Top stories of Gonzales County sports in 2016

I’m sure if you ask around, most people will tell you how bad of a year 2016 was. There were definitely a lot of ups and downs for me but being the ultimate optimist that I am, I tend to look at all of the positives. Personally, I’ve hit a few goals that I think will ultimately make me become a better version of, well, me. Going up to Arlington to cover the UIL state football championships was a pretty good one. Although I didn’t necessarily have a local team to write about here for the Inquirer, helping out as a stringer proved to me that I can work the big games when the time comes for us here in Gonzales County.

As you probably already know, we here at the Inquirer cover four schools in our sports section. Gonzales, Nixon-Smiley, Waelder and Shiner St. Paul. Since we’re nearing the end of 2016, I figured it would make sense to take a step back and look at some of the top stories of the year.

As you may know, there’s a limited amount of space, so just because I don’t mention a specific sport doesn’t mean I don’t find it important. But these stories have stuck out to me as my favorites.

Boys’ soccer opens doors for Hispanic community

The Apaches 2015-16 boys’ soccer season was a memorable one for me simply because of how quickly Gonzales has established itself as a force to be reckon with in Region IV-4A.

In their inaugural 2014-15 season, the Apaches managed to lose just one game. Last season was their first in district where the Apaches were eligible for the UIL playoffs, giving a group of athletes who used to not be represented as well as it should have been in the Gonzales sports program a shot at greatness.

“I think our administration, high school administration, central office administration, our school board and our community as a whole saw that we had a demographic that we could touch athletically that we weren’t touching,” Gonzales ISD athletic director Kodi Crane said before announcing the addition of soccer. “So we did go forward with [starting a soccer program]. We have a lot of those kids that are in our athletic program now that if we didn’t have soccer they wouldn’t be there.”

Last season the Apaches made it to the regional tournament, ultimately losing to Region IV-4A powerhouse Progreso. But getting there in their first year has instilled a sense of pride, a sense of confidence that the program has been missing for years since I’ve started covering them. Not only that, it’s provided an opportunity for a group of kids that normally wouldn’t have considered putting on a Gonzales Apache uniform.

“Sometimes it doesn’t dawn on them but this is a really big deal,” head boys’ soccer coach Greg Ramirez said in April. “It’s good for the community. For them to be representing Gonzales, now it’s so exciting for them. They feel part of something now, not just going to school and that’s it. Now they’re part of something historic. They know wearing that jersey, that Gonzales jersey, it makes them feel invincible. Even though we’ll have bad games or good games, it doesn’t matter. When they put that jersey on it makes them feel that they’re a part of, not just a small group but they are a part of the community. It makes them feel good.”

The Texas Association of Soccer Coaches have released their preseason rankings for 2017, ranking Gonzales second in Region IV-4A. TASCO ranked the Apaches seventh in all of Class 4A.

Expectations are high for these Apaches, and it all started out with the phenomenal season they had this calendar year.

Nixon-Smiley gain first playoff win since 2000

Who doesn’t love an underdog story? The Nixon-Smiley Mustangs knew that with the realignment, they’d have a shot at becoming district champions in soccer this season. Despite the preseason rankings and prognosticators, including Dave Campbell’s Texas Football predicting the Mustangs would go fifth, Nixon-Smiley went into the playoffs as the runner-ups of District 13-3ADII.

After that accomplishment, the Mustangs went on to do something they haven’t done in 16 years. Win a playoff game.

“It’s been a while, we’re extremely excited about that,” Nixon-Smiley head football coach Carlton McKinney said after the win in November. “We knew if we can get first or second [in district] then we have an opportunity to win. And although we weren't the favorite in this game, we knew...we hadn't been a favorite in our last two games and our kids performed well, so we knew we had a shot.”

The underdogs would get romped in the next round against a tough East Bernard team but there’s no denying that the Mustangs, an athletic program that have recently had more success on the basketball court than on the football field, were able to accomplish something many thought they couldn’t.

Waelder girls’ athletics on the rise

Though I haven’t written a specific story this year on the rise of Waelder Lady Cats athletics, it’s important to note that in a program where there has been a revolving door in the girls’ head coach’s office, the Waelder Lady Wildcats may have found some stability with head coach Martha Zuniga. Zuniga has willed her Lady Cats to a playoff victory in volleyball and have won some games early on in the non-district portion of the basketball season.

“[The girls’] have made it pretty clear that they want to get to the playoffs and go as far as they can,” Zuniga said of their goals. “Their biggest goal is to show people that they can succeed too, that they can succeed in the basketball program and not just have a backseat. For the boys’ team being as successful as they are, they want to be right up there [with them]. To be able to shine alongside the boys.”

It’s going to take some time to get to the respect level that the boys’ have gained from the community. After all, the boys’ basketball program have reached the regional tournament every year with Brandon Howard as head coach. But they are taking the right steps. And if that revolving door can stop swinging in the girls’ head coach’s office, then maybe the Lady Cats can find that stability that they so desperately need to be successful.

Shiner St. Paul state champions again

When reading that headline, Cardinals’ fans would need a little more information to figure out what sport I’m writing about.

You see, Shiner St. Paul racked up multiple state championship victories in 2016. So much that they were awarded the TAPPS 2A Henderson Cup at the end of the 2015-16 school year. The  Cardinals were able to rake in titles in football, cross-country, track and field and softball. Meanwhile, athletic director and head coach Jake Wachsmuth was named the TAPPS 2A Male Coach of the Year while head coach Dana Beal-Sestak was named the TAPPS 2A Female Coach of the Year. Natalie Jackson was named the 2015-16 TAPPS 2A Female Athlete of the Year.

In June I wrote that the phrase “high expectations” might be the most overused two words in sports preview stories, but Shiner St. Paul has proven that their history warrants such expectations. The 2016-17 school year has been off to a good start, with Shiner St. Paul winning in football and girls’ cross-country yet again.

Ericka Hernandez ends career as state champion

There has been one athlete who has shined in Gonzales athletics from 2013-16. That Lady Apache was Ericka Hernandez who won a state title in track and field, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in a very long time for program.

Hernandez was Gonzales’ lone representative at the meet, competing in discus and shot put to advance to the state championship in Austin. She would pass her goal of 45 feet in shot put as she got a gold-medal winning toss of 46-3 ½ in shot put, beating out Corpus Christi West Oso High’s Charda Tyron who took second with her toss of 43-4.

Hernandez’s win was her second state title in her high school career. She also took first in powerlifting in the 220-plus weight class, getting a total lift of 1065 pounds.

Girls’ athletic director Cully Doyle believed that Hernandez could be considered as one of the best athletes Gonzales has seen.

““No disrespect to [Lakendra Greathouse], however Ericka is throwing better than her,” Doyle said in May. “I think she’s the best thrower, shot put or discus, that’s gone through Gonzales High. She’s a very special athlete.”

Hernandez played football as a freshman, played basketball, competed in powerlifting as well as track and field throughout her high school athletic career. Doyle, as well as most of the Apache coaching staff, believes that being in multiple sports is a positive for the program.

“I want the kids to have an opportunity to do multiple things,” he said. “Ericka has taken advantage of that, I mean she played football her freshman year and she was good at that. She’s committed to doing what she can and she loves basketball and she’s good at it. She’s had fun doing that. Obviously she’s as great thrower, she’s committed.”

Hernandez is a special athlete indeed. Her commitment to the program will not be forgotten and her success last school year was one of the top stories of 2016.