Seguin Magazine - September 2025 by Seguin Gazette

FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2025

10 SEGUIN MATADORS

The Matadors look to overcome adversity and rise up, led by team captain Corey Dailey.

18 MARION BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs look to answer the “Call” and make a playoff run under new leadership.

24 NAVARRO PANTHERS

Panthers look to show off revamped offense and new look under new coach and staff.

30 TLU BULLDOGS

Texas Lutheran ready to leave their mark on the conference and prepare for an SCAC championship run.

36 VERNE LUNDQUIST

Lundquist reminisces on his time as a Bulldog and the love of the Seguin community.

AROUND TOWN

SEPTEMBER 24 - 28, 2025

THE LARGEST COUNTY FAIR IN CENTRAL TEXAS, featuring an exciting lineup of events! Rodeos, livestock shows, parades, live music, carnival rides, food vendors, arts and crafts exhibits, thrilling competitions, kids’ activities and evening concerts under the stars! For more info and advance tickets: comalcountyfair.org

CORRAL ENTERTAINMENT LINE UP

PRCA Rodeo action kicks off nightly Thursday, September 25, thru Saturday, September 27 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20TH

BBQ COOK OFF WEEKEND

10 am – 1:30 pm – Crossroads Mobile DJ System

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24TH

5:45 pm – Kindertanzen 6-10 pm – Crossroads DJ

7 pm – Grand March & Opening Ceremonies

THURSDAY, SEPT. 25TH

5:30-7:30 pm – Chamber Mixer

7:30-11 pm – Monte Good and Jukebox Deluxe Bank opening for Texas Double Shot Band

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26TH

11 am-3 pm – Crossroads DJ 6-11 pm – Clayton Chapin, Gunnar Latham and Josh Ward

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27TH

10 am-3 pm – Crossroads DJ

6:30 pm-12:30 am – Gary Glenn & The 20 X Band opening and closing for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

SUNDAY, SEPT. 28TH

3-9:30 pm – Amigos TexMex Band opening for Countyline Band

ALL CABINETS INCLUDE

• Solid wood construction

• Soft close doors and drawers

• Under mount drawer glides

• Free onsite measurements, designs and quotes

• In House -Installation services

• Fast delivery and installation time

Monday -Closed Tuesday –Friday 9 –4 Saturday –9 -4 Sunday -Closed

SeguinCabinetry.com

GARY GLENN & THE 20X BAND

Vol. 12, No. 4

SEGUIN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED TWELVE TIMES A YEAR BY THE SEGUIN GAZETTE.

PUBLISHER

Elizabeth Engelhardt

MAGAZINE EDITOR / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Desiree Gerland

CONTRIBUTORS

Nolan Alexander

Scot Kibbe

Bryce Hayes

Hunter Hewell

Photographers

Joshua Eaton

Melanie Krause

Allison Magin

Randal Springs

ADVERTISING

Gay Lynn Olsovsky

Delilah Reyes

Laela Reyes

TO ADVERTISE IN SEGUIN MAGAZINE CALL 830-463-0766

HAVE STORY IDEAS? LET US KNOW! seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com

FROM THE SPORTS DESK

In Texas, we know everything is bigger and that includes football. Fans show their support every practice and scrimmage and the games under the Friday night lights demonstrate the passion Texans have for the sport.

We know that fans in Guadalupe County are ready to ring their cow bells and chant along with the cheerleaders to pump up their teams.

My colleagues and I here at Guadalupe County Living Seguin bring you Game Day 2025, our comprehensive look and previews for all of our teams in Guadalupe County.

In this magazine you will find what makes these teams tick, how previous seasons played out and what the future might hold.

I will be providing coverage for the Matadors, Scot Kibbe will continue his 34-year legacy of reporting on the Navarro Panthers and their last year at Erwin Lee Field as Alex Lowe gives you the inside scoop on everything happening on the Marion gridiron.

Collectively, we hope to give you, the fans, exciting stories filled with the kids’ accomplishments, the exciting wins and, yes, the tough losses.

The Guadalupe County Living Seguin staff is ready to see some action on the gridiron and we hope you guys are, too, because September is here and that means football season.

TO VIEW THE DIGITAL VERSION VISIT ISSUU.COM/SEGUINGAZETTE

Nolan Alexander

Sports Writer

nolan.alexander@seguingazette.com

MATADORS Seguin High School

Story by NOLAN ALEXANDER photos by Seguin Gazette Staff

2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

September 12 – 7 p.m.

@Brazoswood HS

September 19 – 7 p.m.

@Victoria East HS

September 26 – 7 p.m. vs Boerne Champion HS

October 10 – 7 p.m. @Pieper HS October 17 – 7 p.m. vs. Smithson Valley HS

October 24 – 7 p.m.

@Wagner HS

MATADORS SEGUIN MATADORS

October 31 – 7 p.m.

@ New Braunfels HS November 7 – 7 p.m. vs MacArthur HS

Downfield dimes on the Dailey

In high school football, and especially in bigger conference schools, the passing game becomes an integral part of the offense.

Having a quarterback who can sit back in the pocket or use his legs to extend plays can be the difference between a loss and marching down the field in a hurry during a two-minute drill in the fourth.

Seguin has such an athlete.

Senior slinger Corey Dailey stands 6 feet, 7 inches tall and can use his talented arm to make any throw regardless of where he or his receivers are on the field.

His talents on the high school gridiron caught the eye of college scouts, and Dailey committed his talents to continue his football career as a Pitt Panther in the ACC Conference.

The end goal is to get to the professional level someday, and Pitt has a history of sending guys into the league, Dailey said.

The coaching staff is great, the facilities are nice, and it’s a great opportunity to continue playing football at a high level, he said.

“I really liked their coaching staff and what they do on offense,” he said. “Coach (Pat) Narduzzi is a really good coach. I know he’s a defensive guy, but they put a lot of dudes in the NFL, and that’s my next goal. I thought it was the best place for me as a fit in the offense and through their system to get to the next level, where I want to play.”

Before the student-athlete leaves to go to Pittsburgh, he has one final season representing the black and gold at Matador Stadium.

Dailey said he wants to remember all the fun times playing the game, especially under his father, Seguin football head coach Craig Dailey.

This year also gives the quarterback a chance to play with his close friends and teammates, who have stood sideby-side since middle school football, he said.

“I’m looking forward to playing my last year with my dad,” the younger Dailey said. “(Ian Moreno’s) been with me since eighth grade. Elliot (Weaver) and all of them who’ve been with me this whole time when I got here, trying to make the playoffs and do something that we haven’t done in a while. I know that’s the saying every year, but that’s our goal.”

Corey’s junior year ended with the district’s offensive MVP award, the third consecutive year a Seguin player took home the honor — Devin Matthews in 2022 and John Jackson in 2023.

Corey completed 219 of his 344 throws (63.7%)

for 2,529 yards, garnered 35 touchdowns and threw seven interceptions.

The 2024 season marked the first time, as a starter, the quarterback used his legs with which he mustered 219 yards and six touchdowns on 51 carries.

In all three years as a starter, Corey accumulated 6,217 yards for 194.2 yards per game, tossed up 78 passing touchdowns and gave up 18 interceptions.

Corey said he knows the offense relies on him to make plays under center, but it would not be possible without the collective effort of the unit, from the offensive line to the skill position players.

The goal is to light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis and take advantage of every offensive possession, he said.

“Our memo is play fast, score fast. We are going to try to put the ball in the end zone and break the scoreboard,” he said. “We want to do our job. At the end of the day, we want to put up 70 points a game. That’s our goal.”

Even though Corey committed to play Division I ball at the next level, there are always parts of an athlete’s game that need refining, Craig said.

Some of it may be physical attributes but often it’s working on the mental and leadership aspects of the game, the head coach said.

“(I’m looking forward) to him taking his game to another level, especially on the leadership side,” he said. “We are turning the keys over to him, really, so the ball will be in his court all the time. …Just positive plays is what we are looking for. Be disciplined, and if the vertical shot is not there, check the ball down. I think people are going to try to limit our explosive plays, keep everything in front and make us get the ball all the way down the field.”

Recent history & 2025 expectations

In the previous three seasons under Craig, the Matadors went to the Conference 5A-I postseason twice, but lost in the first round both times.

In 2022, Seguin went 6-5 overall and finished the season with a 4-3 record in District 12-5A. The team started 4-0 against district foes Lehman, MacArthur, Boerne-Champion and the Hays Hawks, who the Mats walked off with a last-second, 70-yard rushing touchdown from Matthews.

The Mats ended their district campaign with three consecutive losses to Canyon, Wagner and Smithson Valley but still locked up the fourth-place spot and a postseason berth.

Seguin’s bi-district playoff game saw poor weather conditions — rain, sleet and cold temperatures — and the Mats lost to A&M Consolidated, 35-20.

The 2023 season saw Seguin take a slight step back, with a 3-7 overall record. The victories came against Lehman, MacArthur and Hays — District 12-5A opponents. The group finished fifth in the standings and two games behind fourthplace Boerne-Champion. Even though the team missed the playoffs, the season was highlighted by Jackson’s record-setting senior season.

Last season, the mighty Mats made it back to the postseason after beating Victoria East, narrowly escaping Boerne-Champion with a 73-66 win, upsetting Wagner at home, 28-27, and putting a 56-32 smack down on MacArthur.

In the group’s bi-district game against Southwest, a late touchdown from the Dragons put Seguin behind, 33-26, with a little less than two minutes on the clock.

Corey and Seguin’s offense marched quickly past midfield, but quickly stared at fourth down. On the final play of the game, Corey found a wide-open Nik Henry across the middle, but the two could not hook up, and the fourth-down conversion failed, which ended the game.

This season brings another opportunity to break the 36-year drought of Seguin teams making it past the first round of the playoffs.

It’s going to take all 22 guys on the field to reach the area round, and the team and fans of the Mats should expect nothing less, Craig said.

“They’ve had a great offseason. Very proud of them,” he said. “We are talking about a championship here and putting gold balls and banners up, and I think anything short of that will be a disappointment for this team. … Their minds have been set on that all offseason and all summer, and the guys had a lot of energy out here today. It was a very good first day in my opinion.”

Along with Corey, the emergence of Moreno out of the backfield in 2024 gave a new dimension to the offensive

scheme, the head coach said.

Moreno is a guy who can run in between the tackles, outside the tackles and make plays in the passing game, Corey said.

“He’s a very versatile guy, and you will see us use him in different ways,” he said about his senior running back. “He is going to line up in the slot, catch the ball out of the backfield, and that’s what a lot of people do at the next level. … When you are able to get the back out and put five out in a route, it really puts stress on a defense to account for all five guys.”

District

13-5A

The district remains the same. Realignment comes next season but the gauntlet still remains.

Smithson Valley — the reigning 2025 Conference 5A state champs — MacArthur, New Braunfels, Pieper, Boerne-Champion, Victoria East, Wagner and Seguin are all fighting for four playoff spots. It's going to be a battle week in and week out, Craig said.

There are no layups in this district, and the Mats have to put the best product on the field every Friday night for seven weeks, he said.

“We are expecting nothing different to what has been. It’s going to be a war every week, but we like the challenge,” he said. “(The coaches) were talking in the office, and we are interested to see what other eight-team districts in the state have five quarterbacks with Division I offers. You got five quarterbacks that run Division I-caliber offenses. It’s going to be fun, and I’m a quarterback guy, so every week it could be Boerne-Champion, where two good quarterbacks are going at it and it comes down to whoever has the ball last.”

The district schedule kicks off Sept. 19 with Seguin traveling to Victoria East. The Matadors return home on Sept. 26 to face the Chargers and then take a bye week.

Out of the break, the Mats face Pieper on the road and then come back home to face the state champions in Smithson Valley.

After the Rangers, Seguin has back-to-back road contests against Wagner and New Braunfels before capping off the season at Matador Stadium against MacArthur.

As the destination school district of Guadalupe County, Seguin ISD offers quality educational programs and experiences for more than 7,000 students while Seguin High School proudly serves as the flagship high school of the Seguin area.

KAYDEN PARK Post Road, New Braunfels

navigate Medicare in Texas

If you’re new to Medicare or have some questions, I’m here to help you make sense of it all. Reach out to me for personalized support throughout the process, from learning about your Medicare Advantage plan options to enrolling in the right plan for you. I even offer house calls, bringing info and answers into the comfort of your home.

Turning 65 or new to Medicare?

I’m here to help you navigate Medicare in Texas

Cynthia Morales

726-500-9579 (TTY: 711)

Cynthia Morales

Monday – Friday

726-500-9579 (TTY: 711)

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

CMorales18@humana.com

Monday – Friday

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

facebook.com/cmoralesagent

CMorales18@humana.com

Call a licensed Humana sales agent

facebook.com/cmoralesagent

En español? Llame al 726-500-9579 (TTY: 711)

En español? Llame al

Y0040_GHHHXDHEN_25_SMAD_C

Cynthia Morales

726-500-9579 (TTY: 711)

Monday – Friday

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

CMorales18@humana.com

facebook.com/cmoralesagent

En español? Llame al

726-500-9579 (TTY: 711)

-Mary Reiley, Owner

BULLDOGS Marion High School

Story by Nolan Alexander photos by Melanie Krause

BULLDOGS

2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

September 12 7:30 p.m. @ Gonzales HS

September 19 7:30 p.m. @ Lago Vista HS

September 26 7 p.m. vs Poteet HS

October 3 vs 7 p.m. vs Luling HS

October 10 7 p.m. @ Randolph HS October 24 7 p.m. vs Ingram HS

October 31 7 p.m. vs Llano HS November 7 7 p.m. @Florence HS

Kade Pape & key returners

One of the key offensive returners from last year’s Marion High School varsity football team is incoming senior quarterback Kade Pape.

Pape spent time as a backup in 2023 behind Bo Stahl, and when coaches called his number to go under center in 2024, he did not disappoint.

Pape completed 116 of his 229 attempts (50.7%) for 1,856 yards, averaged 154.7 passing yards per game and tossed 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The senior also has dual-threat capabilities, and that showed with his 378 rushing yards and six scores on the ground in 73 attempts.

The 2024 campaign was filled with many highs and lows, but one thing this year’s senior group has instilled in younger guys on the team is how to execute and finish games, Pape said.

To achieve the season the team wants, players need to give 100% effort every play until the final whistle blows, he said.

“Junior year was full of ups and downs. We had some very big wins and some very tough losses,” the quarterback said. “The biggest thing we looked for in the offseason this year was how to finish, how to finish games and have consistency throughout the year to continue winning big games and carry that momentum each week.”

The quarterback’s duty is to command the offense and quickly change plays if things don’t look quite right, Pape said.

This year’s offense is fun to be a part of, and the name of the game is getting the ball into the hands of the playmakers to make plays downfield, he said.

“This offense is very fun to be in,” the senior said. “There is not just one play within a play, you know, we are able to have multiple plays and hot routes built in. It’s my duty to make the right reads every play. I have the ball in my hands every play, and I need to make the right reads. We have a bunch of great athletes this season, and it’s my job to get the ball in their hands and let the receivers make plays.”

Playmakers on the offensive side include senior running back Tanner Otis and receivers senior Jaiden Riley, junior Jack Wells and sophomore Eli Parker.

Like Pape in 2023, Otis was the backup running back in 2024 to Christian Sanchez, whose stellar year brought him a scholarship to play at Nelson University.

Whenever Otis touched the ball, he used blazing-fast track speed and vision to make defenders look silly trying to tackle him.

Otis tallied 59 rushes for 431 yards and six touch-

downs. He collected more than 100 yards in a game once and averaged a little fewer than 45 yards per game. The increase in volume this season should set the senior back on a path to success.

Wells led all receivers in yards with 397 and finished second in the receiving group in touchdowns with three.

Riley snagged a team-high four touchdowns and added 255 yards on 16 receptions, while Parker’s freshman season ended with 20 catches for 352 yards and two scores.

These Bulldogs were Pape’s top pass catchers in 2024 and the familiarity should only elevate each athlete’s gameplay.

Football is played on both sides of the ball, and the defense is filled with a ton of dogs who are hungry to start the season, Marion football head coach Joel Call said.

The defensive group is a mix between a plethora of returners and underclassmen, but the unit has the potential to do something special, he said.

“We have the Birdwells, and we got some cats who just don’t stop,” Call said. “We challenge our guys on defense to run to the ball, run to the ball, run to the ball. If they can get to the ball, then good things are going to happen.”

New leader at the helm

Marion football is under the leadership of Call, the newly appointed head football coach and athletic director. With his arrival comes new expectations and goals for the 2025 season.

The important thing the group needs to remember is that adversity is going to hit at some point in the season, and it’s all about how you get back up and respond, Call said.

The Bulldogs put together a great offseason, and hopefully that will translate into the pre-district and district schedules, he said.

“I just want our guys to compete. I told them they have worked really hard this offseason and really hard in the spring, but that does not guarantee there is not going to be any valleys, not going to be any challenges,” he said. “I just want to see how they respond in adverse situations. (Adversity) is going to come. That’s the inevitable. …The challenge is when we hit that adversity, I want us to keep our composure and control the things we can control.”

With a new head coach comes a host of new coaching staff that can potentially help elevate the program to new heights.

The players have adapted and learned all they can from the staff this offseason, to showcase the best version of themselves on the gridiron, Call said.

These kids are like sponges, and the coaches are giving them all the knowledge and the tools to have a successful season, he said.

“The guys we have brought in — our new coaches on staff — the kids have gravitated towards them,” he said. “The kids have come with open arms to coaches and new ideas. We are trying to raise expectations, and they have responded phenomenally to that.”

History of the program & look ahead

In the previous three seasons, the Bulldogs made the playoffs twice and made it to the second round of the Conference 3A postseason once.

In 2022, Marion held a 6-4 overall record and finished district in 5th with 3-3 record. The season came down to a battle with Luling, and a 28-26 loss in the final district game gave the Eagles the district’s final playoff spot.

The 2023 campaign saw the Bulldogs string together

five wins and six losses, but a 3-3 record against district foes ushered the group to fourth place and into the playoffs. The Bulldogs faced a stout Jourdanton team and lost in the bi-district round, 35-14.

Last season, the team snagged another fourth-place finish after a 3-2 district record, but they got some revenge in the first round of the playoffs. Marion put a beatdown on Jourdanton 46-14 and advanced to area, but that season came to a close when Goliad secured the second-round win over the Bulldogs, 56-28.

Marion’s pre-district schedule is filled with good football teams as well as upcoming football programs including Stockdale, Long Creek, Gonzales, Lago Vista and Poteet.

The Bulldogs’ district schedule begins Oct. 3 at home against Luling. Then, the team hits the road to face rival Randolph before coming home for back-to-back games against Ingram and Llano (2024 district winner). Marion concludes its district slate with a Nov. 7 road match against Florence.

“Our district is tough. Every week we play, every district game is a challenge,” Call said. “We can’t take anybody lightly, and there are no guaranteed wins. Hopefully,playing great competition causes us to rise up and help us improve. … We hope our non-district and district schedules prepare us for a long run.”

Obstetrics & Gynecology

2023 Women’s Choice in Obstetrics - top 6% in the nation. Customized, Comprehensive Care For Women Of All Ages

• Annual Check-Ups & Routine Pap Tests

• Management Of Abnormal Pap Tests

• Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

• Fibroids, Pelvic Pain

• High Risk Obstetrics

• Prenatal Counseling

• In-Office Sonography

• Postpartum Depression

• Contraception & Teenage Counseling

• Genetic Screening For Hereditary Cancers

• Menopausal Symptoms

• Hormone Replacement

• Sexual Dysfunction & Infertility

• Office Procedures - Hysteroscopy

PANTHERSNavarro High School

Story by Scot Kibbe photos by Allison Magin & Randal Springs

PANTHERS

September 12 7 p.m. @ Canyon Lake September 19 7:30 p.m. vs La Vernia HS September 26 7:30 p.m. @Wimberly HS

October 3 7:30 p.m. vs Salado HS October 10 7:30 p.m. @ Jarrell HS October 17 7:30 p.m. vs Gonzales HS October 24 7:30 p.m. @ Smithville HS October 31 7 p.m. vs Lago Vista HS

Offensive shootout

Members of the 2025 Navarro Panthers football team have at least one thing in common.

None of them were alive the last time their school ran a base offense other than the Slot-T.

The Panthers employed that run-heavy offense for 18 seasons. They enjoyed considerable success in those years, reaching the playoffs each season, winning at least 10 games every year between 2012-2021 and in the last 13 years advancing to the second round or deeper.

But Navarro struggled on both sides of the ball in 2024. Though they again won a playoff game, their 5-7 record stuck them with their first losing season since 2004.

Change arrived in the offseason when Glenn Hill was named as the program’s head coach and athletic director. He is the 16th coach in Navarro’s 55-year history but only the fourth since 1998.

Hill comes to Geronimo fresh off helping the Smithson Valley Rangers win the 2024 Class 5A-I state championship as offensive coordinator. This will be his first stint as a head coach.

Hill said he will bring the offensive scheme he ran with the Rangers.

“We’ll base out of the Pistol,” he said. “Our base play is the wide zone and most of what we do will come from that. We’ll line up in the shotgun.

“We will be more similar to the Slot-T than people might think. We will show some counters and we want to be physical so we can establish the run. But we have some really talented athletes here and we want to get them some touches in space.”

Defensive glowup

Defensively, the Panthers will switch to a 4-3 cover 4 defense, Hill said. That base involves four linemen, three linebackers, and four deep defenders who each cover a quarter of the field.

He said the players have “really bought in” to the changes and made a good transition in the offseason.

Hill brought two coaches from Smithson Valley to serve as his coordinators. Tanner Cook will run the offense while Ishon Risien will lead the defense.

They inherit a Panther squad that on paper looks to be improved. Going into last season, Navarro returned just two starters on offense and none on defense. This year, they

return seven on offense and eight on defense.

The Panthers will again compete in a tough District 13-4A-II. Wimberley — which has won the region in each of the past three seasons — will have a new coach and quarterback but remains the team to beat. Lago Vista returns a lot of skill players from last season’s second-place finish in the district. Salado, Jarrell and Gonzales should be in the hunt for a playoff spot while Smithville hopes to turn things around after its 0-10 campaign in 2024.

Wherever the Panthers finish in that race, Hill says he hopes to build his team on four “pillars.”

“Every day, we talk about fight, energy, effort and discipline,” he said. “We’re focused on those four pillars. We want everyone to see a team with a certain physicality and grit where everyone is flying around to the football and goes all out all the time.”

Farewell Erwin-Lee

This season will mark the end of an era. It will be the last season that the Panthers will play at Erwin-Lee Field.

Navarro played its home games in Seguin at Saegert Middle School for a couple of years after the program started in 1971. But Erwin-Lee Field has been the team’s only true home.

Last year, district voters approved a bond package that included a new high school and upgraded athletic facilities. A new stadium that seats 7,000 fans — more than twice the capacity of Erwin-Lee Field — is expected to open in time for the 2026 season. It will be located across Link Road at State Highway 123, just south of the campus.

The Panthers are scheduled to play their last game at the old stadium Oct. 31 when they host Lago Vista.

BULLDOGSTexas Lutheran University

Story by Bryce Hayes photos by JoShua Eaton & Bryce Hayes

BULLDOGS

September 13 6 p.m. vs Howard Payne University

September 20 7 p.m. @ Southwestern University

September 27 1 p.m. vs East Texas Baptist University

October 6 5 p.m. vs Schreiner University

October 11 @ 6 p.m. @ Centenary College (Louisiana)

October 18 1 p.m. vs Hendrix College

October 25 4 pm. vs Austin College

November 1 1 p.m. @ McMurry University

November 8 1 p.m. @ Lyon College

Season Preview

Following one of the best seasons in program history that finished in the NCAA Tournament second round for the first time in program history, the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs once again have NCAA Tournament aspirations in 2025. In their first season in seven years as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), the Bulldogs picked up where they left off during their previous stint in the conference winning a share of the conference’s regular season championship — their fourth SCAC Championship in five seasons as members dating back to their original stint from 2013-16. Texas Lutheran finished 9-2 in 2024, including 5-0 at Bulldog Stadium. The 2025 season will act as the 50th anniversary season of the thenTexas Lutheran College 1975 NAIA Division-III National Championship team that went back-to-back as national champions. After a 2024 season that forced a double round robin schedule, TLU will play a more typical college schedule in 2025 that will see conference play culminate in Little Rock, Arkansas, at historic War Memorial Stadium at SCAC Championship weekend.

This year’s run will look different as the Bulldogs replace a 13-member senior class that played a pivotal role last season as well as key players leaving in the transfer portal. It’s not all doom and gloom in Seguin as the Bulldogs return nine All-SCAC honorees including SCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Caden Bosanko and SCAC Defensive Player of the Year finalist defensive back Troy Tomaselli. Neal LaHue, the 2024 SCAC Coach of the Year, brought in more than 140 players to fall camp to start the 2025 campaign as well as adding a few familiar faces to the 2025 coaching staff. TLU suffered no major losses to its coaching staff while adding former TLU All-American tight end Aaron Sotelo, who will work with the tight ends, as well as 2024 SCAC champions DJ Lewis and Jackson Bennett as student assistants.

The Bulldogs will open Thursday, Sept. 4 against rival Trinity, which should draw national attention as both squads enter the 2025 season receiving votes in the 2025 D3football.com Preseason Poll and are likely to finish toward the top of their respective conferences. The Bulldogs were selected first in this season’s SCAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs will open up their conference schedule Oct. 11 on the road against the Centenary College Gents, who have added legendary coach and Air Raid Offense innovator Hal Mumme to their staff as offensive coordinator. The Bulldogs will welcome Austin College to Seguin for homecoming Oct. 25 in a weekend that will see TLU honor the 50th anniversary of the 1975 NAIA Division-II National Championship team as well as induct the newest members of the TLU Athletics Hall of Fame and Wall of Honor.

Offensive Preview

Caden Bosanko ran wild on the SCAC in his first season in the conference, finishing second in the conference in passing yards and third in rushing yards while leading the conference in rushing touchdowns to finish as the conference’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Bosanko returns to run head coach Neal Lahue’s offense for his redshirt junior season as the Bulldogs look to earn a second straight NCAA

Tournament berth. Bosanko will line up behind almost the exact same offensive line from last season, including All-Region tackle Ian Wollard. Two-time all-conference guard Jaxson Eskridge will slide to center to replace the graduating Josh Walker as the Bulldogs will have a semblance of continuity in the trenches as the they finished 25th in Division-III with a 202-yard-per-game average on the ground last season.

While Coach LaHue and running backs coach Matt Gustafson tend to deploy a stable of backs in the backfield, Weston Guzman will lead the group once again in 2025 after a First Team All-SCAC season last year that saw him finish with 550 yards on the ground. A number of backs will look to step up to replace the production of Ryker Purdy as the Bulldogs’ secondary back.

Texas Lutheran returns playmaking receivers Caleb Camarillo and Lavonta Henry and added Texas A&M-Kingsville transfers Exavier Durham and Jhalen Mickles, a former Seguin High Matador, to the room.

Defensive Preview

Texas Lutheran’s defense was much improved in 2024 compared to 2023 as the Bulldogs allowed an average of 345.3 yards and 20.3 points per game. Texas Lutheran could take another step forward as what was a young defense last season is a more veteran group in 2025 with experienced underclassmen becoming upperclassmen.

TLU is loaded in the secondary,returning three AllSCAC players led by junior Troy Tomaselli, who earned D3football.com Second Team All-Region honors last season. Tomaselli’s role may look a tad different in the Bulldogs defense. Fans can expect to see him more in the box akin to the role Kyle Hamilton, Jalen Ramsey and Jamal Adams play on Sundays. Justin Navarro an All-SCAC honoree last season is expected to slide in to replace Mason Hardy’s departure while senior Marec Square is expected to start at corner.

While there is still plenty of talent, the Bulldogs are still tasked with replacing six starters from last season’s defense.

Specialists Preview

After being one of the best special teams units in the country last season led by All-American punter Cameron Welch, questions surround the Bulldogs’ special teams unit.

All-American punter Cameron Welch as well as All-SCAC honorees kicker Joaquin Rodriguez and kick returner Eugene Robinson all graduated so a plethora of new faces will line up for the Bulldogs on coach Kendrick Marshall’s special teams group in 2025. Seven kickers and punters came into camp for the Bulldogs — all lacking collegiate experience.

TLU has the same goal in mind in 2025 as the team had in 2024, which is to bring the city of Seguin another championship but this season’s vantage point will be different with the Bulldogs’ shift from the hunters to the hunted, who will receive everyone’s best shot week in and week out. The SCAC will not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in football in 2025 but, as the Bulldogs proved last season, if they handle business, they don’t need it as Division-III shifts to NPI to select the tournament’s teams. Neal LaHue and the Bulldogs raised the standard of the program last season to match the successes of seasons past and will look to continue to do more of the same in 2025.

LUNDQUIST Verne Lundquist

Once every spring, the Texas Lutheran University Choir can be heard, voices ringing, within the Chapel of the Abiding Presence for their home concert. The chapel stands as a symbol of all the university stands for — honoring a higher power while fostering a love of learning and exploration. But the halls of the Chapel of the Abiding Presence once echoed with the dulcet tones of a voice now known to millions worldwide. Yet, it was not his time as a student in the university’s choir that earned Verne Lundquist the nickname the “Golden Throat.”

Lundquist’s story begins with a ministerial father who held multiple pastoral positions in various locales across the United States before finally landing in Austin. Following graduation from Austin High, Lundquist matriculated to Texas Lutheran University, of which he speaks with sincere love.

“I loved my four years there,” Lundquist said. “I just absolutely love the place, and I’ve never looked back and thought, ‘I wish I’d gone somewhere else.’ I treasure my degree and the association that I had with a lot of the students back then.”

His love for Texas Lutheran was clear from his earliest days on campus as he was elected freshman class president. He pursued a degree in sociology with a minor in history, but his clear calling was for a broadcasting career. Surprisingly, when he first auditioned for a job with KWED radio as a junior, he was denied in favor of another student. However, Lundquist returned for a second audition his senior year and the late Stan McKenzie awarded him the job. Little did he know that was the start of a legendary career.

Following a brief stint in seminary, Lundquist took several broadcasting jobs in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, his star ever rising at each stop. He received, what he perceives as his ultimate break when he was asked to be the play-by-play announcer for the Dallas Cowboys in 1972. He held that position until 1984.

From Dallas, Lundquist’s career moved toward the national scene, with annual coverage of professional golf (including, most notably, his annual coverage of the Masters Tournament from the 16th hole), March Madness basketball, Olympic figure skating (he covered the infamous “incident” between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan) and college football making him a household name nationwide in sports media.

Several of the Masters’ most memorable moments, including Tiger Woods’ incredible chip shot on the 16th hole at the 2005 Masters, have been enhanced by Lundquist’s commentary. As the Nike Swoosh ever so softly dipped below the earth into the hole on a seemingly impossible chip shot, Lundquist exclaimed, “In your life, have you ever seen anything like that?” Tiger Woods went on to win the tournament, and the moment lives on in glory.

But many fans will remember him for his time covering SEC football on CBS. Partnered with Gary Danielson, Lundquist helped push what was once known as a regional sport to become the national pastime that it is today. Local fans will remember his emphatic remarks as Johnny Manziel evaded the Crimson Tide defense or his proclamations of excitement as Tyrann Mathieu roared down the field in Tiger Stadium.

Story by Hunter Hewell photos courtesy of Texas Lutheran University

His voice has set the stage and towered over the great cathedrals of college football.

But perhaps one moment stands above them all: the iconic Kick-Six.

Recall the setting: the Iron Bowl, Alabama vs. Auburn. The game was tied at a score of 28 with one-second remaining on the clock. Alabama attempted a game-winning field goal, but Auburn cornerback Chris Davis caught the missed kick and returned 100 yards for a touchdown with no time left. As Davis entered the endzone, Lundquist was heard over the cacophony of the crowd saying, “Touchdown Auburn, an answered prayer!”

Of course, the game came on the heels of another miracle Auburn victory just two weeks prior when the Tigers scored a touchdown on a desperate hail Mary pass with 25 seconds left in the game to beat Georgia. At the time, the pair of Danielson and Lundquist thought that was the best game they had ever seen. They soon thought otherwise.

“The Kick-Six to this day is the greatest football game I’ve ever seen,” Lundquist remarked. “And, I would include college or pro.”

Despite the SEC and Masters glory that he has witnessed, Lundquist claims if he had only one final broadcast remaining, neither football nor golf would be his choice.

“I grew up idolizing Jim McKay,” Lundquist said. “Give me one more event to do, and we’ll be figure skating at the Winter Olympics with Scotty Hamilton in the booth next to me.”

While the choice may surprise some, perhaps it serves as a commentary that beauty and grace really do win in the end.

Throughout all of his success and accolades, Lundquist can still recall the passion and energy he feels toward his alma mater and how it prepared him for his career. He can recite names and faces from his Texas Lutheran University days and reminisce on stories from the Varsity Inn and other haunts of Bulldogs gone by.

It is this loyalty from a native son that inspired Texas Lutheran University to name its new facility, set to open this fall, in his honor. The Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center will not only hold training facilities for student athletes but will also be home to Lundquist’s own sports memorabilia collection. It will serve as a place to build up current student athletes, while honoring and remembering a Texas Lutheran alumnus who has inspired many.

To hear Lundquist speak is to be acutely aware of his humble self-assurance. He is meek in appraising his own role in many of sport’s greatest moments, always drawing attention to what happened on the field of play and the players and personalities who make up those moments. Yet, he understands the legacy he leaves behind as a voice in history whose soundbites will forever permeate American consciousness in our sporting tradition.

His legacy is one of kindness, earnestness, and a voice reminiscent of gentle summer thunder rolling down a canyon.

EVENT CALENDAR

ANNUAL CHAMBER BANQUET & AWARDS PRESENTATION: SEVENTEENTH – 5:30 - 8:30 PM

You are cordially invited to the 2025 Annual Chamber Banquet and Awards Presentation—an evening dedicated to honoring excellence, achievement and community. This annual celebration brings together leaders, peers and partners to reflect on the year’s accomplishments and recognize those who have gone above and beyond. With the theme Nurturing the Growth of Seguin, this year’s banquet highlights the people, partnerships and progress shaping the future of our city. Tickets will be sold through Friday, September 5, 2025. This is an RSVP only event and no tickets will be sold at the door. A ticket is required for each guest for entry to the event.

Location: Seguin Coliseum, 950 S. Austin St. THIRD THURSDAY IN DOWNTOWN SEGUIN: EIGHTEENTH – 10 AM - 8 PM

Enjoy food, music and shopping. We’re all open until 8 p.m. and offering great deals and fun. Find shop and restaurant specials galore throughout downtown.

Location: Central Park, 201 S. Austin St.

MOCKINGBIRD LANE CONVENTION: NINETEENTH - TWENTY-FIRST

An amazing display of black and white movie illusion homage to the 1960's. From universal monsters and world dominating creatures from outer space to horrific science experiments, our total convention walk through will blow your mind. So run don't walk to our webpage and socials to keep up to date with the current announcements. www.themockingbirdlane.com .

Location: Seguin Coliseum, 950 S. Austin St.

GRMC MAMMOS & MIMOSAS: TWENTIETH – 10 AM - 12 PM

It’s time for GRMC’s free annual event, Mammos & Mimosas, dedicated to the prevention and awareness of breast cancer. Enjoy a mix of fun and education with free-flowing mimosas, local vendors and breast cancer education. Tour GRMC’s Women’s Imaging Center and schedule your breast cancer screening. For more details, visit www.grmedcenter.com/mammos/ .

Location: Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, 1215 E. Court St.

LET'S MAKE THEIR FUTURE BRIGHT BASH: TWENTIETH – 6

Join the Guadalupe County Children's Advocacy Center for dinner, live music, silent & live auctions and more fun activities to help raise funds to support strategic initiatives to make a positive impact on children in Guadalupe County. Wear something bright. Admission is $50. Tickets available at Gift & Gourmet.

Location: Schertz Civic Center, 1400 Schertz PKWY, Schertz, Tx 1916 BAR & BISTRO WHISKEY DINNER: TWENTIETH – 7 PM

Enjoy a three-course meal expertly paired with Bulleit Rye, Still Austin Cask Strength, and Rabbit Hole “Derringer.” $75 per person.

Location: 1916 Bar and Bistro, 301 N.w Austin St.

830.379.2411 • grmedcenter.com For more details, visit: grmedcenter.com/mammos