CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The 40-year-old tradition that started with legendary coach Phil Danaher continues at Calallen with second-year head coach Steve Campbell. These week one football drills test endurance, stamina and character, and the week ends with Final Circuits and the celebration of Senior Pipes.
"The Pipes are hard if I'm being completely honest. They're hard. It takes a lot to get through them, but I mean it's just real fun," Jordan Garcia, Calallen senior offensive line left guard, said. "A right of passage you know what I mean. It just means that I've done this. I earned that. I was able to push through everything. Push through all the pain."
Offensive coordinator Cliff Fowler knows the Pipes are tough. The 1992 Wildcat grad did these same drills, but back then the pipes were telephone poles.
"You know you get knocked down in football," Fowler said. "We're trying to get you on the ground and off the ground as fast as we can with a little adversity mixed in."
The Wildcats are finding guys that can play all four quarters, especially after graduating 32 seniors.
"They've come to summer workouts and 7on7 definitely helped us because we graduated the whole defensive backs all four of them, and then both of our outside linebackers," Steve Campbell, Calallen second-year football head coach, said. "We've got some guys who are going to step in and do a good job."
Calallen junior and last season's leading tackler Jude Hernandez will lead the pack on defense, and their new quarterback will have support from senior running back Luke Medina on offense.
"You know, everybody who's filling in kind of got some reps last year. They played. They know the experience. They know what they're doing," Hernandez, Calallen junior linebacker and running back, said. "You know, we're tight knit. We all kind of laugh together, joke together, we're always together, you know. We're going to be a good team."
Calallen kicks off their season with a road game against Gregory-Portland live on KRIS 6 on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. for our Game Night South Texas matchup.
