The Hays High football team pulled off its biggest upset in nearly 10 years with a 34-28 overtime win against previously unbeaten Smithson Valley, the No.2-ranked team in Texas in Class 4A, in early November at Shelton Stadium. Rebel quarterback Caleb Kimbro took over when Hays went on the attack in overtime, carrying the ball on consecutive plays from the 25 down to the 5-yard-line. Two plays later, Michael Romero dove in from 3-yards out for the game winner. It was the biggest win at the stadium since the Rebs ended Westlake’s national record 71-game district winning streak in 2003. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
by JASON GORDON
It was an outstanding year for Hays High athletic coordinator Blake Feldt and the Rebel sports teams.
For the first time since the school opened in 1968, every single athletic team qualified for the UIL playoffs.
Individual athletes at Hays had the spotlight on them as well. The Rebs were represented at the UIL State Cross Country and Track and Field meets, as well as the state powerlifting meet.
“I can’t think of a better way to get things started at Hays,” said Feldt. “We’re on our way. We’re not at the level I want to be yet, but to have every one of your teams make the playoffs for the first time in school history is pretty amazing.”
Here are the top sports stories of the 2011-12 school year at Hays High. Next week, we’ll review the top sports stories of the Lehman High school year.
1. Hays High football team knocks off second-ranked Smithson Valley to win the district title
He might have arrived on campus in March 2011, but the Blake Feldt era officially began on a crisp night early last November at Hays High School.
The first-year Hays head coach earned a signature victory over previously unbeaten state power Smithson Valley as his Rebels knocked off the No. 2-ranked Rangers 34-28 in overtime.
Hays earned a share of the District 27-4A title, along with Alamo Heights and Smithson Valley.
It marked the biggest Rebel victory at Shelton Stadium since Hays ended Westlake’s national record 71-game district winning streak in 2003. It was Hays’ first win over a ranked team since the Rebs beat Calallen in the playoffs in 2006.
Against Hays, a Smithson Valley team that had barely trailed all season long, and never by more than seven points, never led the Rebels.
“That was no fluke,” Feldt said. “We moved the ball all night long and we beat them.”
Hays won the flip and elected to go on defense first in overtime. Rebel Cornerback Christian Rodriguez tipped away a pass in the end zone and Nate Paez teamed up with William Trevillion to sack Smithson Valley quarterback Parker McKenzie to help hold the Rangers scoreless in the extra frame.
“As soon as the defense got on the field first we knew we were going to win,” Paez said.
Feldt said he was equally as confident in his defense to come up with the plays Hays needed most.
“Our defense is like a bunch of mad fire ants,” Feldt said. “They just kept moving to the football.”
Rebel quarterback Caleb Kimbro took over when Hays went on the attack in overtime, carrying the ball on consecutive plays from the 25 down to the 5-yard-line. Two plays later, Michael Romero dove in from 3-yards out for the game winner.
“Seeing Michael cross that goal line was an incredible feeling,” Kimbro said. “All our hard work this season paid off.”
2. Lindsey McCurdy wins Class 4A state golf tournament
When Hays High junior Lindsey McCurdy sank a 40-foot birdie putt on hole No. 3 in the first round of the UIL State Class 4A Golf Tournament at Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Austin, she thought it might be a pretty good sign of things to come.
It turned out she was right.
McCurdy finished her final round early on May 1 and held off a late afternoon charge from Northwest Byron Nelson High School’s Maty Monzingo to win the UIL State Class 4A Golf title.
After shooting a first-round 3-under 69, McCurdy found birdies harder to come by the next day, and carded a 1-over 73 to finish the tournament with a two-day total of 2-under 142.
That opened the door for Monzingo, who rallied with six birdies on Tuesday and actually led McCurdy by two shots with two holes to play. But Monzingo made bogey on the 352-yard par-4 No. 8. She then pushed her tee shot past the out of bounds fence on No. 9, as her ball landed in the driving range to the right of the fairway on her final hole of the day.
It turned out to be one of the most expensive driving range golf balls in recent memory.
Monzingo still gave herself a chance to force a playoff for the state title with McCurdy, but she missed an 8-foot putt for bogey on the par-4 to finish the day with a score of 2-under 70, and a two-day total of 1-under 143.
McCurdy became Hays’ first state champion in any sport other than track and field since the school opened in 1968.
“It feels great to represent my school,” McCurdy said. “To be able to say I’m one of just a few that have done something is a very cool experience.”
Only Chuck Ables (high jump, 1978), Whitney Dill (1,600-meter run, 1999), Helen Breyfogle (high jump, 2000), Britni Lawrence (pole vault, 2002 and 2003), and Jessica Doyle (pole vault, 2007 and 2008) have ever won state titles in Hays High School history before McCurdy claimed another gold medal for the Rebels.
3. Hays football team comes back from 19-0 deficit to beat Lehman
Heading into two-a-days in 2011, Hays High head coach Blake Feldt said receiver Taven Mayberry had the chance to be one of the best players in District 27-4A.
Mayberry certainly made him look prophetic last September, but even Feldt couldn’t have dreamed up a more dramatic script.
After missing almost all of summer practice and Hays’ first four games of the season after undergoing double hernia surgery, Mayberry caught the game-winning pass to cap Hays’ 28-27 incredible comeback win over cross-town rival Lehman in front of an overflow crowd at Shelton Stadium.
“I went through so many emotions right then,” Mayberry said. “It was awesome. I felt like I was back.”
With Hays facing a fourth down late in the game, quarterback Caleb Kimbro scrambled back and forth away from an onrushing pack of Lobo defenders for what seemed like an eternity before launching the football toward the opposite side of the field from near the left sideline. Mayberry hauled in the 15-yard touchdown pass that was just out of the reach of Lehman safety Tyler Hyss.
Peyton Kisor’s extra point broke the 27-all tie and helped give Hays the win.
“Taven is the fastest kid in school,” said Kimbro, who finished the game with 237 total yards. “It helped us a lot to have him back on the field. He made a great play with a guy right in his face on the touchdown.”
Lehman had a chance to answer on one final drive but Levi Medley, who led the Lobos with 227 yards rushing on 37 carries, was stopped for negative yardage by Hays’ Dalton Johnson on two straight plays, including on fourth down, and the Rebs ran out the clock on offense after taking possession.
Hays spotted Lehman a 19-0 first-half lead before rallying. The Lobos, who were undefeated in non-district action, were trying to knock off the Rebels for the first time in school history.
“I felt like we were going to come back,” Feldt said after the game. “Not for one minute did I think we were going to lose. I have all the faith in the world in our football team.”
Hays took the lead for the first time on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kimbro to Granger Studdard midway through the third quarter, but the Lobos answered as Medley scored from seven yards out with eight minutes left in the game to give Lehman a 27-21 advantage.
“We should have won the ballgame,” then-Lehman head coach Steve Davis said. “It’s a very disappointing loss but I’m very proud of the way our kids played.”
4. Four track and field team members qualify for the UIL State Meet
Four members of the Hays High School track and field team qualified for the Class 4A State Track and Field Meet at Myers Stadium in Austin in May.
Although none finished higher than fifth against ultra-tough competition at the state level, it was still quite an accomplishment.
Hays’ Meredith Driskell made her second straight trip to state after winning the pole vault competition with a leap of 12-feet, 3-inches at the Class 4A Region IV Meet at Alamo Stadium. Also at regionals, Taylor Hough finished second in the triple jump (43-feet, 10.25-inches), Martin Horne finished second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.6 seconds) and Mariana Sigala finished second in the 800-meter dash (two minutes, 18 seconds) to qualify for state for the Rebels. Sigala also qualified for the UIL Class 4A State Cross Country Meet in November and finished 36th.
“It was amazing to have so many of our athletes qualify for state coming out of a very competitive region,” said Hays track coach Mitch Phillips. “Every single one of our athletes at the regional meet that made it to state battled to get there. It’s great to see Meredith Driskell, Mariana Sigala, and Taylor Hough qualify as seniors and we know junior Martin Horne has an excellent chance to get back to state next year.”
Hough qualified for both regionals and state on his sixth and final triple jump attempt.
“The experience at state was more than amazing,” Hough said. “I had a great time and enjoyed every second of it. Seeing all my hard work pay off was awesome.”
Sarah Leal pitched outstanding during a best-of-three area-round series, including a 1-0 shutout of the series-clinching win against Dripping Springs. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
5. Hays High softball makes regional quarterfinals
The Hays softball team surprised just about everyone but itself during a historic playoff run.
The Lady Rebels, who upset a San Antonio-Harlandale team with a 23-2 record in the first round of the playoffs, then knocked off regional power Dripping Springs, a State semifinalist in 2011, with a sweep in their best-of-three area-round series.
The Lady Rebs beat Dripping Springs 5-4 in game one and came back to beat the Lady Tigers 1-0 the next day to complete the sweep.
Hays advanced to play district rival Canyon High in the regional quarterfinals, where the Lady Rebs ultimately saw their season come to an end with a game-three loss to the Cougarettes in mid-May.
Still, not bad for a Hays team that entered the playoffs with an overall losing record.
“Even in some of the district games we lost against Smithson Valley, Canyon and Lockhart, I could see the hurt in our players’ eyes,” Hays head coach Aaron Fuller said. “Even in defeat we were learning things – learning how to get better and win those games in the future. That’s what helped us in the playoffs. When we stepped on the field we expected to win.”
Defending Class 4A Region IV champ Dripping Springs came into the area-round series versus Hays with a 23-6 record.
In game one, Hays finally got to Dripping Springs starter Brandi Needham, one of the best pitchers in the area, in the top of the fourth inning. Hannah Ramsey singled and stole second. Brayden Pinckard’s RBI single knotted the game 1-1.
The Lady Rebels exploded for four runs off Needham in the top of the fifth.
Maddy Shannon’s two-RBI single scored Gabi Albarez and Julia Montoya. Kinna Kinsey’s fielder’s choice grounder plated Sarah Leal, and Ramsey’s single to left scored Shannon.
Sophomore sensation Leal shut the door on Dripping Springs in the seventh inning, retiring the Tigers in order. She finished with nine strikeouts.
Leal shut out Dripping Springs the next day, and Hays scored its lone run in the bottom of the second inning to seal the win.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Gabi Albarez drove in Haleigh Madden with a single to center for the only run of the game.
It looked like Dripping Springs was going to tie the score in the top of the third inning, but Hannah Ramsey came up with the defensive play of the game from centerfield. She threw out Tigers’ runner Caitlyn Poehl, who was trying to score from second base after a single by Janice Burke. Ramsey’s rocket throw to Hays catcher Brittany Pape just nailed Poehl at the plate.
“Sarah pitched unbelievable,” Fuller said. “And the defense played outstanding behind her. We made great defensive play after great defensive play. That was the difference in the game. The play Hannah made was unbelievable.”
Against Canyon in the regional quarterfinals, Hays dropped game one 8-3 before rebounding to take game two 5-3. Canyon dropped the hammer, however, in game three with a 17-3 win.
Canyon and Smithson Valley, two teams from Hays’ District 27-4A, would advance to play each other in the regional finals. Smithson Valley advanced to state with an extra-inning win. Smithson Valley High School went on to win the state championship.
“Canyon is a great team, and in game three they were hitting everything we threw up there,” Fuller said. “Still, I couldn’t be more proud of our team and the run we went on in the playoffs. We have a lot of talent coming back next year and I expect our team to be just as good or even better than we were this season.”
6. Hays boys basketball team wins first playoff game since 1980
The last time the Hays boys basketball team won a playoff game the fathers of two current Rebel players were on the squad.
That all changed in February, as Hays overcame a very sluggish start to pull away from Kerrville Tivy for a 47-33 win in the bi-district round of the playoffs at South San High.
“You could hear it in the way the crowd just kept cheering after the game,” said senior Trey Johnson, whose dad Buddy was on Hays’ 1980 team. “They were really pulling for us.”
Tivy came out of the gate running an offense that more resembled a three-legged turtle race, pulling the ball out for minutes at a time to try and make Hays come out of its zone defense.
The tactic worked for a bit, as the Antlers led 3-2 after one quarter of play and 21-13 at halftime.
Hays used a man-to-man trap after the break that befuddled Tivy.
The Rebs went on a 17-2 run from midway through the third quarter to midway through the fourth to take command of the game.
Jaren Rodriguez started the surge with a 3-pointer from the right baseline and Johnson followed with a driving layup. A Steven Jass steal and pass to Jacob Rodriguez for a 3-pointer at the top of the key gave Hays a 31-29 lead heading to the final quarter.
Hayden Cagle’s steal and layup, and Jaren Rodriguez’s fade-away jumper that bounced up and in increased the margin to 37-30, and Tivy never threatened again.
“We want to use this as a building block,” said Hays guard Caleb Kimbro, whose father John was also on the 1980 team. “We want this to be the start of a winning tradition for boys basketball around here.”
Despite a battle that saw Hays lead for much of the game, the Rebels lost in the area round against Lake Travis to see their season come to an end.
7. Hays football team wins first postseason game since 2006
The Rebels turned a football game in which they looked down and out into another thrilling victory by the time the final seconds ticked away.
Hays High turned the ball over four times, but it was San Antonio Brennan’s miscues late that gave the Rebs a chance to win its first playoff game since 2006 last November.
Hays High took full advantage of the opportunity and went on to a 34-24 bi-district playoff victory at Clemens’ Lehnhoff Stadium.
Brennan led 24-21 early in the fourth quarter and had the ball one foot away from the Rebel goal line. But an illegal procedure penalty pushed the Bears back and on the very next play Rebel defensive lineman William Trevillion recovered a fumbled Brennan snap at the Hays 6-yard line and the Rebs proceeded to march 94 yards down the field. Key plays were Caleb Kimbro’s 42-yard run, his 16-yard pass to Mason Cervenka and Michael Romero’s 4-yard run on fourth-and-three.
Romero scored from 4 yards out to cap the drive, giving the Rebels a 27-24 lead with just under six minutes to play.
“We had a little bit of a hangover from the Smithson Valley win early on, but that 94-yard drive was our biggest of the night,” said Hays head coach Blake Feldt. “We really got it cranked up from there.”
Brennan forced Hays into a punting situation near midfield with three minutes to play, but Jake Vela fumbled Kimbro’s booming kick at the 5, and Rebel receiver Granger Studdard pounced on the ball at the 1.
The Rebels ran all but the final 25 seconds off the game clock before Taven Mayberry’s 1-yard touchdown plunge capped the win.
Hays trailed by as many as 10 points early in the third quarter before Kimbro’s 28-yard touchdown run made it 24-21.
Hays’ defense struggled for the first three quarters, but Anthony Valdez, Joel Young, Kyle Cox, Nate Paez, Jared Rodriguez and Trevillion were among several Rebs that made key stops in the fourth quarter to keep Brennan off the scoreboard in the final frame.
“We knew we could overcome adversity,” said Hays receiver Mason Cervenka, who caught a 68-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. “We never lost faith in each other.”
Before the win against Brennan, the Rebs hadn’t tasted playoff success since a magical 2006 run that saw them knock off Fredericksburg and Lake Travis in the postseason before beating Calallen on a last-second miracle pass to advance to the regional finals where they ultimately fell to Clemens.
The postseason ride didn’t last long for the Rebs in 2011, as they were shut out by state-ranked Cedar Park 42-0 in the area round the next week at Burger Stadium in Austin.
Kimbro finished the season with more than 3,200 total yards and 30 total touchdowns, both school records. Studdard finished with a single-season record 38 receptions.
8. Doug Ragsdale wins his 400th baseball game and one last run to district playoffs before retiring
Before the 2012 baseball season, longtime Hays head baseball coach Doug Ragsdale announced this would be his 18th and final year at the helm of the program he had led to nine district titles since taking over in 1995. Hays lost all chance of another district title run after an 0-3 start in 27-4A, but Ragsdale and the Rebs didn’t lose faith in each other. Hays rallied to win six out of seven games during one stretch and made the playoffs for the 16th time in Ragsdale’s 18 seasons.
Along the way, Ragsdale picked up his 400th career win with a dramatic Hays win at Alamo Heights.
The Rebs were trailing the Mules 4-3 with two outs and no one on base in the top of the seventh inning and looked to be headed toward defeat.
That’s before Aaron Martinets and Trevor Ragsdale hit consecutive triples to tie the game.
Hays would go on to win with a big rally in the top of the eighth. Adrian Acosta struck out two Heights batters in the bottom of the eighth to shut the barn door on the Mules and earn the victory on the mound.
“Picking up my 400th win means I’ve been coaching a long time. It is really a tribute to a lot of kids playing hard through a lot of years,” Ragsdale said.
Hays went on to lose in the bi-district round of the playoffs to powerful Boerne Champion, which was a regional finalist this season.
9. Hays boys soccer team is area finalist and district champs for 2nd straight year
The Hays High boys soccer team clinched its second straight district title with a 1-0 win at Cedar Creek in March thanks to a Christian Varela first-half goal.
Last year, Hays had clinched the district title before spring break and had a stellar 21-1-1 record in the regular season. This year, the Rebels faced a few more ups and downs during their regular-season journey but the end result was the same.
“It was pretty wild heading into our last game knowing if we won or tied we were district champs and if we lost we were probably going to finish fourth,” Hays head coach Jason Burnett said after the win. “We definitely faced some adversity with a few losses this year but I think that made us stronger. We found out what our team was made of. They are a tough and determined group.”
The Rebels went on to beat Manor 3-2 in the bi-district playoffs before falling to Vista Ridge in the area round for the second straight season.
10. Hays volleyball wins first playoff game since 2009
For all the power Kaylea Beck packs in her right arm, it was two touch kills that made all the difference in Hays’ bi-district playoff victory over Boerne Champion in early November at New Braunfels High School.
The Lady Rebels’ 25-23, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22 win was a thriller and ended a streak of first-round losses dating back the past two seasons.
Hays won despite coming out of District 27-4A as the fourth seed. Boerne Champion won district 28-4A during the regular season.
“This victory was something that needed to be done,” Hays middle blocker Emily Clark said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”
After three straight Natalie Valdez kills in game two gave the Lady Rebels a 15-11 lead, the Chargers rallied and Hays found itself trailing 23-22. It looked like Boerne Champion (29-12), District 28-4A’s top seed, was going to pull even.
But Beck and Clark had consecutive kills to give Hays game point. Beck followed by tipping a kill across using her touch. The ball rolled tantalizingly along the top of the net and fell inbounds on Champions’ side of the court, giving the Lady Rebs a second straight 25-23 win.
“When I see a shot I go for it,” said Beck, who led Hays (27-19) with 15 kills. “I saw an opening and I was definitely relieved to see it fall in.”
Hays fell behind early in game three 1-9 and never could recover.
Two Sydney Paradeaux kills and two Hannah Ramsey aces helped give the Lady Rebs a 14-7 advantage in game four.
Emily Clark’s block of Champion’s top hitter, Claire Kreuz, and another Paradeaux kill gave the Lady Rebs a 19-12 lead, but Champion rallied to cut the gap to 22-20 and it looked like the two teams might be headed to a game five.
That’s when Beck pulled off some more magic with a tip kill that again landed barely inbounds to steal back momentum for Hays. Paradeaux, who finished with 11 kills, pounded home the kill that sealed the match moments later.
“Being the fourth seed playing a number one seed you’re going to be the underdog,” Hays head coach Erica Walther said. “But we came in feeling very confident and it showed in the way we played tonight.”
Hays’ solid season came to a close in the area round against Cedar Park.
11. Hays tennis team enjoys one of its best seasons in school history
The Hays tennis team ran into some good competition at the Regional Tennis Tournament held in San Antonio in October.
Top teams in the state such as Lake Travis, Alamo Heights and Boerne Champion were in the draw.
After losing to 2010 State runner-up Boerne Champion, the Rebs rebounded by winning their next two matches against San Antonio Jefferson (10-0) and Austin LBJ (10-6).
In the consolation finals, the Rebels ran into a well-rounded Gregory-Portland team, and fell by a score of 10-3 in their final match of the team tennis season.
“Our record of 2-2 in the regional tournament was a great result for us,” Hays head tennis coach Debbie Cook said. “We knew the competition would be tough, but we gave everyone we played a fight.”
Cook said her team would remember their trip to regionals for a long time to come.
Hays team tennis players were: Caitlin Camp, Haley Butler, Katelyn Allred, Brooke Fulwiler, Grace Ortiz, Abby Knedlik, Jarett Stewart, Josh Bieter, Sarah Farrell, Ricky Hearn, Jackson Johnson, Raymond Hayes, Sam Simoneau and Zack Curry.
“This is something they can remember for the rest of their lives,” Cook said.
12. Hays sophomore Alex Schaubhut and junior Justin Davis qualify for state powerlifting meet
Alex Schaubhut had her coach convinced she was at least a year away from having a chance to qualify for the state powerlifting meet.
Schaubhut was thrilled, however, when she learned she qualified in the 123-weight class with a 655-pound three-lift total.
“It was a mixture of feeling relief, accomplishment and excitement,” said Schaubhut, who went on to finish 11th at State in March. “I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Hays High’s Justin Davis, who finished 13th at State in the 114-pound weight class with a three-lift total of 810 pounds, said he expects more of his Hays teammates to be there next season.
“State was a great experience,” Davis said. “I can’t wait to go again next year, but this time with more of my teammates.”
Hays head coach Stuart Foreman was way ahead of Davis’ assessment that the Hays powerlifters will be back.
“I’ve already booked rooms at State for next year,” Foreman said.
