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December 13, 2023
Bulldog fans rally to win vote, send Cardenas to SA All-Star Game
By Brady Keane
The Bandera Prophet
After a month-long voting process that featured a total of more than 46,000 votes, the San Antonio Sports All-Star Football game announced Bandera senior quarterback Jesse Cardenas won the Fan Choice vote-in process and will compete at the Alamo Dome on Jan. 6, 2024.
Bandera County and a far-reaching group of Bulldog supporters rallied together to help Cardenas earn the well-deserved honor with over 12,000 votes. Cardenas will compete with Team Gold in the All-Star Game.
“Our community rallied around Jesse,” Bandera athletic director and head football coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said. “Parents, teachers, coaches, students, elementary classes – they all contributed to make sure Jesse got what he deserved. We are one!
Cardenas made his mark as a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs, racking up 1,211 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, 556 carries for 3,467 yards and 34 touchdowns and 15 catches for 233 yards in his career on the offensive end alone.
On defense, Cardenas tallied 224 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Cardenas also added one kickoff return for a touchdown and two punt returns for a touchdown in his career.
Cardenas will now close out his high school football career on the big stage of the Alamo Dome alongside the best players in the San Antonio area.
“It means a lot to me,” Cardenas said. “I get to spend my last game on a field with a ton of great athletes and one of my close friends, Corben Gonzales. We are really excited for the opportunity. Thank you to everyone who voted!”
As a captain on this year’s team, Cardenas, who made the switch to quarterback, helped lead the Bulldogs to their most successful season in more than a decade. Bandera went 10-2 and claimed a district championship for the first time since 2009. The Bulldogs went on to defeat Jarrell 32-27 in the bi-district round of the playoffs, giving the program its first playoff win since 2007.
Cardenas had five total touchdowns in the playoff win over the Mustangs, including a heroic effort on a punt return for a score that shifted the momentum in favor of the Bulldogs for good.
“I really can’t say enough good things about him and the role he accepted,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “It was truly extraordinary. I can tell you this – we may not have a Bandera Athletics Hall of Fame (yet), but Jesse is definitely in the Coach Amedee Hall of Fame. He was such an important part of the best season Bandera has had in 20 years.”
Cardenas will take the field in the all-star game alongside his Bandera teammate, senior wide receiver Corben Gonzales, who was named the District 14-4A Division II Utility Player of the Year. Gonzales had 42 catches for 42 catches for 777 yards and 10 touchdowns, seven carries for 53 yards and one touchdown, 20 tackles, and three interceptions.
Gonzales and Cardenas will be coached in the game by the Madison High School coaching staff and head coach Blaine Pederson. Pederson has been coaching for 30 years and has been the head coach and athletic coordinator at North East ISD’s Madison High School since 2017.
The two Bulldog All-Stars will line-up for Team Gold alongside players from Alamo Heights, Antonion, Brandeis, Burbank, New Braunfels Canyon, Churchill, San Antonio Cole, Comal Davenport, San Antonio Harlandale, Hondo, San Antonio Johnson, Judson, Luling, San Antonio MacArthur, San Antonio Madison, Marion, Medina Valley, Navarro, New Braunfels, O’Connor, Comal Pieper, Randolph, Sam Houston, Seguin, Smithson Valley, Sotomayor, Southwest, Steele, Stevens, Veterans Memorial, Veterans Memorial, SA Warren and YMLA.
Team Gold will be competing against Team Black, led by Boerne head coach Che Hendrix and the Greyhounds’ coaching staff.
“My heart will be full sitting with all the Bulldog fans in the Alamo Dome watching our guys compete one more time,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Team Black may be in trouble in the fourth quarter!”
Bandera County and a far-reaching group of Bulldog supporters rallied together to help Cardenas earn the well-deserved honor with over 12,000 votes. Cardenas will compete with Team Gold in the All-Star Game.
“Our community rallied around Jesse,” Bandera athletic director and head football coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said. “Parents, teachers, coaches, students, elementary classes – they all contributed to make sure Jesse got what he deserved. We are one!
Cardenas made his mark as a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs, racking up 1,211 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, 556 carries for 3,467 yards and 34 touchdowns and 15 catches for 233 yards in his career on the offensive end alone.
On defense, Cardenas tallied 224 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Cardenas also added one kickoff return for a touchdown and two punt returns for a touchdown in his career.
Cardenas will now close out his high school football career on the big stage of the Alamo Dome alongside the best players in the San Antonio area.
“It means a lot to me,” Cardenas said. “I get to spend my last game on a field with a ton of great athletes and one of my close friends, Corben Gonzales. We are really excited for the opportunity. Thank you to everyone who voted!”
As a captain on this year’s team, Cardenas, who made the switch to quarterback, helped lead the Bulldogs to their most successful season in more than a decade. Bandera went 10-2 and claimed a district championship for the first time since 2009. The Bulldogs went on to defeat Jarrell 32-27 in the bi-district round of the playoffs, giving the program its first playoff win since 2007.
Cardenas had five total touchdowns in the playoff win over the Mustangs, including a heroic effort on a punt return for a score that shifted the momentum in favor of the Bulldogs for good.
“I really can’t say enough good things about him and the role he accepted,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “It was truly extraordinary. I can tell you this – we may not have a Bandera Athletics Hall of Fame (yet), but Jesse is definitely in the Coach Amedee Hall of Fame. He was such an important part of the best season Bandera has had in 20 years.”
Cardenas will take the field in the all-star game alongside his Bandera teammate, senior wide receiver Corben Gonzales, who was named the District 14-4A Division II Utility Player of the Year. Gonzales had 42 catches for 42 catches for 777 yards and 10 touchdowns, seven carries for 53 yards and one touchdown, 20 tackles, and three interceptions.
Gonzales and Cardenas will be coached in the game by the Madison High School coaching staff and head coach Blaine Pederson. Pederson has been coaching for 30 years and has been the head coach and athletic coordinator at North East ISD’s Madison High School since 2017.
The two Bulldog All-Stars will line-up for Team Gold alongside players from Alamo Heights, Antonion, Brandeis, Burbank, New Braunfels Canyon, Churchill, San Antonio Cole, Comal Davenport, San Antonio Harlandale, Hondo, San Antonio Johnson, Judson, Luling, San Antonio MacArthur, San Antonio Madison, Marion, Medina Valley, Navarro, New Braunfels, O’Connor, Comal Pieper, Randolph, Sam Houston, Seguin, Smithson Valley, Sotomayor, Southwest, Steele, Stevens, Veterans Memorial, Veterans Memorial, SA Warren and YMLA.
Team Gold will be competing against Team Black, led by Boerne head coach Che Hendrix and the Greyhounds’ coaching staff.
“My heart will be full sitting with all the Bulldog fans in the Alamo Dome watching our guys compete one more time,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Team Black may be in trouble in the fourth quarter!”