174 / 212
172
/
ST. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL
/
HOUSTON, TX
FOOTBALL
17 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
39 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
WRESTLING
3 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
5 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
4 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
SWIMMING
2015-2016 PREVIEW
CROSS COUNTRY
/
TRACK & FIELD
10 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
21 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
BASKETBALL
9 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
16 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
SOCCER
1 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
18 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
BASEBALL
23 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
49 AT THE NEXT LEVEL
Looking Back
The Eagles resurgent 2015
took shape at midseason after
rediscovering a confidence and
identity reminiscent of the
program’s recent streak of five
state championships in six years.
STH finished one agonizing point
away from advancing to the state’s
Cup Championship playoff and a
shot at a seventh state title since
2002. The team quickly regrouped
with a single minded motivation
in the state tournament playoff
in Dallas featuring the third and
fourth-place teams from the South
and North Central Divisions.
STH defeated Katy for the second
time in four weeks after falling to
Dallas Jesuit in the Eagles opening
match and concluded the season
with seven wins in its final eight
games and nearly doubled the
victory total of 2014.
Captain Payton Pardee ‘15, 8-man
Josh Pane ‘16, Robert Gonzales
‘16 and fly-half Santi Gonzalez ‘16
were named to the all-tournament
team with Jim Wolfinger
recognized as the Rugby Texas
Coach of the Year.
The six-game win streak that
closed the regular season included
two headlining victories on STH’s
annual Spring Break Tour ... 24-7
over Washington D.C. Gonzaga
College and 31-24 in the return
match with Philadelphia St.
Joseph’s Prep. The Eagles then
delivered a 65-0 blitz on St. Pius X
followed by a 42-11 beat-down on
Cy-Fair.
Looking Ahead
Wolfinger and chief assistant
Brett Mills believe that final
playoff weekend to close 2015 will
immediately serve as springboard
to championship contending status.
“It put a stamp on what’s coming,
no question,” Mills said. “For the
seniors who turned this program
back around, guys like Pardee and
Ben Neukomm, it was all about
finishing out the legacy. For all
the young guys who return next
year, and it’s a large group of
core players with experience, that
was just a tiny reminder that St.
Thomas rugby is back where it
belongs. And guess what ... we’re
coming at you. So get ready.”
That wave of momentum
surged into the critical summer
developmental months.
Flanker Griffin Maat ‘17 and
Nate McKinney ‘17 earned Rugby
Texas All-State and were selected
to represent Texas at the national
Rocky Mountain Challenge in
Denver.
Maat was then named team
captain for Rugby Texas High
Performance by the coaching staff
and to the national all-tournament
team after Rugby Texas advanced
to the championship final.
The sensational STH summer
continued for Rugby 7s. Four June
tournaments included a 20-10
championship win over Katy
at Hotze Field inside Granger
Stadium with Riley Bishop ‘17
earning the tournament Most
Valuable Player and Gonzales
and 2016 captain Pane named all-
tournament.
The Eagles also produced three
second-place finishes with Pane,
McKinney, Miguel Cano ‘17 and
Travis Bartniski ‘18 earning all-
tournament distinction.
Wolfinger believes that kind of
“off-season work is crucial. We’ve
developed strength, explosiveness
and rugby IQ. There’s a strong
combination of experience and
skill returning. Our forwards
will be a major force. There are
opportunities for players to step up
and fill a set of very large shoes at
flanker. Our back play figures to be
much improved.”
Mills sees scrumhalf Kyle Walker
‘16, center Blake Steele ‘16 and
wing Josh Harris ‘16 “all on the
brink of breakthrough years.”
“They all showed tremendous
ability last season and we’re excited
to see continued improvement. We
really relied on our forwards last
season to carry us and we hope
to find a bit more balance. We’ll
severely miss Pardee but expect
Pane to continue his stellar career
with a big 2016 showing. Excited
about Maat. He made great strides
this summer,” Mills said.
The overall mix also includes lock
George Michael ‘16, Jake Duron
‘16, Michael Gentempo ‘17, Daniel
Silguero ‘17 and Sam Yeboah ‘17.
“Interest and enthusiasm are
spiking inside the program,”
Wolfinger said. “Last season we
had a very young team. All that
experience and case hardening
should bear fruit this season. We’re
determined to avoid a slow start ...
will have a very challenging district
and state race ... have as good a
chance as anyone to go all the
way.”
Wolfinger and Mills both readily
admit that the 2015 campaign
was as gratifying a season as each
has enjoyed since the program
was founded. Not solely through
performance which reestablished
the STH standard but by the
brotherhood and unity which has
long served as the catalyst.
“The guys bought into our system
and believed in each other that
they could accomplish a great deal
of success. We feel that process
will continue and that the lessons
learned last year will pay big
dividends. Texas high school rugby
has become extremely competitive.
We have the talent and leadership
to contend for the championship.
That is our goal again this season,”
Mills said.