A Bright Future for the Mighty Button Band

The Mighty Button Band has seen a reenergized transformation with the arrival of new directors, Mr. Danny Solis and Mr. Alex Sanchez. They have given a rekindled spirit to this organization and its members through the various venues of performance which the band has been actively involved in throughout 2017-2018.

The band achieved the honor of being named the 2017 TAPPS State Marching Champions and one of three Feature Bands at the 2018 Battle of Bands Fiesta Show. The band will also compete at the 2018 TAPPS Concert Sight-reading Contest in Temple for the first time in many years.

Thanks to the generosity of the Alumni Association, most recently members of the band were outfitted for their new band uniforms, to be debuted next fall during football season. Members of the band also traveled to Ireland during spring break where they experienced an incredible time learning about the history of Ireland and visiting many of the historic land sights such as the Infamous Wall that divided Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland, the Cliffs of Mohr where many scenes have been filmed, castles which are still a part of the culture foundation in Ireland. The band also had the privilege of performing at the site of the construction of the RMS Titanic and the Limerick St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The band is preparing for its final performances of the year, visiting with incoming freshmen, as well as making plans for the 2018 Marching Production of “ Gypsy Caravan.”

Both Band Directors extend much appreciation to the parents, administration, faculty and community for their continued support of the Button Band.

Class of 1953

The class celebrated their 65th reunion April 13-15. Beginning with a social on Friday, alumni had the chance to catch up & listen to the sounds of the Button Jazz Band. Then on Saturday they had dinner at River City Grill where a delicious dinner was had. President Paul Garro gave a state of the school. The '53ers ended their weekend on Sunday with Mass, breakfast, and tours at Central Catholic.

Class of 1966, 67, 68

These classes gathered together for a Spring Barbecue at Central Catholic on April 7. They enjoyed great food and fellowship with their classmates.

Upcoming Reunions

Class of 1958

Contact Jack Murphy if you are interested in helping plan the event or James Zotz Jr.

Class of 1967

Mini Round Up Friday, May 18 from 410 p.m. Hilander Bar & Grill. Contact Lee Rodriguez rodriguezla1@gmail.com

Class of 1968

Planning their 50th reunion. Dates/events TBA.

Class of 1969

Beginning to plan their reunion. Contact Henry Alonzo if you are interested in assisting.

Class of 1970

Will celebrate their annual mass Sunday, April 29, at the CCHS Chapel at 9:30 a.m. They come together to celebrate the lives of brothers they have lost. Mass is followed by breakfast off campus. Contact Gilbert Flores for more info.

Class of 1973

In the planning stages of putting together a reunion. Please contact Jim Lowry if you'd like to be part of this.

Class of 2013

Planning 5 year reunion. More details to come. Class coordinator is Ed Karam.

Class Notes

We've all had a chance to travel life's path in different ways: incredible stories to tell, fun adventures to reveal, milestones to share, and lessons to learn. With over 9,000 living alumni around the world, we can't tell our whole story without sharing everyone else's. Did a baby join your family? Received an award? Move to a new city? The new Class Notes section on our alumni webpage is the perfect avenue to let all your classmates know what is new with you, so show your Button pride by sharing your life update.

Share Your Life Update with Us!

Submit A Class Note

Jason Longoria ’96 named Director of Advancement

Jason Longoria, a graduate of Central Catholic High School (Class of 1996), has been named the school’s Director ofAdvancement.

Central Catholic proudly welcomes Jason Longoria back from his 14-year CCHS hiatus where he worked as the Senior Marketing Communications Manager for AT&T. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History/Political Science from St. Mary’s University. There, he was a member of Student Government and Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Jason’s passions outside of work are: Serving many roles including the President of St. Mary’s University Alumni Association, being a member of the St. Mary’s University Board of Trustees, President for the Central Catholic Alumni Association, and Central Catholic Board of DirectorsExecutive Committee as the Chair of Marianist Engagement. He and his wife, Annelisa, have been married for almost 8 years and they have a daughter named Adeline (13 months old). He and Annelisa enjoy playing golf, running, and traveling to see concerts & music festivals, in addition to chasing after their daughter. Welcome to the team!

The Central Catholic Gala

On the evening of February 17, a packed house of 675 alumni, parents and friends gathered at the Mays Family Center at the Witte Museum for the 5th annual Central Catholic Gala. Over the past five years, the Gala has evolved into a hallmark celebration for everyone affiliated with Central Catholic High School.

Each member of the extended Central Catholic community came together to pay tribute to special individuals and experiences, to celebrate the school’s tradition, and to raise support for the school’s future. It is truly a blessing to witness the ongoing generosity of all who continue to support our school.

As dinner began, the Gala Chairs welcomed guests and ushered in the night’s theme by recognizing Coach Carlos Enrico for his years of dedication to Central Catholic. Mr. Eddie Ybarra then introduced the Our Time video that illuminated the mission of the capital campaign: to accommodate continued growth in enrollment, and to serve the growing spiritual, academic, and co-curricular needs of Central Catholic students.

We would like to give special thanks to the Gala Chairs, Steve ‘86 and Jill Markey and Charlie ‘84 and Sonia Gomez, as well as the entire Gala committee. Funds raised from this event come from a number of sources sponsorships, auction donations, generous auction bids, ticket sales, and other special donations.

On behalf of the entire Central Catholic Gala committee, thank you for your support! Your contribution is very much appreciated. We look forward to seeing you at the Gala next Spring!

To view photos from the 2018 Central Catholic Gala please click HERE

Alumni Softball

Champions were crowned at the 8th Annual Central Catholic Alumni Softball Tournament on Saturday, March 24 at the Rusty Lyons Softball Complex. Hosted by the Central Catholic Alumni Association, teams were divided into two divisions. The Master’s Division consisted of seven teams from the classes of ’79 - ’92 and the Junior’s Division consisted of seven teams from the classes of ‘94/96 - ’17. Thank you to the 14-teams made up of more than 175 alumni who participated in the tournament.

In the Master’s Division, the Classes of 1984/85 (G-E-C-U Brew Crew), were the winners over the runner-up, and defending champion, the Class of 1989 (Central Mafia). In the Junior Division, the classes of 2007 & 2008 defeated the classes of 2003 & 2004.

The brotherhood camaraderie immersed the Rusty Lyons Softball Complex throughout the day and well into the evening! Thank you to everyone who participated and showed support for this great event. Special thanks to the Alumni Association for hosting the annual tournament, led by committee chair Will Galindo ‘82. We look forward to seeing everyone out at the fields next Spring. Check out the photos from the tournament.

To view photos from the 2018 Alumni Softball Tournament please click HERE.

MG Building Materials Central Catholic Golf Tournament

Thanks to our MG Building Materials-CCHS Golf Classic sponsors and players, we had another very successful tournament at The Quarry Golf Club this past April! Final figures aren’t in yet, but projections show the tournament co-chairmen will easily meet their goal to benefit all Central students and faculty with a new 20-station computer lab (capable of cyber security studies); and stateof-the art Texas Instrument Nspire advanced graphing calculators for every Math student.

The winning teams of the weekend were both sponsor teams one of Wayne Yakes’ teams (led by Coach Joe Cortez, former CCHS basketball coach) and the Silver Eagle team.

The success of this tournament is bittersweet with the passing of its name sponsor Larry Grothues CCHS Class of ’65 and owner of MG Building Materials--just five days after the 2018 tournament. It has raised more than $333,000 in the past four years alone to keep CCHS at the top of its game, including campus-wide WiFi; iPads; Google Chromebooks; Smart Boards; Apple computers; and green screen and cameras for the “Brother Harry Cornell S.M. Global Communications Lab, underwritten by Larry Grothues.”

Special thanks to the tournament golf chairmen (Jack Lopez ’71; Jack Dysart, ’68; Bruce Tschoepe '66; René Valero '71; and Dan Elder) and important sponsors Clarence Kahlig ‘65, Wayne F. Yakes M.D., ’71, and Olive Garden Stone Oak) and all the many sponsors and donors that made it possible.

To view photos from the MG Building Materials– CCHS Golf Classic please click HERE.