Photos by Nicole Flowers
October 28, 2024
Bulldogs fall to Devine in hard-fought defensive battle
By Brady Keane
BISD Assistant Football Coach
The Bandera Prophet
The Bandera varsity football team fought hard but ultimately came up short in a 23-13 loss to Devine on Friday night. Despite a strong defensive effort and a late offensive push, the Bulldogs couldn’t overcome an early deficit and fell to 5-3 on the season and 1-1 in district play.
“We came up a little short on Friday, but we weren’t short on effort,” Bandera Head Coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said. “Our guys played hard. We won the fourth quarter, but it was just too late.”
Devine entered the game mourning the loss of two significant figures in their community— Jim Sessions, a well-respected coach and the district’s athletic director, and Art Contreras, a Warhorse father, both of whom passed away in the days leading up to the game.
In an emotional moment after the final whistle, Bandera’s captains initiated a huddle at midfield with the Warhorses to offer prayers and condolences to the Devine community.
“There are things that are much bigger than wins and losses that we are trying to teach the athletes we coach,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Empathy, integrity, and character are hard to explain in words, but when you see a moment like Friday night, all those things become clear. Our players took it upon themselves to let another community know that while we were here to compete and do our best to win, we know they are facing things that don’t go away when you get back on the bus. We all need others to help us remember that we are not alone.”
Devine jumped out to an early lead on a 1-yard touchdown run, but a bobbled snap on the extra point attempt led to a 2-point try that was intercepted by junior Jeffry Thomas. The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter when senior Gavin Spruell blocked a punt, which senior Sam Snavely snagged with one hand and returned inside the Warhorses’ 10-yard line.
Senior quarterback Dylan Peace connected with Thomas on a 4-yard touchdown pass just a few plays later, and Bandera took its first lead at 7-6 after the extra point from senior kicker Jace Knowles. However, a 24-yard field goal by Devine just before halftime saw the Warhorses retake a 9-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
Bandera’s defense held strong throughout the night, limiting Devine to just 199 total yards. Senior Josh Goff and Spruell set the tone in the box, while sophomore Jonah Klein and junior West Cloudt provided a physical presence on the edge at outside linebacker. Snavely was a force at cornerback, tallying 10 tackles.
“We played physically in the box and tackled very well,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Our defense did a great job of getting them off the field and holding them to under 200 yards of offense. Our guys didn’t back down at any point, and that’s something we can build on.”
Despite strong defensive play, turnovers gave the Warhorses good field position, and Devine extended their lead with a pair of short rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, pushing the score to 23-7.
Bandera refused to blink and climbed back into the game in the fourth quarter. Peace found Snavely on a 49-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 23-13. The two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, and although the Bulldogs started to pressure Devine’s defense, the comeback effort ultimately came up just short.
“It was not our best performance offensively,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We have a chance to come back to work on Monday and improve on some things as we continue to make our push at a district championship.”
Peace finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns. Snavely hauled in two receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas added four catches for 40 yards and a score. Junior Benton Cloudt finished with two catches for 20 yards, and West Cloudt contributed one catch for 13 yards and a key first down.
Bandera will now turn its attention to San Antonio Memorial as the team prepares for another big district matchup on Friday Night at Edgewood ISD Veterans Stadium. A win will lock the Bulldogs into the playoffs for the fourth straight season, an accomplishment that has only been reached three other times in program history.
A victory on Friday night also keeps the Bulldogs alive in the hunt for a second straight district championship, setting up a critical showdown with Carrizo Springs on Friday, Nov. 8, at Bulldog Stadium.
“Our story is not told yet,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We’ve got a chance to get at least a share of the district championship and accomplish our regular season goal heading into the playoffs. We’ll have a great week of preparation, and I’m confident we’ll be ready to bounce back. We need all the Bandera faithful to make the trip to San Antonio Friday night and support the Bulldogs!”
“We came up a little short on Friday, but we weren’t short on effort,” Bandera Head Coach Joel Fontenot-Amedee said. “Our guys played hard. We won the fourth quarter, but it was just too late.”
Devine entered the game mourning the loss of two significant figures in their community— Jim Sessions, a well-respected coach and the district’s athletic director, and Art Contreras, a Warhorse father, both of whom passed away in the days leading up to the game.
In an emotional moment after the final whistle, Bandera’s captains initiated a huddle at midfield with the Warhorses to offer prayers and condolences to the Devine community.
“There are things that are much bigger than wins and losses that we are trying to teach the athletes we coach,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Empathy, integrity, and character are hard to explain in words, but when you see a moment like Friday night, all those things become clear. Our players took it upon themselves to let another community know that while we were here to compete and do our best to win, we know they are facing things that don’t go away when you get back on the bus. We all need others to help us remember that we are not alone.”
Devine jumped out to an early lead on a 1-yard touchdown run, but a bobbled snap on the extra point attempt led to a 2-point try that was intercepted by junior Jeffry Thomas. The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter when senior Gavin Spruell blocked a punt, which senior Sam Snavely snagged with one hand and returned inside the Warhorses’ 10-yard line.
Senior quarterback Dylan Peace connected with Thomas on a 4-yard touchdown pass just a few plays later, and Bandera took its first lead at 7-6 after the extra point from senior kicker Jace Knowles. However, a 24-yard field goal by Devine just before halftime saw the Warhorses retake a 9-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
Bandera’s defense held strong throughout the night, limiting Devine to just 199 total yards. Senior Josh Goff and Spruell set the tone in the box, while sophomore Jonah Klein and junior West Cloudt provided a physical presence on the edge at outside linebacker. Snavely was a force at cornerback, tallying 10 tackles.
“We played physically in the box and tackled very well,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “Our defense did a great job of getting them off the field and holding them to under 200 yards of offense. Our guys didn’t back down at any point, and that’s something we can build on.”
Despite strong defensive play, turnovers gave the Warhorses good field position, and Devine extended their lead with a pair of short rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, pushing the score to 23-7.
Bandera refused to blink and climbed back into the game in the fourth quarter. Peace found Snavely on a 49-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 23-13. The two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, and although the Bulldogs started to pressure Devine’s defense, the comeback effort ultimately came up just short.
“It was not our best performance offensively,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We have a chance to come back to work on Monday and improve on some things as we continue to make our push at a district championship.”
Peace finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns. Snavely hauled in two receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Thomas added four catches for 40 yards and a score. Junior Benton Cloudt finished with two catches for 20 yards, and West Cloudt contributed one catch for 13 yards and a key first down.
Bandera will now turn its attention to San Antonio Memorial as the team prepares for another big district matchup on Friday Night at Edgewood ISD Veterans Stadium. A win will lock the Bulldogs into the playoffs for the fourth straight season, an accomplishment that has only been reached three other times in program history.
A victory on Friday night also keeps the Bulldogs alive in the hunt for a second straight district championship, setting up a critical showdown with Carrizo Springs on Friday, Nov. 8, at Bulldog Stadium.
“Our story is not told yet,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We’ve got a chance to get at least a share of the district championship and accomplish our regular season goal heading into the playoffs. We’ll have a great week of preparation, and I’m confident we’ll be ready to bounce back. We need all the Bandera faithful to make the trip to San Antonio Friday night and support the Bulldogs!”