ALICE, Texas — Friday night, the lights come on at New Memorial Stadium in Alice for the first time as the Coyotes bring football back home.
The team played 12 straight games on the road while the new stadium was being built — but the community showed up anyway. Now, head football coach JR Castellano says his team is ready to let their play do the talking.
"We wanna put a good product on the field. Our kids continue to show up and work hard every single day. They look forward to opening up the new stadium. It's not easy being on the road for 12 straight games," Castellano said.
Senior linebacker Mando Perez says playing for Alice is a privilege he doesn't take lightly.
"It feels great. It's a privilege to play for this community because everyone supports no matter if it's a home game or away game, no matter how far they have to travel or not. I mean, it's a privilege to play for everyone in this community," Perez said.
The excitement extends beyond the game itself. Senior Roel Gonzalez says the new stadium has everyone buzzing.
"I would say the main focus is definitely the stadium. Everybody's excited to get in there, see how it is, see how the atmosphere is gonna be. I heard there's new lights when we score a touchdown, so I hope it's gonna be exciting. We're ready though, ready to win the game," Gonzalez said.
Senior defensive tackle Louie Villarreal has a unique connection to the moment — he was on the team that played the final game at the old Memorial Stadium, and now gets to help open the new one.
"Being the person to come out and close the stadium and now being the one to open it up makes me feel like I got a big weight on my shoulders and I feel like Alice is gonna be there to support us and help us," Villarreal said.
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