BALMORHEA, TX (KWES) - For the Balmorhea Bears, football is a bond that goes further than the gridiron. It is a family tradition that has been rooted throughout the town and within many households.
Among the Bears varsity roster, there are cousins and brothers who have played side by side through their football careers. With that came a unique factor on the field.
"It's pretty neat because they can't really get out of hand because one of the mamas will find out something. It's really neat having all these kids who are brothers and cousins and friends. It's pretty exciting," said Head Coach Vance Jones.
Suiting up on Friday nights and representing this town has been passed down for years.
"We're not first-generation Bears. Our families all played football and they grow older and they see us playing. They tell us their stories and it's just great. They're happy to see us succeeding and do things that teams past before us haven't done yet," said Josiah Garcia.
For the seniors, Wednesday will be their last game playing with not only their teammates, but their family members.
"A lot of people don't have the opportunity to play with their family members and finish it off with their family members. So yeah it feels really good," said Marco Martinez.
The Bears look forward to heading to Arlington for the second consecutive year, but this time they hope to come home as State Champions.
