A Fort Worth high school football team that hadn’t won a game in eight years snapped its 77-game losing streak Thursday night by beating a Dallas team 40-12.
Diamond Hill-Jarvis led Dallas Conrad at halftime 16-0 and never looked back.
"I can't explain it," said senior defensive end Daniel Robles. "It felt really good. We really did it."
The last time the Diamond Hill-Jarvis Eagles won was Sept. 18, 2010.
"As the game went on, (the win) got closer and closer," said senior linebacker Joey Flores. "You could feel it. But you didn't want to get too excited because you didn't want to jinx it."
Coach Oscar Castillo joined the team last year and credited hard work with making the difference.
"A lot of people say that winning is not everything, it's not about the scoreboard," Castillo said. "But when your heart's desire is to win, then it is important and you have to throw the cliche out."
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Castillo said the biggest change he made was moving practices from afternoons to mornings because many of his players work after school.
He also said he stressed positivity and hard work.
Fort Worth Independent School District board trustee Cinto Ramos was at the game with other school administrators to root on the team.
"The win last night was exciting," Ramos said Friday. "It's exactly what the Diamond Hill community had been anticipating for and waiting for so we were having a pretty dang good time."
Principal David Garcia said the team practiced hard over the summer by lifting weights and getting in shape.
"Working hard you reap the reward," he said about the life lesson. "If you work hard, don't ever give up."
The all-time record for consecutive losses by a Texas high school football team is 80, held by Houston Davis.
Ramos, who lives in North Fort Worth not far from the Diamond Hill-Jarvis, made a bold prediction about the rest of the season.
"We're going undefeated baby," he said. "We're going undefeated from here on out."
Garcia agreed.
"We could be 4-0 going into the district," he said. "Could be."
Senior quarterback Adrian Gutierrez said the team stayed focused.
"If someone asked me, I'd tell them never give up," he said. "Just keep going and good things will come eventually."
