If you’ve ever found yourself standing on the aluminum bleachers at Antler Stadium, you know the sound. It’s not just the pads popping or the band’s brass section echoing off the hills. It’s that collective intake of breath from a few thousand people when the ball is in the air.
Honestly, calling a Kerrville Tivy football game just a "game" is a bit of an understatement. In the Texas Hill Country, it’s closer to a weekly town hall, a family reunion, and a high-stakes drama rolled into one. You’ve got history there. You’ve got the ghosts of Johnny Manziel and Mike Jinks hovering over the turf.
But 2025 felt different. It was a year of transition, grit, and some scores that looked more like basketball tallies than football.
The 2025 Rollercoaster: What Actually Happened
The 2025 season was the dawn of the Curtis Neill era. Coming in from Klein Cain, Neill had some massive shoes to fill, and he didn't waste time making an impression. The season opener against Del Rio was basically an emotional powder charge. After the July 4th floods that rattled Kerr County, that first game wasn't just about yardage; it was about the community seeing its kids back under the lights.
Tivy won that one 41-20. It felt right.
But the road got bumpy. Fast.
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If you look at the district standings, the Antlers finished 6-5 overall and 3-3 in a District 13-5A Division II that was, frankly, a meat grinder. You had Boerne and Alamo Heights playing at a level that most 5A schools only dream of. Tivy was right there in the mix, but some of those late-season matchups were tough to watch if you’re a defensive purist.
Take the Alamo Heights game on October 31. A Halloween nightmare, basically. Tivy put up 35 points—which should win you most games—but the Mules exploded for 77. Then came the Boerne game a week later. Another 62-35 loss. It’s hard to win when you're giving up 60 or 70 points, even with an offense that can move the chains.
The Stars Who Kept the "TFND" Spirit Alive
You can’t talk about a Kerrville Tivy football game without mentioning the guys who actually put the points on the board.
Colin Rose, the senior quarterback, was a workhorse. The kid threw for 46 touchdowns over the season. Think about that for a second. That’s nearly four passing TDs every single week. He wasn't just a statue in the pocket, either; he had that 69-yard scramble against Del Rio that basically put the game on ice.
Then you have President Calamaco. Besides having one of the best names in Texas high school sports, the senior wideout was a touchdown machine, hauling in 17 receiving scores. He averaged over 122 yards a game. When Rose needed a play, he looked for #8.
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- Aiden Zavala: The junior RB was the engine. He averaged over 90 yards a game on the ground and was a constant threat out of the backfield.
- Kyrin Armelin: Only a sophomore, but he played like a veteran. 14 touchdowns. Remember that name for 2026.
- George Eastland & Tomas Arreola: On a defense that was often backpedaling against high-powered offenses, these two were the hammers. Eastland was everywhere in the secondary, and Arreola was the one usually causing havoc in the backfield.
Why the Scoreboard Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
A lot of people look at a 6-5 record and think "average." They’re wrong.
In Tivy, there is this thing called TFND—Tivy Fight Never Dies. It’s painted on the walls, it’s on the shirts, and it’s basically the local religion. Even in those lopsided losses to Boerne and Alamo Heights, the Antlers never stopped swinging. They were scoring 35 and 50 points (like they did in the playoff loss to Gregory-Portland) against the best teams in the state.
The defense struggled, sure. Coach Neill was pretty open about the discipline issues and the personal fouls early on. But the identity of Tivy football—fast, aggressive, and slightly chaotic—remained intact.
The real magic of a Kerrville Tivy football game isn't found in the MaxPreps rankings. It’s in the "Antler Alert" you get on your phone, the smell of the concession stand popcorn, and the way the entire town shuts down when the bus heads out for an away game.
What’s Next for the Antlers?
As we look toward the 2026 season, the foundation is actually pretty solid. Neill has his first full year under his belt. He knows the district now.
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Yes, losing seniors like Rose and Calamaco is going to hurt. You don't just "replace" 46 passing touchdowns. But with guys like Armelin and Zavala returning, the cupboard isn't bare. The big question is whether the defense can find its identity. You can't give up 75 points in a playoff game and expect to move on, no matter how good your quarterback is.
Expect to see a heavy focus on the "midfield skills" and "foundational growth" that Neill talked about at the Rotary Club meetings. He’s a guy who believes in the process, and in Kerrville, the fans have the patience—sorta—as long as they see the heart.
Next Steps for Antler Fans:
- Check the 2026 Schedule: Keep an eye on the KISD athletics page for the official release of the 2026 dates.
- Season Tickets: If you want a seat that isn't on the far end of the endzone, get your renewals in early; they usually open up in late spring or early summer.
- Support the Boosters: The Tivy Athletic Booster Club is the backbone of the program, especially for those emotional home openers.
At the end of the day, whether they’re 10-0 or 0-10, that Friday night ritual in Kerrville isn't going anywhere. TFND.