CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One of the fans who will for sure be in attendance for our Game Night South Texas matchup between Veterans Memorial (6-1) and Miller (7-0) will be Mr. Buccaneer. Fans can find him in the Miller stands wearing purple and gold, but what makes his story unique is more than his attire.
"I try to encourage the kids it's okay to dress up for a Buccaneer game," Richard Quijas, Miller 1968 alum and Mr. Buccaneer, said. "Sure enough I've been doing it ever since. Here we are in 2023 and I'm still going 49 years later."
Richard Quijas became Mr. Buccaneer in 1974. Everywhere he goes he bleeds purple and gold.
"I see him cheering in the stands," Jaedyn Brown, Miller senior receiver, defensive back and quarterback, said. "Every time we come off the field he's standing right there giving us fist bumps and just giving us little motivational talks while we're going in."
Quijas rarely ever misses a game as long as he has a ride.
"He's great. He really shows the pride that Buc fans have," Trevor Long, Miller junior quarterback, said. "You know, he really shows what the alumni bring to us. Our alumni are our biggest fans and he really displays that well."
Mr.Buccaneer loves Miller, but last year when rival Veterans Memorial advanced to the state semifinal Quijas was there.
"He really is an institution in this area, so when he walked in when we played against PSJA I asked him, 'Are you sitting with us?' He said, 'Absolutely,' Lesley Hernandez, Veterans Memorial fan and Zach's mother, said. "He goes, 'We may not be in it anymore, but we do support our kids.'"
Mr. Buccaneer made the trip to San Antonio, but he still wore purple and gold as he cheered for the Coastal Bend.
"I was trying to encourage good sportsmanship from our school to their school," Quijas said.
Sportsmanship that began back when he was in school, playing for the Buc Band under Director Eddie Galvan. Now the U.S. Air Force veteran serves his community playing percussion for the Veterans Band. He served from 1969-75 in the Air Force as a Sergeant for Maintenance on B-52's and KC-135 planes until he was released on honorable discharge.
"What better way for me to outlive my life than to go back to my youth days. What better place than Buc Stadium," Quijas said. "I re-live my childhood days every time I walk in that stadium."
Technically Quijas was not the first to be called Mr. Buccaner at Miller. Assistant coach Snuffy Creighton was originally given the name, but once Quijas started dressing up as a Buccaneer the name stuck.
Our KRIS 6 News Game Night South Texas matchup kicks off at 7 p.m live on KRIS 6. Out-of-towners can catch the game live on the KRIS 6 website homepage.
