Category: Sports

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

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!

14 STATEBOUND!!!

This past Saturday, our Natalia BPA students competed against 4A, 5A, and 6A schools at the BPA Regional Competition—and we are proud to share that 14 students are advancing to the State Competition in Dallas this March!
-RJ De La O, Joshua Jalomo, and Danica Torrez – 1st Place, Visual Design Team
-Jerusalem Alvarado and Brianna Garcia – 2nd Place, Visual Design Team
-Mia Herrera and Camilia Mujica – 1st Place, Podcast Production Team
-Bridgett Lowman – 1st Place, Prepared Speech
-Juan Montes – 1st Place, JAVA Programming
-Christopher Tapia – 2nd Place, JAVA Programming
-Kenzlie Jarreau – 1st Place, Fundamental Accounting
-Roberto Garcia – 1st Place, Business Law & Ethics
-Savannah Ramirez – 2nd Place, Business Law & Ethics
-Christian Garcia – 5th Place, Business Law & Ethics
Additionally, Ariana Garcia, Phoenix Garza, Dante Lopez, and Jordan Reyna placed 4th in Visual Design Team, earning recognition as State Alternates.

War Horse’s at the All-American game!

The Devine Warhorse Linebacker Tristan LaFond had a great week in Dallas showing off his skills in the Dream All-American game. Tristan was a standout Linebacker for Team Stars making many stops during his game. He’s an amazing player and we look forward to seeing which college he’ll be playing at next year.

Enoch Hall had an amazing weekend in Dallas Texas. Enoch earned the Leadership Award and was named one of Team Dreams Captain’s as well as winning the MVP award for the game. Enoch had over 200 yards total offense playing both Running back and the slot positions. He had over 150 yards on the ground and over 70 yards receiving. I couldn’t be more proud of how Enoch represented Dream Sports Group and we’ll as the city of Devine. This young man has a very bright future and we look forward to having him come back next year and represent Dream Sports Group. Outstanding job Enoch Hall, Congratulations on these well deserved awards.

Warhorses heating up with big wins over Pearsall, Floresville

Varsity Warhorse #5 Zane Fritz meets his opponent at half court to apply the defensive pressure during Devine’s win over Pearsall. Photo by Brigid Howard.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
After a crushing three-point loss against Somerset to start District 27-4A, Devine has settled in to pick up consecutive wins against Pearsall and Floresville to move to 2-1 in league action. The Horses played in Uvalde on January 13.
Now is the perfect time to jump on the Warhorse bandwagon for the rest of this season as Devine seems poised to make a run at the district championship. A January 16 game on Sessions Court against the team that beat them out of the 2024-2025 playoffs should have the home side packed as Carrizo Springs visits the DSAC. The Wildcat fan side always seems to be at near capacity when they play in Devine.
After 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!

One that got away: Arabians drop 43-40 decision to Somerset

Varsity Arabian Madi De La Garza surveys the offense as she crosses half court during Devine’s game against Pearsall. Photo by Brigid Howard.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Arabians were spot-on for most of their important 27-4A matchup against rival Somerset, building as much as a 15-point lead at one point in the third quarter. Things quickly turned in favor of the Lady Bulldogs after that as Somerset stormed back for the 43-40 win on their home court on January 2.
The Arabians defense was strong, allowing only 12 points in the first half and yielding a respectable 11 in the third.
Somerset put up…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!

Lady Pirate Powerlifting begins ’26 season

The Lady Pirates had a nice showing in their inaugural meet of the 2026 season.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Under the direction of Head Coach Melissa Gomez, the Lady Pirates began their 2026 push to greatness in Natalia on January 7 as their season got underway. Seniors Gabriela Cortez and Valeria Gonzalez led the way as Cortez earned 3rd place in the 132 weight class with a total of 585 pounds while Gonzalez took 3rd place in the 148 weight class with a total of 680 pounds.
“We took a team of 9 returners and 2 new lifters to Natalia,” Gomez stated. “The meet had over 90 lifters total competing for medals and team placements and for it being the first meet of the season, girls from around the area went all out!”
With the first meet of the season, there are…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!