Lehman’s Kevin Ibanez will try to help the Lobo football team with a switch from tight end to left tackle on offense this season. (Photo by Judy Cooper)

by MARK CAUL

Unlike many offensive linemen playing high school football, Kevin Ibanez has never been able to live in the world of obscurity.

The fact is, there’s nothing bordering on the boundaries of anonymity when it comes to Lehman’s former starting tight end.

Especially when he’ll most likely be the only offensive lineman on the team who can successfully catch a pass or two without hesitation and who will probably have the freshest legs in the fourth quarter going against bulkier, but slower defensive linemen.

Take one look at Ibanez’s gargantuan 6-foot-3 inch, 235-pound frame and it’s easy to see why the guy can never hide – on or off the field.

“My size has definitely been a big advantage to me on and off the field,” Ibanez said. “Off the field, there haven’t been too many people who were willing to challenge a guy my size even though they are usually older and stronger than me. And on the field, I have been able to use my size and strength to my advantage as well.”

Lehman head football coach Steve Davis views Ibanez’s size and strength as a positive headed into a new district where they will be competing against bigger, more physical teams such as Smithson Valley and Canyon, which will strategically shuttle players in and out of the lineup hoping to capitalize on the Lobos’ thin depth.

“Kevin will be one of our more experienced guys this season even though he will be learning a new position,” Davis said. “Moving him to offensive tackle was something we had thought about after we saw the lack of size we had coming back this year.

He will have to get used to blocking every play rather than going out into the flat catching passes.”

Ibanez caught nine passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in 2009 and was also a member of the Lobo power lifting squad.

Senior quarterback Harvest Trammell may be losing one of his most reliable targets in Ibanez but is happy to be gaining a hard-nosed teammate who will be protecting his left side when the season begins.

“Kevin has great hands and knows how to get open,” Trammell said.

“We didn’t really pass a lot last year but he was always somebody I could throw to when I really needed a first down or had to scramble. But I think because of his size, he will make a good lineman. I know I will feel very comfortable with him there.”

Although he understands that offensive linemen generally don’t get a lot of recognition unless they commit a costly penalty, Ibanez has embraced the change with open arms.

“I just want to help the team win,” Ibanez said. “That’s how I look on it. Whatever I needed to do to help the team, that’s what I wanted to do, so if they wanted me to become a lineman, then that’s what I’m going to do. There will be some things I have to learn but I’m ready to do what it takes.”

Ibanez said he’s not sure if he’ll play a role in Lehman’s passing attack this fall, but he spent most of his time this summer catching passes on the Lobo’s 7-on-7 squad as a receiver.

“It’s all about getting prepared,” said Ibanez. “I can’t say this is going to happen. Nothing’s guaranteed, but we’ll see how two-a-days go.”

An extremely shy and reserved guy off the field, Ibanez’s size and athleticism, not to mention his all-business demeanor, would suggest he will get serious looks from colleges in the spring.

“That would be the ultimate goal,” Ibanez said. “It has always been a dream of mine to play college football. But first I want to help Lehman have its best season in history in my senior year.”

The Lobos take the field for the start of two-a-day workouts on Monday.

ARE YOU READY?
• Practice for high school football, volleyball and cross country officially begins Aug. 2.

Hays senior captain Lena New captured the district title last season. The Lady Rebels have their sights set on making a return trip to state this year. (Photo by Ryan Dominguez)

by JASON GORDON

Hays senior and defending cross country district champion Lena New can still vividly remember the trip to the state meet the Lady Rebels made two seasons ago.

New, now the captain of the girls cross country squad, would like nothing more than to end her senior season with the team once again in Round Rock at the state meet.

“It’s hard to put into words what a great experience going to state was,” New said. “I remember when we found out we qualified; we all started screaming. We had such a great time and to end my career the same way would be fantastic. There’s nothing like being on a stage with all the best runners from around the state in the same place.”

Hays head coach Cliff Buckley said he’s certainly looking forward to seeing what his girls squad, which has captured the team district title two seasons in a row, can accomplish once practice officially begins at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 2.

Buckley has one heck of a one-two punch in New and Mariana Sigala, who finished a close second in the individual race at district last season.

“You’re lucky when you get to send two runners like Lena and Mariana out there every race,” Buckley said. “Mariana made great improvements this past spring during track and I expect bigger things from her this season, and Lena has some of those qualities you just can’t teach an athlete. She’s a fiery competitor and never wants to lose. The other kids see that and it makes them work harder.”

Buckley will try to fill the rest of his team with the combination of Samantha Scarborough, Nicole Alcantara and Sarah Alexander.

“If we can get some good production and have people step up in those 3-5 spots on the team, I think we can be very competitive,” Buckley said. “I’m very optimistic. Our goal is to win district and then see what happens from there.”

New is confident her teammates will combine to form another strong unit.

“The girls we have coming back and the new ones we have coming are very determined,” she said. “I think we have a solid core of athletes that will give us a good chance to do very well this season.”

On the boys side, it will be a rebuilding year as Buckley will pencil in an almost entirely new varsity lineup.

Only junior captain Billy Bolton and Taylor Hough will return with varsity experience.

“Billy and Taylor are both coming off very good track seasons,” Buckley said. “My real goal with the boys program is to shake the trees at the school and see if we can get some freshmen and sophomores to come out for the team and try to build things over the next couple of years.”

Hays’ first cross country meet will take place in Wimberley Aug. 28, and the New Braunfels High meet will follow Sept. 4.

The district meet will be held in Lockhart Oct. 30. The regional meet is in San Antonio Nov. 6, and the state meet is in Round Rock on Nov. 13.

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When coach Jay Sansom’s cross country squad reconvenes for pre-season workouts in the blistering August sun on Monday, they will be looking to improve upon last year’s eighth place finish at the Class 4-A Region III regional meet.

Last season, the Lobos were able to secure the school’s first-ever top-ten ranking after peaking at No. 8 toward the latter part of the season with a bevy of experienced seniors leading the way including departed four-year letter winner Juan Gordillo (Texas Lutheran).

The Lobos were able to capture titles at last season’s Zilker Park, Cedar Park and Texas State Invitationals as well as top three finishes at two other premier events around the area to warrant the ranking.

This year, Sansom will be relying on two savvy returning veterans and a host of talented, but unproven newcomers to carry the torch for his squad. The season gets underway on Aug. 29 at the Austin Independent School District Invitational Meet at Zilker Park.

“Last year we accomplished a lot and made strides towards some of our goals,” Sansom said. “Our focus coming into every season is to win district and then qualify for regionals (as a team). We lost some very strong runners, but we have some guys in place that I think will give us a chance to be successful this year.”

Junior Ramon Martinez will play a major role in the makeup of a team that will be attempting to halt the current six-year stranglehold Lockhart has had on the district title.

Martinez had a strong showing in last year’s regional meet, posting a time of 17 minutes, 12 seconds over a three-mile course, which stands as the top time for the handful of Lehman returnees. He will step into the lead runner slot vacated by Gordillo, who graduated in May.

Martinez, who didn’t perform quite as well as expected at last year’s regional meet, will be vying for a host of individual titles in only his third full season on the varsity level.

“Ramon definitely didn’t have his best race last year at regionals,” Sansom said. “But I think with a year of experience under his belt, he will be a huge part of our team again this year.”

Sansom is also counting on a couple of other runners to transition onto the course once the district meet rolls around.

“I’m looking for Ramon to have his best season yet because he has so much talent and he works extremely hard,” Sansom said. “I will be depending on him to help make sure all the other guys on the team are focused for each and every meet.”

Senior Eddie Chabarria and junior Javier Torres are the other two members returning from the regional qualifying team a season ago. Individually, they placed among the top half in district finishers and were both named to the District 26 4-A All-District Academic Team last season as well.

“Both Edwin and Eddie have some varsity miles underneath them now and they know what we expect from them,” Sansom said. “But they all have a great deal of talent and I’m excited to see what they can do this season.”

This season, Sansom has decided to scale back the competitive workload his team will endure throughout the season in hopes that they will be rejuvenated for district and regional runs late in the campaign.

“I want to make sure that we are well rested and ready to go at the end of the season,” Sansom said. “We will reduce the amount of meets we run in from eight to five but will still get in a good 12-mile run at Zilker Park sometime midway through the season. It will give our athletes a chance to reflect on what they want to accomplish at the end of the year and will give them a chance to do a little bonding as a team. Hopefully, it will also prevent us from wearing down late in the year.”

According to Sansom, defending regional champion Lockhart is again the clear-cut favorite in District 27 4-A, but he expects Hays, Canyon and Smithson Valley to present formidable challenges as well.

“Lockhart always has everybody’s attention,” Sansom said. “They are always well coached and seem to have an endless supply of great athletes going through their program each year. They will always be the team to beat in my eyes. But Hays is always very talented and I expect Smithson Valley to be tough as well.”

Sansom is very confident about the positive direction his program has taken since he arrived on Lehman’s campus five years ago.

“We went from having only 18 kids in our entire program when we started five years ago to reaching the regional meet the pastthree seasons,” Sansom said. “You never know what’s going to happen with high school kids from year-to-year but I have really been happy with the effort our kids have given us over the last few years. If we could win a district title or get a berth in the state meet, I think it would be another huge step for this program going forward.”

Former Hays High and University of Houston star pitcher Donnie Joseph is quickly making his way through the Cincinnati Reds minor league system as one of the organization’s best young talents. (Photo courtesy of Lynchburg Hillcats)

by ANDREW AFRICK
Lynchburg Hillcats

When Donnie Joseph takes the mound, he says he only has one thing on his mind – a strikeout.

He doesn’t care if the batter is swinging through one of his 93 mile-per-hour pitches, or watching one go straight into the catcher’s mitt.

“Of course, the most important thing is getting outs, but a certain goal that I have is to strike people out,” said Joseph, a former Hays High star who was drafted in the third round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2009. “It helps me stay focused and helps me attack the zone and throw every pitch with intensity.”

And in 2010, his stats tell the same tale. Joseph started the season in the minor leagues with the Low Class-A Dayton team and struck out 40 batters in 23 innings.  Since his promotion to the Advanced Class-A team in Lynchburg on May 29, he’s still averaged almost two strikeouts per inning pitched.

The reason?  He says it’s his slider.

“My slider is my best pitch,” Joseph said. “I like to get ahead of hitters so I can put them away with it.”

At Dayton and Lynchburg, Joseph has excelled in the important closer’s role he also thrived in during his college years at the University of Houston.

Joseph posted six saves at Dayton, and posted a microscopic earned run average of 0.78.  Through 20 appearances with Lynchburg, his ERA is 2.19, and he has nine saves in 10 opportunities.

But entering ballgames in the ninth inning to slam the door on games wasn’t always something Joseph had in mind.

When he was a junior at the University of Houston, Joseph started the season in the rotation.  He made one start before moving to the bullpen.

“Early in the year, I didn’t know what role I would be in,” Joseph said. “I started a couple games and figured out with my pitching coach that the closing role was where I fit best. I moved to that role and had success so I stayed there and I like it.”

And his current coaches like it too.

“He’s an exciting pitcher,” Hillcats manager Pat Kelly said. “He gets a lot of swings and misses and I think that’s what you’re looking for in your major league bullpen.”

And in terms of when his major league debut will be, Kelly says it’s up to Joseph himself.  But Cincinnati Reds pitching coordinator Mack Jenkins says that it could happen pretty quickly.

“He’s just got to tighten up his delivery and trust his fastball more,” Jenkins said. “When that happens, I’m sure the people of Lynchburg will be reading about this guy pitching in Cincinnati.”

Shooting Stars at the Lake Travis tourney include: Top row (left to right): Lauren Tanner, Felicity Moon, Crystal Lindahl, Kasey Martinez , Katelyn Thurman and Kassidy New. Front row (left to right): Reagan Wick, Akaysha Rodriguez, Kendra Lewis, Katyanna Rios, Isabell Harrington and Makayla Rodriguez. (Courtesy Photo)

STAFF REPORTS

The Hays Shooting Stars Softball T-ball team qualified for the Pony National Tournament at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock. The team is one of only five from the Central Texas area to qualify for the tournament. A total of 16 teams from multiple states will be represented. The Shooting Stars will participate in a National Qualifier Parade at Dell Diamond on July 27, and the tournament gets underway on July 28.

“Getting this far is exceptional and our coaches and children have put in many hours of practice and tournament play,” said Shooting Stars coach Nathan Harrington. “It has been wonderful coaching these ladies and I am very proud of them. They have represented our league very well.”

Lehman guard De’Andre Carson was one of the leaders on the Lobo Elite basketball team, which wrapped up a successful summer season recently. (Photo by Adam Reyna)

by MARK CAUL

When the high school basketball season begins in early December, the Lehman High boys team may have a steep climb as they battle for playoff positioning in the new District 27 4-A.

But after a competitive summer schedule in which they gained valuable experience despite playing without their best post player and senior captain during the summer elite campaign, the future indeed looks bright.

The Lobos will probably have three seniors in the starting lineup on opening night next school year. Among them will be Tarale Murry, who was again forced to miss the entire summer season because of a couple of injuries, and will enter his last season at Lehman with a clean bill of health and ready to contribute after struggling through one nagging injury after another for much of his Lobo career.

When healthy, Murry will most likely play AAU basketball during the early part of the fall campaign and continue to work on adding muscle to his frame before the Lobos begin play in December. With the graduation of three key seniors, he now becomes the team’s first scoring option.

In addition, the projected starting senior tandem of Dane Peddycoart and Adam Woodworth will join Murry in the fray after seeing limited action in the summer league. Both will still be counted on to log heavy minutes this season for the Lobos in crunch time.

On a positive note, the Lobos were able to showcase several players who will be in the mix this season at the guard slot, which will be one of the questions Acker’s crew must address this fall.

Two of the bright spots this summer for Lehman were the underclassmen guard tandem of junior Charles Williams and talented sophomore De’Andre Carson who were the two top offensive threats for the Lobos.

Williams led the team in scoring while Carson dished out the most assists in his second summer of varsity-level basketball.

“I think those two guys were the leaders of this team all summer long,” Lehman Elite Coach David Gutierrez said. “They were always very active on the defensive end and that helped keep us in a lot of games. It says a lot about how competitive they are to be able to play against guys two or three years older and hold their own.”

Lehman head boys basketball coach Thomas Acker, who watched from the stands as the Lobos advanced to the championship game at the Dynasty Royale Classic three weeks ago, was also pleased at how his young backcourt tandem has progressed over the summer.

“We will be looking at both of those guys at the varsity level because they both have some talent,” Acker said. “If they are able to help us, we will certainly utilize them. They struggled at times against the more experienced teams like Del Valle but overall I was pleased that those two guys continued to work and get better.”

Second year varsity players Gino Silvas and Larry Benson, both seniors, were also able to play quality minutes during the elite season. Silvas could possibly shoulder some of the scoring load in the fall with his outside shooting touch while Benson spent the summer working diligently to improve his touch around the basket.

“Both Gino and Adam have worked on the things that we’ve asked them to work on and I have seen tremendous improvement from them both,” said Gutierrez. “I’m expecting them both to make big contributions to their team in the fall.”

The elite summer league showcased teams from Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Del Valle, Clemens and New Braunfels. The league has served as a measuring stick for many players who have eligibility remaining on the high school level every season.

It was only the second full season that Lehman has assembled an elite league squad and Acker believes that the young Lobos have reaped the benefits of facing off against top-level teams this summer.

“Once the guys understand and start to execute what we are trying to teach them, the results can only be positive,” Acker said. “I think the more that this summer program grows, the better off our players will be. And where we want to be is the playoffs.”

Lehman’s Peter Gutierrez (left) and Richard Porche run down the field in tandem before breaking in different directions on their passing routes during a recent 7-on-7 game. (Photo by Judy Cooper)

by MARK CAUL

Not even a disappointing first round loss to Bowie in the league’s final post-season tournament could dampen the excitement generated by a very competitive 7-on-7 campaign for the Lehman Lobos.

The Lobos fell 26-18 in a first-round match-up that brought their most productive 7-on-7 season in school history to a grinding halt.

After Bowie jumped out to a quick 19-6 halftime advantage, senior Harvest Trammell and junior receiver Matt Riojas each scored on long touchdown passes in the second half to close within 19-18 before the Bulldogs added an insurance score late to clinch the victory and advance.

“We obviously didn’t play our best game but I don’t want our guys to focus how the season ended,” Lehman 7-on-7 head coach Don Meshell said. “I want them to remember how successful they were this summer and be proud of how far they’ve come this year.”

It was a summer that featured a much more focused and hungrier pack of Lobos thumping crosstown rival Hays 32-6 during their final match-up of summer league play.

There were also two eye-opening wins in the state qualifying tournament which included surprising victories over Class 5A schools Bastrop and Akins.

“Everybody on this team wanted to come out and prove that the Lobos were ready to play some football this summer,” said senior Kevin Ibanez. “Hopefully, the success we had this summer will give us a lot of confidence going into the fall.”

Much of that success could be attributed to last year’s successful summer campaign in which the Lobos advanced into the semi-final round of the Hays state 7-on-7 qualifying tournament.

Many of the veteran Lobos had very little trouble buying into Meshell’s fiery coaching style and the results were extremely positive.

“Coach Meshell is very intense and he let us know from the first day of practice that we were going to be more than just a football team, we were going to be like a family,” Trammell said. “He always kept us focused and made sure everybody came out and played hard. By the end of the first week of games, he had us feeling like we could beat anybody.”

Lehman head football coach Steve Davis believes the Lobos are on the right track but lamented the fact that his squad was missing a couple of key components that will be vital to their success in the fall.

“I would have liked to have seen Matt Angiuano (last year’s starting QB) participate this summer to get some work on running our offense,” Davis said. “We also didn’t get a chance to see Jaylon Hardaway (who was out with an injury), who will play a big role in our offense this season.”

One of the bright spots for Lehman was newcomer Levi Ridley, a transfer from Tennessee who is expected to be in the Lehman starting backfield this season.

“Levi has some talent but he just needs to get out there and show what he can do,” said Davis. “That means getting himself in the weight room and doing the things he’s going to be asked to do.”

As the fall season approaches, Meshell relished the opportunity to have worked with a new core of Lobos who will be attempting to make a serious playoff run during their next two years at Lehman.

“There’s no question we are closing the gap between some of the other teams in our district,” Meshell said. “All I tried to do was put them in a position to be able to make plays. Many of the guys on this team will be a big part of this program for the next few years so I’m looking forward to being even more successful next summer.”

Lobo fullback Richard Porche is anxiously awaiting the start of fall practice in August.

“Hopefully, this will be a new start for Lehman football,” Porche said. “I think we are ready to take the next step.”

Courtesy photo

STAFF REPORTS

The Tejanos Baseball Organization is made up of kids from around Hays County and surrounding areas. The organization currently has an 8U team, 11U team and two 13U teams and are in the process of expanding to other age groups. The coaches are volunteers and their goals are to teach the fundamentals of baseball and promote academic achievement. Coaches also ask players to volunteer and give back to the Hays community. The Tejanos are holding a free baseball camp on August 7 at Gregg-Clarke Park by the post office in Kyle. Not only will the camp give local children a chance to gain more baseball skills and knowledge but it will also serve as a school supply drive for local schools. We are asking each child that attends to donate school supplies if possible. For more information please visit www.Tejanosbaseball.com, or call David Cisneros at 512-736-9929. Camp times on Aug. 7 are as follows (Ages 7-8, 9-10:30 a.m.), (Ages 9-10, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), (Ages 11-12, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.), (Ages 13-14, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.).

Football Camp
Rebel Football Camp for incoming 7th, 8th & 9th grade boys will begin on Monday, July 26, and conclude on Thursday, July 29. Camp will run from 8 a.m.-noon each day from 8 a.m. until noon.  Cost is $50 and includes instruction, activities, drills and a camp t-shirt. Campers may enroll and pay on Monday, July 26, before camp starts.

This local group of 10-12-year-olds reached the Central Texas Pop Warner Championships in 2009, where they suffered a last-minute defeat. (Courtesy photo)

by MARK CAUL

Although they all may hail from different backgrounds and each took a different path in fulfilling their dreams to become a National Football League player, current stars Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Reggie Bush have several things in common. They were able to win Super Bowls both professionally and also as Pop Warner players.

And with the end of the summer slowly approaching, preparations are already in full swing for the start of youth football in the area this September for the young men who may be the next generation of NFL superstars.

James Pavia, who is the president of the North Hays Pop Warner Gators, certainly believes in the youth program. “Whenever we see some of the guys that have come through our program as kids become successful on both the high school and college level, it makes us proud,” Pavia said. “We hope that means we have impacted their lives in some way, both athletically and academically.”

The Gators are a member of Central Texas Pop Warner Association, which includes teams from Westlake, Leander/Cedar Park, North Hays County and Killeen. Currently about 3,500 kids participate in the league that is comprised of a 10-game regular season, local and regional playoffs and then a trip to Orlando, Florida where the National Super Bowl awaits teams fortunate enough to advance that far.

“We are the only nationally recognized youth football association in Hays County,” said Pavia. “We also are the only Pop Warner Association that owns, operates and maintains it’s own facility in Central Texas Pop Warner. You should see the North Hays Sportsplex facility which is used solely for the purpose of youth football,” said Pavia.

Locally, the league serves about 200 players each fall in both football and cheerleading. The Gators feature teams with players ranging in age from 4 to 12 (kids from 4 to 5 years old play flag football). Then begin tackle at age 6 if the player so chooses.

Coach Milton Powell has been with the Gators since 2007, and is entering his second season as head coach, after leading his team of 8 and 9-year-olds to an outstanding 2009 campaign. Kenny Henderson, Zane Kuykendall, Cade Powell, Tiras Morton and Braden Sullins were named as standouts for Powell’s squad last season.

Coach Pavia enters his tenth season as a youth football coach and has been a Gator since it’s inception in 2005. His group of 9 and 10 year olds is also looking to make a push to the 2010 playoffs with returning players Ivan Olivo, Mojo Perez, Tre’ Hinojosa and David Yancy.

Coach Lee Perry, who is currently the league’s longest tenured coach, heads up the Peewee Division (for ages 10 and 11 who weigh up to 120 pounds and 12-year-olds who weigh up to 100 pounds).

Perry’s squad reached the Central Texas Pop Warner Championship game in 2009, where they suffered a last-minute defeat to a team from northwest Austin.

“All I ask of my teams is to be competitive,” Perry said. “If we win and reach the playoffs, that’s just the added reward.” Perry named Will Ratliff, DJ Peavy, Peyton Pearson, Tyler and Jonathan Moreno as players to watch for. “They have all been Gators for 3 to 6 seasons.”

With another exciting season around the corner, Pavia encourages new players to contact the North Hays Pop Warner website at www.nhogators.com. “There are only a few spots left for this season,” Pavia said. “We’re all looking forward to getting started.”