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Photos by Andrew Coloney
November 19, 2024
Bandera football season ends with loss to Lago Vista, but Bulldogs celebrate another district title
By Brady Keane
BISD Assistant Football Coach
The Bandera Prophet
While the Bandera football season came to an end Friday night in the bi-district round of the playoffs, Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Joel Fontenot-Amedee said the Bulldogs have plenty to be proud of heading into the off-season.
Bandera entered the season with high expectations coming off the program’s first district championship and playoff win in almost 15 years, but suffered a number of costly injuries early in the season. Regardless, the team rattled off a 7-3 record in the regular season, and overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit in the regular season finale against Carrizo Springs to clinch a share of a second straight district title.
“Individually, each player learned what it is to work for something as hard as they can and to invest in something greater than themselves,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They learned that hard work pays off, you just don't get to decide when. Those are lessons all great members of a society learn at some point that will lead them to being productive members of a team. They learned how to win and lose together.”
Lago Vista defeated Bandera 42-10 Friday night, capitalizing on strong field position and a handful of costly Bulldog turnovers to gain the advantage early. But the Bulldogs held the Vikings to just seven second half points and stuck together through the final whistle, demonstrating a strong culture and bond that has been forged through overcoming adversity all season long.
Sophomore Breydan Gherman finished with 100 yards rushing to pace the Bulldog offense while senior quarterback Dylan Peace connected with senior wide receiver Ibraham MacNeil on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Senior kicker Jace Knowles added a 21-yard field goal, and the Bandera defense forced a total of five turnovers.
Josh Goff and Jonah Klein each recovered a fumble, one of which was forced by Dane Barnett, while Barnett, West Cloudt and MacNeil each hauled in an interception.
“I am very proud of this football team,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “The lasting memory for this team doesn't lie in the score from Friday night's game. Our purpose in the Bandera Athletic program is to change lives. There were many teachable moments for our football team this year, which includes both players and coaches. I'm very proud of how this team came together and achieved the goal of winning back to back district championships.”
Bandera’s road to a district championship began with a 29-22 win over Poteet in the season opener and a 28-21 win over Ingram in Week 2. The Bulldogs suffered back-to-back one-score losses to Lytle (24-21) and Cole (27-21), but bounced back with a defining and emphatic 38-6 win over Hondo at home.
A dramatic 35-29 win over Comfort gave Bandera even more momentum heading into the district schedule, where the Bulldogs knocked off Pearsall 31-14 in the opener. Bandera fell to Devine 23-13 in a hard-fought defensive battle, before blowing out San Antonio Memorial 42-0.
That set up the game of the year, a 31-30 win over Carrizo Springs in which the Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats 24-6 in the second half and converted a 35-yard field goal from Jace Knowles with just 3 seconds remaining to clinch a share of a second consecutive district title.
“I felt like each week of the season our guys looked like a completely different team at practice,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They improved dramatically each week. With all of the injuries, it was truly a next man up attitude. Some of these guys played almost every offensive and defensive snap for an entire season. That is incredible.”
As Bandera turns the page on another successful season, the Bulldogs will say goodbye to a talented senior class that finishes its high school career having left quite a legacy. The senior class includes Sam Snavely, Dylan Peace, Jace Knowles, Ibraham MacNeil, Julian De La Paz, Kenneth Seth, Jackson Satterfield, Roman Rigelsky, Daylon Lee, Josh Goff, Gavin Spruell and Jeremy Widders.
“Our seniors are winners - they’ve earned that,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They are 31-14 over their four years in high school. Four trips to the playoffs, the first playoff win in over a decade and two district championships to back it up. But more than that, their legacy lies in the impact this group of seniors had on all of the lives they touched in our program. The underclassmen, the middle schoolers, and even some of our own children have been positively impacted by this group of Bulldog seniors. They are a special group!”
The Bulldogs will have a lot of holes to fill, but also return a talented group of underclassmen as they head into the off-season. Bandera will also have a handful of players return from injury, and has plenty to look forward to as the Bulldogs continue to aim to raise the standard of success.
“It's a little early, even for me, to turn the page but when I start looking into the crystal ball, I see two 1,000-yard rushers returning, both who had 10 plus touchdowns,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We have a 900-yard receiver with 13 td's, two district newcomers of the year returning, most of our offensive line and several other all district players coming back on both sides of the ball. I see some important pieces coming back from injury. I see a bunch of players working their butts off to play a role on a varsity football team. It's time to tear it down to the studs and build it back up! I can't wait to get to work on next season, the future is bright! I am fired up to be a Bulldog - let’s get after it!”
Bandera entered the season with high expectations coming off the program’s first district championship and playoff win in almost 15 years, but suffered a number of costly injuries early in the season. Regardless, the team rattled off a 7-3 record in the regular season, and overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit in the regular season finale against Carrizo Springs to clinch a share of a second straight district title.
“Individually, each player learned what it is to work for something as hard as they can and to invest in something greater than themselves,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They learned that hard work pays off, you just don't get to decide when. Those are lessons all great members of a society learn at some point that will lead them to being productive members of a team. They learned how to win and lose together.”
Lago Vista defeated Bandera 42-10 Friday night, capitalizing on strong field position and a handful of costly Bulldog turnovers to gain the advantage early. But the Bulldogs held the Vikings to just seven second half points and stuck together through the final whistle, demonstrating a strong culture and bond that has been forged through overcoming adversity all season long.
Sophomore Breydan Gherman finished with 100 yards rushing to pace the Bulldog offense while senior quarterback Dylan Peace connected with senior wide receiver Ibraham MacNeil on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Senior kicker Jace Knowles added a 21-yard field goal, and the Bandera defense forced a total of five turnovers.
Josh Goff and Jonah Klein each recovered a fumble, one of which was forced by Dane Barnett, while Barnett, West Cloudt and MacNeil each hauled in an interception.
“I am very proud of this football team,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “The lasting memory for this team doesn't lie in the score from Friday night's game. Our purpose in the Bandera Athletic program is to change lives. There were many teachable moments for our football team this year, which includes both players and coaches. I'm very proud of how this team came together and achieved the goal of winning back to back district championships.”
Bandera’s road to a district championship began with a 29-22 win over Poteet in the season opener and a 28-21 win over Ingram in Week 2. The Bulldogs suffered back-to-back one-score losses to Lytle (24-21) and Cole (27-21), but bounced back with a defining and emphatic 38-6 win over Hondo at home.
A dramatic 35-29 win over Comfort gave Bandera even more momentum heading into the district schedule, where the Bulldogs knocked off Pearsall 31-14 in the opener. Bandera fell to Devine 23-13 in a hard-fought defensive battle, before blowing out San Antonio Memorial 42-0.
That set up the game of the year, a 31-30 win over Carrizo Springs in which the Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats 24-6 in the second half and converted a 35-yard field goal from Jace Knowles with just 3 seconds remaining to clinch a share of a second consecutive district title.
“I felt like each week of the season our guys looked like a completely different team at practice,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They improved dramatically each week. With all of the injuries, it was truly a next man up attitude. Some of these guys played almost every offensive and defensive snap for an entire season. That is incredible.”
As Bandera turns the page on another successful season, the Bulldogs will say goodbye to a talented senior class that finishes its high school career having left quite a legacy. The senior class includes Sam Snavely, Dylan Peace, Jace Knowles, Ibraham MacNeil, Julian De La Paz, Kenneth Seth, Jackson Satterfield, Roman Rigelsky, Daylon Lee, Josh Goff, Gavin Spruell and Jeremy Widders.
“Our seniors are winners - they’ve earned that,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “They are 31-14 over their four years in high school. Four trips to the playoffs, the first playoff win in over a decade and two district championships to back it up. But more than that, their legacy lies in the impact this group of seniors had on all of the lives they touched in our program. The underclassmen, the middle schoolers, and even some of our own children have been positively impacted by this group of Bulldog seniors. They are a special group!”
The Bulldogs will have a lot of holes to fill, but also return a talented group of underclassmen as they head into the off-season. Bandera will also have a handful of players return from injury, and has plenty to look forward to as the Bulldogs continue to aim to raise the standard of success.
“It's a little early, even for me, to turn the page but when I start looking into the crystal ball, I see two 1,000-yard rushers returning, both who had 10 plus touchdowns,” Fontenot-Amedee said. “We have a 900-yard receiver with 13 td's, two district newcomers of the year returning, most of our offensive line and several other all district players coming back on both sides of the ball. I see some important pieces coming back from injury. I see a bunch of players working their butts off to play a role on a varsity football team. It's time to tear it down to the studs and build it back up! I can't wait to get to work on next season, the future is bright! I am fired up to be a Bulldog - let’s get after it!”