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MAGIS Celebrates 10
It’s been 10 years, and we are tremendously grateful for our wonderfully supportive community, which has ensured a full field of 62 teams on two courses every year, and to our generous sponsors, who continue to deliver a tremendous player experience. Book your calendar for Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, when we begin our second decade hosting the “most fun you’ll ever have playing golf.”
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
Head football coach Brandon Hickman and the team’s leadership committee meet each summer to discuss the upcoming season and to select the team’s motto. Previous maxims have included “Be Uncommon,” “Tunnel Vision,” and “Respect the Team.” The Jesuit Dallas football Class of 2020, however, had a far loftier goal in mind.
After a disappointing 2018 season concluded with a 58-44 loss to Plano East, the returning Rangers immediately began to focus on restoring the reputation of Jesuit Dallas football. The leadership committee decided that the motto that best encapsulated this urgency was “Leave a Legacy.”
What followed was one of the most successful seasons in the storied history of Jesuit football as the Rangers reached the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Regional Final for the first time following a series of dramatic playoff victories.
Injuries marred the team during an 0-2 start, but the Rangers quickly reeled off impressive wins against Wylie (31-10), Plano West (38-3), and McKinney Boyd (40-21), before giving notice to the Metroplex with a stunning upset win at heavily-favored Prosper. Jesuit erupted for 20 unanswered points to start the game before ultimately securing a 41-14 win over the state-ranked Eagles. The Rangers were even over the final four games of the season while competing in the toughest district in the state, and qualified for the UIL 6A state playoffs. were placed on a collision course against perennial power Longview, the reigning UIL Division II-6A state champion. The heavily-favored and nationally-ranked Lobos had won 27 consecutive games and were impressive in their opening-round win led by Texas A&M prospect Haynes King, who entered the tilt ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
Behind a pair of touchdowns by EJ Smith ’20, the Rangers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, leaving half of Kinkaide Stadium stunned while the Jesuit faithful roared. Longview rallied with two touchdowns in the second quarter, but Jhalen Spicer ’20 made the first of several seismic defensive plays by blocking the extra point to send Jesuit into the second half with a one-point lead.
Senior all-purpose back EJ Smith ’20 was named to the Under Armour All-America Game, becoming the first Ranger to earn All-America honors since 2013. Capping his Jesuit career as one of the top offensive threats in program history, Smith totaled 3,076 rushing yards, 60 rushing touchdowns, 1,621 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns in three years on the varsity. During Jesuit’s historic march in the 2019 state playoffs, he scored 11 of the team’s 15 offensive touchdowns.
Jesuit extended its slim advantage midway in the third on a 32-yard run by Smith, who later scored his fourth touchdown of the game 42 seconds into the final frame. Longview scored with 8:36 remaining and, for the third time, attempted to tie the game with a two-point attempt. The Lobos were stopped by Ethan Lane ’20, whose goalline tackle denied the game-tying score. Unfortunately for Longview, it would be its last chance.
The Rangers took the ball with 8:28 left on the clock and never gave it back, instead piecing together an incredible 16-play, 56-yard drive. Jesuit converted first downs on third-and-six, fourth-and-five and fourth-and-12 to keep the drive intact, with quarterback Rance Holman ’20 connecting with classmate Wyatt Garrett ’20 on both fourth down conversions.
The Jesuit Dallas senior drew national attention with his college decision to Stanford, which was broadcast live on ESPN2. He was joined by teammate Branson Hickman ’20, the all-state center who helped carve holes for Smith’s record-breaking output, and who signed his letter of intent to SMU.
In the UIL Regional Semifinal round, Jesuit faced off against Klein Collins at McLane Stadium, the home of the Baylor Bears. The Rangers once again jumped out to an early lead as Smith scored on Jesuit’s first drive, then followed up with a 95-yard reception and score, the team’s longest play of the season.
Klein Collins eventually rallied to take a 21-20 lead with 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Jesuit pushed down the field once again for another dramatic, game-winning drive. A nine-play, 75-yard drive was punctuated with an eight-yard plunge into the endzone by Smith, who put the Rangers ahead by eight with 58 seconds remaining. Klein Collins had one final attempt to tie the game with eight seconds on the clock, but sophomore defensive back Robert Fitzgerald ’22 intercepted the pass attempt in the end zone to clinch the Rangers’ first-ever appearance in Texas football’s Elite Eight.
Despite a 38-28 loss to Spring Westfield at the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium the following week in the UIL Regional Final, Jesuit’s run garnered state-wide attention. The team was invited to the FOX Sports Southwest studio where they were deemed the “Team of Destiny” by FSSW Anchor Ric Renner.
Eight bi-district championships and three district titles marked Jesuit’s first 15 years in the UIL. Fulfilling its pre-season pledge to “Leave a Legacy,” the improbable run fueled an unprecedented level of state and national coverage that cemented the team’s place in program lore.
Beginning with the Sons of Alums Breakfast on Tuesday and ending with Sunday’s Alumni Memorial Mass, Homecoming Week at Jesuit Dallas is unlike any other tradition on campus. Saturday (pictured here) marks the most event-packed day on the calendar, with Alumni & Family Day and the Homecoming Concert serving at the heart of the festivities. All told, over 2,000 friends and family help to make Jesuit Dallas Homecoming memorable each year.
PLAN TO GIVE BACK Making a lasting difference...
The Wester Family (left to right): Erin (3), Rachel, Ronin (8), Mark ’98, and Hazel (5).
Admittedly skeptical of private school education, and completely unsure if Jesuit would be the right place, Mark Wester’s ’98 reticence as an eighth-grade student in Plano quickly morphed into a familiar story of brotherhood and belonging, and set him on a path that would keep Jesuit close to his heart and tied to his professional aspirations.
“I had a standing agreement with my parents that if Jesuit wasn’t a good fit or I didn’t like it that I could leave at the end of the semester,” recalled Wester. “I knew within a week that I was going to stay. As my classmate, Jon Miller ’98, said at the time, “There is just something different about this place.”
Fast forward 21 years, and Wester still spends most of his time at 12345 Inwood Road. Inspired by his academic experience, and specifically how it cultivated his passion for history, for the last 15 years Wester has served as a teacher and director of the information commons. “All through college I knew I wanted to return to Jesuit to teach. It was a when, not an if. I’m so blessed to be able to teach here and I love seeing students ‘get it’ and make a learning connection.”
Wester first created a will as a requirement during his post-collegiate enlistment in the United States Marine Corps, but recently adjusted his estate plan so that he and his family could include Jesuit Dallas as a beneficiary. “In the last few years, having a mortgage and three kids on what amounts to a single income made giving back to Jesuit a more complex issue for our family. I had been thinking about ways to contribute when I learned more about estate planning, and how I could impact future generations by leaving a percentage of my estate to the School.”
Wester isn’t the first faculty member or alumnus to join the St. Ignatius Legacy Society, but his commitment to Jesuit’s future is an inspiring testament to how the experience changes lives. “There is no place like Jesuit Dallas. It is a special school with special intent. Not only did I make some of the greatest friends in my life while at Jesuit, but I have seen it grow and improve in a number of ways. My family is proud to help support the long-term stability of the School.”
To learn more about how you can secure Jesuit’s future, contact: John Sabine, Principal Gifts Officer 972-387-8700 x380 • jsabine@jesuitcp.org www.jesuitdallas.org/plannedgiving
FOUNDATION Hoblitzelle Foundation Grants $250K for Theater Renovation Jesuit Dallas recently received a $250,000 grant from the Hoblitzelle Foundation in support of its ambitious effort to fully renovate its performance space for theater and film. The project revitalizes one of the most active and important spaces on the Jesuit Dallas campus. The proposed redevelopment includes new house lighting, LED robotics stage lights, sound system, revamped lobby area, and a dedicated courtyard, which is intended to be used as a gathering space as well as a lecture area. The project addresses a critical need in a space that has been ill-equipped and in disrepair. The performing arts have always been considered crucial in the development of a well-rounded education at Jesuit Dallas, and the program has enjoyed considerable growth since its very modest beginnings in 1942. Today’s program, which includes nearly 200 Jesuit Dallas students, has also been designed to benefit young men and women from beyond Jesuit, as students from Ursuline Academy, The Hockaday School, Booker T. Washington High School, and others, regularly fill performing roles and partner with our students on filming projects. Family Foundation Gift to
Support Community Service Current parents Meredith and Ted Hovivian recently facilitated a generous gift from the Charles and Anne S. Genuardi Family Foundation to Jesuit Dallas with the purpose of advancing the efforts of the School’s service and justice program. The funds will provide more students with the opportunity for meaningful experiences and grant flexibility for new programs. The Foundation is based in King of Prussia, Pa., but is aware of Jesuit’s extraordinary commitment to justice both locally and abroad. “The Trustees of the Foundation, particularly Father Gasper Genuardi, want to join with you in improving the quality of life of the people whom you serve,” shared Vice President at PNC Financial Services Group, Katherine Byrne. The community service and social justice program at Jesuit Dallas is the first of its kind in the State of Texas, having its inaugural year in 1968. In 1973, it became one of the first programs in the nation to be incorporated into a school’s curriculum. Since then, it has expanded to become the largest independent high school community service department in the State, partnering with over 300 outreach organizations, schools, hospitals, special education centers, elderly living facilities, language centers and environmental programs. In this regard, Jesuit Dallas is also a recognized leader among high schools nationally.
APRIL 30, 2020
