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August 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
ALICE COYOTES
Coyotes look to build on last season’s success Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The 2012 Alice Coyotes finished as regional semifinalists with a 9-4 record following two playoff wins over Mercedes and Calallen. It was the most successful season under head coach Chris Soza, who is entering his fifth year with the team. Soza picked up his first playoff wins as the Coyotes coach last year, but he wants to make one thing clear this season: that success is now in the past. “We want the kids to understand that last year was last year, Soza said. “To get better, we have to work harder this year, and try to duplicate what we did last year.” The postseason run has set the bar high in Alice, but that is what Soza expects. “I think the expectations in Alice are always high,” he said. “Every place that I’ve been at, I want that to be the case. We want the community to expect our kids to do the very best they can. Last year, three rounds deep in the playoffs, that helps with the expectations and it helps with the confidence. It’s just a good thing overall to be successful.” In Soza’s eyes, a big part of the success last season was due to a strong chemistry the team had. During the early fall practices, the team is beginning to show that same togetherness. “Our kids have worked hard in the offseason. So far, the leadership
ALICE COYOTES
Head Coach: Chris Soza 2012 Record: 9-4 overall, (5-2 district) Returning starters O/D: 4/3 Players to Watch: FB Robert Ramos, OL Kevin McKelvey, DB Blake Starr, DL Michael Pena, DL Ariel Soliz, OL Isaul Arismendez, QB Jon Jaramillo, QB/DB Jared Jaramillo, LB Tim Garcia, DB Victor Soliz, OL Marcos Avila, TE BJ Gonzalez, K Alex Castillo
STEPHEN GARCIA
SEE COYOTES, 4
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ALICE COYOTES
COYOTES
Continued from 3 has been there,” he said. “Like anything else, you can still improve upon the chemistry, but I’m pretty happy with where it is right now. I think we’ll just continue to get better there. The kids, as they work hard together, they’ll gel even more. I’m happy; it’s probably about where it was last year at this time.” Despite some key losses due to graduation, these Coyotes are expected to contend for a District 31-4A title along with 2012 playoff teams Flour Bluff and Corpus Christi Ray. The defense, which was stout down the stretch during a late six-game winning streak, suffered some of the biggest losses, especially at linebacker and defensive back. Honorable mention allstate Leo Adams and fellow first team all-district Brandon Garcia both graduated,
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leaving big shoes to fill in the linebacker corps. Tim Garcia, Andres Soliz, and David De La Cruz are battling to see which two step in at inside linebacker. Another big position battle comes at the quarterback spot. Team Offensive MVP Oscar Resendez will be replaced by a Jaramillo for certain. Which one it will be is still being decided. Senior Jon Jaramillo and junior Jared Jaramillo are currently fighting for the starting gig. “Right now, we have two brothers, which is pretty unusual,” Soza said. “They’re both winners. They’re both great kids. Whichever one we decide on, the other’s going to play something else. They’re both good athletes…It’s a good problem to have…I think we can win with both of them.” Due to some injuries, the older Jaramillo got some SEE COYOTES, 6
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ALICE COYOTES COYOTES
Whoever is under center will be behind some experiContinued from 4 enced blockers, led by senior offensive linemen Isaul playing time at quarterback Arismendez, Marcos Avila, last year. That experience, Kevin McKelvey, and tight along with his shown leader- end BJ Gonzalez. Alice also ship, makes him the favorite returns first team all-district fullback Robert Ramos, who to start at this point. had more than 700 yards and “He’s not big and that seven touchdowns on the fast or that strong, but he’s ground last season. a leader,” Soza said of the The defense will be strong senior. “The kids believe in in the trenches as well, him; that’s a positive there. returning Co-Most OutSometimes you have those standing Defensive Lineman intangibles that you can’t really coach. The kids respect Ariel Soliz and first team all-district defensive tackle him and look up to him. For Michael Pena. The talent on those reasons, he’s leading in the line will help out the new that position right now…Jarlinebackers and secondary. ed is also pushing him, and I “Our philosophy on feel comfortable with either SEE COYOTES, 7 one of them.”
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AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
ALICE COYOTES COYOTES
Continued from 6 defense is to stop the run. That’s the first thing we want to do,” Soza said. “We feel good about the [defensive line]. We’re looking forward to hopefully a good year this year as far as the run game goes.” The secondary, while graduating its share of players, still has some experience coming back. Seniors Mark Alaniz, Victor Soliz, and Blake Starr will lead the defensive backfield. “Most teams we face run the spread offense, and they’re going to throw it downfield,” Soza said. “We got to cover some people. We have guys that maybe weren’t necessarily starters all year long, but they played a lot.” Another critical piece to the Coyotes this year comes at one of the most unsung positions, kicker. Senior Alex Castillo returns after his first team all-district selection. Castillo went 8-for-10 last season with a long of 45 yards. He did not miss an attempt shorter than 40 yards all year.
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AGUA DULCE LONGHORNS
Agua Dulce aiming for playoffs Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The Agua Dulce Longhorns were a play or two away from the postseason last year, falling to Charlotte 20-14 in overtime in the regular season finale to decide the final playoff spot in District 16-A Division II. Not bad for a team that was under the direction of a new head coach. “We had a lot of positive outcomes out of last year,” Agua Dulce coach Robert Beard said. “We didn’t quite get to where we wanted to, playoff-wise, but we made a lot of strides in the right direction.” Beard now enters his second year with the Longhorns. With a year under his belt, he is excited about what this year’s group can do. “Our goal is to make the playoffs,” he said. “Our boys have been working extremely hard…They know they were so close last year, and they just want to get there this year.” With a seasoned bunch, Beard expects progress on both sides of the ball. “To tell you the truth, I think we’re both about even (on offense and defense) because on this level, the same kids play on both sides,” he said. “Our offense will be much improved over last year, and our defense will be improved from last year. That goes with the same kids playing those spots.” The Longhorns lost some big contributors at quarterback, offensive line, and linebacker among others, but the new starters may have what
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AGUA DULCE LONGHORNS
Head Coach: Robert Beard 2012 Record: 5-5 overall, (1-3 district) Returning Starters O/D: 5/6 Players to watch: LB Trey Mann, LB Joe Baltazar, RB/DB AJ Jiminian, QB Homero Hinojosa it takes to step into those roles. “They’ve been working hard to try and reach their potential to help our team be the best it can,” Beard said of the new starters. “I think we’re going to be able to fill those shoes…The next man’s got to step up, or we’re not going to be very good.” Agua Dulce has some firepower coming back, however. The Longhorns return five starters on offense and six on defense, including a pair of linebackers that received all-state recognition last season. “The strength of our defense will be our linebackers with Trey Mann and Joe Baltazar returning,” Beard said. “…They’re going to be two very good football players for us. Most defenses rely on the linebackers – what kind of plays can those kids make.” Another defensive strength will be in the secondary, led by AJ Jiminian. Jiminian will also be the starting running back after rushing for more than 1,300 yards last season. “He’s going to be a focal point of our offense,” Beard said. “AJ is a key player on both sides of the ball for us. He does a lot of things.”
AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
BANQUETE BULLDOGS
Banquete again relying on seniors Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The Banquete Bulldogs enter the 2013 season after posting a playoff win before being bounced by the eventual Class 2A Division II State Champions, East Bernard. While the postseason win was nice, that is still not quite the ultimate goal for the Bulldogs. “Our goal is to win it all,” Banquete coach Kevin Hermes said. “We want to get deep in the playoffs. We want to give ourselves an opportunity to win the whole thing. It’s the first time in several years that we’ve made it to the second round, but I don’t think us as coaches and our players are satisfied with just making it to the second round. We’d like to continue to play on past that.” The Bulldogs return six starters on offense and five on defense, but Banquete must also deal with some significant losses. Three-year starter and first team all-district quarterback Ben Benavides is one of the key graduates that must be replaced. “Ben was a great athlete for us. He was a dual-threat quarterback,” Hermes said. “He could throw the ball well, and he could attack you on the run. He was dangerous at both. Obviously, it’s going to
be tough to replace him as a leader.” Two players entered fall practice vying for the spot under center. OJ Ramirez, the backup quarterback last year, and Cooper Wildman, last year’s junior varsity sig-
nal-caller, are looking to take over in Benavides’ departure. “We’re going to try to play to their strengths,” Hermes said of the quarterbacks. “Every player has their strengths. Ben had his, but these two guys have theirs. We’re going
to utilize their skills to the best of their abilities so we can help the team win.” While the senior Ramirez has more years on the sophomore Wildman, that doesn’t mean much to Hermes. “Like I told all of them today, ‘I don’t care what grade you’re in. Whoever’s going to produce, whoever’s going to give the best effort on Friday night or in practice, that’s the guy that’s going to get there,’” Hermes said. “They’re competing, and that’s a good thing.” More than 20 seniors graduated from the team, but
Senior WR/DE Roger De La Paz
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a group of 14 seniors this year had significant contributions to last year’s 10-win season. Hermes is counting on those veterans to lead the team. “A majority of those got a lot of quality reps last year,” he said. “That leadership is going to pay off for us this year…Most of these guys played a big part in our success last year, and we’re going to lean heavily on them this year as well.” The defense looks to be the strength of the team this year as the Bulldogs enter the second year running a base 50 scheme.
Senior OL/DL Marcos Suarez
BANQUETE BULLDOGS
Head Coach: Kevin Hermes 2012 Record: 10-2 overall, (6-1 district) Returning Starters O/D: 6/5 Players to Watch: OL/DL Marcos Suarez, WR/DE Roger De La Paz, RB/DE Ricky Benavides, LB/RB Ross Sullivan, OL/DL Brendon Breland, OL/DL Christian Leal “We got some key kids back at some crucial spots,” Hermes said. “I think with a year under our belt, we’re going to be more versatile. We’re going to be able to do some more things.”
Senior RB/DE Ricky Benavides
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August 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
BENAVIDES EAGLES
Small Benavides roster must stay healthy Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The Benavides Eagles had a rough go last season, finishing 0-10. But you would never believe it from the team’s attitude. While 2013 will be another challenging year for Benavides with a roster of just 20 players, the Eagles are not going to lay down.
“We’ve had a lot of positive stuff the first week,” Benavides coach Celso Oliveira said. “Our numbers are real low, but the kids we have are real positive. They’re working hard, and we’re just going to try and see what we can do. If we can stay healthy, we’ll win some games.” A problem for schools in the state’s lower classifications, the number of athletes
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will not allow the Eagles any leeway with injuries. “The goal is pretty much to stay healthy through the non-district, try to get to district and try to make the playoffs,” Oliveira said. “I think we can get there if we stay healthy.” Running back Israel Cavazos, who tore his ACL last year as a freshman, returns this season and will
be a key cog in the Benavides offense. Scott Sanchez also returns to quarterback the team following his second team all-district selection. The offense will be relied upon to chew up the clock and give the small Eagle roster as much rest as possible. “We’re going to have to control the ball and use the clock in our favor,” Oliveira said. “With our numbers, if
our defense is out there long, there’s going to be major problems.” Wins this season will not be the ultimate barometer of success for Benavides. Oliveira simply wants to see his team compete every week. “The outcomes of the games are not the big deal,” he said. “The big deal is if we have fun, we play ball, and we never give up no matter
BENAVIDES EAGLES
Head Coach: Celso Oliveira 2012 Record: 0-10 overall, (0-4 district) Returning Starters O/D: 6/5 Players to Watch: RB Israel Cavazos, QB Scott Sanchez, ATH Noe Guzman what. Just keep good sportsmanship no matter what the score is and stay healthy. That will be good enough for us. Making the playoffs would be just that much more if we can get there.”
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BEN BOLT BADGERS
Young Badger squad looks to contend Stephen Garcia
BEN BOLT BADGERS
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The number of seniors you lose to graduation is not as important as the talent level of those you lose. Unfortunately for Ben Bolt, the Badgers were hit hard in both aspects. Players such as District 16-A Division I MVP Ivan Gonzalez, district Defensive MVP Eric Salinas, and first team all-district quarterback Albert Gonzalez are just a few of the holes that head coach Jeff LeFevre now has to deal with. “This year, we got hit pretty hard by graduation,” LeFevre said. “We lost tailbacks, we lost some good linemen, linebackers, defensive players, and we had a two-year quarterback. Really, this year was a really hard group because we graduated so much.” The Badgers have four returning starters on offense and six on defense. First team all-district Matt Garcia and honorable mention Christian Del Real return to anchor the offensive line that will have to find new starters at both tackles and center. Ben Bolt must also choose a replacement at quarterback after the graduation of Albert Gonzalez. Ricky Galvan and
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Head Coach: Jeff LeFevre 2012 Record: 8-3 overall, (2-1 district) Returning Starters O/D: 4/6 Players to Watch: OL/DL Matt Garcia, OL/DL Christian Del Real, QB Ricky Galvan, QB Bobby Mejia, RB/CB Erik Aguilar, RB David Rojas, DL Louie Lopez, CB Scott Gafford
Bobby Mejia are currently in the mix for the job, both of whom LeFevre has supreme confidence in. “Both of them are capable of starting for any school in South Texas, or down here in this area,” LeFevre said. “Quarterback’s really not a
spot that’s going to worry me right now because both of those kids, I guarantee, can go into any school in this area and start.” Erik Aguilar and David Rojas will split time at running back in place of the district MVP, but the Badgers are
going to rely on a team effort more than any individual player on this young squad. “We’re going to try and do things as a team,” LeFevre said. “We’re trying to keep it to where we don’t have to have so many kids go both ways, especially whenever you’re
dealing with so many sophomores having to be on your team. You don’t want to have to make those sophomores go both ways if you don’t have to.” While there is still a lot to be determined about the team, LeFevre is hoping he
can lean on his defense. “Right now, we’re still in the process of getting everything going,” he said. “We’re Ben Bolt – our defense is supposed to always be our strongest point. That’s what we push. We push defense. I know we’re up there as one of the most prolific offenses, but really we push defense.” Having a team of young, inexperienced players can be hard, especially during the early part of the season. LeFevre knows this, and all he wants to see out of his Badgers each week is progress. “I want to see growth every week,” he said. “I want to get better every week. Our goal is a state championship. Before you get that, you got to get to the playoffs. So we’ve got to be ready to play, and playing on all cylinders, by the time we hit La Villa…We’ve got six games to prepare for that.”
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CALALLEN WILDCATS
Defense to lead the way for Calallen Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
If the old adage about defense winning championships is true, the Calallen Wildcats are off to a good start toward their goal of a state title. After all, when you have made the playoffs 28 straight years, anything less than a state championship may seem like falling short. Even so, longtime Calallen coach Phil Danaher is not thinking that far ahead just yet. “Every year, that’s our goal,” he said of a state title. “It’s hard to say right now if we’ll make the playoffs or if we’ll get very deep in the playoffs. We’re still developing a new team. We take every year at a time and every game one at a time. We don’t really try to look ahead. That’s our ultimate goal, but we know one thing: you can’t win them all without winning the first one.” With the high expectations tradition has created at Calallen, last season’s second-round loss feels like an early exit from the postseason. The team returned with a renewed focus as they attempt to greatly improve upon that performance. “They came back, to me, with a new conviction,” Danaher said. “They worked harder in the spring. They worked hard this summer. We’ve got good leadership from this group. Leadership is very important. You’ve got to have good leaders to be successful.
CALALLEN WILDCATS
Head Coach: Phil Danaher 2012 Record: 9-3 overall, (5-1 district) Returning Starters O/D: 4/7 Players to Watch: LB Kade Young, LB Trevor Moses, LB Austin Revels, LB Sheldon Bammert, DL Dakota Cooksy, DL Creyton McDermett, DB Remington Strickland, OL Sean Vickers, OL Zach Roussel, WR Robert Maldonado, WR Triston Crossland
STEPHEN GARCIA
SEE CALALLEN, 15
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AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
CALALLEN WILDCATS CALALLEN
football team.” Some of the names that will be in charge of turnContinued from 14 ing around the offense are “You can have good athrunning backs JD Savanich, letes, but if you don’t have Caleb Pacheco, and Chris any leadership, then you’ve Price. Robert Maldonado, got a very important ingredi- the starting back in 2012, will ent missing.” move to receiver to team up One problem with the with Triston Crossland. Wildcats a year ago was the On offense, the lineoffense, which could demen took the biggest hit termine how successful the due to graduation. Many team is this season. of last year’s starters have “Going into this year, we’ve departed, including West got to be better offensively,” Texas A&M signee Dillon Danaher said. “We were not Vaughan. very productive last year of“We’re pretty much refensively. We made too many building the entire offensive mental mistakes. We’ve got line,” Danaher said. “The to execute better than what only one we have returnwe did last year to be a good ing from last year is Sean
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Vickers. So you can see, offensively is where we’re rebuilding and we’ve got to get better at.” Seniors Vickers and guard Zach Roussel, who started some last season, will be the leaders of this year’s group. The new starters up front are already doing their best to soften the blow from losing so many players. “They’ve really come back in pretty good shape,” Danaher said of the offensive linemen. “They’ve worked hard.” The starting quarterback going into the season is currently a three-man competiSEE CALALLEN, 16
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CALALLEN WILDCATS CALALLEN
Continued from 15 tion, but that’s the way it always is for Danaher. “It’s always open,” he said of the quarterback battle. “Whoever comes back and performs and executes the best, they’re the one
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who gets the job.” The defense will be the stalwart for the Wildcats this season, returning seven starters. “The defense is pretty sound,” Danaher said. “We got quite a few back from last year. They play hard. They’ll keep us in ballgames, but we’ve got to do our part on offense. We were three-and-out
too many times last year. That’s very uncharacteristic of us.” The strength of the defense will be its linebackers, which feature four all-district honorees and even one that was honorable mention all-state, Kade Young. Joining Young are Sheldon Bammert, Trevor Moses, and Austin Revels to make up one of the best start-
ing groups in the area. “Our linebacker group is probably the heart of our defense,” Danaher said. “We have four linebackers that all started last year that are back, so four very good linebackers…That’s probably as solid a four linebackers that we’ve had in a while.” Seniors Dakota Cooksy and
Creyton McDermett will anchor the defensive line to add to Calallen’s strong front seven. The questions on defense come in the secondary, with only Remington Strickland returning as a starter. The group is inexperienced, but Danaher feels the defensive backs are athletic and will improve with more playing time.
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FREER BUCKAROOS
Hofstetter to bring ‘grittiness’ to Freer Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
Some may say that every new season is a new start in high school football. That could not be more true for the Freer Buckaroos, as the team enters 2013 with a new leader at the helm. Jake Hofstetter takes over as head coach and athletic director for Freer after spending the last 13 years with Port Isabel, 11 of which as the offensive coordinator. It is his first head coaching position. Hofstetter, who faced the Buckaroos during his playing days, remembers playing a tough, physical team when Freer was on the schedule. He hopes to bring back that mentality as head coach. “I played against Freer when I was in high school, and Freer used to be a tough, gritty, real aggressive type of football team. That’s what I’m planning to bring as well,” Hofstetter said. “When we were in Port Isabel, we always thought that we were the most physical team on the field and most aggressive, and that’s what I’d like to bring here. “After the game, we want the opponent to know that they played a game against Freer.” Along with an emphasis on physicality, Hofstetter is bringing his offensive scheme. A multiple-I offense, look for the Buckaroos to have a “ground and pound” attack. “We will get into spread (offense) SEE FREER, 19
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FREER BUCKAROOS
Head Coach: Jake Hofstetter 2012 Record: 5-5 overall, (4-3 district) Returning Starters O/D: 5/4 Players to Watch: QB Jacob Cantu, ATH Jeremy Alaniz, OL Joseph Tamez, LB Aaron Serrato, DB/WR Orlando Balboa
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GARCIA
Freer Buckaroo Seniors
AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
FREER BUCKAROOS
FREER
picked up on some positive attitudes. “I think the kids underContinued from 18 stand that I’ve come in here with one plan, and that’s to a little bit, but we’re going come in here and win footto hang our hat on being ball games,” he said. aggressive and getting after The Buckaroos enter the you with our running game,” year attempting to break a Hofstetter said. There are some challenges six-year playoff drought. Hofstetter, who describes that come with taking over himself as “goal-oriented,” a new program. One being getting his players to believe has that at the top of his list. Freer finished in fourth place in what he is teaching. “The kids are going to have in District 16-2A Division II in 2012, which this year to buy in,” Hofstetter said. “If they don’t believe in what would give them the final playoff spot. me and the coaching staff Freer will have a new quarare trying to put in, we’re not terback under center with the going to be successful. The kids are going to have to buy graduation of Junior Cadena. in and be willing to sacrifice.” While Hofstetter said it is While the new coach is still an open competition for the getting acclimated to his new starting job, he admitted sesquad, Hofstetter has already nior Jacob Cantu, a first team
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all-district wide receiver and safety last season, is in the early lead. “He’s probably the leading candidate,” Hofstetter said. “Now is he going to win the start? That’s yet to be seen, but he’s going to be our leading candidate at the quarterback position.” Cantu displayed a level of leadership that impressed Hofstetter during the spring and summer. His athleticism, along with that ability to lead, is what Cantu’s coach is looking for. “Watching film, he shows some toughness and grittiness,” Hofstetter said. “He has that intangible of being a leader. I need my quarterback to be a leader and my field general and go down the field and lead us to success.”
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ORANGE GROVE BULLDOGS
ORANGE GROVE BULLDOGS
Head Coach: Jerry Bomar 2012 Record: 11-2 overall, (4-1 district) Returning Starters O/D: 5/5 Players to Watch: WR Matthew Priddy, RB Ricky Martinez, DL Gunner New, QB Hondo Harris, OL Correy Wallace, OL Myles Rodriguez, LB Josh Herrera
QB Harris to lead OG after playoff start Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The Orange Grove Bulldogs were sitting in a good position heading into the regional round of the playoffs last season, when they received news that starting
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quarterback Ruben Lopez would be out of the game due to a knee injury. OG then had to turn to freshman Hondo Harris at quarterback, and fell to Bellville. The season was quite
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AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
ORANGE GROVE BULLDOGS
ORANGE GROVE
mendous amount of confidence, even though it was a very tough position and he Continued from 22 had a tough game. I think successful despite the bitter he learned a lot about that,” end. The Bulldogs wrapped Bomar said. “Any experiup their second consecutive ence you get in sports is a district championship and positive experience. I know made it three rounds into the some of the experiences can postseason. be negative, but if you look “That was the greatest sea- at them in a positive tone, son in the history of Orange the positives outweigh the Grove,” coach Jerry Bomar negatives. said. “You have to look at “For him, it showed what the positives and not the we thought. He has a lot of negatives.” poise. He’s a competitor, and Despite a rocky game he’s going to be a good player. against the Brahmas, Harris It was an unfair for him, regained invaluable experience ally at that point. In the long that will pay dividends this run, it will be a good thing season as he takes over the that happened. Now, the long starting quarterback job. run is here, so hopefully it “I think he gained a trewill be something that will help this year.” Along with losing Lopez, the District 30-3A MVP, the Bulldogs also took a significant hit with the graduation of all-district linebackers Julian Salas and Dillon Herschap. “The big question mark, first and foremost with us, is on defense with those linebackers,” Bomar said. “Can we replace those guys?” OG returns five starters on each side of the ball. While the majority will be new starters, the tradition Bomar has built in his first two years has created a new culture of confidence. “The positive is that we’ve won. The kids believe we can win,” Bomar said. “We’ve got a good nucleus back. We’ve got a bunch of solid kids that played a lot of football…We expect to win, we expect to be a playoff team, and we expect to do our best.” “We know that it’s going to be tough. We know we have a difficult schedule. We know we’re in a difficult district, but we have a lot of confidence in ourselves to play hard. And we think if you play hard, good things happen.” That nucleus includes players such as first team all-district wide receiver Matthew Priddy, all-district offensive lineman Correy Wallace, all-district running back Ricky Martinez, offensive lineman Myles Rodriguez, and linebacker Josh Herrera. “Those guys all played a lot,” Bomar said of the group. “They’re all really solid players.” WWW.ALICETX.COM • AUGUST 2013
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JOHN PAUL II CENTURIONS
Vasquez takes over young JPII team “It’s always easier when the kids know you, and they already trust you,” Vasquez There will be a new head said. “And you’ve been coach on the sidelines for working with them already John Paul II this season, but for several years. They can it is a familiar face. Mario almost anticipate what your Vasquez takes over the Cen- expectations are, so that turions after four years as an kind of makes it easier for assistant with the team. them.” The familiarity makes the It is not his first time transition between coaches as head coach, however. smoother than bringing in SEE JOHN PAUL II, 25 an outsider.
Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
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JOHN PAUL II CENTURIONS
Head Coach: Mario Vasquez 2012 Record: 2-9 overall, (1-4 district) Returning Starters O/D: 1/3 Players to Watch: QB Andrew Morgan, RB Josh Gomez, DL Manuel Lopez, WR Marcus Williams
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JOHN PAUL II CENTURIONS JOHN PAUL II Continued from 24
Vasquez spent 17 years with CCISD before taking over at Zapata. He will now try to instill a “military-type” of mentality within his squad. “We’re going to follow through with our mascot, which is the Centurion,” Vasquez said. “We’re going to be doing things more with respect, responsibility, and an army of one – that type of philosophy.” To build unity, JPII went on a team retreat that brought the team closer together. That brotherhood will be critical, especially for a young Centurion group. “It’s very, very important,” Vasquez said. “The common things we talked about when trying to unite the team is how to deal with what choices you make, how to deal with adversity, family values, and believing in one another. We talked about trust, and believing in the coaching staff and what the coach wants them to accomplish.” The team has just five seniors this season after graduating 18 from last year’s group. “Our goal is to have some good, fundamental attitudes,” Vasquez said. “We’re going to coach our kids, we’re going to be very basic, we’re going to run fundamental football.” The lack of upperclassmen may force the Centurions to start up to three freshmen. JPII features just one offensive and three defensive starters returning. Andrew Morgan will step into the quarterback role after transferring to JPII. “We’re asking him to lead the team,” Vasquez said of the junior. “Basically, everything is going to revolve around him offensively.” Tailback Josh Gomez, one of the few seniors on the team, will also be a key part of the offense. Vasquez described his defense as “scrappy,” and defensive tackle Manuel Lopez will be one of the players to watch on that side of the ball. The others around him will generally be newcomers. There are challenges up the road for the Centurions, without question. Vasquez knows this, and just wants to see the best out of his players. “We’re going to concentrate on being a well-disciplined and united team,” Vasquez said. “We’re really going to have to concentrate on adversity. You’re talking about playing 15and 16-year-olds against 18-year-olds. We’re talking about playing in our conference alone…schools with 650 students. When you look at the UIL standards, we’d be like a 2A playing a 4A. “We’re just going to work on keeping a positive attitude, never giving up, staying fundamentally sound, and be well-disciplined.” WWW.ALICETX.COM • AUGUST 2013
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ROBSTOWN COTTON PICKERS
Robstown enters optimistic despite past struggles Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
ROBSTOWN COTTONPICKERS
Most schools that suffer Head Coach: Enrique Gonzalez through back-to-back 2012 Record: 0-10 overall, (0-5 winless seasons have no district) reason to be optimistic. Returning Starters O/D: 9/7 Robstown, however, is Players to Watch: LB David Rivera, DL Kasey Hosey, QB Riley not one of those schools. Ramos, WR Jason Mungia Despite the troubles the Cotton Pickers have faced over the past two years, the veteran team enters 2013 with a positive attitude. “Actually, right now our kids are really excited,” Robstown coach Enrique Gonzalez said. “We had a fantastic offseason. We had a real strong summer 7-on-7 season… The kids have been talking that is going to be our year, so they’re excited about it.” The hopeful mindset is critical when trying to bounce back from a tough stretch like Robstown has seen. “It’s everything to us,” Gonzalez said of the team’s attitude. “We’ve been talking about, from the beginning, that we’ve got to have a positive outcome against Tuloso-Midway in our first scrimmage. That’s our only focus. “We’re trying to take everything one little game at a time. Our confidence is vital to us, especially early.” The offensive theme of this year will be finishing drives. Too many promising drives ended with no points last season, Gonzalez said. “We were able to move the ball on just about anyone,” he said. “We couldn’t punch it in. It’s been all about finishing and establishing the run game.” Defensively, the Pickers will focus on avoiding the big play. Those explosive plays were one of the downfalls of Robstown last season. The 2013 will have an expanded playoff field, adding a fourth team from each district. The new postseason format
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adds more optimism for the Pickers. “We talked about trying to get into that fourth spot,” Vasquez said. “We’ve got to win two district ballgames, and I don’t know which two because our district is extremely tough. We set a high expectation for these kids. We want a winning season, so anything 6-4 and above. We expect to get into one of those playoff spots. “It’s a good, young group, but we finally got a right combination of talent and experi-
ence. We haven’t had that the last two years.” The Pickers certainly do have experience. More than half of the starters return from last year, nine on offense and seven on defense. “It’s vital. It gives us a lot of confidence,” Gonzalez said of the team’s experience. “Our kids going out there, they’re not the freshmen and sophomores we threw SEE ROBSTOWN, 29
AUGUST 2013 • ALICE, TEXAS SPORTS BLITZ
ROBSTOWN COTTON PICKERS
ROBSTOWN Continued from 28
out there against a bunch of 18- and 19-year-olds. There’s a one year difference – one year more of maturity, one year more
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of the weight room and of being in the program. “I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised. We’re really excited about
how we look right now.” Linebacker David Rivera will anchor the defense and defensive tackle Kasey Hosey should be a key con-
tributor as well after starting every district game as a freshman. Riley Ramos returns under center after a good
spring practice, Gonzalez said. Jason Mungia, an all-district receiver, will provide a reliable target for Ramos.
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SAN DIEGO VAQUEROS
Vaqueros look to keep tradition going Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
The San Diego Vaqueros have been at the top of their district for the past three years. Three consecutive district titles later, San Diego has lost a solid group of contributors, many of whom were part of all three of those championships. Maintaining the tradition will be a big motivator for the young Vaqueros, as they attempt to carry on the legacy the graduating seniors left behind. “We have guys that lead by example,” San Diego coach Bo Ochoa said. “They try to keep up with tradition. We won district the last three years, and they know what it takes to play for a district championship.” The recent string of success has made year-to-year SEE SAN DIEGO, 32
SAN DIEGO VAQUEROS
Head Coach: Bo Ochoa 2012 Record: 10-1 overall, (6-0 district) Returning Starters O/D: 2/4 Players to Watch: OL Pete Guerra, OL JD Lopez, RB Matt Valdez, RB Johnathan Gonzalez, QB John Herrera
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SAN DIEGO VAQUEROS
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SAN DIEGO VAQUEROS SAN DIEGO Continued from 30
expectations higher for the Vaqueros. “It raises [expectations]. We try to take one game at a time,” Ochoa said. “We’re a very fundamental team. If we happen to be playing for a district championship, then that’s just icing on the cake for us. We’ve been blessed to have made the playoffs the last five years. Not overlooking anybody, but we’re trying to play for the third round.” San Diego must deal with a number of key losses, including all-state running back and state rushing leader Luis Lopez. “We’ll have a balanced attack now. We’re going to try to throw the ball a little bit more,” Ochoa said. “When we did have Luis, everybody knew that Luis was getting the ball and he still managed to get the yards. Now, with the misdirection offense we run, they’re going to have to respect all four backs. We’re kind of small in the backfield, but we have four speedsters.” Matt Valdez and Johnathan Gonzalez will be a couple of key pieces at running back. Valdez saw some spot action last season and has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, Ochoa said. The backs will be running behind a mostly inexperienced offensive line after graduating all but two starters. Losses such as all-district
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linemen Zak Pizzini and Reno Perez will be the toughest to make up for. JD Lopez and Pete Guerra will anchor the offensive line this season. While San Diego returns just two starters on offense and four on defense, the Vaqueros are going to try to stick to the script that has made the team so successful. “We’re a very fundamental football team,” Ochoa said. “We’re going to be playing one game at a time, and our expectations are going to be as high as they were last year.”
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TULOSO-MIDWAY WARRIORS
Warriors ready to take the next step Stephen Garcia
stephen.garcia@aliceechonews.com
Head coach Brian Boone was brought in before last season to try and rebuild a Tuloso-Midway program that was coming off a winless year. Boone made some strides during his first season at the helm, but he is looking for even more as he enters his second year with the Warriors. “Last year, we went into the season telling the kids we need to expect to win,” Boone said. “I think that early success that we had, and the fact that we did win some games and we saw some improvement, helped us in the spring and helped us in the summer. Those kids are hungry now. They want to go to that next step, and that next step’s going to be the playoffs.” T-M enters the year after a good offseason of workouts. The group has been playing together a long time, and they know what is expected of them. “There’s not a lot of things that we have to do to get them going in the right direction,” Boone said. “They’re pretty self-directed. These guys had a great offseason and a great summer. A lot of kids stepped up as leaders to hold kids accountable and make them get to work.” The Warrior offense will be
in the hands of junior quarterback Caleb Rozypal, who started for T-M last year. “He did a good job of controlling the offense, not turning the ball over a whole lot,” Boone said of last season’s performance. “He didn’t make a bunch of mistakes, which was huge. He played a little above his head last year.” A familiarity with the offensive scheme and the experience of starting 10 games
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as a sophomore has Rozypal poised to do even more in 2013. “It kind of helps slow the game down a little,” Boone said of Rozypal’s experience. “The game doesn’t seem quite as fast, he’s not overwhelmed with a whole lot of things. He knows what to look for on the field.” T-M lost more than 30 seniors to graduation, but still returns five offensive and four defensive starters. The roster size will not be as big this year either. The Warriors were hit hardest in the trenches, losing both offensive and defensive linemen. T-M has just one returning starter on the o-line in senior Justin Nava. “Offensive line, we’ve got the kids, it’s just a matter of getting in and putting them in the right place,” Boone said. “To be honest, the offensive and defensive lines require a little bit more thought as far as their rules and assignments. It’s a little bit tougher when you have to put together almost a whole new offensive line.” The Warriors also lost some skill position players
TULOSO-MIDWAY WARRIORS
Head Coach: Brian Boone 2012 Record: 3-7 overall, (1-5 district) Returning Starters O/D: 5/4 Players to Watch: QB Caleb Rozypal, OL Justin Nava, FB Matthew Dickson, LB Orlando Pena, DB Mike Gonzales, DB/LB Gabriel Benavides
such as all-district running Marc Reyes, who is moving back Tyler Smith, but Boone from receiver, will play at is confident he has athletes running back this season. capable of filling those roles. Orlando Pena will be the
quarterback of the defense at linebacker. Mike Gonzales and Gabriel Benavides will lead the secondary.
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2013 SCHEDULE
ALICE COYOTES Aug. 30---Laredo Alexander---Home---7:30 Sep. 6---Gregory-Portland---Away---7:30 Sep. 13---Kingsville---Away---7:30 Sep. 20---OPEN--• Sep. 27---Flour Bluff---Home---7:30 • Oct. 4---Laredo Cigarroa---Away---7:30 • Oct. 11---Corpus Christi Ray---Home---7:30 • Oct. 18---Corpus Christi Moody---Away---7:30 • Oct. 25---Laredo Nixon---Home---7:30 • Nov. 1---Corpus Christi Miller---Home---7:30 • Nov. 8---Laredo Martin---Away---7:30
BANQUETE BULLDOGS Aug. 30---Mathis---Home---7:30 Sep. 6---John Paul II---Away---7:30 Sep. 13---Robstown---Home---7:30 Sep. 20---OPEN--• Sep. 27---Taft---Away---7:30 • Oct. 4---Hebbronville---Home---7:30 • Oct. 11---Skidmore-Tynan---Away---7:30 • Oct. 18---Santa Gertrudis Academy---Away---7:30 • Oct. 25---Refugio---Home---7:30 • Nov. 1---Riviera---Away---7:30 • Nov. 8---Freer---Home---7:30
BEN BOLT BADGERS Aug. 30---Agua Dulce---Home---7:30 Sep. 6---Hebbronville---Away---7:30 Sep. 13---Benavides---Home---7:30 Sep. 20---Pettus---Away---7:30 Sep. 27---Charlotte---Away---7:30 Oct. 4---Bruni---Home---7:30 Oct. 11---London---Home---7:30 • Oct. 18---La Villa---Home---7:30 Oct. 25---OPEN--• Nov. 1---Santa Maria---Home---7:30 • Nov. 8---Monte Alto---Away---7:30
AGUA DULCE LONGHORNS Aug. 30---Ben Bolt---Away---7:30 Sep. 6---Bloomington---Home---7:30 Sep. 13---Monte Alto---Home---7:30 Sep. 20---OPEN--Sep. 27---Woodsboro---Home---7:30 Oct. 4---Pettus---Away---7:30 • Oct. 11---La Pryor---Away---7:30 • Oct. 18---Benavides---Home---7:30 Oct. 25---Lasara---Away---5:00 • Nov. 1---Bruni---Home---7:30 • Nov. 8---Charlotte---Away---7:30
DATE---OPPONENT---SITE---TIME • denotes district game
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2013 SCHEDULE
BENAVIDES EAGLES Aug. 30---Freer---Home---7:30 Sep. 6---OPEN--Sep. 13---Ben Bolt---Away---7:30 Sep. 20---Bishop---Away---7:30 Sep. 27---Monte Alto---Away---7:30 Oct. 4---Woodsboro---Home---7:30
CALALLEN WILDCATS Oct. 11---OPEN--• Oct. 18---Agua Dulce---Away---7:30 • Oct. 25---Bruni---Home---7:30 • Nov. 1---Charlotte---Away---7:30 • Nov. 8---La Pryor---Home---7:30
DATE---OPPONENT---SITE---TIME / • denotes district game
FREER BUCKAROOS
• Oct. 4---Refugio---Away---7:30 • Oct. 11---Riviera--
Home---7:30 Oct. 4---OPEN--• Oct. 11---Tuloso-Midway--Away---7:30 Aug. 30---Mercedes---Home---7:30 • Oct. 18---Gregory-Portland--Home---7:30 Sep. 6---Weslaco East--Away---7:30 • Oct. 25---Victoria West--Sep. 13---Flour Bluff---Away---7:30 Away---7:30 Sep. 20---Corpus Christi Carroll-- • Nov. 1---Beeville---Home---7:30 -Home---7:30 • Nov. 8---Victoria East--Sep. 27---Port Lavaca Calhoun--- Away---7:30
ORANGE GROVE BULLDOGS
-Home---7:30 Aug. 30---Benavides---Away---7:30
• Oct. 18---Skidmore-Tynan---
Aug. 30---Odem---Away---7:30
• Oct. 11---Rockport-Fulton---
Sep. 6---Falfurrias---Away---7:30
Home---7:30
Sep. 6---Raymondville---Home---7:30
Home---7:30
Sep. 13---San Diego---Away---7:30
• Oct. 25---Taft---Away---7:30
Sep. 13---George West---Away---7:30
• Oct. 18---Sinton---Home---7:30
Sep. 20---OPEN---
• Nov. 1---Hebbronville---
Sep. 20---Aransas Pass---Home---7:30
• Oct. 25---West Oso---Away---7:30
Sep. 27---Santa Gertrudis Acade-
Home---7:30
Sep. 27---Lyford---Away---7:30
• Nov. 1---Robstown---Home---7:30
my---Home---7:30
• Nov. 8---Banquete---Away---7:30
Oct. 4---OPEN---
• Nov. 8---Ingleside---Away---7:30
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2013 SCHEDULE
JOHN PAUL II CENTURIONS
• Oct. 11---San Antonio Antonian--Home---7:30 • Oct. 18---Austin St. Michaels---Home---7:30 Aug. 30---Taft---Home---7:30 • Oct. 25---San Antonio Central Sep. 6---Banquete---Home---7:30 Catholic---Away---7:30 Sep. 13---Mathis---Away---7:30 • Nov. 2---Brownsville St. JosephSep. 20---Falfurrias---Home---7:30 --Away---3:00 Sep. 27---West Oso---Away---7:30 • Nov. 8---San Antonio St. AnthoOct. 4---OPEN--ny---Away---7:30
SAN DIEGO VAQUEROS Aug. 30---La Feria---Away---7:30 Sep. 6---Donna---Home---7:30 Sep. 13---Freer---Home---7:30 Sep. 20---Santa Maria---Home---7:30 Sep. 27---OPEN--• Oct. 4---Mathis---Away---7:30
ROBSTOWN COTTON PICKERS
Oct. 4---Kingsville---Home---7:30 • Oct. 11---West Oso---Home---7:30 Aug. 30---Corpus Christi Miller--- • Oct. 18---Rockport-Fulton--Away---7:30 Home---7:30 • Oct. 25---Ingleside--Sep. 6---Aransas Pass--Home---7:30 Away---7:30 Sep. 13---Banquete---Away---7:30 • Nov. 1---Orange Grove--Away---7:30 Sep. 20---Odem---Away---7:30 Sep. 27---OPEN • Nov. 8---Sinton---Home---7:30
TULOSO-MIDWAY WARRIORS • Oct. 11---Bishop---Home---7:30
Aug. 30---Sinton---Home---7:30
Oct. 4---Port Lavaca Calhoun---
• Oct. 18---Odem---Away---7:30
Sep. 6---Corpus Christi Miller---
Away---7:30
• Oct. 25---Santa Rosa---Home---7:30
Away---7:30
• Oct. 11---Calallen---Home---7:30
• Nov. 1---Aransas Pass---Away---7:30
Sep. 13---Mission---Home---7:30
Oct. 18---OPEN---
• Nov. 8---Falfurrias---Home---7:30
Sep. 20---West Oso---Away---7:30 • Oct. 25---Gregory-Portland--Away---7:30 • Sep. 27---Victoria East--Home---7:30
DATE---OPPONENT---SITE---TIME / • denotes district game
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• Nov. 1---Victoria West---Home---7:30 • Nov. 8---Beeville---Away---7:30
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