St. Thomas Eagles' Nest Spring 2022

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A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN ST. THOMAS BREAKS GROUND ON FR. WILSON FIELD

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St. Thomas High School Community Magazine Eagles’ Nest Printed March 2022 The Eagles’ Nest is published twice annually by St. Thomas High School 4500 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77007 713.864.6348 Rev. James Murphy, CSB - President Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96 - Principal Mary Criaco - Assistant Principal Mark deTranaltes ’83 - Vice President for Advancement Patricia Miller - Vice President of Finance Rodney Takacs - Dean of Students Keith Calkins - Director of Communications Steve Cummings ’07 - Alumni Director KH Studio - Layout + Design

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St. Thomas High School Community Magazine

DEPARTMENTS 30

Eagle Flight

Campus Ministry ensures liturgical life on the St. Thomas campus is emphatically at the heart of the Basilian tradition of goodness, discipline, and knowledge while St. Thomas Theater stages classic screwball black comedy Arsenic and Old Lace.

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Eagle Fight

Jack Wright ’22 and Cameron Price ’22 prove to be record-smashing pair without parallel for Eagle Football and the Sports Hall of Fame dignifies the latest class of luminaries.

Like us, follow us, keep up with us!

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@sthcatholic #mySTH

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features GIVING BACK TO PAVE THE WAY FORWARD

“Who am I to take advantage of so many blessings and keep them to myself? How can I not reach out to the next ‘me’ and push that young man in the preferred direction?”

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AT EVERY END, A NEW BEGINNING The larger than life legacy of Frankie B. Mandola ’65 continues with an $80,000 scholarship fund, a fitting tribute to a heritage in service to others.

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DRIVEN BY DREAMS, STANDING IN SPIRIT Hall of Honor member and renowned benefactor Al Clay ’61 is recognized into the prestigious Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor.

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FR. WILSON FIELD

CLASS ACTION

GAME CHANGER

Raymond Bourgeois ’70 is celebrated into the Hall of Honor after a lifetime of leadership, achievement, and priceless contributions to his beloved historic Third Ward community and to St. Thomas.

The groundbreaking of the new Fr. Wilson Field - the latest enhancement to the Joplin Campus redevelopment that will position Eagle Baseball in a league of its own.

STREET SMARTS

DYNAMIC DUO INTERPRETATION

There are many roles a man plays in life. Son. Husband. Provider. Civic servant. Auction & Gala honoree Jim Schwarzbach ’55 may lay claim to all but perhaps embraced none more emphatically than Coach.

Gus Boettcher ’21 and Patrick Pham ’21 concluded their profound St. Thomas careers with an unprecedented achievement at the prestigious National Speech & Debate Association Tournament.

ANSWERING GOD’S CALL

CELEBRATING FAITH, FREEDOM, FOOTBALL

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Remembering Most Rev George A. Sheltz ’63 and Fr. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB - two sacramental lives that profoundly touched the soul of the St. Thomas community for generations.

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The inaugural Catholic Bowl plays a perfect parlay to the educational mission of St. Thomas and Eagle Athletics.

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GIVING BACK to PAVE the WAY FORWARD { 6

One of the celebrated virtues of executive leadership in the 21st century is the willingness to be bold. In an age when disruption is always around the corner, calculated risk with large promise trumps cautious prudence that limits the downside. But someone has to walk out on that limb.

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Greg Phillips ’82 is an adventurous optimist whose indefatigable nature, intellectual prowess, and sizable management skills are a formidable combination.

As an acclaimed corporate attorney and impassioned civic servant, he has made a career out of making a difference. He’s that rare individual who inspires both respect and affection.

Yet beneath that gentlemanly manner burns a relentless pursuit for results. Phillips has remained connected to his beloved alma mater and now acts as the chairman of the school’s Board of Directors to help assure the next generation of promising scholars participate in the same rich Basilian experience he has found invaluable to his own success.

“I had friends growing up who didn’t make the wisest choices and paid the price,” Phillips says. “I was right there with them, could have gone either way. My life took a decidedly different path and St. Thomas was a huge reason why. The school opened my eyes and opened doors that I never imagined.

People like (former principal) Fr. (Albert) Gaelens, Coach (Mike) McConnell), Coach (Jim) Schwarzbach, and others mentored me because they cared. Who am I to take advantage of so many blessings and keep them to myself? How can I not reach out to the next ‘me’ and push that young man in the preferred direction?”

Phillips inherits an institution that is healthy and well-positioned.

He brings expertise with a sensibility for innovation and collaboration to ensure that St. Thomas remains strong across all sectors.

“College preparatory has morphed into a highly competitive enterprise,” Phillips says. “Families have a wide range of choices and we have to be proactive and intentional in making St. Thomas a prime option, regardless of the socio-economic profile. We’ve embraced that goal as our immediate priority.”

There are many ways to assess the performance of a board president. Fundraising success often tops the list, mobilizing support for a range of ambitious initiatives.

But that may be only the most visible aspect of the imprint.

Phillips’ exceptional interpersonal talents and strategic planning process have sought and received widespread input and buy-in.

“To influence a place like St. Thomas you need someone who can build genuine relationships with all constituencies, and I think that is one of Greg’s signature strengths,” says President Fr. James Murphy, CSB. “He is an authentic leader who builds consensus with people who may be very different.”

Phillips owns a firm appreciation for the potential of private school academia. He credits St. Thomas as the catalyst for his profound personal and professional growth. Phillips and his wife Cynthia have exercised the same gateway for their three children. Wesley attended St. Thomas before Westbury Christian High School and then Morehouse College.

Both daughters are proud alumni of St. Agnes Academy.

Madison is studying at Howard University and Sidney is finishing her master’s in global affairs at Rice University after graduating from the University of Texas.

In addition, Phillips has served as a foundation board member at St. Agnes, plus the boards at The Regis School of the Sacred Heart, Annunciation Orthodox School, the Houston Angel Network, the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce, BBVA Compass Bank, and the Houston Technology Center - always displaying the direction needed to drive measurable outcomes.

“For me, it starts and ends with family,” Phillips says.

“I’ve wanted to invest with schools because that’s where my kids were spending the majority of their time. I’ve been blessed that Cynthia has shared that same enthusiasm and supported those efforts. It’s always about relationships, not transactions.”

“College preparatory has morphed into a highly competitive enterprise, Families have a wide range of choices and we have to be proactive and intentional in making St. Thomas a prime option, regardless of the socio-economic profile.

We’ve embraced that goal as our immediate priority.”

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Phillips is the co-founding partner of Phillips Kaiser, a law firm of Houston business attorneys, and co-founder of The Legacy Project, a project dedicated to increasing diversity in the legal field.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Southern Methodist University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law. But Phillips remains emphatically connected to his family’s roots in East Texas where they still own property.

His parents were sharecroppers in Grapeland, then relocated to the South Park neighborhood south of the 610 Loop in the early 1960s.

While he was zoned to attend Jones High School in HISD, Phillips sought St. Thomas after graduating from St. Theresa Catholic School where his mother was on the faculty. He found an immediate peer group of friends from St. Peter The Apostle in the Greater Third Ward, plus rewards he couldn’t have anticipated.

“My freshman year I’m lined up at the back of the line for a football drill,” Phillips says. “Coach Schwarzbach pointed to me and said get your butt to the front. What he meant was segregation was over. This is 1978. I want you to lead calisthenics every practice. I want you to lead our team.

I don’t want you behind anyone. That gave me great confidence that I could accomplish whatever I put my mind to become. I think back to that moment even today at 56-years-old.

“Our freshman football team went undefeated. We then won the state title as seniors (in 1981) with Mike Haywood and Charlie Vatterott. I was a 170-pound all-state linebacker with an attitude to hammer whatever moved. But I realized in real-time that my future beyond St. Thomas would be through academics. I worked the books hard and was accepted into every college I applied to. I was set on Brown and the Ivy League but SMU offered a package where I actually made money as an undergraduate. It was a no-brainer.”

Phillips exercised a two-year deferment before attending law school in order to bank coin and gain a real-world perspective.

He opted for tech sales with IBM in Dallas and Sunnyvale, California, and later springboarded with his JD to associate general counsel for the Compaq Computer Corporation.

He joined Enron in 2001 on the brink of its bankruptcy and remained as assistant general counsel to manage a team in the dissolution of more than 3,000 subsidiaries worldwide.

Through the crucible of serial transitions, Phillips nurtured a vital association with Craig Kaiser. The two first crossed when Phillips clerked at the large Houston-based firm Bracewell LLP.

They then launched an independent practice that developed into a 26-lawyer operation across four cities.

Most recently they co-founded Phillips Kaiser, where they provide general counsel and other legal services to small, medium, and large businesses.

“The journey has instilled both conviction and humility,” Phillips says. “I’ve learned that not everyone views the world the way I do. And the various roles have stimulated my interest in a variety of domains. I’m just fascinated by the whole range of human experience. I’ve swung for the fences a lot. There were occasional strikeouts but I also made some serious contact.”

Changing the world requires inspiration. Phillips believes that future generations can discover theirs at St. Thomas.

He’s committed to preserving access for students of all means, the school’s continuing efforts to diversify the faculty, staff, and student body, and confirming a culture of inclusion. He has his eye on the long view, to posture St. Thomas “for maximum impact.”

“Coming through here, you understand the true meaning of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge, to take those words and make them real in your life,” Phillips says.

“Whenever I was faced with tough challenges, as a parent, as a professional, I would draw on that Basilian foundation to direct me appropriately. St. Thomas doesn’t only teach curriculum. The school teaches character, molds leaders.

That formation for me as a man is the reason I’m active here.

And I tell students with utmost sincerity, whatever you put into this school is what you will get out of it. It’s not pixie dust.

You have to earn it. But embrace the Basilian values and you will be fueled for a lifetime.”

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Class Action Passion. Purpose. Priorities.

Raymond Bourgeois ’70 has embraced and exemplified those defining qualities for a lifetime of leadership and achievement, contributions to his beloved historic Third Ward community and to St. Thomas.

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EARLIER IN 2021, BOURGEOIS ACCEPTED THE SCHOOL’S HIGHEST ALUMNI DISTINCTION, MEMBERSHIP INTO THE ST. THOMAS HALL OF HONOR. COVID-19 concerns prevented him from participating in the January event alongside his fellow inductees - Albert William Clay ’61, Colonel Timothy DeWayne Gatlin ’95, William Ferdinand Joplin ’54, and the Most Reverend George Arthur Sheltz ’63, recipients who reflect the broad and deep domain of a St. Thomas education and experience.

On September 20, Bourgeois returned to campus to officially join those notable alumni whose enterprise and ethic have brought prestige and pride to the institution. His cherished wife Laverne was among the host of family, friends, and supporters sharing in the revelry with scholars and the campus community at the annual Founder’s Mass, including nominating sponsor Tariq Gladney ’00 and councilmember Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz from District D. “My calling was to champion the kids from the inner city,” Bourgeois said with obvious satisfaction amid enthusiastic congratulations and joyful embraces. “This recognition is an accumulation of nearly fifty years (as an advocate improving the lives of children in his Third Ward). I was never paid. I was fortunate that I had a professional career that allowed for flexibility for that volunteerism. The individual accolades are gratifying but what means so much more to me is the platform to pass this example on to the next generation.”

The first Black president of the St. Thomas Alumni Association continues to invest countless hours and priceless contributions living out the Basilian mission in his daily life. He matches a supple approach with intent action and intense engagement to facilitate progress and changes in ways often subtle yet significant, including decades of hands-on mentoring in the Christian Youth Organization.

His emphatic presence and expertise is still being measured at Thompson and Blackshear Elementary Schools.

In his prepared remarks for the assembled audience, Bourgeois paid tribute to his Baptist father Roland and Catholic mother Josephine for their sacrifices that enabled him and his brother Frank ’73 to enjoy “16-plus years of Catholic education.

We learned goodness, discipline, and knowledge starting at home.”

He recalled the confidence and dignity of knowing that as a St. Thomas graduate “I wasn’t deciding if I would attend college.

I was deciding which college I would go to. (The current students) will have that same option. And when you become board presidents or start your own companies, become husbands and fathers, remember to always help someone else.

The rewards cannot be measured in dollars and cents.

“I’m a strong believer that not every student is the right fit for St. Thomas. But every student who wants to attend should have the opportunity. Raffle ticket sales from Round Up helped me and others like me to attend St. Thomas. You’re continuing that tradition, doing what is necessary for someone else.

Eagle Fight Never Dies! You’re going to take that with you when you leave here. And you’re going to have it for life.

It’s who we are. It’s what we are.

Service to others is the rent we pay to live on this earth.”

Bourgeois earned professional acclaim as a certified GIA jeweler and buyer for Wolf’s Department Store where he has worked since he was 12 years old. The mainstay on Dowling St. sits among a series of state historical markers, a testament to a distant past as well as a still-relevant future as an important center of African American-owned businesses and a hub for Black culture. The owner/president of Bushwar Enterprises Real Estate Management has remained a vital community activist serving on the boards of the Houston Urban League; the Houston Business and Development, Inc; the Third Ward Redevelopment Council; and Texas Southern University Athletics.

Consistent with such intense allegiance to heritage, Bourgeois was an influential and amplified voice in numerous 2020 getout-the-vote initiatives, a grassroots civic engagement to inspire African Americans to register and cast a ballot in November.

Bourgeois’ high school years crossed at the similar intersection of political, social, and cultural turbulence known as “the Sixties.”

He had “friends losing their lives in the streets and in Vietnam.

But I could always count on my home base. Honesty was essential.

Never look down on someone who perhaps has less than you do.

Have respect for all others.

And never forget the lessons learned within the family. If I could consult my younger self, I would stress to just do what you’ve been taught. God will prepare and provide a way.

Do your best. And you’ll be OK.” Bourgeois’ best was in full display at Xavier University in New Orleans where he first began to understand the value and power of his Eagle experience. “I was so well prepared beginning my freshman year. Many of the demands were no different than what I was used to at St. Thomas. Chemistry and biology major, accepted into medical schools but elected for other options. St. Thomas propelled me into that arena.

It was truly a college preparatory environment. I realized there was something special at 4500 Memorial Drive.”

The 1975 Xavier graduate later earned his Master’s in chemistry and was a vigorous participant in the University’s 2011 commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The celebration brought a landmark visit from President Barack Obama, the first-ever appearance to the then 86year-old campus by a sitting United States president.

Bourgeois shares distinction with Langston Hughes, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King Sr., Walter E. Massey, and Charles Bolden as lifetime members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Bourgeois later served Xavier’s Alumni Association, and his leadership roles extend to the Knights of Columbus, Council 803; and the Knights of Peter Claver, Founding Council 238.

Bourgeois has dedicated his life to demonstrating exceptional commitment to the city of Houston and the alma mater that he respects and reveres. His exemplary loyalty to both enhanced the diversity across the St. Thomas family: students, faculty, administration, and alumni. Such selflessness helps create an understanding for inclusion that recognizes the dignity of every member, welcomes each one fully, treasures their gifts as a reflection of God, supports them, and shares their ideals.

All of which unites Bourgeois with his fellow Hall of Honor inductees. Along with the unbending bond of what he fervently refers to as a “love of St. Thomas. We all had different paths with different talents. But the bottom line is the devotion for the school. The Basilian priests impacted me deeply. I grew up around a number of religious orders but the Basilians were different. And twenty and thirty and forty years after graduation, you see the results.”

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Batter Up. The latest enhancement to the Joplin Campus redevelopment will position Eagle Baseball in a league of its own.

St. Thomas faculty, staff, and community partners gathered on October 14 for a ceremony to break ground on the school’s new Fr. Wilson Field. The next jewel among the school’s ever-expanding athletic facilities will stand as one of the premier on-campus high school baseball parks in Texas and the region.

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number of prominent members from the Board of Directors joined President Fr. James Murphy, CSB; Vice President for Advancement Mark deTranaltes ’83, Principal Aaron Dominguez ’96, and Head Baseball Coach Adam Massiatte in celebrating the next transformative phase in St. Thomas history.

Texas-based and valued St. Thomas stakeholder Vaughn Construction is teaming with international architecture firm Stantec and Hellas Construction to rebuild the venerable ballpark from the ground up, much more than a makeover for the home of 24 state champions since 1953.

Funded as part of the 4500Forever capital campaign, the new Fr. Wilson Field is positioned in the north area of the Joplin Campus, creating a unique experience for one of the most loyal fan bases in high school baseball, combined with an enduring legacy of championships.

“These are extraordinary days for our athletic programs and St. Thomas,” deTranaltes says. “This is a linchpin move forward to unite our physical campus community and build our shared dream of excellence. We have been honored to help craft a thriving future for this program and the school, where student-athletes will thrive. We are truly grateful for all our benefactors who are making the Fr. Wilson project a reality.”

Views within the new facility will be striking. The multi-phase will incorporate individual chairback seating for a 440 capacity; a state-of-the-art synthetic turf that maximizes safety, playability, and utility; LED field lighting by Musco Sports, and a scoreboard in left center field featuring an Ace video board that measures 13 feet by 25 feet. The dimensions extend 375 feet to center field, 315 to right, and 305 feet to a left field fence that spikes at 16 feet, extending to left center and then dropping to eight feet to complete the outfield.

Student-athletes will be provided with improved and expanded home and visitor locker rooms, 50-foot dugouts, an expansive batting cage, and open-air pitching areas. The additional amenities include coaches offices and spaces for athletic training and equipment management. Graphics and content that highlight the program's rich history will adorn the walls throughout.

In addition to substantial structural updates, the new Fr. Wilson Field will feature a welcoming entry plaza accessed from the current baseball field parking, spacious restrooms, a concession area behind home plate, and media facilities.

“It wasn’t meant to be the most luxurious building,” Athletic Director Mike Netzel says. “More than anything, the idea was to create a home for our players, alumni, and vibrant supporters. And it’s a great opportunity to pay tribute to our legendary coach Fr. Wilson for all that he’s meant to St. Thomas and amateur baseball in Houston with a showcase venue.”

Fr. Wilson Field serves as the home of Eagle Baseball which proudly produced four state titles from 2010-17 under the leadership of eternal Astros icon Craig Biggio (2009-13) and his successor Ryan Lousteau (2014-18). St. Thomas has competed in 10 state tournaments in the previous 11 seasons with Massiatte emphatically continuing the championship identity of the program.

The Eagles reached the 2019 state title game in his first season as head coach and the state semifinals in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the previous campaign to be cancelled.

“For all the tradition and great players and coaches who are synonymous with Fr. Wilson, we honestly have outgrown the present location,” Netzel says. “This move gives us a much larger footprint. The setting takes advantage of the surrounding residential neighborhood on Dickson Street, the same dynamic views of downtown, and allows for alumni gathering areas.

Our fans will be thrilled by the game day experience.”

Filling the Fr. Wilson Field vacancy will be natural grass practice fields and valuable green space to best serve many of the 12 varsity sports of a surging Eagle athletic program that has captured the TAPPS All-Sports Trophy an unprecedented nine times in the previous 11 years that the honor was awarded.

The Joplin Campus, named to recognize the extraordinary philanthropy of Jane and Bill Joplin ’54 during 4500Forever, contains four vital components. All are different in their use, but all four supply Eagle student-athletes with superior mental and physical training and preparation facilities.

The extensive renovation includes more than 20,000-square feet devoted to enhanced practice amenities and locker rooms for Eagle Basketball and Eagle Wrestling, plus a complex for strength and conditioning, and sports medicine to be utilized by all Eagle student-athletes.

“THESE ARE EXTRAORDINARY DAYS FOR OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AND ST. THOMAS.”

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The jaw-dropping 3,760-square foot weight room offers custom equipment and one of the most comprehensive free-weight and exercise machine facilities in Houston while ensuring a safe environment. The technologically advanced 3,000-square foot sports medicine center emphasizes specialized diagnostic stations for therapy to promote rapid recovery.

“Our commitment, as one of the preeminent college preparatory institutions in Texas, has never been stronger,” President Fr. Murphy says. “Our athletic program has allowed us to open the doors of this institution to our city and beyond our state in unique ways. We’re blessed to upgrade the day-to-day accommodations and resources for our student-athletes. We truly thank the donors and contributors who stepped forward to make this happen and propel St. Thomas to take the very important next steps.”

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AT EVERY END, A NEW BEGINNING Frankie B. Mandola ’65 and Dan Sessions ’65 shared countless joys, laughs, and triumphs that extended far beyond their days at St. Thomas. What began more than a half-century ago as teaming for state football championship hardware morphed into collaborating on the next business bonanza or splitting a corner table at Frankie’s signature Damian’s Cucina Italiana for osso buco and a fine Chianti.

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“It’s extremely emotional because we’re moving forward in the memory of Frankie B.,” Sessions says. “We had a great run with the foundation and it’s a bittersweet moment to see it come to an end. But it’s appropriate to have St. Thomas benefiting in a meaningful way.”

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The spirit of their passion and partnership continues now nearly six years since Mandola’s passing. Their famed Texas Italian-American Sports Foundation has dissolved, a casualty in large part to the extended shutdowns and behavior wrought by the pandemic. The direct result is a boom to their beloved alma mater. St. Thomas is receiving an $80,000 scholarship fund, a fitting tribute to a heritage in service to others.

Sessions, Mandola’s wife Judy and son Johnny ’94, Sam Listi ’60, Michael Patronella ’83, and Lynda Pontecorvo joined St. Thomas President Fr. James Murphy, CSB, Vice President for Advancement Mark deTranaltes ’83, and Principal Aaron Dominguez ’96 on campus to officially create the tuition assistance fund.

The design is to embrace the same philanthropic efforts rooted in the charity Mandola founded in 1982 and inspired by Pontecorvo. Her father Luca and uncle Don Pontercorvo had established the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago in 1978. Three years later, Lynda moved to Houston and soon convinced Mandola to launch a local chapter.

Through due diligence, the TIASF gained traction and emerged as an independent identity in 1993. It would distribute more than $600,000 to assist scholar-athletes in advancing their competitive careers after high school.

“We all took great pride playing a small role to help Houston’s own pursue the sports they loved as they gained their college education,” Sessions says.

In 2014, Frankie B. observed that he and Sessions “had truly been blessed. We’ve enjoyed so many contributions for so many years. We all just wanted to help the kids. The first check was presented by (New York Yankee icon and Hall of Famer) Yogi Berra and (longtime Astros coach) Matt Galante to Larry Orlando in one of the skyboxes in the Astrodome. For $1,000.

We thought we had died and gone to heaven. And (in 2012), we gave Larry’s son a scholarship. That was really neat.”

Long known for his gregarious and infectious personality, the authentic Mandola first distinguished himself as a high school All-American scholar-athlete, later inducted into the St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame. He packed his mammoth two-sport talents for Rice University and rose professionally as a pillar among the first families of Houston food.

But Mandola perhaps earned his greatest distinction living daily the Basilian motto of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge. He was a loyal force in his lifelong dedication to St. Thomas and a consistent contributor to civic causes, none more cherished than leading the TIASF while working closely with Sessions to make valuable dollars available to a host of well-deserving student-athletes.

Unexpected realities forced the foundation to adjust and align differently to remain a relevant influence. Johnny Mandola succeeded his father as the foundation’s president and was positioned to fully appreciate the purpose of the past while providing a compass for the future. The father of fifth-grade triplets at St. Cecilia Catholic School - Reed, Nicholas, and Jackson - he owns a deep understanding of the power, and responsibility, behind preparing generation next to take flight.

e d i r p at e r g ok ll role o t l l a a “ We ying a sm on’s own t s ey u pla h o t H s t lp or to he e the sp gained u purs as they ucation”. loved llege ed co r i e h t

“We considered an array of options for the foundation but St. Thomas meant so much to my father and other members on the board that this became our obvious action,” Johnny says. “A significant number of St. Thomas students require financial aid to make their dreams become a reality. Dad would approve of his move because this school was in his soul.”

Judy says “the history here at St. Thomas is so strong.

Frankie and I met here during his junior year when I was at St. Agnes (Academy). It’s been a few years since he left us and we’re still receiving these great memories. This isn’t a bad closure. It’s a way for the essence of his generosity to stay alive.”

2014 Eagle state baseball champion Matthew Ashbaugh ’16 was a four-time scholarship recipient while continuing his pitching career at Washington University in St. Louis. Joining Ashbaugh among the litany of recent St. Thomas honorees were Hunter Cheek ’18 (Incarnate Word football) in 2019, Philip Matulia ’18 (Louisiana Tech baseball) in 2018-19, Jackson Hanna ’18 (Texas football) in 2018, Nicholas Phan ’17 (St. Edward’s baseball) in 2017-19, Alex Carnegie ’16 (Cornell baseball) in 2017-19, Carson Storie ’15 (Texas A&M rugby) in 2017, Max Machiorlette ’15 (Princeton baseball) in 2016-17, and Devin Bear ’13 (Northwestern St. baseball) in 2016. A trio of scholar-athletes receiving distinction in 2014 was Hunter Kopycinski ’12 (Rice baseball), Mitchell Matulia (Texas at San Antonio baseball), and Jonathan Sicola ’11 (Schreiner soccer).

Mandola served as the foundation’s president until his passing in 2016. Sessions remained part of the five-member executive board through the closing chapter. He believes that the benevolence exhibited by the TIASF was merely an extension of the values instilled when he and Mandola were developing as young men at St. Thomas. “That GDK motto definitely sticks with you. St. Thomas molds you into a good person and a caring citizen.”

Throughout the decades, the two received considerable support while tapping into their broad relationships with the city’s professional sports franchises. The Astros, in particular, played a significant role at the annual Scholarship Luncheon at Damian’s, including former Eagle championship coach Craig Biggio, his Hall of Fame brother in arms Jeff Bagwell, Galante, Larry Dierker, Phil Garner, legendary broadcaster Milo Hamilton, former Astros television announcer Bill Brown, current TV play-by-play voice Todd Kalas, and national MLB.com correspondent Alyson Footer.

Mandola would often marvel at what it meant “to the kids when they accepted their scholarship checks and shook hands with Craig or Jeff or Larry or Phil. And Milo was so dedicated to our cause. The great part about the luncheon was meeting those kids face-to-face, and understanding some of their personal histories. It was one of my favorite days of the year.”

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Judy remembered that Frankie“would always come home so enthused after meeting the scholarship winners, being able to give back. It was in his heart.”

Judy remembered that Frankie “would always come home so enthused after meeting the scholarship winners, being able to give back. It was in his heart.”

Mandola reminisced on the 50th anniversary of Eagle Football’s 1964 state championship that “this team is like one family.

What we learned at St. Thomas helped everyone in their businesses, permeated throughout their communities. Almost every one of us is a giver, not a taker, always willing to help, do something extra for someone in need. We simply followed a great Basilian tradition.”

And now Mandola’s lasting presence is significant in a transition offering another emphatic example of that rich legacy, marching forward with a relentless intent matched only by its fury to influence.

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There are many roles a man plays in life. Son. Husband. Provider. Civic servant. Jim Schwarzbach ’55 may lay claim to all but perhaps embraced none more emphatically than Coach.

Mounds of evidence add up to the man who is identified as Coach Schwarzbach, the honoree of the 2021 Auction & Gala.

It is all there, in layers, by now a folk chronicle, each tale told and retold in nearly the same language every time, and all irrespective of relative importance, time, or place.

By now, it is all so blurred, yet all so neat.

“I always felt I was just doing my job,” he says of his near half-century pushing, prodding, inspiring, never cajoling St. Thomas students.

“A lot of other opportunities kept coming up but what I was doing felt pretty good. Great school, great families. I was on top of the world.”

Schwarzbach returned to his alma mater from St. Anne Catholic School in the 1960s to primarily coach freshmen sports and lead varsity track and field. He produced state championships in 1978 and ’84, always with a mantra that remained and refrained regardless of title contention: “Improve, improve, improve - every day.”

Schwarzbach eventually absorbed a tapas menu of duties that proved more satisfying than a Bib Gourmand entrée health teacher, guidance counselor, no-nonsense motivator, a driver’s education instructor who routinely chauffeured students from problematic places, forging different backgrounds and personalities for a common purpose.

“I wanted to help them become better people, to grow up to be better men,” Schwarzbach says. “They were all students of St. Thomas. They were all number one as far as I was concerned. I didn’t always get it right but I didn’t mess it up on purpose.”

Schwarzbach viewed each Eagle as a seedling of hope. Nurturing it would require uncompromised resolve. His tactics were in tune with the times - a focus that burned with white-hot intensity and a vocabulary that could paint the room blue. His tongue could serve as a scythe, and there were those who received an occasional cut.

“Students needed discipline,” Schwarzbach says without a sliver of apology. “I felt it was part of my job to instill that and hold them accountable. I knew it was good for them, getting them ready for the world.”

Yet, once past the barbs and DEFCON levels of ribaldry, Schwarzbach’s most authentic quality was best associated with a much different four-letter word.

Love.

It’s active and passive, verb and noun. Schwarzbach loved and became loved. It emanated from a man who, to the uninitiated, didn’t exactly project the traditional conceits of affection, appearances all too deceiving. “I tried to put myself in the student’s shoes.

Their problems were real. I tried to help them the best I could.”

Feel the love.

St. Thomas Board Chairman Greg Phillips ’82: “I came to St. Thomas from a working-class family and to meet a man like Coach made me very comfortable. But every day he wore my butt out. Even though he would come down hard, I knew that he deeply cared about my well-being. ” Spread the love.

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Long-time St. Thomas stakeholder John Rynd ’75: “He had a heart bigger than Texas. He cared for every one of those kids, even though they didn’t probably know it until later in life.”

Infectious love.

Principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96: “So many students come back to visit our campus. ‘Where’s Coach Schwarzbach?

How is Coach Schwarzbach?’ They want to reconnect with him. He demanded a lot but with their best interests in mind.

He’s a seminal figure in the history of our school who everyone respects.”

Unconditional love.

Vice President for Advancement Mark deTranaltes ’83: “People hear his name and there’s genuine excitement. He represents the essence of St. Thomas for so many individuals, regardless of the decade. That connection, that mentorship, he’s the spark.

He held you accountable as if you were an adult. There was no sliding scale. That was the line he walked. This is what is expected.”

The ethos always resided inside, ready to be extracted through words, actions, stimuli. As the seedling’s roots matured, Schwarzbach’s guiding principle would crystallize. He was forever the virtuoso with a subconscious motive - seize a moment and make a memory.

“We couldn’t have had a more striking influence, in the positions he was in, especially for the freshmen,” Rynd says.

“He set a tone, a standard for what it meant to be a man of St. Thomas. For my generation, no one is more admired than Jim Schwarzbach. He gave his life to the Basilian mission.”

Coach. Ensuring students’ potential through a keen sense of confidence borne of experience with bursts of genuine joy and amusement.

Coach. A driving, inspirational force who served St. Thomas like few others in its 122-year legacy.

All for love. For his school.

I WANTED TO HELP THEM BECOME BETTER PEOPLE, TO GROW UP TO BE BETTER MEN. THEY WERE ALL STUDENTS OF ST. THOMAS. THEY WERE ALL NUMBER ONE AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED. I DIDN’T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT BUT I DIDN’T MESS IT UP ON PURPOSE.

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Supreme appreciation to the St. Thomas community for their overwhelming support of our annual Auction & Gala, honoring Eagle icon Jim Schwarzbach ’55.

Freak flags were flying as the Come Together theme was a far out flashback to those blowin’ in the wind, Summer of Love days of yesteryear.

Remember?

When the script was psychedelic, the vogue tie-dyed, with beards and beads, Jefferson Airplane posters, and peace signs made out of pennies. Liberations. Awakenings.

Earnest idealism reworked into a bacchanalian rhapsody.

To everything (turn, turn, turn) Can you dig it?

Special gratitude to the legion of volunteers led by chairs Angie Clinton, Julie Perry, and Stephanie Yankowsky for their tireless contributions.

The event was seamlessly spearheaded by Vice President for Advancement Mark deTranaltes ’83 and Director of Special Events & Volunteer Coordinator Catherine Chandler.

Proceeds contribute to the relentless Basilian commitment to innovative scholarship and the deeper purposes of college preparatory education. The benevolence signals to students, faculty, Greater Houston, and the region that Eagle alumni, parents, and stakeholders are invested in the school’s unique reputation in academia. The boundless obligation is to educate the whole person - mind, body, and spirit - all in the context of a Catholic identity that dates to 1900.

Good vibes had by all. Righteous, fab, all right, outta sight!

DYNAMIC DUO INTERPRETATION Gus Boettcher ’21 and Patrick Pham ’21 concluded their profound St. Thomas careers with a ground-breaking first-place achievement in Duo Interpretation at the prestigious National Speech & Debate Association Tournament.

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T

he national championship acclaim for Boettcher and Pham was the first in school history in one of the largest competitive college preparatory events in the United States that dates to 1931. The thundering twosome outperformed 201 teams of challengers through 13 rigorous rounds before capturing the most elite distinction.

The triumphant scholars created and enacted a deeply riveting and compelling scene inspired by, and dedicated to, their grandfathers who courageously fought for the United States in the Vietnam war.

When the official results were revealed online in June 2021, Boechter was “completely flabbergasted. Patrick and I have been working on this material since the seventh grade, acting together since the fourth grade. Our goal was to reach the final round and then see what would happen. The expectation wasn’t to reach the top spot but to tell this story the best we could. To win it all felt like an accomplishment that was years in the making. Amazing.”

Pham acknowledged that “Gus and I were not the cleanest, most polished actors. But I believed the judges saw our friendship was true, our rapport was genuine, and our story was real.”

With the tournament hosted virtually due to concerns relating to the pandemic, Boechter and Pham submitted a 10:00 video for adjudication. In a traditional setting, the two would have delivered their performance more than a dozen times in front of live judging over three-four days. Their undaunted portrayals penetrated the digital wall and articulated intimate insight with an emphatic command.

“Gus and I envisioned the story, the details, from beginning to end,” Pham says. “My grandfather is one of my idols. He created a path to the United States for our family. And in many ways, I’m a manifestation of his dream, the American Dream.”

Boettcher echoed much of the same sentiment, that their rendering was “personal, not political. The themes were universal, not agenda-driven. There was a strong sense of realism, not stylized for the stage. No cliches. I believe all of those factors resonated with the judges across a screen when we couldn’t connect with them directly.

“My character was a mix of both my grandfathers. My great-grandfather was on the D-Day Second Wave. Patrick and I agreed that we owed our ancestors to tell this story as a tribute. Their influence in our lives created enormous opportunities.

We’re both so grateful for their sacrifices. And that’s what was most gratifying about the process for me.”

The crowning achievement for Boettcher and Pham capped four years of paramount success in the celebrated St. Thomas speech and debate program anchored by faculty member Darrell Yarbrough. The two consistently earned renowned results in the most notable competitions in the country, including a ninth-place finish in the Association’s 2020 tournament.

”

“I’m happy that the St. Thomas name is represented,” Boettcher says. “The school played such an important role in cultivating my friendship with Patrick. And Mr. Yarborough was a huge part in how we worked together, particularly this year, spending so much personal time with us to make this accomplishment possible.”

“Gus and I were not the cleanest, most polished actors. But I believed the judges saw our friendship was true, our rapport was genuine, and our story was real.”

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The pair each received a $1,000 scholarship applied to their destination colleges. Boettcher is attending Vanderbilt University with a focus on human organizational development, business psychology, and political science. Pham was accepted into the Canfield Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin where he’s studying marketing and finance.

“I have had an almost obsession with speech and debate, watching national champions, emulating what they did and how they succeeded,” Pham says. “Now that Gus and I have reached this pinnacle, there’s a standard for the next wave at St. Thomas to aim for. We’re incredibly proud of our story, to show something authentic, and to have the validation from an outside audience made all our efforts well worth it.”

Earlier, Pham and Boettcher earned the Association's Academic All American distinction. The coveted award recognized academic rigor, champion speech and debate success, and personal excellence. Fewer than 1% of the more than 141,000 members of the Association shared such a milestone.

Pham was the 2021 St. Thomas valedictorian, based on the calculation of his four-year grade point average.

Boettcher was a National Commended Merit Scholar and student body vice president. Both were two-year members of the St. Thomas Chapter of the National Honor Society and earned permanent membership of the prestigious St. Thomas Club - preeminent scholars with a minimum 4.0-grade point average for seven consecutive semesters.

The sensational senior send-off included Pham accepting the 2021 Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics. The two-sport student-athlete was an important contributor during the unprecedented four-year ascent of Eagle Swimming that included consecutive TAPPS state championships in 2019 and 2020, and Eagle Track and Field’s 2021 state championship. Boettcher was selected for the Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award, given to the senior student who best embodies the school motto of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge.

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”

“The expectation wasn’t to reach the top spot but to tell this story the best we could.

To win it all felt like an accomplishment that was years in the making. Amazing.”

Gus Boettcher

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GROW AS MANY, DEVELOP AS ONE Liturgical life on the St. Thomas campus is emphatically at the heart of the Basilian tradition and values of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. Lay people, clergy, religious, and students are visibly committed to making God known, loved, and served.

President Fr. James Murphy, CSB and Principal Aaron Dominguez ’96 have empowered a collaborative Campus Ministry team that has emerged as an energetic and resolute force.

Director Andrew Quittenton with fellow faculty members Dr. Grover Green ’04 and Casey Johnson ’05, coordinator of service Joe O’Brien, and assistant Veronica Looper are a thriving, people-loving presence, fostering spiritual growth through worship and prayer, reflection and service, faith formation, and education.

In particular, the Father/Son retreats and Camp Aquinas initiative are bookend events staged at Camp Cho-Yeh outside of Livingston, providing measurable impact within individual students and extending to the daily engagement of the campus community.

Andrew Quittenton: The retreats are essentially avenues for fathers and sons to identify and explore areas of their relationships.

We wanted a remote setting with physical activities to expand comfort zones and create dialogue. On the last day fathers and sons composed insightful letters to each other and exchanged them along a two-hour walk.

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When Fr. Murphy celebrated a unity Mass, rather than delivering a homily, the fathers were invited in front of the group and were given a number of prompts - here is my son, I love you because (blank), I’m proud of you because (blank). Every one emotional and powerful, that kind of public affirmation, maybe for the first time in any setting.

The feedback, even from those families who were perhaps initially reluctant to participate, was overwhelmingly positive.

Open conversations that otherwise may not have taken place were initiated and have continued.

Grover Green: Choices Counselor Thomson Ivins led discussions with only the fathers, a forum to give them an opportunity to exchange pressing issues or struggles. It could be bad grades and bad breakups, the trials of the pandemic, anxieties or peer pressures, or on a few tragic occasions, even the loss of a classmate.

And then Thomson flipped the groups with only the sons with the same intent from the other perspective.

Students who have fathers who have passed or are simply not in the picture were encouraged to participate with a male role model or teachers serving as a proxy. The message was there are those at St. Thomas who are willing to step forward, fill that void, and be that mentor if the circumstances dictate.

Green and Quittenton are the chief architects behind Camp Aquinas, the five-day immersion for freshmen and named for the institution’s patron St. Thomas Aquinas. The consummate union of sanctity and intellect originated in 2017 and has expanded to incorporate the Eagle house system. Unplugged from electronics and technology, students have developed character, community, and culture.

And most importantly, gained an authentic understanding that a leader’s greatness is found in bringing out greatness in others.

St. Thomas has long discovered that students are enriched by the diversity of backgrounds, academic interests and experiences, talents, and goals. The house platform was designed to provide a deeply positive influence on student well-being, creating further opportunities for healthy camaraderie and competition among young men.

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Green: We’re witnessing the relationships between senior leaders and freshmen at Camp Aquinas remaining strong throughout the academic year. That’s a definitive endorsement for the potential of this endeavor as we continue to grow the event in the future. We have a pilot program set for the spring, an advisory setup where students would meet weekly within their houses and maintain the interchange that spawned at camp with a leadership component.

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We hope to extend the themes and experiences throughout the academic year. We’ve made some attempts in that vein with the freshmen but the goal is to better build that support and mentorship, reinforcing what we introduce in the camp.

Quittenton: We have 117 juniors who are interested in becoming senior leaders in 2022. We won’t take that many but that is a significant number who desire to work with the freshmen.

That response is a statement we’re on the correct track.

We’re also weighing a Friday through Monday format involving twice as many faculty members.

The faith formation program during the academic year is offering Mass on campus twice a week. On Tuesdays, there is a bible study focused on the wisdom and teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, then community prayer on Wednesdays, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Fridays.

This is a committed effort with faculty collaborating with students outside of the curriculum. A variety of spiritual habits are taking root. Students are seeing consistent participation from teachers outside the theology department, and that gives the enterprise authentic credibility that cannot be measured. Everyone within Campus Ministry is incredibly encouraged by the momentum that is taking traction within our students.

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RISING TO THE TOP Thanh-Vinh McColloster ’22 and Elijah Phillips ’22 have earned semifinal acclaim in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The two exemplary scholars represented among the top one percent of scores taken from the PSAT Qualifying Test and joined 37 previous St. Thomas students since 2010 who have reached at least that phase in the nation’s most prestigious and long-standing academic competition.

Eleven additional St. Thomas scholars were named to the College Board’s Class of 2023 National Hispanic Scholars Program. Invitation for the honor was extended to students who scored in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic and Latino PSAT/NMSQT test-takers in the region.

“The success of our students in this year’s National Merit program is remarkable,” principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96 says. “Whether it be in college-level coursework, university entrance exams, math and science, career competitions, or liberal arts, St. Thomas relishes the chance to discover where our students have a path to excellence wherever their passions drive them. We take extreme pride in this distinction, knowing the due diligence and dedication of both our students and our committed faculty members.”

The latest group bringing the St. Thomas total to 31 in the previous five years includes:

McColloster and Phillips will now compete with 7,500 students from across the nation for scholarships worth approximately $30 million which will be awarded in the spring.

In 2021, Zachary Bryant ’21, Dylan Michaels ’21, Noah Mims ’21, and Zachary Voltz ’21 rose to the semifinalists tier with Bryant, Michaels, and Voltz advancing as finalists.

Isaac Cabello Samuel Cornell Evan De Anda Nicolas Gonzalez Anthony Lilly Luka Ljuboja Jorge Morfin Eduardo Pena Jacob Pena Braydan Salinas Casey Salvatierra Salinas was also selected as an Indigenous Scholar and Seth Levy ’23 as a College Board African American Scholar.

These current results confirm St. Thomas as a leading college preparatory experience in Texas and a top-10 Catholic institution in the region.

THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS IN THIS YEAR’S NATIONAL MERIT PROGRAM IS REMARKABLE.

Six additional St. Thomas scholars were selected as National Merit Commended Students from the Class of 2022, recognized for “the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used for program entry.” The St. Thomas total in this esteemed category grows to 39 since 2017 and now includes: Carrick Brogan Mark Cheek Landon Croker Brett Koehn Carson Ondo Peyton Woodlief

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Given that students take the qualifying PSAT exam during their junior year, much of their readiness stems from learning opportunities as freshmen and sophomores.

St. Thomas builds on those experiences to provide students with a robust application and pedagogy for the SAT, a critical component in becoming a Finalist.

“These students represent a cross-section of our school, those who fully integrate academics with an unwavering commitment to service and a wide range of extra curricular activities,” Dr. Dominguez says. “We applaud our esteemed faculty for providing a culture of achievement and are blessed to have an enrollment representing a wide variety of talents. Our community is richer for that diversity.”

Sponsored by the not-for-profit National Merit Scholarship Corp, the program requires applicants to submit an extensive application that includes recommendations and an essay along with their academic record and subsequent SAT scores, school and community involvement, employment, as well as demonstrations of leadership and awards.

Thanh-Vinh McColloster ’22

Elijah Phillips ’22

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LEADING THE CHARGE St. Thomas is proud to celebrate the latest champion scholars earning membership in its prestigious chapter of the National Honor Society.

Commemorating more than 100 years saluting the nation’s most acclaimed students, the NHS is recognized as the nation’s premier organization rewarding high school students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, and character - the four pillars of the NHS since its beginnings.

The St. Thomas inductees maintain a superior academic performance while engaging in rigorous college preparatory and Advanced Placement courses. Members are expected to maintain their acclaimed standing and mentor underclassmen while selflessly making a difference in the world, no matter where they are.

“Our campus community is thrilled to congratulate these scholars for their resolute efforts toward highest achievement,” says Principal Dr. Aaron Dominguez ’96. “They model the power of resilient work and embody the Basilian values of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. As they continue their academic experience and spiritual journeys, I encourage them to embrace the joy of inspiring others to realize their dreams.”

THE ST. THOMAS NHS OFFICERS FOR THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE: President Brett Koehn ’22 • Vice President Landon Croker ’22 • Secretary Joe Anton ’22 • Treasurer Luke Evans ’22 • Parliamentarian Thanh-Vinh McColloster ’22

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THE 68 NEWLY INDUCTED NHS MEMBERS INCLUDE: Mateo Albrecht ’23 Luke Anigbogu ’23 Nicolas Barriga ’23 Ben Brown ’23 Ben Burch ’23 Austin Burke ’23 Isaac Cabello ’23 Arjun Chahal ’23 Samuel Cornell ’23 Caleb Davis ’23 Evan De Anda ’23 James Dickinson ’23 Colin Dixon ’23 Nathan Doiron ’23 Sean Donovan ’23 Logan DuPlantis ’23 Anthony Equale ’23 Tommy Erb ’23 Alex Erickson ’23 Matthew Fote ’23 John Griffiths ’23 Leo Grover ’23 Jack Guyre ’23

Grayson Haight ’23 Liam Hennen ’23 John Heyburn ’23 Nathan Hulvey ’23 Nathan Hunt ’23 Jonathan Jackson ’23 Matthew Jones ’23 Max Kaase ’23 Jack Keeler ’23 Blake Keller ’23 Garner Kelling ’23 Cole Kelly ’23 Jackson Knower ’23 Vincent Le ’23 Seth Levy ’23 Zeo Lin ’23 Brian Lively ’23 Luka Ljuboja ’23 Alex Lynn ’23 Logan Mahoney ’23 Luke Martin ’23 Evan McCarthy ’23 Caleb McClure ’23

Ryan McGuire ’23 Jorge Morfin ’23 Oni Mouton ’23 Ted Naeher ’23 Aidan Nanquil ’23 Ryan Nguyen ’23 Graham Nieland ’23 Thomas Pham ’23 Jake Pike ’23 Luka Salcedo ’23 Braydan Salinas ’23 Casey Salvatierra ’23 Sam Saman ’23 Trey Schaider ’23 Parker St. Raymond ’22 Michael Staron ’23 Caleb Sudkamp ’23 Collin Tautfest ’23 Jack Weaver ’23 Bradley Wight ’23 Damian Wilson ’23 Jad Zeidan ’23

THESE COMMENDED STUDENTS JOINED 43 FELLOW EAGLES FROM THE CLASS OF 2022 WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY TO EXCEL, SERVE, LEAD, AND SUCCEED WITH A GENUINE QUEST FOR CHALLENGE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT. Joe Anton Grant Arnold Nate Babineaux Patrick Bates Carrick Brogan John Brooks Henry Brown Bruno Castilla Mark Cheek Landon Croker Andrew Cromwell Luke Evans Wyatt Green Octavio Hinojosa Lawson Huff

Grady Jones Brett Koehn Dylan Lightfoot Colin Little Robert Longo Nico Lopez Joe Rick Madden Sam Mahlberg Thanh-Vinh McColloster Cooper Murray Carson Ondo Alex Ostrom Eli Phillips Maddox Prejean-VanMeurs Cameron Price

Charlie Ramirez Diego Ramos Joseph Romero Dylan Sandrock Mark Scott Edward Seymour Sami Taghlabi David Torres Ruben Vara Peyton Woodlief Andrew Wusterhausen Alex Yankowsky Peter Zhong

Involvement in the NHS is an exclusive responsibility, with students expected to continue to reflect the society’s high standards, as well as serve the school and their fellow students as academic leaders, ambassadors, and tutors.

Science faculty member Dr. Claire Conboy played a pivotal role in determining the deep St. Thomas NHS participation in her second year as chapter advisor.

“This is significant prestige that demonstrates the depth of the academic achievement thriving within St. Thomas,” Dr. Conboy says.

“We are about developing and nurturing our students to reach their potential not only through curriculum but as vibrant contributors to society. And this honor provides a guiding light for all our young men of what is attainable and what should be pursued.”

Previously, McColloster and Phillips earned semifinal acclaim in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program while Brogan, Cheek, Croker, Koehn, Ondo, and Woodlief were selected as National Merit Commended Students from the Class of 2022.

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A KILLER TIME Nothing drives descending chaos quite like family particularly when charged by lunatic misfits, murder, and mayhem.

The quaint house at first glance is anything but when it is revealed that Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, seemingly too sweet for unsavory, are serving their guests something a little stronger than tea in Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. The classic screwball black comedy was brought to life by the energetic and enthusiastic St. Thomas Theater for a robustly entertaining engagement at Cemo Auditorium.

Abby and Martha Brewster, played by Amelia Horner (Incarnate Word Academy ’22) and Zoe Yokubaitis (IWA ’23), proved confidently able in perfecting the art of euthanasia, offering laced elderberry wine to unsuspecting, lonely old men, leading to an early respite.

The eccentric pair are wholly devoted to their calling and unable to comprehend why their excitable nephew Mortimer (Brandt Peterson ’23) is getting so anxious about his astounding discovery.

The enduring, docile dears barely bat an eye at their penchant for poisonous potions or the mounting body count in the cellar. Nor are their peccadilloes the half of it. Barreling up and down the staircase is their partner in crime, nutcase Teddy (Damian Wilson ’23), Mortimer’s troubled, bugle-blowing brother, believing he is Teddy Roosevelt in the Battle of San Juan. Then there’s prodigal Jonathan (Joel Johnson ’22), a much-wanted

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murderer who recently escaped from an asylum and a ghoul-some Boris Karloff lookalike. Alongside is reluctant henchman Dr. Einstein (Casey Salvatierra ’23) who’s not THAT Einstein.

Amid such company, what chance is there of normalcy?

Insanity, Mortimer concedes, “practically gallops” in the family, much to the distress of his fiancée, the playful and always confused Elaine (Cecilia Carrasco, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart ’24).

“I couldn’t be more proud of the entire group effort,” says long-time theater director Dan Green. “There was great character development throughout the rehearsals, even from Friday to the Sunday finale. In every practice, there’s one missing element - the audience. And once the actors got that response, the laughter, there was a jolt that ignited them to another level.”

First-rate were Horner and Yokubaitis as the innocently scheming spinsters. Both captured sweet nurturing demeanors, the entertaining foils to the bumbling, exclamatory deeds afoot. Their matter-of-fact descriptions of crime were pitchperfect, oblivious to the implications of their ‘charitable’ logic.

Peterson showed great ease and flexible, reactive comedic skills in portraying the straight man in this frantic farce (the Cary Grant role in the iconic 1944 Frank Capra film).

His panicked incredulity at unearthing his family’s secrets was a welcomed livewire.

Arsenic and Old Lace was at its strongest when it balanced the lampoon elements of the play’s DNA. Officers Brophy, Hobbs, Klein, Murphy, and O’Hara, played by Hudson Hollingsworth ’23, Rhys Lloyd ’24, Daniel Hernandez ’23, Chase Molineaux ’24, and Evan De Anda ’23 were excellent examples. In their introduction, they practically wrestled with each other for the spotlight in true Marx Brothers fashion, setting the tone for the delightful evening.

De Anda was especially a scene-stealer whenever he entered the room. His deliberate character quirks and adept expressions/ reactions were a fantastic match for the show.

“It was truly an ensemble, rapid-fire humor with no one person serving as the fulcrum,” Green says. “Zoe was brilliant and Brandt’s take was phenomenal. Any work is only as good as the villain and Joel truly understood how to play the Korlofflike creature. This was his first larger role and he responded - great scary mannerisms, and performed it all with threatening undertones. Damian captured the core of Roosevelt. And I was so impressed by Evan and Casey.”

Another standout of the production was the delightful set design and construction led by faculty members Phil Gensheimer and Daniel Bryant ’93. Their expertise was enhanced by a legion of student assistants with skilled contributions from Audio/Visual Coordinator Chris Hodge and Lighting Manager Ben Haworth ’08.

Green lost a cavalcade of showstopping talents and vital supporting players through graduation. The returning talent pool in his acclaimed program was in the predictable churn with only three seniors available for the transition phase.

“COVID was still ongoing and my initial strategy was to choose a small play given the limited experience coming back,” Green says.

“But that doesn’t sit well with me because that usually means more demand (for roles) than supply. We took a 14-person cast and flipped into a 43-person play. And we’ve done that countless times. It’s the progression. The method is to give every actor an opportunity and see what he or she makes of it. They may earn a moment on the stage where they’re the focus. That gives them confidence that they contributed to the overall success.”

Arsenic and Old Lace has long been regarded as close to foolproof since its debut in 1941. Kesselring’s play enjoyed an astonishingly long first Broadway run with 1,444 performances.

Innumerable high school and community theater revivals have mounted through the years but this was Green’s first St. Thomas attempt at the shenanigans portraying the elderly, batty Brewster sisters and their equally out-of-kilter kin.

Credit Green for avoiding old hat and refreshing yesteryear’s historic run so that the escapist amusement would resonate for the TikTok generation.

“I’m always amazed - and grateful - to introduce the students to something that doesn’t bore them,” Green says. “And from the initial read-throughs, the students bought into the material.

They were enthused from beginning to end. And let’s face it, we all need some levity during these times.”

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DREAMS, STANDING in

SPIRIT ST. THOMAS is proud to share in the celebration of acclaimed graduate and renowned benefactor Al Clay ’61, who was inducted into the prestigious Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor.

Clay was among eight elite contributors representing the Class of 2021, joining seven new members from the previous year.

Their significant professional successes and selfless dedication to community were proclaimed during a hallmark event identifying excellence above and beyond the call.

Features

DRIVEN by

THE A&M CORPS OF CADETS is the largest, oldest and most visible student organization and leadership training

program at the University. The Corps established the Hall of Honor in 1993 to pay tribute to those former cadets who have lived a life that exemplifies the Texas Aggie Spirit. Those chosen also possess the values upon which the Corps was founded: honor, loyalty, service, pride, patriotism, faith, leadership, and honesty.

Clay received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from A&M and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas. He was a member of Company F-2, on Brigade Staff, a Fish Yell Leader, and a Ross Volunteer, serving as platoon sergeant his senior year. Clay then served in the United States Army at the Special Ammunition Support Command in Handorf, Germany.

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Earlier in 2021, Clay was elevated to the St. Thomas Hall of Honor, saluted with the school’s highest alumni distinction as a transformative leader with a lifetime embracing and advancing its Basilian mission.

The founder of Clay Development & Construction pioneered with his son Robert the profound re-emergence of Houston's commercial real estate development. Their services include designing, engineering, architectural, and site planning. Together they have developed nearly 300 real estate projects valued at more than $1.8 billion.

Throughout his acclaimed professional achievement, Clay has emphatically advocated for Catholic education and the growing needs of St. Thomas to further its objectives.

In 2015, he and his wife Dona assured legacy distinction with the largest leadership gift in the school’s chronicle, donating $10 million to the 4500Forever capital campaign.

Dona and Al’s remarkable philanthropy resulted in the naming of Clay-Storey Hall on the St. Thomas main campus. The honor united the Clays with former St. Thomas President Fr. Kevin Storey, CSB, the current Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil.

In 2018, Dona and Al were acknowledged during the annual Auction & Gala for their steadfast support of St. Thomas and embodying the genuine ideals of Clay’s beloved alma mater. Their galvanizing efforts promise to have a profound influence for generations on student life, faculty and academic performance, and life-affirming opportunities.

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Answering

God’s Call

The closing of 2021 marked the final chapters in two revered, committed sacramental lives that profoundly touched the soul of the St. Thomas community for generations.

On December 21, Most Rev. George A. Sheltz ’63, retired Auxiliary Bishop of Galveston-Houston who served with a spirit of hospitality and self-emptying through selfless service, passed at the age of 75.

Two days later, Fr. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB, the 21st principal in school history who deeply impacted the institution in a variety of capacities for a quarter-century, died at the age of 89.

“The prayers of the St. Thomas community are with Bishop Sheltz’s family, colleagues, and many connections,” St. Thomas President Fr. James Murphy, CSB said. “Bishop Sheltz engendered tremendous respect among all who were fortunate enough to work with him, not only because of his formidable expertise, but even more because of his wisdom, his collaborative spirit, and his genuine care for people. It’s a personal honor to say he was a trusted friend. We are saddened by his absence and ask for God’s consolation for his loved ones. May he rest in peace.

“I will personally always be grateful to Fr. Gaelens for the unfailing and gracious generosity with which he shared of himself with me and our campus community - as priest, administrator, and mentor. Fr. Gaelens was a tremendous ambassador for St. Thomas and I consider myself extremely blessed to have been able to work and learn from him. His passing marks the end of an era, and he will be deeply missed.”

In January of 2021, Bishop Sheltz was saluted with induction into the St. Thomas Hall of Honor, the school’s highest alumni distinction. He joined an acclaimed inner circle of former scholars with exceptional contributions to their professions and communities. The Bishop spent more than five distinguished decades serving with concentrated excellence in his home diocese, first as the spiritual shepherd for six parishes - Assumption Church, Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Christ the Redeemer Church, Prince of Peace Church, and St. Anthony of Padua Church.

In 2000, Pope John Paul II named Bishop Sheltz a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor. He proved to be an integral part of the Church’s chancery in a depth of important roles while making a significant and lasting impact for the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Texas and the 5th largest in the United States - secretariat director for clergy formation, chaplaincy services, vicar general, chancellor, and moderator of the curia. In February 2012, he was appointed to auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston

by Pope Benedict XVI, filling a position that had been vacant for two years and assisting Daniel Cardinal DiNardo in an archdiocese with nearly two million Roman Catholics in a 10-county region.

“There is real sadness for us at the death of Bishop Sheltz,” Cardinal DiNardo said in a statement. “He was such a kind and generous man, a faithful priest. Whenever I asked him to do anything, he always said ‘yes’ and did so cheerfully. He was a great model of a diocesan priest, conscientious. He mirrored Christ very much.”

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Features

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Sheltz's resignation on June 22 at the age of 75. He was succeeded by Auxiliary Bishop Italo Dell’Oro, CRS. "Bishop George was a good man and a good and humble priest. And he was a bishop with great humility, George trusted that God had chosen him and served Him faithfully even through undue suffering until his death. Now, I trust that he is in God's peaceful embrace."

Bishop Sheltz was born and raised in Houston with deeply rooted bonds within the Catholic Church. His father George Sheltz Sr. ’37 was in the first class of deacons ordained for the diocese. Uncle Monsignor Anton Frank ’26 was the first native Houstonian ordained for the diocese. His late brother Anton Sheltz ’68 was ordained for Galveston-Houston in 1976.

Bishop Sheltz entered St. Mary's Seminary, graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, and earned a Master's from the seminary in theology. In May 1971, he was ordained for the then Diocese of Galveston-Houston

by Bishop John Morkovsky.

“The Archdiocese lost a fully dedicated and wonderful priest in the death of Bishop Sheltz,” Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza said in a statement. “He was a friend to all who knew him and ready to help those in need of his priestly ministry, and always offered good advice to those seeking his help.”

Fr. Gaelens’ imprint is written throughout recent St. Thomas history and his Basilian order. Beginning in 1977, his invaluable presence was vibrant within the St. Thomas campus community as a faculty member in theology, guidance counselor, and vice principal before rising in 1987 to succeed Fr. Charles Christopher, CSB as principal for a significant seven-year tenure.

Fr. Gaelens returned to St. Thomas in January 2001 as Director of Alumni Relations and then retired in 2007.

Fr. Gaelens’ inner strength and motivation no doubt came from his love of God. Empathy proved to be an indelible part of his character. His emphatic influence also included leadership roles at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque and the Aquinas Institute in Rochester where he graduated in 1950 and received the meritorious service award in 2006.

Fr. Gaelens’ prestigious pedagogical career began at St. Michael's College within the University of Toronto. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in history and Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1955, then his Master of Education from the University of Rochester in 1957, and his Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Vocations from Catholic University of America in 1967. Fr. Gaelens was ordained from St. Basil’s Seminary for Theology in June 1960.

The annual Fr. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award is given to the St. Thomas graduating scholar who best embodies the school motto of Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge.

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H T I A F EC LEBRATING

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FOR GENERATIONS, ST. THOMAS has attracted scholars from across dozens and dozens of zip codes spread throughout the Greater Houston expanse in large part because religious faith and ideals, not geography, defines its community.

Rigorous curriculum, a proven college admissions process, thriving alumni involvement, and prominent post-graduate opportunities are all distinctive St. Thomas selling points. But no objectives arrive at the expense of remaining true to the strengths of its Catholic Basilian bedrock and the teaching of goodness, discipline, and knowledge. Scholar-athletes comprise nearly 70% of the enrollment and are encouraged to integrate into the campus community, developing meaningful relationships with peers and an identity beyond the realm of sport.

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That dynamic ethos more than a century in the making made an exclusive invitation to help launch the inaugural Catholic Bowl, a prime opportunity to be seized. The joint venture staged at the state-of-the-art indoor facility of the Dallas Cowboys included two other rising TAPPS powers and Little Rock Catholic from Arkansas. The marquee match-making was the genius of Patrick Steenberge, the founder and president of Global Football, a company that arranges for high schools and small colleges around the United States to play internationally. His supremely optimistic vision and exhausting due diligence with a small group of stakeholders brought the deal together.

Media technology has turned the loftiest echelons of the schoolboy gridworld into one big regional, if not national, neighborhood. Made-to-order neutral-site extravaganzas and live telecast/streaming battle royales routinely connect high-rep schools throughout Texas beyond the borders to California or Florida or New Jersey. But the Catholic Bowl was strategically crafted with a much stronger purpose a cultural exchange that saluted genuine religious identity while celebrating faith, freedom, and football.

“I knew immediately the vast potential presented by this collaboration, and we are grateful and thrilled beyond words to have been a principal partner,” Athletic Director Mike Netzel says. “Patrick and Global Football delivered above and beyond expectations to create a deepy memorable experience for all of us. ‘More than a game’ may sound cliché but it’s the apt description. The trip will be cherished by our program and families for years to come.”

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The Labor Day weekend doubleheader commemorated the 20th anniversary of the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Lives were lost and millions forever changed by the deadliest terrorist act in world history. The Catholic Bowl was designed to climax a series of distinctive events and activities held to mark the occasion, including a stirring testimonial from forever Notre Dame icon and four-time Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl champion Rocky Bleier, honored with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart following his tour in Vietnam.

COVID-19 protocols forced a streamlined Friday night agenda, including cancelation of a communal Mass to be concelebrated

by St. Thomas President Fr. James Murphy, CSB at Riders Field, the home of the Texas Rangers AA affiliate. But Bleier wasn’t prevented from addressing Eagle Football at their team hotel with a powerful account rooted from his personal trials.

The Fighting Irish team captain and member of the 1966 national champions was drafted into the United States Army after his rookie season with the Steelers. Three months into his deployment, Bleier was shot through the thigh while on patrol in the Hiep Duc district and suffered a grenade blast to his foot, more than 100 pieces of shrapnel maiming his legs and right foot. Doctors told him that he would be lucky to walk properly again. But Bleier then defied even greater odds, returning as a star running back with the historic Steel Curtain teams of the 1970s.

Bleier’s riveting narrative made a profound impression on Netzel and reinforced how the Catholic Bowl would pay real life, residual benefits for his traveling party.

“I often share this sentiment with our coaches and student-athletes,” Netzel says. “We have about five choices in our life. We can be bad at what we do. We can be average at what we do. We can be good at what we do - which may be the least of God’s expectation for whatever ability He gave us.

Or, we can be excellent. Or, we can be elite.

“We all have that choice as to what we say we want to do and how we claim to go about executing our plan. But if you’re going to be excellent or elite, you have to do special things.

You have to have special intensity, you have to have a special focus, you have to have a special commitment, drive, and passion to do things at a high standard all the time.

God given ability may make you good.

But without the rest of it, I’m not sure you will become excellent or elite.

And that’s what we’re trying to teach at St. Thomas, what we want every single day in every aspect. And that’s why I was raptured by this Catholic Bowl participation - what great reaffirmation to our core beliefs.”

THIS WEEKEND WAS SO MUCH ABOUT UNDERSTANDING TO HAVE FAITH IN EACH OTHER, FAITH IN GOD, AND RECOGNIZING THE FREEDOMS WE ALL HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY Game day outside the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco was strikingly similar to that infamous Tuesday 20 years ago, sunny and spectacular. Inside was the type of energy, hope, and optimism that comes with a showcase confrontation coming uncorked at the opening kick. And for the second consecutive contest to start the season, Eagle Football discovered a way to close out a raucous, never retreat outcome as if standard operating procedure, displaying an unflinching resilience that no doubt made Bleier particularly proud as the game’s honorary chairman.

In the kind of afternoon that leaves throats sore and words scant, St. Thomas staged a see it, still don’t believe it escape from a 10-point deficit late in the first half behind workhorse production from running back Johann Cardenas ’24, game-breaking jolts from receiver Cameron Price ’22, and a sudden late-tick takeaway from sledgehammer linebacker Jack Ward ’23 to seal a pulse-pounding 38-31 victory over Plano John Paul II.

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St. Thomas trailed 20-10 less than 3:00 before halftime when quarterback Jake Wright ’22 (13-19, 216 passing yards) bought time in the pocket, rolled comfortably to his right, and confidently found Price, who turned and bolted up the near sideline for a 25-yard touchdown to shrink the count to three.

In the second half, Cardenas continued to flash a vision, patience, and physicality beyond his years. He racked relentless yards after contact, shook the unblocked defender, and jumped inside or out to reach the second level seemingly with ease. He finished a 10-play touchdown drive in the third quarter with his second short-range score to give St. Thomas a 24-23 advantage. And those gains on the ground and in the underneath passing games were part of a larger dominance in the trenches behind tackles Wyatt Green ’22 and transfer Patrick Wallace ’22.

In only his second St. Thomas start, Wright displayed poise and command without a single sliver of panic despite trailing by double digits. With the senior transfer at the controls, the Eagles converted third downs, didn’t turn the ball over, thrived in the red zone, and feasted on opportunities.

Late in the third period, he dialed up Price alone deep in the left seam for a twisting, dazzling two-handed grab worth 38 yards. Five plays later, Wright crashed a read option through the left side to push the advantage to 31-23.

After JPII knotted the score in the final stanza with a clockcrushing possession that bled nearly 9:00 of game time, Price injected his third crucial adrenaline shot, igniting the final bounce back with an explosive 56-yard kickoff return to the Cardinals 33-yard line. Five touches from Cardenas carried to the brink of the end zone. Wright plunged in for the game-winning margin with 1:44 remaining.

But piling up points on all six of its offensive possessions was oh so close to not quite enough for Eagle Football.

JPII countered and reached the St. Thomas 12-yard line before its defense pressured a last-chance throw into an area more crowded than a rogue vaccine site. With the collective fingers of the St. Thomas faithful likely calloused from all the work rolling rosary beads in the waning seconds (a Catholic Bowl, after all), Ward played the part of hero, cradling the game-clinching interception in the shadows of the end zone to save Eagle Football’s Saturday and, maybe, its sense of self.

The menacing performances from linebackers Zach Rocha ’23 (14 tackles) and Tegan Spencer ’22 (11 tackles) led a marauding crew auditioning for the next set of Cowboy Bebop bounty hunters. Ward’s bad intentions included 10 takedowns before his momentous and magnified late-game moment, the sort that is eminently Instagrammable and remains incandescent for a lifetime, which explains why we watch, why we pour so much energy into a sport that exists ostensibly to take our minds off more important matters.

We watch to witness the purest joy, the truest intent, to see young men test the limits of what is possible and forge a model for adult success. To paraphrase Teddy Roosevelt, to risk failing while daring greatly.

“Our guys represented St. Thomas in every way we would expect, on and off the turf,” St. Thomas Head Coach Rich McGuire says. “They executed a solid game plan and fought hard to the last whistle. But this weekend was so much about understanding to have faith in each other, faith in God, and recognizing the freedoms we all have in this country that so many others don’t enjoy across the world.

We told them to take advantage of that, play high school football in a great environment, and have fun.”

The indelible marks embossed on memory were capped with St. Thomas featured during a Fox & Friends segment on the most-watched morning show on cable news.

The priceless exposure originated from the Ford Center with more than a million viewers on Sunday morning.

Eagle student-athlete Joe Rick Madden ’21 was included in the feature along with Bleier and Steenberge, all joining hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy, Will Cain, and Lawrence Jones.

From its founding in 1900, the leaders of St. Thomas have believed that vigorous athletic competition plays a perfect parlay to the educational mission of the institution. The fervor of Eagle Athletics is to inspire and facilitate all its scholar -athletes to embrace championship-caliber pursuits with steadfast resolve, to triumph in character as well as spirit regardless of the scoreboard results.

The first-ever Catholic Bowl offered yet another glimpse of Eagles performing with integrity, intelligence, and balance - a life lesson that lasts long beyond the deserved, but ephemeral, euphoria of victory.

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IRRESISTIBLE MEETS IMMOVABLE Eagle Football faced an offseason reboot, not rebuilding in the classic connotation of the word, but not quite reloading either for the fifth season with head honcho Rich McGuire. New quarterback. New offensive line.

New defense.

Out-of-state transfer Jake Wright ’22 materialized on the St. Thomas scene surrounded by more mystery than Tarantino stuntman Cliff Booth, then carried the position in the preseason to earn QB1. The son of Division II head coach Brian Wright at Pittsburg State in Kansas flashed immediate, remarkable poise and patience in the pocket with enough arm, athleticism, and command out of the gate to rescue last-second trillaramas against Needville and Plano John Paul II in the inaugural Catholic Bowl. His stunning introduction to Texas Friday Night Lights ignited a confident launch to the campaign. Wright was among the new arrivals providing easy answers but questions remained elsewhere on the depth chart with only two returning starters.

No doubts existed in the aerial game where relentless receiver Cameron Price ’22 returned as one the most dangerous, determined threats in the Great State. He emerged as Wright’s primary target with futon-like flexibility that allowed the Eagle offense to morph into fresh identities.

Wright initially capitalized on built-for-success game plans that leaned on quick screens and short slants. He soon developed a broader grasp of the offense and afforded creative mastermind Matt Hudson more play-calling variations, particularly with Price splitting coverage in the vertical game, leveraging the edge or space in jet sweep action, and separating from overmatched, alleged defenders for explosive gains after the catch.

The blitzkrieg bop offered plenty of pop to embrace for Eagle Football.

The overhauled roster was on dazzling display during four impressive wins in its first five encounters. The ballistic offensive outfit proved aggressive and balanced through an 8-2 regular season, bulldozing six of the last seven opponents by a margin of 236-38.

The Eagle defense stabilized after unsteady beginnings, but the reality was that it needed to be only so good at the most critical junctures to complement an uber attack that looked as though it could plaster points on any opponent.

Ram-like running back Johann Cardenas ’24 bruised and bludgeoned when not bursting with attitude as a dynamic all-purpose weapon essential to the championship-contending plan. He averaged seven rib-crushing yards a carry for an 891 rushing total along with nearly 600 receiving yards, all good for 14 touchdowns.

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Price headlined a resolute receiving corps that included rock steady Joe Rick Madden ’22 (496 yards and nine touchdowns), Sam Mahlberg ’22, the emerging Shaffer Henderson ’23 and Luke Edgecomb ’24, all of whom displayed breakout beats.

The offensive front anchored by Wyatt Green ’22, Matthew Villafranca ’23, and Patrick Wallace ’22 stacked week-to-week maturity with a physical presence from the inside out in springing the ground game or providing clean protection for Wright to slice and dice as if sushi master Jiro Ono were creating an omakase tasting menu.

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Sledgehammer linebackers Zach Rocha ’23 and Tegan Spencer ’22 were agents of chaos, combining for 52 individual tackles and taking part in 182. Charlie Batterson ’22 and linebacker Tommy D’Onofrio ’24 racked 4.5 of the team’s 15 sacks but as a unit, the Eagles collected only nine turnovers, including two fumble recoveries.

The Eagles were nothing if not consistent in overwhelming the teams it should, falling but twice by single-score outcomes determined in the frantic final minute. They enjoyed a season-long perch among the schoolboy upper crust, ending the regular season as the No. 3 private in the Houston Chronicle media poll and the No. 2 tote by VYPE Houston. After suffering their first district setback in 16 games and surrendering solo status as guardians of their galaxy for the first time in four years, the Eagles appeared to know exactly who they were entering the November money month.

They had seen what was possible. The postseason standard demanded an upgrade to what was required.

After earning a Division I area round bye for the second straight year, Eagle Football traveled to Buffalo to face Dallas Bishop Lynch in a regional final, the seventh tournament mano-a-mano between the two programs since 2011.

St. Thomas shook a shaky start and graciously accepted the Friars’ generosity for a jump start. Rocha claimed two botched shotgun snaps and Wright promptly cashed both short-field opportunities. A pair of precision payoffs for points, first to Madden on a left-to-right slant and then a right corner fade to Henderson pushed Eagle Football in front 14-7.

Late in the first half, Cardenas roared seemingly through the entire Friar defense for a 36-yard angriest of romps for his ninth rushing touchdown. The Eagles seized major mojo heading into halftime ahead by 14.

Wright and Price continued to wave their witchcraft late in the third quarter. After overcoming a second-and-17 and converting consecutive third downs, one of the most lethal pass-catch duos in Texas high school football burned single coverage down the middle for a 45-yard strike to give St. Thomas its second two-touchdown advantage.

But Eagle Football couldn’t sustain the finish, not even with Price collecting a short toss in the right flat and rocketing 72 yards down the sideline with 10:25 remaining in the fourth period to seize a 35-28 margin.

After Bishop Lynch evened the staredown with a run-heavy 70yard drive, Wright and Price put St. Thomas in supreme position in the closing maniacal moments to decide the sudden scoring-fest.

First, the pitch-and-catch pair without parallel connected on a smoldering fourth-down hookup from midfield that Price piled prime real estate to the Bishop Lynch 13-yard line. But the threat stalled and a 32-yard field goal attempt pulled outside the uprights with 2:10 remaining. The Eagles shockingly received a reprieve, a Friar fumble just inside St. Thomas turf with 1:04 on the clock. Three plays later, a Wright-Price laser shredded the middle of the beleaguered Bishop Lynch secondary to the 11-yard line but a holding penalty wiped out the massive gain and a chance to secure the victory.

The deep dive into overtime was as if the spirit of Teddy KGB was heard haunting the Eagles in their helmets and headsets Hanging around, hanging around. (They) got alligator blood.

Can’t get rid of (them).

The high stakes shifted and Wright was all in, tapping his inner Mike McDermott circa 1998 (“You can’t lose what you don’t put in the middle ... but you can’t win much, either.”).

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A dart to Edgecomb delivered to the brink of the end zone and Wright then dove in for this fifth rushing score of the season to surge St. Thomas in front. In the second extra session, Wright’s one-play reply after the Friars moved ahead was a gutsy 25-yard lightning bolt to Price in stride to the post, followed by the must-have two-point completion to Edgecomb to remain alive for a third OT. The ongoing anxiety spelled suffused with tension. The entirety of the game comprised a rugged classic. But St. Thomas could not match the dramatic duel of one-play two-point conversions. The Eagles fell cruelly short in a raucous, dizzying 52-50 sudden death verdict, forced to endure more wild twists and momentum shifts than Lady Gaga ravaging through House of Gucci.

Not enough was Wright wrapping his scintillating one-and-done St. Thomas stay throwing for 424 yards and five scores, extending his single-season school records to 3,750 and 43 touchdowns with one solitary interception in 317 attempts. Seventeen of his scoring tosses were to the peerless Price who set St. Thomas standards with 80 catches and 1,549 receiving yards after a career-best 232-yard night.

Eagle Football closed with each of its three pulse-pounding defeats suffered in the furious finishing ticks and by a total of 13 points. Yet for all the sexy scoreboard shows and individual record-smashing glitz, the only team hardware collected was the share of a district title, the outcome pumping a spike on the misery index.

The gauntlet of games that determine a state champion carries a mantra simple in theory, demanding in execution - survive and advance. Style points are never a bankable currency. Winning ugly is always still winning. Merely escaping in the end is increasingly acceptable. Eagle Football learned such an unforgiving lesson, starring in their own scary installment of Nightmare Alley.

The exacerbated truth was a season left to hang on one last desperate, defeating snap with no opportunity for rebuttal.

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NEEDVILLE 28 EAGLE FOOTBALL 35 Senior transfer quarterback Jake Wright ’22 threw for four touchdowns to four different receivers in his scintillating St. Thomas debut while his backup turned running back Caleb Davis ’23 crashed in for a short-range game-deciding touchdown with 1:15 remaining to give Eagle Football a dramatic victory to open the 2021 campaign.

Wright executed with the strictly prescribed efficiency of a Japanese bartender.

He completed 24-31 with 215 of his 343 yards targeting receiver Cameron Price ’22.

Their 64-yard pitch-and-catch score in the final 5:00 of the third quarter tied the game 28-28.

The Eagle defense hammered robust and rousing results in their opening salvo of the season, as fearsome as they were fun.

The thrillamatic verdict in front of a packed house at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium was the first season-opening win for St. Thomas since defeating Kinkaid 27-20 to launch 2016.

HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 0 EAGLE FOOTBALL 42 Wright blistered the Mustangs for 339 yards and three touchdowns, dived in for a fourth, and a seawall of defenders notched the first St. Thomas shutout since 2016 in a curbstomping at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium.

Eagle Football seized the instant advantage when running back Johann Cardenas ’24 (15-155 rushing yards and 179 all-purpose) romped 56 yards to the end zone on the third play from scrimmage. The bulge was 21 at halftime, expanded to 28 after the first St. Thomas series of the second half, 35 following its next offensive snap, and 42 when Davis returned an interception 46 yards on the next play following the kickoff.

The Eagles’ fifth straight home win raised their record to 3-1, matching the mark in the 2015 campaign that ended the regular season 9-1.

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ST. JOHN XXIII 10 EAGLE FOOTBALL 42 Another blistering night for Wright with 326 yards and five touchdowns. A lightning bolt score from mighty-mite Marquis Kiatta ’24 who raced 100 yards with a secondquarter kickoff. The three-time undefeated district champions were undaunted, opening defense with a mugging at Hotze Field inside Granger Stadium.

Wright and Price continued to dramatically enhance the future value of their names, images, and likenesses. On the second snap of the game, the two tag-teamed for their sixth touchdown of the season. The 50-yard strike up the right hash marks hit Price (4-114 receiving yards) in stride and he raced untouched to the end zone to set the tone for a dominant St. Thomas evening.

Explosive romps and savage stomps and a rocket man electric return the length of the field produced a punishing Tyson-Spinks quicksilver knockout. The Eagles outmuscled, out-schemed, and easily out-performed the visitors for a 15th consecutive district win and sixth straight home victory.

SAN ANTONIO CHRISTIAN 0 EAGLE FOOTBALL 35 The white-hot Wright sizzled for five touchdown passes, three to Price to continue a pair of searing senior seasons, as St. Thomas blazed a five touchdown rout for its second shutout in four games and a seventh straight victory at home.

The high octane Eagle offense was again as sharp, lively, and compulsively watchable as The Many Saints of Newark, minus the delinquent tendencies of young Tony, and all the homicidal temper and tribal backstabbing.

Cardenas mauled Christian for 192 all-purpose yards while receiver Joe Rick Madden ’22 turned four grabs into 120 yards. An admirable all-around defensive effort was fronted by linebackers Tegan Spencer ’22 and Zach Rocha ’23 as the Lions were abruptly bull-rushed into oblivion.

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EAGLE FOOTBALL 35 SA ANTONIAN COLLEGE PREP 14

Wright sliced, diced, and scorched the Apaches for 345 yards with four touchdowns in another dazzling display with the explosive Price as St. Thomas (6-2, 3-1) slapped an impressive, business-like victory for its 17th district win in 18 games.

One of the most productive pitch-and-catch partners in the nation flashed an aerial spectacle that may have matched Francis Scott Key blowing his mind over the rockets’ red glare. Wright and Price were overwhelming on a soggy, sloppy turf, connecting 14 times for 198 yards. They set the tone with consecutive completions worth 21, 12, and 18 yards to finish a six-play, 2:24 possession in the second quarter for a 14-0 advantage.

The tenacious D delivered the strongest, naughtiest by nature effort since Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee were in a hip hop hooray heyday, making Antonian appear as aimless as Demi Lovato on the quest for alien lifeforms.

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Wright racked 362 yards with four more touchdowns, two to the raucous receiver Price, and St. Thomas burned and buried the Panthers for an 18th district win in 19 games.

Eagle Football (7-2, 4-1) arrived in a rude mood to make Stevie Ray Vaughan envious and then hammered the point home with the force of a nail gun.

St. Thomas exploded for 37 unanswered points through the first three quarters, a spontaneous combustion not seen since Squid Game erupted on streaming audiences.

The Eagles never felt the slightest game pressure and continued to own the long-standing series with a fourth straight victory and ninth since 2012.

TOMBALL CONCORDIA LUTHERAN 0 EAGLE FOOTBALL 45 The flame-throwing Wright capped a record-smashing regular season with four touchdown passes while Humvee of a running back Cardenas battered and bruised for 218 all-purpose yards with three scores in a stomping that earned the three-time defending undefeated district champions a share of the title.

Eagle Football administered a stop, rip, and roll to make J Roddy Walston & The Business rock with approval. Only 22 plays were needed in the first six St. Thomas possessions on Senior Night to produce an avalanche of points.

With a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Wright dumped a short toss to Cardenas who weaved from left to the middle and slightly to the right for a 56-yard catch-and-romp score, the 36th of Wright’s scintillating one-and-done rodeo to break the all-time single-season St. Thomas standard.

The Eagles posted their 19th district win in 20 games and third shutout in seven outings to close the regular season 8-2, 5-1.

They cruised to an eighth straight victory at home with enough perfectly-timed shock and slash to rival a Laurie Strode and Michael Myers freakout (“Sleep tight, kids.”).

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TRILL TWINS Jake Wright ’22 and tag-team partner Cameron Price ’22, quarterback and receiver, the forever fling and cling of Eagle Football, confirmed to be far more dangerous than advertised by their deceiving tales-of-the-tape.

Neither measured above six feet tall yet they operated as a gargantuan pair without parallel for one of the most improbable joy rides of the 2021 Texas high school gridworld.

Wright topped the state’s regular-season passing charts with 3,326 yards while peerless Price was third in the Great State in receiving yards with 1,317 on 72 catches. Wright’s jaw-dropping production was against a single solitary interception in what developed into a better than fiction one-and-done senior rampage.

He connected on 73% of his throws with 14 of his 38 touchdown tosses directed at Price.

Their startling weekly installments of new-age passing pyro were delivered with OG sensibilities.

The Trill Twins.

Trill - a mashup of the words true and real - minted

by Houston rapper Bun B who was often reluctant to apply the moniker with quick judgment. Wise logic from the truly trill one. But Bun would no doubt certify the stamp for the Eagles sizzling stat-stuffers. He fully understood the power of two, just as he was never meant to be a solo artist, and achieved his greatest success when paired in the great Texas rap duo UGK. The email arrived for Rich McGuire in late February of 2021. The head coach of Division II Pittsburg State in Kansas requested a callback, likely interested in one of McGuire’s graduating Eagle Football players.

But in the course of the 15-minute conversation, Brian Wright quickly shared that he was reaching out on behalf of his son Jake who was looking for a favorable transfer landing for his senior high school season. The Wrights had family in Houston for support and the reputation of the St. Thomas program was enticing to consider a bold move.

McGuire indicated he would be at his Grand Lake vacation house during spring break, about a 75-minute drive to the Pittsburg campus, and would be willing to visit with the family to discuss some particulars.

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“By the way, you didn’t mention what position Jake plays?”

“Coach, I wouldn’t be calling you if he wasn’t a quarterback?”

Brian Wright was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Toledo for four seasons and the offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic from 2012-15. He was preparing for his second season as head coach at Pittsburg State when McGuire arrived at the Gorillas indoor facility to give Jake an insta look-see.

“He shows up from high school, jumps into the drill work with the college guys, just shorts and a t-shirt,” McGuier says. “Right away, you see Jake doesn’t have the biggest size but he could spin the ball, accurate, solid footwork, and mechanics. Fundamentally sound. Coach’s kid.”

McGuire forwarded some video clips on his smartphone to offensive coordinator Matt Hudson for rapid reaction. The return text read “That will do.”

McGuire then met with Jake, Brian, and his wife Laura and discussed how a transfer could potentially work.

There would be no guarantees of playing time.

Any and all consideration would have to be earned.

“When I left Pittsburg, I honestly thought I would never hear from them again,” McGuire says. “Crazy idea.

Who’s going to send their kid to Houston out of nowhere for one football season?”

In May, McGuire received a message from Jake.

“I’m coming. Will be there the first week of June.

Have a summer course already scheduled. When do workouts start?”

After a series of shared 7-on-7 duties and the preseason proving ground, Wright emerged as the St. Thomas starter for 2021. He then proceeded to deliver doses of statistical dominance and staked his claim for having not only the best campaign of any quarterback within the TAPPS hierarchy but also among the elite anywhere in the Texas high school ranks. He was nearly flawless for 11 consecutive starts, thriving in the midst of Hudon’s see-the-Matrix play-calling ability, which sort of neutralized the “WuT AbOUt hIs aRm StrEn?” angle.

“It was stunning how quickly Jake learned the schemes,” Hudson says. “This playbook is deep, college-level quick-tick demands. Multiple progressions.

Setting protections. His efficiency from the beginning was remarkable.

He simply didn’t make mistakes maybe one bad decision all season.

And right away, you knew he hated to lose. Just win.

Didn’t care how.”

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Wright discovered a soul mate of sorts in Price who had seamlessly negotiated his own relocation to St. Thomas following his sophomore year. He was a boundless, glue-grip receiving craftsman exploiting underneath against combo zones, relentless in the screen game, and a matchup nightmare when facing man coverages regardless of the technique.

He conquered to win slants, back shoulders, whip routes, and go balls. He broke through and past frailing defensive backs for yards all over the field after contact or the catch.

“Cameron is an outstanding Texas high school football player.

He could play for anyone in the state,” McGuire says. “If he’s four inches taller, he’s a five-star recruit. Everybody in the country would want him. More than anything else, he came to play every time the ball was kicked. He was ready to go to the fullest.”

The stunning profile ascent of Wright and Price didn’t need to be activated by a Dave Campbell’s Texas Football cover story or a meme going viral on TikTok. Off the field, their personalities are as quiet as ants crawling on cotton.

Come Friday night, their exploits exploded into overdrive with wicked-awesome fluorescence, the border-to-border rep built on the field, not driven by an algorithm that flooded attention to check out the hottest must-see mojo.

Their lists of distinction were so long that they looked like the spring touring itinerary for Bad Bunny.

Wright was recognized on Bally Sports Southwest as the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week for private schools in Texas and by H-Town High School Sports with Todd Freed.

Price was highlighted during Week 9 as the KPRC & UTMB Health Athlete of the Week. They were both first-team all-state and all-VYPE Houston, and finalists for offensive player of the year by the Touchdown Club of Houston.

The compulsion to prove. Again and again. Therein lies the legacy.

You don’t have to be exceptionally fast. You don’t have to grow exceedingly tall. Unmatched strength is not required.

But undeniable will, yes.

Your game can be skillful, fortified by wits and grace and style and uncoachable instinct. Those are the gifts.

And cool. Absolutely, cool. The Neanderthal bruise brothers from the defensive line may charge at your face and you would step to the right, step to the left, let them pass with their misguided fury. Cool. The disguises of the defensive backfield would fall away before your eyes. Cool. You would seize the perfect play for the perfect moment, then run it perfectly. There never would be doubt. You simply would be better in the high-pressure bit of football business.

You would render detractors wrong. Then make them shut up.

You can’t do it! Yes, we can!

Isn’t that the heartbeat of sport?

Trill.

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SELECTIVE SET

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CREATING A LEGACY REQUIRES TALENT AND TIME. DEDICATION. SPIRIT. AND A GREATER VISION. AND THAT VISION BEGAN AT ST. THOMAS. For five luminaries and a group of legendary state champions, their reputations now carry the greatest recognition afforded a St. Thomas scholar-athlete - enshrinement into the institution’s prestigious Sports Hall of Fame.

Character. Contributions. Brotherhood. Noble notoriety defined who they were as young men. And who they have become.

For themselves. For their families and communities. For their institution. And for the future of St. Thomas.

The latest inductees along with the triumphant 1965 Eagle Football state champions understood that the race was never over. The journey had no port. The adventure never ended because they were always ... on the way. The 2020 honorees were remembered and revered in a rousing November celebration in Cemo Auditorium hosted by Athletic Director Mike Netzel. The festive salute was delayed more than a year because of COVID-19 concerns.

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David Apolskis ’89 was a highly decorated offensive lineman and fulcrum for the 1988 state champions before accepting a prestigious scholarship to the University of Southern California.

The big bruiser on campus possessed the advanced ability to explode into an opponent and drive him five yards back, drawing an avalanche of attention from college recruiters.

He didn’t just block, he embarrassed. He didn’t merely finish plays, he destroyed.

Along with his size and straight-ahead speed, Apolskis added a rare, phenomenal lateral agility and balance. He could slide and adjust to a stunt like a tippy-toe dancer, the same 265-pound guy capable of annihilating a defender playing him straight up.

Following a redshirt season, Apolskis started six games at center for USC in 1990 and earned second-team freshman AllAmerican honors. He quickly picked up the necessary tricks of the trenches to pair with his raw power and natural quickness.

But the joy of being a beast in a big man’s game, the joy of being a superior athlete with vast potential was abruptly silenced in life-threatening fashion.

Two days before the Trojans were to report to practice in August 1991, Apolskis was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Surgeries and chemotherapy treatments that removed cancerous abdominal lymph nodes wiped out his season. He triumphantly returned to football and finished his collegiate career in 1993.

“I showed up as a freshman at St. Thomas and three weeks later my father passed away,” Apolskis says. “This school, my teammates and coaches and teachers got me through that. The strength I gained from that experience was invaluable in dealing with cancer. I was also surrounded by a great support system at USC. And honestly, I was only 20 years old. I wanted to live. I was determined to win the battle.”

Apolskis received his Master in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in 2007 and is currently a sales specialist with Mission Critical Systems for Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The Apolskis’ athletic lineage runs rich and deep. His brother Rick ’85 was inducted into the St. Thomas Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 after a standout career at Arkansas. Their father Richard was the St. Thomas head basketball coach from 1972-78 following a distinguished playing career at the University of Houston for Hall of Fame head coach Guy Lewis. Grandfather Chuck was a defensive end for the Chicago Bears. And great uncle Ray played linebacker and offensive lineman for the then-Chicago Cardinals before and after his World War II military service commitment as a captain in the Marines who fought in Okinawa, Japan.

He then was part of the Cardinals’ last NFL championship team in 1947.

“This is not the NFL gold jacket but to share this same Hall of Fame recognition with Rick is just as special for the two of us,” Apolskis says. “More than anything else, this is a celebration and honor for my mother Roxanne, all that she did as a single parent to provide a future for me and my younger brother John.”

Nduka Odizor ’77 was a transfer student from Nigeria, sponsored to the United States by University of Houston psychology professor Dr. Robert Wren. Odizor led Eagle Tennis to a district team title, earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Houston three years ahead of his basketball-playing countryman, Hakeem Olajuwon. Odizor was a three-time All-American at UH, a 1981 NCAA semifinalist in singles and doubles, and was voted the Male Academic Cougar of the Year.

In 1983, Odizor rallied from two sets to none and match point in the third to defeat No. 4 Wimbledon seed Guillermo Vilas in four hours, four minutes on the way to the round of 16.

He added professional tournament titles that year, in Taiwan and Nigeria. The tennis odyssey included climbing from a world ranking of 457 in 1980 to as high as 52 in 1984 and representing Nigeria in the 1998 Summer Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Odizor’s impact is measured outside the lines of his game, changing the trajectories of lives. He is the president of Anointed Holdings Group, LLC, a property developer for affordable housing and commercial real estate for the sub-Saharan region of West Africa, and is an honorary member of Tennis for Africa, a non-profit outreach program designed to benefit under-served youth.

“My story has come full circle. A poor guy coming from Africa, adopted by foster parents, educated by the Basilian Fathers, graduating from college, and playing in the Olympics. When I came to St. Thomas, I needed the structure, the discipline, coming from a different culture. What I learned here was benevolence which is why I’m so involved in helping kids.”

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Thomas J. Robinson ’89 was a distinguished two-sport two-year captain for Eagle Basketball, and Eagle Track and Field. He blazed a 10.3 100 meters and a :47 400 meters at the Texas Southern Relays, earning an athletic scholarship to attend Lamar University, where he holds school records in the 400 meters (46.33 in 1992) and 200 meters (21.32 in 1993).

In 1992, Robinson became the first Lamar student-athlete to reach the NCAA Indoor National Championships and was the program’s only qualifier until 2009.

“The credo of goodness, discipline, and knowledge has given me a direction, driven me to be the best throughout my life, whether academics, athletics, or as a person. Since leaving high school I’ve come to appreciate all the opportunities St. Thomas provided, to be around excellence. The challenges were demanding but that’s life. I was prepared to be successful.”

Larry Strelau ’64 was an accomplished two-sport co-captain scholar-athlete who quarterbacked Eagle Football to the 1963 state championship game against Waco Reicher Catholic.

Strelau earned an athletic scholarship to continue his baseball career at the University of Houston. He was the starting catcher in 1967, teaming with All-American Tom Paciorek, Ken Hebert, and Ike Lewis in leading the Cougars to their first College World Series since 1953, reaching the CWS final against Arizona St. “I never thought when I was a St. Thomas student that I would return one day to enter the Hall of Fame. I went to St. Thomas with the goal of getting an education, playing for great coaches and winning championships.

Definitely, it never crossed my mind eventually receiving this kind of recognition. I’m eternally grateful.”

C. Tyrell Whisenton ’94 was an acclaimed two-sport scholar-athlete for Eagle Athletics.

The three-year starter and 1994 All-State performer for Eagle Basketball earned All-Greater Houston by the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post while averaging 21 points per game.

Whisenton accepted an athletic scholarship to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio where he is a member of the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The two-time NAIA All-American and a three-time All-Heart of Texas Conference selection twice participated in the NAIA national tournament. Whisenton led the Rattlers in scoring during his sophomore and junior seasons and was a valuable contributor on the 1996 conference championship team.

He remains the school’s all-time 3-point leader with 176 during his four-year career.

Whisenton received his bachelor’s in psychology from St. Mary’s and his Masters in Business from San Francisco Art Institute.

His professional profile includes serving as an insurance and financial services agent for State Farm, a franchise owner for Human Healthy Vending, and a proprietor for Outback Steakhouse. He is married to Ginger Grimes Whisenton, also a member of the St. Mary’s Athletics Hall of Fame after leading the volleyball program to its most successful period in school history - a 148-23 record from 1993-96 and a fifth-place finish at the NAIA national tournament.

“There was always a unique feel walking into Reckling Gymnasium. The first time was when I was at St. Peter’s and we played the middle school tournament here, such a strong impression, that’s the reason I decided on St. Thomas. Goodness, discipline, and knowledge have carried me through my life, whether my playing career or my business opportunities. I’m passing those values to my daughter (11-year-old Sydney) in every way I can.”

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1965 Eagle Football dominated to repeat as TCIL state champions with head coach Joe McDonald and lead assistant Burr Davis. The program’s third straight crown came in the midst of eight state titles from 1964-73.

23-0 over Mt. Carmel, 7-0 over St. Pius X, and 82-14 over Marian.

The lone setback was a 14-6 defeat to La Porte. The postseason included a 14-6 win over Galveston Kirwin (later merged into O’Connell College Preparatory).

The Eagles featured a bespoke offense and bone-crushing defense during an 11-1 assault, capped by a 27-7 victory over Waco Reicher Catholic to seal consecutive titles, allowing 65 total yards and only three first downs in the clincher. The tour de force included six shutouts with four straight to start the season, a 23-13 victory over Clear Creek to avenge the only defeat from the previous season, plus 14-0 over Strake Jesuit,

The headliners included tri-captains John Sage ’66, Larry Stegent ’66, and Mike Young ’66 with Sage and Stegent later selected in the 1970 NFL Draft. Nine scholarathletes earned Division I scholarships to Houston, LSU, Rice, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas-El Paso, Tulane University, and the United States Military Academy.

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There is a flip side to Apolskis the football giant, Apolskis the Hall of Famer. Apolskis the humble, gentle, loving heart, which isn’t celebrated in the machismo of the hard-knock gridworld.

He and his wife Leslie have two thriving daughters. Sanna is a sophomore at Fordham University studying digital media.

Erica is a high school junior at Tomball Memorial.

The many common connections Apolskis has always shared with his fellow Hall of Fame brothers is a deep, foundational root in making a difference, within his family, his community, anywhere he’s called.

“Those three special words say it all - goodness, discipline, and knowledge,” Apolskis says. “I have a wonderful wife and I couldn’t be more blessed to have her as a partner in this journey. She pushes me to be better, to do more, to be the best person. And inevitably it comes back to what was instilled here at St. Thomas.”

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THE TICKER SPRING 2022 ST. THOMAS PEOPLE IN THE NEWS AND ON THE MOVE. Johnny Carrabba ’77 was the keynote speaker at the 2022 Economic Outlook Conference sponsored by The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce. The founder and owner of Carrabba’s, Grace’s, and Mia’s restaurants remains a prominent influence among the pioneering restaurant families in Houston.

Zach Barfuss ’98 founded Barefoot Bros Lawn and Landscape in 2016 after more than a decade as a global business development manager at Infostat Systems, an oil and gas software company.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Advertising at Texas State University in 2003.

John Lewis, Jr. ’83 has been selected

by Shook, Hardy & Bacon to lead its Houston office. The acclaimed trial lawyer and business strategist joined Shook as a business litigation partner in 2019. He currently chairs Shook’s firmwide Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Initiatives across Shook’s 17 offices.

Lewis served as chief litigation counsel at The Coca-Cola Company, advising board members on government investigations, corporate compliance, and class action litigation. Following his tenure in Coke’s legal function, he was appointed to serve as a member of the company’s global human resources leadership team as head of diversity and workplace fairness.

Lewis earned his law degree from The George Washington Law School where he now serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, and his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Morehouse College where he was a Presidential Scholar.

Conor McEvily ’03 is an associate at Gibbs & Bruns LLP, focusing on appellate advocacy, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts and in domestic and international arbitrations. He joined Gibbs & Bruns in 2019 following a career in the appellate section of Vinson & Elkins LLP. The recipient of the 2003 Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award and Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics earned his Bachelor of Arts in English in the Honors program at the University of Notre Dame in 2007, then graduated from Georgetown University Law in 2011 as the senior administrative editor for the Georgetown Law Journal. McEvily is currently serving on the St. Thomas Foundation Board.

Bishop Oscar Cantu ’85 Diocese of San Jose, was elected President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Hispanic Affairs Subcommittee for 2021-24.

Previously he headed the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico and was the former chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Matt Toomey ’97 has debuted Little Dreamer Coffee at the Stomping Grounds in Garden Oaks. Previously he founded the popular Heights cafe Boomtown Coffee.

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Liam O’Rourke ’05 is a senior associate with Baker Botts, specializing as a trial attorney who represents plaintiffs and defendants in federal courts, state courts, and international and domestic arbitrations.

The 2005 recipient of the Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010, then graduated from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2015.

Jared Bench ’06 is a director of provider engagement at Humana. The 2006 Principal’s Award winner earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at Texas A&M University and his Master of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

Matthew Strom ’06 is in his second year as director at Bank of America after three years as vice president. He previously spent more than seven years at Southwestern Energy as a staff reservoir engineer with financial expertise in mergers and acquisitions, and asset appraisal. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2010 and his Master of Business Administration from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in 2016.

Brant Flowers ’07 is a controller at Gracon LLC outside of Denver after leading as a senior accountant and controller at Karsten Interior Services.

He earned his Bachelor and Master of Accounting from the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University.

Patrick Norwood ’07 is serving in the United States Navy as a program manager and evaluator in the MQ-8 Naval Air Forces Fire Scout program in San Diego. The 2017 recipient of the Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics completed his scholarathlete track and field career at the U.S. Naval Academy, earning his Bachelor of Science in History in 2011.

Jeff Parent ’08 is a senior vice president at Insight Equity. The 2008 recipient of the Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting, then received his Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Blake Jolivette ’09 is a senior general manager for Otis Elevator in North Texas. He completed his scholar-athlete basketball career at American University, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Kogod School of Business in 2013.

James Ziemba ’10 is a process engineer at Valero Energy Corporation. The 2010 recipient of the Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and his Master of Business Administration from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College in 2015.

Conor Biggio ’11 is a financial and market research analyst at First Wave BioPharma, Inc. after two years as a marketing and communications specialist at NRG Energy. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in 2020.

Biggio completed his scholar-athlete baseball career at the University of Notre Dame where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies in 2015.

Legacy graduate Cameron Arndt ’13 is a staff accountant at ABIP CPA and Advisors after two years at Ubernosky & Majeres. He completed his scholarathlete football career at Millsaps College, earning his Bachelor of Business Administration in 2017 and Master of Accounting in 2018.

Aaron Reiss ’13 is in his fourth year as the Houston Texans beat writer for The Athletic after covering the University of Missouri athletics for the Kansas City Star. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from Missouri-Columbia in 2017.

Justin Sebo ’13 is a senior associate at KPMG. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 2018.

Ben Condara ’14 is an associate at Colliers International after completing his scholar-athlete baseball career at Loyola University New Orleans, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Marketing in 2018.

Andre Pradia Jr. ’14 is an application consultant at Akerna Corp, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Mgmt. & Master of Science in Management Operational Excellence at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Chris Zook ’14 is president at the Freedom Foundation of Texas after leading as political director for Wesley Hunt for Congress and a 2017 military fellow in the United States Senate. He served as an United States Infantryman at Fort Bragg from 2014-17.

Jack Brady ’15 is an analyst at the GulfStar Group. He completed his scholar-athlete football career at Millsaps College where he was a Southern Athletic Association AllAcademic selection in 2015. Brady earned his Master in Accounting at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Cameron Cash ’15 has joined the audit and assurance staff at Deloitte in the San Francisco Bay Area.

He completed his scholar-athlete baseball career at Claremont McKenna College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government in 2020. Cash then received his Master of Accounting from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

Campbell Clarkson ’15 is a PhD scholar in management science at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.

The recipient of the 2015 Rev. Carl M. Allnoch, CSB Athletic Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Academics graduated magna cum laude from the Honors College at Louisiana Tech University in 2019 while earning his Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Supply Chain Management.

Ben Hanks ’15 is a project engineerat Tellepsen after earning his Bachelor of Science in Construction Science from Texas A&M University in 2019.

Max Machiorlette ’15 is a capital markets analyst for Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a global commercial real estate services company in the San Francisco Bay Area.

He completed his scholar-athlete baseball career at Princeton University, earning his Bachelor of Arts in History in 2019.

Ben Neukomm ’15 is a financial analyst for Oceaneering after three years at Amegy Bank. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.

Payton Pardee ’15 is the tight ends coach at the Texas A&M University - Commerce. He completed his scholar-athlete football career at the University of Houston where he was a multi-year American Athletic Conference All-Academic selection while earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2019.

Bryan Stieneker ’15 is a research analyst at AlphaBrook in Washington, D.C. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English in 2019 from Washington and Lee University where he was one of five recipients of the John M. Evans English Scholarship for outstanding English majors.

James Grant ’16 is a mult-media journalist at KBMT-TV in Beaumont.

The recipient of the 2016 Rev. Albert R. Gaelens, CSB Award earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2020.

Myles Fucci ’17 is a model for ONE Management. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Global & International Studies/Political Science from Loyola University Chicago in 2021.

Travis Bartniski ’18 scored in the 61st minute in a late rally that fueled Norwich University to capture third place in the National Collegiate Rugby Division II Tournament, the program’s third such finish since 2016.

He closed out his acclaimed career as a driving force behind Norwich’s rising national profile. The program has compiled a 51-10 record during the previous five seasons in 15s action, including five straight conference championships and trips to the national tournament.

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in memoriam

Hugh J. Rafferty ’42, June 20, 2021 Father of Michael P. ’67, Kevin J. ’68, Timothy R. ’74 and Thomas H. Rafferty ’83; brother of John H. ’38 and Patrick H. Rafferty ’48.

Frank B. Campisi ’48, July 25, 2021 Jim E. Coleman ’49, July 5, 2021 Adolf A. Pfeffer ’49, November 15, 2021 Brother-in-law of Burke O’Rourke ’45.

Nick J. Alexander ’50, September 19, 2021 Rudolph M. “Rudy” McClellan ’50, August 16, 2021 Father of Samuel A. ’71 and Larry J. McClellan ’72.

Richard S. Ruiz, MD ’51, September 16, 2021 Father of Raymond P. and Robert M. Ruiz ’78; brother of John J. Ruiz ’49; uncle of John J. ’81 and Kenneth M. Ruiz ’82; grandfather of Richard B. ’08 and Ryan P. Ruiz ’23.

Hall of Honor Class of 2000 and visionary ophthalmologist in hospitals and universities in Houston. Ruiz was the founding chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston since it was established in 1972 and for the next 40 years. He also played leadership roles at what is now Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he established the Hermann Eye Fund, which offered care for underserved patients as well as funding for research and training.

David L. Melville ’52, July 20, 2021 Dr. George O. Zenner ’52, July 13, 2021 Donald G. DePugh ’53, October 27, 2021 Brother of Richard E. DePugh ’51; brother-in-law of Charles Fischer ’47; uncle of Charles J. ’75, Edward R. ’79 and John T. Fischer ’82.

William J. Malek ’53, July 11, 2020 Cousin of Leo J. ’52 and Rudolph F. Malek ’55.

Dr. Gerald “Gerry” J. Romano ’53, November 21, 2021 Brother of Albert C. ’48, Anthony J. ’50, James D. ’55, Roger F. ’63 and Joseph L. Romano ’68.

Ciro M. Samperi ’53, September 16, 2021 Stanley E. Wolf ’54, July 27, 2021 Brother of Clifton E. Wolf ’58.

Patrick E. Armand ’56, October 26, 2021 Delbert D. Stewart ’56, November 14, 2021 Oscar G. Padilla ’57, December 3, 2021 Father of Paul G. Padilla ’85.

Jack J. Biondolillo ’58, October 2, 2021 Cousin of Gerald G. Longsworth ’77.

Thomas J. Devine ’51, July 30, 2021 Brother of James B. Devine ’50.

Jerry W. Rummel ’59, July 17, 2021 Brother of Phillip B. Rummell ’57.

Joseph E. Hebert ’51, November 22, 2021

Albert G. Baroski ’60, June 30, 2021 Brother of Larry C. ’68 and Gary J. Baroski ’69.

Paul J. Mattern ’51, August 5, 2021 John “Harry” O’Donnell ’51, February 13, 2021 Brother of Thomas R. ’45 and Richard O’Donnell ’50.

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Ernest Pavlock ’60, August 15, 2021 John J. Kleiner ’61, June 16, 2021 Brother of Alex ’60, Martin ’65, and Bernard Kleiner ’72.

Joseph Haller Wellborn ’62, January 12, 2022 The two-sport scholar-athlete and Eagle Football team captain earned all-Southwest Conference recognition in 1965 at Texas A&M University and was the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Aggie Heart Award.

The following year as a rookie center for the New York Giants, Wellborn became the first Eagle to play in the National Football League.

Wellborn’s significant professional career began with Exxon where he laid the bedrock for distinguished entrepreneurial achievement that included founding Wellborn Petroleum and the Wellborn Tire Company that successfully expanded its Houston operation to four locations in South Central Texas.

Wellborn was a prominent supporter of Texas A&M Athletics as an active member of the Lettermen’s Association and a 12th Man Foundation Endowed Donor. In 2013, he was inducted in the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame.

Raymond Podraza ’61, October 24, 2021 Father of Robert S. Podraza ’94.

Kirk A. Jackson ’77, November 21, 2021 Father of Kyle A. Jackson ’05.

Deacon Kenneth G. Martin ’63, March 28, 2020 Brother of John R. ’65, James M. ’66, and Steve C. Martin ’67.

T.J. Burns ’79, November 3, 2021 Father of Davis P. ’17 and Nicholas M. Burns ’18; son of John P. Burns ’49; brother of John M. ’72, Timothy P. ’76, and Thomas K. Burns ’77; cousin of Willie J. ’82 and Patrick M. Madden ’88.

Gus George, Jr. ’64, August 14, 2021 Brother of Larry O. George ’65.

Michael E. Connolly ’65, July 8, 2021 David D. Konkle ’65, December 13, 2020 James M. Clark ’66, January 17, 2021 Charlie P. Meeks ’66, December 29, 2021 Brother-in-law of Mike Yanowski ’67.

William F. Zeis ’70, September 11, 2021 Michael Nowak ’71, December 11, 2021 Brother of Leonard J. ’66, and Ted M. Nowak ’70; uncle of Matt S. ’95 and Mark A. Nowak ’98; and great-uncle of Carter A. Nowak ’24.

George H. Dentler ’72, September 23, 2021 Alois Jerry Vrablec ’72, October 5, 2021 Brother of David L. ’74 and John W. Vrablec ’77.

Greg G. Silva, III ’87, October 5, 2021 John K. Broussard, September 17, 2021 Father of Brad J. Broussard ’01, son of George J. Broussard ’47, brother of George Jr. ’68 and Joe Broussard, uncle of George Antill ’23.

Michael A. Chambers, June 11, 2021 Father of Clay E. Chambers ’03.

Josephine G. McFall, November 9, 2021 Mother of Michael G. ’81 and Robert J. McFall ’82.

James C. Parisi, July 24, 2021 Brother of Joseph M. ’74, Cosmo P. ’76 and Stephen W. Parisi ’77; cousin of Sam C. ’77, Dan C. ’78 and Dave W. Rizzo ’79.

Kathy W. Roth, September 12, 2021 Wife of Kenneth G. Roth ’62 and sister-in-law of John J. Roth ’60.

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