Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Each member of the Sessions family left their mark on not only Devine Independent School District but this entire community. Don, Gayle, Neva, and Jim Sessions all dedicated their lives to ensuring those that they came into contact with knew what it meant to represent themselves as an Arabian, a Warhorse, or any part of a DHS class or organization.
The family of four spent over a century enriching young people’s lives.
The DISD School Board voted unanimously to honor the Sessions Family with the renaming of the court inside the Devine Student Activities Center to “Sessions Court” two months or so after the October 23, 2024 passing of Athletic Director and Head Girls Basketball Coach Jim Sessions.
The official dedication is on Friday, January 31 prior to the Arabian tipoff against visiting Pearsall. Those wishing to attend should arrive between 5:30pm and 5:45pm to ensure they are able to witness this special occasion.
Special thanks
Butch Cook, owner of Image Matters/South Texas Trophies in Devine, donated the special “Sessions Court” marking on the floor inside the DSAC.
It is truly a beautiful marking that will bring back so many wonderful memories of one or more members of the Sessions family to those that watch any kind of sporting event or school function from this day forward.
Mr. Cook stated, “It was an honor for us to be a part of installing the Sessions family name on the court and the recognition for them was well-deserved. I have known them for 50 years in many ways as my teachers in school; Don drove my school bus when I was in high school; each of them were loyal customers for our business; Jim and I played basketball together and also officiated basketball together; I served on several school committees with Neva and the list goes on. You and I worked together on getting the court named in their honor and I’m so glad it happened.”
Thank you, Mr. Cook, and to all of those who helped make the wonderful marking for Sessions Court.
Category: Warhorses & Arabians
All the Devine High School Best Sports Coverage!
Arabian Varsity golf team champs in opening tourney !
Arabian JV and Varsity golfers pictured left to right are: Reese Navarro, Briana Balderrama, Kenzie Schott, Mackenzie Ramirez, Lily Lawless, Kayleigh Smith, Gabby Morales, Brianna Schaefer, and Emma Gonzales (not pictured).
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
In the sporting world, there’s nothing like having home field advantage. For the Arabian golf team competing in their first tournament of the 2025 season, playing at familiar Devine Golf Course surely gave them a little comfort in navigating the course and relieving some possible anxiety that may have been present on unfamiliar territory.
Devine shot 392 to defeat runner-up Pleasanton who posted 414. Hondo was on the Lady Eagles tail, finishing the day with 416.
Brianna Schaefer placed third individually as she broke 90 with a solid 89. There were 79 total competitors.
Gabby Morales was just out of medal-reach with a 92.
MacKenzie Ramirez (105), Lilly Lawless (106), and Brianna Balderama (113) rounded out the fivesome.
Devine 2
There are no shortage of golfers in Devine High School as Coach Mark Mangold had enough players to have a Devine 2 squad.
Reese Navarro shot 118, Kenzie Schott 128, Emma Gonzales 132, and Kayleigh Smith 133. Devine 2’s 511 team-score placed them 12th overall in the 14-team field.
Team scores
1st Devine 392, 2nd Pleasanton 414, 3rd Hondo 416, 5th Jourdanton 419, 6th Navarro 457, 7th Marion 459, 8th Crystal City 465, 9th Blanco 476, 10th Somerset 504, 11th Lytle 506, 12th Devine2 511, 13th Floresville 515, 14th Natalia 539.
Warhorse powerlifting 3rd place in Dilley
Warhorse powerlifting medalists in Dilley were Rolandolando Garcia, Weston Leal, Joe Guerrero, and Jaden Rodriguez.
Jaden Rodriguez, Weston Leal, & Israel Reyes earn 1st place
Warhorse powerlifting
3rd place in Dilley
Jaden Rodriguez, Weston Leal, & Israel Reyes earn 1st place
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Jaden Rodriguez, Weston Leal, and Israel Reyes lifted their way to gold medals for the Warhorse powerlifting team last Wednesday in Dilley.
Rodriguez won the 114lb division with a total lift of 690 pounds.
Weston Leal took the 132lb class with a total lift of 810 pounds.
Israel Reyes claimed the 181lb division with a total lift of 1,615 pounds.
Joe Guerrero earned silver in the 148lb class (1,020lbs) while Rolando Garcia (132lb-700lbs) and Samuel Diaz (198lb-1,110lbs) each took bronze.
Team standings
1st Dilley 48, 2nd Lytle 35, 3rd Devine 33, 4th South San Antonio 33, 5th Natalia 20, 6th Carrizo Springs 6.
Warhorse results (Lifter-Class-Place-Squat-Bench-Deadlift-Total)
Jaden Rodriguez-114lb-1st-275-155-260-690lbs; Weston Leal-132lb-1st-300-185-325-810lbs; Rolando Garcia-132lb-3rd-325-155-270-700lbs; Joe Guerrero-148lb-2nd-385-250-385-1,020lbs; Israel Reyes-181lb-1st-660-405-550-1,615; Samuel Diaz-198lb-3rd-420-260-430-1,110lbs; Ivan Iglesias-220lb-5th-355-220-330-905lbs; Fabian Reyes-220lb-6th-315-205-360-880lbs; Samuel Alcanter-220lb-7th-360-170-300-830lbs; Kolter Parker-275lb-6th-285-170-320-775lbs.
Warhorses splash Pleasanton;
#1 Ray’sean at the free throw line
Ray’sean Beaver’s long-range 3 forces OT!
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Splash! Ray’sean Beaver hit a sideline hugging, nothing-but-net, 25-foot three-point shot from the left side of Sessions Court over two Eagle defenders with .9 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 52 and send it into overtime.
The Horses could not hold on to big leads built over the course of the first three quarters but were able to come through in the clutch to outscore Pleasanton 8-5 in the extra period to claim the exhausting 60-57 District 27-4A victory.
Devine’s big 41-23 lead toward the end of the third quarter quickly shrunk as Pleasanton clawed their way back from an 18-point deficit to take a 52-49 lead on a free throw with 16.7 seconds remaining.
The Horses inbounded under Pleasanton’s basket after the made free throw, advanced the ball up court, and exchanged a few passes before Cecilio De La Garza shuffled off the assist to Ray’sean’s game-tying shot.
With .9 on the clock and the Eagles setting up a play after their timeout, Pleasanton tried a baseball-type throw to the opposite end of the court that Mason Beaver intercepted like a defensive back would in football.
Mason was dragged to the court by a back-jumping Eagle offensive player that was initially called a foul on Pleasanton as the buzzer sounded.
For an unknown reason…
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Devine High School Athletes Shine at Texas High School Indoor Championship
Devine High School Senior Donavan Dixon and Sophomore Rowdy Esparza participated in Texas HS Indoor Championship.
Senior Donavan Dixon and Sophomore Rowdy Esparza qualified for and participated in the prestigious Texas High School Indoor Championship track meet held on January 11th at Texas A&M University in College Station. This elite event showcases the top high school athletes from across Texas, all of whom have demonstrated outstanding performances in their qualifying events.
Dixon showcased his talent in the 800-meter race, while Esparza competed in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump events. Their hard work and dedication have earned them a spot among the best in the state, making Devine High School proud.
Arabians storm by Lady Mavs
Arabian Yaya Rodriguez sinks another basket. Photo by J DuBose.
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Talk about going from one extreme to the other. Devine defeated Pearsall easily 54-15 January 7 then had a 57-56 overtime thriller versus Floresville January 10 to keep their District 27-4A spotless at 6-0 prior to their January 14 tilt against Uvalde on Sessions Court inside the DSAC.
vs Pearsall
Um, this one was never close. Devine put away the Lady Mavericks early and often as the Arabians bolted out to an 18-2 lead after one and 32-7 at the break in their decisive 54-15 thumping in Pearsall on January 7.
Devine did not shoot the ball particularly well from the floor, but it did not matter. The Arabians 31% more than doubled the Lady Mavs 14% output as it appeared the nets did not warm up until the varsity boys put on their 98-90 offensive display.
The Arabian defense was…
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SA Sports All-Star Football Game
Senior Warhorse football player Matthew Gomez poses for his All-Star Game media picture.
this Saturday in the Alamodome
Devine’s Matthew Gomez, Lytle’s Luke Estrada set to play
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The 47th San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game will be played on Saturday, January 11th at the Alamodome. The area’s top seniors take the field at 5pm following the All-American Bowl which kicks off at noon.
A couple of those “top seniors” are Matthew Gomez of Devine and Luke Estrada of Lytle. Gomez and Estrada were two of 118 seniors selected to participate and will compete on the Blue Team.
According to the San Antonio Sports website, since 1978, the San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game has been a showcase of the area’s top high school football talent with a goal of shining a light on local players and enhancing their opportunities for college scholarships.
The game was originally formed by the Kiwanis Club and later operated by Kids Sports Network until 2013. Since 2014, the game has been managed by San Antonio Sports and held in the Alamodome following the All-American Bowl, which features more than 100 of the nation’s best players and is televised on NBC.
The 2024 game featured 116 seniors representing 67 San Antonio area high schools.
Players are nominated by their high school coaches and chosen by a selection committee featuring…
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Pirate senior football player Luke Estrada with his All-Star game jersey.
Jaw-dropping 4th quarter comeback by JV Horses
Byrd scores 20, 14 during decisive 28-13 run
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
In one of the better games in recent JV basketball memory, Devine rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to claim the exciting 52-20 win over visiting Somerset on January 3.
“Picking up this game was a morale booster for the team and a perfect way to kick off the new year,” stated Coach Zac Valenzuela prior to adding this next tidbit of humor. “Facing Somerset, we found ourselves trailing the entire game, but in true JV fashion, we had them exactly where we wanted them—down 14 points in the fourth quarter.”
Somerset bolted out to a 21-13 lead halfway through, building as much as a 10-point lead in the first half before Becker Byrd and his Warhorse teammates put their exclamation mark on the game with a 39-point second half.
“We rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion. Becker Byrd became unstoppable, pouring in 14 of his 21 points in the final quarter alone. Freshman Dylan Hinnant nailed two clutch three-pointers, adding to our incredible 28-point fourth quarter. Freshmen Brody Lane and Nick Vasquez, who were called up for this game since Tuesday was our bye, contributed greatly to the team’s success and proved they were more than ready for the spotlight as well!”
Devine snatched 39 rebounds, many of which led to some much-needed second-chance points. Hinnant pulled down 7 boards and also hit two three-pointers in route to his 10 points.
Every point mattered in this one. Others scoring were Vasquez with 8 points, Lane 4 points, Jace Martinez 3 points, Shawn Lowe 3 points, Jacob McKee 2 points, and Zane Fritz 2 points.
Setting the stage
The final game-deciding ticks off the clock began with a Becker Byrd floater with about 10 seconds left.
Somerset transitioned..
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Horses battle Somerset
#4 Davis prepares to take the shot
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The end of Christmas break did not end like the Warhorse basketball team had hoped as Somerset downed Devine 80-46 on Sessions Court on January 3. Things looked good for the home team early on as they were within three points at the end of the first quarter, trailing only 14-11.
Although Devine trailed 38-24 at the break, the Horses looked confident and played with defensive tenacity that showed the promise of them being capable of a second half comeback against perennial playoff powerhouse Somerset.
The near-5A Bulldogs put on a layup clinic after halftime, however, as Somerset went on a 25-point roll and scored 44 points in the paint in their lopsided win.
Mason Beaver and Tanner Davis notched double figures with 13 and 10 respectively while Christian Beaver drained 8 points. Davis also grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds while Ray’sean Beaver dished 4 assists.
Stats
Mason Beaver 13 points…
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1,000 points!
Arabian Natalie Valle hit her 1000 career points against Somerset on Friday, January 3rd. Photo by J DuBose.
Arabians don’t let Bulldogs off the porch
Natalie Valle notches 1,000 points
Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Celebration all around on Sessions Court inside the DSAC on January 3 as Devine not only slapped Somerset with a 54-25 beatdown to move to 4-0 in District 27-4A but Natalie Valle notched her 1,000th career point in the process as well.
Nine different Arabians got their names in the scoring column, led by sole double-digit scorer Airyanna Rodriguez who splashed in 10 points. Thousand-point club-member Valle was one hoop away from double figures as she put in 8 points to go along with her 8 rebounds.
Kenadi Marek also scored 8 while Oakley Malone and Kylie Monreal each knocked down 7 points.
Maddie DuBose dominated the glass with 13 rebounds.
Devine’s defense was solid throughout, limiting Somerset to 18% shooting from the field. Although things seemed a little hairy early as the Arabians held a slim 8-5 lead after the first period, Devine got things cleaned up in the middle sections of the game by outscoring the Lady Dogs…
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