San Diego High School mariachi group wins top honors at state contest

Mariachi Azul y Oro put San Diego High School and Jim Wells County in the spotlight with a top finish at the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators’ 2026 HS State Contest, a statewide competition held April 30 through May 2 at the Somerset ISD Performing Arts Center.

The result gave San Diego a rare cultural victory with real hometown weight. TAME describes its mission as preserving tradition and empowering students, and that fit was on full display in a contest that rewarded not just musical precision, but the discipline, memory and stage presence needed to stand out against the strongest high school mariachi programs in Texas.

For San Diego ISD, the honor also reflected a program that has been sustained by school support and community backing. The district points to its music program as one supported by the SDHS Music Boosters, a reminder that achievements like this are built on rehearsals, instruments, travel, and families willing to invest time in student arts.

Mariachi Azul y Oro has long carried more than a competition identity. A 2021 local report described the group as family-like and highlighted the influence of mentor Hector Cantú, underscoring how the program has shaped students as both musicians and cultural ambassadors. Names connected with the program in local coverage also include Pete Vasquez, Sandra Quinones, Miguel Salaiz and Zackary Isaacc Tunchez.

That deeper tradition helps explain why a state title matters beyond the trophy case. In San Diego, where school pride and Hispanic heritage are tightly linked, a win like this travels fast through dinner tables, booster circles and school hallways. It marks San Diego High School as a program that can compete with the best in Texas while carrying Jim Wells County’s identity with it.