ALICE, Texas — “It’s not enough, I wanna go all the way,” Alex Botello said, senior left tackle for the Alice Coyotes Football Team.
The Coyotes are heading into the third round of playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Alice had graduated 32 seniors coming into the season, including a quarterback who was breaking records. Some may have thought it’d be a rebuilding year for Alice, but this team and coaching staff had other ideas.
"I don't think I was surprised. I knew we had some sophomores that were going to come up and give us some good hope," Botello said.
“Very exciting times. Anytime you can continue to play football on Friday night, especially through Thanksgiving, it’s always a great feeling,” Head Coach J.R. Castellano said.
In his first year with the program, Coach Castellano has helped guide the team to a 10-1 record, a district title and now an appearance in the regional semifinals. He's no stranger to success, having come to Alice after leading Taft to the playoffs in four straight seasons.
Castellano said some credit has to go to his offensive line for literally paving the way to success.
“It wasn’t that hard to fill in the roles. We all just like to work hard and come to practice every day and just work our butts off," senior right guard Jose Ramon said.
“We believe that we have a great chance to make it to state this year," junior left guard Fernando Ramirez said. "All the guys on this team, we’ve grown up together, we played football since we were little. We have the chemistry and we have the mentality and we’re the more physical team.”
Speaking of physical, that's what Castellano expects from the Coyotes next opponent: the Port Lavaca Calhoun Sandcrabs.
"Their overall physicality that they play with, offensively and defensively. They get after it," he said.
This was the team that sent Alice packing in the first round of the playoffs last year. Alice lost 35-26 in a wet and cold game - A game the upperclassmen have not forgotten.
“It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths. It wasn’t a good game it wasn’t forward for us to win. And this game, I think we're going to win this one," Ramon said.
"It took a toll on me. People were asking me why are you crying? Because this is my team, I love these guys with all my heart," Ramirez said.
“I’m ready. Revenge,” Botello said.
Alice defeated Rockport-Fulton followed by Lampasas, thus far in the UIL 4A-1 playoffs
Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Seguin is where the Coyotes will take on Port Lavaca Calhoun for the right to move on to the regional final.
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