Category: Warhorses & Arabians

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Warhorses saved one of their most valuable lessons for their third and final nondistrict game which is adversity does not have to become an avalanche. Devine overcame two separate deficits Friday night before rallying for a 23-14 victory over previously undefeated Marion. The Horses travel to Crystal City to open District 14-3A D1 this Friday.
Devine continually showed the ability to remain composed when things were not going its way, including the Bulldogs scoring first midway through the first quarter on a 64 yard touchdown play that should have ended back in Marion territory soon after the catch was made.
“I really felt like we did a much better job of not riding the emotions of the game from early on,” Devine Head Coach Jacob Campsey said about his players composure being tested early. “We didn’t always play our best but we stayed the course and played complimentary football.”
Devine answered before the quarter ended as quarterback Nate Valle went 9 yards for a touchdown with 41 seconds left, and Israel Casas’ extra point tied the game at 7-7.
The Bulldogs regained the lead when Eli Parker scored on a 10-yard run with 8:39 remaining in the second quarter, but Devine again refused to panic. The Warhorses’ ability to create momentum was evident on a night when Devine also unveiled its first true trick play of the season.
A Valle to Enoch Hall handoff followed by his flip to Rowdy Esparza on a reverse resulted in a game-changing touchdown that tied the game at 14-14.
Campsey credited Offensive Coordinator Coach Devyn Orta for recognizing an opportunity and making the necessary adjustment. “A lot of credit goes to Coach Orta on that play. He had it dialed up for a little different situation but really pivoted there when we needed a big play. Coach Orta liked the look Marion was giving the Warhorses on the backside of the play and believed there would be no defender home, which there wasn’t.”
Devine took their first lead to open the second half as Hall capped the possession with a 3-yard touchdown run at the 8:58 mark. Casas added his third PAT giving Devine its first lead at 21-14.
For Campsey, the response represented a significant step forward from Devine’s earlier nondistrict loss at San Diego that opened the season. “I felt like how we responded to being down now, versus how we did in San Diego where we let things avalanche was a major improvement. Against Marion, we played 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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Devine Colts and Marion Bulldogs knew about the other’s accomplishments a year ago when these 8th graders were 7th graders. In 2025, the two teams finished their seventh-grade seasons with identical 8-0 records, with each squad also posting six shutouts along the way, according to Coach Matthew Saenz. With that kind of history, it was no surprise that last Thursday’s meeting turned into another hard-fought battle.
When the dust settled, however, it was the Colts who remained standing, as Devine held off Marion, 20-14. The Colts found several ways to put points on the board, including a big-play 40-yard touchdown connection from quarterback Gabriel Madrid to Easton Montellano. Madrid then added the two-point conversion on a run to give Devine an early spark.
Ezra Gamez found the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown run, while Chaz Dominguez provided another huge play for the Colts with a kickoff return for a touchdown. In fact, Dominguez had another big-play touchdown as he ran the ball in from five yards out.
While the Colts’ offense produced enough points to secure the victory, it was the defense that delivered throughout the game including the knockout punch when it mattered most.
Cooper Stricker and Tilden Moore each came up with interceptions during the contest, helping Devine keep the Bulldogs’ offense from finding the end zone consistently. The biggest defensive play came late in the game as Devine was clinging to a six-point lead. Marion moved the ball to the Colts’ 30-yard line with a chance to potentially tie the game or even take the lead.
“We were up by six points late in the game, and the Bulldogs offense had our defense on our own 30-yard line,” Devine defensive coach Matthew Saenz said. “We stood tall and intercepted a pass on 4th down to essentially end the game.”
Saenz credited his players for maintaining their composure in a pressure-filled situation and battling from start to finish.
“I am so proud of these guys for playing such a hard fought game! Marion deserves credit as well as they tested us big time.”
The victory was a strong early-season statement for the Colts. Devine had more than a few explosive plays offensively, scored via their special teams, and created turnovers defensively that most importantly made the critical play when the game was on the line.
For a group that knows all too well what Marion is capable of, Thursday’s victory was more than just another win. It was another chapter in what is quickly becoming a competitive rivalry between two teams that refuse to give an inch.
Team: Gabriel Madrid, Alonzo Lopez, Cooper Stricker, Paul Cisneros, Eric Montellano, Aayden Rodriguez, Tilden Moore, Kayson Klein, Kyle Pineda Johnson, Samuel Samarripa, Xian Glodobe, Gage Lawler, Ezra Gamez, Leonardo Renteria Castillo, Hunter Hennessey, Bently Martinez, Jayden Knox, Jeremiah Perez, Marceline Garcia IV, Jackson Redding, William Dixon-Davis, John Steffens, Adrian Zamora, Matthew Arausa, Kaysen Holloway, Hunter Gentry, Chaz Dominguez, Easton Hennessey, Gauge Gonzales, Ezra Gutierrez, Jose Guerrero Jr., Julian Ramirez, Jaxson Alexander, Jacob Ramirez, Berjin Caballero, Uzziah Nentwich, Colt Riddle, Jasiah Santos, Jaike Copeland, Jesus Perez III, Roberto Gutierrez, Eli Zadik, Noah Perez, Kolton Wisenbaker, Jacob Silva, Jovani Robles Alvarado, Nathaniel Rodriguez, Paul McClure, Micah-Rayne Guajardo, Blake Perez Cheerleaders: Avery Dixon, Kynzli Carroll, Tenley Carroll, Milee Downing, Kyleigh Freeman, Jayde Hall, Maci Martinez, Ilyanna Burford-Patton Sponsor: Jennifer Toalson.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The jerseys may have been new, but the Devine 7th grade Colts wasted little time making themselves at home on the football field. Playing their first official game for DMS, Devine opened the season with an impressive 32-22 victory over the Marion Bulldogs, giving the young players plenty to build on as they begin their long and glorious football journey.
Matthew Saenz, who coordinates the defenses for both the 7th and 8th grade teams, saw plenty of positives in the Colts’ debut.
The Devine offense struck first when quarterback Hunter Alston broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run. Evan De Leon followed with the two-point conversion run to give the Colts an early 8-0 advantage.
Alston then added another explosive play, returning a Marion punt 76 yards for a touchdown. Once again, De Leon converted the two-point try with his legs, putting Devine in control early.
Marion eventually found the end zone, but the Bulldogs’ attempt to add a two-point conversion turned into another Devine score as De Leon stripped the ball and raced 99 yards for a defensive touchdown, adding two points to the Colts’ total of 18-6.
Devine’s offense continued to move the football, eventually putting the ball in the hands of DJ Burford, who powered his way into the end zone from five yards out.
Burford was not finished making an impact. On defense, he intercepted a Marion pass and returned it 65 yards for another Devine touchdown. Alston added the two-point conversion run to complete the scoring.
Saenz said the defense “had a few mental lapses, with all four Marion touchdowns coming on big plays and a blown assignment here and there.” Still, he was pleased with the overall effort, particularly considering “it was the players’ first time wearing an official Devine jersey in a game.”
For these young Colts, the 32-22 victory was about more than simply putting a win in the book. It was the first chapter in a football education that will continue through the middle-and-high school years.
In addition to Saenz, these middle schoolers have great role models to learn from as Mario De Leon handles the 7th grade offense, while Lee Crisp directs the 8th grade offense. These three men are helping lay the foundation for the next few years of Devine football and while there will be missed assignments, mistakes to correct, and plenty of lessons learned along the way, which is all part of the process of transitioning from a Thursday night Colt to a Friday night Warhorse.
Team: Brock Lane, Roger Martinez, Noel Coronado, Jordan Rodriguez, Wyatt Gray, Joshua Gutierrez, Ryland Montellano, Conor Kazear, DJ Burford, Kannon Marek, Angel Ayala, Gauge Partin, Dario Garcia, Alejandro Zamora, John Antu, Rush Haass, Xavier Patlan-Burford, Tyler Maldonado, Trey Sadler, Joaquin Rosas, Krue McCelvey, Roy Hefley, Hunter Alston, Liam Rodriguez, Kale Perez, Xzander Barney, Noah Aguero, Nicholas Garcia, Evan De Leon, Thomas Craig, Hector Rivera, Joe Ramon, Logan Mitchell, Midas Balderrama, Davis Stricker, Maxine Morris, Aurelius Martinez Cheerleaders: Georgia Ahern, Kessler Campbell, Brooklyn Fritz, Addison Gardner, Emma Roberson.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
District 28-3A could not possibly open more dramatically than how it did for Devine and Hondo on Sessions Court on September 8. The Arabians pulled out a 5-set thriller over the visiting Owls to begin the real part of the season at 1-0. Devine followed that with a less theatrical beat-down over the Crystal City on September 11.
Devine Head Coach Samantha Mendez got her first taste of being in the hot seat against the rivals from across the creek, saying, “Both sides of the stands were PACKED, and the energy in the gym was electric from the very first serve. We all knew this was going to be a battle, and my girls were ready to fight until the very end!”
Things looked disheartening just a bit after the first set, a set that the Owls took 25-21. Being down is one thing, but the Arabians proved they were never out as they rallied to win set two and set three with identical 25-18 scores. Devine wanted badly to put Hondo back on their bus in four sets, but the Owls also showed resilience by taking that one by the score of 29-27.
As Mendez explained, “After nearly two hours of intense, back-and-forth volleyball, the Arabians continued to battle, adjust, and trust one another. When it came down to the 5th set, the Arabians DOMINATED, finishing with a 15–9 victory to seal the match!”
The DSAC was electric and the Devine team…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine High School Team Tennis is now a spotless 5-0 in district action after pounding the hoot out of Hondo 17-2 on September 9. The Warhorses and Arabians aim to keep that undefeated record intact on September 16 as they host Crystal City at the still-new tennis courts near the football stadium.
Head Coach Kandi Darnell was more than pleased with her players outing in Hondo but also understands there are difficult matches remaining as they make their run to a district championship. Part of that understanding is scheduling quality matches outside of district that will help each of her players as the season progresses.
“The Saturday nondistrict schedule we have are against some really good programs and those opportunities to improve on the weekend prepare us for big district matches. Every time we step on…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

erel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine closed out its pre-district schedule with a convincing wins over Great Hearts Northern Oaks and visiting Somerset last Friday in the DSAC. The Arabians turned their attention to the Hondo Owls on Tuesday, September 8 and the rest of District 28-3A opponents as the push for a championship and the UIL playoffs is now fully underway.
The Griffins were home early on September 1 as Devine delivered a three-set knockout of Great Hearts Northern Oaks. The Arabians won set one 25-21 followed by 25-18 and 25-20 scores.
The Arabians…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Warhorse and Arabian Team Tennis squads continue turning in net-profits as they defeated Pearsall on September 2 to remain undefeated in district competition at 4-0. Devine did not drop a single match to the Mavericks, going a perfect 19-0 while winning all 38 sets in doing so.
Devine played perhaps their most impressive tennis overall Thursday, September 3 against visiting Southwest Legacy even though the final tally showed the Arabians and Warhorses dropping a 10-9 decision in matches that counted toward the actual scoring.
“I thought all of our players did an awesome job!” stated Head Coach Kandi Darnell. “The kids really turned it up a notch. Even though we lost by one, with extra matches included we tied at 11.”
Against state-ranked La Vernia a couple of weeks ago, Devine had some difficulty closing out close sets as they lost a few tiebreakers along the way. This time, Darnell’s squad used that previous experience against the Bears as motivation to be better in tight matches.
“We had six matches against Legacy go to tiebreak and we went 4-2 in those matches. The kids played hard and I am extremely proud of each one of them!”
Winners against the Titans included…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine wasted little time setting the tone Friday night inside Warhorse Stadium, riding explosive plays from Enoch Hall and a three-touchdown receiving performance by Brody Lane to overpower Johnson City 35-17. The chili and cheese on this fan’s Frito pie was still hot as the Warhorses struck twice in the opening minutes, built a commanding halftime lead, and leaned repeatedly on their staunch defense to keep the Eagles from making the game competitive until the outcome was already well in hand.
For Devine’s Jacob Campsey, however, the significance of the night went beyond the final score as it was his first victory as a head coach, coming inside the same stadium where he once suited up as a high school teenager.
“The biggest thing that makes it special is we needed a win!” Campsey said with a laugh. “Honestly, it was special seeing a lot of the people I care about back in that stadium. Getting to hug Coach Rick Stewart after the game was special for me and seeing a number of ex-classmates that came to support made it even more special and really fun as well.”
It was certainly fun for the Warhorse players who took control immediately.
Hall’s cleat-prints were all over Devine’s first touchdown as he returned the game’s opening kick 41 yards to Johnson City’s 46 yard line. Two plays later from the wildcat position, Hall went untouched up the right side for a 42 yard score with less than a minute ticked off of the brand new scoreboard. Israel Casas’ booted his first of five successful point after attempts to give Devine an early 7-0 lead, a lead they never relinquished.
Although Johnson City got a first down past midfield on their ensuing possession, the Warhorse defense forced a punt that set up Hall’s second score of the night. For the third straight play Hall took the snap from the Wildcat spot at his team’s own 15 yard…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 $42 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!