Dec. 14, 2022 - Approximately 260 students in kindergarten through 12th grade competed in Comal ISD’s second chess tournament of the 2022-2023 school year on Nov. 12 at Davenport High School. Team and individual champions were named in four categories.
This year marks the district’s 10th anniversary since launching its chess program in the 2013-2014 school year, and the competition is heating up with two tournaments remaining this school year.
At DHS, the quest for the team title in the third-fifth grade category came down to the wire with players from Specht Elementary and Rebecca Creek Elementary facing off in a battle for first place. The RCES team, coached by Sheldon Vamper, came out on top.
The team winner in the kindergarten-second grade category was Oak Creek Elementary coached by Sheila Pfeffer; middle school team winner was Spring Branch Middle coached by Chrissy Trevino; and the high school team winner was Smithson Valley High coached by Patrick Hubbard.
Registration for the district’s next tournament, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4, at Canyon Lake High School, begins Jan. 4 for for local or feeder-pattern campuses including CLHS, Mountain Valley Middle School, Mountain Valley Elementary and Startzville Elementary. Registration for all students in the district begins Jan. 16. Register HERE.
The final tournament is scheduled for Saturday, April 15, at Smithson Valley High School. These tournaments are for Comal ISD students only and are capped at 300 students. On-site registration is not available, and parents are required to stay on-site for the duration of the event.
Davenport High School, Nov. 12, Tournament Results
Elementary – Kindergarten-Second Grade
- Team: Oak Creek Elementary, coached by Sheila Pfeffer. Students: Lucas Alvarez, Allie Agnese, Corbin Aurora, Lennox Barahona Brischke, Cara Barger, Justin Barger, Montserrat Hernandez, Isabella Hunter, Dash Johnson, Chloe McNamara, Rory Martinez, Magnolia Terrell, Rylynn Venable and Hudson Warner.
- Individual First Place - Liam Huang, second-grade, Indian Springs Elementary
- Individual Second Place - James Williams, first-grade, ISES
- Individual Third Place - Justin Barger, second-grade, OCES
Elementary – Third-Fifth Grade
- Team: Rebecca Creek Elementary, coached by Sheldon Vamper. Students: Samuel Adams, Jasper Barden, Whitney Middlebrooks, Caleb Parra, Catherine Parra, Paxton Skinner, Jake Wadle and Jaxon Ziemba.
- Individual First Place – Jake Wadle, fifth-grade, RCES
- Individual Second Place – Omar Houston, fifth-grade, Specht Elementary
- Individual Third Place – Jacob Ellison, third-grade, ISES
Middle School – Sixth-Eighth Grade
- Team: Spring Branch Middle, coached by Chrissy Trevino. Students: Delilah Anderson, Jett Anderson, Thomas Chick, Schaeden Davis, Colt Loftin, Luke Maurer, Ashley Miller, Ryan Roberts and Jack Wagner.
- Individual First Place – Asher Lippe, sixth-grade, Canyon Middle
- Individual Second Place – Brayden McElroy, eighth-grade, Smithson Valley Middle
- Individual Third Place – Jacob Ybarra, eighth-grade, Pieper Ranch Middle
High School – Ninth-12th Grade
- Team: Smithson Valley High, coached by Patrick Hubbard. Students: Jacob Diaz, Nathaniel Lopez, Luke Schroeder, Devin Zook and Ethan Zook.
- Individual First Place – Luke Schroeder, ninth-grade, SVHS
- Individual Second Place – John Kelemen, 12th-grade, Canyon High
- Individual Third Place – Matthias Meneses, ninth-grade, Pieper High
Overall Campus Participation
- Elementary – Startzville Elementary
- Middle – Spring Branch Middle
- High School – Canyon Lake High
Congratulations!
-The team from Oak Creek Elementary took first place in the kindergarten-second grade category at the second Comal ISD chess tournament of the school year on Nov. 12.
-The team from Rebecca Creek Elementary took first place in the third-fifth grade category at the second Comal ISD chess tournament of the school year on Nov. 12.
-The team from Spring Branch Middle School took first place in the middle school category at the second Comal ISD chess tournament of the school year on Nov. 12.
-The team from Smithson Valley High School took first place in the high school category at the second Comal ISD chess tournament of the school year on Nov. 12.
-Liam Huang, 1st place, Indian Springs Elementary, kindergarten-second grade category.
-Jake Wadle, 1st place, Rebecca Creek Elementary, third-fifth grade category.
-Asher Lippe, 1st place, Canyon Middle, middle school grade category.
-Luke Schroeder, 1st place, Smithson Valley High, high school category.
-James Williams, 2nd place, ISES, kindergarten-second grade category.
-Omar Houston, 2nd place, Specht Elementary, third-fifth grade category.
-Brayden McElroy, 2nd place, SVMS, middle school category.
-John Kelemen, 2nd place, Canyon High, high school category.
-Justin Barger, 3rd place, OCES, kindergarten-second grade category.
-Jacob Ellison, 3rd place, ISES, third-fifth grade category.
-Jacob Ybarra, 3rd place, PRMS, middle school category.
-Matthias Meneses, 3rd place, PHS, high school category.