafayette Out of State Scholarship Matthew Thomas Ignas University of Texas, Tyler Academic Scholarship Brandon Garrett Jackson Houston Police Officers' Union Scholarship Texas A&M university at College Station National Hispanic Merit Scholar Scholarship Texas State University National Hispanic Merit Scholarship Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship Alexander Von Jacobs Comcast Leaders & Achievers Scholarship Central Mighigan University - Multicultural Advancement, Academic Prestige Award, Wrestling Scholarship Northern Michigan University - Wildcat Achievement, National Academic Award Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville - Provost Scholarship, Cougar Pride, Johnette Haley Scholarship University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Panther Scholarship, Book Award Connor Kenneth Kolb University of Mississippi Academic Merit Scholarship Anderson Michael Kopp Lamar University Basketball Scholarship Conner Patrick Kornmayer Texas Tech University Scholastic Success Scholarship Keaton Randell Koy Baylor University Founder's Gold Scholarship Jeev Singh Lamba Baylor University Academic Scholarship Trinity University Trustee's Scholarship University of Houston Scholarship Jacob Ignacio Lara George Washington University Scholarship Evan Michael Lawson Baylor University Academic Scholarship University of Wyoming Rocky Mountain Scholars Scholarship
Isaiah Matthew Leal Houston Baptist Unviversity Legacy Scholarship St. John's University - Catholic High School Scholarship, St. Vincent De Paul Merit Scholarship Gabriel Eric Lenz Creighton University - Founder's Scholarship, Father Joseph Labaj Award Regis University Board of Trustees Catholic Award Spring Hill College Presidential Scholarship University of Oklahoma Distinguished Scholar Scholarship Cole Forrester Letlow Baylor University Provost's Gold Scholarship, Invitation to Excellence Scholarship Colorado State University Dean's Scholarship Texas State University Achievement Scholarship Texas Tech University Preseidntial Scholarship University of Arizona Excellence Scholarship Keaton David Louis Lippman Texas Tech University Presidential Schoalrship University of Houston Merit Schoalrship University of Mississippi Merit Scholarhsip Brady Kirk Logsdon Sam Houston State University Baseball Scholarship Adriel Primo Lopez Houston Junior Forum College Scholarship Houston Police Officers' Union Scholarship Seth Alexander Macias Rochester Institue of Technolgy - Grant, Presidential Scholarship Rose-Hulman Institute of Technolgy - Grant, Merit Scholarship, Catapult Scholarship Joshua Nathaniel Madden Louisiana State University - Academic Scholars Non-Resident Scholarship, Presdient's Student Aid Scholarship, Texas Tigers Scholarship Texas Tech Uiversity Presdiential Scholarship University of Texas at Austin Academic Scholars Non-Resident Scholarship Theodore Duc Mai Louisiana State University Texas Tger Scholarship, Transformation Merit Non-Resdient Scholarhship University of Houston Merti Scholarship University of Mississippi Merit Scholarship Peyton Joseph Matocha University of Miami Athletic Scholarship John Michael McCorkle Houston Police Officers’ Union Scholarship
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Connor Davis McGovern University of Missouri Mark Twain Scholarship Emerson College Spotlight Scholarship Kellin Martic McGowen Jones-Kuris Scholarship Mitchell-Beall-Rosen Memorial Scholarship National Merit Corporate Scholarship Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship St. Thomas High School Albert R. Gaelens Award University of Chicago University Scholar Scholarship Tyler Cuchulainn McStravick Houston Baptist University Merit Founder's Scholarship Michigan State University - Non-Resdient Scholarship, Presidential Study Abroad Scholarship St. Edward's University - Academic President's Excellence Scholarship, Gold Hilltopper Award Trinity University Academic Merit Trustee's Scholarship Brenden Louis Murray Southern Methodist Univeristy Cox School of Business Scholarship Texas A&M University Dean's Scholarship University of Texas, Austin Cockrell School of Engineering Scholarship Benjamin Thomas Nordloh Colorado State University Academic Recognition Award Southwestern University Legacy Scholarship Sul Ross State University Texas Grant Matthew Phillip O'Connor University of St. Thomas Presidential Excellence Scholarship Donovan James O'Hare Regis University - University Scholarship Saint Mary's College Gael Scholars Scholarship Seton Hall University Summer Scholarship St. John's University - Dean's Scholarship, Catholic High School Award, Scholatic Excellence Scholarship University of Denver Crimson & Gold Scholarship Xavier University Xavier Scholarship Plato James Pappas National Hispanic Scholarship Andrew Thanh Hien Phan Texas Christian University Founder's Scholarship Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship University of Houston Academic Excellence Scholarship, Cougar Engineers Class of 2023 Incoming Freshman Nico Hieu Pivnik College of Wooster Merit Scholarship Ithaca College Merit Scholarship Kalamazoo College Merit Scholarship Loyola Marymount University Merit Scholarship University of Puget Sound Merit Scholarship Carson Andrew Rau Loyola Marymount University - Arrupe Scholarship, Early Action Award
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Martin Christopher Reat Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Dean's Scholarship Tuscan Anthony Savarino Colorado School of Mines Merit Scholarship Texas A&M University at College Station Opportunity Scholarship United States Air Force Academy Scholarship Dante Miguel Segura University of St. Thomas - Celt Award, New Student Grant David Nicholas Smetek Louisiana State University Scholarship University of Oklahoma Scholarship Thomas Christian Snow Lousiana State University Scholarship Texas Christian University Faculty Scholarship University of Oklahoma Schaolrship John Russell Sparks Regis University - Blue and Gold Scholarship, Catholic High School Award, Grant Texas Tech University Scholarship University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Scholarship University of Montant Leadership, Achievement & Service Scholarship Nelson Suarez Jr. Baylor University Gold Award Scholarship John Austin Teague Miami University, Oxford RedHawk Excellence Scholarship Regis University - Baord of Trustee Scholarship, Catholic High School Scholarship St. John's College President's Merit Scholarship Temple University Merit Scholarship University of Mississippi - Non-Resident Alumni Scholarship, Academic Merit Scholarship, Academics Merit Non-Resdient Scholarship John Matthew Temple Baylor University Founder's Gold Scholarship Texas Tech Presdiential Scholarship University of Missouri Mark Twin Award Level II Camden Mason Thomas Texas State University President's Honor Scholarship University of Houston Academic Excellence Scholarship Kenneth George Van Doren Hofstra University Deans Scholarship St. Bonaventure University Provost Scholarship Juan Miguel Vasquez University of North Texas Excellence Scholarship Terrance Shane Williams Gustavus Adolphus College Gold Scholarship Saint John's University - Dean's Scholarship, Saints Scholarship, Saint John Abbey Scholarship
Flybys
WWIIQUIZ BOWL
Tyler McStravick ’19, Nicholas Kurzy ’20 and Nicholas Chandler ’20 combined to again win the World War II High School Quiz Bowl event in New Orleans, the third consecutive year St. Thomas captured the title.
The 15th annual competition hosted by The National WWII Museum and sponsored by the New Orleans Advocate included a wide array of topics such as European and Pacific theaters, Louisiana in World War II, World War II in the news and geography, as well as several challenging teamwork activities. In 2017, McStravick, Kurzy and Nate Belcher ’18 secured the championship with a victory over New Orleans Jesuit.
GETTING IN TUNE
The St. Thomas Singers continued the program’s strong reputation for acclaim by earning distinction at the Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) state competition. Soloists Dante Segura ’19, Daniel Tran ’19, Daniel Griggs ’19, Isaiah Leal ’19, Benito Moreno-Garza ’21 and Leo Wilson ’21 all received 1st Division medals. The first ensemble of Leal, Moreno-Garza, Douglas Beirne ’20, Charles Boutte ’20, Hunter Cummins ’21, Diego Guajardo ’19, Raphael Mamaradlo ’21, John McCorkle ’19, Leonardo Morales ’21, Jhosua Pasuquin ’21, Jorge Villalobos ’21 and Bishop Yokubaitis ’21 also received 1st Division recognition as did the second ensemble of Griggs, Segura, Tran, Wilson and Noah Mims ’21.
STEPS FOR STUDENTS
Isaiah Garza ’20, Blazek Skucius ’20, and head track and cross country coach Nathan Labus led the St. Thomas campus community in the 14th annual Steps For Students 5K Race & Walk celebrating Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The collective St. Thomas effort among more than 11,000 registered helped make Catholic education made affordable and accessible to a wider diversity of Houston families.
The TPSMEA judges awarded 1st Division ratings to the choir in both the Concert and Sight-Reading portions of the contest that featured outstanding performances from soloists Mamaradlo and Jackson Phillips ’20, as well as brilliant accompaniment by Moreno-Garza on recorder and Wilson on guitar and djembe.
GOLDADDYS St. Thomas is proud to share in recognition received at the 57th edition of Houston’s American Advertising Awards -formerly the ADDYs. » Gold distinction for Elements of Advertising - Still Photography, Digitally Enhanced category » Gold distinction for Elements of Advertising - Still Photography, Campaign category. Official credits were given to Karl Heim of KH Studio as creative director, photographer Nathan Lindstrom and client St. Thomas. The three collaborated in the summer of 2018 with a host of Eagle scholar-athletes to create a dynamic photo shoot showcasing and promoting Eagle Athletics for the 2018-19 academic year. The acclaim brought qualification for the American Advertising Federation Tenth District Awards competition in Dallas. The merit was announced in February during a celebration at the Hyatt Regency Houston Downtown rewarding the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising. FALL 2019
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graduates 2019
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CARRABBA - Joe ’57, Cole ’19 and Luke ’83
CLINTON - Posie IV ’91 and Posie V ’19
MADDEN - Willie ’82, Marshall ’18, Michael Ethridge ’19, Josh ’19 and Patrick ’89
PATRONELLA - Michael ’83, Damian ’19 and Domenic ’16
SMETEK - Patrick ’19 and Patrick ’78
STEINER - Brian ’83 and Nicholas ’19
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congratulations Legacy
BARROSO - Chris ’96, Rorie ’19, Chris ’77 and Jayson ’18 (not pictured, Gordon Benge ’49, Earl ’58, James Benge ’75 and Anthony ’79)
BARTULA - Connor ’19 and Raymond ’58
COTRONE - Matthew ’19 and Joe ’53
MCCAIRNS - William ’19, Daniel ’85 and Walker ’19
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graduates - CLASS OF 2019
SANCHEZ - Sal ’83, Alejandro ’13, Vicente ’10, Ivan ’19, Matias ’13, *Marciano ’28 and Arturo ’85
IGNAS - Thomas ’85 and Matthew ’19
O’HARE - Donovan ’19 and Dan ’87
SAVARINO - Dominic ’88 and Tuscan ’19
*future Eagle class of 2028 FALL 2019
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EAGLE ROCKETEERS BLAST OFF Select Eagle scholars again aimed for the stars in an effort to outdistance elite students from across the United States.
For the second time in four years, St. Thomas occupied an exclusive orbit - advancing two groups to compete at the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) National Final, the world’s largest student rocket contest. Seniors Brandon Jackson, Daniel Bixby, Ethan Hunter, James Morgan, Joseph Lauckner and Jacob Matthews returned to the National Fly-Off after soaring as freshmen in 2016. First-timers David Torres, Thanh-Vinh McColloster, Peter Zhong, Drew Caver and Mark Cheek represented the Class of 2022 in a showcase that encourages engagement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities. Faculty member Dr. Ed Marintsch infused expertise and inspiration into St. Thomas Rocketry for nearly two decades, his passion fueling a consistent St. Thomas lift to aspiring heights vying for valuable scholarships and national acclaim. And in 2019 St. Thomas was one of only two institutions in Houston and 13 in Texas to successfully navigate to the national final, and one of but two schools in the state to qualify more than one team. Marintsch learned long ago that clustering his teams according to class created a particular brand of camaraderie and led to greater investment.
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He partnered this year with faculty colleague Dr. Pete Nordloh for the first time in mentoring Eagle scholars through months of preparation, designing, building and testing to meet rigorous parameters set by the contest’s sponsors, the Aerospace Industries Association and National Association of Rocketry. “This senior group was more laid back but you would expect that after three years in the program,” Marintsch says. “They put out a rocket right away ... more simple than creative ... but simple usually works well.” Nordloh recognized the “freshmen were hooked from the start ... embraced the process ... delved into the computer models. Then, once they got away from the simulators and actually started launching their interest really spiked. Of the two groups, they had a larger hurdle qualifying for a variety of reasons but they got it done.” The contest rules and scoring parameters change every cycle to summon ingenuity and encourage a fresh approach to execution.
The strict protocols for the 17th annual event were to design, build and fly a rocket with precise weight, length and impulse restrictions themed around the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The mission required carrying three raw eggs in a capsule to an altitude of 856 feet and return it to the ground with the payload intact within 43-46 seconds.
“The rockets had to separate and individually land safely ... had to use at least two parachutes,” Marintsch says. “The three eggs represented the three astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins). The altitude of 856 feet, the central standard time Armstrong walked on the moon in July 1969.” The TARC competition is judged on a point basis with the goal of finishing with the lowest score possible. Teams gain one point for each foot that they deviate from the goal and four points for each second if they over/under-shoot the time window. St. Thomas conducted testing and qualifying at Johnson Space Center over five consecutive Saturdays in February and March to emerge among the 100 entries for TARC from more than 800 schools representing nearly every state and Washington, D.C. “(The seniors) did all three of our qualifications on the same day,” Jackson says. “The conditions varied considerably from launch to launch. You always have to adjust for the obvious variables such as wind, humidity and temperature which can change considerably in a matter of hours. Then we had to allow for the powerful engines and relatively low target height without too much added weight.” At the end of the academic year, Marintsch concluded a distinguished tenure of more than three decades in the St. Thomas science department. His rocketry teams reached TARC 10 times in 17 years, an event that originally began as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight and quickly morphed through overwhelming demand into an annual exercise to promote future scientists and engineers. In 2005, St. Thomas finished 13th at nationals and its fifth-place result in 2009 enabled the team to work on a year-long student initiative with NASA. Nordloh saw St. Thomas returning to the National Fly-Off as “a home run in Ed’s last at bat.” Marintsch humbly accepted inner pride that his rocketeers consistently demonstrated to the country how “they can problem-solve by working together as a team and using their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. There was, of course, some disappointment when we missed out the last couple of years. You try to analyze what you did wrong but the reality is not everyone makes the grade. To step out with two teams this year was really as good as you can get.” FALL 2019
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TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT
The St. Thomas Academic Awards Assembly is an annual celebration of not only strong intellect and scholarly achievement but also the capacity for community and compassion.
“This is a joyous occasion where we share in the amazing accomplishments of our students,” said principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96. “Our administration and faculty are extremely proud of the range and depth of their many accomplishments. We are inspired by their dedication and perseverance. This testament to their talents also continues our upward trajectory as a premier college preparatory institution in the city, the state and region.” One hundred and fifty-eight acclaimed scholars were recognized, led by Kellin McGowan ’19, the first African-American valedictorian in school history, and salutatorian Tuscan Savarino ’19. The two exemplary scholars ranked as the highest members of their class based on the calculation of their four-year grade point averages. The two joined Armando Amador ’19, Jarrod Brown ’19, Joseph Chavez ’19, Hunter Henderson ’19, Gabriel Lenz ’19, Angel Sosa-Yanez ’19 and Maxwell Voltz ’19 in gaining permanent membership into the prestigious St.Thomas Club - elite students with a minimum 4.0 grade point average for seven consecutive semesters. The National Merit Program previously acknowledged Amador, Chavez, Brandon Jackson ’19 and Plato Pappas ’19 as National Merit Hispanic Scholars and awarded Griffin Wilkins ’19 with a Letter of Commendation acknowledging exceptional academic promise. Select accolades were again reserved for four Eagle scholars who not only excelled in a rigorous college preparatory environment but also separated through a civic identity beyond campus. McGowan was selected for the Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award, given to the senior student who best embodies the school motto of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge. The award is named for the 21st principal of St. Thomas who deeply served the school in a variety of capacities for a quarter century before retiring in 2007. Seniors are nominated by their peers for this distinction and the faculty then votes on those receiving the most nominations.
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English faculty member Darrell Yarbrough described McGowen as “a superhero (with) a cloak of humility. You will never meet a nicer person. Jesus tells us that the meek will inherit the earth. This means McGowen will someday own it. But he is so nice, he will allow us to stay. His superpower is his lightning-fast intellect ... not quite omniscient ... but he invests so much devouring news, facts and the overall goings on in the world that he is close to knowing it all. We don't have to know everything - that is God’s job. And Kellin McGowan is God’s superhero.” For the first time the GD&K recipient was also granted the inaugural Fr. Ronald Schwenzer, CSB Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge Scholarship in the amount of $2,500, the financial stake generously funded by an anonymous former St. Thomas teacher in the spirit of the Basilian motto. Fr. Schwenzer was appointed in 2006 the first president in St. Thomas history after eight years as principal, working tirelessly to develop citizen scholars and leaders during his tenure. Seth Deitz ’19 was given the Fr. Schwenzer Campus Ministry Award for most exemplifying the Man of St. Thomas motto of Faith, Service and Leadership. He was applauded for “consistently placing others ahead of himself ... embracing those around him ... with an attentive soul and caring heart... always eager to lend a hand to those in need with an eye for who may be struggling.” Deitz plans to study psychology at Stephen F. Austin University.
Ian Wheeler ’19 was saluted with the Rev. Carl Mitchell Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics, in honor of the 16th principal of St. Thomas. Wheeler followed Parker Rzasnicki ’18, Sam Yeboah ’17, 2016 TAPPS Male Athlete of the Year David Jones ’16, Campbell Clarkson ’15 and Joseph Lowry ’14 as the most recent recipients. Wheeler was a dual sport multi-year varsity letterman with academic all-state distinction. His sultan of smash-and-dash senior football season ended with 1,309 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 503 receiving yards and three scores.
He was a two-time all-state pole vaulter while contributing to multiple sprint events and was named the team’s 2018 most valuable performer.
THIS TESTAMENT TO THEIR TALENTS CONTINUES OUR UPWARD TRAJECTORY AS A PREMIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY INSITUTION IN THE CITY, STATE AND REGION
Wheeler was described as a student with an extreme sense of discovery who “remained unsatisfied after a long discusion not necessarily to improve his grade but for his own knowledge. He has an insatiable appetite to be better ... carries himself with an unflappable positivity ... guided by a love for his family, his friends and fellow man... (qualities) that will serve him moving forward as well as any of his many other talents.”
The Principal’s Service and Leadership Award winner was legacy graduate Cole Carrabba ’19, valued for the brand of integrity defined as “doing what is proper and appropriate even when no one is paying attention ... consistently displaying humility and kindness to everyone he encounters ... with enthusiasm, joy and a broad smile ... and an uncanny charisma that is simultaneously sincere and warm ... marked by an internal motivation for excellence.” Carrabba intends to study geology at the University of Texas.
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ANOTHER
RIP-ROARING
REVVED UP ROUND-UP
T
he news floated through and beyond Granger Stadium, absorbed by a group of St. Thomas students and community members who viewed the information with their eyes, shared it on iPhones, repeated it aloud with their voices, barely believing it with their ears.
“Seriously?” was the chorus singing to the verse when the latest raucous Round-Up fundraising totals reverberated throughout campus. The frantic first March Friday brought the traditional crescendo and revealed that Eagle scholars raked $525,028 in raffle ticket sales crashing the half-million dollar mark for the fourth consecutive year, raising the recent seven-year mark to $3 million, with all monies annually and always devoted to St. Thomas tuition assistance, a Basilian practice which dates for 92 years. An unmatched student initiative. Incredible and genuine and organic. And in typical St. Thomas fashion, an aggressive final tick push rushed sales past ambitious goals with a striking statement of Eagles coming to the aid of their fellow Eagles. Faculty members Casey Johnson ’05 and Grover Green ’04 again proved to be the duo of driving forces who inspired, prodded and cajoled the driven committed student body to an ab fab finish. “I applaud the leadership of Casey and Grover and these seniors who decided every single day to extend a little further, find one more contact, sell one more book, bring in one more check, and that’s how we reached this kind of total,” President Fr. James Murphy, CSB said. “Every single quota counts. And that’s the mantra.”
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Features
WHAT MATTERS MOST IS WHAT WE ACHIEVED AS A GROUP AND THAT BRINGS US CLOSER AS A COMMUNITY AND TOGETHER AS A WHOLE FALL 2019
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Brendan Hotze ’21 commanded in back-to-back campaigns the dream big, no limits charge. His $23,240 in sizzling sales was followed by Ben Huggins ’19 ($18,500) and Damian Patronella ’19 ($16,580), the second and third overall sellers. Huggins fronted the class of 2019 for the third straight year while generating nearly $32,000. Patronella closed with a pair of efforts totaling more than $22,000. The top 10 performers included - Zach Kroencke ’20 ($12,700); Nicolas Prodoehl ’20 ($9,000) for a third straight year; Aaron Schlosser ’21 ($7,200), Aidan Kelley ’21 ($7,140) and Rory Gremillion ’21 ($6,620) joining Hotze from the sophomore class; Peyton Woodlief ’22 ($7,605), the lone freshman; and Keaton Lippman ’19 ($7,400). “These dollars support the day to day life of our school,” Fr. Murphy said. “Without the students who otherwise would not be attending, you wouldn’t have St. Thomas. Our guys understand that. I see those who are receiving assistance working tirelessly to make these results happen right alongside their Eagle brothers. That speaks to the depth of their collective character and what they want St. Thomas to be.” Within weeks of Fr. Murphy being appointed the third president of St. Thomas, he beamed with particular pride and burbled with appreciation - the first Round-Up on his watch registering as a resounding success. “One of our students in the counting room said, ‘I thought this would be more glamorous.’ The process is not. It’s work. It’s a responsibility supporting a legacy. And what our group consistently understands at the end is that the work matters. And for me, the satisfaction is that of a job very well done.” In what has become a lasting family tradition, an unassuming Hotze has again swung the resounding Round-Up hammer. In 2018, Brendan churned $22,469 to head the sales parade in the immediate wake of his older brother David ’17 establishing the pulsating pace each of his four years, punctuated by a jaw-dropping $62,970 total as a freshman. “I just try to do my best,” Hotze ’21 said. “I know that whatever I can do does help. What matters most is what we achieved as a group and that brings us closer as a community and together as a whole.” A dozen Hotzes have preceded the behemoth Brendan through STH including his father, David Neill ’75. In proving yet again there is truly no heavy Round-Up hitter like a Hotze, Brendan applied pure unadulterated “persistence” in setting the latest individual standard. “I called prospects every single day, 10 times total if that’s what it took to get a response,” Hotze says. “I asked if they can commit to $2,500. I got a lot of no’s ... also got a check for $5,000 when I asked for half that. I emphasized that St. Thomas isn’t meant for a single kind of student. 34
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We’re every background, every social tier, every income level. The raffle purchase provides that opportunity. Maybe you’ll win a (2019 Toyota Tacoma truck). You absolutely will help someone experience St. Thomas.” And nowhere in creating an environment for excellence is the Basilian motto Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge more alive and in full force. In 2006, Will Loweth ’06 was out front with $13,480, capping four straight top-10 finishes totaling more than $28,000. As recently as 2009 the Round-Up top-10 sellers produced a total of $50,100, followed by incremental jumps to $60,300, $82,000 and then $89,500 in 2012 pumped by $21,140 from Michael Johnson ’12, bumping his four consecutive top-10 results to nearly $38,000. In the last decade, Eagle students have embraced what was great and made it greater. Not in pursuit of recognition or acclaim but for the total measure of the St. Thomas Basilian mission. In 2014, the staggering $63k from Hotze ’17 was the largest single stake in a sum that shattered the previous St. Thomas standard set the previous year. In 2015, Hotze ’17 and Domenic Patronella ’16 were one-two in sales for the second consecutive year in another record-smashing rendezvous. In 2016, the half-million barrier was broken for the first time as Hotze ’17 was first and foremost for the third consecutive year ($17,460). Tucker Britt ’17 was next on the tote board with $16,000, followed by Asher Price ’17, his $12,260 placing him among the top 10 for the third year in a row. In 2017, Hotze ’17 ($25,340), Britt ($21,000) and Price ($10,200) again cranked a 1-2-3 sales finish and fueled an audacious student total. Last year Daniel Garcia ’18 ($11,800) and Josh Hanks ’18 ($11,600), the second and third overall sellers, led a senior assault teaming with Hotze ’21 in another sales outburst. Forty-eight hours following the latest revved up Round-Up result, the Sunday campus celebration culminated with family, food, fun and friendship - an inspiring event co-chaired by Monique Jenkins, EJane Hughson Myers and Dena Skucius. St. Thomas past, present and future converged. Visiting alumni were reminded in theirhearts that no matter where they live, what they do or how long they’ve been away, the St. Thomas that means “new home” will always be there and will always be theirs. Eagles bonded by an unbreakable brotherhood that neither time nor distance can diminish.
The Basilian Fathers extend their deepest appreciation to all in the St. Thomas community and beyond for making our 92nd Round-Up celebration a student fundraising event unmatched anywhere in the United States. Eagles caring for Eagles. We were blessed to have phenomenal leadership with chairs Monique Jenkins, EJane Hughson Myers and Dena Skucius plus a legion of volunteers who devoted countless hours to support another record-smashing extravaganza, all saluting a brotherhood unlike any other. See you March 1, 2020!
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Features
MISSION POSSIBLE F
or nearly two decades the St. Thomas campus community has remained steadfastly committed to short-term student mission trips that collide with long-play social justice.
Eagle scholars devoting a second consecutive spring break to aid the under-served in Honduras delivered an authentic re-connection with children and a community in need. The undeniable goal was supplying sustainable growth and restoring dignity. Most striking to foreign language dean and mission organizer Danny Hernandez ’08 was again the decisive display of the St. Thomas group living the Basilian motto that has served as the institution’s divine compass for more than a century – Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge. “What I cherish about these efforts is the outpouring of our Basilian DNA,” Hernandez says. “This is the tangible impact of goodness. Every day in the academic year I focus on knowledge and discipline. There are also spontaneous life lessons that emerge but goodness is never as clearly defined. I see that quality in our students throughout the mission trips and that’s incredibly rewarding.”
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Hernandez again collaborated with Eagle fathers Rafael Garcia and Ed Cordes as the driving forces in leading 24 Eagle students representing diverse religious backgrounds to a region of unmatched aesthetic beauty buffered by the most unsavory of underbellies. Honduras owns a decidedly dangerous identity with a long history of military rule, corruption and lethal crime which has rendered the country one of the least developed and most unstable in Latin America. Garcia grew up attending the American school in Tegucigalpa before finishing his senior high school year in Jacksonville, Florida, then enrolling at Georgia Tech. He was exposed to a Catholic retreat center that doubles as a boarding school for abandoned and abused Honduran children. The loving enriching Casa Madre Teresa haven (approximately 45 minutes south of the capital city Tegucigalpa) advances education and prospects for future employment.
Garcia has supported the facility financially for years and intrigued Cordes with compelling reasons to pair the passion with a St. Thomas pilgrimage. The two along with Hernandez agreed that maintaining the partnership that spawned 12 months ago was imperative. “When you complete a mission as we did in 2018, there’s often a promise to return to follow through on that experience but rarely is that promise fulfilled for a wide variety of practical reasons,” Hernandez says. “Rafael, Ed and I were adamant for our Honduras brothers to see St. Thomas reaffirm that relationship. It tells the people that we deeply care. And we felt so much genuine joy from them in response to that dedication.” Routinely more than 60% of the nearly nine million Hondurans live in poverty while more than 40% exist in extreme poverty, many in rural areas, outside of the two most populous cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro, where farming is the main source of income and survival. The St. Thomas contingent which included faculty member Dr. Marino Segura arrived fully aware of the country’s social upheaval and economic inequality. They were emphatically and warmly welcomed back – a culture clash united by faith and purpose, communal meals and bilingual interaction, work and recreation, harbored safely where the division of language, history and lifestyle was immediately dissolved.
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“Last year St Thomas built a bond which transcended the projects we accomplished,” Cordes says. “This March the Honduran students were thrilled that their friends had actually come back to spend another week. The greetings were from the heart. That reunion with the students and staff made the stay even more special.”
Cordes was introduced to mission trips during his freshman year and a Habitat for Humanity activity in North Texas. He readily admits that his prime incentive to participate was to rack service hours and help fulfill the mandatory St. Thomas requirement. He then quickly discovered the value of “reaching out and helping people.”
Among the half dozen returning student leaders were Cordes’ son, John ’19 (family members of All Saints Catholic Church in the Heights), and John Lucas ’20. The two have made humanitarian relief a resounding way of life.
In 2017 he was part of a St. Thomas visit to Cuba, an educational and cultural exchange that placed a priority on just talking to people, extending kindness and sympathy to other human beings.
“The last two years have been eye-opening experiences that I believe will affect me for many years to come,” says Lucas who enrolled at St. Thomas from St. Helen Catholic School in Pearland. “You learn not to take what you have for granted, that you’re blessed and that there’s so much you can do to help people who are less fortunate. It’s a true motivator to take action. I feel as though I have left a part of myself in Honduras and have brought a part of that community back home. I think about those children all the time, the challenges they face every single day, and I pray for them.”
“I think I’ve always appreciated what I have, the advantages, graduating from St. Thomas and now preparing for college,” Cordes says. “But the missions have caused me to reflect and be even more grateful for the opportunities I’ve been afforded. I don’t have to work fields every day just in order to eat. I really found a connection with the people in Honduras and looked forward to going back.” Ed Cordes believes that “joining John the last two years in Honduras has provided me with a precious week without technology, work or academic distractions. Caring for the well-being of others and advancing science are obviously essential … and so is spending quality time and working closely with my son to achieve something important.”
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That measurable is most clearly calibrated as contributing to an immediate and permanent difference in the lives of those in need, delivering manpower and construction assistance, building materials, tools and expertise (Cordes is the leader of the Science + Technology practice for acclaimed architecture and design firm Perkins + Will). The latest Friday-Friday excursion to Tegucigalpa included a dicey landing at Toncontin International Airport, one of the most dangerous in the world due to short runways and proximity to mountainous terrain. Saturday was dominated by a substantial planting of king grass that will furnish a natural wind barrier for crops. Next were four full labor-intensive days expanding the aquaculture projects that were established during the initial St. Thomas involvement. Aquaponics is a neologism that combines water-based planting and fish cultivation for an alternate way of growing a recurring food supply, leaving earth – that is, dirt –behind. The 2018 St. Thomas group created an aquaponics pond stocked with tilapia. What feeds the crops is recirculating water from the mega-gallon tanks and the waste generated by the fish. The pond itself fertilizes the growing farm, making the entire project a complete ecosystem. “The students are involved in truly an immersion experience,” Hernandez says. “They embraced the needs of the community … what was similar rather than what was different. There were no charter companies and scenic tours and posh hotels. They accepted the simple things in life … a hot shower after a long day shoveling, digging and lifting . No television … no WiFi … no streaming … nothing on demand. But there was the pleasure that can be driven from a late afternoon soccer match after an exhausting day farming or building. There was the revelation that it doesn’t take so much ‘stuff’ to make you happy.” The stay included Sunday Mass at the Basílica de Suyapa, an evening enthusiastically sharing in a meal of
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pupusas (the traditional breakout dish of thick tortillas typically filled with cheese, herbs and meats), and a meeting with Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, whose nephew attended St. Thomas with Hernandez. “We couldn’t have been received more graciously,” Hernandez says. “Marching bands, performances, food and full activities. It was overwhelming.” John Cordes will next study at Creighton University (“accounting or a science curriculum”), a decision partially based on the strength and depth of the school’s volunteer opportunities particularly with at-risk populations. He has already made contacts within the program who coordinate the many outreach projects to facilitate his participation. Ed is predictably proud yet humble when he says he recognizes “John’s leadership and ethic. I know the mission trips have had a pronounced effect on him and provided all of our sons with a unique opportunity to not only understand how fortunate their lives are but also how rewarding reaching out to others can be. Seeing the dedication of these students has absolutely confirmed my steady belief in the spirit of St Thomas. “The week was exhausting but we accomplished something meaningful. The friendships gained through shared work, meals, bonfires, and conversations have inspired me to begin planning a third trip for next year.” Eagle scholars attending the 2019 mission trip to Honduras included Cordes, Alexander Arellano ’19, Gabriel Lenz ’19, Cole Letlow ’19, Seth Macias ’19, Brendan Murray ’19, Matthew O'Connor ’19 and Nico Pivnik ’19; Lucas, Carlos Copello ’20, Isaiah Garza ’20, Sam Gentle ’20, Spencer Kryger ’20, Adrian Marquez Avila ’20, Daniel Ostrom ’20, David Steffes ’20, Hunter Stewart ’20, Colin Tabrizi ’20, George Varcados ’20 and Alexander Wise ’20; Aidan Bierman ’21, Alexander Kinsel ’21 and Kamal Zeidan ’21; and Alexander Ostrom ’22.
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Features THE HARD-CHARGING HARDBALLING BIGGIOS - CAVAN ’13 AND CONOR ’11, CRAIG, PATTY AND QUINN - were bonded again, swirling in a diamond daze far
removed from when the two brothers tag-teamed at Fr. Wilson Field for Eagle state championships nearly a decade ago with their forever Astros icon dad as the bench boss.
Then the collective dugout dreams were for a scene that would one day shift to a stage resembling Minute Maid Park, identical to the weekend affair in June with an out-of-towner celebrating a grand homecoming in the very venue where he routinely watched up close and personal as a youngster his father’s Hall of Fame identity in the making.
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Biggio the Younger, a freshly minted Toronto Blue Jay, three weeks to the day marking his legacy major league debut, his rousing return to Houston in the midst of Father’s Day weekend. The rightfully aligned cosmos would command no other way. With mom, dad, siblings, family and friends all dizzy and relishing in his wake. With St. Thomas President Fr. James Murphy, CSB extending the Eagle connections and bellowing the Canadian national anthem Saturday afternoon. Cue the Disney cameras. Blue Jay no. 8 quickly stepped into the batter’s box to lead off. He flashed the patented Biggio two handedfinish swing that propelled Craig to 3,060 career hits, the swing that for 20 years prompted chants echoing throughout the rafters of the Astrodome and then the downtown pleasure palace. BIG-GI-O! BIG-GI-O! BIG-GI-O!
The similar but low-wattage response for Cavan was not nearly as thundering nor unanimous. After striking out his first two at-bats against Gerrit Cole, Biggio connected with a pitch in the fifth inning and drove it off the wall in center field for his first career double driving home the only two Blue Jays runs of the game. Biggio the Elder could only simmer in satisfaction. He has scrutinized Cavan seemingly through every pivot since the playgrounds from the vantage point of father, face of the franchise, St. Thomas coach, scout, talent evaluator, mentor, confidant - arming him with a low-maintenance left-handed batting stroke designed to sustain consistency. Nowhere in the arsenal, not once, the hint of self-indulgence, rather the continued joy of one who still plays with the insouciance of a child in a pickup game. Biggio projects as a prominent prospect. He primarily patrols second base but started moonlighting this year as an outfielder while tearing up Triple-A pitching.
His power paired with versatility, baseball IQ and instincts demanded a late May elevation to the biggest of shows. In his first 20 games, Cavan manned second, first, right and left field. After his three-day frenzied reunion he smashed two home runs in a Monday night defeat to the Los Angeles Angels after a two-homer bash four games prior at Baltimore. Cavan has long carried that unmistakable surname with class and humility as he crafted for his big league profile. He and Conor (who was drafted by the Astros in 2015) grew up with a batting cage in their backyard. During Astro homestands, Craig religiously picked them up from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School and traveled straight to Minute Maid Park for the pre-game batting practice. The kids would then convene at the concrete bunker of a batting cage in the bowels of the stadium. They would hammer off the tee and romp around the space, only retreating if an Astros bench player came to get ready for a pinch-hitting at-bat. And their attention would of course veer to the nearby bubble-screen TV when dad took turns at home plate.
On Friday, June 29, 2007, the teenage Biggios were in the Minute Maid funhouse rocking full Astros game gear, this time joined in a prime seating section with their mother and sister among 42,537 poised for history. That was the evening Craig joined immortals in the 3,000-hit club becoming the 27th player all-time after ripping a seventh-inning RBI single to center field off Colorado’s Aaron Cook to collect his third hit of the night. In 2015, the Biggio band was assembled in Cooperstown, New York for Craig’s career coronation - the first home-grown Astro voted into the hallowed Hall of Fame. He earned his place traveling a distinct journey that demanded the amazing transitions from catcher to second base to center field, covering three of the four up-the-middle defensive positions. Forgotten is his seamless recovery from surgery in 2000 to repair the torn ACL and MCL ligaments of his left knee. The inevitable and ultimate salute was to a triumphant big league tenure fueled by an insatiable drive with equal devotion to family and faith. “Being a parent and a dad is the most important thing I’ll ever do,” Biggio says.
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The Biggio brood was in full tow to Toronto when Cavan received his major league marching orders. They were prominently positioned behind the third base dugout to witness his opening night which netted two strikeouts in three at-bats in a 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. More significantly, Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first-ever sons of Hall of Famers to perform together on the same team. Twenty-four hours earlier, Cavan was a Buffalo Bison in a Triple-A game in front of 7,965 at Frontier Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings. In the Sunday afternoon series finale with the Padres, Biggio drilled a second-inning single in his seventh Blue Jay plate appearance for his breakthrough hit. And merely a prelim for his big bang theory two innings later. Biggio put barrel on the ball, the balance in his feet, his hips working in sync, and blasted a towering solo smash to the right field upper levels of Rogers Centre sending a 1-2 pitch 405 feet to become the first St. Thomas Eagle to homer in the major leagues. Cavan is progressing on pace after the Blue Jays drafted him in the fifth round in 2016 following a standout stay at Notre Dame. His professional promise soared in 2018 when he bombed 26 home runs with 23 doubles while driving in 99 runs in 132 games. He was named the Eastern League MVP on the Double-A New Hampshire team that won the championship. Biggio built on that success this spring with Buffalo, slashing six home runs, seven doubles, a triple and 26 RBIs for the Bisons while gloving five positions. Craig grew up in Kings Park, New York, a middle-class commuter town on the north shore of Long Island. He was a multi-sport schoolboy star, the Astros first-round selection out of Seton Hall in June 1987 and in the majors to stay a year later. His was a legendary career marque filled with record-smashing and All-Star acclaim through 2,850 games. The guy simply would do whatever needed to be done. Burning at the bedrock was a passion stoked by a principle supplied by his own dad, Lee. You finish what you start. It is unusual for the son of a standout athlete to equal, much less surpass, a father's supreme accomplishments. The pressures can be enormous even with talent and deep desire prominently in play. Cavan’s encouraging Blue Jay launch could eventually forge a fantastic big league Biggio twosome. But what matters most within their souls is that the two are simply and profoundly, father and son.
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history calls eagles answer
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peyton matocha ’19 patience proves a virtue
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HISTORY CALLS EAGLES ANSWER The shock and awe heave shoved him to an unexpected third-place result. Carter then applied a simple physics equation of angel and velocity to muscle a throw of 50-08.25 for his second gold medal in a matter of minutes. The tide had turned and was ready to engulf. The wave of Eagle momentum swept to the pole vault pit where a personal record from Ian Wheeler ’19 (13-6) carved a 2-3 finish with Luke Pane ’20 (12-0). St. Thomas had not so suddenly soared to second place with all eyes riveted on the high jump area for the climatic event. The Eagles needed 14 points to forge a tie and 15 to seize a title thought to be well beyond their collective reach. Peyton Matocha ’19, the 2017 state champion and two-time state runner-up, and Alex Rivero ’20 represented the last hopes. The 2019 TAPPS state track and field encounter came equipped with a warning whether the competitors were operating with or without a mirror. Objects are closer than they appear. In particular, an undaunted band of Eagles lurking deep in the distance but on the verge of unleashing a fast and furious surge to the finish. Inclement weather surrounding Midway High School’s Panther Stadium forced officials to flip the meet’s Friday script and postpone the field events to the back of Saturday’s format. At a critical juncture St. Thomas trailed Dallas Bishop Dunne by a presumed insurmountable 89-29 deficit. Unwavering head coach Nathan Labus proved prophetic when sizing a potential rally for the ages. “I knew we could put up 50 points from the field events and get our total into the 80s. But something special was needed for us to reach the 90s.” Something special emerged in the mammoth form of 6-1 260-pound Eli Carter ’20 and his tag-team power partner Cooper Thomas ’20. The seismic shift in the championship landscape began with Carter twisting, turning, hurling the discus beyond 152 feet to stake first place. He and Thomas then stepped into the ring for a pair of shot puts heard all around Waco. Thomas was seeded eighth but promptly unleashed a personal record of more than four feet to 48-06.50. 50
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Wheeler reconvened with his teammates following his pole vault finale. “We were all doing the math. I think Peyton knew he was going to win. He wasn’t concerned with the scoring. He wasn’t going to lose.” Matocha had arrived at the stadium around 1:30 p.m. expecting to compete within 90 minutes only to have the event’s start time later delayed nearly two hours. Navigating the waiting game presented the day’s first sizable obstacle to overcome. “I think one of my strengths is boosting the morale of the guys around me and they brought it big when it was time to go,” Matocha says. “Then all I needed was about 10 minutes to be primed for what I had to do. I live for that kind of moment.” Assistant coach Joe Malouf serves as a cognoscenti in the event as well as a long-time Matocha family confidant. “Coach approached (Alex and me) and said if one of you finishes first and one of you places ... we’re state champs,” Matocha says. “He knows me. I don’t get rattled. That did nothing but put a smile on my face. When competition is staring me down ... that’s what excites me.”
A jolt from a Travis Scott-heavy playlist provided the final solitary dose of mojo before Motocha entered his own sicko mode. He easily cleared 5-8, 5-10, 6-0 and 6-2 as the competition was scaled down to four jumpers. Rivero managed 6-2 to secure fourth meaning his mate Matocha would have to max out for the necessary championship-clinching margin. A hush rushed through the ranks when Matocha missed his first attempt at 6-4. Unshaken he quickly made contact with Malouf.
The official announcement soon reverberated throughout the near empty confines. The 6A state champions ... St. Thomas High School. A delightfully dizzy conclusion in the way Howard Finster’s paintings or Sonny Landreth’s slide-guitar solos are enjoyably insane. “Peyton can handle the pressure. He has just a great desire to win regardless of the circumstances,” Labus says.
“I got this.”
And the crescendo moment was so near to never materializing.
Matocha calmly summoned his true raison d'être. He locked in on the distant bar, attacked from his trance, leaped, tumbled backward and defied the dreadful inertia long enough to leave the rod undisturbed at 6-6, the highest jumper in TAPPS history.
Matocha had maneuvered into the spring fresh from National Signing Day commitment to the University of Miami after a record-smashing football season set the standard for which all future Eagle quarterbacks will be measured. His intent was to fixate the focus on training for his summer entry to The U, until a not so subtle motivational nudge from his sister Kirby (St. Agnes Academy ’16 and a high jumper at Texas A&M) pushed him fatefully back to the track.
Matocha’s pivotal exclamation point pushed St. Thomas into command position. With light fading, there was no doubt who owned the sunset.
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“She sat me down and said I don’t really care what you want ... you’re going to jump,” Matocha says. Malouf was equally emphatic. “I told him the team needs you and this is your last hurrah. Go out with another state championship and leave a legacy. Obviously, he cared deeply about his school and his team.” Matocha believes to be “blessed for what I was able to contribute to our school this last year. St. Thomas has done so much for me. I’ve developed as a person and a student as well as an athlete. There’s so much pride in what the last four years have meant to me. To give back is what really matters most.”
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In claiming the title in the 14th season under Labus’ steady leadership, St. Thomas enjoyed an outrageous 62-2 edge in field-event points. Every last drop of contribution from depth spread throughout the roster was required to produce the program’s second state triumph in four years. Juan Vasquez ’19 recovered from a fall injury that wiped out his final cross country season and ran personal records for valuable third and fourth place finishes in the 1600 (4:35.6) and 800 meters (2:00.04). Four dual-sport athletes teamed for fifth in the 4x100 relay - Hunter Cheek ’19 (Incarnate Word football),
Dylan Dixon ’19 (Navarro College football), Wheeler (Howard football) and Brandon Hondros ’19 ripped a 43.87 to keep the Eagles within reach. Even Wheeler’s nondescript sixth in the 100 meters (11.16) was two slots ahead of his seed and worth three points that proved essential at the end. “This is so apropos given how our track team is truly emblematic of what defines St. Thomas,” athletic director Mike Netzel says. “Taking so many different types of individuals, jumpers, hurdlers, runners, throwers, vaulters- a complete mix of talent, speed and strength all coming together in a unified effort to complete
the championship result. This group represents a wide variety of personal backgrounds, complementary skills and single purpose. That’s the fabric that is St. Thomas.” Two nights before the meet Labus and Malouf had assembled the team, crunched the projected numbers and laid out the law of the land. ‘We went to all our guys and told each one of them ... this state championship comes down to you ... and you ... and you ... all the way down the line,” Malouf says. “Everyone scoring and not trying to do more than what you’re capable but absolutely producing your best. They knew what was expected of them.”
The unassuming Labus marveled that “this was a team accomplishment in absolutely every respect. I’m very fortunate to have a coaching staff that emphasizes the technical aspects of each event. We can’t rely on speed. In the field, the technique is a premium and that’s where we excel. That’s where we won it.” In 2016, Malouf’s son Landon ’16 (Texas A&M) provided the irresistible force behind the Eagles dramatic run to the state throne. One of the most versatile and acclaimed track competitors to wear the Red & White racked four individual championship performances, his dynamo swirl of results proving to be the catalyst for the program’s first state triumph since 2005.
The track and field encore was the 103rd state prize in the rich and storied history of Eagle Athletics and the second in the academic year following a first-ever for Eagle Swimming. The crown is the 17th since Netzel was named athletic director in 2008 - including four in rugby (2009, 2011-13), four in baseball (2010, ’11, ’14 and ’17), three in wrestling (2011-13), two in basketball (2008 and 2011) and one in golf (2012), with Labus the one constant as the senior member within the Eagle coaching ranks.
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Shane Williams ’19 collected valuable second and third-place individual finishes and anchored two dramatic relay victories including the title-clinching final event as Eagle Swimming seized the TAPPS Division I state swimming championship - the program’s first-ever state crown in the second season with head coach Donna Skorupinski. St. Thomas set the tone for history early as Williams (school record 21.98) tag-teamed with Gabriel Lenz ’19 (22.39) for a 2-4 result in the 50 yard freestyle and later paired with Sebastian Ortiz ’20 (51.02) for 3-6 in 100 free. In the first of two tight-tick relay wins, Williams contributed the anchor kick in the 200 free with Ortiz, Dylan Michaels ’21 and Lenz (school record 1:29.31) to out-touch perennial powerhouse El Paso Cathedral at the wall by the slimmest of sub-second margins. The championship deciding stage was then set for Williams who responded with the most clutch swim of his celebrated Eagle career. He stood on the starting block and experienced a percussive adrenaline surge, his mind absolutely hell-bent on the winner take all result. Williams again followed Ortiz, Michaels and Lenz into the water and applied a Phelpsian will to claim the 400 free by less than two seconds in an Eagle record 3:17.07. He edged out a Cathedral competitor who had previously defeated him in an individual race. For the victory. And the team title. “I had worked my swimming life for that moment,” Williams said in closing out his eighth straight winning relay without a miss. “I wasn’t the least bit nervous or anxious ... just another race ... instincts took over ... and I was taking that leg and we were taking the championship. “When I touched the wall and saw the number one next to St. Thomas, I started crying. It felt like a Disney movie. Whatever I could have imagined would not have been better than real life.” Fueled by the scorching relay results the Eagles racked 291 points and denied Cathedral (283) the state championship for the first time since 1990. St. Thomas also outpaced Plano St. John XXIII (203), Awty International (181), The Village School (174), San Antonio Antonian College Preparatory (145) and Dallas Bishop Lynch (138). The versatile Eagles leveraged superior depth throughout the competition at the Mansfield ISD Natatorium. Hunter Nguyen ’12 teamed with Josh McLean ’22, Patrick Pham ’21 and Carrick Brogan ’22 to take fourth in the 200 medley relay. Michaels swam fourth in the 500 yard free (5:06.24) and sixth (1:50.80) behind Ortiz’s third (1:50.08) in the 200 free. Lenz packed more points with a fifth in the 100 butterfly (54.96). Other notable results include ... » McLean 11th (2:12.78) in the 200 individual medley » Nguyen 10th (23.91) and Brogan 13th (24.29) in the 50 freestyle » Nguyen 8th (1:05.57), Griffin Gregory 9th (1:05.86) and McLean 14th (1:08.15) in the 100 breaststroke Patrick Greaney ’21 9th (59.58) and Pham 14th (1:00.70) in the 100 butterfly » Pham 14th (1:03.20) in the 100 backstroke » Ethan Armenta ’20 11th (5:31.56), Isaac Wolf ’20 14th (5:42.54) and Aiden Brelinsky ’20 15th (5:53.28) in the 500 freestyle The 102nd state championship in the rich history of Eagle Athletics comes as Eagle Swimming continues its recent surge of success. In 2018, St. Thomas posted a convincing second-place finish at TAPPS State matching the program’s previous best-ever showing. FALL 2019
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RED AND WHITE READY TO FIGHT St. Thomas announces its ambitious 2019 football schedule that includes two generational series, four matchups with UIL programs, an equal split of 10 home-and-away games and an October travel date to San Antonio. AUG. 30 • AT STRAKE JESUIT After hosting Strake Jesuit twice in four years at NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans, the Eagles return to Clay Stadium to open the 2019 season. Eagle Football holds the overall advantage in the all-time series 29-25-1 including four victories in the previous six meetings. SEPT. 6 • NEEDVILLE The opener at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium will be the return date of a home-and-home set following the first-ever encounter. The Eagles full frontal offensive attack was in absolute display in 2018 behind 573 total yards and six touchdowns from quarterback Peyton Matocha ’19 (University of Miami). SEPT. 13 • AT KINKAID The inner city private school programs will meet for the fifth time in six years. The series was interrupted in 2017 by the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Eagle Football posted three consecutive season-opening knocks over the Falcons by a combined margin of 109-51 before Matocha’s 2018 onslaught of 489 total yards and eight touchdowns. SEPT. 20 • STAFFORD The Eagles will return home for the first leg of its only two-game homestand of the season and aim to duplicate their 2018 success over Stafford. Matocha took part in all four Eagle touchdowns including a stunning 98-yard connection with receiver Hunter Cheek ’19 (University of Incarnate Word). And a revitalized defense delivered drive-killing sacks, game-changing turnovers and two essential fourth-quarter stops in a 28-21 win. SEPT. 27 • CEDAR HILL TRINITY CHRISTIAN The two programs will engage for the third consecutive year with Cedar Hill Trinity Christian fresh from an undefeated season and back-to-back TAPPS Division II state championships. Previously, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has served as the team’s offensive coordinator. The 2017 stare-down at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium saw three lead changes in the second half after the Eagles relinquished a 10-point advantage. Thunder-foot kicker Jacob Manley ’18 had his final-play field goal attempt from 32 yards blocked to seal a 28-27 defeat.
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OCT. 4 • AT CHINA SPRING The Eagles will travel on the first Friday of October to complete the two-year home-and-home set. OCT. 11 • TOMBALL CONCORDIA LUTHERAN The Eagles will open district competition at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium. Last season Matocha continued his season-long aerial assault with four touchdown passes while workhorse running back Ian Wheeler ’19 bullied for 226 yards and two scores. Eagle Football built a commanding 28-0 edge and was never threatened in a 42-27 victory. OCT. 18 • AT SAN ANTONIO ANTONIAN COLLEGE PREP The final district road game of the season will take Eagle Football to San Antonio. In 2018, St. Thomas secured a weather-shorted 28-14 victory with Wheeler following his career-best game with two first-half touchdowns including a 62-yard jolt to the end zone to break a second-period tie. OCT. 25 • SAN ANTONIO CENTRAL CATHOLIC The Eagles will conclude their home slate with a contest that has pivoted from non-district to district competition since 2017. Eagle Football owns consecutive head-to-head wins. The return to Bob Benson ’66 Stadium in San Antonio featured the most complete effort of 2018 - a 49-21 bodyslam that included an offensive tsunami of sustained touchdown drives and quicksilver scoring strikes and a suffocating defense that set the big-play tone with its first touchdown of the season for the first points of the game. NOV. 8 • AT ST. PIUS X Following an open date, the Eagles will conclude the regular season with the clash that has traditionally determined at least a share of the district championship. In 2018, Matocha put on a dazzling display of talent, skill, precision, will and want with seven touchdowns including four in the third quarter when Eagle Football seized control to rally for a stunning 52-49 shootout to reclaim the district crown, a fifth in seven years. In the stretch dating to 2011, Eagle Football enjoyed five straight head-to-head wins and six victories in seven games.
2019 ST. THOMAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (home games bolded)
Aug 30: @ Strake Jesuit 7:00 p.m. Sept 6: Needville 7:00 p.m. Sept 13: @ Kinkaid 7:00 p.m. Sept 20: Stafford 7:00 p.m. Sept 27: Cedar Hill Trinity Christian 7:00 p.m. Oct 4: @ China Spring 6:30 p.m. Oct 11: Tomball Concordia Lutheran 7:00 p.m. Oct 18: @ SA Antonian College Prep 7:00 p.m. Oct 25: SA Central Catholic 7:00 p.m. Nov 1: off week Nov 8: @ St. Pius X 7:00 p.m. FALL 2019
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START SPREADING THE NEWS For weeks if not months, Josh Wolf ’19 was distinctly aware that one way or another, his near and far future was about to change in life-altering ways a confluence of tantalizing talent, exhausting work and faraway dreams harbored by millions of boys through optimistic adolescence before hard realities arrive for most of them.
The 53rd overall selection carried a bonus slot value of $1.37 million (each pick in the first 10 rounds of the Draft has an assigned financial number). Wolf was the eighth high school arm taken after a run on pitchers began mid-way in the first round that resulted in eight grabbed in 12 picks.
But in the late evening hours of June 3 Wolf emerged from against all odds, his status confirmed through inexact science, his hard-charging predicted promise receiving the necessary seal of approval from a savvy pragmatic brain trust believing in his baseball gifts, and believing in them more than almost anyone else’s.
The 6-foot-2 Wolf vaulted into elite consideration during the spring with an uptick in velocity to upper-90 mph with an overmatching curveball after touching 89-92 during the 2018 summer showcase circuit. He struck out 126 in 69 innings during his stellar senior season with a microscopic 1.52 ERA. And Wolf saved his most wicked for last in pitching the Eagles to their ninth state Final Four and sixth championship final in 10 years (see page 60).
The two-time TAPPS all-state pitcher seized St. Thomas history when he was taken in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, making Wolf the highestselected player in the illustrious history of Eagle Baseball. Wolf and his representatives needed less than three weeks to officially seal a contract with a $2.15 million signing bonus.
“An awesome few weeks for Josh, the Wolf family and St. Thomas,” athletic director Mike Netzel said. “This distinction immediately places him among the most respected prospects in the game. I’m convinced he’ll have nothing but success for many years ... great competitor ... hard worker ... tremendous talent. For our school and program to have played a role in his development as a scholarathlete over the previous four years has been extremely gratifying. We couldn’t be more excited for Josh and what he has upcoming.” What MLB Pipeline says: Wolf has gotten noticeably stronger, adding at least 10 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame, and dropped his arm slot from high three-quarters to three-quarters.
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Those changes have increased the velocity and movement on his fastball. ... His curveball is residing in the low 80s with 12-6 break when he stays on top of it. ... Though Wolf's changeup isn't as effective as his other two pitches, he’ll flash some solid ones with fade and tumble. He already shows the aptitude to work both sides of the plate and all four quadrants of the strike zone. He still has room to add another 15 pounds and scouts rave about his makeup. Wolf’s draft night thrillarama was only two weeks and two days removed from his St. Thomas commencement exercise. In November 2017 a sudden recruiting swirl resulted in his verbal commitment to Texas A&M and Wolf confirmed his pledge on the 2018 November National Signing Day. The Mets and vice president of scouting Tommy Tanous acknowledged Wolf owns the skills necessary to play in the major leagues while offering the opportunity to prove he also possesses the drive to exploit them. Wolf is entering a player development phase that is heavily weighted and influenced by pitch-tracking analytics to accentuate an individual's strength. TrackMan and the tech evolution have exploded as the unmistakable changing force in a data-intensive diamond world where four-seam fastballs and high spin rates are all the rage. The progressive environment where seemingly every movement is critiqued through slow-motion video captured by high-speed cameras is unlocking a pitcher’s lethal weapon repertoire and favors the intellectually curious athlete which perhaps plays to Wolf’s advantage.
Wolf consistently buzzed throughout his senior campaign blazing in the face of radar guns and a barrage of relentless interest from the power players in the major league scouting realm - national crosscheckers, amateur scouting directors, trusted influencers. The Mets choosing Wolf supports the credo strategically embraced by the forward-looking organizations built for sustained championship contention - pitching is the key to the kingdom. Two-sport Eagle standout Jeff McCurry ’88 was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989. He opted to sign with TCU and then transferred to powerhouse San Jacinto College. McCurry was selected again by the Pirates in the 14th round in 1990 and debuted with the organization five years later. He then made major league stops with the Tigers and Rockies before his career came to a close with his hometown Astros in 1995. McCurry was inducted into the St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2011, Patrick Leonard ’11 signed directly out of St. Thomas after the Kansas City Royals tabbed him in the fifth round and 156th overall. Five years later Cavan Biggio ’13 was also drafted in the fifth round (162nd) by the Toronto Blue Jays after a standout career at Notre Dame. Biggio made his MLB debut 10 days before Wolf’s selection and in his seventh big league at bat became the first Eagle to ever homer, lifting a towering drive to the right field upper levels of Rogers Centre. Previously Eagle Baseball celebrated Adam Zornes ’04, seventh round 2008 by the San Diego Padres from Rice University; Austin Fairchild ’12, 16th round 2012 by the Royals; Conor Biggio ’11, 34th round 2015 by the Astros from Notre Dame. Wolf was prized in a Draft where he shared broad connections up and down the board. Four of the first 12 picks and six first-rounders played high school baseball in Texas including Wolf’s Met draft-mate Brett Baty from Lake Travis, and seven of the front 21 selections held ties to the state. FALL 2019
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ONE BRICK SHY OF A LOAD Brody Logsdon ’19 (Sam Houston St.) and Will Rizzo ’21 each drove in runs while Jack Schell ’19 (Millsap College) reached base three times and scored twice but Eagle Baseball couldn’t rally from an early deficit in an 8-5 defeat to Argyle Liberty Christian School in the TAPPS Division I state championship final in Crosby. Logsdon’s RBI single to right center was part of a three-run third inning that closed the count to 6-3. But the Eagles (22-13) failed to add on despite having the bases loaded with one out, unable to take full advantage of five walks, two stolen bases and a passed ball. The Eagles again loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but managed only one run scoring on a wild pitch. In the season’s final inning Rizzo ripped a running-scoring triple to the right field corner bringing home Trajan Lee ’21 to narrow the margin to 8-5. But the comeback stalled with the tying run at the plate and the bid for the program’s 25th state championship will extend to the 2020 season. In the first season with head coach Adam Massiatte, St. Thomas was competing in its ninth state tournament in 10 years. During the decade Eagle Baseball cashed titles in 2010-11, ’14 and ’17, and was eliminated in each of the other six seasons by the eventual champion. Logsdon, third baseman Daniel Coco ’20 and catcher Tuscan Savarino ’19 were named to the all-tournament team along with Schell who provided more than five innings of relief in his Eagle finale.
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The Eagles reached the title tilt riding the whipping right arm of Josh Wolf ’19 who commanded a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to power a 1-0 semifinal victory over Tomball Concordia Lutheran. St. Thomas was winless in three games against TCL in the regular season. Coco drove in Schell from third with a single in the Eagle’s third at bat of the game for the only run Wolf would require for his second postseason whitewash in three starts. Wolf was wicked in the final start of his Eagle career retiring the first eight batters he faced before issuing a walk and then blasting his third strikeout of the inning to retire the side. Wolf benefitted from tight defense throughout the tense seven innings. Right fielder Peter Corbett ’21 stabbed a slicing line drive to the corner to secure the first out of the fourth inning. Lee was a master at first base on a variety of infield outs and Savarino ignited two putouts on the base paths as Eagle Baseball nursed that one-run margin to the finish.
Wolf opened the state playoffs one walk away from a six-inning perfect game in a dominant 10-0 victory over Austin St. Dominic Savio at Fr. Wilson Field. He was in absolute command striking out 11 and allowing no base runners after issuing a five-pitch walk to open the game. A double play closed the first inning and Wolf cruised through 67 pitches. He struck out six straight batters from the second through fourth innings and then blowtorched four of the last six hitters to complete the no-hitter. Wolf followed in the best-of-three series opener against San Antonio Antonian and pitched to within one out of his second straight complete-game victory in a 4-3 verdict. The Eagles clinched the series 4-2 in the win or go home showdown to eliminate Antonian for the third straight postseason. Wolf’s state tournament masterpiece was reminiscent of the 2018 state Final Four in Austin. In his first career playoff start, Owen Meaney ’18 (Texas) allowed Dallas Parish Episcopal only two base runners after a leadoff single to start the state semifinals.
He struck out seven of the last nine batters and 12 for the game, finishing with a one-hit shutout and brought home the game’s only run with a fifth-inning single. The following night Meany registered three RBIs in an overwhelming five-inning 15-1 runaway rout over Beaumont Monsignor Kelly Catholic to capture the 24th state title in program history and fourth since 2010. The knock over district foe TCL was the second in six years on the state tournament stage. In the 2014 championship final, Matthew Ashbaugh ’16 measured beyond his years. The sophomore allowed one run and four hits and retired TCL in order in the first, third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Ben Condara ’14 (Loyola New Orleans) delivered Rawlings Elam ’14 (Loyola New Orleans) for the most important deuce of the Eagles season - the deciding run in the season’s final at bat for a 2-1 verdict that delivered the school’s third state title in five years. The Drive For 25 now continues.
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HISTORIC SEASON ENDS TWO WINS SHORT The demolition was near complete. A season-long series of opponents had been reduced to a collapsed building. Just a hole surrounded by broken bricks and mortar strewn all over the road. Eagle Soccer stepped back from this smoldering wreckage undaunted, all but undefeated, not the least bit satisfied by the most scintillating - and winningest - season in school history. But two more had to fall to the St. Thomas wrecking ball for the young, restless and relentless Eagles to end a near four-decade pursuit of the program’s second state championship. And at the end, the pivoting final swing proved futile, all that ultimately remained bashed were the collective dreams of grandeur. Two knocks into the TAPPS Division I tournament meant a return to the state semifinals and a deja vu redeaux dealt by two-time defending state champion San Antonio Central Catholic. The Eagles walked back in Waco ISD Stadium with a strut, with make-my-day machismo. They departed with rejection, with heartbreak, text messages and Twitter confirming a brutal reality. Twelve months after reeling from a controversial 1-0 gut-punch in the 2018 title tilt, the soccer gods provided a cruel twist in an unmerciful encore - a crushing 2-1 verdict that left St. Thomas again tantalizingly short of the elusive throne.
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The worst Eagle defeats since Hercules slew the foul beast who ate Prometheus’ liver every day. The quest for the best opened at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium where Eagle Soccer blasted generational rival St. Pius X 3-0 to open the postseason behind two goals from midfielder Paul Langemeier ’20 and a solo shot from deluxe defender Zach Blice ’19 (Jacksonville University of the Atlantic Sun Conference). The Eagles tangled with SPX for the third consecutive postseason after sweeping the district series with ease, first 4-1 on the road in mid-December before slinging a 7-1 sledgehammer on Senior Night. In 2018, St. Thomas enjoyed a cathartic 4-0 knockout in the state semifinals to complete a three-game season sweep of the series and avenged a 2-1 defeat in the regional round of the 2017 playoffs. Next, Eagle Soccer squeezed past San Antonio Antonian College Prep 2-1 at Wildcat Stadium in Temple. Leading scorers Alex Rivero ‘20 and Pablo Tager ’21 cashed the goals for a 2-0 lead that proved to be enough to advance. Head coach Kenny Martin ‘01 rightfully expected from the outset a third consecutive season of championship contending kicks. What crystallized boggled the mind and bordered on the absurd. The Eagles staged a commanding 25-3-2 season, scorching 118 goals while allowing a scant 17.
In the district, the St. Thomas opposition made slightly less noise than a Burmese cat lying down on a bed of cashmere – four goals during the Eagles outrageous 12-0 rampage to the title while they racked 62. After the second of only two regular-season setbacks, the Red & White ripped and roared for 14 straight victories in a 66-4 onslaught. And perhaps most stunningly, until the season’s less than grand finale, the Eagles did not trail except for a double dose of 3-0 regular-season defeats, first to El Paso Cathedral in the Houston High School Showcase in late November and then at Marble Falls January 4 in the Temple Tournament. Repeat – never trailed in 27 games. The only other blemishes were 1-1 ties with John Cooper in the second game out of the gate and Barbers Hill. “We played fast with precision and that was a dangerous combination,” Martin says. “We moved the ball and attacked decisively. Teams just could not match our level of excellence. We were balanced and no one was selfish. Winning was all that mattered with this group. “Our guys developed so much chemistry and experience last season (reaching the state final) and that absolutely carried over into 2019. Everything clicked from the firstgame. But not in our final game.”
Robert Vara ’20 gave the Eagles a more than effective replacement for the production, if not genius, of keeper supreme Jacob Manley ’18. Vara forced a deprivation scoring diet less satisfying than keto - 11 strikes in 22 games before the state tournament. “Robert didn’t have some of the same physical attributes as Jacob but he made all the saves he needed to make,” Martin says. “He wasn’t bombarded in many of those wipeouts but he was a skilled shot blocker.” Martin was in his 18th year with Eagle Soccer and eighth as head honcho, the mastermind behind a three-season trifecta that produced 63 wins and only 12 losses in 82 games. In 2018, the Eagles cruised to a 22-5-2 record crashing the postseason Final Four and claiming the district crown, both for the first time since 2008. They scaled a victory plateau no previous St. Thomas team had ever reached. Manley was routinely sensational including three consecutive playoff shutouts. Yet the hopes of state championship glory were dashed in the setback to Central Catholic. In 2017, Martin welcomed newcomer extraordinaire Rory Hogan ’17 from the Houston Dynamo Academy for a one-and-done with Eagle Soccer. The magical box-to-box midfielder immediately teamed with forwards Matthew Leal ’17 and Jesus Toscano ’17 to form a ferocious three, all equally capable of a moment of mastery.
WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS AT STAKE & THE FOCUS REQUIRED.
Rivero and Tager provided the tag-team high octane. Rivero emerged to become the program’s single-season scoring king with 38 goals and 84 points while Tager found the net 22 times. But Martin is convinced the internal combustion was ignited by four-year standout Blice. “When Zach was on ... and that meant he was orchestrating and communicating with full command from the back line and everyone was in concert... we were unstoppable,” Martin says. Santiago Labarthe ’22 more than filled the void left by 2018 scoring ace Julian Zanovello ’18. The shift allowed Martin to tweak his midfield into a more lethal unit with Nico Prioli ’21 and David Steffes ’20. Jack Schell ’19 emerged as a significant x-factor when he opted into the program for a senior season to replace the dynamic Diego Garcia ’18. The pairing with Blice proved brilliant. “No one tested those two. They were in tandem as if they had played together for four years,” Martin says.
The Eagles bolted fast and furious to launch the season dropping but two of their first 15 games, only to absorb the deeply disappointing regional final defeat that left them done at 16-4-3. “I don’t know of many programs in Texas that have had this kind of run,” Martin says. “That’s special even without the state title. Insane success really.” But the lurking questions hovering over the Eagles during their almost four-month bulletproof spree were could they dodge scud-like damage in search of the holy grail? Could St. Thomas emerge as the evasive big kahuna for the first time since 1981 and deliver most when its collective identity and season would be fully defined and determined? “There was no fear within the group,” Martin says. “We welcomed the challenge. Our confidence was absolute until the very end. We understood what was at stake and the focus required. It was not a great ending to what was otherwise a fantastic season.” One - as in 1981 - remains Eagle Soccer’s loneliest number.
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Three essential contributors to the recent resurgent Eagle Football season are among the latest St. Thomas scholarathletes to continue their careers at the collegiate level. Record-smashing quarterback Peyton Matocha ’19, reliable receiver Hunter Cheek ’19 and versatile two-way dynamo Dylan Dixon ’19 celebrated the February National Signing Day among an enthusiastic wave of family, friends and supporters in the St. Thomas Hall of Honor. Matocha cemented his verbal commitment to the University of Miami. Cheek officially sealed a position with the University of Incarnate Word of the FCS Southland Conference and Dixon to Navarro College. “I’m grateful for you … thankful for you … honored to be your athletic director,” Mike Netzel said. “These are scholarathletes who embody what makes St. Thomas special. Here you have to perform in the classroom before you reach the field. These unselfish individuals were also involved with multiple varsity sports. It made them better and made our programs more successful. It’s been rewarding to see these three mature as players and people, particularly this previous football season, keeping the resilience and bringing so much joy to our community.”
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Cheek and Dixon were frequent Matocha targets during the 2018 offensive assault that produced thrills, chills and a robust 42 points per game. They were driving forces in an Eagle revival tour that reclaimed the district title and posted the program’s first playoff victory since 2015 while reaching the TAPPS 6A regional finals. The trio combined for 68 connections and eight touchdowns, including Cheek’s 98-yard catch-andrun against UIL Stafford for the longest scoring play in program history.
“I grew up on the campus … attended a lot of baseball games … really got comfortable with the school,” Cheek said. “They are getting someone who works hard … who is determined … not afraid of challenges … who will give their all … on the field and in the classroom. Growing up around the game I just love football … the grind … the ethic that is required to overcome obstacles and adversity. That’s a quality that will serve me well throughout my entire life.”
At midseason, Dixon transitioned to impact a depleted defensive secondary and was nominated by the Touchdown Club of Houston for Ironman of the Year while Matocha was recognized as the private school co-Offensive Player of the Year. His staggering senior send-off suggested life imitating PlayStation – a single-season school-record 3,697 passing yards with 35 touchdowns plus 787 rushing yards and 14 more scores.
Before the 5-9 Dixon flipped to defense he made 20 catches for 340 yards and four scores. He has embraced the “underdog” role that his mighty mite physique suggests and doesn’t anticipate changing the mindset as he prepares to advance to the next level.
“God has given me this opportunity and it’s up to me to take full advantage of it,” Dixon said. “I’ve always carried that edge that pushed me to persevere. I’m disciplined and I can ball so I’ll just continue to work like I always have and good things will happen.” Eagle head coach Rich McGuire acknowledged that National Signing Day “is a great individual accomplishment but this is also very much a team day. There is so much work that takes place that no one sees … reps throwing the ball for Peyton … routes for Hunter and Dylan. And these three were always there helping each other improve … work that creates the culture of team that they have done this together. That is invaluable and contagious inside a program. I am proud to have played a role in their development and am so excited to see how their careers move forward.”
Cheek concluded 2018 with 48 receptions for 767 yards and four touchdowns and now somewhat follows his father’s athletic path. Zach Cheek played baseball for UIW in 1997-98.
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PATIENCE PROVES A VIRTUE Peyton Matocha ’19 has long performed as if born for the storm, commanding a calm in the tsunami of defensive duress essential to football’s mission critical position. As if he were somehow destined for a future in the swirl of Hurricanes. Matocha’s unquestioned inner quality became ever more valuable throughout his scintillating senior season, as the weeks passed and the yardage totals pinballed and records were erased with equal measures of poise, purpose and flamboyance. And the collective take from college football masterminds near and far gearing for the future was not nearly as torrid as Matocha’s scorching Friday night assaults. Frigid even. But Matocha simply sought to peer through the proper prism to ponder his potential. He never wavered and proceeded as he had through three consecutive seasons as the Eagles’ starting quarterback taking direct snaps from the shotguns survey the landscape, narrow the options and instinctively select the correct choice while in the frantic turbulence of chaos and confusion.
“Throughout this process, I believed that God had a plan for me,” Matocha says. “And I’ve always believed that the only person who can stop me is myself. I was never going to allow that to happen.” What did happen, just as the National Signing Day aproached to cap the coast-to-coast carnival of frenzied football recruiting, was Matocha hiding in plain sight. And primed to pounce was a new coaching regime with running orders to restore a dynasty in decline. Matocha signed his National Letter of Intent with the University of Miami as the No. 24 dual-threat prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings. The mutual interest spiked two weeks after Manny Diaz was announced on December 30 as the new head coach when longtime offensive guru Dan Enos joined the staff as coordinator and quarterback coach. He spent the previous season tutoring Alabama sensation Tua Tagovailoa into the Crimson Tide’s fourth consecutive College Football Playoff title game and was slotted to become the new offensive chief for Nick Saban with a deep stable of talented Tide game-breakers. Instead, Enos opted to join Diaz in a rebuild at Miami. In mid-January Enos quickly connected with Matocha with a scholarship offer. After his official visit to Coral Gables, Matocha responded with his verbal commitment to the Hurricanes. “As soon as (Enos) got to Miami he said I was the first guy on his board,”Matocha said. “He called me right after he got the job and came to watch me throw to make sure I had what he was looking for. I guess I checked all the boxes.”
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The two first became acquainted when Matocha participated as a St. Thomas sophomore in summer camps at the University of Arkansas when Enos was the offensive coordinator. Matocha is intrigued by more than two decades of elite college coaching experience with skill position players. From 2015-17 Enos’ offenses set Razorback school records masterminding under Bret Bielema with quarterbacks Brandon and Austin Allen. Enos also mentored NFL veterans Drew Stanton and Brian Hoyer while an assistant at his alma mater Michigan St.
Matocha is astutely aware that Enos routinely adjusts his approach to flexibly fit the personnel and owns a renown reputation for improving a quarterback’s preparation and precision - eyes, recognition, motion, delivery, efficiency.
I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN STOP ME IS MYSELF. I WAS NEVER GOING TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
“I’m so excited to get to Miami and compete,” Matocha says. “And if I’m not the one playing, the guy who is will get pushed hard. That’s who I am as a person and that’s the kind of leadership I hope to bring.”
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“There is not a better developer of quarterbacks in the country to help me get to where I want to be,” Matocha says. “There’s no doubt I’ll be pushed in a way I never have before given the quality of players already in that program. I can’t wait to get started.”
Matocha heads to the once college football dynasty aiming to recapture the halcyon years of Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and the early millennium. The ‘Canes struggled with quarterback play throughout a disappointing 7-6 season in 2018 ranked No. 104 in total offense of 129 FBS teams and 112th in passing. In the modern game, the quarterback is all-important. Diaz sees Matocha as a perfect fit as the most vital presence on the field where it’s more than just throwing and catching and winning games. It’s chemistry and leadership, and comfort and cohesiveness. It’s directing the show and lighting motivational fires. “(Peyton) was absolutely dominant his senior year,” Diaz says. “He comes from a very athletic family. He’s a (two-time TAPPS state champion) high jumper. When you look at the intangibles of how we want to build
our quarterback room ... he’s smart, tough, loves ball, wants to think the game out. He will really re-shape the position here at Miami.” Matocha’s staggering senior send-off was unprecedented in St. Thomas history - a single-season school-record 3,697 passing yards with 35 touchdowns plus 787 rushing yards and 14 more scores. And Matocha was never more majestic than in his 33rd consecutive start and final regular-season home game with the stakes stacked highest against generational rival St. Pius X. His primo performance fronting a full orchestra of versatile game-changers ranks among the best and brightest in the friendly hatred series - 416 yards and seven jaw-dropping touchdowns. The pyrotechnics included four scores in a whirlwind third quarter when Eagle Football seized control and rallied for a stunning 52-49 shootout that reclaimed the district championship, a fifth in seven years.
Throughout the campaign, with execution as surgical as it was explosive, Matocha played majordomo to a crew who proved to be difference- makers in different moments. The offensive onslaught included: » 435 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-32 scoring spree against Plano John Paul II that produced the first St. Thomas playoff victory since 2015 » 326 yards and four touchdowns that closed the season and his career in a 42-35 defeat against the Dallas Bishop Lynch in the TAPPS 6A regional final » 489 total yards and eight touch downs against Kinkaid » 573 total yards and six touchdowns against UIL Needville » 362 total yards and three touch downs against UIL China Spring » 445 total yards and four touchdowns in the 28-21 win at UIL Stafford » 384 total yards and four touchdowns in the 42-27 victory at Tomball Concordia Lutheran to launch the district race
At season’s end, Matocha had incited a raucous Eagle resurgence, a revival tour that posted the first St. Thomas playoff victory since 2015. All while rocking a robust 42 points per game. The final high school salute was recognition by the Touchdown Club of Houston as the private school Co-Offensive Player of the Year. And now for Matocha is the move to Miami. Peyton the realist understands the next path to stardom, let alone starting, can be circuitous, and college prep pedigree does not necessarily correlate with campus gridworld success. But he advances undaunted while still humble and hungry, confident in applying his full fixed focus on the future, the next stage in continuing his career however that opportunity best presents itself. “I truly appreciate my family and the coaches for all their sacrifices that have helped me reach this position,” Matocha says. “I’m blessed. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
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CHARTING NEW COURSES With every end, a new beginning. Twelve St. Thomas scholar-athletes across six sports are the latest Eagles to relish their childhood dreams becoming a starburst reality. The opportunity born of skill, passion and serendipity to extend athletic careers to the collegiate level came during the spring for Tucker Alch ’19, Zach Blice ’19, Alex Jacobs ’19, Anderson Kopp ’19, Jack Schell ’19, Ian Wheeler ’19 and Shane Williams ’19. And previously during the academic year when quarterback Peyton Matocha ’19 signed with the University of Miami, pitcher Josh Wolf ’19 with Texas A&M, center fielder Brody Logsdon ’19 with Sam Houston St., receiver Hunter Cheek ’19 with Incarnate Word and receiver Dylan Dixon ’19 with Navarro College. Six Eagles advanced to Division I programs and the overall total for Eagle Athletics increased to 131 since 2012. Blice to Jacksonville University represents the first Division I soccer commitment from St. Thomas in more than two decades. Even though he wasn’t introduced to the competitive game until his freshman year, Blice blistered an immediate impact with a gut burn to be great, a four-time all-state selection inside the most successful three-year stretch in school history. Blice’s father Jeff is a member of Angleton High School Sports Hall of Fame after a standout basketball career led him to Sam Houston State University. Two years ago he relocated to Colorado as a senior power trader for Xcel Energy. Blice had the option of following and joining a gorilla program in the midst of nine consecutive state championships. But he instead elected to remain in Houston with his mother Danielle, loyal to St. Thomas and his band of brothers, determined to leave a legacy. “I wanted to show that we could give St. Thomas soccer an identity,” Blice says. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of teammates and coaches. They were my family. They watched out for me and I watched out for them. I grew up here ... became a man here ... learned from my mistakes. And now I’m ready to take it to the next level.” Williams is packing his sweet swimming stroke to Division III Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota where his family 70
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owns deep ties to the state and region. His lasered determination and unbridled passion that began in youth swim clubs in the Lake Jackson area ignited school records and a first-ever St. Thomas championship in his grand Eagle finale (see page 57). “I had to take a proactive approach in developing the relationship with the college,” Williams says. “Turns out they needed a sprint freestyler ... my specialty ... so it’s made to order. This move forward is not so much about ability but the ability to work hard. That’s what has propelled me and will continue to do so. It’s what my parents have instilled. And I wanted a destination that provided first class academics and embraced me as a person the way St. Thomas has. Finding this next challenge is exciting.” Two-sport standout Ian Wheeler ’18 also ended on an equally rewarding state championship stage where Eagle Track and Field harnessed a mind-numbing comeback in securing the program’s second crown in four years (see page 52). He contributed invaluable points to that effort in the wake of racking nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards as a workhorse running back for Eagle Football and was awarded the 2019 Rev. Carl Mitchell Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics. Wheeler methodically evaluated his available options and ultimately tapped into the wisdom of his grandmother in deciding on Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. “She suggested to make the decision based on where I would rather attend and not so much on football,” Wheeler says. “This a a fresh start and I see myself growing in different ways in that environment. It’s one of the most prestigious (HBCUs) in the country (ranked among the top 40 on the Bloomberg Businessweek college rankings). I see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve had my prayers answered.” The whirlwind single-season for Anderson Kopp ’19 with Eagle Basketball concluded with a scholarship offer to Lamar University. He struck a particular chord with head coach Tic Price who was an assistant at Tennessee-Chattanooga in the 1980s when Kopp’s father Will was staring on the university’s tennis courts. “(Price) expects me to earn freshman of the year in the (Southland) conference and be part of the core that takes them back to the NCAA (tournament),” Kopp says. “The style of play ... moving without the ball, catch and shoot, pick-and-pop, iso match-ups ... plays to my strength.”
Kopp’s arduous journey to upper echelon hoopdom required a fully charge industrial strength GPS. His own promising tennis talent first took him to the Advantage Tennis Academy in Irvine, California. He decided to flip his focus to basketball, opted for home school academics while tutoring under the city’s resident godfather of dribble- drive John Lucas, then bounced to the Wasatch Academy in Utah where an ankle injury forced surgery and prompted a second return to Houston. With one year of high school eligibility remaining, Kopp enrolled at St. Thomas. The demands included an abrupt transition to not only the rigorous college preparatory experience but also unfamiliar teammates who themselves were adapting to the culture shift of first-year head coach Gary Hall. Yet despite the turbulence Kopp emerged calm, collected, and poised for opportunity. “My decision to come to St. Thomas couldn’t have played out better,” Kopp says. “I love this school. The academics have me absolutely prepared (for college). And I wouldn’t be this position without coach Hall. His ability to connect with players is his greatest strength. Fighting through the injury ... being a part of 25 wins ... the team aspect ... so rewarding. I’ll never forget how I was welcomed by everyone in this campus community ... an outsider here for just one season ... couldn’t have asked for more.” In four years Alex Jacobs ’19 morphed from wrestling novice to accepting a promising role at Central Michigan. He flushed football after his freshman year, redirected his high octane competitive drive to the mat where he was an important catalyst in a revitalized Eagle Wrestling program that came within one point of the 2019 TAPPS state title. Jacobs rose to a two-time state champion and 2019 all-american at 145 pounds. In February, he dramatically capped his three appearances at Prep Nationals biting through his upper lip during competition and requiring emergency room treatment only to return and place among the elite performers. “The chance to compete on the college stage ... larger stakes ... more awareness of the sport ... is really exciting,” Jacobs says. “The individual nature of the sport has a definite appeal for me. There’s a persistence and discipline required that brings out my best. The key is not to overthink and stress ... just go out and have fun. But our team success this last season means as much to me as anything.” Second baseman Jack Schell ’19 and pitcher Taylor Alch ’19 were key contributors to Eagle Baseball earning the TAPPS state Final Four for the ninth time in 10 seasons. Schell was named the 2019 team most valuable player and to the all-state tournament team after St. Thomas reached the state championship final. He’ll continue his career at Division III Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. “This has been my dream ever since I started with Bellaire Little League,” Schell says. “I love the game and this chance means so much to me. Everyone looks for that right fit and I knew right away after meeting with the coaches on my visit that Millsaps represented a great opportunity.” Alch took a decided aim last summer on continuing his career beyond St. Thomas and a number of destinations were in the mix. Once a mutual interest with Division III Catholic University in Washington, D.C. was confirmed, he sought out former Eagles Nolan Lundholm ’16 (2019 second-team all conference) and Eric Moore ’16 for an inside view of the program. A rousing endorsement settled Alch’s decision. “Nolan and Eric have loved their time at Catholic and that made an impact on me,” Alch says. “There’s a network of connections for internships all over D.C. I wanted to experience another part of the country and this is an awesome chance to keep playing. It’s really the complete package.” The collective individual acclaim punctuated a power point within a phenomenal year for the Eagle Athletics that spiked with a pair of state championships, three state runners-up, a second Final Four team and two regional finalists. FALL 2019
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The rapid business rise of Patrick Ryan ’99 is largely predicated on a proven principle which has long provided enduring success. Even in the midst of mega-million dollar revenues - never undersell the value of customer service. So an unexpected avalanche of texts and emails demanded that he clear his calendar in early April, a full-frontal focus colliding with a surging current of apprehension that something somewhere had flipped sideways. Until the one-by-one reveal through his inbox and messaging indicated quite the contrary, that Ryan’s world was, in fact, rocking into a far-reaching stratosphere and the deluge of attention was merely the ready response from colleagues, cohorts, family and friends reaching out to congratulate.
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Ryan was selected by Sports Business Journal for its coveted Forty Under 40 Awards, an annual list of 40 executives recognized for excellence and innovation in their careers, all before the age of 40. The elite group represents a broad cross-section of the sports business field, bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to their work in media; at leagues, teams and colleges; as agents; with corporate partners in technology, ticketing and finance; in marketing and sponsorship; in e-sports and in new sectors such as sports betting. “Satisfying, exciting and humbling all at once,” says Ryan, the co-owner and founder of Houston-based Eventellect. Ryan was celebrated with some of his closest confidants within the industry - Al Guido, president of the San Francisco 49ers and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures; Tucker Kain, CFO of the Los Angeles Dodgers and managing director of Guggenheim Baseball Management; and Jake Reynolds, senior vice president of ticket sales and service for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center. But most meaningful for Ryan as he strolled through the black-tie gala at the Monarch Beach Resort in Southern California to receive his distinction was the presence of his parents, Victoria and Tom Guennewig, the surrounding applause mixed with a large dose of Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement” reverberating throughout the ballroom. If you do then, how would you explain? I’m ten years removed, still the vibe is in my veins Ryan required roughly a decade to capitalize on the latest consumer trends in the secondary ticket marketplace. While the attention of the coast-to-coast fandom is typically fixed on favorite teams or major companies such as Ticketmaster and StubHub, Eventellect has quickly and quietly built a powerful position. Working with dozens of professional franchises, Ryan has become a trusted ally on ticket distribution, pricing, sales strategy, and inventory management, in effect becoming a valuable resource. “We’ve seen teams lean on us and seek our guidance, and that’s allowed us to pollinate best practices in a unique way,” Ryan says. “We’ve begun to engage in what I consider true consulting relationships because our goal remains to complement what the teams are doing themselves.” Eventellect’s supercharged acceleration is staggering. One mammoth example is the nine-figure partnership with the Dodgers brokered in 2018 and believed to be the most valuable known in the ticketing world, at least in terms of a single team. Ryan says Eventellect “handled about $350 million worth of tickets last year ... up from $200 million in 2017 ... up from $100 million the year before ... up from $50 million.” Hardly the explosion Ryan anticipated in July 2007 when he teamed with longtime friend Ignacio Cubero on a side venture - $10,000 worth of Cleveland Indians tickets, an investment which armed the pair with plenty of playoff inventory when the team advanced to the American League Champion Series. 74
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“If the Indians don’t reach that round of the playoffs, I’m probably not here today,” Ryan says. “We likely wouldn’t have had enough capital to keep the business going.” But in the spring of 2008 Ryan’s confidence was such that he quit at age 24 as one of the youngest national sales team reps with Careerbuilder to devote to a full-time collaboration with Cubero and The Ticket Exchange. “Our initial goal was to get to $10 million in revenue annually,” Ryan says. “We projected that benchmark would make us sustainable. Now we have many weeks when we do $10 million. We have weeks when we do $50 million. From that perspective, our success appears preposterous. “We can’t take credit for the secondary market erupting but we have taken advantage of the digital wave of commerce. From the very beginning, we were progressive, aggressive, and easy to work with. We built to scale to match distribution, connecting teams with platforms. We never viewed StubHub and Vivid Seats and SeatGeek and Gametime and TickPick as competition. Our motives were to partner and reach new customers, everyone learning from the other, getting smarter together.” Ryan and Cubero rebranded as Eventellect in 2016 and are relishing a continuing robust roll of exponential revenue growth, identified eight consecutive years by Inc.’s ranking of fastest-growing privately held U.S. companies. Not the sort of prosperity one would casually predict when an Eagle who graduates from the University of Texas strikes forces with a Strake Jesuit Crusader with a finance degree from Texas A&M.
The salute from Sports Business Journal allowed Ryan to network with the likes of Boston College Athletic Director Martin Jarmond and Zach Leonsis who oversees content for Monumental Sports Network, the over-the-top digital network operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment that counts the Washington Wizards, Capitals, Mystics and Valor as part of its portfolio along with the Baltimore Brigade and Capital City Go-Go. The 20th anniversary of Forty Under 40 also returned a host of previous distinguished honorees such as George Pastolos, among Ryan’s Eventellect partners and the former Rockets and Astros president who played an instrumental role in working with Jim Crane and his group to purchase the Astros in 2011. The most recent acclaim confirmed to Ryan that Eventellect shares a culture fit “in an ecosystem with like-minded developers intent on growing sports and the fan’s enjoyment while attending sports. When we all engage there’s the confidence that we hold ourselves to certain values and accountability. “On any given day Eventellect processes 10,000 tickets ... or 30,000 tickets ... and the fan never has a problem. Our brand is built on world-class service, from pricing to operations to software to account analytics. I carry that message to our partner teams. Last year I visited 50 professional franchises. This year I’m already at 30. But I’m merely the face of a collective energy, a strength of numbers.”
Ryan next fortifies in the ongoing battle between venues and television screens for the spectator’s attention. The competition for consumer dollars has never been more rugged given the growing popularity of digital streaming services making it easier for a potential audience to skip the stadium, the arena or the theater and stay home to binge. The fundamental friction driving the seismic divides across the entertainment landscape - Does the experience and cost of attending an event outweigh the convenience of viewing at home? “When we launched (in 2006) there wasn’t HD television, Netflix, Amazon Prime, the flexibility of choices,” Ryan says. “Going to a game or concert was a no-brainer. Tickets meant access. Now the in-home options are multiplying every month, plus Topgolf and iPic Theaters. We’re on board with very powerful brands and sales forces. Our mission is to continue supporting those structures with subject matter expertise and perspective. Moving forward, the pivot points will be dynamic pricing models, a captivating game-day experience, communal seating and creative promotions.” Or as Jay-Z would offer from high atop rap Rushmore ... Get your umbrellas out because, that’s when I brainstorm You can blame Shawn, but I ain’t invent the game I just rolled the dice, trying to get some change
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PLAn NOW. GIVE LATER.
Remember St. Thomas in your will or living trust.
So many of our students could not have the St. Thomas experience without the faithful giving of others. If St. Thomas opened doors for you, consider how you can now open doors for others. Join the 1900 Society by including St. Thomas in your will or estate plans and help provide affordable tuition, exemplary instruction and spiritual growth for generations of students to come. If you remember all the goodness, discipline and knowledge that St. Thomas gave you, then please: Remember St. Thomas. Remembering St. Thomas in your will or estate plans costs nothing during your lifetime, but will transform the lives of STH men down the road. Contact Mr. Mark deTranaltes, ’83, P ’10 Vice President for Advancement remember@sths.org • 713-341-5557
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SPORTS H A L L of FA ME
There is one road that will always remain the same. It’s familiar. It’s comfortable. And it’s destination is somewhere never quite left. For former Eagles, distant and near, it’s the road home, their home at 4500 Memorial Drive. And for five luminaries a return in May carried the greatest recognition afforded a St. Thomas scholar-athlete - enshrinement into the institution’s prestigious Sports Hall of Fame. The latest inductees along with the triumphant 1964 Eagle Football state champions were remembered and revered at a vibrant and supportive ceremony in Cemo Auditorium.
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Alphabetically, the 2019 honorees were: 1964 TCIL State Football Champions
» defeated highly favored Dallas Jesuit 26-12 to earn program’s first state title since 1953 » commanding 11-1 season including 34-0 over Strake Jesuit, 40-0 over St. Pius X, 35-0 over Mount Carmel, 29-0 over Marian, 21-6 over La Porte and 33-7 over Beaumont Kelly in bi-district in a rematch after 41-0 to open the season » set Eagle records for both most points in a season with 338 and fewest allowed with 37 » outscored district opponents 138-0 » coached by St. Thomas Sports Hall of Famers Joe McDonald ’02 and Burr Davis ’02 » nearly two dozen members offered scholarships to extend their careers at the collegiate level » launched a decade of dominance that included three consecutive state crowns, five in six years and eight in 10 seasons
David Benesh ’66
» pitched Eagle Baseball to consecutive state championships in 1965 and ’66, and the 1966 American Legion state title » two-sport scholar-athlete earning five varsity letters in baseball and basketball while a member of the St. Thomas Club for scholars who maintained a minimum 4.0 grade point average for seven consecutive semesters » selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1966 MLB Draft but accepted a scholarship to Texas A&M with legendary head coach Tom Chandler » named 1969 All-Southwest Conference with teammates Bob Long and Dave Elmendorf while leading the Aggies in wins, complete games and a 2.01 earned run average » in 1970, led the Aggies in appearances with future Los Angeles Dodger Doug Rau » selected again by the Cardinals in the 1970 MLB Draft » earned his Bachelor’s in mathematics and then a Master’s of statistics in 1972 » significant professional distinction with Texas Instruments, Mostek and several companies founded with partners and associates » passed June 23, 2017 at age 69 of natural causes Benesh was represented by his wife Frances and his son Andrew.
Jerry Koch ’67
» versatile multi-sport scholar-athlete who contributed to the 1966 and ’67 state football champions and the 1967 state basketball finalists » accepted a football scholarship to attend University of Texas at El Paso » led Miner freshman in receptions and touchdown passes » graduated with a degree in engineering » a registered professional engineer who excelled for nearly 50 years in the construction business in Houston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. » active participant in professional organizations such as ASHRAE and ISPE » currently a senior engineer for JE Dunn Construction in Houston » active member serving the St. Thomas Alumni Board and St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church where he has conducted pre-Cana marriage seminars and led Eucharistic service » celebrates 50-year marriage with Margie Koch St. Thomas is not the only thing in all of our lives but it is the best thing in all of our lives. And when we return to campus for whatever reason, we feel that love. My best friends to this day are my Eagle teammates and classmates. The athletic experience is memorable but there’s so much more ... the love, the friendships, the grace of Jesus Christ ... that’s what rides out front. We followed that 1964 team ... had to rebuild ... quarterback came back from injury ... had a big late season surge ... won a game on penetrations ... repeated as state champs (in 1965) ... just a blessed year.
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Jack Laurenzo ’68
» two-time all-state selection gaining more than 3,000 rushing yards for Eagle Football » named 1967 honorable mention all-american by the Chicago News World » valuable impact presence for 1965 and ’66 state champions » four-time all-state contributor to Eagle Track and Field and two-year letterman for Eagle Baseball » nine-time varsity letterman while member of the St. Thomas Club for scholars who maintained a minimum 4.0 grade point average for seven consecutive semesters » accepted football scholarship to Rice University, then transferred after two years to Boston College where the Eagles finished 9-2 in 1971 » accepted fellowship to study in the Department of Urban Studies and City Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology » collaborated with his mother, Ninfa Laurenzo, brother Roland ’65 and sister Phyllis Mandola in establishing iconic Ninfa’s restaurants brand » currently a senior executive with broadline food distributor Jake’s Finer Foods I was so enthralled with St. Thomas growing up ... inspired by watching my brother Roland play. I went to my father and told me I wanted to go nowhere else. He said, ‘Improve your grades (at then downtown Annunciation Catholic School, the oldest parish in Houston).’ My first true goal in life was to go to school here. And I’m sure if I gone to another high school I wouldn’t have been afforded the opportunities I was able to foster through St. Thomas. I was the only sophomore on our state baseball championship team (1966) ... hit the big time ... very intimidating to be surrounded by such tremendous talent and very committed teammates who embraced me as a member of the team. I wouldn’t trade those times for anything in the world. Some of the greatest gifts I have are the friendships I have from my years here. Who would have thought these relationships would last so long. It’s such a great bonus in our lives that we have all managed to stay together.
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André Mathews ’85
» electrifying two-time two-way all-state performer and two-year team captain for state champion Eagle Football in 1983-84 » named TCIL Offensive Player of the Year in 1983 when he gained more than 1,600 yards rushing » named all-state in 1983 and ’84 as both a running back and defensive back » three-year letterman for Eagle Baseball » accepted scholarship to Howard University with College Football Hall of Fame head coach Willie Jeffries » immediate defensive difference-maker at Howard where he helped lead the program to its first Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference championship and a 9-1 record in 1987 » earned his BBA in finance, master’s in education from Texas Southern and is completing his Ph.D in education » owns more than 30 distinguished years as an acclaimed superintendent, principal and academic administer in the Greater Houston area This is for my family and friends ... cannot say enough about you ... wouldn’t be here without you. It was that love that I took into education ... that Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge that was instilled in me so much. It’s how I live ... what I breathe ... who I am. It was started here at St. Thomas ... taught me perseverance ... learned how to sacrifice ... to focus on more than myself ... most importantly learned how to be a good teammate. To this Eagle family ... thank you. You gave me an opportunity ... not just as a student but to become a person who represents that Basilian motto. As you can see at this stage in my life, I’m still embracing the knowledge but I’m trying to spread it with the goodness and representing the discipline. And I can’t say enough about coach (Jim) Schwarzbach (class of 1955 and Sports Hall of Fame member 2001). I can’t say enough and for those of you who know him ... I for sure can’t say what he said (laughter).
J.J. Savarino ’94
» dynamic three-sport scholar-athlete who earned eight varsity letters within Eagle Athletics » three-time all-state Eagle Baseball performer who contributed to four consecutive state championships » established a school record in 1992 for most stolen bases in a season » three-year letterman for Eagle Basketball and participated in two state tournaments » versatile four-year letterman at Rice University with College Baseball Hall of Fame and national championship head coach Wayne Graham » career .300 hitter and teamed with Lance Berkman and Matt Anderson in 1997 on first-ever Rice team to advance to the College World Series » ardent professional career in technology sales and marketing » creative director and co-founder of Pijn TV, a digital platform that communicates unique insights about emerging technologies » founder of Vendor Vines, LLC » lives in Austin with his wife Sara and two children, Julian and Rose Savarino was introduced by his nephew, 2019 salutatorian and two-sport scholar-athlete Tuscan, a member of the 2019 TAPPS state swimming champions. This is an opportunity for me to express my deep appreciation for all those who invested so much of their time into my athletic career and development as a person. This is a validation that hard work is worth it and how fantastic this Eagle community is. What has stuck with me the most from my years at St. Thomas is so much more than the winning. It’s the relationships ... the camaraderie. Those are lasting throughout my life. As a high school and college student you often don’t have the awareness and understanding of how coaches influence you in real time. And just as often you don’t agree with what they’re saying or how they’re trying to get the most of your abilities. But with time comes perspective and I have great appreciation for their efforts ... the mentors who helped mold me and form the values I hold today. It was all forged on these fields and in these hallways and in these classrooms. I cherish that impact every day ... the network that has benefited me in my career and throughout my life.
The St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame was established by the Alumni Association in 1998 to commemorate exceptional Eagle athletic accomplishment while celebrating lifelong excellence consistent with the Basilian motto of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge . The Class of 2019 joins Richard Kristinik ’57, Andrew Locke ’03, Jeff McCurry ’88, Keavin McDonald ’73, Kelly McDonald ’78 and Remon Smith ’84 from the Class of 2018 ... Rick Apolskis ’85, Rick Azios ’69, John Braniff ’59, Tom Brown ’65, Dick Kirtley ’57, Danny Newman ’75, and John Pizzitola ’62 from the Class of 2017 ... Brandon Caraway ’96, John Fisher ’74, Marcus (Marc) Jankowski ’70, Roland Laurenzo ’65, Del Leatherwood ’73, Steve Martin ’67, Bill Sage ’61, Tim Staples ’54, Michael Young ’66, Larry (Zinny) Zientek ’66 and the legendary undefeated 1939 St. Thomas Football Team from the Class of 2016 … and Bernard (Nardy) DeGeorge, Jr. ’63, Gary Martin ’69, George Mehaffey ’53, Mike Mulvihill ’56, Ted Nowak ’70, Jerry Pizzitola ’60, Jimmy Raley ’65, Bradley Smith ’88, Billy Welu ’50 and Mark Yokubaitis ’70 from the Class of 2015 as the most recent inductees … increasing the overall membership to 71 individual Eagles.
S P ORTS H AL L of FAM E
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TEE TIMES Generations of Eagles joined with patrons, sponsors and contributors to make the 28th annual St. Thomas Golf Tournament a roaring success at Wildcat Golf Club. Throughout a wind-blown Monday in April Eagle brothers joined for a wide variety of fairways split, wedges shanked, enormous greens and par-saving putts missed, inevitable wagers placed – and all with many a Macanudo lit. And once again one of the most thriving alumni groups in Houston teamed with friends and Eagle supporters to generate valuable monies identified for St. Thomas tuition assistance and Eagle Athletics.
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GUYs and DOlls PlaYs all Its
cards right
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Features
One of the wittiest of American musicals, Guys and Dolls remains a rich classic that never skimps on wit or charm, an indelible gem from Broadway’s Golden Age. Yet St. Thomas Theater Director Dan Green was wise to how his spring 2019 musical would be interpreted in the now and presented a masterclass that could be called How to Make a Classic Production More Accessible to Modern Audiences.
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THIS SHOW ABOUT A SAVE-A-SOUL MISSION THAT WANTED “TO DO GOOD ON BROADWAY” BURNED BRASH, BRIGHT, AND ADORABLE AT CEMO AUDITORIUM a funny, gaudy, dance-happy revival featuring modern twists on exaggerated expressions and sweeping gestures. “The character movement and presentational theater were larger than life,” Green says. “It took some intense rehearsal to get it right but once our actors reached that full understanding, they did it beautifully.” The production resuscitated and made relevant for the Netflix generation streetwise denizens created by newspaperman Damon Runyon - louts, touts and their dames, petty thieves, 86
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gamblers and grifters with names like Benny Southstreet (Dante Segura ’19), Rusty Charlie (Jacob Lara ’19) and Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Daniel Tran ’19). This was a New York underbelly and chivalric Broadway underworld (“in the devil’s own city on the devil’s own street”) with a double dose of dolls ultimately seeking to save their guys and woo them from their degenerate ways. In one corner was high-rolling Sky Masterson (Carl Collins ’19) dating pious Salvation Army officer Sarah Brown
(Caitlyn Gilliam, St. Agnes Academy ’20). And in the next, nightclub queen Miss Adelaide (Suzanna Marbach, Incarnate Word Academy ’19) was paired with lovable scoundrel Nathan Detroit (Daniel Griggs ’19), proprietor of the oldest established permanent floating crap-game in the five boroughs, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering fiancée of 14 years. These were the couples and citizens of Runyonland where trickery turned into love, lies led to marriage and comedy ensued. Musical director Josh Wilson infused verve and energy that saturated the senses with a nonstop hit-parade of songs from Frank Loesser that included “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat.”
The leads proved all aces and pumped out more winners than hot slots. In the roles made famous by Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra in the 1955 film, Collins commanded both the presence and magnetism that truly elevated the Masterson character skyward. His smooth dance moves, unending charm and easy smile resulted in the audience’s ability to disapprove of his actions but adore the person nonetheless. Griggs proved endearing as the ever-scheming Nathan and neatly epitomized the anxiety-driven small-time hustler. He was perfectly partnered by Marbach who supplied the yang to his yin. The gregarious anxious moll Miss Adelaide captured not just the comedy but also the pathos of a woman realizing the proverbial clock tick-tick-ticking away.
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“It’s always rewarding to take classic work and put your own mark on it,” Collins says. “There are definite expectations of Sky because he’s familiar and it’s fun to play with it. I didn’t really consult previous videos ... wanted to build primarily from the text ... brought some grit to that character ... more of a contemporary spin.” Green says with Griggs “you have an actor with great heart. He’s constantly searching for ways to be amused by the story he’s telling himself. I need that component in a comedian ... tells me he cares that what he’s relaying to the audience is interesting.” Griggs says “the frantic nature of Nathan was most appealing to me. He was trying so hard to make the world work when it wasn’t. The relationship with Adelaide shouldn’t have worked. And it did. There were lessons learned that apply to 2019. Women trying to change men and men not wanting to change but once they do it’s all for the better.” The outstanding choreography of Iris Lacsamana and faculty member Elizabeth Schaeperkoetter was a seamless melange of ballet, jazz and modern that dovetailed with Green’s burnished direction in steep collaboration with Teresa Stranahan. Faculty members Phil Gensheimer and Dan Bryant ’93 teamed with St. Thomas Chief Engineer Duane Fuchser to design and construct a dynamic and colorful set which perfectly complemented the bold lighting choices from Ben Haworth and audio/visual coordinator Chris Hodge.
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The bright, gaudy and natty costumes defined each character and added a significant boost to every scene. Beginning with his first school production in 2003, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, the litmus test for Green is always “the one or two moments when you know you have something special. Collins and Gilliam were singing beautifully from the beginning. The choral arrangements were top shelf. But where was the humor? Then during rehearsals, Tran improved a perfectly timed exchange with Segura absolutely appropriate within the characters. And most importantly Tran gave away the punch line. That’s when I realized we had it. This was going to be a good show.” Griggs and Collins consistently held the stage with ease in old-style, over-the-top Broadway performances that often declare an actor a very big theater star. The execution was made all the more impressive given the stark contrast to their roles in the Fall 2018 production of Frankenstein when Collins portrayed the Creature and Griggs the role of Frankenstein’s friend and accomplished surgeon, Henry Clerval. “That’s a tribute to the theater program here at St. Thomas, to have such diverse opportunities, and to be able to work the process as an artist without inhibition,” Collins says. “There was plenty of room for me to fail as the Creature and the same with Sky but you have to explore and step out of yourself ... strip the insecurities. Frankenstein was actually the most comfortable I’ve ever been on stage and that experience was invaluable in moving on to Guys and Dolls.”
Green believes the ethos within the department is forever about “challenging the student-actors. Once I see that they are successful in one genre, let’s flip it and see how they react ... from Gothic to slapstick vaudeville comedy. Stretch and test performers ... have them enjoy not knowing the next step and discovering the direction of where characters are headed.”
“My sophomore year in 12th Night, I was a sailor, a musician and a soldier,” Collins said. “My only line was ‘hut.’ And I said it about 30 times. The process is very humbling. But it supplies the necessary foundation. And when I leave St. Thomas for DePaul, the cycle will continue. I’ll go back to ensembles, the stage manager roles, understanding why that is so necessary.”
Green has established an expansive program emphasizing a comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of the process, from acting to directing to stage management, with the experience coming together to collaborate. At the bedrock of the steady streams of success is fostering talent and inspiring dreams, nurturing aspiring thesps to follow in the accomplished footsteps of previous St. Thomas stars.
Griggs also debuted in 12th Night as a sailor and an understudy for the Sebastian role. “This program absolutely demands commitment before moving into more prominent positions. If you love acting, you learn to love the process. I believed (as a sophomore) I was ready to play Gomez in The Addams Family Musical. But then I quickly saw the reality ... there was no way. There’s great satisfaction when you are properly prepared to move it forward.”
Collins will continue his acting at The Theater School at DePaul University in Chicago. For three years through six St. Thomas productions, he and Griggs delivered tenacious work ethics and what Green calls “great capacities for precision.” The rise from supporting to commanding was firmly rooted in equal measures due diligence and delayed gratification.
For Green, the sustaining culture is simply about “helping the actors get past the hurdles they’re facing to get to the next level. And more often than not, the next level is the next audience. We try to keep everyone in the moment, reviewing and editing, hyper-critical of ourselves in a productive manner because we care about improving every line, every scene, every show, every year.”
THAT’S A TRIBUTE TO THE THEATER PROGRAM AT ST. THOMAS, TO HAVE SUCH DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES, TO BE ABLE TO WORK THE PROCESS AS AN ARTIST WITHOUT INHIBITION FALL 2019
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2019 Auction Chairs Mary Beirne marybeirne1@att.net
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Christine Cummins cccummins@comcast.net
Catherine Rentz jkrentz@swbell.net
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GOING 10 ROUNDS WITH ROD TAKACS St. Thomas dean of student Rod Takacs tackles a speed round of questions. As the highest ranking Lord of Discipline (in complete accord with goodness and knowledge), what’s the most outrageously creative albeit untruthful excuse/alibi that sparked your internal bemusement from a guilty party trying in vain to avoid inevitable wrath? This has actually happened a couple of times. It’s the cheater caught with a sheet that was hours in the making ... intricate detail ... micro-fine print ... conveniently placed to exact information supposedly without detection ... but once he was apprehended during the exam he of course never resorted to using it even though he was caught with the information within view. You and your five younger sisters attended Mount Carmel. Your sons, Victor and Scott, and daughter Camille followed that lead. But your roles at St. Thomas, first within the faculty and now as the dean of students, continue an extensive family heritage within the Basilian institution. How meaningful to you is that generational relationship with St. Thomas? It takes on more and more significance the older I become and for this reason - my dad (Victor ’45) always stressed to me the impact this school had on him and specifically his faith formation. He was the son of immigrants from Hungary, Catholic but not staunch practitioners. He said his Catholic faith was instilled mostly by the Basilian Fathers. And that spiritual strength was then passed onto me, and me to my sons and daughter. That’s a powerful connection. My office was the principal’s office when my father was the senior class president. He and his brother (Paul ’39) ... my mother’s five brothers ... all walked these same hallways. My uncle Jack (Jones ’37) later became a priest. That legacy strikes me often during my day to day duties ... the measure St. Thomas has on young lives. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to influence students in some of the same kinds of ways my father was affected by the Basilians. I’m genuine when I say I’m truly fortunate to be at St. Thomas.
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You graduated from the University of Texas in 1974 with a degree in government, an academic pursuit likely periodically sidetracked by visits to Scholz’s, Rome Inn, Armadillo World Headquarters, Hole in the Wall, Dirty’s, Matt’s El Rancho, Armadillo World Headquarters, Barton Springs, Mount Bonnell, Deep Eddy, Broken Spoke and maybe even the Armadillo World Headquarters. What was the signature Austin-tacious experience that didn’t involve final exams or campus uprising? There were two ... Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen (center stage at, get ready, the Armadillo World Headquarters). Obviously, both are engaging performers but just as memorable were the bands ... skilled, precise and polished even though the commercial success was still years to come. Phenomenal shows and showmanship. Springsteen bellowed out “The Fever” (never on a commercial release until 1999) ... an absolute showstopper ... incredible nights. Austin has always thrived as a progressive music center. Did you unknowingly happen onto an unknown talent at the time who later exploded on the scene? As a matter of fact ... Soap Creek Saloon ... way out on Bee Caves Road ... mid-week ... no cover charge ... house band is Paul Ray and the Cobras. I’m there with friends ... small place ... pool tables ... some chairs in front of the stage. Paul Ray was a popular vocalist. The band cranks up and all of a sudden the lead guitar player just absolutely takes over. We’re like, ‘Who is this guy?’ Just a kid ... great command ... could improvise ... stole the crowd. Come to find out years later ... Stevie Ray Vaughn was the real Ray worth remembering from that night.
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A couple of years ago you declared an all-time allegiance to the Allman Brothers Band and “the greatest live album in the history of recording ... At Fillmore East (1971). If you could conjure one musical act to see perform tonight at its absolute zenith with the primo of prime seating, who is it? Allman Brothers ... without question. And I’m square in front of Duane. The first time I listened to At Filmore East it was unlike anything I had ever heard ... combination of blues, jazz, rock and country ... completely fresh, totally inspired and utterly original ... remains the gold standard of blues-based rock & roll. Allman on the steel guitar and Dickie Betts dueling off each other ... alternating leads ... pioneering guitar harmonies. Regardless of how many times I listen to that release I still marvel of what I know is coming up. And today you have Devon Allman and Duane Betts (sons of legends Gregg Allman and Betts) joiningforces. You can hear in them their fathers and also the next generation of funk-blues jam. Pretty cool. Music appreciation aside, what’s the lasting impact of those undergraduate years in Austin - a young adult carving out an inter-personal identity during the political and social upheaval when counter was culture, a different but similar dynamic of what’s colliding within America today? The biggest takeaway then was how the experience made me much more attuned to the world around me, concerned about public policies and the impact on citizens, rather than solely attentive only to individual wants and needs. And that discovery stayed with me as I took on greater responsibility both personally and professionally. There’s been an awareness to temper radical reactions, factor out the extremes and see both sides of an issue or a problem without a predetermined agenda. Listen first to the multiple perspectives, then formulate a reasoned judgment. That’s a plan that works as the dean of students and works as a husband, a father, a grandfather. It’s all a byproduct of maturing during those turbulent early 1970s in Austin.”
How valuable is that ability you just described in your supporting the student community? I always embraced the classroom interaction. Serving as the dean of students takes that to another level ... instilling a foundation that will assist students throughout their entire lives. The emphasis is life-skills much more than rule enforcement. Teenagers now can be overwhelmed by an avalanche of exposures many are not prepared for or shouldn’t be encountering at all. We can be a resource that grounds them into the proper reality. The goal is to establish a dialogue ... develop trust ... provide some guidance. And when that happens there’s a great satisfaction of purpose. Often the ranks of academia bolt like banshees for the summer months but you again were in the classroom teaching study skills sessions for incoming freshmen. Why continue that commitment? It’s a chance to bridge with a group who I otherwise would not know until the next academic year. None of the students were required to attend. Their commitment tells me there’s a motivation within each family to take advantage of every opportunity for a solid start to the St. Thomas experience. I respect their understanding that college prep is a competitive world moving forward and you have to be ready. Your father and his brother attended Texas A&M. Your sons are fightin’ Texas Aggies. Victor teaches at St. Pius X and Camille in the La Porte ISD after graduating from the University of Houston. What are the family ties that bind? One thing we all agree on ... Saturdays in the fall mean college football. Scott is the Takacs tailgate/watch party organizer ... food, beverages, layout, three big screens on the deck ... two reserved for the SEC to keeps all his A&M buddies satisfied. And when the Longhorns and Aggies finally decide to return to sanity and officially renew their friendly gridworld hatred, their own particular brand of culture clash, will you be reduced to a rooting section of one? Probably. But that’s ok. Just makes winning more fun.
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PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ The River Oaks Country Club again provided the perfect spring setting for a sensational afternoon celebrating the 48th Annual Mothers’ Club Style Show & Luncheon honoring the Class of 2019 while benefiting the current and future Men of St. Thomas. Great appreciation to our generous underwriters and sponsors … Mothers’ Club President Shawn Savarino … event chairs Holly Schlosser and Christy Villarreal … Dillard’s for providing exquisite women’s and men’s fashions … fashion event producer par excellence Lenny Matuszewski collaborating with senior fashion stylist Tamara Klosz Bonar … Casablanca Productions … Visible Changes …
The Phoenix Design Group … the accomplished St. Thomas Jazz Ensemble … and the invaluable contributions from the host of Eagle mothers who empower the Basilian Fathers to teach goodness, discipline and knowledge. And in grand Style Show custom, there is no splendor to match the sartorial struts of president Fr. James Murphy, CSB and his fellow bastion of bespoke, principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96. Well played, gentlemen. And you should have seen the shoes.
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in memoriam
William O. McCurdy III ’56 April 27, 2019 William F. Pohl III father-in-law of Patrick Brogan ’87, uncle of Jack Brogan ’18 and Carrick Brogan ’22, December 14, 2018 Joyce Ann Broussard sister of Jerry Walker ’52, Jack Walker ’55, Robert Walker ’55, and cousin of George Delhomme Jr. ’34, March 12, 2019 Armando Mercado father of Bryan Mercado ’02, uncle of Carlos Salvatierra ’86 and Rene Salvatierra ’88, January 13, 2019
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4500 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77007-7332 Ph: 713.864.2606 Fax: 713.864.6402 www.sths.org
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
2019 Auction Chairs Mary Beirne marybeirne1@att.net
Christine Cummins cccummins@comcast.net
Catherine Rentz jkrentz@swbell.net
