Category: Sports

Local Sports coverage of your Warhorse and Arabians, Colts, Fillys, Lytle Pirates, Lady Pirates, Mustangs and Lady Mustangs

Arabian track pops 211 in Lytle, Rylie Wells sets school record in Long Jump

Arabian Claria Gulley hands off the baton to Brooklyn Hinnat during Devine’s dominant win at the track meet in Lytle. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Once again, the Arabian track and field team put together a 200-point performance as they won the Lady Pirate Relays in Lytle last week. Their 211 points topped Hondo who finished with 99 while third place San Antonio Cole wrapped up the day with 91 points.
As one can imagine, Devine had several gold medal outcomes but none more impressive as Rylie Wells setting her new…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Warhorses team champs in Lytle with 195 points

Warhorse Enoch Hall and Pirare Angel De La Rosa race with full effort towards the finish line during the track meet in Lytle. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Warhorse track and field team keeps racking up championship plaques as they secured yet another just down I35 in Lytle last week. Devine almost hit the 200-point plateau falling just short with 195 but it was still more than enough to defeat runner up San Antonio Cole who finished with 116. Lytle was third with 102.
Devine had several first place finishes, especially in the…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Local Volleyball alumni goes international

Devine, Texas — Rylee Esquibel, Devine High School graduate and former Arabian is taking her volleyball talents across the globe. Lakeland University Women’s Volleyball Team will be traveling to Brazil internationally to experience the global side of the sport.
The trip will provide Esquibel and the Lakeland University squad with the opportunity to play against international teams while immersing themselves in Brazil’s vibrant culture. For the athletes, the experience will be about more than just competition — it will also be about representing their university and communities on an international stage.
Esquibel, who made a name for herself during her time at Devine High School as a dedicated and hardworking athlete, continues to build on that legacy at the collegiate level. Known for her strong work ethic, she has become a valuable contributor to Lakeland’s volleyball program.
The international experience will allow the athletes to explore Brazil’s landmarks, cuisine and culture, while creating memories that will last well beyond their volleyball careers.
For the Devine community, seeing one of their own succeed at the collegiate level and travel internationally is a source of pride. Esquibel’s journey from a local high school gym to international volleyball courts serves as an inspiration for young athletes.
As Esquibel continues her volleyball career at Lakeland University, her trip to Brazil marks another milestone in a journey that began in Devine — proving that dedication, teamwork, and passion for the game can open doors around the world.

Pirates basketball breaks throughto Area championship game

Head coach Arturo Vela motivating his players during a pivotal timeout during Lytle’s playoff win over Great Hearts Northern Oaks. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Lytle Pirates stellar season ended in the Area championship game against Poth, 54-69. The Pirates had a brilliant season, holding the second seed in district with a record of 11-3. This squad was a combination of speed and skill on offense while competing hard on defense every single night. Even though they had their go-to scoring options, every player on team would not hesitate to pass up a good shot for a better one for their teammate.
“Some nights the ball doesn’t bounce your way. We missed quite a few shots and couldn’t quite find our offensive rhythm early,” Head coach Arturo Vela said. “I felt like shots finally started falling a little too late, but our defensive effort kept us in position.”
Before their final game against Poth, Lytle had thrilling first round rematch against Great Hearts Northern Oaks High School, who bounced the Pirates out of the playoffs last year. The Pirates won that game 62-60 after Great Hearts surged back late in the game.
“We had the opportunity to compete in front of a big crowd, and more importantly, come together and stay together to secure the win,” Vela said. “Greater Hearts did a great job adjusting in the 4th quarter, and our guys responded the right way.”
Vela said the goal for this season was to play fast on the defensive end with an emphasis on ball pressure and controlled on the offensive end. What has elated him about this philosophy is that everyone from 7th grade to the seniors have held up that standard.
“Throughout the season, our focus was to improve defensively by pressuring the ball and to execute our offense with discipline. As the season progressed, I truly felt we grew on both ends,” Vela said. “More importantly, I felt we matured through pressure situations. We became the team that forced others to adjust to us, especially with our full-court pressure.”
Breakthrough. That would be the word Vela would use to describe the season. He expressed the challenges that came with being a first year head coach and how the early losses in the season fostered doubt in their minds. However, Lytle embraced the trials ahead of them because they knew the tough times would make them better as a team.
“Once we began to see the vision of where we wanted this team to be, and started stacking wins, everything slowly began coming together — from our coaching staff to our players,” Vela said.
To close out the season, Vela expressed his appreciation for the community who have been “incredible all year.”
“The mayor and our AD, Lori Wilson, made sure we had everything we needed and that Pirate Pride was felt everywhere we went,” Vela said. “To my seniors — thank you for helping create, mold, and shape the foundation of the culture I’m building here in Lytle. I appreciate the five of you for always protecting the ship.”

Arabian lifters Jimenez, Gonzales, Caballero are State Bound!

The Arabian Powerlifting team enjoying a meal together for their regional meet at Edinberg.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Arabian powerlifting team has had an incredible season, no doubt. Fourteen ladies qualified for the Region V Class 4A D2 Championships on March 3 in Edinberg at Bert Ogden Arena.
For 2026, three Devine lifters continue on as they qualified to compete on the state’s biggest stage…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Local Athletes headed to Nike Nationals in New York!

The team includes Twister Kluth (Hondo, sophomore), Rowdy Esparza (Devine, junior), Ryan Weinkam (Devine, senior), and Sebastian Garcia (Lytle, junior). Photo courtesy of JVail Photography..

A talented group of track athletes from Devine, Hondo, and Lytle are preparing to compete on one of the biggest stages in high school track and field the Nike National Track Meet in New York City.
The four athletes have qualified as a 4×400 relay team, an impressive accomplishment that brings together runners from multiple schools and showcases the strength of small-town athletics across the area. The team includes Twister Kluth (Hondo, sophomore), Rowdy Esparza (Devine, junior), Ryan Weinkam (Devine, senior), and Sebastian Garcia (Lytle, junior).
Rowdy and Ryan both run with Devine Speed, and later joined forces with Twister and Sebastian who run with Tri-County Track & Field Club to form the 4×400 relay team, a collaboration that has proven successful at the national-qualifying level.
In addition to qualifying with the relay team, Rowdy has also earned individual qualifications in the triple jump, long jump, and the 400-meter dash, giving him the opportunity to compete in multiple events at the national meet.
As the boys prepare for the trip to New York, they have been overwhelmed by the support from their communities. Local businesses, families, and supporters from Devine, Hondo, and Lytle have stepped up by sponsoring, donating drawing items, purchasing tickets, and helping spread the word to help cover travel expenses.
The team is currently holding a drawing featuring over $2,000 in prizes, and tickets are still available. The athletes will be selling tickets at Market Place in Devine all day on Saturday, March 7th. The drawing will take place on Sunday, March 8, at 3:00 p.m., and winners do not need to be present to win.
As these young athletes get ready to represent their hometowns on a national stage, they do so with pride and with the support of an entire community behind them.

Lytle ISD 2026-2027 School Calendar Now Available

The Lytle ISD 2026-2027 School Calendar is now available, and it features some small adjustments that provide big benefits for students. An additional 15 minutes have been added to the school day allowing for a 175-day student calendar that still meets all required instructional minutes under Texas law. It also includes built-in bad weather days that will help avoid make-up days.
Daily Schedule Adjustments
To gain the extra 15 minutes, the Primary and Elementary school day will end a little later and the Junior High and High School day will start a little earlier.
Primary and Elementary Schedule – 7:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
Junior High and High School Schedule – 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Our transportation area has confirmed that these adjustments can be accommodated within our current bus routes.
Deeper Learning
For our students, this small adjustment allows for deeper learning and more time for acceleration and intervention.
Days Off
The calendar also features two extra days off and a change to the October days off:
Nov. 4 – This day off will allow our entire community to support our band WHEN they return to state competition.
April 23 – As a result of Easter falling in March in 2027, the April 23 day off was added to provide a needed break during the month and happens to align with the Battle of Flowers Parade in San Antonio. This is consistent with our effort to provide at least one day off a month.
Oct. 2 and 5 – This past year, the October break included the Columbus Day holiday. Based on feedback we moved the October break to Oct 2-5 (football bye week) which allows more staff and students to enjoy the break as well.
The 2026-2027 School Calendar can be viewed on the district website at this link https://www.lytleisd.org/page/academic-calendar.

District play on the horizon for Arabians

Varsity Arabian Olivia Taylor swings for the base hit during a recent tournament in Jourdanton. Taylor has been a threat at the plate and in the circle for Devine so far this season. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports Editor
The Arabians have officially wrapped up the tournament season and are set to begin district play Tuesday against Pearsall then host Floresville on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Devine is currently 10-8-1 after their tournament in Seguin. Head coach Micheal Sotello is confident that these regular season and tournament games have prepared the team for district grind before them.
“The district will continue to be tough and our young ladies will compete for a chance at that district championship,” Sotello said.
Vs Cornerstone Christian 2/24
In a grueling, grind it out game, the Arabians were barely edged out by Cornerstone Christian falling 1-2. Sotello…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Warhorse baseball on 3-game streak; Dilley Tourney on deck

Varsity Warhorse Aiden Martinez slides to second after a single from the previous batter. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine posted a solid 3-1 record in the competitive South Texas Slugfest held last weekend at Warhorse Field. After a tough loss in their opening game on Thursday, the team bounced back impressively with three consecutive victories, including an exciting walk-off win in their final contest.
Game One vs Boerne Geneva
Boerne Geneva handed the Warhorses a 10-1 defeat in the opening round of the tournament. Devine was within striking distance early, trailing just 2-1 after two innings.
However, Geneva broke the game open with four runs in both the third and fifth innings, making a comeback out of reach for Devine.
Game Two vs Antonian Prep
Devine responded with a 7-2 win over Antonian Prep, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first inning and adding four more in the bottom of the fourth to secure the victory. The Warhorses outhit…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!