By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Higinio “Gene” Vasquez, a member of the famed San Felipe High School 1957 state champion golf team, passed away Sunday.
Vasquez was 83 years old.
According to Trinity Mortuary, Vasquez is survived by his seven children: Higinio Gene Vasquez IV (Sonya) of Del Rio, David Vasquez (Eva) of Del Rio, Leo Vasquez (Monica) of San Antonio, Genella Denise Vasquez Rubio (Luis) of Del Rio, Laura V. Seville (Mario) of Tampa, Florida, Lorena Natalie Vasquez Barrera (Jesus) of Pflugerville, and his youngest son Miguel Angel Vasquez of Austin, Tx. He has 18 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Trinity Chapel of Devotion.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday, August 4, 2023, at 8 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery. Pallbearers will be his four sons and three sons-in-law: Higinio Gene Vasquez lll, David Vasquez, Leo Vasquez, Miguel Angel Vasquez, Luis D. Rubio, Mario Seville, and Jesus Barrera.
Vasquez and his teammates, Felipe Romero, Lupe Felan, Joe Trevino and Mario “Mike” Lomas dominated the golf season in 1957 and won the Class A Texas State High School championship by 35 strokes. Their story was lost to time until the book “Mustang Miracle” by Humberto G. Garcia was published in 2010. The book helped reignite interest in the team and even led to its induction into the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame and the National Hispanic Heritage Hall of Honor.
The story of Vasquez and his teammates has also become a motion picture. “The Long Game,” directed by Julio Quintana and starring Dennis Quaid, Jay Hernandez, Cheech Marin and Gillian Vegman debuted at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin in March, winning the Narrative Spotlight award as voted by audiences at the festival. Vasquez is portrayed in the film by Gregory Diaz IV.
No timetable has been announced for a national release of the film, but Vasquez and Romero were able to attend the screening along with friends and family.
The team was also recently memorialized in a mural located off South Main Street that highlights some of Del Rio’s sports legends. The mural was painted by Cris Escobar and funded by the Casa de la Cultura.
Vasquez joined the team for the 1957 season. San Felipe’s golfers were already well known despite playing with inferior golfing equipment and practicing in less than desirable conditions. The team finished fourth at state in 1955 and second in 1956. A Del Rio News-Herald article published in May 1957 explained what the team was going up against at the state tournament and Vasquez’s impact on the squad.
“As the youngest player on the team, there were worries about whether or not Vasquez could hold up at state. Thanks to his experienced teammates, Vasquez held his own and helped the team to victory.
“Little Gene Vasquez, ‘Shorty’ of the San Felipe High School youthful state championship golf team, brushed aside all signs of weakness and nervousness on the 18th hole in the finals Saturday at Austin. His approach shot had over-carried the green by some 35 feet and his ball came to rest partially submerged in a water-filled bunker. He could have afforded to penalize himself by lifting the ball for a new lie without hurting or endangering the Mustang team lead. However, he didn’t know that since he was the last to complete his final round. He addressed the ball at the actual water-logged lie and swooshed it out amid a (illegible) spray that showered him from the neck down. The ball climbed over the bunker onto the green and died with half its width hanging over the lip of the cup. The gallery applauded the display of pluck and Vasquez tapped the pill into the hole for an 86.”
As with any great story, there are always some little details that lift the tale from a simple piece of factual accuracy to legendary yarn. In the case of the San Felipe Mustangs’ state championship, Mother Nature deserved a bit of an assist.
The San Felipe squad trailed by one after nine holes, but by the end of the first day Friday, the team was up by 14.
Midway through Saturday’s final round, San Felipe had extended its lead to 15 strokes, but then the rains came. That’s just what the Mustangs golfers needed. The rains in Austin actually helped the San Felipe team as they had become accustomed to playing in the wet conditions after it rained in Del Rio for 10 days straight and turned the San Felipe Country Club course into “many little lagoons” in the days leading up to their appearance at state.
By the time the final round was over, San Felipe’s gap over runners-up Shamrock High was 35 shots.
San Felipe finished with a 643. Shamrock High was second, and coming in third was defending state champion Ranger, which finished with a 691.
Treviño, a junior, won top individual honors after rounds of 73-77 for a 150. Romero, a sophomore, was second overall with a pair of 79s for a 158. Lomas, also a junior, took third overall with an 80 and 79 for a 159. Vasquez, a freshman, shot a 90 and an 86 for a 176.
In all, the team won seven medals – gold for each team member, a gold medal for Treviño, a silver medal for Romero and a bronze medal for Lomas.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
