“ The world keeps spinning. Luckily, we have one more.”

Words spoken by Tate Conley, the wide receiver / cornerback is part of a roster that returns nearly every starter on both sides of the ball who have played together for six years.

Despite the loss of running back / linebacker Anthony Zepeda, quarterback Kaiden Scott believes the eight talented guys that come back on offense, along with nine on defense, outweigh the loss of one. The Eagles recalled the time when they had to step up as nine starting freshmen took the field three years ago. Now, as seniors, spending more time together than they do with their families and overcoming multiple obstacles together, the team is rewarded for the program’ s turnaround.

A bond passed by the district included a new fieldhouse attached to Eagle Field and the construction of an indoor facility. An extended weight room, multiple locker rooms and a meeting room go along with the indoor field to negate the Texas heat and new uniforms.

The Eagles are glad to be the first group to experience the new upgrades and what it means for the future of the program.

Investments made to Rio Vista football were all from local businesses who have watched this group of players go from 2-8 three years ago to 6-3 last season, the program’ s first winning record since 2020.“ We’ ve grown so much,” said Conley. From a coaching perspective, head coach Matthew Woodard took a patient approach with this specific group. Over the past two years, there was minimal install. For their senior year, the abundance of installation has drastically grown their knowledge of football and level of play in practices. If there was ever a time to make a classification jump, it would be now for Rio Vista, who move up to 3A Div. II. Specifically, they form District 5-3A with seven other teams, including Tolar, Comanche and state champions Hamilton. Looking forward to matchups with

the defending champs and Tolar, Conley and the Eagles are eager to set the tone in 3A alongside the volleyball team.

“ When the talent and mindset is there, you can go against anybody,” said defensive end / tackle Braxton Coffin.