THREE RIVERS, Texas — High school football in UIL 2A-DI District 15 is very tough. All four of their top teams are ranked in the preseason top 25, including No. 1 Refugio, No. 9 Shiner, No. 17 Three Rivers, and No. 21 Ganado. The T.R. Bulldogs are working hard to be the top dogs.
Starting in 2017, the Bulldogs celebrate the first day of full contact in full pads with a midnight practice Saturday morning.
"It's special because all the fans get to come out and watch our first practice," Caden Soliz, Three Rivers senior quarterback and safety, said. "A little sad knowing it's my last one, but I feel like we made the best of it."
Soliz, alongside senior teammates Derek Lancaster and Kaiyden Thomas, is leading the Bulldogs' stacked roster with ten returners on offense and defense.
"I feel very confident because this week of practice versus last year is night and day," Soliz said. "I mean they know their stuff like nothing compared to last year."
Three Rivers ended last season in the area finals with 9 wins and 3 losses, so head coach Ramon Soliz and the Bulldogs wasted no time preparing for this fall.
"Guys put a lot of work in this summer, well this entire year," Ramon Soliz, Three Rivers football head coach, fourth season, said. "You know, right after we got out of playoffs we rested for about a week and went straight back into the weight room and got started. We added a lot of strength and got some good size."
Three Rivers is in one of the toughest 2A-DI districts in Texas, and they know what it takes to battle with the best.
"We need to pick up speed. We need to pick up pace," Derek Lancaster, Three Rivers senior wide receiver and cornerback said. "We need to get better throughout the season, so we can compete with the bigger guys like Refugio and Shiner."
Finishing third in the district is not enough for T.R., and they're ready to prove they deserve the spotlight.
"We're coming you know. I just hope everybody is ready to see us develop as a team, and we're better," Lancaster said. "A lot better than we were last year."
Three Rivers kicks off the season with a road trip to Falls City on Friday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Last season, the Bulldogs ended their 6-game losing streak to the Beavers by shutting out Falls City 34-0.
