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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, In the 1950s, the golf team of San Felipe High School |
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in Del Rio battled adversity and defied expectations to become the |
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best in Texas, and Joe Trevino was an important member of that |
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storied squad; and |
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WHEREAS, The team got its start after J. B. Pena became the |
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superintendent of the San Felipe Independent School District in the |
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mid-1950s, and he and a friend introduced golf as a school sport at |
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San Felipe High; they were surprised and pleased to discover that |
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there were some very talented golfers among the students in the |
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then-segregated school, including Mr. Trevino and the other players |
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that joined the Mustangs golf team; and |
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WHEREAS, These students had learned much about the game while |
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working as caddies at the exclusive San Felipe Country Club, a |
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course that they were initially prohibited from playing; determined |
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to take part in the sport, several of these aspiring athletes |
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decided in 1954 to build their own course, which they dubbed the El |
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Llanito Country Club; it was, by necessity, a rather crude design: |
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one hole surrounded by multiple tees with a "green" that was |
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actually made of caliche instead of grass; nonetheless, the boys |
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used the hardscrabble course to hone their skills through long |
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hours of practice, often playing until after dark; and |
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WHEREAS, After the harsh conditions of El Llanito, the team |
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members found that competing on regulation courses as part of |
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school matches was relatively easy, and they quickly established |
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themselves as winners, even as they had to ignore verbal abuse and |
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other forms of discrimination; the San Felipe Mustangs were |
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regional champs in 1956 and finished second to Ranger High in the |
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state championships; in 1957, the team qualified once more for the |
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finals and traveled to the Austin Country Club to battle for the |
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title, where they were the only minority players in the tournament; |
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there, Mr. Trevino and his teammates turned in an outstanding |
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performance, shooting a combined 643; this bested runner-up |
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Shamrock High by 35 strokes and earned San Felipe the state title; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Trevino, who won the gold medal as the best |
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individual golfer at the tournament, was born in San Angelo; he |
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began to caddy at the age of nine and was soon demonstrating a |
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unique talent for the game; after graduating from San Felipe High, |
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he entered civil service; his work took him to California, where he |
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lived until returning to Del Rio after retiring; through the years, |
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he competed in various tournaments, including some on the Senior |
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PGA Tour, the Bay Area Tour, and Golden State Tour, and he holds |
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several course records in both California and Texas; he continues |
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to play golf, and in 2003 achieved the rare feat of "shooting his |
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age" by posting a score of 64 at the course in Alpine; and |
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WHEREAS, Through talent, determination, and ingenuity, Joe |
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Trevino and the other members of the Mustangs golf team overcame |
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difficult circumstances to become state champions, and their |
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achievement is a continuing source of pride for the residents of Del |
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Rio and an inspiration for all who have heard their story; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Joe Trevino for his contributions to the |
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title-winning San Felipe High School golf team of 1957 and extend to |
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him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Trevino as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |