(Stockdale) — When it comes to competition, neighboring Stockdale ISD knows how to play hard — but this time, the Brahmas are taking their fight beyond the field.
The small-town school district has sprinted into the national spotlight, currently sitting at number 11 in the country in T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest — a campaign that could bring home $1 million in athletic facility upgrades.
Now, as they make their final push, Stockdale is hoping to draw inspiration — and hopefully votes — from its neighbors here in Seguin.
After all, Seguin knows what it takes to rally a community to victory. Just a couple of years ago, the city scored a $75,000 win from the Niagara Perk Your Park program, helping to fund a new Kids Kingdom playscape at Max Starcke Park. Like Stockdale ISD, Seguin residents voted daily to help their hometown cross the finish line in first place.
Now, Stockdale hopes to do the same. Shawn Alvarez, head football coach and athletic director for Stockdale, tells the Seguin Daily News that the district remains one of the few schools in the region still playing on a grass field — a rarity in today’s game. He says the chance to secure a turf field and upgraded training equipment could be transformative for student-athletes across the district.
“In our football district, we are the only team with natural grass. Everybody else is on turf. In Wilson County, everybody else is on turf. I’m sure Guadalupe and Comal County—everybody is on turf, and I know with the whole injury thing with turf and some people wanting to go back to natural grass, it’s just hard for us to maintain. We don’t have the kind of maintenance team to maintain a pretty grass field, and we don’t have anywhere else to practice,” said Alvarez.
Currently, Stockdale sits at number 11 on the national leaderboard, with the top spot held by a school in Arkansas. The competition is fierce, but Alvarez says he’s confident in the Braham spirit — and the support of the wider Guadalupe County community.
“The link is posted all over our social media pages. We are on Facebook. We are on Twitter. We are on Instagram. It’s in Seguin at some coffee shops but if anybody can just scan the QR code, log in and vote daily. You can vote every day from your email address. But we just need as many votes as we can,” said Alvarez.
Even NFL legend Rob Gronkowski took notice, giving Stockdale a shout-out for cracking the contest’s top 25. Now, the Brahmas are aiming to take it all the way to the end zone — with votes accepted daily through October 24 at the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights website.
To vote visit the Stockdale ISD Athletics Facebook page or visit the district’s website at stockdaleisd.org.
Votes can be cast once per day through Friday, October 24.