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| Photo: left to right—Johnny Garcia, Carlos Cisneros, Jose A. “Cricket” Gutierrez by Rene Torres |
By 1957, he had a list of titles; Assistant Principal/Physical Education teacher and coach at A. S. Putegnat Elementary school.
In 1956, head high school coach, Bob Martin, (who once coached Tom Landry at Mission High School) was convinced that to win championships—he would have to form sports programs at the elementary and junior high levels.
It was then that the Brownsville Softshoe League sport program was born—all elementary schools participated in football, basketball, softball and track.
“Sports gave the kids something to do after school, which led to successful experiences,” said coach del Castillo.
This was the era when television was taking its first steps into the American living room. As television became more popular and available—the craving for participating in sports grew.
In Brownsville, the kids from Putegnat Elementary had a long history of successful sports programs prior to television and the Softshoe League.
It was the able coaching of A.X. Benavides that set the foundation and tradition of winners which Manfred del Castillo took over in 1957.
Manfred said, “I was very fortunate to work with outstanding athletes who on a daily basis demonstrated a consistent passion for the game.”
As the football season started, the boys from Putegnat were making history and every time they stepped on the field the odds were that they would win.
The kids proved to be too much for the opposition, taking the championship flag in grand style, but not without the uproar of foul play that came from the other side of the tracks.
“The kids were obedient and well-disciplined in something that they carried on to the field—which helped them to become winners,” explained del Castillo.
“We were undefeated, and nobody scored on us” said running back Jose A. “Cricket” Gutierrez.
In 1924, Norte Dame, had the Four Horsemen. In the 1950s, Washington Park School had the Shetland ponies: “Cricket” Gutierrez, Johnny Garcia, Carlos Cisneros, Lorenzo Torres and Joseph Valero.
All participated on every team, which in 1957-58, helped Putegnat take the crowns in football, basketball, softball and track.
The following is only a snapshot of the many outstanding athletes that played at Putegnat:
Tommy Lozano, Marcos Serrano, Efrain Hernandez, David Solis, Armando Gonzales, Ismael Juarez, Joe Diaz, Celso Sanchez, Tomas Canul and Richard Moreno.
The Softshoe program was discontinued after 1960, but not before Putegnat had taken 12 out of 16 championships. Was it the threat of dominance and/or the discomfort of the losers that led Bob Martin to stop the program? Some said that it was.
Manfred will tell you that he did not do it alone, “help was always around the corner.”
While that might be true, but it was his hard work and dedication that produced winners on and off the field.
Manfred del Castillo, retired in 1989, after a 36-year career as a teacher and principal with the Brownsville Independent School District.
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Thanks for the kind comments about my father, A.X. Benavides, and the even greater and well-deserved focus on his great friend and colleague Manfred del Castillo. They were both monumental figures in education and positively affected many young lives - in and out of the classroom. I am honored to be his son, to have had both him and Manfred as role models, and to humbly try and continue their legacy as an educator. - Jude A. Benavides
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