Category: Sports

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

Lady Pirates fend off Wolves, 55-32

Varsity Lady Pirate #20 Zabella Garza brings the ball up during Lytle’s thrilling game against Natalia. During their win over Dilley, Garza dropped a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Lytle Lady Pirates continued their resurgence through district, taking down the Dilley Wolves 55-32 on Tuesday, Jan. 20 then losing a close one to Poteet 38-35. At time of press, Lytle sits fourth in the district with an overall record of 7-19, but have a district record of 5-4. With the season coming into its final stretch, the Lady Pirates will continue to fight and punch their ticket to the post season. 
“We are so proud of all of the girls they keep stepping up when we need it the most,” Head coach Lori Wilson said.
Vs. Dilley
Although Lytle had control for most of the game, Wilson said they were off to a slow start, but…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 offense stalls late in 60-58 setback

Varsity Warhorse #11 Bo Wheeler soars for the floater during Devine’s game against Pearsall. Photo by Brigid Howard.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
While not flawless, the first 28 minutes of Devine’s game against district-leading Pleasanton saw the Horses getting the better end of the stick as they led 58-50 after Mason Beaver’s corner three with 4:08 to go in the final frame.
However, scoring went silent for Devine as those were the last points the Warhorses registered as the Eagles fought back for the 60-58 win.
The turnover bug hit Devine hard in this one as each player committed at least two miscues. The Horses finished with 20 as a team and the Eagles turned those mistakes into 16 points
Devine won the shooting percentage stat 47% to 40%, but the Eagles grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and turned those into 20 second chance points.
Mason Beaver had a team-high 23 points to go along with 5 steals while Christian Beaver chipped in 13 points. Tanner Davis led in rebounding with 9 and Karson Ray had 8.
Devine had an open date…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!

Arabians smash Uvalde 56-31 in Thompson’s return to sideline

Varsity Arabian Karsyn DeLeon strips the ball away during Devine’s win over Pearsall. Photo by Brigid Howard.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Arabian volleyball team gave head coach and first time momma Hannah Thompson a terrific return to the sideline moment in Uvalde last week as Devine bounced the Lobos 56-31. Thompson has been away from her team on maternity leave since before Thanksgiving break.
Devine fell behind early 13-6 but went on a nice second half run, outscoring Uvalde 39 to 12 over the last two periods of action to pull away for the 25 point win.
Kenadi Marek had a monster night, especially during…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!

Q&A w/ Warhorse Head Football Coach Jacob Campsey

Devine’s new Head Football Coach, Jacob Campsey, stopped by to visit with his Uncle Bobby Campsey, a long time Warhorse fan. Put simply, Bobby said, “I was born in 1952, and I’ve been a Warhorse fan since 1952.”
“I remember watching Jacob play, and I am really happy to have Jacob back in Devine. I always thought he should coach here,” Bobby added with a smile.
Jacob Campsey is a 2006 graduate of Devine High School where he played Quarterback for the Warhorses. He helped coach the Rockdale Tigers to a State Championship in 2017. He and his college sweetheart Jenah, and their children, Emerie and Levy, moved to Bandera in 2023 where Campsey coached three seasons. He is excited to be back in the Warhorse maroon and gold!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
New Warhorse Head Football Coach Jacob Campsey discusses the significance of returning to Devine to lead his alma mater’s football program. Campsey shares insights from his championship-winning coaching experience, emphasizes the core values and culture he aims to instill and build upon, and highlights immediate priorities centered on trust, authenticity, and his “5 Golden Rules.”
Campsey also explains his approach to balancing Warhorse football traditions with his own coaching philosophies, underscoring the importance of honoring the past while building for the future.
Q: As a Devine graduate (2006), what does it mean to you personally to return home and lead the Warhorse football program?
A: You know, it is honestly hard to put into words because being a Warhorse was all that ever mattered to me from when I could first walk to when I graduated. More than anything I am proud and honored to have the opportunity to build impactful relationships at home like my coaches did with me and go to battle again with that DW on the helmet!
Q: How has your experience winning a state championship as an assistant coach shaped your approach to building a successful program here in Devine?
A: I truly feel like I learned from the best during those years with Coach Jeff Miller who leads the Cy Fair program now. I have been a part of and seen what it takes to play well into December multiple times which has greatly shaped my approach. A major component is learning how to be flexible, adapt, and adjust to needs as the season unfolds in order to play for a long time. I always felt like we did a really good job of having our players ready to play their best football in November and December, which is an intentional piece of our program.
Q: What are the core values and culture you want to establish or strengthen within the Warhorse program?
A: I think in this organization, it is paramount that we clearly define to our players who we are, what it takes, and HOW we will do what we do. We must eliminate the gray area in everything we do. Our program outlines 5 Golden Rules that we talk about defining us and the program and must take place daily regardless of the circumstance we are in. Relentless effort all the time, be a great teammate, trust your coaching, details matter, and at all costs protect this program.
Q: What immediate priorities do you have for the team—on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom?
A: Immediately I want all of our players to learn and practice applying our golden rules as standards to everything we do. From the classroom to the community, how we go about our business is a standard that is unchanging regardless of the circumstance. I told them today that my immediate priority is doing everything in my power to show them through action that they can trust me to lead this program. Everything we do has to be built on a foundation of authenticity and trust, so they need to see through my actions that they can trust me.
Q: How do you plan to balance honoring Devine’s football traditions while implementing your own coaching philosophies and systems?
A: You know I really think the two can go hand in hand. Ultimately Warhorse football is a tradition of toughness and togetherness. Our standards are in lock step with the storied past of this program. How it looks day to day may be different but ultimately we believe the program results will build on this great tradition. I also believe honoring and involving proud alumni is vital.
Q: What key lessons or strategies from your state championship experience at Rockdale do you feel can translate effectively to Devine High School?…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!

Natalia JH Band competes at JH Region Band competition

Natalia Junior High School band participated in the JH Region Band competition on Monday, January 19th along with more than 20 schools and almost 500 kids. Congratulations to the following students placed: Kloe Pinner, Flute Symphonic 5th chair; Braelyn Smith, Clarinet Symphonic 7th chair; Isaias Mendez, Trumpet Symphonic 5th chair; Joshua Reynolds, Alto Saxophone Concert, 2nd chair and Lorenzo Moralez, Clarinet Concert 2nd chair.
Alternates: Emma Gomez, Flute; Luna Perales, Tenor Saxophone and Memphis Lopez-Guerrero.

Sanchez All-State

Esai Sanchez, a senior Warhorse Band member earned his first trip to perform in the Texas All-State Symphonic Band.

Esai Sanchez, a member of the Devine High School Warhorse Band has qualified to rehearse and perform with the 2026 Texas All-State Symphonic Band. Esai will perform on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at San Antonio’s Henry B. González Convention Center, during the 2026 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention.
Esai was chosen for this prestigious honor through a competitive process held this year across the state at District, Region, and Area levels. Esai is a student of Bert Sanchez (his dad) and plays at school under the direction of Mr. Bert Sanchez, who is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 20,400+ member organization headquartered in Austin. This is Esai’s first time to perform as a member of a TMEA All-State organization. Esai is the child of Humberto (Bert) and Monica Sanchez.
High school students selected to perform in All-State concerts have competed through auditions to qualify at the state level. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can achieve. Students are selected through a multi-level adjudication process that begins with about 60,000 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 18 ensembles. Texas Music Educators Association sponsors the Texas All-State competition.
This competitive process begins throughout the state in auditions hosted by 33 TMEA Regions. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. From this ranking, a select group of musicians advances from their Region to compete against musicians from other areas in eight TMEA Area competitions. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the TMEA Area competitions qualify to perform in a TMEA All-State music group.
Only the top 3% of musicians who initially audition become All-State musicians. Directed by nationally recognized conductors, All-State students participate in four days of rehearsals during the TMEA Clinic/Convention. Their performances for thousands of attendees bring this extraordinary event to a close.
For the All-State concert and conductor information, go to the Performances section of tmea.org/convention.

Pirates prevail over Natalia and Jourdanton

Varsity Pirate Diego Reyna sets up for three during Lytle’s dominant win over Natalia. Reyna finished the game with eight points but played incredible defense. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Lytle Pirates had an excellent week on the court, taking down their local rival the Natalia Mustangs, 81-30 and then outlasted Jourdanton in an overtime thriller, 77-75. The Pirates advance to 4-1 in district play, holding firmly onto the second seed.
Vs. Natalia
A rivalry that spans generations, Pirates vs Mustangs always brings a packed house and an entertaining game. However, the Pirates had no interest in making things “interesting”, they came to handle business. After out-scoring Natalia, 28-7 in the first quarter, Lytle never looked back.
“Our defensive pressure was full throttle from everyone who stepped on the court, making it tough on the Mustangs all over the floor,” Head coach Arturo Vela said. 
Vela credited the dominant win to the Pirates executing on both ends of the court. Vela said they came out with strong defensive pressure and knocked down early shots, which helped them take control of the pace. 
“Diego Reyna knocked down a few early three-pointers that got us going, and the pace set by Chase [Guevara], Weston [Jackson], and Seth [Pierce] pushed the tempo and helped us score over 80 points,” Vela said. “The defensive effort from everyone who stepped on the court, especially Lee Mills, Ethan [Elizondo], Jalen Roudriguez and Clayton Jopling, turned the game into a track meet that the Mustangs couldn’t keep up with.”
Available stats:
Scoring: #1 Darius Garcia- 14 pts, #2 Chase Guevara- 21 pts, #3 Weston Jackson- 7 pts, #4 Jalen Rodriguez- 7 pts, #5 Lee Mills- 4 pts, #12 Seth Pierce- 14 pts, #14 Ethan Elizondo- 6 pts, #21 Diego Reyna- 8 pts
Rebounding: #1 Garcia- 3 reb, #2 Guevara- 1 reb, #3 Jackson- 3 reb, #4 Rodriguez- 2 reb, #5 Mills- 3 reb, #12 Pierce- 12 reb (five offensive), #14 Elizondo- 4 reb, #21 Reyna- 8 reb
Assists: #1 Garcia- 1 ast, #2 Guevara- 1 ast, #3 Jackson- 3 ast, #4 Rodriguez- 1 ast, #11 Clayton Jopling- 2 ast, #12 Pierce- 1 ast, #14 Elizondo- 1 ast, #21 Reyna- 1 ast
Steals: #1 Garcia- 4 stl, #2 Guevara- 5 stl, #3 Jackson- 3 stl, #4 Rodriguez- 3 stl, #5 Mills- 3 stl, #11 Jopling- 1 stl, #12 Pierce- 2 stl, #21 Reyna- 3 stl

Vs. Jourdanton
One of the most entertaining games of the season came in the form of the matchup of Lytle and Jourdanton. The whole town seemed to slip away and the only thing that ever existed was the game on Friday night. 
“Although we struggled shooting the ball on Friday, we showed a lot of effort and toughness to stay in the game,” Vela said. “It was a game of runs, and neither team was able to truly separate. Our guys never gave up, continued to defend and stayed committed to the game plan.”
As the game came winding down, Guevara, Pierce and Reyna each…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!

Freshman Horses hoops recap

Freshman Warhorses #24 Bryan Martinez and #15 Phoenix Snider guard the two-man action during their game against Davenport. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
A sick and injured Devine freshman team dropped both of their recent games as the Horses took losses in Uvalde on January 9 and at home against Carrizo Springs on January 16.
vs Uvalde
Uvalde defeated Devine 60-51 despite three players hitting the double figure mark for the Warhorses. The Horses trailed by 17 points going into the final quarter but kept competing all the way to the final whistle (most of which went against Devine).
CesarTroy Vidaurri scored 11 points in the loss followed by 10-point outings by both Collier Paige and Kash Esparza.
Brian Martinez had a monster night on the boards as he grabbed 12 rebounds to go along with his 8 points. Joe Balderrama was next with 4 rebounds.
Paige and Esparza each had a team-high tying 2 steals while Vidaurri was the team leader with 4 assists.
Stats vs Uvalde
CesarTroy Vidaurri 11 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists; Collier Paige 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals; Kash Esparza 10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals; Brian Martinez 8 points, 1 rebounds; 1 steal; Charlie Stricker 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Steven Caballero 4 points, 1 rebound; Phoenix Snider 2 points, 1 rebound; Joe Balderrama 1 point; 4 rebounds; Thomas Steffens 1 steal.
vs Carrizo Springs
An early 17-15 first period lead…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!