Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up: Preseason Football, Tailgate Central, Volleyball, Cross Country, Soccer And Track & Field

Maroon & Gold Weekly Wrap-Up:

Bobcat Football,Tailgate Central, Volleyball,
Cross Country, Track & Field & Soccer

Building Depth in the Secondary

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State secondary coach Brett Dewhurst is experiencing something in the Bobcats’ fall camp that he has never encountered before as a player or as a coach.

“(Head coach Jake Spavital) has done a great job of not scripting things,” Dewhurst said. “He is putting us in a lot of different situations, from two-minute to third down to having a second down and playing it out. It’s been great for the kids because we aren’t just running plays. They have been put into different situations and learning how to play them.”

In addition to finding out how his secondary and the Bobcat defense perform in various game-like situations, Dewhurst is trying to build depth in Texas State’s secondary during fall camp.

“You have to play more than five guys,” Dewhurst said. “Obviously, we will have five guys out there in nickel and we will play some base against teams who like to run the football. Then, you have developed a dime package. But we have to find out who can go in there and sub guys out.”

The Bobcats will need depth when teams go on seven or eight-play drives, or when guys run the length of the field on several long pass plays. It also helps to build more experience in Texas State’s secondary unit.

“We have to have some guys go in there,” Dewhurst said. “We need to find out who can go in and what we can do schematically to put them in position to make plays.”

Dewhurst is coaching 18 players when you count scholarship players and walk-ons in the secondary this fall.

“It is a good group and our guys are starting to realize that there is competition in all spots,” Dewhurst said. “They go out there and they know who is competing and who is executing. That’s the big thing for (Coach Jake Spavital), who is preaching effort and execution. Everyone is playing hard, but you have to execute in order to win the game.”

The Bobcats return five starters from last season in Anthony J. Taylor, Jarron Morris, Kordell Rodgers, JaShon Waddy and Josh Newman. The Bobcats also return Alvin Pacheco, Kieston Roach, Auston Deason, Preston Dimery, Jalen Smith and redshirt freshman Pierce Withers. Three freshmen, DeJordan Mask, Kevin Anderson, and Khambrail Winters, have stood out this fall.

Dewhurst is building additional depth by having guys play different position in the secondary. One example is Taylor, who started seven games as a cornerback last season, spent spring practice playing both a a safety and as a nickel back.

“I think that ultimately, there is some depth,” Dewhurst said. “That is new for some guys because there wasn’t much depth in the spring. It’s been good for the freshman class to come in and set the standard. I told them that whoever practices the best will ultimately play the most. That is how you want it as a coach. That is what we are trying to find out.”

Texas State opens the 2019 campaign with a nationally televised midweek game at Texas A&M beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29.

Texas State plays its first of six home games against the Wyoming Cowboys at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7. The Bobcats also host Georgia State (Sept. 21), Nicholls (Sept. 28), ULM (Oct. 10), South Alabama (Nov. 9), and Troy (Nov. 16).

Fans can purchase season tickets by contacting the Texas State Athletic Ticket Office at 512-245-2272 or online at TXST.com/tickets. Fans can contact the ticket office via email by sending questions to gametickets@txstate.edu. Prices for season tickets start as low as $80 for one general-admission season ticket. Priority seating options are still available. Part of the purchase price for each ticket goes to the Bobcat Club, which continues to raise scholarship funds for Texas State student-athletes.

Texas State football fans can get a behind the scenes view of the football program throughout the 2019 season by visiting the Jake Spavital “Game Time” Radio Show at Chimy’s on Tuesday nights. In total, the show will be live from Chimy’s seven times with hour-long shows beginning at 6 p.m. The first show will air on Aug. 27. The remaining live shows will be on Sept. 3, 17, and 24, Oct. 8, Nov. 5 and 12.

Bobcat Athletics introduces Tailgate Central

Tailgate Information & Game Day Central | TXST Football Tailgating & Game Day Video

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State Athletics Department has announced changes to Texas State Tailgating ahead of the 2019 college football season.

The concept of a new, centralized tailgate area is being introduced to bring all Bobcat fans, including alumni and students, together to create a great gameday atmosphere. The new setup will be in the east side parking lot (between the football stadium and the Bobcat Track and Field Complex) of Bobcat Stadium.

Aptly named, Tailgate Central will house the Alumni Association Katze Beer Garden, the “T” Association Athletic Alumni Tailgate, the Freshman Tailgate Party, along with other interactive games, live music, and other opportunities for fans to experience game day whether you are setting up your own tailgate or just enjoying the festivities.

Within Tailgate Central will be Bobcat Boulevard. Athletic department partners, such as Coca-Cola, H-E-B and Bud Light, will provide tailgate games, giveaways and experiences for our fans like the Powerade Fall Football Tour, H-E-B Toss Up, and Bud Light Zone. At one end of Bobcat Boulevard live music can heard from some of the best bands and DJ’s in the area.

Highlighting Tailgate Central will be the team walk, known as the Cat Walk, which will take place approximately two-and-a-half hours prior to kick off every home game. This will be an opportunity for fans to welcome and celebrate the Bobcat team as they arrive at the stadium.

This, along with the Bobcat Charge featuring a parade of Texas State Strutters, Cheerleaders and Bobcat Marching Band into the stadium will all take place on Bobcat Boulevard for the participation of all fans approximately an hour prior to kickoff. This will be an opportunity for tailgaters to follow them into the stadium for the start of the game.

Fans looking to tailgate in grass space will find several opportunities available to them this season. Grass tailgating options will be available on the field directly in front of the University Events Center and on a portion Spring Lake Field, formerly the golf course on Aquarena Springs Drive.

Vehicles will not be allowed on the green space, but parking is close for both areas. Fans can set up tents, tables, and chairs in these spaces. It is important for tailgaters to avoid leaving a footprint, so tent staking will be prohibited. All tailgate patrons in tailgate central, in grass tailgating areas, and reserved parking lots are expected to clean up their area at the conclusion of the tailgate.

Finally, the athletic department can provide you with a space, tent, and other accommodations in Tent Village if needed. Tent Village is located near Lot 1 on the west side of Bobcat Stadium. Several spots are available and packages including game tickets start at $600. To learn more about Tent Village or to book a spot visit TXST.com/TentVillage or call 512-245-2272.

Setup for Tailgate Central will begin the day before home games and fans may begin tailgating on game day six hours prior to kickoff.

For additional parking, fans are encouraged to park in the Mill Street or Thorpe Lane parking lots. Both spots offer a quick walk over to the Tailgate Central Lot. Bobcat Club members can easily access the Tailgate Central Lot from all four donor lots.

New parking options are also available in the University Events Center Parking lot and Lot 5 located in a portion of the Strahan Arena Parking lot. Tailgating is also encouraged in Lot 5.

For information on obtaining a reserved parking spot around Bobcat Stadium contact the Bobcat Club at bobcatclub@txstate.edu or call 512-245-2114.

The Bobcat Tram Game Day Shuttle will continue to pick up at three locations on campus, the LBJ Student Center, San Jacinto Hall, and the Edward Gary Street Garage. Free parking is available at the Woods Street and Matthews garage.

The shuttles will drop off fans immediately adjacent to Tailgate Central this season.

In the coming weeks, more information will be released including specifics for how to access these areas and enjoy game day at Bobcat Stadium.

Texas State will open the 2019 season with a nationally televised midweek game at Texas A&M beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29.

Texas State opens the home slate against the Wyoming Cowboys at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7. In addition to Wyoming, the Bobcats will host Georgia State (Sept. 21), Nicholls (Sept. 28), ULM (Oct. 10), South Alabama (Nov. 9), and Troy (Nov. 16).

Season tickets can be purchased by contacting the Texas State Athletic Ticket Office at 512-245-2272 or online at TXST.com/tickets. Fans can contact the ticket office via email by sending questions to gametickets@txstate.edu.

Prices for season tickets start as low as $80 for one general-admission season ticket. Priority seating options are still available. Part of the purchase price for each ticket goes to the Bobcat Club, which continues to raise scholarship funds for Texas State student-athletes.

Texas State football fans can get a behind the scenes view of the football program by visiting the Jake Spavital “Game Time” Radio Show at Chimy’s on Tuesday nights throughout the season.

In total, the show will be live from Chimy’s seven times with hour-long shows beginning at 6 p.m. The first show will air on Aug. 27. The remaining live shows will be on Sept. 3, 17, and 24, Oct. 8, Nov. 5 and 12.

For a complete list of all our new tailgate options and rules visit txstatebobcats.com.

Bobcats open fall camp receiving national recognition

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team is currently in its first week of fall camp and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll Tuesday afternoon that featured the Bobcats receiving six votes.

The maroon and gold are gearing up for the 2019 campaign that will begin Aug. 30 with a noon match vs. Liberty and a 7 p.m. tilt vs. No. 14 USC at Strahan Arena. The opening weekend will conclude at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 vs. Northern Iowa.

“Our attitude is great, team chemistry is great, and this group has come in as good of physical conditioning that I have seen in a long time. Hats off to Mark Steele and the rest of our strength and conditioning staff,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “Bobcats like to maul, and we have a point system in place to earn the title mauler. We already have 14 maulers. Last year at this time we had five so physically, they have come in great shape. Now with the ball, it is early. We have seen some good things but of course we see many things that we need to get better at.”

Texas State will square off with five clubs that are mentioned in the AVCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll headlined by No. 14 USC and No. 20 Baylor. Northern Iowa tallied 13 votes, UCLA gathered seven votes, and Rice joins the Bobcats with six nods.

“I think we earned the respect that we are getting nationally,” said Chisum. “People remember what we did last season and it is really a pat on our back. However, last year is in the past and we have to do it now. We have very good opponents on our schedule and if we can surprise and beat a couple of these programs, it will further validate the reason for us receiving those six votes.”

The Bobcats are the heavy favorites in the Sun Belt Conference after receiving 12 first-place votes in the West Division, while also sweeping the league’s specialty accolades with senior Cheyenne Huskey named the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, senior Micah Dinwiddie the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and sophomore Emily DeWalt tabbed as the 2019 Preseason Setter of the Year. Joining the trio on the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason team is sophomore Janell Fitzgerald.

Texas State had a monumental season in 2018, finishing 27-7 overall and won its first Sun Belt regular-season title behind a 15-1 conference mark. The Bobcats went on to win the Sun Belt tournament and won their first NCAA Tournament match in program history by defeating Rice in the first round before falling to then- No. 5 Texas. TXST finished the season with a program-best No. 22 RPI ranking.

“We have a very competitive schedule, but for us to be at the level we want, that is what we have to do,” added Chisum. We got there [NCAA Tournament] last year and I hope we can continue by taking another step forward. Our pre-conference schedule will tell us where we are, and I know that the kids, staff, and myself are excited.

Fans will have 16 opportunities to see the reigning Sun Belt Champions in action at Strahan Arena. After the opening weekend, the Bobcats will face Rice at 6 p.m. Sept. 3 and will return home for the annual Creeds & Crests Classic Sept. 19-21 that will feature matches against UTSA, George Washington, and Sam Houston State. The Bobcats conference home opener will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 vs. Louisiana.

Season tickets are general admission and are on sale now for $50. Special groups such as Bobcat Club donors, Texas State faculty and staff, recent alumni (2016-19) and T-Association members can receive a special discounted rate of $40 per season ticket.

Fans can renew their seats by logging into their online account at txstatebobcats.com/tickets, calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 512-245-2272, or by visiting the Athletic Ticket Office at Bobcat Stadium during normal business hours (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.).

TXST XC announced 2019 schedule

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Jody Stewart announced the 2019 cross country schedule Monday. The schedule is comprised of three regular-season meets before the Sun Belt Conference Championships in November.

The first meet of the year will be the UIW Opener put on by Incarnate Word Aug. 30 at the Elite Soccer Complex in San Antonio. After a 35-day hiatus, the Bobcats will head to Fayetteville, Ark. for the 31st Annual Chili Pepper Festival hosted by the University of Arkansas on Oct. 5.

The prestigious meet will have approximately 80 schools and 6,500 participants. The regular season will conclude Oct. 19 with a trip to College Station to compete in the Arturo Barrios Invitational hosted by Texas A&M at the Watts Cross Country Course.

The Bobcats are coming off a 2018 season that finished second in the Sun Belt Conference Championships on the women’s side and 14th on the men’s side.

The women produced the program’s first to win an individual conference title since 1994 with now senior Leslie Romero clocking a personal best 17:22.91, earning the league’s Runner and Newcomer of the Year awards. Including Romero, the women garnered four All-Sun Belt selections with two returning in Romero and junior Sydney Cole. The men collected two All-Sun Belt selections, including returner sophomore Dereck Elkins.

Overall, the Bobcats will return 12 student-athletes from a season ago, seven on the women’s side and five for the men.

Bobcats Face No. 14 Baylor in Exhibition Match

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State soccer team takes the pitch for its lone exhibition match on the road Saturday against 14th-ranked Baylor. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

Live stats will be available for the game while a video stream won’t be provided. Admission to the match is free to all fans.

Sun Belt Favorites

Coming off the first-ever Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship, the Bobcats were picked to repeat by the league’s coaches. They received six of the 11 first-place votes and totaled 108 points to beat out South Alabama, which totaled 103 points and a lone first-place selection.

It is the first time that TXST has been favored in a conference preseason poll since 2010 as a member of the Southland Conference. That season, the Bobcats went 12-8-1 with a 5-3-1 league mark before falling in the conference tournament semifinals.

Preseason Awards

Five players were named to the All-Sun Belt Preseason Team, the most by any team in the conference. Kaylee Davis, Jordan Kondikoff, Heather Martin and Genesis Turman were named to the squad for the second straight year with Sarah Everett joining them after earning second-team all-conference honors last season.

Davis and Martin were picked as the Sun Belt’s Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. The duo are coming off historic program seasons. Davis tied the Bobcats’ mark with 18 goals that tied for the third-most in the nation while Martin set program records for GAA, save percentage and solo shutouts.

At the start of the month, Davis was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The award is given to the most outstanding male and female soccer player each year. The Allen, Texas native is the first Texas State player ever to be selected to the watch list and first women’s Sun Belt honoree since 2011.

Who’s Back

The Bobcats return 20 players from last year’s championship team including eight starters. Along with the five preseason all-conference honorees, other top returners are starters back are Kathryn Budde, Addison Gaetano, Haley Groff, Ally Kewish, Jessica Pikoff, Renny Moore, Mackenzie Smith, Hannah Solano and Holly Streber.

Who’s New

Texas State welcomes 10 true freshmen to the team. The class consists of four midfielders, three forwards, two defenders and one goalkeeper.

Scouting Baylor

The Bears are coming off a 20-6-0 season, a Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. They were picked to finish second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and enter the season ranked 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll.

Saturday will be the second exhibition match for Baylor. On Sunday, Aug. 11, the Bears outshot Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 19-3 with a 9-2 advantage for shots on goal. However, the Islanders were able to find the back of the net in a 1-0 contest.

Soccer Falls Late to No. 14 Baylor 2-1 in Exhibition Match

WACO, Texas – Despite an early goal, the Texas State soccer team dropped its exhibition match against No. 14 Baylor 2-1 Saturday night at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

Early in the fourth minute, Kaylee Davis sent in a cross from the left side. The ball bounced over Mackenzie Smith but went right to Ally Kewish, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper into the lower left corner of the net.

The first crack on goal for the Bears came in the 10 minute from distance that one-hopped into the hands Heather Martin for her first save in the contest.

Baylor had back-to-back chances in the 22nd minute. The first attempt was stopped by Genesis Turman and Martin fell on the follow-up attempt.

In the early portion of the 24th minute, Maddie Algya received a cross on the right-side and sent the ball just out of the reach of Martin to tie the match 1-1.

The Bobcats nearly went in front in the 51st minute when Davis sent in a cross from the right side of the box. On the other end of the cross inside the box was Kalen Sanderfer. Her attempt, however, attempt went high over the bar.

Davis had her second attempt on net in the 82nd minute. The ball took a slight deflection off a Bear defender into the outside side netting for a corner kick. Kiara Gonzales saw the ball come to her on the ensuring corner kick with her attempt going slightly wide of the left post.

Three minutes later, Davis won a loose ball near midfield and took it into the box. Her crack at goal did not have enough on it to beat the keeper.

A corner kick with just under three minutes to play ended with Michaela Gorman heading in the ball to give Baylor a late 2-1 advantage.

The regular season begins on Friday with a 7 p.m. contest against Incarnate Word at the Bobcat Soccer Complex.