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The kickoff of the high school football season in Texas is always a celebration under the iconic Friday night lights. But in Kerrville, at the Tivy Antler Stadium, the traditional spectacle of the high school gridiron took on an additional purpose — one shaped by a summer of heartbreak and resilience.
The Antlers’ season-opener was more than just local pageantry. It was about honoring the first responders who risked their lives during the devastating July 4th flash flood that devastated the upper Guadalupe River, claiming lives, destroying homes and upending families.
Before kickoff, the community paused to recognize firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and volunteer rescuers who worked through the chaotic hours of the disaster and in the ongoing recovery.
“I feel honored to be in the presence of all those involved in the rescues and I’m glad they were here,” said Rebecca Crider, who for over 25 years has been attending the box office and selling tickets to the games. She said this night’s game is different.
“We’re getting to do something special for them,” she said.
First responders from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, the Texas National Guard and others were named honorary team captains and took part in the game’s coin toss. Dozens more stood on the field in uniform as the "The Star-Spangled Banner" played. They were all greeted by a standing ovation from the packed stands while a formation of National Guard Black Hawk helicopters flew overhead.
Over the loudspeaker, an announcer said, “These people represent the bravery and commitment to keep our Hill Country community safe every day. In our greatest time of need, these individuals nobly sacrificed for our amazing Hill Country community.”
The players themselves wore helmet decals and game jerseys emblazoned with “Kerrville ISD Strong,” and “TFND” —which stands for "Tivy Fight Never Dies." Across the players’ backs, where their last names would normally appear, read “First Responders.”
Texas high school football has always been an exuberant display of local pride and celebration of the community’s spirit. In Kerrville, that tradition carried extra emotional weight this year.
Just over 50 days ago the area was declared a disaster area. In the early morning hours of July 4th, a stalled cluster of thunderstorms dumped over a foot of rain that funneled into the Guadalupe River. It rose catastrophically by almost 30 feet. Without warning, a wall of water smashed into sleeping holiday vacationers and summer campers, including at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp where 27 lost their lives.
On Friday night a survivor of Camp Mystic, 12-year-old Skyler Derrington, sang to the crowd her own rendition of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah." Her modified lyrics told the story of her survival and the heartbreaking loss of fellow campers.
Kerrville school bus drivers were also recognized for their actions that day. During the flood, they also became first responders, coming to the rescue of children trapped by the flood waters.
That morning, Kerrville High School Principal Rick Sralla said he got a call that help was needed at nearby summer camps along the raging river. He immediately organized a convoy of 10 school buses to save the children.
“It was very difficult driving, very difficult terrain— mud—all those kinds of things. And we arrived at the camps, and they were doing a good job of keeping the kids in kind of a triage session. But we arrived and there were kids in their pajamas and (holding) their stuffed animals,” he said.
Sralla said he remembers the faces of those children, and he sees in his own students the struggle of dealing with the trauma of that day.
“We didn’t know their stories when it was happening, but after a while they surface, and we help those needs. We’ve got lots of help for all our children, all our community members,” he said.
Sralla said part of that healing is football, which is more than a game.
Before kickoff, in the field house locker room, Tivy Head Coach Curtis Neill stood before his players and gave his address.
“When we get out there, support one another. There’s going to be some great things that happen. We’re going to have some setbacks. Adversity, it’s going to hit us square in the mouth. We gotta hold on to one another. We gotta support one another. We just gotta regroup. Then go. It’s that simple,” Neill said.
The Antlers then took to the field against the Del Rio Rams. The Tivy players gave their community something to cheer about, winning the game 40 to 21.
