November 13, 2025 - Although hard to believe, Comal ISD did not always have seven high schools and thousands of students. A friend group from the Canyon High School class of 1973 can attest to this, as they recall their high school experience in the building that is now Church Hill Middle School. From being bussed in from Bulverde and Canyon Lake to playing football games as a 2A high school, these classmates have watched Comal ISD grow substantially since its first high school opened in 1959.
The CHS class of '73 friend group keeps their high school memories alive through monthly meetings at Pat’s Place in New Braunfels. The group consists of around 30 alumni who get together to eat good food and catch up. During these lunches, the group spends time reconnecting and reveling in how much their lives have changed since their time in school together.
Group member Linda (Ott) Printy, a CHS Cougar Kitten dance team alumna, expresses how difficult it can be to maintain contact with those you’ve grown up with. Despite the difficulty, Printy remains friends with multiple teammates from the CHS dance team as well as her Pat’s Place group.
“When you graduate, get married, start your career, and have kids, it becomes really hard to find the time to stay connected with people. Meeting here at Pat’s Place every month is a way we are reconnecting with our youth,” Printy says.
For a few individuals in the group, Comal ISD has played a key role in their lives since they were young children. Alumnus Larry Anderson attended Goodwin Frazier Elementary and remained in the district, eventually teaching and coaching at both Canyon Middle and CHS for a total of 38 years.
“It was great working and teaching with people who were my teachers while I was a student at Canyon,” says Anderson. “It is a very rewarding career, and I still have students who approach me in the store to say hello!”
Anderson worked as the science department chair at CHS, while coaching football, girls track, and the girls basketball team. Anderson also began the campus aviation class, kickstarting the program which is now featured at both Canyon and Davenport High School.
While students at CHS, Anderson and Clay Smith, fellow '73 alumnus, played on the high school football team together. Smith went on to become a civil engineer, working a majority of his career for the Texas Department of Transportation, planning and building the Texas highway system specifically in the San Antonio and New Braunfels area.
After learning about the new Career and Technical Education programs Comal ISD offers its students during a tour at their 50-year high school reunion, Smith was eager to see the different opportunities Comal ISD students have to experience various professions and obtain trade skills.
“I think those CTE classes are great, because it allows students to develop skills and enter a profession without spending an enormous amount of money beforehand,” Smith says. “I’d like to continue to see Comal ISD develop educational programs that give students opportunities to pursue different career paths, not just academics.”
As the district continues to expand, it is amazing to see Comal ISD alumni remaining connected, whether that be through meetups, pursuing careers within the district, or volunteering their time to give back to students. It is the alumni that proudly make up the district's legacy, making change and Growing Greatness here in Comal.
Thank you Canyon class of '73 for remembering Comal ISD in your Path to Success.
Photo Descriptions
-Canyon High School class of '73 group photo at a CHS football game to celebrate their 50th high school reunion.
-Linda (Ott) Printy and a fellow Cougar Kitten reminisce on their dancing days while looking through old yearbook photos.
-Class of '73 group members at Pat's Place for lunch at a monthly meeting.
-Clay Smith, Larry Anderson and additional members of the Cougar football team relive their days on the football field while looking at old yearbook photos.