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Columbus Volleyball Tourney this weekend

Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Devine volleyball head coach Leigh Anne McIver is putting her somewhat-young team to the test early and often this season. With highly competitive scrimmages against San Antonio Christian, Poth, and Navarro and games against San Antonio Southwest Legacy and San Antonio Wagner in the rear view mirror, upcoming games at Giddings and the Columbus Tournament provides a further look at who is ready for varsity competition and who may need a little more seasoning on the JV so they may be ready to step in as the season progresses.
“Although the scrimmages against SAC and Poth may not have been our best, we ended on a good note on the last scrimmage against Navarro,” McIver stated. “We were not playing like we have been practicing but with lots of new girls against varsity level players for the first time, this was not unexpected.”
Like any team, whether it be on a court or in a business office boardroom somewhere, coming together to make “presentations” look flawless takes time.
“As we get more practices under our belts and a chance to gel with each other more often, we will become the team that Devine is used to seeing on the court.”

Continue reading “Arabians serve it up!”

Towels, towels, & more towels needed for Arabians & Warhorses

Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Devine players finally have the opportunity to line up against someone in a different colored uniform as Cotulla makes their way to Warhorse Stadium this Thursday for the first scrimmage for each program. Start time is 5:30pm.
August 22, the Warhorses parachute into Geronimo for their second and final tune-up against Navarro.
Devine officially kicks off the 2024 season August 30 at Warhorse Stadium against Randolph at 7:30pm. Parent’s Night festivities proceed the ballgame.
For the next week and a half, however, scrimmages and the purpose they serve to both players and coaches dominate round-table talk and water cooler conversations.

Continue reading “Devine vs Cotulla in first scrimmage Thursday @ 5:30pm”

Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Back in the day, two-a-day football practices were just that—twice a day practices with a lunch break in the middle that lasted a minimum of two weeks if not longer. Players and coaches alike got the full scope of seeing the toughness, both physically and mentally, of what 10-14 days under the Texas sun could bring upon everyone battling the heat in preparation for a football season to begin.
With Devine ISD setting their school calendar back in early Spring, Head Coach Paul Gomez and his staff knew then the following two-a-day schedule would be altered with practices kicking off on the first Monday of August (Aug5) and teacher in-service following two days later on Wednesday, August 7 for some, and Thursday, August 8 for others.
Gomez stated it was “definitely a different week of two-a-days this year as we had two-a-days Monday thru Wednesday before starting teacher in service on Thursday”
Coaches are creatures of habit so altering the schedule was more-than-likely met with a few grumbles last spring, but Gomez and his staff adapted and rolled with the punches without a glitch.

Continue reading “Warhorse two-a-days thrown a curveball by teacherin-service”

Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
It must have been a dream come true for some as Warhorse Head Coach Paul Gomez and Lytle Head Coach Mike Trevino allowed individual players to be tackled by their own momma in one of the best team-building exercises out there.
Many high school football moms secretly dream of having the opportunity to tackle their son on the football field, although the moms may envision it as them flying across the living room in their nightgown and lifting their son’s feet off the ground as they go tumbling over the couch.
And wanting the opportunity to tackle is not because they do not love them.
No, not at all.
It is, however, that therapeutic opportunity to return some of the frustration that comes with raising a teenage boy. When Gomez and Trevino announced this type of team-building exercise was coming to fruition, the excitement was palpable.

Jenni Hagdorn tackled her son Jackson before planting a kiss on his forehead.

Mom’s lined up one by one facing their son, as their son stood in front of a landing mat with a pad held to their chest in order to soften the blow they were about to absorb from their biggest fan.
Players and coaches alike lined each side of the approximate 10-yard running lane, whooping and hollering while hoping to see the player get laid out by their sweet, dear momma.
One could see the years of ignoring curfews, dodging chores, mumbling underneath their breath, and numerous “but other kids are doing it” references when their way was not granted were clearly visible in several mother’s faces as those moments came rushing back, if only for a short few seconds.
Many players underestimated the power that lies inside their mom, as many mom’s laid the wrath of pent-up exasperation on their unsuspecting offspring.
And, boy, was it glorious!
In the end, there were no hard feelings but a newfound appreciation for a mom and son to share for the rest of their lives together.
Something to keep in mind as you are watching a game under the lights this fall is if a player from a team that you are rooting for happens to make an outstanding play on an opposing team’s ball carrier, maybe, just maybe, the most appropriate thing to yell would be, “You tackle like your mom!”
Videos/Pics
If you want to see pictures and videos of Lytle’s Gridiron Gals, visit Mike Trevino on Facebook. To see Football 101 with Warhorse Moms, check out Warhorse Nation on Facebook or Warhorse_Nation on X (formerly Twitter).