BY MARK MAY
Tony Guerrero’s life has been one of service. A graduate of Mission High in 1972, Guerrero has spent nearly his entire adult life involved in officiating sports.
Part of that drive stemmed from his father, Oton (Tony) Guerrero, a longtime golf coach and educator. His father once pointed out an important life lesson.
“On your tombstone, there are two important dates separated by a dash,” the younger Guerrero recalled. “The first date is the date of your birth. The second date is the date of your death. Both are separated by a dash. Of the three, thee most important is the dash. This is what you did for others in your life. I will always remember what my father told me of the dash.”
Guerrero is now set to follow in his dad’s footsteps by being inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame. The 34th annual Induction Ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Brownsville Events Center.
This year’s group also includes Larry Caldwell of Mission (baseball/football), David Longhofer of Harlingen (football), Albert Ochoa of Edinburg (golf), Joe Solis of Edcouch-Elsa (football), Richard Thompson of Mission (sports administration), Gabriel Valdez of Weslaco (basketball) and Laura Vasquez of Edinburg (track & field).
This year’s class will bring the Hall of Fame’s total membership to 280.
Guerrero took to officiating early by calling flag football and other intramural sports while he was a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio in the 1970s. In 1986, he returned to the Valley and began calling games for Boys Clubs in Weslaco and Harlingen. Friends convinced him to join the Southwest Football Officials Association — the precursor to today’s Texas Association of Sports Officials — in 1987.
During his career in the striped shirt, he has officiated more than 1,000 football games in a 34-year career. Included in that total are 17 UIL state playoff games, 11 Mexican collegiate games and five RGV All-Star Games. Other accomplishments include serving as Site Director for the Texas 7-on-7 State Qualifying Tournament and working closely with 7-on-7 tournaments in Mission and Weslaco. Throughout two decades, these tournaments served as positive experiences for nearly 7,400 athletes.
“I enjoyed the impact of teaching fellow officials and providing a positive influence to the players,” he said.
When Arena Football League 2 came to the Valley, Guerrero served as the Compliance Officer for six years. He also worked for the NFL (2008-18) by scouting NCAA Division I officials. His information helped the league select new officials from the college ranks.
He is an icon in Mission, where he has served as chairman of the Advisory Board for Mission Parks and Recreation. He has served in this capacity for 18 years, 12 as chairman. He has helped orchestrate the opening of a new aquatic center, skateboard facilities, a hike and bike trail, two dog parks, a duck pond facility, a 16-court tennis center and, coming soon, an all-inclusive park for the physically challenged.
He plans to retire from officiating after the 2022 football season. His father, Oton, was inducted into the RGV Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
For ticket information for this year’s event, visit the RGV Sports Hall of Fame website at www.rgvshof.net.
Founded in 1985, the RGV Sports Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization whose mission it is to recognize men and women who have brought honor and recognition to the Rio Grande Valley through their participation in sports as an athlete, coach, official, trainer, journalist or other sports-related position.
The RGV Sports Hall of Fame collects, preserves and exhibits memorabilia and statistical data of Rio Grande Valley sports for historical preservation, database collection and enjoyment. Some memorabilia are housed at Doubleday’s Bar and Grill in Port Isabel.
