The Lady Pirates opened district in Dilley last week on Sept. 13. They will host Poteet on Sept 17 and then travel to Crystal City on Friday, Sept 20 and Hondo on Sept. 24. The Lady Pirates will matchup with the Natalia Lady Mustangs in Lytle at 5:00 pm on Friday, Sept. 27. The Lady Pirates are 8-14 on the season overall with wins over SA Memorial, Harlandale, Carroll, East Central, Winn, SA Memorial, Sam Houston and Uvalde.
Lytle Pirate Captains line up to kick off the game against the Bulldogs.
“Opportunity & Adversity” Pirates unite for dramatic 24-21 comeback victory in Bandera
Davila 234 yards, 3 TD passes; Guevara 6 receptions for 188 yards, 3 TDs lead Lytle Jerel Beaty Staff writer “Opportunity and Adversity” were the first words Lytle Head Coach Mike Trevino communicated as he, his coaching staff, his players, and the entire Pirate community enjoyed a thrilling 24-21 comeback win against the Bulldogs in Bandera last Friday night. Trailing 14-0 after the first quarter of play Lytle could have easily folded up shop and sludged through the rest of a game that few, if any, outside the Pirate locker room even picked the black and gold to win in the first place. Ah, but only some outside Pirate Nation know of the heart, the determination, and the grit continually being built into Lytle football players at both the high school and middle school levels over the past couple of years that allowed them the chance to tackle the “Opportunity and Adversity” Trevino presented to them in living color in Bandera last Friday night under those Class 4A lights. “We get both of them and they’re guaranteed, but…
Lytle Pirate #2 Chase Guevara catches the ball and heads downfield during thier victory over Bandera.
Jerel Beaty Staff writer Lytle’s comeback victory over Class 4A Bandera last week put some extra eyes on the Pirate football program, without a doubt. A pair of eyes that really took notice was San Antonio Express-News sportswriter David Hinojosa who warded one of his weekly “Game Balls” to big-play Pirate wide receiver Chase Guevara. Guevara snagged six receptions for 188 yards. Half of those six receptions put six points on the board for his team as they went on to the 24-21 win in Bandera. Congratulations, Chase!
The Lytle Pirate Cheerleaders get the crowd going. The Pirates won the Legacy Bowl last year in a thriller, and both teams are looking to go on another streak in the rivalry matchup.
Eric Smith Staff Writer The Natalia Mustangs (1-0) and the Lytle Pirates (0-1) will square off this coming Friday at Walter Joyce Stadium for the 64th time in the history of the two programs dating back to 1933. The Pirates were able to break an 8-year drought last season 23-14 over the Mustangs and everyone is expecting this year’s contest to be a close one. Rival Battle History The Natalia Mustangs lead the historic battle between the two programs 34-27-3 overall as this will mark the “15th Legacy Bowl” battle between the two programs dating back to the start in 2004-2005. The Pirates won the first ever Legacy Bowl game 25-24 in OT in 04-05’ as that was the first of six in a row for the black and gold. Other results were as follows: 05-06’: 23-14. (Natalia and Lytle did not play again until 2012-2013 due to vandalism of a school bus). 2012-2013 it resumed with a 35-33 win for Lytle HS. Other wins for LHS: 13-14’: 41-13, 14-15’: 42-20. In 2015-2016, Natalia won their first of eight straight games with the following results: 15-16’: 19-6, 16-17’: 34-21, 17-18’: 30-3, 18-19’: 7-6, 19-20’: 63-10, 20-21’: 26-14, 21-22’ 41-0, 22-23’: 47-3. Last season, as mentioned the Pirates snapped the eight-game win streak 23-14 in a thriller.
Natalia Preview The Natalia Mustangs are coming off their season opening victory on the road vs. Skidmore-Tynan. Lytle Head Coach Mike Trevino was asked his thoughts on Natalia and had the following to say:….
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer Not much went right as far as football and the final score that showed on the Walter Joyce Stadium scoreboard at the end of Friday night’s season-opening contest between the host Lytle Pirates and the visiting Llano Yellowjackets. Llano breezed by the Pirates 47-0, but anyone that knows Lytle Head Coach Mike Trevino and his outlook on life knows this defeat will not define their season. “We talk about these types of situations all the time in our program,” Trevino stated regarding his thoughts on how the Llano contest could actually serve as a springboard to greater heights. “We invite hard things, and one phrase we lean on every day is ‘prepare our fields for rain’! Our Week 1 game was set intentionally to make us better and create opportunities down the road.” The next “opportunity down the road” comes in the form of the Natalia Mustangs, and Trevino believes his team will…
Svetlana Lopez captured 19th place for the Lady Pirates, running a 18:33.
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer Lytle Head Coach Gilbert Ruiz continues to positively challenge his band of runners as he shuttled his teams to Class 6A San Antonio Steele’s Cross Country Invitational this past Saturday. His runners more than accepted the challenge as the Pirates placed second overall in the team standings with all five runners finishing in the top 20 of 95 competitors while the Lady Pirates fared well also placed third overall with three runners netting top 20 status among 74 runners in their division. “I told our kids this past week if they wanted to get noticed, they needed to go catch a big fish. In order to catch a big fish, they need to go to the deep end and that meant taking our ship deep sea fishing. And so off we went to 6A Steele HS for the first time to try and get people to take notice, and by the end of the meet, we did get just that!” Johnny Rey Alvarez, Bryan Montes-Rodriguez, Yandel Esquivez, Diego Reyna, and Lucas Salazar all medaled while Frances Scotello, Svetlana Lopez, Elyse Cortinas, Kaycee Galindo, Addison Wagner, Klayre Cook, Annika Robles, and Sophia Herrera teamed up for an extremely nice showing as well.
Lytle Pirate Chase Guevara catches a touchdown pass. Photo by L Wilson
7pm kickoff vs Llano Jerel Beaty Staff Writer In 2023, Coach Mike Trevino and his staff created a monster as they took a Pirate Football program that went from a 1-9 record in 2022 to a 7-4, State Playoff qualifying break out season. The seven wins were buoyed by an incredible 4-0 start that included outscoring opponents by a combined score of 72-21, while getting their proud fan base back in their hip pockets. After not sniffing a district win in ’22 when they went a woeful 0-5, The Pirates went 3-2 a year ago with two of those victories coming against former 4A programs in Poteet and Crystal City. So, with more than a full year under his belt, Coach Trevino is ready to “Dig Deep” and attack Year Two and the expectations that come with sustained success. “Our team has continued to make great strides throughout fall camp and our two scrimmages,” Trevino stated. “The energy, effort, and enthusiasm we have seen from our kids has been nothing short of inspiring and impactful! Every day, they have shown up ready to work, ready to serve, ready to love, and ready to care; pulling each other through places we have never been before and enjoying the journey.”
Sam Smith of Natalia who celebrated his golden anniversary last season and embarks on his incredible 51st year of calling Mustang Football.
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer Public address announcing at a small-town high school football game is a unique experience, no doubt. To the chagrin of many, it is not just about simply calling plays to inattentive audiences. Oh, if it were, that job would not be in such high demand. In small towns like Devine, Lytle, and Natalia, everybody knows everybody. And those “everybody’s” all expect their PA-guy to know them, their children, and their family history, as well. When a player’s name is fumbled or the ill-fated call-out of the wrong jersey number that was in on the unbelievable sack of the other team’s quarterback is articulated, it may seem the miscommunication coming out over the loudspeaker was premeditated when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. There is so much going on inside a packed stadium at any given time each Friday night. Heck, parents of multiple children, listen up; how often do you call one your own kids by the wrong name? And you live with them! Multitasking while in the moment can be grueling.
Tobey Tomblin of Devine who celebrates his silver anniversary behind the mic at Warhorse Stadium this fall. The PA is not only expected to remind everyone that that week’s you-name-it-fundraiser-of-the-week-bake-sale ends at halftime, or to get the attention of the correct individual that once again a lost set of keys or a misplaced cell phone has been turned into the press box, and to list the achievements and outcome of not only that night’s hometown-team’s volleyball contest but is to also include every high school organization’s upcoming meet schedule and itinerary without skipping a beat. Trying to make a smooth transition from a boisterous call of “#49 John Smith with the incredible run around the outside that moves the chains to keep the drive alive!” to introducing one-by-one the slew of mini-cheerleaders from this past summers camp is a challenging task that even the most seasoned professional announcer may find a bit taxing. Parents. Everyone loves and respects parents that attend in person their son’s football game, or their daughter’s halftime flag-corps-routine, or watches the local mascot pull off their fun and gimmicky routines. However, if the exact pronunciation and emphasizing of their child’s name is not articulated exactly right, eyes will surely roll, no matter the side of the stadium that person happens to sit. Calling a high school or even a middle school game for that matter is not just about calling the game at all. It is about surviving the three-plus hours of weirdness that is sure to happen, the static and cutting out of the microphone and decades-old speakers, and the more-than-occasional need to exercise extreme diplomacy in thought and expression after a tough play on the field, or worse yet, to have to calm the band, the cheerleaders, and the crowd after a player remains on the field due to injury. While many may believe that being perched at the 50-yard line in the stadium’s press box and “the privilege” of sitting behind a live microphone is all glit and glam, I dare say, the opposite is actually usually the case. Most do it, and continue to do it, because they were simply asked to help out in order to fill a need. And, fortunately, they said, “Yes.” A high school football stadium with no PA? Unthinkable. Thank You, Mark Fender of Lytle who begins his first full season manning the middle seat of a stadium that is named after previous announcer and legend the late Walter Joyce. Thank You, Tobey Tomblin of Devine who celebrates his silver anniversary behind the mic at Warhorse Stadium this fall. And Thank You, Sam Smith of Natalia who celebrated his golden anniversary last season and embarks on his incredible 51st year of calling Mustang Football. Take the time to not only thank those that choose to do what they do, but also appreciate what they do and how they deliver the message all the while managing a copious amount of stressors and distractions going on around them. Otherwise, you might just be the next in line for a job that not many are willing to accept, and you, too, will be expected to say, “Yes.”
Mark Fender of Lytle who begins his first full season manning the middle seat of a stadium that is named after previous announcer and legend the late Walter Joyce.
The Lady Pirate cross country team participated in the Pieper Ranch Relay Invitational this past weekend coming in 7th as a team.
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer The Lytle Cross Country teams got their feet wet this past weekend as they participated in the Pieper Ranch Relay Invitational. There were plenty of success stories from this one as the varsity Pirates finished 4th of 31 teams while the Lady Pirate varsity came in 7th of 20. The JV Pirates took top honors as they were the team champs amongst 31 teams while the JV girls placed runner-up as 24 teams took the line in their race. The JV Pirate2 group placed 16th overall. “It was a good way to start our season as we begin our long journey to try and get back to the UIL State meet and on that medal stand,” Head Coach Gilbert Ruiz stated afterwards. “Pieper was a relay style meet with 4 runners running a 1.5 mile loop and we look forward to our first traditional style meet in Floresville this Saturday.”
Jerel Beaty Staff Writer The Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas came out recently with its preseason poll ranking the top 10 teams they think have a chance to make a splash during the upcoming 2024 season. To no one’s surprise, Lytle ranks right near the top in both the boys’ and girls’ poll as the Pirate runners are ranked second while the Lady Pirates are ranked third. Head Coach Gilbert Ruiz realizes preseason rankings are nice and all, but it is the ranking in Round Rock that matters most once the season is said and done in early November.
