THE RISE OF OF NEMO’S ‘BOYS’  A Brief History of Early Sports at San Antonio's Sidney Lanier High School, 1925=1940

Description

The basketball program at San Antonio’s West Side Sidney Lanier High School became famous in 1939 by barely losing the State of Texas High School state championship the last few seconds, but became a powerhouse in 1943 and 1945 when they won state championships, under the guidance of legendary Coach William Carson ” Nemo” Herrera. With his trademark tough love and harsh discipline  he inspired his ‘boys’ to excel far beyond anyone’s expectations. But the foundation for this success started in 1929 when Herrera first joined the faculty. My father, Anastacio  ” Stacey” Farías, was an  All City Center in the early 30s and one of the school’s first graduates in 1932. Those teams won many city and district titles. The school also had successful baseball, football, and track programs, but were relegated to the background because of the fame of the basketball teams. Very few records exist from those early periods, but my father’s files and a copy of his father’s scrapbook on CD discs by Coach Herrera’s son, Charles Herrera, were invaluable. Ohers contributed information that gave us a window into that early period. My first objective was to find as many names as possible from that nascent period in the school’s sport history. In going through records I realized that the school also had a very prudent, comprehensive, and disciplinary academic program guided by Principal Raymond H. Brewer, that made the school an iconic institution on the West Side. Lanier produced many prominent and successful graduates in their careers in politics, law, and business. Those we could recognize are included in an appendix. Has 64 pages, thirteen appendices, and 16 pages of Color and B&W photographs.