(Marion) — The Marion Bulldogs have a new leader on the sidelines.
The Marion ISD called on Joel Call in February to lead the Bulldogs in 2025. Call comes to Marion after spending the last two decades in various roles including head track coach and offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Judson High School. He says his new team has worked hard in the offseason to get ready for the challenges of the upcoming season.
“We’ve worked really hard this offseason. We worked really hard in the spring, but that doesn’t guarantee there’s not gonna be any valleys, not gonna be any challenges,” Call said. “So, what I’m looking for, I just want to see how they respond in adverse situations because it’s gonna come. That’s inevitable. So, I want to see how they respond. One game at a time, I want us to keep our composure and control the things we can control.”
Last season, the Bulldogs finished tied for second place in District 13-3A. The Bulldogs won their first playoff game in five years with a 46-14 victory over Jourdanton in the bi-district round.
Marion quarterback Kade Pape is back from that team. The senior says he and his returning playmakers are excited to work with a new system this year, and even though they need to replace three seniors from last year’s offensive line, he feels confident in the new guys blocking up front.
“We lost a bunch of guys (on the offensive line), but I believe we have good depth this year,” Pape said. “Everyone’s been working hard in the summer, learning the offense, learning the new scheme. They’ve been putting in the work and I believe they’re gonna protect us. You win games up front. You gotta win the games in the trenches. We’re gonna be able to run the ball and I believe we should do it at a very high level.”
Marion will open the season at home on August 29th against Stockdale. The Bulldogs will play New Braunfels Long Creek on a Thursday night in week two in a game you’ll be able to hear on KWED.
The Navarro Panthers are also underway with workouts for the new season this week. We’ll have a look at how the Panthers’ practices are going on Wednesday. The Seguin Matadors start their practices next Monday. Our high school broadcast schedule begins on August 29th when Seguin plays at Alamo Heights. You’ll hear all the action on AM 1580 and streaming at SeguinToday.com.