“Initially, it was a no-go.” 

Uvalde 7-on-7 coach Jonathan Hagler did not expect his team to play in the annual Jourdanton 7-on-7 football tournament. Neither did Uvalde head coach Wade Miller. But the Coyotes played, and it was the players’ decision. 

Just over a week and a half after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary, Uvalde was scheduled to play its first 7-on-7 tournament of the summer. Then everything changed. Jourdanton head coach Darrell Andrus even offered to refund the team so they could take more time before playing again. Miller appreciated the offer, but he wanted to check with his team first. 

Miller and Hagler both stressed that it was all on the players, and they completely understood if the team did not want to play. But the team wanted to play. And that choice was made unanimously. 

“Every single one of them said they wanted to go,” Miller said. 

“We had kids that definitely were affected,” Hagler said. “They lost cousins and friend’s sisters and brothers, and unanimously, they all said they wanted to play. They are a close knit group and they wanted to be there for each other, and they were there for each other.”

The Coyote 7-on-7 team just wanted to play again. It had been over a week since they practiced, and it seemed like football was exactly what they needed in order to feel normal again. The team decided to practice for an hour on the Tuesday and Thursday before the tournament, but when practice was over, the players did not want to stop. Playing football was where they felt regularity. 

“On Tuesday, they practiced for about an hour,” Miller said. “And when their coach said ‘we're done’ they just wanted to keep going. They were just excited to be together and be out of the house.” 

Much like their football team, the town of Uvalde is tight-knit. Everybody in the town was affected.

“We were mostly worried about the town,” said senior WR/CB Devon Franklin. “Football came second. But we wanted to give them hope.”

“We’ve seen a lot of people wearing our shirts and now everyone knows where Uvalde is,” Hagler said. “I think they just want to represent their town and I think that was a big part of it.”

They played for the town but they also played for themselves. The Coyotes worked hard in the spring, and showed great improvement from last season. 

“I’ve never had a better offseason in my 28 years as a coach, as far as gains of speed and strength," Miller said. "They worked so hard. They didn’t feel like it was fair for somebody to take that away from them. As bad as that act was, I think they just wanted to get out there with their brothers.”

Although Uvalde finished the tournament with a 1-2 record, they played well overall. Even after everything that had happened, when they won, it was business as usual. 

“I wouldn’t say it was emotional. It is what we came there to do. They were just ready to play,” Hagler said. “There was no crazy celebration or anything like that. They put in a lot of work and I think they expected to win.” 

The Coyotes are motivated after coming off a rough season and an unspeakable tragedy. The team had its first summer lift on Monday and 53 out of the 55 varsity players showed up according to Miller. 

We still have guys going to funerals but it would be understandable for them to say ‘Hey, I’m not going to be able to make it in,'” Hagler said. “But we had everybody there and I think the events that happened makes them appreciate being able to go out there with their friends and their brothers a little more. They’re thankful they get to get up everyday and go out there.”

“There is definitely a lot of extra motivation,” Franklin said. “We want to give our town some hope.” 

Both Coach Miller and Coach Hagler say the Coyotes will be a completely different team next year than they were this year. They now have a full offseason with Miller under their belt and they will be looking to take a step up. 

Miller said the team has already ordered helmet stickers to honor the families of the victims. He also said that he will let his seniors decide what additional ways the team may commemorate the children and teachers that lost their lives on that tragic day. 

As much as they may want to, the Uvalde football team can’t change what has happened. But they can keep playing, and that may be exactly what their town needs. Football is a beautiful thing for many reasons, but one that we have seen time and time again, is its ability to help and heal. Uvalde football, no matter what they do on the field, will do that. 

“We understand that we can help the town heal,” Miller said. “This is a big football community and we want to go play well to honor the families who are hurting and hopefully help the community feel better.”

Hagler concurred.

“Sometimes you gotta pick the pieces back up and keep going forward,” he said.