Seguin Magazine - September 2021

G u a d a l u p e C o u n t y l i v i n g

September 2021

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in this issue September 2021

FEATURES 12 FROM THE SIDELINES

Marching bands, cheerleaders and dance teams bring adrenaline and excitement to every football game.

20 SEGUIN FOOTBALL

The Matadors look to make their stand this season with a new coach, crew, and super senior, Ian Box.

24 NAVARRO FOOTBALL

The Panthers are ready to hit their opponets hard with 27 new lettermen and double threat Brody Whitson.

28 MARION FOOTBALL

The Bulldogs rise up under pressure, led by team captain Aden Rackley.

32 TLU FOOTBALL

After a turbulent last season, TLU Bulldogs are prepared for a return to normalcy.

36 I-BONE FORMATION

Paying tribute to Dr. James R. Smith’s offfensive formations developed in the 1960s.

CULINARY CREATIONS 40 SNACK ATTACK

Bean dip and queso come together to make a tailgating party touchdown.

AROUND TOWN 44 FAVORITE FINDS

Unique items from local small businesses

46 SAVE THE DATE

See what events are coming up

48 FACES OF SEGUIN

4

Submitted photos from our readers

SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

on the cover Photo edited by Rebecca Harrison

This special Game Day edition of Seguin Magazine takes a look at what fans can expect to see on the football fields from Seguin, Marion, Navarro and Texas Lutheran University.

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G u a d a l u p e C o u n t y l i v i n g

Vol. 8, No. 4 Seguin magazine is published twelve times a year by the Seguin Gazette.

Publisher

Elizabeth Engelhardt Editor

Desiree Gerland

Graphic Designer

Rebecca Harrison Writers

Felicia Frazar Katy O’Bryan Michael Pape Scot Kibbe Sye Bennefield Jr. Contributors

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Delilah Reyes Gay Lynn Olsovsky

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SEARCH SEGUIN GAZETTE All material herein c. 2021 Southern Newspapers Inc., dba The Seguin Gazette, All rights reserved

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FROM THE

An INSIDE look from our

If you’re looking for one of those clichés on the start of the new football season, you may need to look elsewhere.

We know that you, the Guadalupe faithful, are ready. We’ve seen you at the practices and we’ve heard you at the scrimmages.

Thus, my colleagues and I, here at the Gazette, want to share with you Game Day, our 2021 football preview on the area’s teams. Inside, you’ll learn about anything and just about everything that the teams you love and support will offer this upcoming season.

Personally, I’ll be reporting on the Matadors. Scot Kibbe will continue to travel and write about the Panthers and our very own Hometown Girl Katy O’Bryan will continue to cover her Marion Bulldogs. Together we hope to share with you all the wonderful and exciting stories that have yet to be discovered and told.

So, believe me we’re ready here at the Gazette, too. So, let’s get ready, together, for some football.

“I’m psyched for another year of following the Marion Bulldogs around. The Marion football team is out to avenge its losing record from the 2020 season, and I personally sense the anticipation of Friday nights in Bulldog country. It’s going to be a great year, football fans.”

– Katy O’Bryan

Sports desk

Sye Bennefield Jr. Sye Bennefield Jr. Sports Writer

email: sye.bennefield@seguingazette.com

WRITERS

“The atmosphere under the lights on a Friday night is exhilarating.

The athletes on the field bring a level of entertainment, but mixed with the performances from the marching band, cheerleaders and dance team throughout the night really completes the experience.

Together, they all bring a level of energy that is beyond compare. It is something that I look forward to every year.”

– Felicia Frazar

“Navarro football is a machine.

The Panthers have won 70 games in the last six seasons with five district titles in the last seven years. They enter this season with their least experienced roster in years and possibly their toughest ever non-district schedule. But is anyone really worried?”

– Scot Kibbe

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Sideline Support

The impact of Band, Cheer, & Dance

T

Story by Felicia Frazar

photos by Felicia Frazar and k-Squared photography

he sounds of crashing helmets and shouts from the quarterback fill the the sky on a Friday night. It is joined by a symbiotic chorus of music and cheers brought on by a trio of groups that help to pump up the players and the audience.

Marching bands, cheerleaders and dance teams create a spirit group that helps bring extra energy to the stands that is beyond compare, said Navarro Dazzlers coach Michelle Gunderson.

“I think the energy coming from the spirit groups really help the crowd,” she said. “I know for us, when the band plays their stand tunes and we’re sitting next to them, dancing, it kind of amplifies that. The football players really 12 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

love when the band plays the music and when we’re dancing around, cheering for them. It gets them pumped up, as well as the crowd.”

The Navarro Dazzlers were established in 2007 with a group of 17 dancers. Since then, the group size has varied, but the level of spirit has only grown, Gunderson said.

Gunderson knows firsthand what it’s like to boost the atmosphere on a Friday night in front of an audience.

“Personally, I think it is amazing performing in front a crowd,” she said. “It is just great to know that you have someone cheering for you in the stands. The players really enjoy watching the dance teams.”

Their work is not limited to the stands, as they share a

GO BACK

portion of the halftime show with the marching band.

“We get the crowd watching what is going on on the field and contributing to that entertainment atmosphere,” she said. “We are also there during the halftime show and pregame.”

That energy is doubled throughout the night on the sidelines with the chants, cheers and routines.

“Their role at a football game is to lead the crowd,” Matador Cheer coach Melissa Smith said. “We have a really good cheer program. They’re there to get the crowd going and get them to yell for the team and help pump up the guys.”

Marching bands have long been part of the fall Friday night action, Marion Marching Band co-director Bill Goodman said.

“It all started a long-time ago when the band was created to be the halftime entertainment,” he said. “From the time we come into the stadium, we are playing. We do the national anthem, we do the fight song, getting the GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 13

team on the field, then the alma mater for our school. Up until halftime, we’re constantly trying to play songs to pep up the energy for the cheerleaders and the dance teams to pep up the crowd to pep up the boys on the field.”

Remembering his time as a player in the stands and on the field, Goodman said it was an adrenaline rush to be part of the excitement.

“I remember as a child, the Friday night football game from the time they opened the gate to let us through, it was pure excitement for me,” he said. “To take the field and do my part. My part wasn’t on the field, but my part was in the stands helping cheer on and play the music. I see those same feelings in these kids today.”

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Everyone plays their part in building the excitement in the stands, Goodman said.

“We don’t have one without the other. We’re all joined, we all participate together and we all work together as a team,” he said. “The cheerleaders will watch us and even ask us to play certain songs so they can sing along and they have routines to our music in the stands. The dance team picks music solely that we can play for them during halftime. We all look to go out, yell and scream and get the excitement to pass onto the boys so they can win the game.”

As the band plays, the dance team members and cheerleaders perform choreographed dance routines 16 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

and cheers. The crowd’s involvement, brings a whole new energy to the atmosphere.

“I am wowed from the amount of energy that comes from it with the cheerleaders and the band and the dance,” Smith said. “Everything put together, I think it really makes a big impression, there is a lot of energy from that at a football game.”

Smith, who is originally from West Texas, knows how involved crowds make an impact on the game.

“You can tell a huge difference from where you have a huge crowd versus a smaller crowd,” she said. “The football players feed off that energy, as well. It helps motivate them to play harder, work harder.”

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{ feature }

Seguin High School

MATADORS Story by sye bennefield Jr.

photos by felicia Frazar and Sandy Falgout

34

Super Senior IAN BOX – edge rusher

I

f you stand right next to Ian Box, you’d probably think he was cut right out of a comic book, like those old Superman ones.

The 6-foot 3-inch, 240-pound edge rusher has a dominating presence about him — evidenced by his district leading 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season. However, after speaking with the senior, you’ll learn he shares more in 20 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

common with the Man of Steel’s alter ego — Clark Kent.

Quite simply, Box likes to do his talking on the field. When asked who he was most looking forward to playing this year, he smiled and without hesitation said, “Canyon.” Matador faithful will know the reason behind that.

The preseason pick for defensive MVP by “Dave Campbell’s Texas

Football” magazine is not taking his final season in the gold and white lightly. He’s trained extensively on speed and conditioning this year, expect to see him around the defensive front like last season.

With the field being his proverbial phone booth, expect to see Box doing what he does best — being an unstoppable force.

The Mats are back

With a new coach and crew heading up the Seguin Matadors this year, the team is looking to make its stand in District 12-5A. The New Head Coach

About 495 miles, six different stops and four different job titles. That’s the journey Craig Dailey has experienced so far in both his career as a player and a coach. In a span of 21 years, Dailey has built himself from local Seguin High grad — who had an initial interest in engineering — to the main man roaming the sidelines in various Texas stadiums on Friday nights.

He comes back to his alma mater with one clear goal in mind — to win.

DISTRICT PLAY

The Matadors feature one of the more difficult schedules in District 12-5A. Half of the Mats’ scheduled opponents this year made the playoffs the season prior. Not to mention they face steep 6A competition early to begin their season. Dailey is aware of how competitive the district is, but welcomes the challenge.

“I think it’s going to be a dog fight every week — but that’s what we want,” he said. “I think if we can come out on

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 21

GO BACK

top of this district — and that’s our plan — we’ll be battle tested to make a run to the playoffs.”

District foes such as New Braunfels Canyon and Dripping Springs are always a tough out — proved by the final scores being within one possession last season. Both teams are picked to finish higher in the district than the Matadors by “Dave Campbell’s Texas Football” magazine. The Cougars were picked as the dark horse candidate for all of 5A, while the Tigers were ranked 19th in the class rankings. So, like the year before, the Mats will need to be prepared, focused and ready for a fight.

This time around, teams like Johnson and Veterans Memorial will offer a different kind of obstacle for the Mats.

Veterans Memorial returns eight starters from an offense that nearly put up 30 points per game last season while Johnson returns all its starters from both sides of the ball — a fact that Dailey is very keen on.

Couple that with a solid junior class and you have an opponent who can improve upon its 6-4 overall record from a year ago. While the Mats made quick work of both opponents last year, this season could be more challenging.

Coming from a 6A program, Dailey knows the level of competition that size program presents versus their 5A counterparts.

The biggest factor is depth. The larger teams have fewer athletes playing multiple positions. Whereas smaller districts will have more players cross train and make them more versatile.

“Even in the skill positions, you usually have three or four backs that you can play at running back [or] three or four fullbacks.” Dailey said. “So, you could just go hurry and have them play [but here] you have to learn how

to play fullback and running back, you got to be able to play every receiver position, just because you don’t have the numbers.”

THE SQUAD

The Matadors return just three players from the record-breaking offense that averaged 52 points per game last season. Senior quarterback Troy Falgout, sophomore running back John Jackson and honorable mention senior receiver Kai Seidenberger are stepping up to fill pivotal roles on the gridiron.

Daily identified senior offensive lineman Henry Cheek as a leader on the line, as he offers the most varsity experience and will anchor the boys up front.

Senior running back/linebacker Jerivan Contreras will give the Mats more versatility in the backfield.

The defense returns 10 starters, headlined by senior edge rusher Ian Box, the senior linebacking core of Allen Martinez and John-Michael Mata and the senior ball hawking duo of R-Teston Tucy and Michael Cornelius. All five received All-District honors last year and have seen plenty of varsity snaps through their years in the program.

Dailey plans to have the Matador offense operating out of the pro-style offense. They’ll use more traditional sets, such as the I-Formation or the use of a fullback or tight end. In Dailey’s system, the quarterback doesn’t have to be a dual threat, instead he’ll move the pocket occasionally and keep plays alive with his legs out of necessity. Expect more of a game manager role out of the signal caller for the Matador offense this season.

“He’s got to be super smart,” Dailey said. “Almost everything we do is a pair play — it’s either two runs or a run and a pass. He has to get us in the right play at the line of scrimmage.”

Dailey has implemented eight different personnel packages with the idea of attacking mismatches and making sure the weapons on the Matador offense get 22 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

enough adequate touches.

“By having all of these personnel packages you can move your guys around so they can’t know, ‘hey, your best player is always right there.’ We can move them around and create that [mismatch],” he said.

Dailey is testing opposing defenses eye discipline all season long; taking full advantage of whatever the defense gives him at the line of scrimmage.

“If we’re successful running the ball and they bring those safeties in the box

— as soon as we get that — we’re going to hit you over the top for a touchdown,” he said.

The name of the game is complementary football. If the offense is struggling, the defense will rise and try to pitch a shutout. If the defense can’t get off the field, the offense will keep a hold of the ball and give the “D” a breather.

“It’s just the mentality that we’re preaching to them,” Dailey said. “It is not okay to let people score anymore.”

🏈

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{ feature }

Navarro High School

PANTHERS Story by Scot Kibbe

photos by Allison Magin

37

Double T hreat

Brody Whitson – Running Back

I

t seemed to happen at least once in every game last year.

Navarro running back Brody Whitson would break into the opponent’s secondary. A defensive back would find himself isolated with the bigger, stronger and quickly accelerating Whitson. And every Panthers fan knew what was coming.

The collision could be heard through24 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

out the stands. Whitson would hit the defender like a cannon ball, running him over and helping him observe the stadium turf up close. Sometimes, another defender on the same play would get in Whitson’s path only to be hit equally as hard.

Whitson says his favorite part of playing football is hitting people. Last year, he ran them over for 1,120 yards and 16 touchdowns. Much of that yardage

was after contact, using the strength of his 6-foot 2-inch, 240-pound body to churn out more territory for the Panthers.

While Whitson will be the featured back in Navarro’s run heavy Slot-T offense, Panthers’ head coach Rod Blount will also rely on him at defensive end. He was first-team all-district at both positions last year.

“I think he’s come a long way this offseason in his defensive play and will have a bigger impact on defense than he has in the past,” Blount said. “He is as talented of a kid as I have coached. He works his tail off and does things the right way.”

Whitson’s main goal at this point is to help the Panthers continue to grow closer as a team.

“We have a lot of new guys on this team and we all need to be on the same page,” he said. “We need to be a brotherhood where everybody has each other’s backs.”

Whitson is the younger brother of Tanner Whitson, a standout tight end and defensive lineman on the 2016 Navarro team that went deeper in the playoffs (state semifinals) than any other team in school history.

Brody said that is an added incentive for him.

“He jokes with me that we haven’t gotten as far as they did and I don’t want to give him bragging rights,” he said. “But it is all in good fun and he supports us all the way.”

As for the future, Whitson has received an offer from the Air Force Academy to play football at that prestigious institution.

The panthers face new challenges

Replacing 27 lettermen and the toughest non-district 4A schedule means they must continue to exceed expectations.

then and now

Things have changed a lot since the first Navarro Panthers’ football team took the field 50 years ago.

That team surprised many by winning five of its seven games despite almost cancelling its season following the tragic preseason deaths of their coach and the school’s ag teacher.

The early success was not sustained, however. Navarro would only enjoy four more winning seasons over the next 26 years.

These days, the expectations are quite different. The Panthers have reached the playoffs in each of the last 13 seasons, reaching the state quarterfinals in the last three. They are one of just seven programs in the state at any level to win at least 10 games in each of the past nine seasons.

But if the Panthers are to see anything like that kind of success in 2021, they will have to overcome some serious challenges.

First, there likely has not been any recent Navarro team that was hit harder

THE SQUAD

It would not be wise, however, to write this Navarro team off too quickly.

One reason is that the Panthers are once again loaded in their Slot-T backfield. They return hard-running senior Brody Whitson, who rushed for 1,120 yards and 16 touchdowns and was named to the all-district first team.

He is joined by speedy Orlando Ortiz, who was third on the team in rushing yards last season with 615 but led the team in yards per carry at 11.8.

Ortiz played a big role with two late GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 25

GO BACK

by graduation. The Panthers replace 27 lettermen from last year’s squad. They return just three starters on offense and two on defense.

In addition, they will face a non-district schedule that Navarro head coach Rod Blount says is the toughest in Class 4A statewide. Port Lavaca Calhoun, La Vernia, Needville, Cuero and Giddings will all line up against the Panthers this year and all are predicted to reach the playoffs. The first three on that list are one size up from Navarro in Class 4A, Division 1.

They will also take their inexperienced roster into a region where most of the contenders seem to have everyone back. Cuero, Sinton, Rockport-Fulton, and Navasota all return most of their rosters from last year and all have scores to settle with the Panthers for recent playoff losses.

Archrival Wimberley, which has routed Navarro in the state quarterfinals in each of the last two years, also brings back most of its squad from a year ago, including running back Moses Wray and eight defensive starters. They will again be the Panthers’ only serious competition for the District 14-4A-II title.

touchdowns in their pivotal come-frombehind win over Giddings last year.

Junior Cole Mouser will fill the third slot in the backfield. Mouser showed promise last year before a mid-season injury sidelined him.

“Cole has played well for us in the past but now he is looking better than ever,” Blount said. “He is a lot faster than he was last year and is hitting holes and blocking well. And Orlando is a guy who has a chance to score any time he has a crack.”

Blount also has the luxury of having a third-year starter taking the snaps. In his career, senior Nick Billings has thrown for just over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns — including a school record five in one game — and rushed for 482 yards and seven touchdowns.

His coach is expecting even bigger things from him this year.

“We trust Nick and know he’s going to do a great job leading us,” Blount said. “We’re going to give him more leeway and put more on his shoulders this year.”

Billings will not have a lot of experienced receivers to go to this year.

His running backs and receiver Jaxen Monkerud, who caught a touchdown pass in the Panthers’ 2021 playoff run, will be likely targets.

One of the biggest question marks about the Panthers this year is the offensive line. All the starters from last year are gone, including two members of the first team all-state team. That unit, which was the biggest line in the program’s history, helped Navarro rush for more than 10,000 yards in the last two seasons.

Blount admits that filling those spots presents a challenge, but he likes the progress he sees from their replacements.

“We don’t have the size coming back up there that we had last year and had a lot of work to do to get ready for this year,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of the gains they made throughout the spring and the summer to get where they are.

“I think we have the right group of linemen. We just have to make sure we 26 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

get them in the right spot.”

Defensively, Whitson is again the key returning player — in fact, Blount says he is the only member of this unit who started the whole season in 2020. Whitson, who lines up at defensive end, was picked by Texas Football as the preseason Defensive MVP for the district.

But Blount points out that several of his players were on the field for a significant amount of time last year.

He says he believes the secondary will be a strength of this team. He also said he expects big things from junior line-

backer Case Monroe, who he praises for his leadership of that unit.

Blount will also have to find a replacement for three-year starting place kicker Sebastian Sneed, who graduated holding most of the school’s kicking records.

We will learn over the coming months whether the Panthers have enough on this roster to maintain the program’s high standards.

But no one should be surprised if, like the Panthers of a half century ago, they find a way to exceed expectations.

🏈

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Marion High School

BULLDOGS Story by Katy O’Bryan

photos by Melanie Krause

5

Rack- Attack Aden Rackley – running back

I

t’s apparent to anyone watching the Marion Bulldogs that they look very similar to the team on the field last season.

Similar, but heavily experienced this time around, said Marion senior and team captain Aden Rackley.

A staple in the Bulldog offense, Rackley returns after a stellar junior year for his final high school season. A two-year team captain that contributes on both sides of the ball, Rackley has made himself into an on-field threat that sparks a fire into the Marion playbook.

Rackley looks ahead at what his teammates are ready to do this season — use combined experience to compete

better against their 2021 schedule.

“We are definitely hoping to go a little better than 5-6, (we) have a little bit of a sour taste in our mouths,” he said. “We played some great teams in our district, but I’m more than confident that we’re going to compete this year and use our experience to help us.”

The running back picked up 441 yards on 142 carries in the 2020 season, but it’s not just his physical capabilities that help him lead the Bulldogs, Marion head coach Ryne Miller said.

“Aden is all around a great student first and extremely hard working athlete next.” Miller said. “He always wants to be on the field, always wants

to help his teammates and encourages them all the time. He was one of our team captains last year as a junior and is again as a senior.”

There are outside influences that make an athlete great, too.

Growing up in a football home is one thing, but to be kin to football legend Jim Rackley is another.

Jim Rackley led Judson to a 5A State Championship before his retirement in 2012. He now spends his Friday nights in the bleachers wearing Bulldog green watching his grandson, Aden, play.

“Aden grew up around competitive football with his grandfather Jim Rackley, who is in most coaches’ eyes a legend when it comes to Texas high school football,” Miller said. “It’s not so much the wins and the state championships, but I think for him it’s more about being a man of character.

I think that [speaks] extremely high volumes with him. Obviously, you can see that in Aden.”

Having a tight-knit relationship with his grandfather, Aden says the dialogue is always available at home when he wants the help.

“We talk football a lot. He’s definitely taught me a lot and is the biggest supporter of Marion football that I know,” Aden said.

If there could be any more pressure than being a senior team-captain, it won’t be found from Jim Rackley. Aden and his team are simply preparing to take on the 2021 season, where they are “ready to make a statement.”

BULLDOGS BOUND FOR BLOOD

Marion’s young pups are replaced with a stacked 22-senior roster this season, all returning in hopes of making a new name for the Bulldogs.

Leaving last year’s young pups to the 2020 season, the Marion Bulldogs aged seven years and enter the new year with a stacked 22-senior roster.

As last year’s team consisted of many first-time varsity starters, those now-seasoned dogs return to the gridiron with nothing on their minds but to avenge the 5-6 record they collected in the previous season. Looking back, the Bulldogs went 2-2 in pre-district competition and broke even in district play before earning the third seed playoff berth.

After four years with the Marion program, head coach Ryne Miller is confident of what his team is bringing to the table this season.

“We were really young last year and threw some guys to the fire and they played really well and they exceeded the expectations. So the standard this off-season was set very high,” he said.

“The standards for those guys, they’re exceeding it right now, and the seniors are leading us in the right direction.”

With a tall stack of underclassmen to support a massive senior class, Miller

said the Bulldogs are seeing a lot of depth in several positions around the field, something rather unusual for a 3A team.

“We have great senior leaders, great underclassmen that have played before and played last year and have worked real hard this past off-season and summer,” he said. “This is probably one of the most well-conditioned football teams we’ve been around in a long time.”

The Green Machine makes its return

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 29

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When inheriting this year’s seniors four years ago, it led to Miller’s varsity class being the most vested group yet, including his man under center Tanner Beakley.

“Our quarterback Tanner Beakley has been in our program for four years, he knows the offense in and out, and he’s able to run the show too,” Miller said.

Beakley is set to lead the Bulldog offense this year, and returns with major play-makers on his sides. The senior

tossed the ball at 60% for 1,796 yards during his junior campaign, and picked up 492 yards on keepers.

“It’s exciting when you get a guy like that,” Miller said. “He started 11 games last year, played a little bit his sophomore year, and has confidence going into this year. He got a lot of success in 7-on-7 this summer, so he just knows the system.”

Lining up next to Beakley is another returning senior playmaker Aden Rackley. In the 2020 season, Rackley secured 142 carries for 441 yards and added 205 more yards as a receiver.

Also returning to the Bulldog offense is junior Dominic Castellanos, who made a stunning debut in his sophomore campaign and picked up area and district Newcomer of the Year awards. Castellanos turned into Marion’s top receiver last season, snagging 53 tosses for 524 yards and is expected to start on both offense and defense for the Bulldogs, Miller said.

“Obviously, he’ll start both ways for us and we expect great things from him,” Miller said. “All around, we have a great group.”

Seniors hold defense steady

Though several key defensive players graduated in the spring, there is no doubt that this year’s group will get the job done.

The most exciting player down in the trenches for the Bulldog defense is senior Bode Walters, a three-year starter and reliable big-man up front who will provide key leadership on that side of the ball, Miller said.

Junior linebacker and pre-season district defensive MVP Kross Kelso is also gearing up for his second varsity appearance. After working his way to a starting position in his sophomore season, he became the Bulldogs’ leading tackler, securing 124 total and 20 for losses in the 2020 season.

Experience and leadership are major factors in keeping Marion 30 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

competitive this season, Miller said.

“We’ve got some guys and they’ve had a great off season and they have had a great fall camp so far,” he said.

“They know the expectation and how to call it and get lined up correctly and play the game.”

Raising the bar

With four years at the helm of the Marion program, Miller said the expectations of his team get higher year to year. As the program progresses, familiarity with style and discipline increases, as do expectations of the team.

“I think the expectation is higher, but the pressure isn’t higher,” he said.

“Our guys know the expectation,

they’ve been through it. We had a real tough off season, got our guys going and held our guys very high and accountable. It comes with higher expectations, but the pressure is not new because they know what to expect.”

With the UIL mask mandates left to 2020, Miller said the Bulldogs adopted some COVID-era procedures, but are back to business as usual when preparing for what will surely be an excellent year for the Bulldogs.

“We feel very comfortable going into the season,” Miller said. “We’re excited to watch the kids play, they work extremely hard and we’ll get to watch them get what they’ve earned this past seven months. We’re excited for them.”

🏈

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Texas Lutheran University

BULLDOGS Story by Bryce Hayes

photos by Dustin Wyatt

Ricky Matt & Bulldogs look to go to next level as 2021 season resembles a return to normalcy.

A

s was the case for everyone, 2020 for the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs was a turbulent year defined by change.

Coach Carl Gustafson retired at the end of 2019 opening the door for current head coach Ricky Matt to take over the role. Brent Verzwyvelt was hired as the new assistant head coach and offensive coordinator — thus, a 32 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

new offense would have to be learned.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation as college football programs across the country were preparing for or in the middle of spring football practices — with uncertainty hanging over college athletics throughout the summer eventually leading to the cancellation of the fall season at the Division-III level across all sports.

In a season nobody will forget any time soon, the Bulldogs returned to the field under the eeriest of circumstances.

COVID protocols abound.

Locker room’s culture uprooted.

Practices are totally different.

Minimal to none of the faithful fans from Seguin and abroad fill the stands to watch their beloved Bulldogs play a sport that can be communities

Players to Watch:

• No. 73 Nike Gooden (Port Arthur) — the senior All-American offensive tackle returns to head the Bulldogs’ front and looks to close out his decorated career at TLU with a championship and adding more honors to his name by dominating in the trenches; • No. 37 Juan Ocampo (Lockhart) — the senior kicker returns as a D3Football.com and CoSIDA Academic All-American after a spring 2021 season that saw him go 17-17 on extra points and 7-8 on field goal attempts including a career long 44-yard field goal. Ocampo was one of the best kickers in the country at the Division-III level and will look to continue to hold on to that mantle in the fall; • No. 34 DaKory Willis (Flatonia) — the sophomore running back made his presence felt as a freshman last spring splitting GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 33

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across the state and nation’s greatest connector — the sport of football.

As abnormal as it was, the games still had to be played and the TLU Bulldogs took full advantage of the opportunity presented to them last spring. Led

by D3Football.com All-Americans OT Nike Gooden and kicker Juan Ocampo as well as D3Football.com All-Region member James Bell, the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs were able to finish their miniCOVID season with a 3-2 record and a second place finish in the American Southwest Conference’s West Division — a one-time only deal due to the state of the shortened COVID season.

With a turbulent first season behind him, Matt looks to take the Bulldogs to new heights in his first full fall season at the helm.

The Bulldogs are back for the fall 2021 season with fans expected to be out in full force but not without more changes since the last time most saw the program live and in person in 2019.

There has been a ton of turnover on the coaching staff as the Bulldogs introduced seven new staff members this offseason including new defensive coordinator Pat Patterson.

carries with senior RB Chris Monroe but now the show will be all his as he looks to stay around the 6-yard-per-carry average he obtained as a freshman; • No. 88 Aaron Sotelo (Castroville) — an old-fashioned tight end at his core, watch out for Aaron Sotelo to do more than catch jump balls in the endzone for the Bulldogs. In their multifaceted offense, Sotelo may not always be the primary target through the air but he will be someone to watch in the run game delivering punishing blocks to opposing defenders from the TE & H-back positions; • No. 21 Robert Ramirez III (Brownsville) and No. 15 Dimitri Zavala (Houston) — while questions linger over the state of the Bulldogs secondary and defense as a whole, expect these two athletic defensive backs to hold down the Bulldogs’ secondary and use their speed to make a house call or two this season.

Key Games:

• 9/11 vs. Austin College — The Bulldogs get to welcome the new American Southwest Conference (ASC) member to the Dog Pound as fans return for the home opener.

• 9/18 vs. Trinity (TX) — after a fiveyear hiatus, the Bulldogs will renew their rivalry with the Trinity Tigers.

This will mark the 31st matchup between the two schools with Trinity holding a 17-13 record. A formidable team in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), they will make for a nice warmup before getting into the teeth of ASC conference play.

• 10/02 vs. Belhaven — Alumni & Family Weekend/Homecoming festivities will provide an electric atmosphere for this early October matchup • 11/13 at Hardin-Simmons — After finishing one game out of first place last spring, this game very well could have major conference title implications as the Bulldogs look to capture an ASC championship Albeit from a small sample size, the Ricky Matt led Texas Lutheran Bulldogs established themselves as a team that 34 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

can potentially compete for a championship. Offensively, it will be all about the trenches as seniors Nike Gooden and Trey Hopkins look to blaze a path for the run game expected to be led by sophomore DaKory Willis and be a brick wall for a potentially electrifying pass offense. A new look defense guided by new defensive coordinator Pat Patterson will be of a “wait and see” variety — especially after losing a leader like Bell to graduation — but that provides an opportunity for others to step up and

make names for themselves this season.

The spring 2021 season showed promise as the Bulldogs made due of an abnormal situation but — as the boys of the fall return to a sense of normalcy — the 2021 season has a chance to be something special as the Bulldogs aspire to become conference champions for the first time since the fateful 2015 SCAC championship run.

Be ready to throw your “Pups Up” because the action will be plentiful in Bulldog Stadium this fall.

🏈

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36 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Give a dog a bone,

The

I-Bone

veterinary dermatologist leads former journalist to become a published author with famous football offense formation Story by Joey Lozano

as a quarterback. The Aggies were coached at the time by Emory Bellard, who had invented the wishbone offense when he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Texas under legendary Longhorns Coach Darrell Royal.

Bellard’s wishbone took the college football scene by storm in the late 1960s, making the Longhorns nearly unstoppable and enabling them to win 30 consecutive college football games and a national championship in 1969. Its success also led A&M to hire Bellard as their head football coach in an effort to reverse the Aggies’ woeful football fortunes of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

The wishbone is a triple-option offense, a system of advancing the football in which the quarterback determines how each play will proceed, based upon the actions of the defense. While most football offenses focus on blocking every defensive player on a given running play, triple-option offenses like the wishbone leave two players unblocked. How those defensive players react to the play as it unfolds determines whether a running back or the quarterback will carry the football, and where that player runs.

In a typical triple-option play, the quarterback can hand the ball to a running back who attempts to run up the middle, fake a handoff to that running back and run the ball himself, or toss the ball to a trailing running back who runs up the field.

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 37

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I

n the spring of 1983, while working as an Alamo Colleges publicist in San Antonio, I met a man who would forever change the nature of my relationship with football.

Dr. James R. ( Jim) Smith wasn’t a football coach or player, but a veterinary dermatologist, an occupation about as far removed from football as one could imagine. Never did I expect that a specialist in animal skin afflictions would somehow affect my enjoyment of football. Or, that meeting this doctor would enable me to become a published author.

But a conversation I had with Smith one late afternoon in February 1984 changed me from a mere football fan to somewhat of a football strategist. Smith told me about a conversation he had earlier that day with University of Oklahoma head football coach Barry Switzer. Smith had invented a multiple offense for college football that Switzer was interested in.

As a football fanatic and former journalist who had covered high school and small-college football for two Texas weekly newspapers, I was intrigued by what type of offense Smith had created and why it had piqued Switzer’s interest.

Smith explained that as a pre-veterinary medical student at Texas A&M University in 1975, he attempted to walk on for the Aggie football team

During the week leading up to the Aggies’ 1975 Thanksgiving Day game against the Longhorns, Smith was tasked as A&M’s attack-team quarterback to simulate the Longhorn’s wishbone in practice against the first-team Aggie defense.

Every time he came to the critical quarterback keep-or-pitch phase of the Wishbone, “there was someone there who nearly took my head off, whether I had the ball or not,” Smith said. The Aggies had perfectly dissected the Texas Wishbone, which was hobbled by the loss of quarterback Marty Akins to a knee injury suffered the week before, and defeated the Longhorns 20-10.

As a result of his experience, Smith was determined that the Wishbone was too predictable, and lacked versatility, passing capability, and scoring potential, shortcomings that eventually caused the Wishbone to fall out of favor at Texas and other college football programs. Another significant flaw was the Wishbone limited a talented running back to attacking only one side of the defense on option plays and sweeps, Smith said. But believing that the triple option was still an effective offensive weapon, Smith set out to develop an offense that would overcome the Wishbone’s weaknesses while retaining the threat of the triple option.

Smith’s tinkering led him to develop the I-Bone formation that looked like a cross between the wishbone and power-I offenses.

From this formation, a team could run all the option plays of the Wishbone, Houston Veer, and I-formation offenses, without ever changing formations. The I-Bone also enabled a running back to align in an I-tailback position, from which he could attack both sides of the defense, as well as the middle.

Smith also incorporated motion into the offense so that any of the I-Bone backs could go in motion to either side of the formation as a lead blocker, decoy, or a receiver in a play-action passing package.

Smith hoped to get a major college football program to run the I-Bone, so he wrote to Switzer after the 1983 season to tell him about his creation. Switzer 38 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

FS CB

CB SS IL

IL

Wishbone TripleOption Option Wishbone Triple FS

CB

IL

IL

CB

SS

I-BoneFormation Formation I-Bone FS CB CB IL

SS

IL

I-Bone Triple Option FS

CB

CB

SS IL

IL

Houston Veer TripleOption Option I-Bone InsideInside Houston Veer Triple FS CB CB IL

IL

SS

Outside HoustonVeer VeerTriple Tripe Option I-Bone Outside Houston Option

Joey Lozano’s book, Attacking Defenses With Football’s I-Bone Option Offense, provides football coaches with a comprehensive game plan that illustrates how to exploit the weaknesses of six of football’s most frequently used defenses with the I-bone option attack offense.

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replied by mail to express his interest.

Switzer and several other college coaches declined to implement his offense.

After writing a feature article about Smith and his I-Bone offense for a San Antonio magazine, I suggested that he develop his I-Bone concept further and offered to help him put together a manual on his offense.

I researched several books on option football to learn the terminology, blocking schemes, and player techniques needed for a team to run the offense. I then produced a 100-page paperbound instructional manual about the I-Bone in 1991.

About 500 copies of the book were sold to football coaches across the country, and a few teams in Europe. I pitched the idea of printing the manual as a book to several publishers, all of whom declined.

Smith died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 50 in December 2001 and never got to see a team run his offense.

I stopped selling the manual after interest in option football waned, giving way to the freewheeling passing schemes that dominate football today. But the option has never completely disappeared from the football landscape. It continues to be used by high school and college teams in offenses like the flexbone, the zone read, the pistol, and more.

In July 2011, I renewed my efforts to get the I-Bone published in book form and it happened in late 2012, when Coaches Choice agreed to publish the book, titled “Coaching the I-Bone Option Attack Offense.” In January 2016, they published my second book, “Attacking Defenses With Football’s I-Bone Option Offense.”

Authoring the only books ever written about the I-Bone has enabled me to make a contribution to the game of football that I never imagined. I donated copies of both books to the Seguin Public Library, making it the only public lending library in the country to house both books.

I’ll always be grateful to that itchydog doctor in San Antonio who made it possible.

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR AD! To reserve your ad space call the Seguin Gazette at 830-379-5402 or email advertising@seguingazette.com GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 39

{ CULINARYCREATIONS }

CREAMY

N A G E V

P I D N BEA recipes and photos by michael pape

- Ingredients 1 pound dried pinto beans ½ peeled sweet onion, cut into wedges 4 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store bought 1 cup shredded Mexican blend vegan cheese 1 tablespoon salt

- Instructions Cook your beans! You can use an instant pot or stove top.

Instant pot: No need to soak your beans, just toss them in the pot with 5 cups of water, onion wedges, smashed garlic, and salt. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes, and allow a natural steam release.

40 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Stovetop: Soak your beans in water overnight, then drain. Add beans, onion, garlic, and salt to a 6 quart pot. Fill your pot with fresh water, it’ll need to be a few inches above the beans. Cook on medium heat for 2 to 4 hours, stirring as needed.

With your beans cooked (and very soft), drain the excess water and put it to the side.

Combine your drained beans and pico in a blender, and pulse until they begin to get smooth.

If the mix seems too dry, you can add some of the bean stock you put to the side.

Once smooth, add your cup of vegan cheese and pulse again.

When your mix is creamy and smooth, throw it in a bowl, top with some fresh pico, and enjoy!

THIC K

BRISKET QUESO

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- Ingredients 1 pound Velveeta, or choice of easy melt cheese ½ cup whole milk 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store bought 8 ounces chopped brisket, homemade or store bought

- Instructions Melt your cheese! You can use a stove top or bake in the oven.

Stovetop: Cube your cheese, and add to a medium saucepan along with milk, pico de gallo, and brisket.

Place your saucepan over low heat, and cook until the cheese is melted. Stir frequently. Once it’s all bubbly hot and melted together, remove from heat, put

it in a dish of your choice. Toss some fresh brisket and pico on top, and enjoy!

Oven: Cube your cheese, and add to a baking dish or disposable baking tin. Stir in your milk, pico de gallo, and brisket.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then remove and stir well. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, give it another stir, and carefully put in a dish of your choice. Add some fresh brisket and pico on top, and enjoy!

You can add diced jalapenos for more spice, use different cheeses, whatever subtle changes you need for more flavor. I might squeeze a lime in mine, from time to time.

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 41

bean dip vs queso

PLAY-BY-PLAY Story and photo by michael pape

I

n honor of this month’s football issue, I wanted to take two titans head to head. Two classics, two gameday staples, duking it out for the table title. Creamy bean dip versus chunky cheesy queso. To make it more interesting, I decided to make one dish healthier, and vegan friendly, then go all out with delicious, meaty, once-in-a-bluemoon-bad-for-ya, for the other. Let’s see how they match up, and keep an eye out to see how either side might mix it up to stay on top.

Bean dip:

Queso:

The creamy texture and taste announced immediately that this bean dip was going to put up a mighty fight. I couldn’t keep my finger out of the bowl as I decided on the proper bean dip delivery system. Eaten with crunchy tortilla chips, veggies, or even as classic bean and cheese tacos, I had plenty of options aside from spooning them out of the bowl with my fingertip. And, oh my, each choice did it for me.

Chunky, cheesy, thick, oh my. I was in trouble when tongue met chip with this dip. I knew I could easily fill up on this had I less self-control, but my mental fortitude held strong. The brisket I used gave just the right texture with each scoop, and my brain continuously demanded more. Mouth-feel alone made this a challenging opponent, and then cheesy goodness made it a title contender.

notes:

I used a well-chopped brisket in my queso, but you can get crazy and throw in sausage, chorizo, or even Beyond Meat. Heck, swap the Velveeta and whole milk for a vegan cheese dip alternative. Delicious alternatives are finally out there, and they’re getting better every year. With that, you have yourself a healthier, veganfriendly queso that hits hard. I could see any variation of this queso topping homemade enchiladas, fajita tacos, or a ton of other dishes.

Also, feel free to substitute a can of Rotel for the pico de gallo; I love the extra chew of the stewed tomatoes.

If you want a creamier bean dip, use more of your bean stock. Your preferred consistency is key, sometimes soupy is what one needs. Also, it’s fine if you can’t stand the vegan dairy alternatives. A salty delicious dairy cheese fits into this recipe, and tastes just as great. And, hey, maybe throw some cooked pork loin in the pot. Don’t have the time for instant pot or stovetop beans? Three cans of cooked pinto beans calls for a visit to the microwave, and your dish is ready to play.

notes:

Winner:

Everyone. All of us. The plethora of options for healthy eating, vegan eating, and let’s-get-crazy eating, means we’re in a time where we don’t have to have bland food to eat right. Our dietary needs and personal tastes can’t keep us from eating fun. As you read, either dish can be changed up to include vegan alternatives, or household preferences. All I know is with a handful of simple 42 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

ingredients I have a playoff favorite dip-or-two.

The real game winner: Make both dips however you like, and combine them on a tortilla. You’ll thank me for the queso and bean mouth-tackling taco. Two dips combined become an amazing game day meal, just like that. Keep experimenting, food is an exploration of partiality and tastes, and it’s always eating season.

Homemade Ice Cream

Come get some

In Downtown Seguin

Come See our newly remodeled Antiques & Collectibles Store

Serving Justin’s Ice Cream from the San Antonio River Walk

Now Featuring Gypsy Scoops Ice Cream Parlor!

110 S. Austin St., Seguin Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm • 830.379.1932

GYPSY

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES 1263 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels Mon-Sun 11am-6pm • 830.627.9883

265 W. San Antonio St. New Braunfels Mon-Sun 10am-6pm • 830-312-7372

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 43

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www.travelinggypsy.org | atravelinggypsy1@yahoo.com

THIS ISSUE’S FAVORITE FINDS have been picked by Desiree Gerland - seguin gazette creative director.

Thank you for continuing to support our community.

Taco Time Taco Bar Gift & Gourmet - $17.99

IT’S TACO TIME! Prepare and serve tacos and all the toppings with ease. Two ways to use – Taco Holder Rack, or flip it over for Taco Toppings Server.

212 S. Austin St., Seguin (830)379-1242 wwwgiftandgourmetseguin.com

Oniva - Ventura Portable Reclining Stadium Seat Tractor Supply Co. - $83.99

This “backpack chair” is a lightweight and highly-portable stadium chair, beach chair, game chair, and straight-up recliner! The bench has a lightweight steel frame, sturdy polyester canvas, water-resistant bottom, large exterior zipper pocket, and adjustable shoulder straps that make this your go-to travel chair! This stadium seat is perfect for sports spectating in comfort, whether you’re watching the pros or your kids (future pros).

1500 E. Court St., Ste. 900, Seguin (830)372-1222 www.tractorsupply.com 44 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Nike Essentials Ball Pump Hibbett Sports - $12

The Nike Ball Pump quickly inflates your favorite sports ball, giving you perfect bounce and feel! Dual-action air compression inflates your volleyball, basketball, or soccer ball faster than ever.

305 N. Hwy 123 Bypass, Seguin (830)379-6118 www.hibbett.com

It’s the SOLD sign that counts!

Let us help you sell YOURS!

PROPERTIES

BECKER’S BECKER’S Feed & Fertilizer, Inc. BECKER’S Feed & Fertilizer, Inc. Feed & Fertilizer, Inc. Karen MCMillan (830) 305-3600

Justin’s Homemade Ice Cream Travelling Gypsy - $3 per scoop

Bringing a taste of the San Antonio Riverwalk to Seguin, with several flavors to choose from. It’s always a beautiful day for ice cream.

Celina Ross (830) 743-0522

2433 N. AUSTIN • SEGUIN, TX • 830-379-5679 2433 N. AUSTIN • SEGUIN, TX • 830-379-5679 2433 N. AUSTIN • SEGUIN, TX • 830-379-5679

114 S. Austin St., Seguin (830) 379-1932 fb.com/atravelinggypsy

745 N 123 Bypass Suite B - Seguin TECL#17482

830-379-1776

Gameday Apparel Funky Monkey - $20

Comfy and cute!!! This graphic shirt pairs perfect with your favorite boots.

308 E. Court St., Seguin (210)410-5943 fb.com/FunkyMonkeyVintageVenue

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{ savethedate }

EVENT C A L E N D A R -September70th Annual Sausage Festival: FIFTH – 11 am - 11:30 pm Benefits the New Berlin Fire Department and Community Club. Enjoy homemade sausage starting at 11 a.m., bingo, raffle, silent auction, country store & more. A live auction starts at 5 p.m. & dance the night away to music by Clint Taft & the Buckwild Band starting at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: New Berlin Community Center, 8815 FM 775, New Berlin.

The Seguin Noon Lions Club - Fall Fling: NINTH – 5 - 7 PM Featuring a delicious pork steak dinner, (catered by Next Door Catering from New Berlin).

Proceeds used for the Lions projects in our community. Cost is only $12 in advance from any Seguin Noon Lions member, or $15 at the door, if available. Please enter through the E. Court entrance on San Marcos St. LOCATION: The Silver Center, 510 E Court. St., drive thru only.

Third Thursday - Hometown Bingo: sixteenth – 4 - 8 PM Explore Seguin with a fun Scavenger Hunt Bingo! Enjoy the lovely evening filled with live music from Derek Krueger & food trucks. Enter to win a huge Downtown Seguin package.

Location: 201 S. Austin St.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY: S eventee nth – 11 A M - 2 P M Join Guadalupe County and the Seguin Main Street Program every third Friday behind the Justice Center for delicious eats. Location: S. Camp and W. Donnegan.

Art at the texas: Ei g h te e nth – 6 - 8:30 P M Enjoy an evening of food, drinks, art, and entertainment in support of local arts programs.

Throughout the evening you will enjoy performances from the Mid-Texas Symphony, Teatro de Artes, and The DeLeons. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served and drinks available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Location: The Stephen & Mary Birch Texas Theatre, 425 N. Austin St.

Crafting meets fiction: Tw e ntieth – 9 a m Join the quilting circle with Jennifer Chiaverini. Checkout a book authored by Jennifer Chiaverini to receive a craft kit. Crafting Meets Fiction kits include supplies to quilt-up a pair of pumpkin coasters. Pre-cut autumn fabric for two coasters, felt, sewing needle, thread, and one set of instructions. Kits are available while supplies last, for adults only. One kit per patron with checkout. Location: Seguin Public Library, 313 W. Nolte St.

Send event details to seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com to have your event added to this calendar

G u a d a l u p e C o u n t y l i v i n g

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A

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NEVER MISS AN EDITION! ENJOY 12 ISSUES OF

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Antiques • Weird Stuff Cool Junk • Hand Crafts Furniture and more!

Funky Monkey

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FREE Piece of Jewelry

308 E Court St 210.410.5943

Fall Fabulous Finds With purchase of $25.00 or more!

Coupon expires 9/30/21

10-6 Tue - Fri. •10-5 Sat. Open until 8pm every Third Thursday

Market Days Every 2nd Saturday Funky Monkey

SEGUIN MAGAZINE

SEGUIN

NEW BRAUNFELS

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128 Hwy. 46 S

988 Mission Dr.

482 Hwy. 46 S

1190 Borgfeld Rd.

(830) 379-6659

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at Landa St.

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Next to Kohl’s

992 Business IH35 S 830-214-0622

at FM 3009

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Flowers Candy Dinner R

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GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 47

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