9 minute read
CITY OF CHAMPIONS - ST. PAUL AND SHINER HIGH
from Shiner, Texas
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS St. Paul High School
INTERVIEW WITH COACH JAKE WACHSMUTH REVEALS VALUES AND TRADITIONS INTEGRAL TO THE PROGRAM
by Michelle Banse Stokes, photos by Emily Henderson
St. Paul High School’s football program has garnered quite a reputation in Texas. Talented and determined, the team’s performance on the field has earned them the title of State Champion for four straight years. It’s an impressive position to be in.
At the helm is Coach Jake Wachsmuth, a man who wears many hats. Not only is he the athletic director, he’s also the head coach for football, girls basketball, boys and girls track and, if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he’s also a teacher. Coach Wachsmuth isn’t one to take the credit for the team’s success, but the numbers speak for themselves. He arrived in 2008 and the football team has brought home the state title eight times during his tenure. But Coach Wachsmuth is doing far more for the kids than producing a consistently winning team. He’s shaping legends on and off the field.
“We have good kids here,” said Wachsmuth. “You can only do so much as a coach. Everyone has to decide if they want to put in the effort. It takes a lot of work and time to be successful. Our kids are motivated across the board and they have the work ethic it takes.”
According to Wachsmuth, that motivation starts at home. Shiner is a very close-knit community with small town values and traditional morals. It shows in every aspect of what they accomplish.
Top photo of the 2021 Cardinals captured by Halle Pilat, yearbook staff at St. Paul High School.
BY THE NUMBERS
St. Paul High School’s State Championship Titles
2021 2020 2019 2018 2016 2015 2012 2010 1997 1992 1987
“Parents expect their kids to work hard and they have a lot of expectation on them,” added Wachsmuth. “You have to walk that line. We want kids to be kids but we also want them to grow up to be productive members of our community. I’ve had coaches come and want to figure out what we do with our kids. I’m quick to tell them that you cannot duplicate our program everywhere and be successful. Here it’s the culture of our community. Our kids are willing to listen to what we say because they are raised by parents who also work hard. It starts at a young age with our kids.”
Those traditional values also show in how Wachsmuth leads, producing winners by maximizing the potential of the players, as well as the other coaches.
“We are a running offense,” shared Wachsmuth. “We are not into the current trends. We’re an old-fashioned team and we run the ball a lot. We probably throw more than I’m giving us credit for, but we will probably never be accused of being a passing team. That goes back to our community again. If we can run the ball and stop the run, that’s because of our physicality. It has helped us over the years to keep that style.”
With a town as small as Shiner, the athletes have to wear a lot of hats, too, just like their coach.
“We practice kick off on Mondays, specialties on Tuesdays, and special teams on Wednesdays and Thursdays,” added Wachsmuth. “I think we put the right amount of time into it. We’re a small school; our running back is also our punter and kicker. Very rarely do we have the luxury of doing only one thing. Our goals are not huge: flip the field, make extra points. As long as we are focused and our kids are on board, then we feel like we have an opportunity to win.”
And it’s easy to get caught up in winning … especially when St. Paul’s Cardinals make it look so easy.
“It actually gets tougher,” said Wachsmuth. “I used to think it would get easier, become a tradition. We have the challenge of keeping the kids hungry. I think it is a natural thing as humans that once you’ve done something, complacency sets in. We have to remember every season that it isn’t about what we’ve done, it’s about having the best season we can this year. That’s the challenge. There’s no benefit to you for what you accomplished the year before. I don’t have the magic answer but I do know that if you want to get back to the playoffs, it’s going to take hard work. Hard work is our plan. You have to appreciate the journey.”
St. Paul High School is located at 424 South Ludmila Street and online at www.shinercatholicschool.org.
Top left, Coach Jake Wachsmuth proudly displays the 2021 State Championship award; center, Shiner’s watertower was painted to recognize both St. Paul and Shiner High School’s football teams after winning back-to-back state championships.
FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS Shiner High School
COACH DANIEL BOEDEKER TALKS ABOUT BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS AND PLANS FOR NEXT SEASON
by Michelle Banse Stokes, photos by Emily Henderson
Shiner High School’s football team can’t say that their coach doesn’t know what it takes to be a state champion. Coach Daniel Boedeker won his first state championship as a member of the Shiner Comanche baseball team back in 1992. And that was just the start. While Boedeker was head baseball coach, Shiner took home the state title in baseball in 2002. They brought home another state championship, this time in football, in 2004 with Boedeker as head coach. Today he holds the titles of athletic director/head football coach and the Comanches are on a roll. They just won two back-to-back state championships in football in 2020 and 2021.
During his tenure, Boedeker has developed a uniquely thoughtful style of play and a successful system of team management that has become one of the most respected in the Lone Star State. He attributes their success to something larger than the program itself.
“Our coaching staff does a really good job of stressing to our athletes how important it is to always do your best and represent our school and town the correct way,” said Boedeker. “The expectations in Shiner are high no matter what our kids are competing in and they understand that. The support our athletes get from our community,
COACH DANIEL BOEDEKER
Top photo, the 2021 Shiner Comanches after winning the state chmpionship. Photo courtesy Mark Lube/ Shiner Gazette.
BY THE NUMBERS
Shiner High School’s State Championship Football Titles
2021 2020 2004 1986
the parents, and the school also play a big part in motivating our athletes to do well.”
Every season, Boedeker focuses on a lot more than winning the championship. Instilling skills into his athletes that will serve them throughout their lives is an integral part of the program.
“With sports there are many life lessons that can be learned,” added Boedeker. “Our coaches do a great job of teaching the kids beyond their sport. We feel it is very important to create a family-like environment for our athletes to be in. We emphasize how to be respectful, deal with adversity, how to be great competitors, and develop the mental toughness it takes to get you through tough times. We feel this is important because these are skills we want them to have when they leave our program. Our goal is to not only help them succeed now, but in their life beyond high school.”
On the field, Shiner is a formidable opponent and known throughout the state for their edge. Primarily a running football team, Boedeker shares his philosophy to be fast and physical and he teaches that through their run game. Special teams are also an aspect of the program, giving the team as a whole an advantage. “We do emphasize special teams because we feel like it can be a big factor in the game,” shared Boedeker. “Sometimes it comes down to one or two plays on special teams that make the difference. Our kids work individually before practice officially begins, and then we start each practice off with a special team group each day.”
Looking ahead to next season, Shiner’s coaches plan to stay the course. The old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” seems to apply.
“Our plans for next season remain the same as before,” said Boedeker. “We are developing kids for next year in our offseason this spring, will continue that over the summer with our strength and conditioning program and then when practice starts, put kids in positions where they can be successful and hopefully improve each week. I’m not certain that we really do anything different than most other people. There are certain things that we demand out of our athletes and one is to work as hard as you can and always remember that someone is out there trying to outwork you. We as coaches are responsible for providing a great working environment for our kids to become better athletes and great teammates.”
Shiner High School is located at 510 County Road 348 and online at www.shinerisd.net.
Top photo, CoachBoedeker stands proudly with Shiner’s 2020 and 2021 state championship awards.
ALL THE BEST Dine in Shiner
YOU'LL WANT TO TRY ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS, DINERS, AND HOT SPOTS ... THEN GO BACK FOR SECONDS
BAKER BOYS BBQ 1404 North Sarah DeWitt, Gonzales 281-744-2156
B’MARIE’S BOUTIQUE & COFFEE BAR 709 North Avenue E 361-649-2609
E.J. COUNTRY SAUSAGE 1531 County Road 353 361-594-3201
G G STEAKS & SPIRITS 216 Middle Bluster Road, Gonzales 830-519-0002
KLOESEL’S STEAKHOUSE & BAR 101 East Moore, Moulton 361-596-7323 MAGGIE’S DINER 2416 Highway 90A West 361-401-9747
MAJEK VINEYARD & WINERY 12508 FM 957, Moravia 210-827-6867
PALACE SALOON 103 East 16th Street 361-594-5022
SHINER’S ON SIXTH 5017 Highway 90A East 361-550-7384
SHINERVILLE COFFEE HOUSE 806 North Avenue D 361-772-0365 SHINER DINER 803 North Avenue E 361-594-8248
SUBWAY 117 7th Street 361-594-5040
SUNKEN GARDEN 305 5th Street 361-594-3603
WERNER’S 5 NINETY 4 GRILL 317 Avenue E 361-594-2928
Top photos, left to right: Werner's 5 Ninety 4 Grill, Sunken Garden, Subway
