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Westlake alum and current Texas Longhorn Jake Ehlinger.
50 Years After '69 Title, UT Still Attracts Local Recruits
On Tuesday, The University of Texas announced that it would be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1969 national championship football team during Saturday's Big 12 conference home game against Kansas. The 2019 team will wear a throwback uniform that is similar to the one worn in the program's second national championship season and members from that year will be recognized at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
It is always a win when a college program attracts local high school talent, so we found 1969 and 2019 UT rostered athletes that played high school ball in the Austin and San Antonio markets. The full list of players from this part of Texas is listed below, but let's start with a couple stats that help bridge the half-century gap.
1. 28 Austin/San Antonio area high schools had graduates on the 1969 or 2019 team, and nine had multiple representatives. Lake Travis, Westlake, Austin McCallum and San Antonio MacArthur had three players, while Austin Northeast Early College (previously Austin Reagan), San Antonio Churchill, Belton, Temple and Cameron Yoe had two. San Antonio Churchill and Belton are also the area's only two high schools with alums on both the 1969 and 2019 teams.
2. The 2019 team has 22 players from the Austin/San Antonio area, which is up from the 19 on the 1969 team. Austin area high school alums represent 77.3% of Austin/San Antonio area Texas Longhorn football players in 2019, which is up from 57.9% in 1969. Note: Fredericksburg is covered by VYPE Austin and VYPE San Antonio, but its slightly shorter drive to San Antonio put it with the Alamo City area athletes for this exercise.
3. Austin Reagan and San Antonio Reagan had a player on the 1969 and 2019 teams respectively.
Austin (11 1969 players and 17 2019 players)
Lake Travis: K Cameron Dicker (2019), TE Cade Brewer (2019) and OL Chad Wolf (2019)
Westlake: QB Sam Ehlinger (2019), DB Doak Wilson (2019) and LB Jake Ehlinger (2019)
Austin McCallum: HB Rick Nabors (1969), DE Bill Zapalac (1969) and C Jeff Zapalac (1969)
Austin Northeast Early College (formerly Austin Reagan): LB Mike Campbell (1969) and HB Tom Campbell (1969)
Belton: OT Danny Lester (1969) and OL Zach Shackelford (2019)
Temple: TE Jared Wiley (2019) and DL Ta'Quon Graham (2019)
Cameron Yoe: LB Wayne Kirk (1969) and LB Mack McKinney (1969)
Austin Vandegrift: WR Kartik Akkihal (2019)
Round Rock: RB Mason Ramirez (2019)
Copperas Cove: OL J.P. Urquidez (2019)
Dripping Springs: WR Parker Alford (2019)
Leander Glenn: TE Nathan Hatter (2019)
Austin Navarro Early College (formerly Austin Lanier): OE Randy Peschel (1969)
Smithville: LB Johnny Otahal (1969)
Rockdale: OG Mike Speer (1969)
Regents School of Austin: LB Russell Hine (2019)
Austin St. Michael's Catholic Academy: QB Sam Saxton (2019)
Hyde Park: QB Ben Ballard (2019)
San Antonio (8 1969 players and 5 2019 players)
San Antonio MacArthur: DT Bob Huffman (1969), OG Charles Rogers (1969) and LB Dan Terwelp (1969)
San Antonio Churchill: HB Sam Lawless (1969) and LB Cort Jaquess (2019)
Cibolo Steele: DB Caden Sterns (2019)
San Antonio Reagan: OL Derek Kerstetter (2019)
Cuero: RB Jordan Whittington (2019)
Fredericksburg: K Happy Feller (1969)
Gonzales: OE Ken Ehrig (1969)
Randolph: LB Rick Troberman (1969)
Yoakum: WR Joshua Moore (2019)
Leakey: LB Jack Rushing (1969)
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEATX/@VYPESATX) on Twitter.
Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.
VYPE San Antonio's Top 10 2019-2020 Must-See Athletes
July's almost over, so that means the 2019-2020 school year is right around the corner. VYPE is ready for its second year covering San Antonio-area communities, so it put together a list of top athletes to watch. Check them out below!
No. 1: Rashod Owens (San Antonio Roosevelt multi-sport athlete)
The football, track and basketball athlete is known as the San Antonio-area's top 2018-2019 athlete, but also has 11 college football offers, the San Antonio triple jump record, and an all-district football and basketball past.
No. 2: Jaylon Jones (Cibolo Steele football)
The state's fifth-ranked 2020 football recruit committed to Texas A&M, which was one of his 15 offers.
No. 3: Logan Parr (Helotes O'Connor football)
The 33rd-best 2020 college football recruit from the Lone Star State committed to Texas instead of 22 other offers.
No. 4: Sahara Jones (San Antonio Veterans Memorial girls basketball)
The eighth-best 2020 girls basketball recruit from Texas averaged a double-double during the 2018-2019 season and is a two-time first-team all-state player, so she excites college basketball programs.
No. 5: Shelby O'Neal (Schertz Clemens volleyball)
The 2020 Arizona commit is still a leader for a strong Schertz Clemens squad.
No. 6: Morgan Fey (San Antonio Southwest track and field)
The daughter of former SMU track athlete Jo Ann Fey wants to wrap up her high school career with back-to-back UIL 5A discus state championships and back-to-back state medals in the classification's shot put event.
No. 7: Luke Boyers (Boerne Champion multi-sport athlete)
The TCU baseball commit is coming off a junior year football season in which he was named the 14-5A Division II Offensive MVP.
No. 8: Wilmar Aguilar (San Antonio LEE soccer)
The first-team all-state soccer star nearly led San Antonio LEE to the UIL 6A state title in 2019, so there are tall expectations for his senior year.
No. 9: Travis Sthele (San Antonio Reagan multi-sport athlete)
The 2020 Texas baseball commit was named the 27-6A first-team all-district quarterback in 2018.
No. 10: Marissa Santos (D'Hanis softball)
The softball player, who was named the MVP of the TSWA 1A all-state team during her freshman season, threw a perfect game in D'Hanis softball's first UIL state championship season in 2019.
Also worth a look
Nick Patterson (San Antonio Christian School senior football player and 2020 Michigan commit), Matthew Luna (San Antonio East Central senior baseball player and 2020 Texas Tech commit), Chris Shull (San Antonio MacArthur senior baseball player and 2020 Texas Tech commit), Angel Jones (New Braunfels Canyon senior volleyball player and 2020 SMU commit), Faye Wilbricht (Holy Cross of San Antonio junior volleyball player and 2021 Baylor commit), DeMarcus Hendricks (San Antonio Wagner senior multi-sport athlete and 2020 college football recruit), Aaliyah Ortiz (San Antonio Southwest senior softball player and 2020 McNeese State commit), Brianna Barrera (Boerne senior soccer player and 2020 Sam Houston State commit), Carlee Pharris/Jalyn Gibson (San Antonio Brandeis sophomore volleyball players and 2022 TCU commits) and Journee Phillips (San Antonio Wagner senior basketball player and 2020 college hoops recruit)
For more sports coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPESATX) on Twitter.
Looking to get more involved? Check out ShopVYPE for fresh gear that supports local schools and the VYPE U Ambassador Program. To sign up for the VYPE U Program, apply at VYPEU.com.