A quick look at when Comstock runners first saw their state championship ring. (Video by Joel Langton)
By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Tuesday was a historic day in Val Verde County, according to the Comstock High School principal.
The Comstock Panther cross country team received rings for winning a 2024 Class A Texas Cross Country championship.
“This is the first time in 50 years a team from Val Verde County has won a state title,” said Eddie Boggess, Comstock HS principal.
Seniors receiving rings were Jerry Ibarra and Edgar Crane; juniors receiving rings were two-time state champion Sebastian Talamantez and Jordan Allen, while sophomores were Noah Bahena, Mauro Lopez and Neil Billings and Jacob Allen was the lone freshman receiving a ring.
“Our future is bright,” said Lee Abbey, Comstock Cross Country
coach since 2019. Abbey has been slowly building a cross country powerhouse over the last five years and his team has gotten better every year. In 2021, the team finished 12th at state, in 2022 it finished 9th, it finished third in 2023 and first in 2024. Results that are included on the ring.
“Every year, I thought this was going to be the year we did it,” said Crane. “Then, finally this year, we pulled it off.”
Abbey said it has been a fun pack to coach. “If they missed their goals, they’d feel awful,” said Abbey. “They’d apologize to me and I’d tell them, don’t apologize to me, you let yourself down. At some point, they just went on a rampage and kept trying to do better and better.”
The athletes feel strongly about their coach. “We are as committed to coach as he is to us,” said Talamantes.
So, Tuesday afternoon, the bell rang and Comstock’s 240 students trooped into the gymnasium.
Each runner had a small green bag set on a chair, and when Boggess called them up, they each stood behind their chairs.
The runners pulled out their rings, tried them on and displayed the rings to each other (see video) like it was Christmas in March.
Afterwards, the hard reality hit home to the runners. Now, the pressure was on.
“Now they know what it takes to get there,” said Abbey. “It won’t be easier for them, but now they do know the work that is required.”
The writer can be reached at joelalangton@gmail.com .
(Photo by Joel Langton)
