(Marion) — It’s a new era for Marion Bulldog football in 2025.
Joel Call takes over as the new athletic director at Marion ISD while also assuming the duties as head football coach at Marion High School. The district hired Call in February. He previously worked at the Judson ISD where he served many roles, including interim head football coach, offensive coordinator and head track coach at Judson High School. Call replaces Ryne Miller, who had served as the Marion AD and head football coach since 2018.
Marion is coming off a season in 2024 that saw the program win its first playoff game since 2019. Call says his players put in hard work this offseason to build on last season’s success, and he’s looking to challenge them in the upcoming season to handle adversity that will come their way.
“I just want our guys to compete. I sent a letter out to them (before our first practice). I told them we’ve worked really hard this offseason, we worked really hard in the spring, but that doesn’t guarantee that 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, one game at a time — the challenges, when we hit that adversity, how are you gonna respond? I want us to keep our composure and control the things that we can control.”
Challenges also come for players when they are dealing with a new coaching staff, but Call says his team has bought into the changes.
“We brought in our new coaches on staff and the kids gravitated toward them. The kids have come with open arms to coaches and new ideas, and they’re trying to raise expectations. They’ve responded phenomenally.”
Marion finished the 2024 regular season tied for second in District 13-3A. The Bulldogs then defeated District 14-3A champion Jourdanton in the bi-district playoffs. Marion is bringing back a wealth of experience from last year’s team, including senior quarterback Kade Pape.
Call says he’s excited to have experience back in the fold.
“We have a really good group of seniors. A lot of them have varsity experience,” Call said. “Guys like Kade Pape and (lineman) Cayden Schultze. Those guys are stepping up to the challenge.
“You can have a coaches led team or a players led team. And I’ve told them the teams that I’ve coached that are state championship caliber are great because of the leadership that comes from the kids. And you know you have a special group when they say, ‘hey coach we want more–hold us to a high standard.’”
In addition to quarterback Kade Pape, senior running back Tanner Otis is back for the Bulldogs. Otis ran for 431 yards while averaging 7.3 yards per carry in a backup role last season. Otis was a track star this past spring. He won gold in the 200-meter dash at the area meet. Otis and fellow Marion football playmakers Jack Wells and Aaron Salinas, along with Jaylen Reese, finished eighth in the 4×100 relay at the Class 3A state track and field meet.
Up front, the Bulldogs will need to replace three senior starters from last year’s offensive line, but Schultze, who was a dual first team all-district selection on the offense and defense lines last season as a junior is back. Pape says he feels confident in Schultze and 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.”
Like in the past, the Bulldogs will have a bunch of athletes playing two-ways on offense and defense as is the case with many teams in Class 3A. Call says he wants his defenders to be aggressive.
“We got some cats that just don’t stop like Blake Birdwell. And the challenge on defense is we want to run to the ball, run to the ball, run to the ball. If they can get to the ball, good things are gonna happen.”
The Bulldogs will be tested in the District 13-3A season. Defending district champion Llano went 5-0 in district and advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs. Randolph was 3-2 in district with one of those losses coming to Marion. The Ro-Hawks advanced to the third round of the postseason.
“Our district is tough,” Call said. “Every week that we play, every district game is a challenge. We can’t take anybody lightly. There’s no guaranteed wins. We’re gonna play those guys and hopefully playing great competition causes us to rise and causes us to improve.”
The Joel Call era in Marion starts with a non-district game at home tonight against Stockdale. The Bulldogs will have a short week for their second game when they take on New Braunfels Long Creek on a Thursday night in a game you’ll be able to hear on KWED radio.
Marion Bulldogs
2024 record: 5-7 (3-2 in district) Class 3A Division I area round
Coach: Joel Call (1st season)
District: 13-3A
Schedule
Aug. 29 7 PM vs. Stockdale
Sept. 4 7 PM at NB Long Creek – Broadcast on KWED and SeguinToday.com
Sept. 12 7:30 PM at Gonzales
Sept. 19 7:30 PM at Lago Vista
Sept. 26 7 PM vs. Poteet
Oct. 3 7 PM vs. Luling *
Oct. 10 7 PM at Randolph *
Oct. 17 OPEN
Oct. 24 7 PM vs. Ingram Moore *
Oct. 31 7 PM vs. Llano *
Nov. 7 7 PM at Florence *
* District