Castillo: Calallen football maintaining dominance for nearly four decades

If any team knows how to rebound after a loss, it’s Calallen.

If any program knows how to maintain success, even after graduating multiple star players, the answer is still Calallen.

I wasn't even a sports reporter at the time but during my high school years at Carroll, I still remember reading about Calallen contending for district championships under former coach Phil Danaher.

Fast forward to 2023 and not much has changed.

The Wildcats are still winning and, for nearly four decades, still playing football into November.

During the Wildcats' remarkable run, it's rare to witness them lose multiple games or back-to-back games for that matter.

In fact, the Wildcats haven’t lost two consecutive games since the 2014 season.

Calallen responded to last week's loss to Alice by capturing a 17-0 win against Tuloso-Midway on Friday night at Phil Danaher Stadium.

It was only fitting that the Wildcats' defense recorded a shutout in front of former Calallen players in attendance, who were celebrating the program's 80th year of existence.

Calallen's victory was the 40th straight against the Warriors and it clinched the program's 39th consecutive playoff berth in the process.

The 39 straight postseason appearances is believed to be the the second longest streak in Texas High School football history.

"I still say that our biggest nemesis is that sometimes we still shoot ourselves in the foot," Calallen coach Steve Campbell said of the 2023 Wildcats, who are now 6-2 overall and 5-1 in 16-4A Division I. "We have better talent than what some of our scores are showing this year, and we have really good leadership. We have leaders on the team that help round up the troops because at the end of the day, it's still Calallen. These kids don't want to lose a streak of 39 years in a row."

Campbell told me earlier this season that the program has been able to remain competitive because of the younger players growing confidence and showing up to practice wanting to win and continue the school's tradition.

One of those players is Jude Hernandez, who went from being a superstar on defense to a key and skillful running back alongside Luke Medina.

Hernandez, a junior, showcased his talent on Friday by finishing with seven carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

"We came into this week more intense and the coaching staff got us right," Hernandez said about rebounding from last week's loss to Alice. "They were telling us there was a lot on the line but they got us right and that's why we won this game."

The Wildcats have one regular season game left against Hidalgo and then it will be time for another postseason run.

I'm not sure how far they'll go this season but the one certainly is Campbell and his staff will have the players ready.

"It means a lot to be here and to (clinch a playoff spot) is a tradition in itself," Hernandez said. "To be able to come out here and show everybody we're the same team just because we had to rebuild is special."

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Calallen football maintaining dominance for nearly four decades