Veterans Memorial senior Aidan Guerra felt the Eagles had all the necessary pieces to compete for a district title last season.

Instead, the team struggled at times, and ended up finishing fourth in a competitive District 29-5A.

“We went through a lot last year,” Guerra said. “Our team was close and we had a great bond, but things were tough sometimes.”

Vets won its bi-district game against Laredo Martin, but fell to McAllen Rowe in the area round.

The Eagles began the offseason in need of a spark, and they got one in former coach Billy White Jr. 

White, who coached Veterans Memorial during the 2019-2020 season, was named head again after spending the 2020-2021 school year as the principal of Copperas Cove Junior High.

“I know how special it was when I was here the first time,” White said. “I knew the kids, the environment, the administration and it’s a great place to be.”

White spent more than 15 years at Copperas Cove, but when the opportunity to return to Corpus Christi presented itself, he quickly gained interest. 

White prayed about the decision and after getting the OK from his family, the choice to return to South Texas became simple. 

“It was great there (Copperas Cove), but it’s no where as fun as what I’m doing here at Vets with these kids and these coaches,” White said. “When the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to make sure it was the right thing for not only me, but for my family and these kids.”