(Geronimo) — After his first season, Head Coach Glenn Hill had one thing on his mind going into the offseason.
“How do we get better for next year?”
Sounds obvious right? On paper, a 3-7 season would make any coach hungry to improve. Especially for a program like the Geronimo Navarro Panthers.
The 2025 postseason was the first without the program since 2007. It was also the first in 20 seasons without Navarro’s signature Slot-T offense at Erwin-Lee Field. Quite a few changes from the status quo.
On the surface, last year was not the year Coach Hill envisioned for the perennial playoff contender he inherited. But that’s why we need to dig deeper and find some diamonds.
While the 3-7 record leaves some areas to fix, between the lines Hill saw plenty last season to build a playoff powerhouse in 2026.
“Up front we improved on both sides of the [ball]. Our offensive line became a real strength. We had a pretty physical tone to our football [team] and ran the ball pretty successfully most weeks. Plus, when it came to adjustments, rather than looking over to the [coaches] on the sideline, they became more able to make those adjustments themselves.”
But the growth in unity wasn’t for the players to figure out exclusively. Hill and his staff knew they needed to adjust too. As the year progressed, things started to sync up. So far, Hill thinks that mutual understanding has the Panthers on the right track.
“Part of the problem we had [last year] was getting in the right position. We shuffled some guys around and found places we can thrive. That’s really been the main thing: putting our kids in position [to succeed]. Play fast, play confident.”
Still, Navarro will have plenty of changes this year.
Entering 2026, Navarro’s 9 returning starters are the fewest amongst the teams in DII 4A’s 15th district. But even with some newer guys, Hill is excited to have key guys back up front setting the tone every week.
“[Our line is] the strength, and you can’t win in football if you can’t run the ball and cannot stop the run. No matter what your scheme or philosophy is, you got to be able to give us some security and some confidence that we can run our schemes. [Our linemen are] a really smart group. Chris Ledezma (6’3″, 300 SR) and Tyler Riske (6’1″, 215 SR) are returning starters. Riske is our center. He’s kind of the quarterback of the offensive line, making all the calls, and getting everybody on the same page. The sky’s the limit for [Ledezma] after he had really great flashes last year.”
No argument there.
Riske’s intelligence cannot be ignored. Last year, Riske earned all-district nods as an offensive lineman … after he earned district defensive newcomer of the year in 2024. Meanwhile, Ledezma’s flashes earned him the 2025 district offensive lineman of the year. If the sky’s the limit, Ledezma has enough fuel to shoot past the moon.
But who will be the actual quarterback after all-district QB Austin Davidson graduated? One guy has stood out to Hill so far.
“Eli Baker. He played a good amount of cornerback last year. He’s been a great leader and teammate. Works hard and has got some real arm talent.”
Baker, entering his junior, made the all-district team last year for his defensive play against opposing receiver-quarterback combos. Now, Baker will try to see how the other half lives. Playing behind lineman like Riske and Ledezma could make the adjustment easier. Luckily, he’ll also have some all-district studs alongside him if he keeps trending in the right direction.
Alongside projected QB Baker, Navarro welcomes back senior running back Julius Deleon and unanimous all-district first team junior fullback Isidro Rocha. Throw in targets like junior wideout/defensive back Brody Zoeller and Baker will have plenty of tools in his kit for Navarro’s new district field.
After playing in district 13, Navarro and Gonzales moved to district 15. Among the field, Cuero’s Gobblers pose the biggest threat. Since 2002, Cuero has won 16 district titles and enters as the second-best rated team in DII 4A’s fourth region according to Pigskin Prep.
However, the new teams and tougher opponents have Hill fired up for his squad to prove they can be consistent from start to finish, play tough, and execute all four quarters. Because Hill is not interested in doing anything that won’t make the Navarro Panthers built to last every single week.
“[Built to Last] just speaks to who we are as a culture. We’re attacking from start to finish. That’s my team. We want to be all out and going as hard as we possibly can. No matter how long it takes, we are going to last. Whatever the outcome may be, we’ll [keep] fighting.”
Navarro kicks off the 2026 season at Austin McCallum on August 28th. Tune into KWED when Navarro takes on new district rival Cuero at Gobbler Stadium on October 23rd. Pregame starts at 6:30 with a 7pm kickoff featuring play-by-play announcer Reily Chestnut and analyst Dan Hernandez.
Schedule – Oct. 23rd game at Cuero to be broadcast on KWED and SeguinToday.com
Aug. 27th – 7 PM at Austin McCallum
Sept. 4th – 7 PM vs Floresville
Sept. 11th – 7 PM vs La Grange
Sept. 18th – 7 PM at La Vernia
Sept. 25th – 7 PM vs Marble Falls
Oct. 2nd – OPEN WEEK
Oct. 9th – 7 PM at Pearsall*
Oct. 16th – 7 PM vs San Antonio Memorial*
Oct. 23rd – at Cuero*
Oct. 30th – at Bandera*
Nov. 6th – vs Gonzales*
*District