In another life, I wrote on several occasions that the Chili Bowl is uniquely San Antonio.
The annual high school football game between Fox Tech and Lanier is a time-honored tradition that transcends sports. In a nutshell, it’s as much a social event as it is a game.
“I grew up in San Antonio but until you’ve played in the Chili Bowl or coached in it, you have no idea what it’s like,” said Tech head football coach Denny Peel, a 1971 Highlands High School graduate.
It’s not uncommon for graduates of both inner-city schools to travel long and far to watch the Chili Bowl and have mini-reunions in the stands at San Antonio.
Sadly, the Chili Bowl will pass into history when the Buffaloes and Voks clash for the 67th time Saturday night at Alamo Stadium.
Next year, Tech begins making the transition to a magnet school and simply won’t have the numbers to sustain a football program. That’s the harsh reality.
To be clear: Being a traditionalist and just downright sentimental, I hate to see the Chili Bowl go. San Antonio high school football never will be quite the same without it. As my late Mom would say, “Que lastima.” What a loss, what a pity.
Robert Durón, superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District, made the decision Tuesday afternoon to scrub football at Tech after meeting with SAISD athletic director Gil Garza, Peel, Tech girls coordinator Janice Cuccia and a few other administrators. But, really, the die had been cast long before that.
Peel and Garza went to Tech after the meeting as the SAISD central office and told the players what most already knew.
“There was some emotion, some controlled emotion, but I told the kids we’ve got to go on,” said Peel, who is in his 15th season as the Buffaloes’ head coach. “I told them we have one more Chili Bowl to prepare for. We had a pretty good workout. It was up-tempo and pretty spirited.”
Adding to the drama of the final Chili Bowl is the possibility that a playoff berth could be at stake for both teams.
Tech, 3-6 overall and 3-3 in District 28-4A, advances to the postseason with a victory over Lanier and an Edison loss to Jefferson on Friday night.
Lanier, also 3-6 and 3-3, earns a playoff spot if it beats Tech and Kennedy loses to Memorial on Friday night.
Tech leads the Chili Bowl series 41-20-5.
Peel expressed resignation about the decision that has caused an uproar in the Tech, and, yes, the Lanier communities. Remember, the Chili Bowl is just as important a tradition at Lanier as it is at Tech.
“This game is special to everybody involved because it’s a tradition ingrained from generation to generation,” Peel said. “During Chili Bowl week, alumni come by our workouts and I get calls from alumni every day. This decision is something that the young men on our team don’t understand and the alumni don’t understand, but I’ve come to grips with it.
“As much I would love to see us continue playing football at Tech, the numbers just aren’t there. It’s hard to compete, and it would be unsafe, given how our numbers have dropped.”
While the Buffaloes’ varsity has suited out 35-37 players for each game this season, the freshman team has only 21 players. Peel said there are “about 80” students in the football program, down 26 percent from last year.
With Tech becoming a “special purpose” school with a magnet program for health and law careers, enrollment is expected to hover at about 800 starting next year. The school will cap its freshman enrollment at 250, 125 each for the law and health magnet programs.
And therein is the crux of the matter. How could Tech possibly hope to sustain a football program once this year’s seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen graduate?
“As it is, we lost a lot of freshmen at Tech when all the talk began about the re-purposing of the school,” Garza said. “They’ve only got 21 kids on the freshmen team this season, and they used to have 35 to 38. You could probably have a decent varsity next year, but the numbers would catch up with you.
“You need numbers in football. It’s a collision sport and you’re going to lose players. Considering all the data and all the other factors considered, I think it’s the right decision. It was a tough decision, and I know it’s painful for the community. But we need to look at the upside. The school could wind up producing doctors and nurses. I’ll take that tradeoff any day.”
Students at Tech will have an opportunity to transfer to another SAISD school and would be eligible in all sports next year, Garza said. There will be an open-enrollment period in May.
SAISD officials will have a meeting for parents of all Tech athletes at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Tech.
Understandably, Tech players were crushed with Tuesday’s official announcement.
“There was anger, confusion and disappointment,” Garza said. “There was a lot of ‘Why us? We didn’t want to be a magnet school.’ As tough as it was, it was good to see those kids react with that kind of passion. These are Fox Tech kids who live in the community. They love Tech and love representing that school. That’s something to respect and admire.”
While Tech football will cease to exist, the school will continue competing in all other sports it has in its program now, Garza said.
“We’re going to have an athletic program at Tech,” Garza said.
Regardless of whether Saturday’s game has playoff implications, look for a capacity crowd to jam into venerable Alamo Stadium for the final Chili Bowl. The grand dame seats about 22,000, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see standing room only when the Buffs and Voks tangle for the last time.
“We’re expecting a huge crowd,” Garza said. “I just hope people will remember what we’re there for.”
Saying goodbye is never easy.
