(915) 581-1040 | rutter1040@gmail.com
(915) 581-1040 | rutter1040@gmail.com
Season 3 of The Rebound Podcast delivers one of the most ambitious and emotionally resonant sports storytelling projects in West Texas history. This season focuses entirely on the 1976 Eastwood Troopers, the legendary boys’ basketball team that captured the Texas UIL State Championship, becoming the last El Paso boys’ team to ever win the title. Nearly five decades later, their achievement still stands as a defining moment in El Paso athletics.
Through exclusive interviews, archival insights, and firsthand accounts, Season 3 reconstructs the championship journey in vivid detail. It’s not just a sports story — it’s a cultural time capsule, a leadership study, and a tribute to a team whose legacy continues to shape Eastwood High School and the broader El Paso basketball community.
The gym is loud, fast, and unforgiving.
A 15‑year‑old steps in, and nobody slows down for him.
The Troopers are chasing a state title. Seniors run the room. Juniors set the tone.
And in the middle of it is a sophomore who refuses to fade into the background.
Eric Smith takes a hit in practice, then another, then another—each time popping up quicker, staring down older guys like he’s asking for more.
By February, he’s not “the kid” anymore.
He’s the sophomore who earned a spot on a championship team.
And he still listens to Sugar Mountain.
Pam Seitz Pippen was a Texas Western cheerleader in 1966, standing in the gym when the Miners made history and won the national championship. Ten years later, she was again in the building when Eastwood captured the 1976 state title. Few people witnessed both defining moments in El Paso basketball, and Pam is one of them — a living link between the city’s two greatest victories.
No the Troopers didn’t just win the 1976 State Championship—they dominated it. Three Troopers earned spots on the All‑Tournament Team, and The Rebound sits down with all of them: Gilbert Shepherd, Tim Crenshaw, and Jim Bowden, who also secured a place on the prestigious All‑State Team. Their stories, their memories, and the legacy they built still echo fifty years later.
Pippen brings the coach’s focus on discipline, conditioning, and mental toughness. Holmberg adds the trainer’s perspective on the grind — taped ankles, bruises, recovery, and the resilience that kept the Troopers sharp.
Together, they share the behind‑the‑scenes moments that never made headlines but shaped a state champion. The premiere sets the tone for a season honoring the architects of the Troopers’ legacy — the coaches, trainers, and staff who built champions through repetition, discipline, and unwavering standards.
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