Bishop Garriga Middle School uses football for ‘EVANGELIZATION’

Off the field things were not going as planned for the debut of the Bishop Garriga Middle School football program, but once the opening whistle blew, the players showed they were more than ready.

The Crusaders racked five touchdowns on their way to a 36-6 win in the first football game ever for the Catholic middle school.

“Never in the diocese has any middle school had tackle football and the kids are very excited,” said head coach Leo Galindo prior to the opening whistle at Centurion Field at Blessed John Paul II High School.

The game nearly did not get off its opening kick, in fact it did not have an opening kick, since the opposing team from West Oso had not had an opportunity to practice its kicking. Garriga Middle School Principal Mario Vasquez said the game nearly did not happen after West Oso asked to cancel because of their lack of a kicking game, but the teams came up with a scheme that did not require kickoffs or punts. West Oso, after winning the coin toss, took the ball at its own 35 to start things off and instead of punting the ball was moved down 25 yards where the opposing team would open their offensive drive.

Talk of possibly canceling the game led to the scheduled referees taking on other assignments and at game time an official was nowhere to be found. The yard markers and chains were not out. Parents were quickly asked to volunteer to run the chains and coaches from both teams agreed to referee the game.

Vasquez said the decision to introduce football at the school was influenced by the fact that Blessed John Paul II High School has an ongoing four-year program and at the request of many parents.

“It was time to establish a feeder program that would benefit both schools. The addition of football will round out the existing athletic program at the school which includes basketball, volleyball, track and tennis,” Vasquez said.

The diocese approved the football program, Vasquez said, only after he was able to show that funds would not come from the education budget. The program got a boost when it received a $10,000 donation to “kick” things off. The school held a casino night that brought in another $7,000.

Parents play a vital part in the school’s football program. They pay a $150 participation fee required of each player. They also help with fundraisers, staff the gate and concessions at games and drive the players to away games. They have organized a strong booster club and help with the cheerleading squad that numbers 30 girls.  

The program does not have a fulltime coaching staff. Coach Galindo, a retired coach from the Corpus Christi Independent School District, and his assistant James Hatch, a student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, are paid a modest stipend for the season.

“One of the Church’s mission is to bring Catholics back,” Vasquez said. The football program fits into this evangelization because it keeps young people active in the Catholic schools, he said.

Vasquez said that statistics show that the longer a youngster stays in Catholic school, the better the likelihood he or she will stay a committed Catholic. Students that attend Catholic school through the elementary level have a 50 percent chance of remaining active in the Church, while those who graduate from a Catholic high school are 85 percent more likely to be devoted Catholics.

The football program is consistent with the school’s SAFE mantra–spiritual, academics, formation and extracurricular.

“We have all others sports in the budget so football gives students everything the public schools give them and more,” Vasquez said. “It also brings the community together.”

The school presently has 198 students but can accommodate 250. Presently, half of the students come from the Catholic schools in the diocese and half come from the public schools. Football, Vasquez said, will help them get to the 250 mark sooner rather than later.

“The program has exceeded my expectations,” Vasquez said. “Where I was relying on Casino Night to fund the program, it appears the program itself will bring in the revenue required to maintain it.”

While attendance at basketball and volleyball games number 200, the first two games of the football season have attracted 500 and 700 paying fans.

Exceeding expectations comes in many forms. The Crusaders are certainly outdoing themselves and their opponents on the field. In their first game they dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Mathew Sanchez scored the first touchdown in school history on the Crusader’s first possession. He scored a second touchdown later in the game as well as two two-point conversions after touchdowns. Sanchez also led the Crusaders on defense.

“It felt pretty good scoring touchdowns,” Sanchez said, with a smile.

Quarterback Alec Martinez connected with Ryan Lopez on three touchdowns pass plays to round up the scoring for the first game.

“Everybody in the diocese should have football,” said a happy Martinez.

Coach Hatch echoed the players’ excitement, saying the opening game was “great.” “I love my kids, I love the school, I love the program; I can’t wait for it to grow,” Hatch said.

The Crusaders next home game at Centurion Field will be against the Grant Middle School “B” team on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.