Tony & Janet Reyes Webmasters	

TONY'S EDITORIAL: I arrived into Calallen Fighting Wildcats Territory in 1951. 
Upon graduating in 1956, I embarked into a Military Career. Calallen is 
located by the Nueces River in the Coastal Bend Area. The town, Calallen, 
was named after Rancher Calvin Allen. In 1992, I had returned and retired 
(2nd retirement) from Hughes Aircraft Company out in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Calallen had blossomed into a beautiful Community. Athletic Director: Phil 
Danaher has posted 3 State Championships into Calallen "Hall of Fame" in 
the past 10 years. Girls Basketball, 1990, Girls Cross Country, 1991, 
and Coach Steve "State Winner" Chapman, Boys Baseball, 2000. And Coach 
Philip C. Danaher, himself, is the owner of a Marvelous State Record 
in Football, 12 Seasons, 10 games or more. The Calallen Community and 
the Fighting Wildcats have excelled, above and beyond the Norm. The 
Wildcats of CHS are State Known, and the Calallen Fans, well, like 
Coach Philip Danaher once told me. "...,a community that believes and 

takes great pride in their athletics." GOCATSGO!! 
My dedication, a short story, continue reading, to all, Enjoy!! 

Calallen Wins! Last 5 Minutes and With 20 Seconds to Spare!

It was not the best of his football teams, nor was it the worst of his 
football teams. The way, I see it, it was the best of his playoff 
victories for Calallen's Athletic Director and Coach Philip C. Danaher.
 
This Game was important to Calallen(12-0), they were two victories shy 
of winning their Fifth Consecutive Region IV Championship and a Fifth 
State Semifinal Appearance. Two weeks earlier, they had set a new Texas 
High School Record of 10 consecutive seasons of winning 10 or more games 
per season. It had being an outstanding season for Coach Danaher, his 
coaching staff, and the Fighting Wildcats.
 
On November 29, 1997, Smithson Valley(11-1) came to play for The Semifinals 
Region 4 Game with Calallen. My wife, Janet, and I sat high in the General 
Admission Area of Alice High School Stadium, mixed right in there with the 
Smithson Valley Ranger Fans. They were charged up! The night air was cold 
and I wished I had worn a bigger coat to preserve my body heat. 

In the opening possession, the Ranger had a good drive of 65 yards, but 
the Fighting Wildcats stopped the drive on, a 4th and two, on the 17 yard 
line. The Rangers had 3 more drives, only to be stopped at the 19, 32, 
and 12 yard line. These kids were pushing our kids around. Had they not 
heard of the great Calallen Wildcats? 4 consecutive Regional IV Championships? 

The Ranger Fans were enjoying and loving what they were seeing. The early 
Smithson Valley dominance of the invincible Wildcats.
 
Ian Flores of the Rangers kicked a 25 yards field goal. 
End of first quarter: The Score: Rangers: 3 Wildcats: 0.
 
The Smithson Valley Fans were very excited and happy, waving their 
small "pride" flags. I kept thinking it's only the first quarter.
 
Well, Quarter Number 2, and the Rangers did not let up. They were a team 
possessed. Their defense kept in check; Calallen's Thomas Fallon Quarterback, 
Victor Price Running Back, and James Edwards Fullback. The Cat's Defense 
kept fighting, the Ranger's long drives, hoping the offense would come 
around. The Calallen offense did not show in the First Half. The half 
ended with the same score; Rangers 3-0. 

Bad news for the Wildcats, the offense was still missing in the Third 
Quarter. The Ranger's Defense was playing us very tough. With 5:11 left 
in the third, Smithson Valley Ranger, Jeff Shinn broke some tacklers and 
sprinted 26 yards for 6 points and Flores booted the extra point. 
End of the third Quarter: Rangers: 10 Wildcats: 0. 

Smithson Valley Rangers had the Cats trailing 10-0. The Smithson Valley 
Fans were standing, cheering their loyal support, some Chanting "We 
want Edcouch-Elsa! We want Edcouch-Elsa!" 
And now, the game enters the fourth and Final Quarter. 12 minutes, 
11, 10, 9, 8, 7..., back and forth, in the middle of the field, 
fought the Mighty Wildcats and the Powerful Rangers for territorial 
gain, for position, looking for a score, but the competition continued 
in a deadlock. 

I glanced at Edcouch-Elsa Scouts, they wanted the Wildcats. Never 
had a Rio Grande Area Team beaten the 31-4A Football Champion representative. 
"La Maquina Amarilla" (Yellow Machine) undefeated and going for a "most-win" 
record the following week. Their dream was to defeat us, and be 13-0. A new 
record for Rio Grande Valley High Schools. The Valley Media had pumped up 
the Valley Area. The Yellow Jackets was the BEST team ever to play football 
in the Valley. 

The fourth quarter Scoreboard Clock ticked down to 6 minutes, 5 minutes..., 
The Wildcat were 80 yards away from the end zone. The Calallen Diehard Fans 
stayed, but the fainted hearts had started the drift toward the exit. 

All the Ranger's Defense had to do, was play like the past 43 minutes, and 
hold the Wildcats for 5 minutes and the victory would be theirs. 

Like a California Resident living on the San Andreas Fault, The Calallen Fans 
felt the inkling of tremors of an Earthquake about to strike the stadium in 
form of Calallen Fans Reaction. 

It began at the start of the 80 yard drive, the over zealous Rangers were 
guilty of Pass Interference. Two plays later, QB Thomas Fallon, on Third 
and eight, fired to Donnie Adams, First-Down! The Calallen Crowd cheered. 
Then Running Back Victor Price, thrilled the Cat Fans, when he scooted 
down right-end for another 25 yards, and almost broke loose for the score.
 
The Calallen Crowd was in the game, cheering louder, and stomping their 
feet in thunderous cadence and shaking the stadium bleachers. 

The Wildcats of the forest are well known predators, skillful in the art 
of hunting, stalking and killing its prey, defenders of honor and habitat. 
Calallen High School had chosen the its Mascot well--The Fighting--Wildcat. 

Fullback James Edwards, held below his running average, ran for three yards, 
First Down! James got the ball again, 6 more yards. The Rangers were then 
called "Offsides". The League's Official Football was laid down on the 
Seven Yard Line. QB Fallon got 3 yards. On his second attempt, he faked 
to Edwards, and he ran right and fought his way toward the End Zone, Four, 
three, two, one, TOUCHDOWN! 

The clock read 4:06 left in the game, the Wildcats were back, defending 
honor, defending habitat, and hunting for one more score.
 
I felt the cold chill, knowing that the momentum had shifted to the 
Wildcats. Finally, we had points and that was something to cheer about. 
The Wildcats Defense had been outstanding all night in stopping drive after drive. 

After the kickoff , The Wildcat defenders, true to form, held the Rangers 
to 3 plays, and out. 
1 minute-plus, and counting, Coach Danaher send the plays in again to 
Quarterback Thomas Fallon. 

The Wildcats drove down to the 6 yard line. Forty seconds, thirty-nine..., QB 
Thomas Fallon ran an identical play as in the first Touchdown, ran toward the 
right end, made the 90 degree turn, galloped yard at a time, some blocks were 
effective, some Rangers were in pursuit, and the Whole Stadium was in an 
emotional shock; The Wildcat Fans cheering "GO!" and The Ranger Fans 
yelling "NO!"--6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1--TOUCHDOWN!
 
That was the night, the Mighty Wildcats received a standing, ecstatic, 
and tremendeous thunderous ovation from the Calallen Fighting Wildcats Fans. 

It had to measure 5.0 in magnitude on the Richter Scale. 
The Calallen Wildcats had emanated Victorious; 14-10. Smithson Valley 
Rangers were exhausted, they had being a gifted and formidable combatant. 

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times Newspaper came out the next day, and the 
Sport Headline read: "Calallen Wins! Last 5 Minutes and With 20 Seconds to Spare." 

The following week, the Yellow Jackets of Edcouch-Elsa went down by a score 
of 28-7. The Wildcats ended the "Maquina Amarilla" season at 12-1. They remain 
tied with a high school from Rio Grande Valley High Schools with 12 consecutive wins.
 
Brittany Danaher on the "Wildcats" Yearbook, Sport-Section wrote; "They refused 
to let go of the dream. Even when their backs were against the wall, during 
the Smithson Valley game, the Cats refused to give up. Their final drive in 
the wanning seconds of the game showed the true heart and character that 
epitomizes Calallen Football...," a fine tribute to the Fighting Wildcat Spirit. 

In the year 2000, Coach Philip C. Danaher, Coaching Staff, and the Wildcat Team 
are going for another Football State Record. The Wildcats have won 10 or more 
games each season. 12 consecutive Seasons is the Current Texas State Record 
held by--who else?--The Calallen High School Fighting Wildcats. 

GG-rr-oowWLL!!! 

Tony Reyes Calallen High School: Class of 1956. Web Site: Http://calallenhighschool.freehosting.net

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