2009 - Texas Lutheran Athletics

STEVEN THRASH
Sr.-2L, Wide Receiver
6-0, 170 • Hubbard (Hubbard)
Scouting Report
Team’s top receiver after a break-out season in 2008…Led team in
multiple offensive categories, including all receiving columns…Good
speed…Excellent hands…Great competitive drive…Should contend for All-ASC and All-
Region honors.
The TLU Years
2008 – Played and started in all 10 games, one of only 11 Bulldogs to do that in
2008…Second Team All-American Southwest Conference…Led team in total catches (45),
receiving yards (614), and touchdowns (5)…Went over 80 yards in a game on four different
times (vs. Sul Ross State twice, Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Mississippi College)…Had 52 yard TD
catch against nationally-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor…Caught 77-yard TD pass from Joel
Waldon in home loss to Mississippi College…Had two TD receptions in road win at Howard
Payne…Finished a yard shy of 100 receiving yards in game against Mississippi College…Had
a catch in every game in 2008…Averaged 13.6 yards per catch…61.4 yards receiving per
game.
2007 – Played in six games…Starred in the Homecoming win over Howard Payne, with
career-best four catches for 88 yards…Had a career-best long catch of 43 years in
Homecoming victory over Yellow Jackets.
2006 – A member of the TLU junior varsity.
The Prep Years
Thrash was an All-District First Team selection at wide receiver and defensive back. He was
also an All-District baseball player and an All-State basketball selection.
Personal Info
Born on Jan. 10, 1988…Son of Craig and Lori Thrash of Hubbard, Texas…Major:
Kinesiology…Minor: History…Career Goal: To coach in college.
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2008 BULLDOG RETURNERS
CAREER STATISTICS
Receiving G Rec Yds TD Lg Yds/C Avg/G
2007 6 4 88 0 43 22.0 14.7
2008 10 45 614 5 77 13.6 61.4
Career 16 49 702 5 77 14.3 43.9
Steven Thrash Ralph Valdez
Photos by Drew Engelke
RALPH VALDEZ
Jr.-2L, Running Back
5-8, 194 • Port Isabel, Texas (Port Isabel)
Scouting Report
Good compliment in Bulldog backfield to starting tailback Anthony
Smith…Will see plenty of playing time at running back…Coming off injuryfilled
2008 that still saw him play in seven games…Tough runner with good speed…Excellent
in short yardage situations.
The TLU Years
2008 – Played in seven games and made two starts…Battle injuries for most of year…Came
on strong in final three games, in which he rushed for more than 40 yards in each
contest…Had season-best 65 yards on 14 carries in loss to Hardin-Simmons…Rushed for TDs
against Sul Ross State (win in overtime in Alpine) and against McMurry…Posted 55 yards
rushing and a TD against McMurry…Five receptions for 14 yards, with a long of seven.
2007 – Played in seven games and rushed for 199 yards on 46 carries…Scored four rushing
touchdowns…Rushed for two touchdowns in road loss against Sul Ross State…In that road
game at Sul Ross, Valdez carried the ball a career-best 17 times for 60 yards…20-yard TD run
against Hardin-Simmons…The 20-yard TD was the long run of the season for Valdez…Also
had a TD run against Howard Payne…Finished year with four receptions for nine
yards…Converted a two-point conversion (rush) in the Homecoming win over Howard
Payne…Scored 26 points in his freshman season.
Personal Info
Birth Date: 8-22-89…Son of Antonio and Elizabeth Valdez of Port Isabel, Texas…Major:
Kinesiology.
CAREER STATISTICS
Rushing G Att Yds TD Lg Yds/C Avg/G
2007 7 46 199 4 20 4.3 28.4
2008 7 46 182 2 14 4.0 26.0
Career 14 92 381 6 34 4.1 27.2
Photo by Calvin Vann
FRANK VERA
Sr.-3L, Punter/Holder
5-8, 150, Laredo (Nixon)
Scouting Report
The multi-talented Frank Vera is back for his senior season…Throughout his
career, Vera has displayed his skills as a punter, passer and general escape
artist…A threat to do something special on trick plays (as a holder, punter, or wing back) with
his arm or legs, Vera most importantly has improved each year as a punter. And now he clearly
ranks as one of the league’s best, if not the best punter, entering ’09. After an ASC Honorable
Mention selection in 2008, Vera is poised to make 2009 an All-ASC season (or possibly
better).
The TLU Years
2008 – Started all 10 games again as the team’s starting punter and holder…Special Teams
Player of the Year for a second straight year…Averaged 39.4 yards per punt…Had a long of
66 in the overtime win at Sul Ross State…He had two of his 10 over-50 punts in that Sul
Ross contest…Put 15 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line…Did not have a punt
blocked…2-for-5 on pass attempts…Threw for 34 yards with a long of 24…Finished year
with 27 all-purpose yards…Had a 20-yard rush at Mary Hardin-Baylor.
2007 – Started all 10 games as TLU’s punter and field goal/extra point holder…Special Teams
Player of the Year for TLU, as selected by the team’s coaching staff…Punted 56 times of 2,051
yards, with a long punt of 62…Produced three touchbacks, six fair catches, and 16 punts
inside the opponents’ 20…Had eight punts over 50 yards…Threw two touchdown passes (for
total of 62 yards) in tough overtime loss to Sul Ross State (in game played in Alpine)…First
touchdown pass (to Anthony Smith) came on a halfback option pass that went for 39
yards…The second TD pass against Sul Ross (coming in the first overtime) went for 23 yards
to a wide-open Jerry Clouse on a fake field goal attempt…Vera hit Clouse uncovered along
the right sideline (Clouse never left the field of play following previous snap and went
unnoticed by Sul Ross)…Vera twice saved the Bulldogs in the Homecoming win over Howard
Payne by turning bad punt snaps into first downs…He rushed two times for 45 yards (with a
long of 27) against Howard Payne…Totaled six carries for 47 yards in 2007…Finished year
with three solo tackles.
2006 – Made the travel squad as a back-up punter and back-up quarterback…Earned first
varsity letter.
The Prep Years
Vera was the Laredo Nixon football Co-MVP after leading the team to the second round of
the state playoffs and to a district championship…Third-ranked QB in Class 5A…All-
State…National Honor Society.
Personal Info
Born on May 11, 1988…Son of Rolando and Marcela Vera of Laredo, Texas…Hobbies:
Outdoor activities and music…Major: Kinesiology (Exercise Science)…Minor: Biology.
CAREER STATISTICS
Punting No Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 +50 Blkd
2007 56 2051 36.6 62 3 6 16 8 0
2008 55 2167 39.4 66 4 1 15 10 0
Career 111 4218 38.0 66 7 7 31 18 0
Passing G Att Cmpt Int Yds TD Lg Pct
2007 10 2 2 0 62 2 39 100.00
2008 10 5 2 0 34 0 24 40.0
Career 10 7 4 0 96 2 39 57.1
Frank Vera
JAMES VILLARREAL
Sr.-3L, Defensive Line
6-1, 250 • Sinton, Texas (Sinton)
Scouting Report
Came back for his final season of eligibility, after first deciding not to use
his medical redshirt year. Strong, powerful, quick defensive end that will
anchor the Bulldogs’ defensive line along with John Jackson and Eric Walker…Comfortable at
defensive end, where he brings a consistently strong rush…Around the ball a lot.
The TLU Years
2008 – TLU’s 2008 Eddy Award Winner, given to outstanding lineman that displays excellent
leadership on and off the field…ASC Second Team All-Conference selection…Led team in
tackles for loss, with nine for 29 yards in losses…Also recorded two sacks for 16
yards…Forced two fumbles, including one at Sul Ross State that led directly to a
touchdown…Played in nine games (missing one due to injury) and made nine
starts…Recorded 36 total tackles.
2007 – Played in all 10 games and made nine consecutive starts to close out the
season…Second on the team in tackles for loss (with 12)…Second on the team in tackles for
loss yardage (with 42)…Second on the team in sacks (with 3.0 for 17 yards)…Finished year
with 33 tackles…Career-best four tackles for loss in home loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor…Had
two sacks for nine yards in Homecoming win over Howard Payne…Had two tackles for loss,
including a sack, in three-overtime loss to Sul Ross State…Had seven quarterback hurries,
including three against UMHB.
2006 – Earned varsity letter…Played in four games and recorded two tackles.
2005 – Villarreal did not see varsity action in his first year with the Bulldogs. He was a
member of the Bulldog junior varsity.
Prep Years
Villarreal played for Coach Jimmie Mitchell at Sinton High School. Villarreal was named All-
State, All-South Texas, All-Bay Area and District 30-3A Most Valuable Player as a defensive end
in 2004. He led Sinton to the Class 3A regional quarterfinals. In 2003, he was an All-District
and All-Bay Area defensive end for a regional quarterfinalist.
Personal Info
Born on May 26, 1987...Son of Andy and Ruth Villarreal of Sinton, Texas...Major: Business and
Marketing with a minor in history...Hobbies include sports, the internet and video games...Lists
church as the biggest influence on his life...He is one of nine children in his
family…Community Service: Volunteered with his teammates at the Seguin Activity
Center…Also volunteered at kids triathlon at Schlitterbahn…Volunteered with Salvation Army
and helped with wheelchair ramp building.
CAREER STATISTICS
Tackles G UA A Total TFL-Yds Sacks-Yds
2006 4 0 2 2 0-0 0-0
2007 10 20 13 33 12.0-42 3.0-17
2008 9 18 18 36 9.0-29 2.0-16
Career 23 38 33 71 21.0-71 5.0-33
Photo by Drew Engelke
James Villarreal
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