He was accompanied by EPHS Administration, which included Assistant Principal John Byrne who has seen his fair share of these signings, and always adds the flare of enthusiasm as a former coach and a good gauge for athletic talent.
“There’s a very small percentage, maybe 1 percent of athletes at the high school level, that get to play college sports,” said Byrne. “This family doesn’t only have one, they have two athletes that moved on to the next level.”
Principal John Cox thanked EPHS parents for their continued encouragement of their student athletes, noting a significant increase in signings.
 “A lot of our success is because of parents who keep pushing their children towards that success, so Mr. & Mrs. Torres, congratulations,” said Cox.
Athletic Director Edward Graf agreed that a solid support system at home was a big part in many of the students’ success.
“It’s a family effort to get to this point,” said Graf. “Alvin has always been one of the better baseball schools in the state for a long, long time. DeeAndre has been an outstanding two-sport athlete for us.”
Head Baseball Coach Reynol Mendoza has witnessed the dedication not only DeeAndre has for sports, but his family’s dedication to his athletic career.
“I’ve seen you guys out there at all the Little League parks, at all the tournaments, that’s what it takes. It’s a team effort,” said Mendoza. “Not only on the field and in the locker room, but at home. When you have that kind of support at home, it means a lot. Only good things can happen. The sky’s the limit.”
Mendoza went on to lay out the stats and accomplishments Torres has accomplished at EPHS on the baseball diamond: 2nd Team All-District with a .285 batting average his freshman year; 1st Team All-District batting .355 his sophomore year and a unanimous First Team All-District selection his junior season where he hit a whopping .449.
Football Coach Tom Gonzalez discussed DeeAndre’s football accomplishments, and wished him the best.
“We’re very proud of DeeAndre. He’s following in the steps of his big brother Devon and he’s been doing an excellent job we all know,” said Gonzalez. “He’s leading our team this season, and it’s just due to all his hard work. We appreciate DeeAndre, we’ll miss him after this season. A four year starter for us in football. We’ll have some big shoes to fill, but there are big things waiting for you at the collegiate level, you’ve got all our support. We love you and it’s not over.”
His parents were next to express their excitement and thanks with the audience.
“First of all congratulations [to the football team], thank you for all your support. Our family, some of which came from Dallas to be here, Coach  [Mike] Partiada [from Alvin Junior College], thank you all so much for everything,” said proud father Albert Torres. “[Thanks to] the offensive line for keeping DeeAndre healthy, thanks guys!”
Equally proud mom Susana Torres spoke next.
“Always remember to be humble. It’s true, it all starts at home, it all starts from the roots and when I say from the roots, it starts with his grandparents, uncles, aunts, his brothers and sisters, and his dad. It’s true it’s a hard struggle, a lot of ups and downs. You’re going to face a lot of challenges in life, but always remember we will be there for you,” said Susana. “But the reality of it is that if you want it enough, you can do it. We love you, we’re proud of you and there are not enough words I can say to express what I feel. We’re always going to be there no matter what. We’re your foundation, we’re your rock, we love you.”
When the man of the hour took the podium, he had nothing but gratitude to share.
“Thank you all for coming out, it means a lot. It’s been a long road. A lot of struggles, and finally, this year a lot of success,” said DeeAndre. “I want to thank my parents for all that they’ve done, I know it hasn’t been easy. All these years of being on the road and I know my mom gets tired of us being on the road, Chantelle gets tired of us never being home. I just want to thank you all for everything you’ve done for me.”
The ceremony finished up with a few words from DeeAndre’s new coach.
“When we first heard of DeeAndre, we heard he’s a two-sport athlete, his talent is amazing, his work ethic is off the chains, that’s something that we want to bring into Alvin every single year,” said Coach Mike Partiada. “That makes us competitive. The four years that I’ve been there we’ve been able to send players on to the next level. Last year we had 18 guys go to Division I schools. Michigan, Texas A&M, Texas and DeeAndre has the chance to do that as well. He’s got some big shoes to fill, we’ve got Carlos Correa’s little brother who’ll be leaving us this year to go on to the draft or the University of Miami. So I know he’ll work hard and I know he’ll be ready.”