Thorndale ISD

From State Champion to Air Force Captain to BBQ Legend

Thorndale ISD is proud to highlight Trey Felton, a 1996 graduate who has worn more hats in life than most people keep in their closet — student, state champion, pilot, cybersecurity professional, entrepreneur, school board member, and, by his own admission, “not a very good band kid.”

Trey’s time at Thorndale was filled with both impressive achievements and a few self-deprecating laughs. While he will gladly tell you he played the coronet for two years and “wasn’t very good,” he made up for it elsewhere:

• UIL Physics – 1st Place State

• Cross Examination Debate – 3rd Place State

• Football – 1995–96 State Champion, First Team All-District Lineman

• Basketball – “benchwarmer, but enthusiastic!”

• Golf – joined mostly to get out of school (his words, not ours)

• Baseball – played all 4 years... then left during playoffs for the military, and naturally the team went on to win state

Trey’s humor about his high school years is matched only by the seriousness with which he approached his future. After graduation, he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy (Class of 2000) and later earned an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He became a pilot, a Master Skydiver (D-22583), a CISSP-certified cybersecurity expert, and served 7 years on Active Duty Air Force, with assignments in Turkey, Germany, the NSA, and MacDill AFB.

After returning to Texas, Trey joined ERCOT, managing Information Technology Service Delivery for seven years — and then took a major leap back to his Thorndale roots. In 2008, he purchased Rodenbeck Farm & Ranch, and in 2011 opened what is now known as Frank Felton, BBQ–Butcher–Catering. True to form, he didn’t stop there: in 2022 he acquired Catering by Mopsie, moving its operations to Thorndale and continuing to expand his culinary footprint across the Austin area.

Trey also gave back to TISD by serving two terms on the school board — proving that once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog.

When asked about growing up in Thorndale in the late ’80s and ’90s, Trey described a tight-knit, blue-collar community shaped by farmland, Friday night football, and a drive to see the world. He recalls legendary coach Don Cowan, back-to-back state championships, and the privilege of playing alongside lifelong friends... even if some of them (like Clint Leschber) were a “little” more athletic than he was.

In the classroom, he credits science teacher Linda Culp for inspiring his love of learning — especially physics and relativity — and debate coach Shirley Doherty for shaping his academic path. His memories of Thorndale are rich with gratitude and humor, grounded by the values he learned growing up here.

Trey’s Advice to Today’s Students

With the same mix of wisdom and wit that carried him through life, Trey offers this to current Bulldogs:

• “Learn to improvise – adapt – overcome.”

• “Even the best plan won’t survive first contact with the enemy.”

• “Show up, work hard, and people in charge will notice.”

• “Learn many skills and don’t shy away from the dirty work — you’ll learn something every time.”

• “Don’t worry about what you don’t have; use what you do have.”

• “We all start on different rungs of the ladder — it’s up to you whether you climb.”

• “Stop trying to please everyone; the sooner you do, the happier you’ll be.”

• “Stay humble. Be gracious. Treat others with respect.”

Trey also shares that his life was transformed when he became a born-again Christian in 2022 — a reminder that growth can happen at any age and that purpose continues long after high school.

A Bulldog Through and Through

From state championships to the Air Force, from skydiving to cybersecurity, and from ranching to running a thriving BBQ business, Trey Felton represents the very best of what it means to be a Thorndale Bulldog: hardworking, community-minded, humble, and always ready with a good story.

Thorndale ISD is proud to honor him as one of our distinguished alumni.