Soy de Duval

  \ Homero Vera, who coordinated the event in Premont, welcomes Cecelio Valerio's "proud descendant," Elodia Valerio Saenz,  to an  event  recognizing the Civil War battle at Los Patricios west of Premont.  Los Patricios are   within the San Francisco land grant located primarily in Duval County but  protrudes  into  Jim Wells County.  Vera  believes that t he  skirmish occurred  on  Jim Wells's side of  San Francisco. (Photos by Gary Welch) by Alfredo E. Cardenas Few people are aware that the Civil War actually had a presence in South Texas, including Duval and Jim Wells County. On Saturday, March 16, the Premont Chamber of Commerce hosted a program to commemorate the only Civil War battle that took place in this area.  Historian Jerry Thompson spoke about the events at Los Patricios. Noted historian Dr. Jerry Thompson was the keynote speaker and presented an informative talk about the battle and those involved, including father and son Cecilio and Juan Valerio, who

  Starters in the 1964 Vaqueros basketball team that played in the state tournament were Carlos  Treviño , Walter Reyna, Tomas Molina, Manuel Esparza, and Lupe Ibarra. (Photos courtesy of Carlos  Treviño  .) Like the rest of his teammates in the 1964 San Diego Vaqueros state basketball team, Carlos Treviño began his academic career at St. Francis de Paula Catholic School. And like the rest of them, he was exposed to various sports at an early age.  Treviño attended St. Francis from 1952-1956 and then transferred to the San Diego public schools in the third grade. He got his first exposure to sports when he joined Little League and played at a Little League Park built at Plaza Alcala by Duval County Commissioner Tomas Molina, Sr. “I couldn't catch the ball, but I learned to work hard at it to get better to be able to get playing time, Treviño said.  In time, he got the hang of the sport and, at the age of eleven, made the All-Star team. At about the same time, he met Coaches Anthony

Tommy Molina (#28) with the 1964 South Texas All-Star team that won the Texas High School All-Star game. (Photo courtesy of Tommy Molina)  Tommy Molina led the 1964 San Diego Vaqueros state basketball finalist team, but he and his team members will no doubt give credit to the entire team, including the reserves and coaches. Still, at 6’4 ¾”, Molina was the big man on the court and provided much energy to the squad. During the pre-district games, Molina was the top scorer with 297 points, averaging 17.5 points per game, although the starters played only the first half in seven of those games. Tommy Molina practices for the Texas All-Star game in 1964. (Photo by Alice Echio-News) In the bi-district game against Donna, Molina was the leading scorer with 18 points. At the regional opener, he scored 32 points. In the regional championship game against Sweeney, Walter Reyna and Manuel Esparza each scored 20 points and Molina 18. Molina and Esparza controlled the backboards throughout the ga

Hall of Fame Vaqueros were honored at the game in San Diego on Friday, February 9. Pictured, from left, are Lupe Ibarra, Walter Reyna, Roel Perez, Carlos Treviño, Ruben Escobar, Manuel Esparza, and Tommy Molina. Luis Barrera, Raul de Leon, and Homero Rosas were not able to attend. (Photos by Angelica E. Maldonado.) Rubén Escobar played where the coaches needed him with the 1964 San Diego Vaqueros basketball state finalists. “Bench players–called BWA-Bench Warmers Association–practiced defense,” Escobar said. “Coach Mo (Modesto García) would use us as needed. I would go in for Tommy (Molina) or Meme (Esparza). I even played one game as a point guard; my instructions were to feed the ball to Tommy, who scored a bunch of points that game.” The BWA played that position because Walter Reyna and Carlos Treviño participated in a cross-country race the next day, and Coach Mo did not want them tired.  “We were used mainly if one had foul trouble,” Escobar said. “But we took the games seriously

  Walter Reyna, left, works out with Manuel Esparza. Growing up in the small town of San Diego had its positives, says Walter Reyna, a member of the 1963-64 Vaqueros basketball state finalists. “Closeness among our friends, a feeling of family, and being around our teammates and friends gave us a feeling of safety and security and the notion that ‘less is more,’” Reyna said. “On paper, we had less, but we created our world with fewer distractions and more creativity.” Reyna was the son of James S. Reyna and Inez Viola Tobin-Garcia. His dad managed the Regis Theater & later sold cars for the Oil Belt Chevrolet Co. Walter grew up in his great-grandparents’ home and always had other relatives who might have needed a “helping” hand at some point in their lives living with the Reyna family. “So, it’s like I had brothers and sisters,” Walter, an only child, said.   At the center of this family-oriented world were faith and education. In 1952-53, his parents enrolled Walter at St. Fra

  Luis Angel Barrera (This is the first in a series of blogs on individual team members of the 1963-64 San Diego Vaqueros basketball team.) After graduating from San Diego High School, Luis Angel Barrera enrolled at Southwest Texas State (Texas State University), earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. He then volunteered for the draft and served in the Army for two years. He was wounded during his tour in Vietnam and was evacuated via medivac to the U. S. for further medical treatment. Barrera was awarded a Purple Heart and a meritorious medal for service in a combat zone. In 1971, Barrera settled in Houston, where he taught accounting, worked at a prominent bank, and then worked for the Mexican government as a representative in the United States. In 1984, he worked for the Mexican government's tourism department, which was under the auspices of the former president of Mexico, Lic. Miguel Aleman Valdes. Before President Aleman's death in September 1983, h