In San Antonio's South Side, where the heart of football rivalry beats with traditions dating back decades, a new game is afoot — one that aims for economic vitality instead of touchdowns. The McCollum Cowboys and Harlandale Indians, once dueling on the gridiron, have set aside theirarla longstanding competition to tackle the common goal of attracting business growth to their community, as detailed in a recent KSAT report.
The concern, simmering in the backdrop of the Frontier Bowl's storied history, is the potential dimming future of the very institutions that fostered the rivalry. With locals fearing school closures and a stagnating economy if new businesses don’t set up shop, the culture-rich but commercially thin neighborhood could lose more than bragging rights—they might lose schools bearing their own names, a critical blow to the community’s heritage and unity. Joseph Farias, a former Harlandale Indian, and Gabe Cisneros, a once McCollum Cowboy, recently reminisced about their epic face-off in the legendary 1989 Frontier Bowl, yet, despite the years, it's clear the match isn't what's solely on their minds; it’s the future of their community. Through the lens of their past, they discussed the unique kinship that unites them as a South Side family, as reported in a separate KSAT feature.
They still feel it. Cisneros laughed about the physicality of the game, recalling how you could "feel the snot coming out when you hit somebody," and agreed with Farias that, despite the rivalry, they were united against external contenders, which stands as a poignant metaphor for the community's current struggle. The South Side stands united once more, but this time it's in the face of economic challenge rather than athletic opposition. "We still know we’re family. We're a South Side family," Cisneros said after a bout of nostalgic reflection on their high school days. Now it's about the whole neighborhood scoring a win for its future, as reported by KSAT.
