Alvin played its varsity football games in 1909, and won its first game the next season against Massey Business College, 12-0.
In the land of baseball’s Nolan Ryan, the Alvin football program has made the state playoffs in football just eight times in more than 100 seasons — with the last one coming in 2005 on the heels of a 4-6 regular season.
To put their long football history into perspective, they have just 14 games in postseason lore, with only one appearance beyond the second round (3rd round in 1968).
Last season looked somewhat promising with a 2-1 start. The Yellowjackets had a little momentum going into district play in 2016, but a rough patch to start 24-6A led to a 4-6 season and fifth-place finish.
Alvin started district with a pair of losses to Clear Lake and Clear Springs before notching a victory over Clear Creek, 14-10.
They lost to Dickinson and throttled Clear Falls before a late October showdown with Clear Brook, which pulled away for a 35-31 win. Who knows what could’ve happened when they played Friendswood in the last game with a playoff berth on the line, but instead the Yellowjackets fell to the Mustangs.
Streaks are made to be broken, and here’s the outlook for Alvin heading into 2017.
Key Losses
WR Jose Medrano, OT Leandro Jaramillo, LB John Martinez
Medrano had 51 catches for 931 yards and nine touchdowns — all team highs — en route to an all-district selection.
Jaramillo was a block of a lineman and Martinez the leader of the defense.
Quarterback Taylor Molina passed for 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.
Key Returners
RB Jack LeBato, DE Carson Gonzalez, ATH Kobe Bailey
LeBato led the team in rushing with 844 yards and nine touchdowns. Jeran Schiller was second on the team with 437 yards and five touchdowns.
Kobe Bailey did a little bit of everything from rushing for a touchdown, catching 33 passes for 516 yards and five touchdowns and completing 78 percent of his passes for 218 yards and a touchdown in few snaps at quarterback.
Gonzalez was an all-district selection on the defensive line.
Verdict
Alvin is the old brother in the Alvin ISD — much older than 5A Manvel, which has played nearly twice as many playoffs game despite having 90-something years less time on the field (Alvin didn’t play in the 1923-24 seasons).
But this is Texas high school football, and anything can happen.
LeBato and Bailey will give the Yellowjackets some offensive firepower heading into the 2017 season. Gonzalez has experience on the defensive line and Alvin looks to turn the corner in those tight games, making those L’s become W’s, and putting an end to that current 12-year playoff drought.
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