Pasadena, TX — Sam Rayburn High School honored one of its most significant teams in history on Saturday, February 21, 2026, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Texan boys soccer team and its landmark run to the Region III Final Four.

The recognition ceremony, organized by the Rayburn Boys Soccer Alumni group, took place on the school’s campus field before the Texans’ varsity match against Alvin.

The 1996 team became the first soccer program in Pasadena ISD to advance to the regional tournament, securing its place in district history with a memorable postseason campaign that included a third‑round victory over state‑ranked Clear Lake.

Former Rayburn player and 2015 Texan alumni Samson Tamijani who was the organizer at the ceremony, recalled how the team’s playoff results, all‑district and all‑region selections, and introducing the full roster of players and coaches were mentioned in celerating the efforts of the teams journey. As each name was read, attending members stepped forward, with one player raising the original 1996 regional trophy, which is housed in the school’s trophy case.

The ceremony closed with remarks from 1996 Head Coach Bijan Timjani, a Texan icon who launched the school’s boys and girls programs in 1990 and guided the boys team through 2015.

The celebration marked one of Sam Rayburn's first formal athletic alumni recognitions in more than a decade. Members of the 1996 squad have continued to influence the Pasadena community in meaningful ways, including the Higgins brothers of Higgins Photography and Dr. Toby Kirkwood, a local physician with enduring ties to Pasadena ISD.