Editor's note: Letters are arranged from oldest to most recent.

Click on name to read letter below:
Harry E. Surface (HHS '43)
Pat Roe, author of the second verse of our school song, (HHS '50)

From Joseph Montano, Class of 1981 and former HHS faculty member:

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAM,  BUT IT HAS MUCH TO DO WITH OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME TO SAY "OUR."

I WAS AT A MASTERS OF TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION LAST MONDAY, AND I HEARD ABOUT TWO HARLANDALE STUDENTS WHO ARE DOING WELL.

THE FIRST IS JESSICA GUTIERREZ WHO IS PURSUING HER MASTERS AT UTSA, AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE PRESENTERS. THE SECOND IS A SOPHOMORE AT HARLANDALE, (HIS NAME ESCAPES ME) WHO IS WORKING AS AN ASSISTANT EDITOR FOR AN INTERNET NEWSPAGE FOR TEENAGERS AT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY.

ON SATURDAY, I ATTENDED A PARTY FOR A HARLANDALE GRAD, STEPHANIE SANDOVAL, WHO JUST GRADUATED FROM TEXAS A&M AT KINGSVILLE WITH A DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.

THE INTERESTING PART IS THAT SHE WORKS FOR AN ENGINEERING FIRM WITH ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ, WHO I LATER DISCOVERED WAS ALSO AN HHS ALUMNUS.

ALCARIO SERROS, ANOTHER FORMER INDIAN IS GRADUATING FROM WEST POINT THIS YEAR. IS HE THE FIRST? ...AND DID HE NOT PLAY SOME SPORT AT HARLANDALE?

-Editor's note: Alcario Serros did indeed play football for the Indians. Is he the first Indian to graduate from West Point? I need some help with that one.

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From Donald Becker, President of Senior Class of 1962:
In the 1950's and 60's Harlandale was more known for baseball than football; however, Clifford Grubbs and his brother Philip did help to make football more popular at HHS.
Clifford won a scholarship to UT, and he now lives in Brady Texas. His sisters, Linda Combs and Priscella Allen still live in San Antonio.
 
There is a picture in my year book of a professional baseball scout that came to see me play because I had broken several batting records in class 4-A. 
 
Many students went on to play college or sign with professional teams. Rudy Casanova signed with Houston. Benton Moore had a scholarship with St. Mary's in SA. Bobby Myers played on the UT team that won the national collegiate  championship. Dickie Franz went to college on scholarship as did many others with whom I participated.
 
Allen Winters the football coach was back-up catcher for Roy Campenella. I can tell a lot of stories about students from Harlandale who went on to make their mark in professional sports. I have most if not all of the coverage of Harlandale baseball as presented in the local papers. There was not near the coverage then that there is now.
 
I am on the road a lot now. I fly airplanes for a living, so I do not have much time until I get home to see what I can do to help get out the word or preserve the history of this great school.
 
The sad thing about younger generations is that they do not care or learn much from history, even local, or family history. Yet , there are so many benefits to learning from the past and avoiding the past mistakes.
 
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From Reuben Madrigal, Def. Lineman on '93 and '94 teams:
How are you doing coach? I'm extremely impressed with the Harlandale Warpath Website. You have done a terrific job with the website.
 
I like the area titled 'Where Are They Now,' but I was a bit disappointed to find that my brother Rey Madrigal was not on the list. My brother was a 1982 graduate of HHS and he played varsity football. I felt that he belonged on the list, since he has had some post-high school successes.
 
I have recently started becoming a regular to the Indian Warpath Website, so I don't know if maybe you mentioned him before on another list. Have you just started the 'Where Are They Now' list? How often do you update it? Do you replace people on the list with other people or are you going to let the list continue to grow? After reading some of the Warpath Letters, it seems that the list will soon get longer once you start to get word of other past Harlandale football players and their successes. 
 

Coach, the Warpath Website looks great! I'll hope to be hearing from you soon.

-Editor's note: Thank you, Reuben. "Where Are They Now" is my favorite section also. I hope that it grows so large that I can devote an entire page to it. Thank you for suggesting your brother; he has been added to the list. Please keep the feedback coming.

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Floyd Thigpen, (HHS '64) writes:
Thanks for sending me the link to your web page. Unfortunately, I don't have good memories of Harlandale football.  We played against Warren McVea at Brackenridge and the Robert E. Lee Steam Rolling machine.
 

It would be nice to be able to use your web page for e-mail listings for the Harlandale exes.

Editor- Great idea about the e-mail directory; I would gladly devote a page on this site to a directory of alumni. I was glad to  hear from Mr. Thigpen. It gave me a chance to finally verify/debunk a story I had heard about the Brack/HHS rivalry of the early 60's. According to this story/myth, the Brackenridge team was so confident about the opposition's inablility to tackle McVea, that on one kickoff, the other ten members just stood by while Warren returned a kick-off singlehandedly for a TD. Mr. Thigpen responds in the following letter.

Thigpen's response:
Myth. What you describe may have been another school.  I don't remember them having guts enough to do that to Harlandale.  I got a blood clot in the 1961 season and missed most of that whole season.  In the spring I got another one, and the coaches decided I couldn't play any more.  I guess they were afraid of me getting really  hurt.  I grew up on Cliff Avenue, down the street from the Flores family.  Their grandson (Albert, HHS '72) became the weatherman there on KENS TV.

During the 1962 season, HHS played Brackenridge and Warren McVea, and HHS beat them 38-19.  It was a blemish on their record for Harlandale to beat them.  The next year Brack came back and won 39-18.  That was the year Warren McVea led his team to bi-district play against Robert E. Lee.  The Brack/Lee game was the one that was shown live on TV.  Robert E. Lee won because Brackenridge ran out of time. Warren McVea was on his way to score again.  I have always said that Lee got lucky that night.

One of my class mates was Anastacio Bueno.  The last I heard, he was a coach there in San Antonio.  He was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet until he put a helmet on, and then look out! Johnny Mata, Kent Roberts and  Eddie Ruiz were our standouts in 1964.

Editor- Anastacio Bueno taught at Harlandale during the 1970's, but he left teaching to work for Scott-Foresman. Johnny Mata was invited to a Baltimore Colts training camp, but I am not sure whether he actually played a game with them.

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Susan, (HHS '66) writes:
I went to Harlandale High School from 1963 to 1966 and was in the 9th Platoon of the Gold Batallion. I live in New York now, since 1968 actually, but I get back "home" to San Antonio every so often. I plan to retire there in a few years.
 

Driving past the school I noticed the stadium is gone. We used to have some awesome Friday night football games there. It was just like professional football under the bright lights.

We had some great half-time shows too! Someday I'd like to return and walk those hallways again. Those three years of high school were the happiest years of my life. I'm still in touch with several classmates, and I attended a reunion three years ago.

Anyway, best of luck to all Indians!

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Dave Parker, former HHS football coach writes:
Fantastic job with the website!!!!! My years as a coach at Harlandale High were some of the best years of my life. I will always be an Indian and sometimes when I wear green I feel guilty. I have officiated basketball all over the state of Texas and have now traveled the world selling pharmaceuticals. The one thing I can say without reservation that the players I coached at Harlandale were the toughest and best people on the face of the earth. I will never forget Enrique Losoya (HHS, '78) in his afro kicking butt in football and winning many a medal in the mile. I see Mike Farias ('78) and Elias Villegas ('78) a lot, and now they are coaching their own children. Time goes on but one thing remains the same, "Indian Pride Will Never Die!" 
 

When I try to describe what it means to be a member of the Harlandale community, many people cannot understand the bond. It is not easy to understand unless you have lived it. I remember mornings where we carried weight benches out on the tennis courts to lift. The sun was not yet all the way up and the Indians were out in the cold working out. I coached at HHS for six years [when only the district champion made the playoffs], and if we would have had the current playoff format we would have been vying for state every year. 

I now see the young coaches that started when I was there as the leadership of the program. They have taken what coaches like M.J. Trammell and Ken Cooper started and taken the program to a  higher level. I am so very proud of Coach DeLos Santos and Coach Martinez.

My son played at Alamo Heights and we scrimmaged the Indians three times during the years he played. When I looked across the field at the Harlandale Indians, I saw a program that had over a hundred players on the field and a team that was totally disciplined. 

On Saturday mornings I grab the paper with great interest to see how the Indians did on Friday night. It is either with great pleasure or sadness that I read the results. I know that what the players learn from all the years on the football field is much more important than the scores that will soon be forgotten. The relationships we have all developed over the years will give each of us great joy for the rest of our lives.

Go Indians!
Dave Parker
 

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Robert Cantu, former HMS coach writes:
It makes me proud to hear and read that so many of the players who I coached at Harlandale Middle School are still applying hard work and effort on and off the field. 
I would always say and still believe strongly, "If you set the mind, then the body will follow". 
 
I always knew that this group of young men men would do well in high school.  I saw it when I was coaching them several years ago. 
 
The dedication and spirit you had for yourselves and your teammates was a pleasure to observe. All of you players and coaches will always have a special place in my heart. My heart will bleed maroon and gold forever. 
 
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Ed Garcia, (HHS, '85) writes:
Hello, my name is Ed Garcia.  I am a Harlandale Indian, class of 1985.  I was born and raised in San Antonio and now live in Seattle, a long way from home. I've been away from San Antone since 1986 and have only been back twice since leaving.  My fondest memories of San Antonio were my years at Harlandale and my four years on the football team. 
 
By coincidence, I happened to find the Warpath website, and I was floored by it.  As life goes, I had completely lost track of Indian football, so when I found your website, it brought back a flood of memories.......of the guys I played with and the coaches I had.  Coaches like Rudy De Los Santos, Coach Trammell, and at the time.....a new coach named Martinez who I hear is now the head coach of a good Indian football program. That doesn't surprise me though, I knew Coach Martinez was a good guy when I first met him. 
 
I played offensive & defensive tackle, and was named first team all district and all city honorable mention. I played with guys like Pete Casarez, Bobby Madrigal, & Oscar Gutierrez just to name a few.  Anyway, just thought I'd let you know how impressed I was with your website. I look forward to keeping track of the Indians.

p.s.- If Coach De Los Santos is still around, tell him I said "hello."

Editor - Thank you so much for writing. We know that Indian Pride is forever, and one of the main reasons we created this website was to help all the "old guys" keep in touch with the program they put so much into. Rudy De Los Santos was head coach for the Indians from 1989 to 1993. He is now the athletic director for HISD. His son, Eric graduated from HHS in 2002.

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Christina Mora, (HHS, '85) writes:
I am living in San Diego, CA., and I thoroughly enjoy reading all about the Harlandale Indian happenings on The Warpath. Even though I am out of state, I can still keep up with what is happening on the football field. Great job on the website! Keep up the good work. 

My parents, Augie Mora (Harlandale Class of 60) and Mary Gloria Mora (Harlandale Class of '61) and my siblings, Jay (1984), Augie III (1987), Rick (1988), and Marisa (1990) continue to support the Harlandale Indians and through your website, those of us who live away from San Antonio have up-to-date info.
Thanks again for keeping the Indian Spirit alive! 

Take care!

Editor - The Mora family is a perfect example of the true Indian Pride that makes the Harlandale community unique. They have been Indian supporters for decades. Thank you for writing.

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John Sabala, (HHS, '66) writes:
I was web surfing just for the fun of it and found The Warpath website. I attended Southcross Junior High School before it became Leal Middle school and then went to Harlandale HS from 1963 to 1966. My sisters Mary (1961), Cynthia (1971),  Rosie Lee (Class President of 1976) and Isabella Victoria (1983) are all Harlandale alumni also. My friends were Armando Leal, Johnny Mata, Flo Gonzales, Robert Garza and others (several of whom are listed on the memorial at the stadium). Armando Leal was football captain in 1964 with Johnny Mata.

The story on Warren McVea is that the Brack team would give him the ball often on the assumption he would score. The Eagles lost to Harlandale in the year they (Brack) won the state championship. I did not get to play football, but I was on the Golf Team if you can believe Harlandale had one. 

I had Mr.Cannon for homeroom. Some of us old timers could tell some good stories about the Prom of 1966. 

I was very happy to see this website. I currently work for IBM and live in Columbus Ohio. I wish all graduates of Harlandale the best. God bless all Harlandale students past, present, and future. Go Indians and Leal Apaches, and Collier Eagles!

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Charles Bryant, (Class President, HHS 1951) writes:
My old (and I do mean old) friend George Frost recently put me on to the website! It's great!!!  I look forward to seeing more of our alums as members. This past October, we  members of the classes of '50 thru '55 celebrated a combined 50th  anniversary of our graduation.   Not only was it wonderful to see that I wasn't the only one who was getting old and fat, but to see how well life had treated us. 

One of the highlights of the visit, for me at least, was our tour of the old HHS/HJHS campus that Saturday morning.  One hears so much about the decay of city schools, that it was such a pleasure to see how well that ancient facility had been maintained!   It was bright and clean and well equipped.  A hearty "well done" to all of you who keep up the spirit and tradition of caring for the students as well as the physical plant.   I could almost sense the presence of our old principals, John Bowden (HS) and John Gonder (JHS)who would have been proud, indeed!   And the spirit of old "Pop" Tomlinson (I think that's how he spelled his name) our custodian and "philosopher" who gave we boys advice on many of life's adventures. 

I can remember still his advice to us on dating and getting serious about girls. He told us, "Girls are so sweet you could just eat them up, but before long you wish you had." At our age then we had no idea that relationships come and go so quickly for the most part, and that it was too young to get so serious. 

Thanks for your efforts in getting this underway.  Keep up the good work. I wish you much success in the seasons to follow. 

Charles Bryant, CDR. USN (ret.)
President class of 1951

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Raymond Leyva (HHS, '71) writes:
My name is Raymond Leyva, and I am from the class of 1971. I have to tell you this is an excellent Website! I can't tell how many successful Indian grads there are across the country. Some of the best times of my life were the 3 years (HHS was grades 10-12 then) I spent at Harlandale High School. When Mr.Sheedy, our principal, told us that those were supposed to be the best years of your life, I took him seriously and made the most of them.

Currently, I live in Missouri City, TX which is a suburb of Houston. The people here don't know what school spirirt really is. We were the High School Spirit Champions for 2 years at HHS. (Editor-The totem pole in the gym lobby and the original marquee on E. Gerald St. were awarded to HHS for having "the most spirit of any high school in San Antonio") Those were really great fun times.Good luck to all Indians everywhere.

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Yadhira Lozano (HHS, '93) writes:
Hi, I am so glad to see a website for Harlandale! Although I didn't play sports, I attended almost every football game during my 4 years there with the color guard (flags). I also enjoyed reading about a few of my classmates from class of '93.

Now that I've been living in Los Angeles, CA for 8 years, I have created a whole new life here, but looking at your website brought back many wonderful memories of Harlandale.  I have not kept in touch in with anyone from school and would love to hear from someone.  My e-mail address is  yljdl@yahoo.com.

As for me, I graduated from the University of Southern California in 1997 with a BA in History and now work in the Marketing department for Epson America (printer co.).  Thanks for this forum! Hopefully I will re-connect with a few former classmates. 

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Edis Garza-Knoop (HHS, ‘83) writes:

Hello everyone. Chris Mora turned me on to the Harlandale page; we’re back in touch after many years apart. What a wonderful site! It is very cool to be able to read and reminisce with others out there who still hold HHS near and dear to their hearts. I too have not lived in San Antonio for over 17 years, but it certainly is nice to be able to keep in touch with the school, football program, and other happenings on “The Reservation.” As for me, I’m currently teaching English in a small Catholic school in Colorado Springs.

After visiting the website and seeing David Parker’s response, I just had to write. Coach Parker, if you’re reading this, I have to tell  you that I recently wore football pads again. Only this time it wasn’t because I was the only senior not dressed out for the last practice of the season, it was a teacher/student basketball game, and I needed all the protection I could get.  I’m still five foot nothing, and my seniors love teasing me about my height deficit.

Thanks for the memories and the excellent updates on all alumni, faculty, and staff.

(Editor-Edis was the first female student athletic trainer at HHS)

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Harry E. Surface (HHS '43) writes:

I enjoy the Harlandale website very much and want to write and tell you so.

I am a well-worn relic of Harlandale's past; playing football on the Junior High team and in High School;  including the '41 Regional Championship team.  Coach Bob Meyer was our mentor.  You couldn't use lack of weight as an excuse with Coach Meyer as he had been an All-SW Conference tackle at Rice at 160-something pounds.

Right after graduation in 1943 I went into the navy and served out the balance of WWII in the Pacific.

I enjoyed a long career in the U. S. Border Patrol and then retired up here in the Northwest, but have remained in contact with a lot of my old Harlandale team-mates including a 50th anniversary reunion in San Antonio in 1991.  I went to the reunion because I wanted to know if that bunch of guys was worthy of the respect and admiration I'd had for them all those years...and they were and still are.

My brother, Herb, who also played at Harlandale during the late 40's died last week at his home in Glen Cove, NY and one of his sons told me that among his keepsakes was a little gold football with the letter "H" on it.  I know that in my file cabinet there is a jacket "H" from the '41 jacket that long ago gave up the ghost.

Keep up the good work and go Indians!

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Pat Roe (HHS '50) writes:

In response to the query about [the second verse of] "Maroon and Gold,".... I am little surprised to learn that it is still in use after all these years. High School started in the 10th grade in those years and we felt very "grown up" to be able to move from the Junior High School Building to the Senior High School Building which was connected by a breezeway. I was privileged to be selected to join the Gold Battalion and to learn to march and sing the school songs and earn my Private stripe. The following year, I had reached the rank of Sergeant and loved the elimination drills. One time I practiced in my bare feet and suffered painful blisters because of it. But I was young and determined, so I put Vaseline and bandages on and marched anyway. I went out for Cheerleader and was also elected as President of the GB for 49-50 Imagine this, we made our own PomPoms out of crepe paper. What a disaster if it rained!

One of my hobbies was writing verse, and I was on the staff of the Chief, writing articles (we credited for the material that was published measured by inches ) including some "poetry." I wrote several [of my own verses to previously recorded songs] during my senior year including the second verse to "Maroon and Gold." I had felt that the original version was more of a football fight song than a proper Alma Mater song. All new material concerning school activities was fairly well accepted and quickly learned because it was unique. It was a much simpler time and we loved putting on pep rallies, talent shows, decorating for proms and banquets. I also wrote lyrics for a popular marching song that the Band often played when marching onto the field at football games. Pardon my senior moment, but I can't remember if it was The Storm King or Mountain King. During Basketball season.

I married my steady boyfriend, Gus Toudouze right after graduation, and we had 6 children in the next 11 years. I wrote songs for them when they were small and some for the children of my sister, Beverly Roe Gagliardi (HHS, '54). But my hobby was left by the wayside as I was busy with my big family. I have written some verse here and there for special occasions such as my husband's retirement and an elderly aunt's 80th birthday. My most recent attempts were for a program that was put on by the Ukulele Ladies and Gents of Lion's Field which is directed by my sister, Joyce Roe Flaugher (HHS, '57). 

I know this is more than you ever wanted to know, but when I get started, it's hard to stop. Thanks for the cyber hug. I have heard it said that every one needs 8 hugs a day for good health, so I always welcome friendly hugs for the good of my body and soul. Hugs right back "atcha"! 

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Your comments, questions, and ideas are welcome. Please e-mail me at robertv2959@netscape.net

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