Advance tickets for the upcoming Athens High School football season are soon to be on sale.

High school football and volleyball practices are set to begin Monday for most area districts.

The Paul Essary Era at Athens High School is off and running.

While football players have roughly a month to prepare for the beginning of their regular season, volleyball players are afforded no such luxury by the University Interscholastic League.

The Trinity Valley Community College men’s basketball program has announced its incoming recruiting class for the 2009-10 school year.

The East Texas Thunder softball team has made its mark at the Texas Teenage Associations High School Eligible Tournament in Brownwood, Texas by finishing third in the State of Texas.

The Cain Center Youth Football Program, for ages 3 through 12, is currently registering for the upcoming season.

EUSTACE?— The Athens Lady Hornets, Eustace Lady Bulldogs and Malakoff Lady Tigers are all off to strong starts in high school volleyball action.

DALLAS — The defending Class 5A state champions are as close as can be in The Associated Press preseason high school football poll.

The Cain Center hosted its second-annual three-week Youth Football Camp in early August.

VAN — The finale of the first annual Van Fall Football Classic did not disappoint the fans of the Kemp Yellowjackets and the Brownsboro Bears Friday night in the season opener for a pair of teams that were in the playoffs a year ago.

The Athens Christian Preparatory Storm played a spirited game with King’s Academy of Tyler in its first-ever six-man football game but fell in a 68-28 decision Friday at the Cain Park II?fields.

Six-man football has arrived in Athens.

TYLER?— That old saying about football being a game of inches reared its ugly head Saturday night as the Eustace Bulldogs faced Grace Community Cougars in the finale of the Tyler Football Classic at Mewbourn Field.

FRANKSTON — The Brownsboro Bears proved for the second straight week they can score points when needed against good football teams.

GREENVILLE — When Greenville Christian scored on their first play from scrimmage, they set the tone for a high scoring game.It looked more like a basketball score when the dust settled:?Trinidad 99, Greenville Christian 68.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

Bay City Independent School District trustees took four hours to wade through issues facing the district.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Matagorda County school districts received good news Friday, July 31, when the Texas Education Agency released the official school ratings report.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

The State of Texas will help alleviate some of the costs for back-to-school items during "Tax Free Weekend" Aug. 21-23.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 55 banning use of cell phones in all Texas school zones on May 15.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

As children return to Matagorda Elementary School from their summer vacation, much-anticipated additions to their school won't quite be finished, but pretty close.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

Teachers have began preparing a new curriculum that will change the face of learning at Bay City schools.

The Van Vleck ISD board of trustees upheld their July 27 decision to void Joseph Ros', former Van Vleck High School assistant principal.

The Bay City Police Department reminds residents to begin observing the no cell phones in school zones law immediately.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The Bay City Police Department and Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were hard at work last week patrolling school zones during the first week of school.

Bay City school board trustees approved a less than one-cent increase in the tax rate during a special meeting Monday night, Aug. 31.

At Bay City High School he was known for wearing the number 51 jersey as a defensive end.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

At Bay City High School he was known for wearing the number 51 jersey as a defensive end.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

At Bay City High School he was known for wearing the number 51 jersey as a defensive end.

When President Barack Obama delivers a national address to American school children, Matagorda County students may or may not be participating.

The 2009 Mabank Volleyball Camp has been set for July 20th through the 23rd at Mabank High School.

ATHENS Water lightly stained, 84-87 degrees; 0.23' high. Black bass are good on topwaters early, later switching to Carolina rigs off points. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows over brush piles. Catfish are good on punch bait and worms around baited holes.

TVCC Men’s basketball Coach Patrick Smith has high hopes for his incoming recruits.

KEMP — Football equipment will be handed out at Kemp Junior High on Friday, Aug. 21.

Jeremy Quick of Kemp Yellowjackets looks for a receiver down field during the scrimmage between The Jackets and The Malakoff Tigers recently.

Lauren Norwood a Senior at Mabank High was awarded a $1000 scholarship from Texas Teenage Softball Association at the state meeting held in Hillsboro, Texas.

BROWNSBORO — Two teams with playoff ambitions, test themselves against what appears to be high quality opposition this week.

Brandie Lander, a senior at Mabank High, was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the 18-and-Under USSA Fastpitch World Series Tournament in Plano.

Mabank recently scrimmaged against Canton. Panthers prepare to play the Athens Hornets at the first football game of the year.

EMORY — The Kemp Yellowjackets turned their season around against Rains High School last year.

Tanner Holubar, a senior at Mabank High School, has been named assistant captain of the Mesquite Colts Ice Hockey Club for the 2009/10 season.

The men’s basketball program at Trinity Valley Community College is scheduled to host a shootout for high school girls and boys basketball teams Saturday, Sept. 26, at Cardinal Gym.

Social networking sites have been all the rage for some time now, and I’ll admit, my usage of them for the most part hasn’t been the most productive.

JOSHUA — Recent Joshua High School graduate Riley Waits isn’t simply lying on the beach this summer as he prepares to play football at Tarleton State University in the fall.

Ethan Anderson put on quite a show during his time as a Yellow Jacket on the Cleburne varsity basketball team, and as a reward for his efforts, Anderson was awarded a spot in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star basketball game on Monday.

Rain-cooled air made the opening day of the Cleburne football camp a more pleasant experience for the campers than last year’s participants.

ALVARADO — The second day of the 2009 Alvarado Indian Football Camp kicked off Tuesday morning at Charles Head Memorial Stadium.

Sentimentality ran high at the Cleburne Youth Sports Complex as the 2009 Mustang South Zone tournament kicked off on Thursday night.

The future is now for the Cleburne High volleyball team.

The Cleburne Yellow Jacket football team is ready to get down to business starting Monday.

I never played high school football and part of me is happy I never did.

I guarantee you, starting next Friday when football season kicks off, we’re going to see some lopsided final scores in Saturday’s paper.

The Cleburne Yellow Jacket tennis team remained unbeaten on the year after routing Fort Worth Brewer, 19-7 on Thursday afternoon at Cleburne High School.

The Cleburne Lady Jacket volleyball team had a successful weekend at the 2009 Northwest Classic volleyball tournament at Justin Northwest High School, Cleburne head coach Floyd Rogers said.

While praising Yellow Jacket Stadium for its historical relevance, a facility study expert panned the 69-year-old facility for its condition and recommended at Monday night’s school board meeting that Cleburne ISD construct a new football-track complex on land adjacent to Cleburne High School.

Because of the absence of a local lake, about the only place people won’t be coming to see the Joshua Owls kick off the 2009 football season in their new stadium is by water.

Waco Midway head football coach Kent Bachtel doesn’t want to call it revenge, but said some boys on his team would like to redeem themselves against Alvarado this Friday at Floyd Casey Stadium.

Here are updated football scores from Friday night.

JOSHUA — The Joshua Owls started off the 2009 football season in style as skydivers swooped down from overhead in the pregame ceremonies to deliver the game ball to Joshua head coach Jerry Bird.

WACO — The Alvarado Indians were hoping for a repeat of the stunning victory last year over a highly touted Waco Midway team.

RIO VISTA — The Tolar Rattlers and several penalties came back to bite the Rio Vista Eagles when they fell, 20-13, late on Friday at Rio Vista High School.

Nearly all of Johnson County’s football teams in action on Friday night came out of their openers with a win.

After watching Joshua’s season opener against Azle, and the pregame festivities associated therein, I’ve come to the conclusion that every Johnson County football game needs to be started with skydivers parachuting out of the sky to hand deliver the game ball to the home coach.

The Cleburne Yellow Jacket tennis team suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday afternoon after falling, 15-4, to Midlothian at Cleburne High School.

Updated 9-8-2009 Johnson County Football Scoreboard

Updated scores/postponements from Friday night.

As severe storms rumbled through most of Texas on Friday night, several Johnson County football teams were feeling the effects on the field, and not just because of a little extra mud.

ENNIS — Cleburne exacted a measure of revenge against Ennis on Tuesday night at Ennis High School by winning its second straight District 16-4A contest, 25-18, 25-13, 25-18.

The Cleburne tennis team fell, 14-2, to Ennis on Tuesday at Cleburne High School after having its contest against Burleson on Friday rained out.

ANGLETON — After 48 seasons of wins and losses at Wildcat Stadium off Highway 35, Friday night lights are going to be a tad different starting in late August.

Where has the time gone? It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that all of us Texas high school football fans came back from the final game of the year and began looking forward to the upcoming season.

The Brazoswood Buccaneers got a much earlier start to the football season than they’re accustomed to — beginning the 2009 campaign Monday under the lights at Slade Field before the sun even rose.

Just as many people were preparing to start their Monday morning, a majority of the Brazoria County football teams already were hard at work as two-a-days returned to the gridiron.

SWEENY — In hopes of bringing families together, the First Baptist Church of Sweeny will host the Pastor Pete’s Back to School Fishing Tournament.

AUSTIN — D.J. Monroe made the most of his redshirt year on the University of Texas football team, and this season is looking to fill in wherever and whenever the Longhorns need him.

AUSTIN — D.J. Monroe made the most of his redshirt year on the University of Texas football team, and this season is looking to fill in wherever and whenever the Longhorns need him.

After experiencing their first season of 11-man football in 2008, the Brazosport Christian Eagles are back with a lot of youth to build for the future.

Though the start of high school still is a couple of weeks away for most teens, the 2009 varsity volleyball season officially begins today.

The Buc Select teams were founded four years ago in hopes of brining together some of the best young basketball players in Clute and Lake Jackson and to keep the groups together through middle school in order to help improve the Brazoswood High School basketball program.

ANGLETON — According to many, there isn’t a bad seat in the house at the new football stadium off CR 523.

ANGLETON — Hundreds of Angleton football fans were introduced to the members of the 2009 football teams Friday, but what everybody really wanted to see was the squads’ new $11 million-plus home.

With the 2009 high school volleyball campaign already off and rolling, a majority of the teams in Brazoria County are looking to extended their season into the playoffs.

Nobody outside the Pearland Dawson football program expected the Eagles to do much in their inaugural varsity season, especially playing in one of the toughest Class 4A districts in the state. But not only did the new kids on the block put together a competitive season, they contended for a playoff berth.

For most of the county football teams, Saturday was an opportunity to knock heads with someone other than themselves.

Like several other programs in District 24-4A, the Manvel Maverick football team is going to be stout.

Just like last season, Angleton is going to have speed to burn, and with six of its 10 games at home in the new Wildcat Stadium that is fitted with artificial turf, watch out.

ALVIN — In the last three years, the Alvin Yellowjackets have won only four regular season football games out of a possible 29.

FREEPORT — With storm clouds looming in the distance, the Brazosport and Brazoswood football teams took the field Friday night for their annual scrimmage at Hopper Field.

CLUTE — There’s plenty of optimism surrounding this season’s football team at Brazoswood.

CLUTE — There’s plenty of optimism surrounding this season’s football team at Brazoswood.

CLUTE — Heading into the second week of the volleyball regular season, the team from Brazoswood High School is serving up a big surprise.

Offenses score a majority of the fantasy football points, but don’t forget defenses or a consistent kicker sometimes can make a difference.

ANGLETON —For high school football fans and players, just starting a new season is enough to give goose bumps.

The start of a new football season brings many changes for every team, but the rivalry between the Brazosport Exporters and Columbia Roughnecks always remains constant.

In a rivalry that dates back to the 1980s, the Sweeny Bulldogs will visit Van Vleck for a 7:30 p.m. showdown Friday at Burl McKinney Stadium in the high school football season opener.

CLUTE — The Brazoswood football team lost four District 24-5A games by a combined 10 points last season and missed out on the playoffs. Today, the 2009 Buccaneers are ready to take the field and begin another run at the postseason.

DANBURY — For the third time in the last three seasons, the Danbury Panthers will open the football campaign with a new head football coach.

ANGLETON — With already about 75 players and cheerleaders signed up, the Upward Organization from Angleton is well on its way to its first season of flag football.

Alvin plays at Foster; Bay City hosts Dayton; Pearland faces Kingwood at Reliant Stadium

ANGLETON — The Angleton football team opened up the season and the new Wildcat Stadium on Friday in style.

ALVIN — Back in the day when Douglas Duncan was a football player with the Alvin Yellowjacket program, there was one thing he enjoyed the most — contact.

HOUSTON — Kingwood kicker Mitch Glander got to experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows Saturday afternoon at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

It seems every time I am part of a live fantasy football draft, I learn something new. Contrary to all the fantasy experts who advise not to draft rookies, sometimes there is no logic to that rule.

A week into the 2009 football season the Pearland Dawson Eagles will finally get to show off their 22 returning starters tonight in Baytown.

Football previews published in The Facts:

The Brazoswood and Angleton football teams each are coming off season-opening wins. But besides sharing identical 1-0 records, there’s little in common between the two talented Brazoria County teams as they head into today’s 7 p.m. showdown at Wildcat Stadium.

WEST COLUMBIA — Tonight when Columbia will honor some of its past athletes, the 2009 Roughnecks will try to get in 48 minutes of football without any disruptions at Griggs Field against the St. Pius Panthers.

WEST COLUMBIA — Tonight’s tilt between the Columbia Roughnecks and St. Pius Panthers will be the main event at Griggs Field, but the third installment of the Columbia High School Hall of Honor at halftime also will bear watching.

CLUTE — A total of 10 schools will take to the cross country terrain Saturday to compete in the 39th annual Brazoswood Invitational.

Texas City at Alvin; Pearland at Fort Bend Kempner; Bay City at Yates; Bryan Academy at West Columbia Charter

Taking chances on those late rounds of your fantasy draft can produce some high-production guys, like this year’s No. 1 sleeper.

High school volleyball teams are gearing up for the start of district play, and today at the Dickinson Varsity Tournament they will begin their last chance to ready for the games that count toward a playoff berth.

Alvin at South Houston; Memorial at Pearland; Dickinson at Bay City; Van Veck at Edna; West Columbia Charter at Dickinson Pine Drive

The annual matchup between Brazosport and Sweeny is one of those Brazoria County football rivalry games that’s always a tight contest. Making it a must-see event this year are the teams’ top runners — Exporter senior Gary Bivens and Bulldog senior Jamell Woodard.

The Alvin Yellowjackets opened up a 27-point halftime lead against South Houston on Friday and cruised to their first win of the season, 34-7.

The start of school has shifted around families’ schedules as young ones return to classes and scholastic sports.

WEST COLUMBIA — The West Columbia Charter Warriors six-man football team will be in action tonight in Houston.

Cuero at Bay City; Van Vleck at Palacios

Battle of the Bridge highlights the weekend showdowns

A look at South Texas H.S. football

Ben Bolt's Bueno takes part in nine scores, accounts for more than 500 yards

Live updates from around the Coastal Bend of Texas

High percentage chance of rain over next 2 days

No. 5 Refugio, undefeated Taft and Banquete keep rolling

Top gridiron performances of the season

Archie speaks at Casa de Amor fundraiser at the American Bank Center

WORTHAM -- New coach Jerry Young arrived in Wortham this summer with an innovative plan to turn around the Bulldogs’ football program.The focus — keep things simple.

Collins Middle School athletic equipmentThe Collins Middle School seventh grade equipment issue is set for Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

This week's high school football scrimmage schedule:

Do you enjoy high school football and want to make extra money?

Here are this week’s Golden Circle high school football scrimmages.

Don’t forget to call in your scores on game nights — win or lose.

Here's a look at this week's high school football scrimmages:

HUBBARD — Joe Heckathorn showed up at his new coaching job — his first head coaching job — and heard all about how “the numbers” were down in Hubbard.For those still learning Football 101, the numbers, the amount of student-athletes in your football program, are crucial at every high school level, especially Class 1A.

The Collins Middle School seventh grade equipment issue is set for today from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

Mildred Youth Football Association will have football sign-ups Saturday, Aug. 22 from 9 to 11 a..m. Students going to kindergarten through sixth grades are eligible to play.

DALLAS — Katy High School's two championships are apparently worth a point more than Allen's two quarterbacks.The two-time defending Class 5A Division II champion Tigers were voted No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason high school football poll released Thursday.

After making the playoffs last season, the Dawson Bulldogs, and head coach Scott Hawkins have high expectations for 2009. With the loss of a few key players to graduation some adjustments were made, some wrinkles were added, and a lot of attitudes were improved.

Even as boy of about 10, Golden Circle football really jazzed me. I’d be the first one out of the house on Sunday mornings, snatching the paper – rain, shine, darkness, yard covered in ice – and I’d read the Sunday Morning Quarterback, first word to the last.

Phil Castles was hired to coach the Tigers because of his old-school philosophy and his Corsicana roots.And his defensive mind.

Golden Circle Football Preview for Friday's game:

Tigers coach Phil Castles used one word to describe the result of his first game as Corsicana’s football coach.Disappointing.The Tigers led 29-26 with less than six minutes in Friday’s season opener against West Mesquite, and then it all unraveled from there on a muggy opening night at Tiger Stadium, the final result a 40-29 loss to the Wranglers.

Here's a look at the Golden Circle Football Standings after Week Zero:

Here's a look at the Golden Circle football leaders after Week Zero:

Since last Friday night’s Cowboy game, it seems like all I hear about is how high the scoreboard is. I figured that after a couple of days that it would die down. However, this morning, when I got in my car to go home for lunch, I heard Norm Hitzges discussing the monster sitting 90 feet above the playing field.

Friday's Sorted high school football scores:

DAWSON — A highly intense, emotional performance on both offense and defense helped propel the Dawson Bulldogs past the Bosqueville Bulldogs, 41-27, Friday night at Mitchell Field.

The bottom line from Friday night — the Tigers lost a football game.At the end of the season and at the end of Phil Castles’ tenure in Corsicana, the Tigers’ 40-29 loss to West Mesquite at Tiger Stadium will show up in the “L” column.

Jerry Young offers an honest reason for why he was hired to take over the Wortham football program in the spring.“I rebuild programs,” he said.

KERENS — Meagan Henderson and her Rice Lady Bulldog teammates spend a few hours together just about every day on the volleyball court, never mind school and the advent of text messaging.So it was interesting to her the sophomore talk about the Lady Bulldogs’ improved communication skills after a 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 victory over Kerens in a District 14-2A opener in Kerens.

For a team that wants to be aggressive on defense and run the football, the Tigers only have to look one place to see those two things didn’t sync together in last week’s 40-29 loss to West Mesquite.It’s a little thing called time of possession.

Kerens has healthy natural rivals in Mildred and Malakoff, two schools just a short jaunt from campus. But there’s something about the annual matchup with Leon, one that has become more than just a routine game.

The appeal for varsity eligibility of Corsicana High School’s Thomas and Tevin McDonald was denied by a 2-1 vote Wednesday morning by the UIL State Executive Committee.

Here's a preview of Friday's night's Golden Circle area football games:

As one of the few independent junior college football teams in the nation, Georgia Military has maintained an excessively nomadic yet successful existence.

Omarius Hines says that his time will come as a Florida Gator.He’s sure of that.

Frost coach Clark Moore is the perfect coach to handle a one-game winning streak for a school that hadn’t won in three years.It’s kind of like a carnival came to Frost and left about 48 hours after Frost beat Santo, 22-8, snapping a 21-game losing streak that dated back to Oct. 2006.

New Lady Tigers girls basketball coach Art Prevost has already proven he’s adept at recruiting athletes within his own school.Just look at the Corsicana cross country team, which he also coaches.

The Navarro Bulldogs football program is going to need its own wing for coaches at the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame — if there’s ever an actual building.Harold Hern and Chuck Lawrence, who both put their stamp on Bulldogs football, were announced as two of the four members of the 2009 Hall of Fame class. They join Bob McElroy, who was inducted in 2006.

Here's a glance at the Golden Circle football slate for Friday night:

Chuck Lawrence, former head coach at Navarro and CIsco, and Harold Hern, another former Navarro head coach, are the two coaches in this year's NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame class.

If you had asked Navarro Coach Nick Bobeck if two dominating wins heading into the off-week before conference play would have been satisfactory, he would have grabbed it and headed to Vegas.That’s exactly what the second-year coach has in twin 35-7 wins over Coffeyville, Kan. CC and then Georgia Military last weekend.

Here are the Golden Circle Football Players of the Week:

RUSHINGPlayer/School Att. Yds TDsAlex Shaw, Dawson 30 348 7Cody Evans, Corsicana 49 327 2Jonathan Hopkins, Frost 26 263 3

Having outscored its two opponents 70-14 this season, Navarro jumped to third in the first NJCAA/JCFootball.com poll released on Tuesday.The Bulldogs were ranked seventh nationally in the preseason poll.

The Tigers’ inability to field two punts in the first half of Friday’s 28-17 loss to Jacksonville was not a result of not working on the skill during practice, coach Phil Castles said Monday.

The Corsicana Lady Tigers made quick work of Life School-Red Oak on Tuesday night at Tiger Gym, 25-10, 25-17, 25-12.In Saturday’s action, the Lady Tigers lost at Garland Naaman Forest, 17-25, 15-25, 22-25.

Here's a look at the Golden Circle Football schedule and results:

Navarro moved up to No. 3 two national junior college football polls on Tuesday after winning handily on the road on Saturday at Georgia Military, 35-7.

Here's this week's Golden Circle Football Preview:

A quick glance at Friday night's Golden Circle Football games:

Here's a team-by-team look at the Golden Circle Football Schedules:

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy admitted Saturday to missing a pretty good defensive show during his Cowboys’ 24-10 win against Georgia on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.So he missed senior Donald Booker’s first career start at middle linebacker. But he still had a pretty good idea that Booker, two years removed from Navarro, had a pretty good day.

Friday night’s showdown between the Dawson Bulldogs (2-0) and Cayuga Wildcats (1-1) was cancelled after a lightening delay of over an hour. Only 12 minutes and 51 seconds worth of football had been played when Mother Nature made her presence felt.

The fans poured into A.G. Godley Field Friday with high expectations and excitement over the approaching grid iron battle between the Kerens Bobcats and the Chilton Pirates. But what they received was an hour-and-a-half weather delay which culminated in the cancellation of the contest due to heavy lighting.

Here's a glance at the Golden Circle Football Leaders

Here's a glance at the Golden Circle High School Football Standings:

Blooming Grove was only able to play a quarter Friday against Riesel. But it appears it might have been enough to get the Lions’ running game untracked even though the score was still 0-0 when the non-district game was called.

Collins Middle School 8th grade football games scheduled for Duncanville Byrd tonight have been moved to Tiger Stadium, Corsicana Athletic Director Joe Young.

Here's a preview of this week's Golden Circle Football Games:

Dawson defeated Chilton on Tuesday night, 25-13, 25-14, 25-16.Crystal Coleman had six kills and Alicia Simmons had three kills. Molly Reeder had five aces and five digs. Brooke Martinez with two kills. Haylee Kimbriel had three aces.

Monday marks the first day athletic teams in the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District can begin organized practice.

Monday marks the first day athletic teams in the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District can begin organized practice.

BUT THAT'S JUST ME TALKING: It’s officially time for football.

A former Rams football player is headed from one ranked school to another.

Football isn’t the only sport beginning its season this week.

In the annual debut of the Del Rio Rams varsity football team, the defense appeared to get the upper hand this year.

If Del Rio football wants to make a return to the playoffs, they’ll have to do some of their toughest work at home.

With the start of high school football season, so begins another season for the “Fearless Forecasters.”

BUT THAT'S JUST ME TALKING: Another school year is upon us and that means a new high school football season is close at hand.

Participants in this year’s Fearless Forecasters and Last Man Standing Fantasy Football League are getting a little reminder.

BUT THAT'S JUST ME TALKING: There was plenty to cheer about at Friday’s football season opener.

BUT THAT'S JUST ME TALKING: There was plenty to cheer about at Friday’s football season opener.

The News-Herald will hold its annual "Last Man Standing" Fantasy Football draft tonight at the News-Herald offices.

THE LAST MAN REPORT: Another season of the Del Rio News-Herald’s Last Man Standing Fantasy Football League is upon us.

Del Rio Middle School’s cross-country teams pulled off a clean sweep in San Angelo.

Del Rio Middle School’s cross-country teams pulled off a clean sweep in San Angelo.

Gainesville’s historic Locke Field has been the home field for several teams over the years, from the Gainesville Owls (minor league), the Cooke County College Lions (junior college) and the Gainesville Leopards (high school). But come the summer of 2010, Locke Field could have another tenant.

Fans of the Callisburg Wildcats football team were relieved to learn that head coach Jerry Bomar would be back to lead the program in 2009, but those same fans may be a little saddened at the departure of their starting quarterback.

It looks like Jerry Bomar will be staying at Callisburg after Sherman ISD trustees voted last Tuesday to hire Gary Joe Kinne as their head football coach and athletic director.

Could 2009 be the final season for football at Leeper Stadium?

Callisburg athletic director and head football coach Jerry Bomar is reportedly among the candidates for the same position with Sherman High School, according to a report in Friday’s Herald-Democrat newspaper.

In athletics, players and coaches face different degrees of adversity during a game or a season. But for Gainesville Leopards head football coach Ricky Lock, nothing that will happen during a game will compare to what he and his family have gone through this summer.

Football practices began Monday for Texas high schools and Cooke County teams were no exception.

While most of Cooke County was still sleeping Monday, several Lindsay High School cross country athletes were out running.

Expectations always seem to be high when it comes to the Lindsay ISD, whether it be athletics or academics, but the expectations for this year’s Lady Knights volleyball team are even higher than usual.

Area high school volleyball teams began play at various tournaments Thursday.

Staying healthy is a key for the Gainesville Leopards football team in 2009 and coaches, players and fans got a few scares during Saturday’s scrimmage with the Paris Wildcats at Leeper Stadium.

Muenster Hornets head football coach Allen Cross gets excited when talking about his offense.

The Gainesville Leopards varsity football team will get to play at Leeper Stadium six times this season as they say goodbye to the historic stadium.

Two of the area’s best high school volleyball teams met in Lindsay Tuesday, but it was the Lindsay Lady Knights who showed why they are ranked No. 3 in the state.

A glance at this week's area high school football games.

Each week the Register will feature memories from our readers of Leeper Stadium. This will be the last year for football to be played at the historic stadium.

The Gainesville Leopards dominated the first half of Friday's football opener and weathered a second half storm to drop the visiting Carrollton Ranchview Wolves 24-20.

The Sacred Heart Catholic School Tigers opened up their season Friday with a 27-17 win over the Petrolia Pirates in Petrolia.

Area high school volleyball roundup from Saturday.

Leaders from the first week of the high school football season.

A preview of Gainesville's football game with the Decatur Eagles.

A look at this week's area games in high school football.

For the second straight week, the Gainesville Leopards junior varsity football team lost ... to Mother Nature.

The Whitesboro Lady Cats volleyball team won first place at the Whitesboro Invitational over the weekend.

This week's area high school football leaders.

Although I have personal experiences attending a multitude of football games, a few track meets, and jogging and walking countless laps (the latter which have stimulated my "creative juices") at Leeper Stadium, I want to offer a little bit on information about the birth of Leeper Stadium.

A look at this week's area high school football games.

Area high school volleyball teams fared well Tuesday.

It didn’t take long for the Lindsay Knights to show that they were going to run the table against Gainesville State School Friday night at Henry B. Schroeder Knight Field.

The Whitesboro Lady Cats volleyball team ran their winning streak to eight with a three-game sweep of Class 2A Pottsboro Friday at the WHS gym.

The Gainesville State School Tornadoes football team could be getting some exposure on the big screen.

A former Gainesville Leopards football standout will be among six athletic greats that will be inducted into the Texas A and M Letterman’s Association Hall of Fame Friday, according to a press release.

The No. 1 ranked Lindsay Lady Knights had no trouble with the Trenton Lady Tigers Tuesday, defeating the visitors 25-14, 25-16, 25-9 in a district volleyball match in Lindsay

A look at this week's area high school football games

Longtime Dallas Stars trainer Dave Surprenant will help put on a sports medicine educational seminar from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday at Greenville Christian School, 8420 Jack Finney Blvd.

Bragging rights will be on the line this coming weekend, as two local law enforcement agencies battle on the gridiron.

One thing’s certain about Alex Lowry’s appearance on Tuesday in the North-South all-star football game in Austin.He’ll be the strongest player on the field.

As a head basketball coach and an offensive coordinator in football, Caddo Mills coach Jeff Smith spent a lot of time in the gymnasium and on the football field.

She didn’t run track or cross country in high school and didn’t begin her actual running career until May.

Four-time NCAA Division II regional qualifier Blake Worden led his team to victory on Friday at the 2009 Ernest Hawkins Golf Classic.

Derek Johnson is one football recruit who can’t wait until the Texas A and M University-Commerce Lions report to camp on Thursday.

The first day of 2009 football practice begins on Monday for nearly all area high school teams except the Greenville Lions and the Royse City Bulldogs.

Greenville Christian School’s defending state six-man football champions kept their cool on Monday though practicing in temperatures up to 97 degrees.

Greenville coach Jim Phillips and his staff will get a sneak preview of some young football players during a football camp that starts today at Greenville High School.

Ahead of last year’s pace.That’s the story for the 2009 Cumby Trojans, who are preparing for their second football season under head coach Edward Perez.

By this time last year the Greenville Lions had already gone through five days of football practice under new head coach Jim Phillips and his staff.

Lone Oak football coach Randy Jackson is making sure the Buffaloes’ preseason state ranking doesn’t go to their heads.

Commerce’s new head football coach Scott Wells has been an assistant at a variety of schools.

A battle of state-ranked teams in Lone Oak heads up a busy schedule of scrimmages for area high school football teams today.

After averaging only 54 yards passing per game last season, the Greenville Lions have been working hard during 2009 football practice on their passing game.

Quarterback Jake Schumann threw for 11 touchdowns and ran for one to lead the defending state six-man football champion Greenville Christian School Eagles during a four-team scrimmage on Saturday.

No. 15 state-ranked (Class 2A) Lone Oak Buffaloes hosted the No. 3 (Class A) Boles Hornets in football scrimmage action on Saturday morning. 

Texas A and M University-Commerce’s football team was close but didn’t quite make the top 25 in the American Football Coaches Association’s preseason poll.

Dakieston Williams and Alton Dennis scored on two long touchdown runs in the first series to give the Greenville Lions a big lift in their football scrimmage with McKinney on Friday night.

Greenville Christian School won a volleyball rematch with Longview Trinity, 25-14, 25-22, 25-13, on Friday.

Greenville Christian School’s defending state six-man football champions outscored Fannindel 3-1 and Faustina Academy of Irving 4-2 in two scrimmages on Saturday at Eagle Field.

After toiling in the hot sun for most of this month, area high schoolers will finally get to play some real football this weekend.

Greenville Christian School rallied from a loss in the first game to take Dallas Covenant, 23-25, 25-12, 25-22, 25-23 in volleyball on Tuesday night.

Quarterback Alton Dennis directed Greenville on a 58-yard touchdown drive in the final minute to give the Lions a 25-19 victory over Forney in a football thriller on Friday night at T.A. “Cotton” Ford Stadium.

Greenville Christian School’s defending state champion Eagles overcame muggy conditions and the tough Lucas Christian Warriors to claim Saturday’s six-man football opener, 71-52.

Every football team works in practice on its two-minute offense.

Two third-quarter touchdowns and a late touchdown in the fourth quarter gave Angelo State a 21-7 win on Saturday night, spoiling the debut of A and M-Commerce head football coach Guy Morriss.

MELISSA — The Melissa Cardinals spoiled Community’s season football opener on Friday night, 33-8, in a battle of returning playoff teams.

In the battle for Highway 6 bragging rights, Caddo Mills Foxes picked up 321 yards rushing and six touchdowns on 26 carries from Nathan Jeffery to beat the Community Braves 52-26 on Friday night.

CLARKSVILLE – The Lone Oak Buffaloes were in Clarksville on Friday night to take on a team that was still riding high from their thrilling three-overtime victory over Linden-Kildare the week before.

After their football stadium got a new name, the Cumby Trojans returned to their winning ways with a 49-20 pasting of the Union Hill Bulldogs on Saturday at Frazier-Lawrence Field.

Trinidad spoiled Greenville Christian School’s home opener on Saturday, handing the defending state champion Eagles a 99-68 loss in six-man football.

Greenville Christian School bounced back from last week’s loss to Trinidad to outscore Leverett’s Chapel 62-22 in six-man football on Saturday at Eagle Field.

Greenville Christian School opened district volleyball play with a 26-24, 25-10, 25-17 victory over Rockwall Christian on Tuesday.

Two former NFL players will be among the new class of inductees into the Greenville Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 2.Jay Arnold and Earl Thomas will be inducted along with former Lion coach T.A. “Cotton” Ford, Lady Lion basketball standout Meshell Graham and Lions football-basketball star Nate Mason. The honors for Arnold, Ford and Mason are posthumous.

Huntsville’s Taylor Price is making the best out of his first appearance at the National High School Finals Rodeo.

Trying to make a huge splash during his first trip to the National High School Finals Rodeo, Huntsville’s Brody Beaver made some costly mistakes last summer.

After finishing as the Texas high school state champion in bareback riding, Huntsville’s Taylor Price is as ready as he’s going to be for the National High School Finals Rodeo, which starts Sunday and runs through July 25 in Farmington, N.M.

Exhausted from pushing trucks, throwing medicine balls and toting heavy barbells, seven Hornets sat together Tuesday night and waited. They didn’t expect any big announcement from the guy on the loud speaker. They were just doing the polite thing, patiently listening to the awards ceremony at the end of a drawn-out, backbreaking day. Quickly, the Hornets perked up when they heard the new champion’s named called. Huntsville senior Quenntin Tucker finished first at the 2009 USA/Texas Lineman Challenge, a summer competition in Duncanville that gives high school athletes a way to develop speed, strength and endurance during their time away from school.

Former Sam Houston State pitcher Robert Manuel wasn’t even in Philadelphia when the Cincinnati Reds were dealt a 22-1 pounding by the Phillies on Monday, but there’s no doubt that he’ll remember that game forever.In a clubhouse in Indianapolis after his Triple-A Louisville team played its game, Manuel was watching highlights on television of the Reds’ loss when he got the word from manager Rick Sweet that he was going to the big leagues for the first time.

In just the first day of the Ponderosa swim meet at Klein Collins High School in Klein on Saturday, the Huntsville Lakers have started to make a name for themselves.

Over the past few seasons, much has been expected of the Sam Houston State football team. But for one reason or another, the Bearkats haven’t lived up to those lofty standards.At the Southland Conference Football Media Day held Wednesday in Lake Charles, La., the league’s preseason coaches’ and sports information directors’ polls were released.In a change of pace from previous seasons, the Bearkats are picked to finish near the bottom of the pack instead of slated to contend for a conference title this fall. Sam Houston was tabbed sixth, ahead of Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State in both polls.

ustin Ennis thought long and hard about what he wanted to do this fall. A 2009 graduate of Huntsville High School, Ennis knew two things: He wanted to go to college, and he wanted to play basketball.Grayson County College in Denison is giving Ennis an opportunity to do both.

When George Perry rips down a rebound, turns and looks downcourt later this year, there’s a good chance one of his former Huntsville teammates will be racing up one side of the floor.Marcus Irving, a 2009 Huntsville High School graduate, and Rayshadrick Johnson, who graduated in ’07, were both invited to play basketball alongside Perry at Dallas’ Brookhaven College in the upcoming season.

No respect, no problem.Everyone seems to have forgotten who won the District 18-4A football title last fall, and Huntsville’s head coach likes it that way.

With the approach of the football season under way as summer camps finally kick off Monday all across the state, it’s time to take a look back and also peer into the future a little bit.

The Hornets surprised their head coach Monday evening. They surprised Mitchell Coey by reporting to summer camp in better shape than in years past. They shocked him when they showed how much football they retained from the spring. And they took Coey aback by coming to practice with an overflowing amount of energy and enthusiasm.

Though the scorching heat continues, make no mistake, football season is finally here.Nearly 50 Bulldogs, with several still on the way, reported for camp early Monday morning and began going through the rigors of preparing for the upcoming season.

Oftentimes change is met the with gnashing of teeth. At Huntsville High School, the Hornets are meeting change with a showing of teeth.

Chris Poullard is right where he wants to be, back on the field and ready to contribute to the Sam Houston State football team.

Sleeping is tough, Huntsville senior Shaquille Ross said, the night before the summer’s first full-contact football practice.

The first few days of fall practice are not the most entertaining. It is hot and there is not a lot of action going on. In fact, there has been only a few die-hard fans who have made their way out to Bowers Stadium this week to watch the latest version of the Sam Houston State football team get the 2009 season under way.

GALVESTON — A more than 75-year old school stadium damaged by Hurricane Ike could be replaced with help from government loans.Galveston Independent School District officials recently learned Kermit Courville Stadium could be brought down and a new complex built with up to $8.6 million in no-interest or low-interest federal loans.

There are plenty of intriguing stories to follow as the Sam Houston State football team gets ready for the upcoming season.

There was plenty of hitting over the weekend as the Sam Houston State football team added shoulder pads, but Monday morning the real fun began at Bowers Stadium.

For years now, Kacie Black has gotten used to preparing for the upcoming volleyball season once August rolls around.Even after graduating in May from New Waverly High School, she has continued that tradition and participated in her first collegiate practice Monday at North Lake College in Irving.

It’s time to see how far along the Sam Houston State football team has come following the first full week of practice when the Bearkats scrimmage tonight at Bowers Stadium.The players put on the pads for the first time Monday morning and have been working out since last Thursday. The intrasquad scrimmage, which begins at 6 p.m., will give the SHSU coaching staff a chance to see how the Bearkats have progressed in a game-type situation with referees on hand.

After the final huddle broke, which signaled the end of practice on Friday morning, the New Waverly football players were all smiles.

Round one went to the defense.Sam Houston State quarterback Blake Joseph sparked a few big plays, but it was the Bearkat defense that highlighted the team’s first intrasquad scrimmage Thursday night at Bowers Stadium.

Huntsville football coach Mitchell Coey is feeling pretty good about the progress the Hornets have made during the first two weeks of workouts. That’s why Coey has a fun day planned for his players today.

The Lady Hornets were hoping for a much better beginning. On Thursday, Huntsville’s varsity volleyball team lost all three of its pool matches at a tournament hosted by Cy Fair High School.

Huntsville head coach Mitchell Coey may need to keep notes against Conroe. He had a hard time recalling all of the memorable plays, and the plays that exposed some of the Hornets’ weaknesses.

So far, so good.Despite being undersized and outmanned, the Bulldogs put together a solid all-around performance Saturday against the Class 3A Rangers at Bryan Rudder High School.

Given some time to brainstorm this summer, Huntsville athletic director Mitchell Coey came up with some nifty ideas, plans that already are taking shape around Huntsville High School.

After going through a little more than two weeks of football camp for the Texas-El Paso Miners, the verdict is already in for James Davidson.

Huntsville defensive coordinator Shane Martin warned the Hornets on Tuesday night. They better show up Friday night ready to play.

The Sam Houston State football team is hoping the offense will get things rolling when the Bearkats host their final intrasquad scrimmage tonight at Bowers Stadium.

All of the old sayings are true.The Hornets are tired of hitting each other. They’ve been waiting for weeks to see somebody in a different colored uniform. They’re ready to flip on the Friday night lights and play some football.Tonight, the ball really starts rolling toward the 2009 season. Huntsville’s varsity team takes its first true test when the Conroe Tigers come to Bowers Stadium for an extended scrimmage starting at 7:30.

This is not your father’s preseason football practice. Heck, your older brother may not recognize summertime workouts anymore.Gone are those bulky blocking dummies and the line of dirty, old tires tailbacks used to learn how to hold onto the ball. There are no two-a-day workouts, not in the Huntsville area anyway, and coaches don’t bad-mouth players when they desperately need a drink.Rather, players now are encouraged to drink water. The more, the better.

Out of the hospital and back on the practice field, Huntsville head football coach Mitchell Coey was feeling better Tuesday afternoon.

As soon as he heard that last week’s scrimmage was cut short, Huntsville football coach Mitchell Coey formulated a plan for tonight’s workout at Livingston.

It’s opening day, er, night, for high school football teams in the Huntsville area.

Wanna have some fun and help some former Huntsville Hornets at the same time? Need a project that will rack your brain and get you fired up for football, too?

At the start of any new football season, optimism and curiosity fill the air. With a plenty of players returning from last season’s district champion team, the Bulldogs were determined to not be one-season wonders.

Sam Houston State is going to get a good idea of how it will stand up against teams in the Southland Conference when the Bearkats open the 2009 football season on Thursday night at Bowers Stadium.

The Huntsville varsity tennis team is young this season, but Hornets coach John Fuller liked what he saw out of last Friday’s practice match at Bryan High School.

Huntsville head football coach Mitchell Coey had surgery in Houston on Tuesday to relieve the pressure caused by several bulging discs and bone spurs in his neck.

Not many true freshmen get the opportunity to play a significant role for their college football teams, but Sir. Horace Saulsberry will get just that chance this season with Mary Hardin-Baylor, which opens its ’09 campaign on Saturday against Southern Nazarene in Bethany, Okla.

For the first time in two seasons, the Bulldogs had to watch another team celebrate a victory on their field. After jumping out to a 14-point lead to begin the game against Hearne last Friday, the Dogs allowed 28 unanswered points and could never retake the lead. In the end, Hearne walked out of Bulldog Stadium holding its heads high, becoming the first team to walk out of the two-year-old stadium with a victory.

So you think the St. Pius Panthers are a private school cream puff, the first team on the Hornets’ schedule that is a guaranteed victory? Better think again.

The thought of entering the final year of high school in a new place can be daunting. Imagine on top of that, joining a new team and having to learn new faces as well as new offensive and defensive systems.

The final score hardly mattered. The Alpha Omega Academy Lions played their first home football game Thursday afternoon and no one was moping following the one-sided contest that favored Brenham Christian Academy.

It is not very often when a college football coach gets excited talking about a place kicker during his press conference on national signing day.

After spending her whole life in Huntsville, playing volleyball and going to school, Sarah Hazlewood had a difficult choice to make last spring.

Here’s what teams have planned for first-week two-a-days

Senior J.D. Salinas highlights first home night game for OLH

Senior J.D. Salinas highlights first home night game for OLH

With one week until its home opener against Ozona, the Harper football team took on Lago Vista in a road scrimmage Friday night.

Are you ready to make your picks?

‘Harper football’ taking on new meaning with undersized team

OLH, Harper, ITM and Comfort have high hopes for openers

And yes, it’s worth every bit of the hype

And yes, it’s worth every bit of the hype

Harper football team defeated Ingram Tom Moore 61-7

Harper football team defeated Ingram Tom Moore 61-7

BELTON – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball assistant coach Kenny DeWeese has accepted as job with NCAA Division I Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. DeWeese will be the lead assistant coach on Dick Hunsaker's staff with the Wolverines.

BELTON – Season tickets for the 2009 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football season will go on sale August 12th. The tickets may be purchased from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Randy Mann's office on the second floor of the Mayborn Campus Center on the UMHB campus. Tickets will be available to prior season ticket holders on that date. Tickets will go on sale to those purchasing new season tickets on Thursday, August 20th.

August is here, and in the state of Texas, that means the return of dreaded two-a-days.

Entering his 10th season sitting atop his perch at Salado High School, football coach Jeff Cheatham is still working to build some consistency.

COPPERAS COVE – The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs were nearly perfect in their team tennis season opener on Friday, beating Killeen High 18-1.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final installment of the Killeen Daily Herald's look at the feeder systems and how they affect the area schools.

Todd McVey is a head football coach again, albeit not under the most ideal of situations.

Manor had almost as many errors as points, helping the Killeen Lady Roos roll to a season-opening sweep – 25-14, 28-26, 25-8 – Tuesday night at Killeen High.

Some numbers mean more than others. That's why Killeen High quarterback Michael Cummings and Ellison linebackers Devon Hocutt and Dominique Hosea are not letting their top-5 rankings at the Rivals.com National Ultimate 100 Top Prospect camp go to their heads.

Copperas Cove 17, Gatesville 2

Copperas Cove 15, Marble Falls 4

HARKER HEIGHTS – Known as the Harker Heights "Human Highlight Reel," D.J. Stephens is eager to expand his nickname to include a wider area after officially signing scholarship papers to play at the University of Memphis next season.

ESPNU will broadcast this year's Temple-Belton football game at Temple's Wildcat Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.

The holes weren't as big and quarterback Michael Cummings wasn't as sharp, but Killeen High head coach Sam Jones expected that in the Roos' first scrimmage.

Copperas Cove 17, Pfl. Connally 2

HARKER HEIGHTS – Hired in March, first-year Harker Heights coach Mike Mullins has tried to institute a winning attitude back into the once-proud football program.

Maybe the Shoemaker Grey Wolves don't have a large number of returning starters from last year's playoff team. But the talent they do have is attention-grabbing.

BELTON – Eager to face some larger schools, the Class 3A Gatesville volleyball team got an unexpected double dose of it at the Belton Invitational this weekend.

The Memorial Christian Warriors opened their football season at Marble Falls Faith Academy on Friday night. Not only was it the first game of their season, it was their first game ever. This is their inaugural season.

CRAWFORD – Four turnovers were too much to overcome for the Florence Buffaloes as they got rolled over by the Crawford Pirates, 48-6, Friday at Crawford High.

BELTON – The Belton Lady Tigers defeated Lampasas in four games, 25-11, 16-25, 25-21 and 25-17, Tuesday at Belton High.

Perry L. Jones Sr. grew up playing football in Louisiana and spent plenty of time around the game while in the Army.

Whether it was the season-high nine turnovers, or the encroaching of Hurricane Ike, there were several different factors that could have contributed to Ellison's embarrassing 51-14 loss to Round Rock last season.

The eighth meeting between Killeen High and Harker Heights wasn't exactly a defending duel between two teams trying to hold their ground.

Although it may not feel like it right now, fall is just around the corner bringing cooler temperatures, football, deer season and some fantastic fishing in Central Texas.

Copperas Cove 13, Pflugerville 6

Lampasas Independent School District community members are invited to join students, teachers, administrators and board members in dedicating Lampasas High School on Monday and Taylor Creek Elementary on Sept. 22. LHS is the first high school facility built in the district in more than 50 years.

After an awning collapsed on and killed a high school senior in the North Texas town of Bridgeport last month, Lampasa County resident Walter Ruzicka started to wonder if a similar accident could happen in Lometa. "That should be eye-opening for everybody," Ruzicka said.

The Lampasas School Food Service Association's taco salad supper is Friday preceding the football game. Serving will be from 5-8 p.m. at the Lampasas Middle School cafeteria. Tickets are $5.50 each from any LSFSA member or at the door. Menu includes taco salad, pinto beans, hot rolls, peach cobbler and tea. Take-outs will be offered.

Lometa Independent School District Board of Trustees will meet today at 6:30 p.m. in the library to consider a resolution to accept a grant from the Criminal Justice Division and appoint teacher appraisers for 2009-10. Reports also will come from administrators, and discussion will include curriculum and special programs overviews.

Lampasas High School Senior ag co-op work-study student Colton Baker assembles hood attachments on sentry fume extraction units set up to assist in safe welding and ventilation in the new agriscience lab.

The Lampasas High School Class of 1949 will hold its 60- year reunion on Sept. 26 from 2-5 p.m. at the Hancock Springs Hostess House. Reservations may be made by contacting Nootie Hetherly at (254) 778-7215 or e-mail melvinhetherly@ sbcglobal.net or contact June Davis at 556-2513 or junebugdavis@yahoo.com.

New Delhi. Mumbai. Chechnya. Madrid. London. The question isn't whether America will suffer a jihadi attack on our passenger rail lines, but when. So, why has President Obama neutered the nation's most highly trained post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism rail security team?

New Delhi. Mumbai. Chechnya. Madrid. London. The question isn't whether America will suffer a jihadi attack on our passenger rail lines, but when. So, why has President Obama neutered the nation's most highly trained post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism rail security team?

Lampasas Independent School District community members are invited to join students, teachers, administrators and board members in dedicating Lampasas High School on Monday and Taylor Creek Elementary on Sept. 22. LHS is the first high school facility built in the district in more than 50 years.

After an awning collapsed on and killed a high school senior in the North Texas town of Bridgeport last month, Lampasa County resident Walter Ruzicka started to wonder if a similar accident could happen in Lometa. "That should be eye-opening for everybody," Ruzicka said.

The Lampasas School Food Service Association's taco salad supper is Friday preceding the football game. Serving will be from 5-8 p.m. at the Lampasas Middle School cafeteria. Tickets are $5.50 each from any LSFSA member or at the door. Menu includes taco salad, pinto beans, hot rolls, peach cobbler and tea. Take-outs will be offered.

Lometa Independent School District Board of Trustees will meet today at 6:30 p.m. in the library to consider a resolution to accept a grant from the Criminal Justice Division and appoint teacher appraisers for 2009-10. Reports also will come from administrators, and discussion will include curriculum and special programs overviews.

Lampasas High School Senior ag co-op work-study student Colton Baker assembles hood attachments on sentry fume extraction units set up to assist in safe welding and ventilation in the new agriscience lab.

The Lampasas High School Class of 1949 will hold its 60- year reunion on Sept. 26 from 2-5 p.m. at the Hancock Springs Hostess House. Reservations may be made by contacting Nootie Hetherly at (254) 778-7215 or e-mail melvinhetherly@ sbcglobal.net or contact June Davis at 556-2513 or junebugdavis@yahoo.com.

SWEETHEART The Lampasas football Sweetheart will be announced prior to Friday's home game between the Badgers and Gatesville. The ceremony will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the game following at 7:30 p.m. GOLF Hancock Park Golf Course will host the first Preservation Lampasas Inc. four-person scramble on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m.

SWEETHEART The Lampasas football Sweetheart will be announced prior to Friday's home game between the Badgers and Gatesville. The ceremony will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the game following at 7:30 p.m. GOLF Hancock Park Golf Course will host the first Preservation Lampasas Inc. four-person scramble on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m.

I want Michael Vick back in the National Football League.

Less than two weeks after pitching in the Triple-A All-Star Game, and less than a year after being named the St. Louis Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year, former Kilgore High School standout Jess Todd has a new team.

HENDERSON — Michael Holt watches his team — the Henderson 14-and-under All-Stars — warm up before Tuesday's practice at Henderson High School, and he's slightly agitated. He yells at second baseman Arquez Walton, telling him ''Get focused.''

LINDALE — Coaches who gathered on Thursday at Garden Valley Golf Resort to address the media at the annual Southwest Junior College Football Conference Media Day were in agreement on a couple of things.

LINDALE — The Southwest Junior College Football Conference met to discuss ''local'' business on Thursday, but the league was also given some attention nationally.

Going back to grade school, John Tyler's Ashton Dorsey dreamed of following in line behind his older brothers and previous Lions.

Cayuga's Traylon Shead enters his senior season highly decorated.

Huey Chancellor opens his first session of two-a-days Monday as Pine Tree's head football coach. Chancellor said he's anxious to start practice.

Carthage head football coach Scott Surratt didn't know what to think of his team during the first couple weeks of practice last season, but it turned out well for the Bulldogs anyway as they won the Class 3A Division II state title.

Editor's note: This column was first published on Aug. 5, 2001, four days after Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer died and a day before area high schools began fall football drills. A year after this column ran, I had total hip replacement surgery at the age of 36. I still consider myself lucky it was just my hip I messed up by being a macho idiot.

The Longview Lobos, still a week away from opening fall football drills, earned some national recognition on Monday with the release of the preseason National Prep Football Poll.

With the 2009 season representing the 10th and final edition of football for this decade, it's time to start thinking about the proverbial "Team of the Decade."

First-year Pine Tree head football coach Huey Chancellor said Tuesday that the learning curve was steep for both players and coaches during the Pirates' first two days of fall practice.

ARLINGTON — The first football game at the new Cowboys Stadium is two weeks from Friday, when the Dallas Cowboys host the Tennessee Titans in a preseason game. If you want to get there on time, you better leave now.

Longview quarterback Aaron Johnson committed to Houston on Friday evening, according to Lobo head football coach John King.

Members of Longview's football team could feel like they are working in fiery conditions when they have their first practice of the 2009 season today. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 90s, and heavy on humidity.

KILGORE — Head football coach Mike Vallery and the Kilgore Bulldogs opened fall camp Monday with one morning session and a late afternoon practice. The word Vallery used multiple times talking about different units of his team was "young."

HENDERSON — While Henderson head football coach Dickey Meeks must replace his receiving corps and a Division I signee at linebacker, he believes the 2009 Lions will have the two most important physical aspects of football: Size and speed.

Versatile Daingerfield High School baseball standout Jared Terry will continue his education and athletic career at Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

Sept. 3 features the first major college football games of the year, but projections started coming out at least a month ago. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman — the Web site's best national college football writers — have even picked bowl matchups already.

CARTHAGE — The 2008 Carthage Bulldogs rode running back Dwight Smith, quarterback Si'Darius Blackshire, a talented receiving corps and a physical offensive line to the Class 3A Division II state championship, averaging 44 points along the way. The 2009 Bulldogs, ranked second in 3A behind Gilmer in Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, could make their name on defense.

It's 11 days until the start of the school year for some area districts. In the spirit of that day, here is a pop-quiz entrance exam, testing your sports savvy over this summer.

DAINGERFIELD — Football coaches like situations where their leading passer, rusher and receiver return after a strong season, especially a state championship campaign. Daingerfield head coach Barry Bowman has that in Tyler Boyd, KoKo Smith and Chris Jones.

Pine Tree takes the field today against an opponent for the first time under head coach Huey Chancellor.

Stop the run. Win the game.

Here are five 2009 college football games you'd be crazy to miss:

Carey Fortson is planning on playing major college football, but at least for now, it won't be as a Kansas Jayhawk for the Longview receiver.

In my sports-writing career, I've found that football players usually handle a 30-0 loss in the playoffs better than losing on a 47-yard field goal as time expired. It's better to get blown out than to lose close.

The season's second big tournament weekend will be highlighted by the Gilmer Lady Buckeye Varsity Volleyball Tournament, a 16-team event featuring a couple of Class 4A teams along with 12 Class A, 2A and 3A squads.

Voters across Texas confirmed Thursday that Longview, Gilmer and Daingerfield are among the best high-school football teams in the state, an action the coaches involved anticipated.

Jacksonville hit big plays, Spring Hill sustained a couple of drives and Pine Tree finished strong in the three teams' football jamboree Thursday evening at Pine Tree Stadium.

When it comes to preparation, the Longview football team's offense is considerably ahead of where it was last year. Tonight will be a test if the Lobos can get execution out of the preparation.

The Spring Hill Panthers got a good workout in their three-team jamboree against Jacksonville and Pine Tree on Thursday night, and perhaps even more important the Panther coaching staff got plenty of looks at a lot of different players.

KILGORE — Head coach Mike Vallery's Kilgore Bulldogs made their 2009 debut on the field Friday evening in a scrimmage against Mount Pleasant. Although the Bulldogs lost 2,000-yard back Frank Reddic to graduation, they do not appear to be in trouble in the backfield.

Longview Director of Extracurricular Activities Pat Collins said remaining reserve-seat tickets and advance general admission tickets will be available at the Longview athletic office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today.

A former Lufkin football star turned pro died Monday at a Bryan hospital from complications of a stroke suffered last week, Lufkin school officials said.

TULSA, Okla. — Former Longview High School standout and Vanderbilt University senior-to-be Hudson Johnson opened with a round of 77 on Monday at the 109th U.S. Amateur Championship.

Several area teams, including all three city schools, will continue to tune up their games this weekend at the annual Tyler Invitational — a tournament hosted by John Tyler and Tyler Lee.

Henderson (0-0, 0-0) vs. Navasota (0-0, 0-0)

LUFKIN — Navasota's big-play offense produced six touchdowns of 24 or more yards as the Rattlers opened the 2009 season with a convincing 47-0 victory against Henderson at Abe Martin Stadium.

(All games at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

Eight months ago, Carthage played for and won a Class 3A state championship in the final high school football game played at Texas Stadium. The following day, Daingerfield collected a Class 2A state title and Longview played for a Class 4A championship.

CARTHAGE — The Carthage Bulldogs overcame three turnovers to topple the Kilgore Bulldogs 29-17 in the season opener for both teams at Bulldog Stadium.

GLADEWATER — Big plays and capitalizing on opportunities made the difference as Spring Hill opened the 2009 football season with a dramatic 35-29 victory over Lindale on Friday night at Gladewater's Jack V. Murphy-Bear Stadium in the Gladewater Classic.

TATUM — Tatum's B.J. Allen raced 80 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game, but the Hallsville Bobcats played stingy defense the rest of the night en route to a 14-6 victory Friday night at Tatum Eagle Stadium.

ELYSIAN FIELDS — Jackson McCurdy picked up right where he left off in 2008, scoring four times and racking up 127 yards as White Oak rolled to a 41-14 season-opening win over the Joaquin Rams.

Pleasant Grove jumped to an early two-touchdown lead and scored five more times off five Pine Tree turnovers as the Hawks beat the Pirates 47-0 in the 2009 season opener for both teams at Pine Tree Stadium.

GLADEWATER — Elysian Fields broke a close game open late in the third when Brandon Goyne hooked up with Jed Crisp for an 85-yard touchdown pass to help propel the Yellow Jackets to a 29-7 win over Troup in the final game of Gladewater's Zero Week Kickoff Classic Saturday night at Jack V. Murphy-Bear Stadium.

Staff writer Gabriel D. Brooks visited Saturday with Pine Tree head coach Huey Chancellor about the Pirates' 47-0 loss to Pleasant Grove in the season opener Friday.

Staff writer Rick Kretzschmar visited Saturday with Longview head coach John King about the Lobos' 28-25 win over Allen in the season opener Friday.

Longview's come-from-behind win over Allen kept the Lobos at the top of the Class 4A list and managed to shake up a couple of polls today.

Eight months.

No. 1 Gilmer (1-0) vs. Emory Rains (0-1) / 7:30 p.m. tonight / Trinity Mother Frances, Rose Stadium, Tyler

I discovered a new phobia last week. It's symptoms are a panic attack, during fantasy-football drafts.

Tyler McCray sat on a table after Longview's football practice on Wednesday with scissors in his hand. He used the scissors to cut layers of tape off his left ankle, and in mid-cut he grinned. He said his ankle feels better than it has all week.

Looking over the capsule previews for games involving area teams this week, I noticed a couple of team mascots (Knights at Joshua Christian, Trojans at Cumby) that buck the trend set by most schools in East Texas — where animals seem to rule.

KILGORE — Hallsville's final pass attempt fell incomplete with just 11 seconds showing on the clock, and the Kilgore Bulldogs held on for a 20-14 win at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

Paris' defense held Pine Tree to one yard in the first half, Aaron Ethridge ran for two first-quarter scores and the Wildcats claimed a three-score halftime lead en route to a 33-0 win at Pine Tree Stadium.

HENDERSON — O'Bryan Washington carried the load for Carthage's football team most of the way on Friday, but when he was unable to finish, Gary Nutt and the Carthage defense took care of the rest.

Kilgore (0-1) at Tyler (1-0)7 p.m. TonightRose Stadium, Tyler

About this time last week I got some bad news. Because of a work assignment, I would miss out on the draft of a fantasy football league.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College scored 21 first-quarter points to take control of things early, and the Apaches disposed of the Kilgore College Rangers in a 51-33 shootout Thursday at Trinity Mother Francis Rose Stadium.

Your trusty scribbler watched all or part of all four televised high school games on Monday at the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Lindale's John Ryzman broke up Pine Tree quarterback Tyler Kids' pass at the Eagle 5-yard line with one second left to secure a 28-26 comeback win for the Eagles.

WHITE OAK — Following a near one-hour rain delay, the White Oak Roughencks returned to the field and poured it on the Rains Wildcats, 55-22, on a soggy night at Roughneck Stadium.

KILGORE — The Marshall Mavericks avenged a 2008 playoff loss to the Kilgore Bulldogs with a resounding 41-14 victory Friday at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.

Spring Hill's Tyler Zapata took a bad snap on a conversion point attempt and alertly scrambled for two points following a 72-yard Ashton Everett scoring run to give the Panthers an 8-6 lead in a lightning-shortened game at Panther Stadium on Friday night.

Cabe Dixon helped rally the Elysian Fields football team's defense on Friday. He also rallied their spirits, after a distraction which had nothing to do with football.

Whether it was weather or an unusual play, Daingerfield quarterback Tyler Boyd showed an uncommon ability to adapt on Friday. Because of this, he has led the Tigers to a victory over one of the best football programs in Texas ... again.

After battling illness last week, Pine Tree's Xzache Mathis came back with a vengeance Tuesday night against Marshall. The Lady Pirate senior recorded a match-high 14 kills to spearhead Pine Tree's 25-16, 25-14, 25-23 sweep of the Lady Mavs.

It was nice of Denver receiver Brandon Stokley to make a big play against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. It reminded me of a fantasy-football strategy to follow.

The location for Friday's non-district football game between the Pine Tree Pirates and North Lamar Panthers has been changed.

When he heads to Wisconsin next week for training camp with the Green Bay Packers, Diboll's Jermichael Finley will have only one job: to make himself a better tight end.

Central High School has added another member to its coaching staff with Ray Stanfield coming on board as head cross country and track coach and girls' athletic coordinator. Stanfield joins Kevin Hurley, who was recently hired as athletic director and boys' basketball coach.

The Lufkin Panthers baseball team's spectacular postseason run, an effort culminating in a state championship appearance, merited plenty of attention not only from Pack fans, but from any high school baseball fan who loved backing the underdog.

Lufkin High School junior-to-be Will Griffin, who was a member of the Panthers' fourth-place team at the Class 5A state golf tournament in May, won the club championship at Crown Colony Country Club last weekend.

There's no air conditioning running in Panther Gym as yet. They won't turn on the system until the week school starts. The water fountains spit out lukewarm water to those players thirsty enough to want it anyway. The ladies line up, sweat pouring in rivulets, and try to ignore the fact they're practicing in what amounts to a sweatbox with seats.

With the season opener less than three weeks away, the Lufkin Panthers' football team has high expectations as they get back on the practice field Monday.

Classes for most schools are still a couple of weeks away from convening, but the volleyball season arrives in full force beginning today in Lufkin.

Practices may be just a week old, but Lufkin Panthers' head coach John Outlaw said he is already excited about the team's prospects for the upcoming season.

Lufkin Panthers' players expected to play key roles in the 2009 season have suffered early injuries, but Lufkin head coach John Outlaw is hopeful that the same injury bug that bit the team last year will not be as big of an issue this year.

The Lufkin Panthers' football team just missed out on being ranked in The Associated Press Top 10. Lufkin received the 11th most votes in the poll, which was released on Thursday.

Typically for a high school football team, those pre-season scrimmages taking place in early August are used more for fine-tuning all that takes place throughout summer two-a-days.

The 2008 season featured plenty of intrigue as the Lufkin Panthers dropped their first district game since 2003, The Woodlands Highlanders challenged for the district title and the league was more balanced from top to bottom than any previous season.

With the football season just a day away, Lufkin Panthers' fans can look forward to another season of watching replays on TV and also listening to the games on the radio.

There will be no limping into the season for area teams as the high school season gets kicked off around the area tonight.

In a scrimmage last week, the Lufkin Panthers' football team gave fans a glimpse of their potential when they outscored the Beaumont West Brook Bruins 46-0 in a scrimmage.

The loss of an experienced quarterback can take a toll on any team, even if they rarely throw the football. Coach Seven Armstrong and the Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs found that to be true on Friday night, as the Newton Eagles rolled to a 40-21 win at Bulldog Stadium.

The Diboll Lumberjack coaching staff probably won't use much of Friday's game film for highlight purposes. They will, however, use those films as a teaching tool.

The Lufkin Panthers weren't flawless in the season opener against the Tyler Lee Red Raiders Friday night. But when the game was on the line, the Panthers showed exactly why they once again have high expectations this season.

Sports editor Josh Havard held a question-and-answer session with Lufkin head coach John Outlaw Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers opened the season with a 27-13 win over the Tyler Lee Red Raiders Friday night. Lufkin will be back in action on Friday as it plays at John Tyler as part of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic. John Tyler was a 41-17 winner over Texas High in the season opener.

There are some high school football teams that use the pre-district slate to schedule inferior opponents in an effort to build statistics and boost the win column. Corrigan-Camden is not one of those teams.

Even before the season started, Lufkin head coach John Outlaw said John Tyler could be the best team the Panthers saw until the playoffs.

CROCKETT — A two-point conversion on a fake extra point proved to be the difference for the Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs as they defeated the Crockett Bulldogs 35-33 here Friday night.

DIBOLL — It might well be the quickest one-week turnaround in Diboll football history.

It would be an understatement to say the Nacogdoches Dragons have taken an unorthodox route to get to their 2-0 record.

It wasn't nearly as lopsided this time, but for the second straight year The Woodlands Highlanders came away victorious in an early season showdown against the Katy Tigers.

Despite standing at just 5-feet, 10-inches, Lufkin's Blane McBride has never been hard to spot on the football field. He's usually the one in the middle of the action.

Barely midway through the season opener against Kirbyville, Diboll Lumberjack football fans had to be wondering just how long a season they were about to endure.

It is known as the "state's oldest rivalry." But in Lufkin, it has also become known as one of the state's biggest mismatches.

With Class 4A's top-ranked Longview Lobos coming to town to renew a longtime rivalry with the Lufkin Panthers, Friday's game could be one of the most attended games in Abe Martin Stadium history.

Leta Andrews of Granbury, the nation’s all-time winningest high school girls basketball coach, has been selected for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Andrews, who has 1,313 career victories in 47 seasons and has coached the Lady Pirates for the last 17 seasons, was among the Class of 2010 announced Saturday at the WNBA All-Star Game in Uncasville, Conn. Former Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo, four-time Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards, former Maryland coach Chris Weller, and Teresa Weatherspoon, a native Texan who led the New York Liberty to three WNBA Finals, were among those chosen for enshrinement. The induction ceremony will be June 12, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn. Andrews was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. — Staff and wire reports

By JOHN HENRY

Angel Martinez was 11 when he made his solemn vow.

"I remember going out for the Little League team in El Paso," said Martinez, whose dad was serving in Vietnam during this time in 1970. "We didn’t have a lot of money, I was one of the last two guys cut. So I spent the whole summer watching my buddies play baseball while I just sat there. I adore baseball. I remember that feeling, crying all the way home when I got cut.

"As young as 11, I decided if I ever have the opportunity to not do this to somebody else, I’m going to do it."

Martinez has never broken that oath in 25 years as a tennis coach. Every student who has ever wanted to play high school tennis has been welcomed onto his team.

His no-cut policy has translated into success on the court at Grapevine High School, where, in his 10 seasons, his teams have won four district championships and qualified for regionals nine times.

"Many coaches spend most of their time with the top players. He takes a more balanced approach in developing players," said Max Underwood, a former Grapevine booster club president whose two children played under Martinez’s tutelage. "And I think it’s served him well because he’s had some players develop into very good players. It’s helped his program."

If you want truth in numbers, consider the thousands who have benefited from Martinez’s vision to do his part to give students a well-balanced education that enhances and boosts not only the mind, but the body and spirit as well.

Education is his job. No, rather it’s his vocation, his calling. And, for him, he can’t think of a better place to educate than the tennis court.

"That’s what I love about the game of tennis. You learn so much," said Martinez, who, in September, will be recognized for his no-cut policy by receiving the United States Tennis Association’s Starfish Award. "First, you have to learn problem-solving skills, you have to learn to analyze, deal with adversity. We don’t have officials out there on the court; it’s the honor system. You run into an unscrupulous person sometimes. That’s a life lesson."

Learning and growing are Martinez’s priorities, and that starts with the right perspective. Every student who wants to play is on the team. Period.

No-cut policies in academic settings have been debated ad infinitum. Many argue that such a policy isn’t viable because of limitations in resources — particularly facilities — money and a coach’s time. Others debate that being cut is an educational opportunity because students are required to deal with a real-world experience, the argument being "the sooner students realize the highly competitive world in which they live, the better."

Martinez said he carried about 106 on his team last year at the school of 2,100 students. That equates to about 5 percent of the enrollment. He’s only able to take 25 — boys and girls — to tournaments. So players have to compete to make the tournament.

"I think tennis especially lends itself to a no-cut aspect because there’s not as much equipment involved," said Grapevine schools athletic director Tim Ford, who praised Martinez is "very deserving" of the USTA award. "It’s individual in a sense that people can develop at their own pace. There’s somebody they can compete against. At the same time, if you want to be at the top of the team, you can compete for that."

For Martinez, though, his no-cut policy entails something all too "real worldly": professional ethics with a very human element.

"I have two educational goals [through tennis]: One, is to serve and care for others. Two, is to make sure they know they’re never alone," said Martinez, who added that it is difficult, if not impossible, to have a no-cut policy in, say, basketball. "Once they leave us they’re still a member of our family. There’s always a place to come home.

"One of the things we talk a lot about is that there are so many things that are disposable in society. The relationships we have with one another should not be one of them."

Connor Wark is a recent Grapevine graduate and was captain of the tennis team last season. In a letter to the USTA nominating committee, he told a story that is becoming typical at Grapevine.

"Coach Martinez taught me to work hard at my tennis game and be the best person that I can be. ... When I doubted myself, he talked to me and encouraged me to focus on my strengths.

"He is a true mentor to every player. I watched him this year as he encouraged our top boys varsity player the same as a wheelchair player in his developmental tennis class. ... He makes us want to reach our potential as players and people."

That’s an educational experience. And one Angel Martinez doesn’t think should be denied to anyone.

By ERIC ZARATE

AUSTIN — Texas A&M football fans have a new favorite to look for this fall.

Aggies signee Dustin Harris from Livingston scored twice on lengthy returns to lead the South team to a 48-21 victory Tuesday in the 75th annual Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.

Harris dazzled the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium crowd with 99-yard kickoff return and a 95-yard fumble return during a five-minute span of the third period.

In the first half, Harris, listed as a wide receiver and safety, also intercepted a pass and completed a 37-yard pass after catching a lateral.

Harris, the game’s defensive MVP, set a game record with the kickoff return. The old mark of 94 yards was set in 1963.

North kicker/punter Chris Boswell, a Rice signee from Keller Fossil Ridge, was the last player Harris beat on the kickoff return. Harris also had a 67-yard punt return called back in the first quarter.

"I could’ve gotten better if I had nets and I could practice on my strike," said Boswell, referring to the depth of his kicks. "I’m doing all right for being cold."

Texas signee Chris Whaley, a 6-foot-3 245-pound running back from Madisonville, scored on runs of 1, 3 and 13 yards to earn offensive MVP honors. His three touchdowns tied a record held by six others.

North defensive tackle Josh Emmons, a Tarleton State signee from Stephenville, caused a fumble in the third quarter. He finished with three tackles, one for a 7-yard loss.

Oklahoma-bound Jarrett Brown, from Arlington Bowie, had two tackles.

On exhibit

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has scheduled an exhibit for July 2011 titled Texas High School Football: More Than a Game.

Joe Nick Patoski, a 1969 graduate of Fort Worth Arlington Heights, is the guest curator of the project.

"We’re definitely reaching out to the public on this because there is no single archives," he said.

Patoski said Euless Trinity’s haka dance pregame ritual and the Masonic Home teams of the 1930s are planned elements of the exhibit, which will run for six months.

"I can assure you that Fort Worth will not get short shrift on this," Patoski added.

Patoski can be reached through the museum’s Web site, TheStoryofTexas.com. Put high school football in the subject line.

Labor Day on FSN SW

Euless Trinity against South Jordan (Utah) Bingham will be the first of four games, all on Fox Sports Net Southwest, at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 7. The game starts at 10:30 a.m.

At 1:30 p.m., Colleyville Heritage will play Irving MacArthur followed by Mansfield Summit against Mansfield Timberview at 4:30 p.m. Klein Oak and Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame completes the schedule at 7:30 p.m.

By ERIC ZARATE

AUSTIN — With only 19 positive results among more than 45,000 tests taken over the past two school years, and a two-thirds cut in funding, UIL officials said Monday that steroids screening is working.

UIL executive director Charles Breithaupt lauded the program and its outcome during a news conference at the 77th annual Texas High School Coaches Convention.

When a reporter asked him if that meant that the results shows that steroids are not a problem, Breithaupt said: "Well, I think you can take that as a value judgment."

Later, he added, "I believe Cliff [Odenwald, UIL athletic director] is right when he told the ADs this: 'If that’s the case, that’s great news.’

"If it gives that student a reason to say no, we think that’s a positive thing. I ought not use the word positive. It’s a good thing," Breithaupt added.

Testing was conducted at 795 schools over the past two school years, at a cost of $6 million. The Legislature has cut spending on the program to $2 million. The number schools would likely remain the same, but fewer students will be tested at each site, Breithaupt said.

North wins by one

In the lowest scoring basketball all-star game in 23 years, the North squad beat the South 81-80. In 1986, the South won 74-71.

The North team led until a 3-pointer by Heath Hopson of Lampasas put the South ahead 80-78 with 2:40 left. Each team missed free throws before James Erger of Princeton made a putback with 59 seconds remaining.

Spearman’s Jordan Ashmore added a North free throw with 13 seconds left, and teammate Dax Hill of Round Rock came up with a steal to end the threat.

Cleburne’s Ethan Anderson recorded nine points for the North. Julian LaDay of Keller Fossil Ridge added six points, two blocks and two steals for the North.

Argyle’s Caden Dickerson had a game-high 21 points and was the North MVP. Brandon Thompson of San Antonio Stevens was the South MVP.

Cowboys Stadium out

This year’s Class 5A football title games won’t be in Arlington because the necessary date, Dec. 19, has already been booked for a Texas vs. North Carolina men’s basketball game.

Either Houston’s Reliant Stadium or the Alamodome in San Antonio will be chosen.

Not in Texas

Harsh economic times are forcing some states to reduce the number of games high school teams are playing. Charles Breithaupt said the legislative council didn’t want to discuss the issue.

Approval still needed

Arlington Bowie football coach Kenny Perry attended Monday’s North team practice, and Volunteers DE Jarrett Brown knew it.

"We’ve still got that look. Me and coach Perry are kind of tight," said Brown, an Oklahoma signee. "He was 'Make sure you know what you’re doing JB.’ We’re always joking like that."

By ERIC ZARATE

AUSTIN — The 77th annual Texas High School Coaches Convention officially begins at 8 a.m. today when the exhibit hall and job placement booth open, but players chosen for the basketball and football all-star games have been working hard since Friday afternoon.

Some, even longer.

For Keller Fossil Ridge guard Julian Laday, it’s his third all-star game since the high school season ended. He played in the DFW East-West All-Star game in April, and in a May regional game sponsored by a high school coaches group in North Texas.

"I would be working out anyway, probably," said Laday, who has signed with Ouachita Baptist. "But it helps knowing you have these all-star games. You don’t want to look bad in an all-star game."

On the agenda

Mansfield Summit girls basketball coach Tammy Lusinger will conduct a lecture Tuesday titled "Defense into Transition."

Win a Class 5A title by beating a 37-1 team with a 6-foot-8 player — Aldine Nimitz led by Baylor signee Brittney Griner — and others will notice.

The Lady Jaguars stopped Nimitz 52-43 here at the Erwin Center in March.

Lusinger said she gave the same lecture at the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches clinic in San Antonio in May.

"I will be a lot better this time," she said. "It’s tough speaking in front of a large crowd and in front of your peers."

Cha-ching

Cleburne’s Ethan Anderson is enjoying one of the perks of being chosen as a basketball all-star: the free gear.

There’s the workout attire, the headband and wristband, the game jersey, and the Nike LeBron shoes. On the Nike Web site, LeBrons retail for $90 to $140.

By AUSTIN TALBERT

AUSTIN — Starr Crawford and Alisha Filmore had played together for six years beginning in seventh grade.

On Thursday night, the Texas Girls’ Coaches Association 4A-5A All-Star basketball game was their last game as teammates.

And they made the most of it. With the help of Haltom’s Keuna Flax and Mansfield Timberview’s Chanice Smith, the Mansfield Summit stars led the North to a 94-64 victory at the Toney Burger Center.

"It is real good to officially end with a win," said Crawford, who scored six points. "We already had chemistry and that made things easier. And Alisha and I already knew the plays, so that made it easier."

In their last game for Summit last March — also in Austin — the pair helped their team to the Class 5A state championship, stunning favored Aldine Nimitz and dunking phenom Brittney Griner.

In this all-star game, Nimitz coach Debbie Jackson was again sitting on the other bench and again facing Summit coach Tammy Lusinger, who coached the North team.

And the Summit-led bunch made it look easy.

"It was very special to have the opportunity to share this with them; the girls became very tight in a very short period of time," Lussinger said. "It has been unbelievable."

Smith, who played with the Summit stars on the same AAU team for years, helped the North’s chemistry and scored 10 points — all in the first half.

"I just felt hot," said Smith of her first-half scoring frenzy. "It felt good to go out with a bang."

Filmore established the tone quickly, managing a steal before scoring the game’s first points on a breakaway layup. Crawford added a block to set up a fast break and an assist to Flax to help the North take a quick 14-2 lead.

"It feels really good, not only to end it with my teammate and coach, but with these other girls," said Filmore, who finished with four points. "We just bonded."

The North never eased up. . It was continually on the fast break, always finding the open teammate.

"It was very helpful in practice to have two girls that already know the system and can help the others learn it," Lussinger said. "They [Crawford and Filmore] have been like that all year."

Flax, who is headed to Oklahoma State, led the North with 15 points.

"It was exciting," Flax said. "I was glad to play my last high school game with everybody here. I played against them and we played together in the Dallas vs. Tarrant all-star game [just after the regular season ended]. We knew each other already, and wherever we went we passed it."

From now on, however, the two former Summit standouts will be rivals. Crawford is heading to TCU and Filmore will be playing at SMU.

By PAUL WESSELS

For the first time, the Texas Private School Coaches Association will be hosting football, baseball and softball all-star games at their annual convention.

Eleven baseball, four softball and three football players will represent area schools in the games at Austin Westlake High School. Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal head coach Aaron Beck will coach the North football team.

"It’s so much fun getting to coach all these kids together," Beck said. "Everybody is competitive, but at the end of the game you can just tell all the kids are happy to be selected and get to play."

The three area football players are Fort Worth Temple Christian defensive lineman Austin Prater and wide receiver Andrew Chambers, and Fort Worth Trinity Valley School linebacker Michael Kutzler.

The North baseball team’s 17-man roster will include Trinity Valley School’s Willy Hughes (pitcher) and Connor Smith (outfielder), Grapevine Faith’s Pierce Shivers (catcher) and Josh O’Neal (outfielder), Fort Worth Temple Christian’s Cody Killman (shortstop), Pantego Christian’s Travis Breslin (shortstop) and Dakota Taylor (pitcher), Fort Worth Christian’s Cody McGee (shortstop) and Barrett Watson (outfielder), Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal’s Alix Gleitz (outfielder), and Arlington Grace Prep’s Sam Hodapp (outfielder).

O’Neal had to drop out of the game after suffering a hand injury during a game with his summer league team earlier this week.

"Since it’s the first one it would have been a pretty big deal to me," O’Neal said about not getting the chance to play.

"It is still a big honor since it was the other coaches that picked me."

The four area softball players on the 13-player North roster are Fort Worth Bethesda Christian School’s Kelsea Svochak (pitcher) and Shayna Freudiger (outfielder), Watauga Harvest’s Emily Mendez (shortstop), and Fort Worth All Saints’ Caitlyn Grudzinski (shortstop).

"It’s exciting because I get to play with players at my level," Svochak said. "My team was awesome, but it’s great to play with a lot of girls like me and be with a bunch of other select players."

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By DAVID R. HENRY

AUSTIN — Lauren Martin didn’t finish her high school career at Euless Trinity the way she wanted to because her team missed out on the playoffs her final season.

The Texas Girls Coaches Association 4A/5A volleyball all-star game gave her one shot at redemption and the Penn-bound outside hitter made the most of it, helping the West to an easy sweep at the Burger Center on Wednesday night.

"It felt really good tonight," Martin said. "I wanted to end high school ball with a good moment."

Martin had the final kill in the first game on a powerful spike to give the West a 25-23 win. The West rolled on from there, winning the final two games 25-18, 25-18. Martin had three kills and one block.

"That was an impressive kill at the end of the first game," Euless Trinity coach Susan Kaufman said. "I thought she played a really good game tonight."

The West squad showed quite a bit of chemistry considering the players had only one day to get to know each other and practice. Martin said the team bonded while playing ping-pong together Tuesday night.

"The approach we took was to make the drills fun and do things together that they’d enjoy," said Highland Park coach Michael Dearman, assistant coach for the West team. "It all jelled together well for us."

The game’s Most Valuable Player award went to Rowlett outsider hitter Jasmine Norton, an Arkansas signee. Norton showed versatility, coming up with a key kill or block whenever the team needed it, and she served up two aces.

"She was our spark plug," Dearman said. "We weren’t surprised. We knew [MVP] would be her before they announced it."

Elly Barrett of Austin Westlake took the award for Athlete of the Year.

The match ended when the East blocked the ball out of bounds after a spike from Lake Highlands’ Tori Mellinger.

The TGCA Summer Clinic concludes tonight with the Class A-3A and 4A-5A all-star basketball games starting at 6 and 8, respectively, at the Burger Center.

By AUSTIN TALBERT

AUSTIN — In June at Red and Charline McCombs Field on the Texas campus, Azle’s Sarah Mendez was outstanding, striking out 17 in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Angleton in the UIL Class 4A state semifinals.

On Tuesday, Mendez returned to the same field where her Azle career ended and capped a sparkling high school career with yet another stellar pitching performance, this time earning the win in Austin.

"I am glad I got another chance to come out here," Mendez said. "This was a better way to end the season."

It was the All-Star Game on Tuesday not in St. Louis. In the Texas Girls Coaches Association 4A-5A game, Mendez and Azle coach Vera Ortega led the West to a 8-4 win over the East.

Mendez, who will play at Navarro College next season, struck out six in three innings of no-hit pitching to earn the win.

"It was awesome," Mendez said. "You only get to do this once. The girls were awesome, we came out and had fun."

Offensively, Mendez singled in the seventh and scored on a two-run hit that put the West ahead 6-1.

Mendez showed well defensively, making a barehanded play to throw out a speedy runner for the first out and striking out the next two. She struck out the side in the third, before moving to second base for the rest of the game.

"I thought I struggled a little," Mendez said. "But I did what I needed to do. I had fun."

Caitlin Everett from Forney was named the game’s most outstanding player, going 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, two stolen bases and a run scored. She also threw out a runner attempting to advance to third on a fly ball to center.

"That was awesome," Ortega said of the win. "Hopefully this will bring some good luck to Azle."

By PAUL WESSELS

The spring semester might be over for most athletes, but for a handful of area students the season will continue this week.

The Texas Girls Coaches Association will be hosting All-Star games for basketball, softball and volleyball at their summer clinic in Austin this week.

Six area athletes will be competing in Austin: four in basketball, one in softball and one in volleyball.

Chanice Smith of Mansfield Timberview, Keuna Flax from Haltom, and teammates Starr Crawford and Alisha Filmore of Mansfield Summit will play for the 4A-5A North squad.

Lauren Martin of Euless Trinity will be the only volleyball player to compete from the area and will play for the 4A-5A West team. Martin has signed to play at Baylor in the fall.

Sarah Mendez of Azle will be the lone softball player from the area for the 4A-5A West squad, but her coach, Vera Ortega, will be coaching the team.

"It’s good for me to know that I have someone from home there," Mendez said. "It makes me less nervous and more confident. State was really nerve-racking so I’m glad she’s coming out there."

Mendez will play at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana in the fall and then transfer to either the University of Texas or University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Crawford said the All-Star game will cap an unbelievable season, which included winning a state championship.

"It’s pretty awesome to play in the All-Star game after winning state," Crawford said. "I’m a little nervous about playing, but I’m not going in by myself. If I mess up on the court, hopefully I won’t, but it’s good to have someone there I know with me."

Filmore said it will be great to play with her longtime teammate.

"Playing with [Crawford] makes it even better," Filmore said. "We have been together since seventh grade, so it’s fitting we go to the All-Star game together."

This will be the last time the two play on the same team because Filmore plans on attending SMU in the fall and Crawford will go to rival TCU, both to play basketball.

"As good of players as they are, they are better people," Summit coach Tammy Lusinger said. "They are great young ladies, great role models and have worked very, very hard."

Smith will play at Sam Houston State in the fall.

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By ZACH McCANN

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — If you’re holding your breath waiting for Fort Worth Dunbar’s Darius White to select a college, you may want to exhale. It’s going to be a while.

White, one of the nation’s top recruits and Texas’ highest-rated wide receiver, said he probably won’t make a decision until national signing day in February.

"It’s not going to be anytime soon," White said Saturday at the Gridiron Kings all-star football game at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. "And once the season starts I’m going to focus on the games and nothing else. I won’t even be thinking of this during the season."

On Saturday, playing in a 7-on-7 tournament with some of the best players in the nation, White admittedly didn’t have his best day.

There were no stats kept, but White said he played "horrible."

Still, scouts aren’t going to shy away from the blue-chip prospect.

A 6-foot-4 senior, White has 27 receiving touchdowns and more than 1,800 receiving yards the past two seasons. All major recruiting Web sites have him rated as one of the five best receivers in the country.

A recent report said his top choices were Oklahoma, USC and Texas, but White went out of his way to refute that claim on Saturday.

"I don’t know how they took it that way when I spoke to a reporter last week," White said. "I wasn’t saying those were the schools I would prefer to go to. It can be any school. I really can’t tell you where I’m going or where I’m not going, because I don’t know."

At this point, White said, it could be anywhere. He took trips to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and he plans to go on several more.

A lot White’s decision will have to do with instant playing time and a good architectural engineering program.

"You don’t want to go somewhere and sit on the bench, basically wasting a whole year," White said. "You want to go in and play, not just go to practice and you’re on the team."

Added White: "Most schools I’ve been looking at have a good engineering program. Academics come first and that’s what I want to study."

By WILLIAM WILKERSON

ARLINGTON — If 7-year-old Devin Perry had any say, the tooth fairy’s frequent visits to his home were going to have to wait at least until the end of Arlington Bowie’s free football camp.

While there were no contact drills at the two-day session that concluded Thursday at the school’s practice field, Perry wasn’t taking any chances. He sported a mouthpiece for good measure to protect his few permanent teeth already in place.

Most of the other 300 second- through ninth-graders threw caution to the wind at their chance to rub elbows with some of the current Volunteers. Some came dressed in usual football garb complete with a practice jersey and newly acquired cleats. Others slapped on a backward baseball cap and hit the ground running.

Bowie head coach Kenny Perry, no relation to Devin, may have had the most energy of anyone. If he wasn’t trying to solve the field’s immense ant problem, Perry was squirting the second-graders with water or joking that he’d buy them a new car if they could throw the ball farther than Bowie quarterback Deric Davis, who seemingly chunked a ball to Grand Prairie with one flick of the wrist on Perry’s request.

"Anybody that beats that gets a new car," Perry joked. "An Escalade with 33-inch rims and a hot tub in the back."

It was all fun under the sun for these future Volunteers, which is exactly the way Perry wanted it to be.

"Texas high school football has obviously given me a lot in my life and I think a lot of our coaches remember times when they were kids growing up going to football camps," said Perry, who has put on this free clinic since his arrival at Bowie in 2006.

"I think in today’s times, with the economy and people struggling, we aren’t in this to make money. We are in it for the kids. We have a free camp. I’ve always been about that, just to try to get kids out and to give parents an avenue to get kids to release a little steam in the summer. We always do it right before football season and it’s been good for us."

The cupboard has never been bare of talent around Bowie, where chiseled frames and daunting speed are as common in the athletic department as No. 2 pencils are on test day.

But that hasn’t always transferred to success on the football field, where varsity competition started in 1992. In fact, Bowie hadn’t experienced a winning season until three years ago, when Perry led the Volunteers to a 7-4 record and their first playoff berth in his first season.

That success has continued at every level. After going 12-2 two seasons ago and losing to Euless Trinity in the playoffs, Bowie went 11-2 and to the third round of the playoffs last year. The sophomore and junior varsity teams combined for an 18-2 record last season and its junior varsity squad placed second at this summer’s Texas State 7-on-7 Tournament.

"We won the district championship at every level," Perry said. "When I first came over here, my first concern was getting southeast Arlington behind Bowie football, and I think, for the most part, we have done that.

"We have a great community that is very supportive of our school. We want to give back to people of the community."

A quick look at some of the younger participants would lead one to believe that the talent will only continue to pour in. Take for example 13-year-old Chris Thigpen, who checks in at 6-3, 250 pounds.

They showed up with dreams of a district championship, a deep playoff run or, simply, just one more win than they got last season.

On Monday, football players across Texas began working toward their goals as two-a-days got under way.

"The big thing for us is just getting everybody here, working on special teams and getting everybody in shape," said Everman coach Dale Keeling, whose team went 14-1 and reached the Class 4A Division II semifinals in 2008.

"Most of the kids have been coming to our strength-and-conditioning program over the summer, so hopefully they are in shape. Also, we teach a lot of what we do here during non-contact so that when we do get in pads, we don’t have to stop and talk and teach as much."

Players will put on pads Friday.

A look around the area from the first day of practice:

New era, new look

Grapevine’s first day looked dramatically different under new coach Dave Henigan.

Last year, Day One featured gray shorts and shirts, and running, running and more running.

The Mustangs got under way at 7 a.m. Monday with red shorts and sharp red-numbered jerseys.

But the workout was more intriguing than the fashion.

Rather than monotonous gassers, Henigan broke the team into positional drills. Quarterbacks threw, receivers practiced routes and linemen worked to get their feet moving.

"It’s new, you know, it feels good," senior running back John Mundy said. "I like all the new coaches, and it’s a good atmosphere out here."

A chance to impress

The Everman Bulldogs began a new campaign in hopes of yet another deep playoff run.

As non-contact drills began, several fresh faces looked to impress in an effort to earn a slot on the varsity.

The Bulldogs have a solid layer of senior experience on board but will lean heavily on an infusion of fresh talent from a junior-varsity squad that went 10-0 in 2008. Of the 45-player roster, coach Dale Keeling expects 20 spots to be filled by players from last year’s JV team.

QB tryouts at Dunbar

Fort Worth Dunbar coach Todd Lawson said he is looking at several candidates to get the ball to top receivers Darius White and Dominique Sanders.

Junior Vernon Sharp is the early front-runner, but there are two or three other candidates. Sanders also will get a look at quarterback.

The smell of freshly-mowed grass and the shrill sound of a whistle can only mean work has begun for the 2009 high school football season.

Dozens of area teams did just that on Monday, and the season begins Aug. 27.

Grapevine and North Crowley hit the field at 7 a.m., while Fort Worth Dunbar, FW South Hills and FW Arlington Heights followed an hour later.

New era, new look

Grapevine’s first day of practice took a dramatically different look this year under new coach Dave Henigan.

Last year, Day 1’s first practice featured nothing but gray shorts and shirts plus running, running and more running.

The Mustangs got underway at 7 a.m. Monday with red shorts, and sharp red-numbered jerseys.

However, more intriguing than the fashion was the workout.

Rather than monotonous gassers, Henigan broke the team into positional drills immediately.

The quarterbacks were throwing, receivers were practicing routes and lineman were working on getting their feet moving.

Henigan’s exuberant presence offered energy that Mustangs fans can only hope transfers to his players after last year’s 0-10 season.

"It’s new, you know, it feels good," senior running back John Mundy said. "I like all the new coaches and it’s a good atmosphere out here."

—Tobias Xavier Lopez

QB tryouts at Dunbar

Coach Todd Lawson said he is looking at several candidates to get the ball to top receivers Darius White and Dominique Sanders.

Junior Vernon Sharp is the early front-runner, but there are two or three other candidates. Sanders will also get a look at quarterback.

The Wildcats, 9-2 last season, must replace graduated player Nicholas Rockwell.

—Carlos Mendez

Big outlook at Wyatt

Fort Worth Wyatt might be able to take advantage of its size this season. Offensive lineman Skyler Huey (272 pounds) and fullback Chelino Vasquez (240 pounds) are two examples of why the Chaparrals are optimistic about a good running game.

By BLAKE HURTIK

Haws Athletics Center sits on hill overlooking the city’s center for graffiti abatement to the north.

During the summer, Haws plays host to an organization that takes on a similar role.

But rather than painting over graffiti after it has already defaced a building or wall, the Fort Worth Youth Sports Council tries to stop it at the source.

It replaces the can of spray paint with a basketball.

The council runs a summer basketball league every year. The cost for the 1,300 boys and girls has remained the same since the council started in 1991: a $5 registration fee.

In the fall, the council offers basketball, flag football and soccer and, in the spring, softball, baseball and volleyball — all for the price of a Big Mac, fries and a drink.

The jerseys, balls, equipment, trophies and gym rentals are paid for by the city. That lets the players, who predominately come from impoverished and inner-city neighborhoods, simply enjoy the game.

E.J. Johnson, a 15-year-old from Eastern Hills High School, has been playing in the YSC’s summer basketball league since he was 7, he said. While Johnson’s dream is to play football for Texas A&M, he still plays in the summer to keep his basketball skills sharp. He and most of his Southside Hornets teammates have been a part of the YSC from a young age.

"I play just to stay in shape," Johnson said. "It’s about the basketball."

That’s why Lyndon Nixon, the council’s program administrator took the job.

"The most rewarding thing for me is seeing everything come together and the end result is you have kids running up and down the court having a good time," Nixon said. "That’s one time when all the adults stop talking and just watch the kids do what they do — just play."

Nixon, a former football standout at Grand Prairie and Tulsa, was brought in to run things in November. Having played youth sports all through his childhood, he understood the importance of giving kids a safe and fun place to play.

"I fell in love with it immediately based on the fact that I got so much out of it for me by being an athlete and getting a scholarship, and I started in programs just like this," Nixon said. "I don’t mean to make excuses, but they don’t have it easy at home."

Rick Stokes, who coaches the International Hoopers team, said the program is especially important for kids with single moms. Stokes even monitors his players’ grades, instituting his own "no pass, no play" rule.

"A lot of these kids don’t have dads," Stokes said. "We help in instilling discipline."

On a recent Tuesday night, the under-17 league held two games at Haws. Most players looked as if they could play high school basketball, like Johnson. Some looked to even have college-ball potential. Nixon estimates that about half of the older kids play for their schools while others can’t because of grade or disciplinary problems.

"We just want to keep them going," Nixon said. "The older they get, the easier it is for us to lose them because at 17, going to play in a rec league might not be cool."

But it’s a league whose price can’t be beat. For instance, the Ryan Family YMCA charges $65 for members and $85 for non-members for most of its youth sports.

"It gives kids of all ages a chance to play sports," said Jon Snyder, the council’s executive director. "The YMCA is an incredible program, but price is no object here. A family can bring their child, sign them up and they get to play."

The low cost means a lot of work falls on the council’s two fulltime employees — Nixon and his assistant— and four TCU interns, one being Horned Frogs nose tackle Cory Grant.

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

GRAPEVINE — The tough part, the sleeping at the office on an air mattress, away from the wife and three children, that part of the job is over now for Dave Henigan.

The challenging part, restoring a two-time state championship program to prominence, well, that began in earnest last week.

Henigan arrived in early March but left his family behind in Corsicana so his wife, a teacher, and their three boys could finish the school year.

So Henigan turned "nomad" by sleeping at the office, friends’ houses or anywhere in between, in order to honor his commitment to family and the Mustangs.

"We commuted and slept on blow-up beds," Henigan said. "You just do what you’ve got to do. It’s not ideal but it’s one of those things that you make it work."

His family has made the move and his sons have even been spotted watching TV inside the Mustangs’ fieldhouse.

Now, what remains is football. Last year Grapevine finished 0-10.

"For whatever reason, Grapevine hit rock bottom last year," Henigan said. "So the opportunity to build something and get a program back to where it should be is very appealing to me."

Henigan, 38 and a former quarterback at the University of Pacific, will run the Mustangs’ spread offense. Carl Anderson, one of six holdovers from the previous staff, is the defensive coordinator.

The challenge will be changing the mind-set of the team, which is undersized when compared to a District 5-5A powerhouse such as Euless Trinity.

"The things that we are focused on is that our kids are positive and believe that they can win," Henigan said. "The way you do that is you create a competitive environment in everything they do. ... Them continuing that mentality of competing in everything they do will carry over into game situations."

The Mustangs opened practice last week in new red practice jerseys and shorts rather than the drab gray of last year.

Senior linebacker Ian Bargsley said it felt great to be back at work.

"He’s turned everything around here," Bargsley said. "It’s all for the better. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do once we get pads on."

Running back John Mundy echoed Bargsley’s sentiment.

"He’s great," Mundy said. "He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s a first-class kind of guy."

District 7-4A

Coach: Todd Lawson, fourth year

Last season: 9-2 (4-0 West Zone, district champion)

Playoffs: Division II, lost first round to Stephenville 47-41 in two OTs

Enrollment: 1,013 (10th in 7-4A)

Key returnees: WR Darius White (6-2, 205), 1,068 yards, 16 TDs in 2008; LB Rashod Favors (6-0, 225); DT Clarence Shields (6-0, 230); G Damian Taylor (6-5, 270).

Key losses: QB Nicholas Rockwell.

The big picture: The Wildcats boast one of the state’s top receivers, White, who is being recruited by schools such as Texas, Southern Cal and Oklahoma. But he is not the Wildcats’ only weapon. WR Dominique Sanders is a threat on the other side, and RB Jordan Rollerson is healthy after missing last season because of injury. The Wildcats must find a quarterback, however. Defensively, the Wildcats have size and experience up front but are younger and less experienced in the secondary.

Quotable: "The defense will be pretty young, but some of the sophomores are real athletic. I like them because they’re playmakers." — Coach Todd Lawson.

"I think we can make a state run. We’ve just got to get the ball rolling." — LB Rashod Favors.

Notable: The Wildcats are the last FWISD team to win a playoff game, a 2001 first-round game against Stephenville.

Schedule

Aug. 29: at Abilene

Sept. 4: Dallas Molina

Sept. 10: South Oak Cliff

Sept. 18: Dallas Roosevelt

Sept. 24: at Arl. Heights

Oct. 2: Polytechnic

Oct. 16: at Southwest

Oct. 22: Trimble Tech

District 7-4A

Coach: Zachary Criss, third year

Last season: 3-7 (2-2 East Zone)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2007.

Enrollment: 1,165 (seventh in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: OL Skylar Huey (6-1, 270); CB Tymajdrick Jackson (6-0, 175); S Okayae Stewart.

Key losses: RB Marcus Turner, DE Meyer Criss.

The big picture: The Chaparrals had enough talent to compete last season, but turnovers and injuries doomed them for much of the schedule. Despite returning eight starters, the team will be younger on offense, with two freshmen and two sophomore running backs and an untested quarterback. The experience is easier to find on the defense, particularly the secondary.

Quotable: "We’re young, but we should be pretty good. A lot of the sophomores and freshmen who played varsity last year, I believe, are going to be able to step it up and get it done." — Coach Zachary Criss.

"I have seen our defense get better and faster. There’s a fire up in us. This year, we know we need to make the playoffs." — Senior DT Larry Hutchinson.

Notable: Wyatt is the last FWISD team to reach the third round of the playoffs, in 2000.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Abilene Cooper

Sept. 3: South Oak Cliff

Sept. 10: Dallas Carter

Sept. 18: at Arlington Bowie

Sept. 25: at Polytechnic

Oct. 3: Arlington Heights

Oct. 8: at South Hills

Oct. 15: Eastern Hills

District 7-4A

Coach: Jerry Watson, sixth year

Last season: 1-8 (1-3, East Zone)

Playoffs: None.

Enrollment: 1,280 (sixth in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: DT Eddie Ramos (6-2, 250); OT Emmanuel Galvan (6-0, 225); TB Clifton Board.

Key losses: WR Levon Lynch, WR David Diaz.

The big picture: The Scorpions are starting over offensively, returning only three linemen and a part-time tailback. The line has size, however, and FB Jeovanni Pastrona should help add punch to the running game. The area of most improvement should be on defense, particularly in the front seven, led by veteran DT Eddie Ramos.

Quotable: "We’re OK at this point, but we’ve got a long way to go before we play a game." — Coach Jerry Watson.

"We’re trying to make a difference this year. We’re playing more as a team. We’re more competitive." — DT Eddie Ramos.

Notable: The Scorpions hope for a payoff from stability at coach. When Watson was hired, he was the team’s third head coach in three seasons.

Schedule

Sept. 4: at Cleburne

Sept. 11: Grace Prep

Sept. 17: Paschal

Sept. 25: Trimble Tech

Oct. 2: at Eastern Hills

Oct. 8: Wyatt

Oct. 16: at North Side

Oct. 23: Arlington Heights

District 7-4A

Coach: Chris Killian, fourth year

Last season: 4-6 (0-4, East Zone)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 1979.

Enrollment: 1,530 (fifth in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: RB Edgar Beltran (900 yards); OT Marco Pina (6-3, 265); DE Eddie Lopez; LB Irwin Garcia

Key losses: PK/P Jorge Martinez; S Marcos Bonilla

The big picture: The Steers graduated a large senior class, but the incoming seniors have played only under fourth-year coach Chris Killian, which could be a benefit. Senior QB Luis Maltos is an example, as he will be counted on to use his experience in the system. RB Edgar Beltran comes off a 900-yard rushing season and will run behind a bigger offensive line. Defensively, the Steers have experience at end and linebacker.

Quotable: "We’ve got to replace a lot of seniors, but this year’s group of kids is going to be better off than two years ago when we had to replace a lot of seniors. This group has been in the system. They know what to expect, and they know what to expect of each other." — Coach Chris Killian

"We’ve got plenty of returning starters, and some of them have been starting since their sophomore year, so this upcoming class of seniors is going to help us out." — RB Edgar Beltran

Notable: Luis Maltos is the fourth consecutive senior to start at quarterback for the Steers.

Schedule

Aug. 27: at Diamond Hill-Jarvis

Sept. 5: Grapevine Faith

Sept. 11: Dallas Molina

Sept. 25: at Southwest

Oct. 2: Whitney

Oct. 8: at Arlington Heights

Oct. 16: South Hills

Oct. 23: at Eastern Hills

District 7-4A

Coach: John Naylor, second year

Last season: 4-6 (0-4 East Zone)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 1989.

Enrollment: 1,868 (first, District 7-4A)

Key returnees: WR Akim Nixon, more than 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2008; WR Jordan Gray (6-4, 215); QB Don Taylor

Key losses: DT James Davis; LB Fabian Sanchez

The big picture: The Bulldogs have experience in a key area, the offensive line, which returns three players for their second season in the spread. WRs Nixon, Gray and Wayne Brown are scoring threats. Defensively, senior transfer DT Ty McKinney (Weatherford) will provide experience in the front seven. The secondary has impressed the coaching staff.

Quotable: "During the spring, there were times when the defense was giving us fits. They were real aggressive. We were happy about that." — John Naylor

"With some good work and good practices, we should be able to do well. " — senior WR Akim Nixon

Notable: The Bulldogs are coming off their first spring practices in a number of years.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Dallas Jefferson

Sept. 4: at Dallas Conrad

Sept. 10: Dallas Sunset

Sept. 19: Carter-Riverside

Sept. 25: at South Hills

Oct. 9: at Western Hills

Oct. 16: Polytechnic

Oct. 22: at Dunbar

By PAUL WESSELS

While some things change, others remain the same.

There could be a changing of the guard at the top of the 4A area mountain with Mansfield Legacy loaded with experience, despite this being only the program’s third year of existence.

But don’t expect traditional powers such as Aledo, Stephenville and Birdville to let Legacy climb to the top without a fight.

Aledo lost nine players from last year’s roster, but what it lost in experience, it has gotten back in confidence.

Birdville will look to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season and Stephenville has an experienced, athletic squad.

In 5A, Arlington is back on top. It has a well-balanced team that will be tough to beat when district starts. With a new coach, Carroll looks to build off its success from last season. Arlington Martin is another traditional power that looks primed for another run at the state title.

Top 10s

5A

1. Arlington (26-17) This Colts team has a great mix of youth and experience. Senior Mackenzie Nunn is moving from setter to libero.

2. Carroll (36-8) New coach Arthur Stanfield brings his 626-133 record and three state titles from Red Oak.

3. Arlington Martin (30-14) It’s been four years since Martin last won state; is it due for another title?

4. Abilene (33-7) Went 11-1 in District 3-5A, coasting to the title. Now primed for a run at the state title.

5. Arlington Lamar (26-14) Senior setter Anna Berry was named the 4-5A setter of the year last season and this will be her fourth year starting.

6. Keller Central (34-11) Has reached the bi-district round of the playoffs the last two years and is returning five starters.

7. Colleyville Heritage (28-11) The Panthers will look to get past the first round of the playoffs with new coach Jamie deTurck.

8. Keller (26-19) After finishing last season tied for the District 5-5A title with Colleyville Heritage, the Indians will try to take the title outright this year.

9. Mansfield (24-11) The Tigers finished in the middle of the pack in 4-5A last season and will have a tough time moving up this year with Arlington, Lamar and Martin in their way.

10. Weatherford (25-15) The Roos finished tied for second in 3-5A last year, but with seven seniors they could very well win district this year.

4A

1. Mansfield Legacy (24-14) In just their third year with a volleyball program, second at 4A, the Broncos will have 10 seniors on their roster, including all six starters.

District 7-4A

Coach: Steve Hale, second year

Last season: 7-4 (4-0, East Zone)

Playoffs: Division I, lost first round to Arlington Seguin, 23-17

Enrollment: 1,777 (second in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: LB Willie Byrd (107 tackles, 5 sacks); WR Marquis Jackson (725 yards); RB Theo Davis (731 yards)

Key losses: QB Mark Grace, WR David Shipman

The big picture: The Yellow Jackets are stocked in the skill positions and on defense, but they must replace a two-year quarterback. Jackson (6-1, 180) has high playmaking potential, and Davis (6-0, 185) is a versatile runner who can catch. On defense, size and speed are everywhere. Byrd is 6-3, 180; LB Kourtney Handy is 6-0, 180; and S Leland Gupton is 5-11, 175.

Quotable: "We’ve got good, young linemen, a bunch of them. We’ve got a lot of depth there. I feel real good about that." — Steve Hale

"This year we expect to play even better as a team. Most of us have been playing together since junior high. With this being Coach Hale’s second year, we’re seeing things even better now." — senior DB Blake Gower

Notable: Ten starters return on defense. Only a cornerback needs to be replaced.

Schedule

Aug. 27: at Birdville

Sept. 3: Azle

Sept. 11: at Paschal

Sept. 18: Celina

Sept. 24: Dunbar

Oct. 3: at Wyatt

Oct. 8: North Side

Oct. 23: at South Hills

District 7-4A

Coach: Michael Prewitt, first year

Last season: 5-6 (3-1, East Zone)

Playoffs: Division II, lost first round to Everman, 59-14

Enrollment: 1,493 (sixth in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: QB Chris Gibson; RB Roscoe Lee; WR Quenton Cooper

Key losses: LB Dai’Von McLucas; LB Brian Watkins; CB Everett Walker; DT Erick Marshall

The big picture: The Highlanders begin the year with a new coach, former assistant Michael Prewitt. He helped develop the defense that was the strong point of last season’s playoff team, particularly the linebackers. It is that area that the Highlanders are trying to rebuild, but they have some experience there and have moved last season’s center, Christian Searles, to a linebacker spot. Offensively, junior speedster Roscoe Lee (5-6, 170) is moving from running back to receiver for the sake of putting him in open space, and junior QB Chris Gibson (6-1, 190) returns after missing the last five games because of a broken finger.

Quotable: "We were a very young football team last year. They liked the experience of getting to the playoffs, but the way we lost that playoff game to Everman didn’t leave a very good taste in our mouths." — coach Michael Prewitt

"We want to play more than 10 or 11 games. We want to compete and do well." — senior CB Sam Blackmore

Notable: As a sophomore last season, Roscoe Lee finished fourth in the 100 meters at the state meet.

Schedule

Aug. 27: Saginaw

Sept. 4: at Brewer

Sept. 12: Springtown

Sept. 18: Dallas Adamson

Sept. 25: at Burkburnett

Oct. 2: South Hills

Oct. 15: at Wyatt

Oct. 23: North Side

District 7-4A

Coach: Mike Lawrence, third year

Last season: 4-6 (2-2 West Zone)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2005

Enrollment: 1,726 (third in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: QB Aaron Huitt; RB Waysean Tucker; DE Akere Akpan

Key losses: RB Raphael Sneed; OL Nate Clements; DE Chris Jones

The big picture: The Cougars will be young, but they have athleticism and experience at a key position — quarterback Aaron Huitt split time between quarterback and receiver last season but will be the quarterback full time. Potential playmakers abound, however, at tight end and running back. On defense, Akpan leads a group of seven returning starters, and two others were part-time starters.

Quotable: "Defensively, that will be our strength. Most of them played last year — we have seven that started last year, and nine counting others that started at certain times. So we’ve got quite a few kids. We can mix and match." — Coach Mike Lawrence.

"We lost some playmakers on offense, but we can turn it around from last year. I feel like we can go to the playoffs." — Aaron Huitt.

Notable: The Cougars could have as many as four 6-foot players on defense.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Springtown

Sept. 4: at Denton

Sept. 11: at Azle

Sept. 17: Cleburne

Sept. 25: at Kennedale

Oct. 1: at Southwest

Oct. 9: Trimble Tech

Oct. 22: at Polytechnic

By CARLOS MENDEZ

ARLINGTON — The football teams of Euless Trinity and Bingham, Utah, have more in common than meets the eye. Not only are they matched in what will be the first high school game at Cowboys Stadium, they both do the Haka.

"We’ve been doing the Haka since 2005," Bingham coach David Peck said.

"We even talked about doing it together, but we couldn’t quite get that worked out," Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver said with a smile as he spoke at a news conference Wednesday to promote the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series. Four games are scheduled on Labor Day at the new home of the Dallas Cowboys, beginning with the Trinity-Bingham game at 10:30 a.m. All the games will be televised by Fox Sports Net.

But even the Haka, the traditional war dance of the Maori tribe in New Zealand made popular by rugby and adopted by the Trojans’ Tongan players, might take a back seat to the site of the game.

"No question – it was a 'wow,’ " Peck said of his players’ reaction when he told them they would not only be playing one of Texas’ top teams, but in the new NFL stadium to boot. "We always tell our kids, 'If you want to get playing time, do something to make us go "wow." When I announced we were going to play Trinity, they went, 'wow.’ "

The home-state Trojans are a bit star-struck, too.

"From our practice field, it’s easy to see the top of the stadium," Lineweaver said. "The kids always look over there after they break up practice. They must be thinking, 'We’re really going to play there?’ They’re very excited."

Bingham is a Utah power, and Peck said his team plays the same style of football as Trinity — physical and run-oriented. The team even has a player who attended Trinity as a ninth-grader, he said. But the game against the Trojans will be a proving ground, he said.

"We as coaches hear all the time about Texas high school football," he said. "It’s kind of the standard of what it should be, and what our goals are. So when we had the chance to play a team from Texas, we jumped all over it. It’s a bonus to be able to play at the new Cowboys Stadium. It’s the chance of a lifetime. It’s probably the biggest high school game a team from Utah has ever played because of that and the caliber of team we’re playing.

"I just hope we’re able to give them a game."

The other games match Colleyville Heritage against Irving MacArthur at 1:30, Mansfield Timberview vs. Mansfield Summit at 4:30 and Klein Oak against Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame at 7:30.

---

District 11-3A

Coach: Nick Junior, second year

Last season: 3-7 (2-4 3A-11)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 1995

Enrollment: 854 (third in District 11-3A)

Key returnees: LB Phillip Thompson, LB Fernando Orozco, DL Jose Cardova

Key losses: OL Ryan McComas, OL Pedro Sosa, WR Juan DeLeon

The big picture: The Lions lost three key members of their offensive line from last season, which is going to make things difficult for now-senior quarterback Rick Aguillon. But Aguillon won’t be completely defenseless. He has senior center Thomas Holder to snap him the ball and help set up the offense. He also will have senior Jacob Rubio back in the backfield giving his team some more quickness.

Quotable: "We are going to try to be more aggressive offensively than we were last season, but everything else is pretty much the same." — coach Nick Junior

"We all need to step up and do better work than we did last season." — Thomas Holder

Notable: With 10 returning starters on defense, the Lions should be much improved this season.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Grandview

Sept. 4: Bowie

Sept. 11: at Gainesvile

Sept. 18: at Crandall

Sept. 25: Dall. Roosevelt

Oct. 9: at Lake Worth

Oct. 16: DH-Jarvis

Oct. 23: at Dall. Madison

District 11-3A

Coach: Rob Abernathie, fourth year

Last season: 1-9 (0-6 in 11-3A)

Playoffs: None, no appearances

Enrollment: 914, second in 11-3A

Key returnees: QB Oscar Orrosco, WR Hugo Galvan, RB Creed Hogan

Key losses: QB Luis Gonzales, OL Jose Hernandez, LB Jose Sifuentez

The big picture: Things are going to be different for the Eagles this year. They are moving from the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust mantra to developing the spread offense. It might take some time to get adjusted to the new style, especially with a new quarterback. Especially with a new quarterback who was the team’s tight end last season. But Abernathie has faith in Oscar Orrosco’s arm strength and his ability to connect on short passes.

Quotable: "We are going basically from a solid run offense the last three years to now a primarily passing offense." — Coach Rob Abernathie.

"We have to show everybody what we can do. It’s a new offense, new everything, new start." — WR Hugo Galvan

Notable: Orrosco should be the biggest quarterback in the district at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds.

Schedule

Aug. 27: North Side

Sept. 4: Venus

Sept. 12: North Dallas

Sept. 17: at Faith Christian

Sept. 24: Ranchview

Oct. 2: at Carter-Riverside

Oct. 8: Dallas Roosevelt

Oct. 16: at Castleberry

District 11-3A

Coach: Jim Jeffries, sixth year

Last season: 4-6 (1-5 in 11-3A)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 1994

Enrollment: 990, first in 11-3A

Key returnees: QB Jalen Moore, FB Thomas Bejarano, RB Pascual Valdez

Key losses: OL Greg Reyes, DB Jonathan Davis, DB Felipe Ventura

The big picture: Nothing is going to change for the Eagles this season, except, hopefully, their record. Coach Jim Jeffries will be running the double wing with lots of options for the third straight year with hopes of turning that record from a 4-6 to a 6-4 or 7-3. With that he feels his team can make the playoffs for the first time since 1994, his first year on the Eagles’ coaching staff. And with the experience and talent in the backfield with Jalen Moore, Thomas Bejarano and Diego Valdez, this option attack should be potent and the playoffs could be within their grasp. Moore won 11-3A newcomer of the year last year as a sophomore with 16 touchdowns and over 1,700 yards.

Quotable: "This is the best group of athletes I have seen since I got here." — Coach Jim Jeffries

"The double wings works good for us because you never know what we are going to do. I might keep it or I might pitch it." — QB Jalen Moore

Notable: Jalen Moore will be joined in the backfield by his little brother, Jordan Moore, who will be one of the wings.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Venus

Sept. 3: at North Dallas

Sept. 11: at Jefferson

Sept. 19: at Trimble Tech

Sept. 25: at Lake Worth

Oct. 2: vs. D. Hill-Jarvis

Oct. 9: at Madison

Oct. 15: vs. Ranchview

District 6-4A

Coach: Paul Sharr, second year

Last season: 4-6 (3-4 in 6-4A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 1,225 (6th in 6-4A)

Key returnees: QB Jake Glover (6-4, 220), DB Marcus Bryant (5-10, 145), WR Dexter Chow (5-9, 180), WR Brennon Cason (5-9, 170), DE Dillon Thomas (6-2, 220)

Key losses: RB Chris Kennedy, LB Chris Hix, WR Carder Auten

The big picture: Coach Paul Sharr has rejuvenated the Brewer community and it is looking forward to an exciting season, especially after finishing last season strong. The Bears return six starters on offense, including star quarterback Jake Glover, who threw for an eye-opening 3,089 yards last season with 25 TDs and a 64 percent completion rate. Defensively, the Bears return both starting ends, Ryan Hale and Dillon Thomas, who had 45 tackles and five sacks last year.

Quotable: "There is an excitement in our community that makes you feel good. It all starts with administration backing us 100 percent and it’s neat and it’s fun. We’re rolling on the first day this year and our expectations have been raised. These kids are working harder than any team that I’ve ever seen."

— coach Paul Sharr

"I think we’re going to be good. We’re light years ahead of where we were last year. ... We’re ready to rock and roll."

— quarterback Jake Glover

Notable: Glover has talent and was invited to Louisville’s elite camp this summer. Sharr and the other coaches told Glover to relax and be himself. Sharr knew Glover was fine, too, when he received a text message with a picture of Glover lying on the turf, relaxed.

Schedule

Aug. 28: vs. Frisco Liberty

Sept. 4: vs. Eastern Hills

Sept. 18: at Frisco Wakeland

Sept. 25: at Aledo

Oct. 2: vs. Azle

Oct. 9: at Saginaw

District 16-4A

Coach: Phil Young, fourth year

Last season: 3-7 (0-7 in 16-4A)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2002

Enrollment: 1,661, fifth in 16-4A

Key returnees: CB Greg Simpson, LB Robert White, TE Bubba Oakes, RB Cody Hicks

Key losses: WR Trace Turner, OL/DL Michael Shelton

The big picture: After going winless in one of the most difficult districts in the state, it could be easy for a coach to dwell on last season’s troubles. But Yellow Jackets coach Phil Young says 2008 s behind him and his team is excited about 2009. The Yellow Jackets are young, but leaders such as linebacker Robert White and offensive linemen John Finnell and Tylor Hammonds should be able to get this team pointed in the right direction.

Quotable: "Our strength is on the offensive line with some size and athleticism. They are strong, possibly the best, biggest line we have ever had."

— coach Phil Young

"We are looking forward to winning every game. Going out there hard on every down, we are going to show people this year what Cleburne is all about." — cornerback Greg Simpson

Notable: Four of this year’s five starting offensive linemen suffered season-ending injuries last season as starters

Schedule

Sept. 4: FW South Hills

Sept. 11: at Granbury

Sept. 18: at Western Hills

Sept. 25: Waco Midway

Oct. 2: at Midlothian

Oct. 9: Ennis

Oct. 16: at Waco

District 6-4A

Coach: Tim Buchanan, 17th year

Last season: 11-1 (7-0 in 6-4A)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in regional round to Everman 24-7

Enrollment: 1,300 (4th in 6-4A)

Key returnees: LB Danny Heiss (6-1, 190), DE/ LB Cy Wilson (6-2, 206), RB Johnathan Gray (5-10, 185)

Key losses: LT Daniel Meyer, LG Jordon Smith, RG Christian Miller, C Bryce Barrett, QB Tanner McDonald

The big picture: Aledo never rebuilds. It reloads. It’s the same this year, but instead of relying on the big offensive linemen to open holes for the running game, Aledo will pass a little bit and rely on its speed. Coach Tim Buchanan stressed the importance of getting quicker this off-season and several of the players have shed at least two-tenths of a second off their 40-yard dash times. "When you look at the team that beat us in the playoffs last year, Everman, those guys can run," Buchanan said. "Nearly every one of our kids ran track last spring and we won the district track meet. It’s helped us a bunch."

Quotable: "I’m really excited about my football team. I feel we have as much speed and skill as we’ve ever put on the field." — coach Tim Buchanan

"I am very confident with our offense and our defense. The only weakness I can see is our offensive line, and they’re still not bad. We’re just going to have to depend more on skill this year. But our defense has always been the strongest part. It’s going to be real good this year, too, with me and Danny Heiss starting since we were sophomores." — defensive end Cy Wilson

Notable: Sophomore running back Johnathan Gray was named the 6-4A Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2008. The Bearcats expect Gray, who rushed for 969 yards and 15 touchdowns, to be an even bigger part of their offense.

Schedule

Aug. 28: vs. Stephenville

Sept. 4: vs. Grapevine

Sept. 11: at Weatherford

Sept. 25: vs. Brewer

Oct. 2: at Boswell

Oct. 9: at Azle

Oct. 16: vs. Saginaw

Oct. 23: at Springtown

District 7-4A

Coach: Lanny Trammell, second year

Last season: 5-5 (3-1, West Zone)

Playoffs: Division I, lost first round to Mansfield Timberview 35-21

Enrollment: 1,600 (fourth in District 7-4A)

Key returnees: WR Jonathan Boone, RB Chris Hall

Key losses: QB Jason Dillon, WR James Hall

The big picture: The Raiders must start nearly from scratch on offense, where only one starter — WR Jonathan Boone — returns. The Raiders graduated their starting and third quarterback, and their backup quarterback transferred to Granbury. But the team is stocked at running back, with Chris Hall and Jalen Johnson. Plus, Boone moves from WR to RB. The eventual starting QB should also be a running threat, Trammel said. Defensively, the Raiders are traditionally strong, and LB Edwin Jones (6-2, 235) leads a more experienced group.

Quotable: "We’re pretty inexperienced on offense right now. We have to work hard to see what we’ve got." — Lanny Trammel

"We’ve got a lot of younger guys, but we’ve got good senior leadership and we’re helping out the younger guys." — Jonathan Boone

Notable: Trammell starts his second season as head coach and his 15th at Southwest.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Dallas Samuell

Sept. 4: at Crowley

Sept. 11: at Everman

Sept. 19: Kennedale

Sept. 25: North Side

Oct. 1: Western Hills

Oct. 9: at Polytechnic

Oct. 16: Dunbar

District 6-4A

Coach: John Abendschan, third year

Last season: 5-6 (4-3 district)

Playoffs: Division I, lost first round to Denton Guyer 21-13

Enrollment: 1,750 (2nd in 6-4A)

Key returnees: QB Quinton Gregory (6-0, 170); RB Dante Lipscomb (6-1, 195); OL Logan Hoppenrath (6-5, 275); WR Jacob Stone (5-11, 165)

Key losses: LB Emeka Ekwulugo (Tarleton State), WR Cameron Mavroulis

The big picture: A year after a tough playoff loss, Boswell is looking to rebound and is certainly a dark horse candidate to win the district title. The Pioneers return 11 starters from last season, including quarterback Quinton Gregory, who is a Division I prospect. Last year, Gregory had 30 TD passes but he’s looking to build off that this season. "I think we have all the guys and it makes me confident about the season and where it’s going to go," Gregory said. "I think we can be top of our district." Outside of Gregory, the Pioneers also have standout running back Dante Lipscomb returning, as well as offensive lineman Logan Hoppenrath. Lipscomb rushed for 526 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Quotable: "The biggest question for us is filling holes in the offensive line and secondary. But we have kids that are going to step in and do it. They’ve been working hard and all of us are excited about getting it rolling." — Coach John Abendschan

"I met with some of the seniors on the team and told them that this is our senior year. It’s our last chance to get out there and show everybody what we can do. We mentioned last year’s playoff loss and said that it’s something that we never wanted to give away again. If we have an opportunity like that again, we can’t let it go like that." — QB Quinton Gregory

Notable: Although the defense lost its leader from last year, linebacker Emeka Ekwulugo, the Pioneers will have another Ekwulugo roaming the middle of the field. Emeka’s little brother, Obidi, will start at inside linebacker this fall.

Schedule

Aug. 27: at Wichita Falls

Sept. 4: vs. Abilene Cooper

Sept. 11: at Alvarado

Sept. 25: at Springtown

Oct. 2: vs. Aledo

Oct. 9: vs. Mineral Wells

Oct. 16: at Azle

Oct. 23: vs. Birdville

District 6-4A

Coach: Chris Wilde, second year

Last season: 4-6 (3-4 in 6-4A)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2006

Enrollment: 1,275 (5th in 6-4A)

Key returnees: QB Henry Munoz (6-3, 210), OT A.J. Gutierrez (6-0, 285), LB Zac Williard (6-0, 205), WR Logan Sumpter (6-3, 180), DE Joe Vandegriff (6-0, 190)

Key losses: DT Isaiah Blackshear, FS Logan Fritchen

The big picture: With a year under his belt, coach Chris Wilde heads into his second season with the Rough Riders expecting bigger and better things. Last season might be viewed as a transition year for Saginaw, but it starts this year ready to work. "I didn’t realize how tough it would be the first year, and I’m amazed by people that come and take over a team and have dramatic success that first season," Wilde said. "It’s been fun, though, and the biggest thing is getting them to trust what you’re doing." And, Wilde appears to have the most trust in senior Henry Munoz to run the offense.

Quotable: "I think we look very good. The offensive line is more aggressive and added more strength in the off-season. We look real good and, honestly, I expect us to make the playoffs." — offensive lineman Antonio Love

"This year, more than any other year, we [have] players that deserve to play and want to play. We definitely are looking to make the playoffs, and I think the outlook is looking good right now." — defensive end Eric Henderson

Notable: Most preseason polls have Saginaw sixth in 6-4A. Wilde has received calls about that, including from his mom, and his answer is simple: "Well, there is five real good teams in front of us. Every one of those teams has a Division I-caliber quarterback."

Schedule

Aug. 27: at Eastern Hills

Sept. 4: vs. Frisco Wakeland

Sept. 11: at Denton Guyer

Sept. 25: vs. Mineral Wells

Oct. 2: at Birdville

Oct. 9: vs. Brewer

Oct. 16: at Aledo

Oct. 23: vs. Azle

By BLAKE HURTIK

When asked about their scrappy, 5-foot-7 nose tackle, Nolan Catholic coaches usually give answers that involve the word heart.

They mean his heart and determination out on the field, not the heart condition that kept Mark Kennedy from playing football for the first 16 years of his life.

"He’s fought through a lot to get to this point," defensive coordinator Jimmy Nelson said. "I told him, in my opinion, you’ve been through a lot more scarier things than playing football."

Now 18 and entering his senior season for the Vikings, Kennedy doesn’t have aspirations to score the winning touchdown or make a game-saving tackle. Of course, he’d love that, but for now he’s just enjoying being on the team.

"For me it’s just like a miracle," Kennedy said. "There’s a big risk, but I finally got released to play. I’m very grateful for the opportunity."

The risk is his life. Kennedy has aortic valve stenosis, a condition where the aorta doesn’t close properly, possibly allowing blood to leak back into the heart. If the condition worsens, it could require open-heart, valve-replacement surgery.

To avoid that, doctors limited Kennedy’s physical activity. He couldn’t even jump on a trampoline, let alone play football.

"I was like, 'Really? A trampoline?’ " Kennedy said. "They said it was too physical."

He wasn’t supposed to play soccer, either, though he took the risk and played anyway, along with a brief attempt at basketball. But he still had a desire to strap on a helmet and pads.

"I remember just crying when I was younger because I wanted to play so bad," Kennedy said, "but I couldn’t because my mom was so afraid for my health."

At his friends’ urging, he begged his mother, Hilda Meza, to take him to be reevaluated. He endured more rigorous testing. He had to run on a treadmill, up and down stairs and then do it all over again to see if his heart could take the strain.

It did.

"At first I was scared of the hitting. They had always said if he got hit in the chest really hard or something that may cause some sort of reaction," Meza said. "I was just concerned about him monitoring himself."

Finally cleared to play last year, Kennedy suited up for the Vikings’ junior varsity team as a junior. While the varsity was winning the 2008 TAPPS Division I state title, Kennedy was learning what a 3-technique was.

"You start from the beginning," head coach Joe Prud’homme said. "He was basically on track with a freshman."

He also had to deal with getting hit for the first time.

"He was real intimidated at first. He wouldn’t get into the drills and when he did, he wasn’t sure what to do," Nelson said. "One day I pulled him aside and I told him that we’ve all stepped on this field at some point at our playing career and been scared."

With Nelson’s help, Kennedy got reps at nose tackle and on special teams — even registering a sack or two. While he doesn’t have typical nose-tackle size, his coaches have been impressed with his tenacity.

"I don’t care about your height and I don’t care about your weight," Nelson said. "I just want someone with a motor."

This year, Kennedy has made the move to varsity, but that doesn’t mean the game has gotten any easier. If anything, it has gotten more difficult.

District 11-3A

Coach: Percy Whitmire, 14th year

Last Season: 2-8 (2-4 in 3A-11)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2007

Enrollment: 649, sixth in 11-3A

Key Returnees: LB Trevor Gardner, QB Donovan Vess, WR Brandon Miller

Key Losses: OL Joseph Perez, OLB Josh Migura

The big picture: This year’s team has a lot to be excited about. A great balance of youth and experience gives the Bullfrogs a chance to reach the playoffs. Coach Percy Whitmire thinks this team is just as good, if not better, as the teams that went to the playoffs in 2006 and 2007.

Quotable: "We think we can spread it out among our players and throw the ball and run the ball when we want to, making it harder for defenses to stop us." — coach Percy Whitmire

"We have a pretty good D line and our linebackers have a lot of speed and a lot of strength this year." — LB Trevor Gardner

Notable: Curtis Shorts will be moving to safety after earning first team all-district honors at defensive end last season.

Schedule

Aug. 29: Nolan Catholic

Sept. 5: at Pilot Point

Sept. 12: Sanger

Sept. 19: at Southwest Christian

Sept. 25: at Carter-Riverside

Oct. 3: Roosevelt

Oct. 10: at Castleberry

Oct. 24: Diamond Hill-Jarvis

District 6-4A

Coach: Jim Skinner, sixth year

Last season: 7-4 (6-1 in 6-4A)

Playoffs: Division I, lost in first round to Denton Ryan 46-41.

Enrollment: 1,900 (1st in 6-4A)

Key returnees: QB Josh Dorman (6-1, 180); WR Cory Hines (5-11, 180); WR Clarke Renfro (5-11, 185); WR Jonathan Dents (6-2, 195); LB Jordan Cruz (6-0, 195)

Key losses: OL Chris Burnett; DL Russell Gentry; DE Sheldon Cook

The big picture: Last year, the story about Birdville centered on quarterback Josh Dorman replacing his brother, Tommy, who’s at Texas A&M. After throwing for 3,622 yards and 33 TDs, Josh has established a name for himself. Now the Hawks are solely focused on making a deeper run in the playoffs after a first-round exit last year. As coach Jim Skinner said: "Our goal is always high. We want to win them all. I expect great things and I’m always optimistic." For great things, Birdville will rely on Dorman and the offense, including arguably the best receiving corps in the Metroplex — Cory Hines, Clarke Renfro and Jonathan Dents — and three returning offensive linemen — Matt Moss, John Hettick and Gary Aguilar.

Quotable: "On paper, we’ve got some kids back on offense, but we’ve got to play. I don’t assume anything. It doesn’t matter what they did last year. It’s a whole new season and we’ve got to make it happen."

— coach Jim Skinner

"We’re looking real good. We’ve got three of our five offensive linemen back and I think we’ve got the best receivers in North Texas. But we all just want Ws; we’re not worried about seeing our stats in the paper."

— QB Josh Dorman

Notable: Although his brother, Tommy, is an Aggie, Josh Dorman didn’t list A&M as one of the schools he was interested in for next year. He said he was looking at UTEP, Northwestern State, North Texas, SMU and Harding University.

Schedule

Aug. 27: vs. Arlington Heights

Sept. 4: vs. Joshua

Sept. 11: at Richland

Sept. 25: at Azle

Oct. 2: vs. Saginaw

Oct. 9: at Springtown

District 6-4A

Coach: Eddie Paul, third year

Last season: 2-8 (1-6 in 6-4A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 1,600 (3rd in 6-4A)

Key returnees: RB Jordan Beall (6-2, 190), DL Jon McGehee (6-3, 255), QB Cody Alexander (6-0, 175), K/P Curtis Hamilton

Key losses: RB C.J. Davila, TE Elton Skipper

The big picture: After a strong showing at the summer lifting program, coach Eddie Paul is excited about the Hornets’ potential in his third year. Paul believes this year’s team will have solid senior leadership, especially with returning starters at running back (Jordan Beall), quarterback (Cody Alexander), defensive line (Jon McGehee) and kicker/ punter (Curtis Hamilton). Offensively, Azle will feed the ball to Beall, a big, bruising back who will try to gain yards up the middle. And, defensively, the Hornets hope McGehee can give them a push at the line of scrimmage.

Quotable

"One of our goals is to certainly get to the playoffs. ... Hopefully, we can be stronger in all the areas of the game, and I think we have some very solid kids at every position." — coach Eddie Paul

"I think we’re going to be a lot better this season and we have a lot more starters coming back. I think we just need to play as a team and, if we’re down in a game, we can’t give up. We have to keep playing and trying to get back in it." — RB Jordan Beall

Notable: The Hornets return six defensive starters, tied for the most in the district with Mineral Wells. Offensively, the Hornets return eight starters, second-most in the district.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Joshua

Sept. 3: at Arlington Heights

Sept. 11: vs. Western Hills

Sept. 25: vs. Birdville

Oct. 2: at Brewer

Oct. 9: vs. Aledo

Oct. 16: vs. Boswell

Granbury Pirates

District 8-4A

Coach: Scotty Pugh

Last Season: 0-10 (0-7 in 8-4A)

Playoffs: None.

Enrollment: 2,603 (first in 8-4A)

Key Returnees: LB Taylor Bitner (6-0, 200); DE Jesse Hernandez (5-11, 215); OL Bobby Helm (6-1, 275)

The big picture: Coach Scotty Pugh and the Pirates have a long way to go to compete for a district title but there is reason for hope. Despite last season’s struggles, Granbury had a huge turnout for spring practice where 252 kids joined the program. QB Drew Mainini and RB Jeff Finn will spearhead an offensive unit that is expected to make great strides behind senior experience and leadership.

Quotable: "Our kids have done a tremendous job, and I couldn’t be happier. Our attitude and our character is our strength and it’s something that our kids pride themselves in." — Coach Scotty Pugh

"We would like to get to the playoffs and start a new Granbury tradition. We’ll be ready for our district this year." — DT Jesse Hernandez

Notable: Granbury has not made the playoffs since 1977.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Richland

Sept. 4: Arl. Sam Houston

Sept. 11: Cleburne

Sept. 25: at Mans. Timberview

Oct. 2: at Arlington Seguin

Oct. 9: Crowley

Oct. 16: at Mans. Legacy

Oct. 23: Stephenville

Crowley Eagles

District 8-4A

Coach: Brad McCone

Last season: 3-7 (3-4 in 8-4A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 1,379 (sixth in 8-4A)

Key returnees: MLB Max Teeter (5-11, 215); DT Jared Brooks (6-0, 270); WR LeBradford Harold (6-2, 175)

Key losses: QB Andre Dean

The big picture: The Eagles barely missed the playoffs last year, but are hoping to make them this time because they return a nucleus of experienced players. MLB Max Teeter is the leader for a defense hoping to more than hold its own this season. RB Taylor Franco is expected to put up solid numbers out of the Eagles’ backfield.

Quotable:

"I really enjoy this group of kids; there’s not many off-the-field problems. They’re here and they are working hard. They seem to be a mature group." — Coach Brad McCone

"We’re not in a very easy district; it’s tough. The kids know it’s going to be tough, but I think it’s one of those things that will pay dividends for them later in life." — McCone

Notable: Teeter, strong safety Cameron Prater and defensive end Daryl Freeman combined to amass 273 tackles in 2008.

Schedule

Sept. 4: Southwest

Sept 11: at Waco Midway

Sept. 18: Arl. Sam Houston

Sept. 25: at Joshua

Oct. 2: Everman

Oct. 9: at Granbury

Arlington Seguin Cougars

District 8-4A

Coach: Carlos Lynn

Last season: 5-7 (4-3 in 8-4A)

Playoffs: Division I, lost in second round to Denton Guyer 44-0

Enrollment: 1,919 (fourth in 8-4A)

Key returnees: CB Ciante Evans (6-0, 185); QB Dorsey Griffin (6-0, 215); SS Larry Conston (6-0, 210)

Key losses: CB Jevin Colbert, MLB Michael Martin

The big picture: The Cougars are hungry to make a leap this season by challenging Everman and Stephenville for the District 8-4A title and getting past the second round of the playoffs for the first time. Seguin has athleticism on both sides of the ball, but needs some young players in key positions to improve. A veteran offensive line led by guard Cameron Jordan (6-2, 245) and tackle Juan Gonzalez Jr. (6-3, 245) should be an early-season stabilizer for the Cougars.

Quotable: "We have some great athletes but they haven’t played on Friday night yet; that’s a big difference. When we get them acclimated to the speed of the game we’ll be all right." — Coach Carlos Lynn

"I just want our team to have that work ethic and practice hard so we can get past the second round." — CB Ciante Evans

Notable: The Cougars return eight starters from last year’s team.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Burleson

Sept. 4: Wylie

Sept. 11: at Rockwall Heath

Sept. 25: at Everman

Oct. 2: Granbury

Oct. 9: at Mansfield Timberview

Oct. 16: at Crowley

DAVID THOMAS

This column is for those of you who have become Texans since last football season. This column is your introduction to Texas high school football.

You probably have heard by now — you probably even heard before you moved here — that there is nothing like Texas high school football. No state plays football as well as we do. No state has more or better recruits.

There are college coaches who covet some of our high school stadiums. There are college coaches who especially covet the salaries of some of our high school coaches.

One of the reasons Texans so enjoy high school football is that it is one area in which we cannot be accused of exaggerating. No matter what you have heard about high school football here, it’s true.

We are a little more than a week away from the first weekend of regular-season games, which we call "Week Zero." Week Zero is probably a good thing to explain for you newbies.

We used to have a 10-week regular season, but our 10-game season is so packed with excitement that 10 weeks weren’t big enough to hold it. So we added an 11th week at the beginning of the season and called it "Week Zero." ("Week Zero" came long before "Coke Zero." See how Texas high school football shapes culture?)

Just as a matter of Texas history, the only real concern with adding a week at the beginning of the season instead of at the end was whether enough watermelons would be ripe in time.

You see, it is a tradition at many schools to have a preseason "Watermelon Supper" — of course watermelon can be supper — in which that year’s football players, coaches, band, cheerleaders, mascot, drill team, flag corps, bus driver, field painter, etc. are introduced to the community.

Watermelon suppers are a huge deal. Especially for the local watermelon farmers. You should see the watermelon supper economic impact studies in the places where they go through watermelons faster than Gallagher.

We even have a watermelon cheer during games: "Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon rind. Look on the scoreboard and see who’s behind — you!!!"

Watermelon suppers illustrate how Texas high school football is about so much more than football.

Visit a game on a Friday night and you might see more people in one school’s band than attended games back where you came from.

In other states, bands may spell out a school’s initials or even its name if the name is short enough. Here, our bands are so big they can form complete sentences on the field.

And our cheerleaders ... they may be more athletic than the football players you’re used to watching. And our cheerleader tryouts definitely are more competitive than the games you’re used to watching.

When we say "It’s in the judge’s hands" as to who makes the varsity cheer squad, we don’t always mean the local Dairy Queen owner who volunteered to judge the tryouts. Sometimes we mean the elected, robe-wearing, gavel-slamming judge whose court the parents’ lawsuit wound up in.

Wow — we’re coming up on the end of our allotted space and we have barely talked about the actual football part of Texas high school football.

Oh, well. You’ll have 11 weeks to experience that part for yourself.

May I suggest that you plan now to check out a game next week? Then you can call your friends back home and boast that you’re going to your first "Week Zero" game.

"Week Zero?" they’ll ask. "What’s that?"

Just tell ’em it’s a Texas high school football thing. They’ll understand.

District 12-3A

Coach: Richard Barrett, ninth year

Last Season: 9-3 (3-2 in 12-3A)

Playoffs: Division II, lost to Celina 54-21 in second round

Enrollment: 915 (second in 12-3A)

Key returners: RB Dashiell Mosely, S Zenda Threadgill, QB Wes Roberson

Key losses: C Michael Charron, RB Aaron Wingfield, DE Steven Sanders

The big picture: The Kennedale Wildcats have become a perennial playoff team since Richard Barrett took the reins almost a decade ago, but the team has not gotten past the second round of the postseason since 2005. That task rests on the shoulders of returning starting quarterback Wes Roberson, who lead the team to a 9-3 record last season. He will need some help from running back Dashiell Mosely, who replaces Aaron Wingfield. Wingfield rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season.

Quotable

"We have a couple areas we think we can be real good. On O-line at center and guard. On defense at linebacker, they are doing really well." — coach Richard Barrett

"I like to run the ball a lot so the wing T is great for me. I had over 1,000 yards last season, so we will see if I can do that again." — RB Dashiell Mosely

Notable: The Wildcats have made the playoffs all eight years Barrett has been head coach.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Seagoville

Sept. 4: at Madison

Sept. 19: at Southwest

Sept. 25: Western Hills

Oct. 2: Foster

Oct. 9: Venus

Oct. 16: at Alvarado

By PAUL WESSELS

Fort Worth-area high school athletes will represent their city as well as their country this weekend in Italy at the Olympiade for youth sports.

Thanks to Fort Worth Sister Cities, 167 athletes, coaches and parents will visit Reggio Emilia, Italy, to compete against athletes from 38 countries in sports including baseball, softball, swimming, soccer and basketball. The Olympiade is held every four years.

Fort Worth is the only city from the United States invited because of a 17-year relationship with Reggio Emilia.

This event is similar to the Junior Olympics, said Beth Weibel, senior program manager for Fort Worth Sister Cities.

"Our group has been working hard so we can hopefully bring back some gold medals," Weibel said. "Programs like these are important to the city of Fort Worth and open the doors to these students."

Dustin Emmons, a pitcher and outfielder for the under-18 baseball team, said he is excited to be playing against the international competition.

"The wooden bats will be the only weird things because we are used to metal," he said.

Emmons’ stepfather, Rusty Beam, the baseball coach at Fort Worth Southwest Christian, will coach the U.S. team.

Kevin Conrad, an infielder from Fort Worth Arlington Heights, said he is thrilled for the opportunity.

"I’ve seen guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe represent our country and I know it’s not the same, but it means a lot to me," Conrad said. Baseball "is something you’ve done your whole life and being able to represent your country is a whole different thing."

Girls basketball coach Stephen Bateson, who coaches at Fort Worth Paschal, said this will be quite an endeavor.

"We went to Japan and played high school teams from that area a couple years ago, but we wore Fort Worth on our jerseys," Bateson said. "It was fun going to Japan, but it was nothing like this is going to be."

By WILLIAM WILKERSON

High school football fans used to a full helping of playoff action at the home of the Dallas Cowboys might have to satisfy their appetite a little differently this year.

Because of several scheduled events already in place for November and December at Cowboys Stadium, the Cowboys have not been able to finalize any playoff games.

Playoff double- and tripleheaders were a yearly ritual at Texas Stadium, where almost 700 high school games were played during its 38-year history. Last season, the stadium hosted 27 playoff games.

"We’ve been working with some of the high schools to see what the schedule is going to be," Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said. "But I think because of all of the other events that we have committed to the building in November and December, we have not been able to finalize any specifics on what games we can host."

Aside from Cowboys games scheduled during those months, the stadium is set to host Baylor vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 28, the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 5, and the Texas vs. North Carolina basketball game on Dec. 19.

High school playoffs begin the weekend of Nov. 13.

"All I heard was they were going to have the same philosophy as they did at Texas Stadium, which was to host games," said Euless Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver, whose team played four playoff games at Texas Stadium in 2008. "But there are going to be some dates that are going to be wiped out because of a concert or something. They want to continue to cater to high schools, but they have to pay that bill.

"I think the Dallas Cowboys organization is in the 'finding their way’ mode. I think their No. 1 priority is if they can get a Paul McCartney concert instead of a high school playoff game, they are going to do that."

Daniels said that interest has been high from teams wanting to play playoff games in the new stadium. Several regular season games are already scheduled, including four on Sept. 7 as part of the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series.

"It’s always been important to us to have a role in Texas high school football," Daniels said. "We hosted hundreds of games over the years at Texas Stadium and would certainly want to maintain that commitment at the new stadium. We are still working through how that can happen."

In that Sept. 7 four-pack, Trinity will take on South Jordan (Utah) Bingham at 10:30 a.m. in the first high school game at the stadium. Colleyville Heritage and Irving MacArthur will follow at 1:30 p.m., Mansfield Summit and Mansfield Timberview play at 4:30 p.m., Klein Oak and Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame play at 7:30 p.m.

Though not focused that far down the line, Lineweaver said teams would have to settle for other stadiums for the playoffs if it doesn’t work out with Cowboys Stadium.

"Even if it comes to a home-and-home flip," he said. "That’s what we’ll have to do."

District 3-5A

Coach: Gene Wier, seventh year

Last season: 2-8 (2-4 in 3-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,104 (seventh in 3-5A)

Key returners: QB Tyler Cotton, CB Isaac Umesi, LB Nico Ornelas, S Marcus Polanco, S Michael Blaz

Key losses: WR Phillip Gonzalez, WR Phillip Anderson, LB Casey Savage, LB Ryan Tice

The big picture: The Rebels, with the return of Tyler Cotton at quarterback and a salty secondary led by Polanco and Blaz, are capable of competing with anybody they line up against. Cotton, an All-District 3-5A first-teamer last season, will have to find new targets with graduation losses. Wier said both lines should be improved. The Rebels will get a taste of district competition early with games against North Crowley and Burleson in Weeks 5 and 6.

Quotable: "On paper we think we’re pretty good, but we had some injuries and some things we need corrected to put it all together. We think we’ll be pretty good, we hope right away, but it might not be until district. We feel pretty good about things." — coach Gene Wier

"Our goal is continual improvement. We think our defense is pretty good, but we’ve had some adversity over there and if we get everybody healthy we think we’ll be pretty good." — Wier

Notable: QB Tyler Cotton, an all-state candidate, passed for 2,667 yards in 2008.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Granbury

Sept. 4: at Irving

Sept. 11: Birdville

Sept. 18: at Keller Central

Oct. 1: North Crowley

Oct. 9: at Burleson

Oct. 16: Paschal

Oct. 23: at Weatherford

District 3-5A

Coach: Mike Papas

Last season: 4-7 (4-2 in 3-5A)

Playoffs: Lost in bi-district

Enrollment: 2,434 (third in 3-5A)

Key returnees: DT Vincent Johnson, LB Jonathan Laster, LB Kenneth Mitchell, S Eric Wilson

Key losses: DT Marvin Foster, OL Cyril Richardson, DB Larry Mitchell

The big picture: If championships are won with defense, then the Panthers start the season in what appears to be in good shape. Several key starters returning on defense make Papas confident that his Panthers will deter even the most ambitious offense. Less certain is how the Panthers will perform on offense, where the entire line must be replaced, and special teams. North Crowley will be counting on wide receivers Roston Tatum and Robert Wilson to anchor a spread offense that returns only two starters. Ultimately, the Panthers’ athletic ability (athletes and North Crowley are synonymous) will keep them in most any game.

Quotable: "We have a lot of offensive starters to replace, including the entire offensive line and we lost some key people on special teams. So we’re trying to rebuild and concentrate on making ourselves better." — coach Mike Papas

Notable: North Crowley, which opened in 1998, won the Class 4A Division I state championship in 2003.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at Mansfield Summit

Sept. 4: Richardson Berkner

Sept. 11: at Plano West

Sept. 18: Flower Mound

Sept. 25: Haltom

Oct. 1: at Richland

Oct. 16: Burleson

Oct. 22: Paschal

Oct. 30: Weatherford

District 3-5A

Coach: Kenny Wheaton, seventh year

Last Season: 1-9 (1-5 in 3-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,136 (sixth in 3-5A)

Key returners: QB/RB Mitchael Rucker, WR Dakota Abernathy, FS Derek Ogg, DT Cory Matlock

Key losses: RB Chris Fielder

The big picture: "You’ve got to think you’re going to make the playoffs; you’ve got to be positive," coach Kenny Wheaton said. And he has reason to be positive. Fourteen returning starters boost the Kangaroos’ expectations of getting back to the playoffs after missing last season with a 1-5 district finish. Among the returnees are Mitchael Rucker, the team’s top passer, rusher and scorer last season, and Dakota Abernathy, the team’s top receiver from ’08. The versatile Rucker, who, according to Wheaton, has added 20 pounds since last season, works as a running back as well. Like many coaches, Wheaton is concerned about his depth, but he noted that there have been "no injuries so far. That’s what got us last year."

Quotable: "I think we’re the best we’ve been since I’ve been here. We’ve got seven returning on each side of the ball, and they’ve all had a great off-season and spring. — coach Kenny Wheaton

"We’ve got three good quarterbacks. We didn’t have real strong backups in the past, but we’ve got three good ones this year." — Wheaton

Notable: Weatherford has never advanced further than the state quarterfinals, in 1965.

Schedule

Aug. 28: at The Colony

Sept. 4: at Arlington Lamar

Sept. 11: Aledo

Sept. 18: Coppell

Sept. 24: at Paschal

Oct. 9: Abilene

Oct. 16: at Haltom

Oct. 23: Richland

District 4-5A

Coach: Kenny Perry, fourth year

Last season: 11-2 (6-0 in district, district champions)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in regional semifinals to Wylie 43-20

Enrollment: 2,986 (4th in 4-5A)

Key returnees: DE Donovan Vestal (6-5, 230), 34 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks; DT Diamonte Wheeler (6-4, 260), 37 tackles, 7 TFL; WR Montra Nelson (6-3, 215); K Steven Valadez (5-10, 190); WR Cameron White (6-3, 185).

Key losses: QB Christian Matthews (Kansas); DE Jarrett Brown (OU).

The big picture: Bowie returns five starters but will be armed with plenty of talent to make its usual prolonged trek into the playoffs. The Volunteers’ defensive line and wide receiving corps are about as solid as they come with multiple Division I recruits in both groups. QB Deric Davis will be in charge of taking over for Matthews, the 2008 district MVP. Davis has some experience and he’s a dual threat with a great arm.

Quotable: "As athletic as our kids are, I think it’s a credit to our coaches [that we’ve had so many commits already]. Carl Lewis was fast, but he didn’t play football. We have a lot of fast kids that make an impact on the football field. You have to coach those kids to do that." — coach Kenny Perry

Notable: Bowie has made the playoffs every year since Perry took over. It started at 7-4 in 2006 (the school’s first playoff berth), 12-2 in 2007 and 11-2 last season.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Dallas Lincoln

Sept. 3: South Garland

Sept. 11: at Dallas Skyline

Sept. 18: Wyatt

Sept. 25: at Arl. Martin

Oct. 9: Mansfield

Oct. 16: at Arlington Lamar

Oct. 23: at Arlington

Oct. 30: at Arlington Sam Houston

District 4-5A

Coach: Scott Peach, seventh year

Last season: 8-5 (4-2 district)

Playoffs: Division I, lost regional finals to Euless Trinity 48-14

Enrollment: 3,004 (second in 4-5A)

Key returnees: OT Luke Joeckel (6-6, 280), more than 150 pancake blocks in 2008; Matt Joeckel (6-4, 225), 3,017 passing yards and 29 TDs in ’08; WR Miles Onyegbule (6-4, 195); MLB Keighen Thetford (6-0, 210); SS Hardy Diggs (5-11, 190).

Key losses: RB Jamal Nero; OT Eric Walker.

The big picture: This team should be scary, scary good on offense with eight starters returning, including the Joeckel brothers and Onyegbule, one of the more highly regarded junior receivers in the state. The Colts also have running back Kurtis Green and receivers Brandon Lewis, Dixon Kent and Cori Broadnax to whom to throw the ball. The defense returns seven starters and will be led by Thetford (172 tackles), Diggs (80 tackles) and Jordan Davis (five interceptions). Expectations are sky high for this group.

Quotable: "Everyone is back. We have a lot of senior leadership. Every single player on our offense is an impact player that can make a big play at any time. Everybody already knows the offense and knows their routes. Everyone is real comfortable and real fast." — Matt Joeckel.

"[Green] is so good. Jamal was more of the running-back type. Kurtis can make anybody miss. He’s hard to see behind our big offensive line [he stands 5-6] and can make big plays out of nothing." — Matt Joeckel.

Notable: Arlington’s offensive line won its second consecutive 5A state lineman competition this summer.

Schedule

Aug. 28 at Carrollton Creekview

Sept. 4 Southlake Carroll

Sept. 11 Grand Prairie

Sept. 18 at Irving

Sept. 25 Arlington Lamar

Oct. 2 Arlington Martin

Oct. 9 at Arl. Sam Houston

Oct. 16 Mansfield Summit

District 4-5A

Coach: Danny Edelman, second year

Last season: 3-7 (0-6 in district)

Playoffs: Didn’t qualify

Enrollment: 2,956 (fifth in 4-5A)

Key returnees: WR Kameel Jackson (6-2, 190), 54 catches for 761 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008; QB Jamal Turner (6-1, 175); Kenzee Jackson (5-10, 170); OT Tony Morales (6-4, 270).

Key losses: WR Jacolby Johnson (Cisco JC).

The big picture: This should be an intriguing team offensively with Jamal Turner under center and a plethora of receiving talent led by Division I recruit Kameel Jackson. Turner threw for 2,611 yards and 21 TDs and rushed for nine scores in ’08. Linemen Tony Morales and Alfredo Morales should provide plenty of protection.

Quotable: "He’s had just an absolute great summer. He’s really worked hard and moved himself into a level where naturally he is going to be a very good competitor throughout the year. He leads our team well. We are just expecting one more year of maturity and leading our offense." — Edelman on QB Turner.

"Overall I thought both sides played well. Early season we’ve moved some kids around on our offensive front. There was some new changes for us on defense but I thought we did a good job of stopping the run." — Edelman on Friday’s scrimmage against FW Eastern Hills.

Notable: Turner, named the district’s offensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore in 2008, was named the Top 2011 performer at Theoldcoach.com’s Ultimate Combine in Coppell earlier this year.

Schedule

Aug. 28 at Fort Worth Paschal

Sept. 4 at Granbury

Sept. 11 Mansfield Legacy

Sept. 18 at Crowley

Sept. 25 Mansfield

Oct. 3 at Arlington Lamar

Oct. 9 Arlington

Oct. 16 Arlington Martin

District 4-5A

Coach: Jeff Hulme, second year

Last season: 8-5 (4-2 in district)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in regional semifinals to Cedar Hill, 45-31

Enrollment: 2,175 (sixth in 4-5A)

Key returnees: DE Femi Awe (6-2, 215), 11 sacks; DE Pete Okonofua (6-3, 235), 10 sacks; MLB Greg Black (6-0, 210); OLB Nick Cheesman (6-0, 200); QB Daniel Green (6-0, 190).

Key losses: RB Stepfan Taylor (Stanford)

The big picture: Mansfield’s third-round playoff run in 2008 — which included a win over 10-0 Abilene — was the deepest in school history. If the Tigers hope to match last year’s success they’ll have to find a replacement for Stepfan Taylor, who was a workhorse in the postseason. Junior Damon Bullock will be his replacement. The overwhelming strong point of this team will be its defensive front — led by Awe and Okonofua — which should give its offense plenty of short fields.

Quotable

"Everybody we are playing this year doesn’t care what we did last year. But you can say 'Hey, look at the tradition we’ve started. Keep it up.’ Mansfield’s been to the playoffs two years in a row now. We’ve got a good thing going. If you talk too much about last year kids will stop working this year." —coach Jeff Hulme

Notable: Awe, rated as one of the Top 100 defensive ends in the country by Scout.com, has received offers from Kansas State, Houston, Nebraska, Arizona and TCU.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Irving

Sept. 4: at Mansfield Legacy

Sept. 12: at Irving MacArthur

Sept. 18: Burleson

Sept. 25: at Arlington Sam Houston

Oct. 2: Mansfield Summit

Oct. 9: at Arlington Bowie

Oct. 23: at Arlington Martin

District 4-5A

Coach: Travis Pride, first year

Last season: 3-7 (1-5 in district)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,154 (seventh in 4-5A)

Key returnees: TE Eric Waters (6-5, 220), 26 catches for 305 yards and two touchdowns; DE Michael Lunceford (6-2, 205); RB Nelson Akinwande (5-9, 200); Lewis Washington (5-9, 200).

Key losses: Nosa Eguae (Auburn).

The big picture: Pride hopes to bring new life to a program that didn’t have the type of success it was hoping for in 2008, which resulted in the first losing season in the seven-year history of the program. Summit certainly has the talent to make people forget about last season, though. The Jaguars lay claim to one of the state’s top tight ends in Waters, a one-time Missouri commit, and an up-and-coming running back in Akinwande. Defensively, Lunceford is one of the district’s best, as is defensive back Kolbi Nixon, who made a name for himself on the summer recruiting camp circuit.

Quotable: "The philosophical approach to what we want to do is a lot different. We want to be a fast offense. The defensive philosophy is the same. We just want to be resilient. We’ve got to learn our game speed." — coach Travis Pride

Notable: Pride comes in after a 16-17 record and two playoff appearances in three years at Wichita Falls High. He went 47-1 with three state titles as an assistant at Southlake Carroll before taking over at Wichita Falls.

Schedule

Aug. 28 North Crowley

Sept. 7 vs. Mansfield

Timberview

Sept. 12 at South

Grand Prairie

Sept. 25 at Coppell

Oct. 2 at Mansfield

Oct. 9 Arlington Lamar

Oct. 16 at Arlington

District 4-5A

Coach: Bob Wager, fourth year

Last season: 4-7 (4-2 in district)

Playoffs: Division I, lost first round to Burleson, 26-21

Enrollment: 3,350 (first in 4-5A)

Key returnees: RB Joe Lavilla (5-11, 200), 579 yards and three touchdowns); RB Danzel Williams (5-8, 180), 99 carries, 566 yards, 11 touchdowns; RB Marston Jefferson (5-10, 180); DL Alex Mills (6-0, 225); OL Donavan Johnson (6-3, 250).

Key losses: WR Chris Omigie (Kansas); S Montreyle McCormick (UTEP).

The big picture: Martin returns 13 starters from last season’s playoff team and three solid running backs to complement Wager’s ground-based offense. Lavilla, Williams and Jefferson give the Warriors multiple threats inside. But they’ll have to find a replacement out wide, now that big-play threat Omigie is with the Kansas Jayhawks. Senior Timmy Haugh, who started two games last season, and junior Russell Bellomy are vying for the starting quarterback position. Bellomy, who went 8-1-1 on junior varsity last season, is taking snaps with the first team. The defense returns seven starters highlighted by Mills (60 tackles) and Reid Pride (51 tackles).

Quotable: "I don’t know that this team has that many premier blue-chip Division I signings. I don’t think that’s the personality of this team. But we have a bunch of kids that love football and don’t mind working hard. I’ll take that every year of my career if I can get it."

— coach Bob Wager

Notable: Martin has qualified for the playoffs each of the past three seasons, but has not advanced past the first round under Wager. Two of those loses came to Euless Trinity.

Schedule

Aug. 28 Mesquite Horn

Sept. 4 at South Grand Prairie

Sept. 11 Keller

Sept. 18 at Cedar Hill

Sept. 25 Arlington Bowie

Oct. 2 at Arlington

Oct. 16 at Arlington Sam Houston

Oct. 23 Mansfield

District 4-5A

Coach: Eddy Peach, 39th season

Last season: 5-5 (2-4 in district)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,994 (third in 4-5A)

Key returnees: TB Ja’Terian Douglas (5-11, 185), 2,035 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns; FS Cliff Nyagesiba (5-9, 175), 152 tackles; OL Mack Cannon (6-4, 290); DB Dylan Pritchett (6-2, 195).

Key losses: DT John Henry (Langston); OLB Jamal Elston (Langston); QB Michael Poynter (Rice).

The big picture: Douglas is a marked man, and for good reason. He’s one of the premier running threats in Texas with a host of college offers. He’ll have to be on top of his game throughout district when he’ll face several stout defensive fronts and be counted on heavily to keep up with several high-octane offenses. If the Vikings hope to end a four-year playoff drought they’ll have to get improvement from their defense, which is led by free safety Cliff Nyagesiba, who totaled 152 tackles in 2008. Six starters return defensively and four are back on offense.

Quotable: "Our quarterback [Tyler Wilson] is small, but he can do a lot of things. He’s a tremendous leader. He’ll have a good line in front of him. Both offensive guards are coming back. Our left offensive tackle is back. We feel like we have some receivers that have a lot of ability."

— Eddy Peach

Notable: Peach, the school’s only football coach since its opening in 1970, has 303 career wins, sixth-most in state history.

Schedule

Aug. 28 at Fossil Ridge

Sept. 4 Weatherford

Sept. 11 at Tyler

Sept. 18 Irving Nimitz

Sept. 25 at Arlington

Oct. 3 Arlington Sam Houston

Oct. 9 at Mansfield Summit

Oct. 16 Arlington Bowie

District 5-5A

Coach: Steve Lineweaver

Last season: 13-1 (7-0 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: Division I, lost in the regional final to Allen 34-21

Enrollment: 2,984 (second in 5-5A)

Key returnees: LB Na’a Moeakiola (6-0, 200), OL Isi Cocker (6-2, 300), RB Tevin Williams (6-0, 190)

Key losses: RB Dontrayevous Robinson, DB Prinz Kande

The big picture: Expectations are higher for the Trojans than any other team in the district, especially with the nationally televised season opener against Utah’s Bingham. The Trinity offense is bolstered by the return of dynamic RB Tevin Williams. New in the backfield will be dual-threat QB Willie Hubbard.

"I feel like I have to do right by everybody," Hubbard said. "I have to step up. I don’t know if I should put all that pressure on myself, but, as a person, I will."

Hubbard saw limited time as a backup last year. The Trojans return three starters (two on offense, one on defense).

Quotable: "I think we really need to make sure we stay with the fundamentals a little longer because we are so young on both sides of the ball. The coaches are doing a good job making sure we do that; don’t try to dazzle the opponent. We’re going to win with fundamentals and that hasn’t changed in the game." — coach Steve Lineweaver

"I think we’re looking good. We’re out here every day working hard, and everyone knows what we have to do. Everybody’s full speed. We’re just trying to get better every day." — linebacker Na’a Moeakiola

Notable: Lineweaver said his offensive line isn’t a big as it has been in past seasons and described them as "average big."

Schedule

Sept. 7: Bingham (Utah)

Sept. 12: Cedar Hill

Sept. 18: Allen

Sept. 25: at Keller

Oct. 2: Keller Fossil Ridge

Oct. 9: at Colleyville Heritage

District 6-5A

Coach: Hal Wasson

Last season: 8-3 (3-2 in District 6-5A)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in second round to Cedar Hill 31-18

Enrollment: 2,544 (fifth in 6-5A)

Key returnees: LB/K Cade Foster (6-2, 215); DE Jackson Richards (6-2, 245); RB Tommy Avers (5-10, 195)

Key losses: QB Kyle Padron, DE Brayden Burnett

The big picture: The standard at Carroll has risen so high that reaching the playoffs and advancing to the second round didn’t live up to the established expectations for 2008. "Last year was really disappointing," senior linebacker/kicker Cade Foster said. "At Southlake we’re expected to do better than that. We wanted to leave a bigger legacy than that." Carroll returns eight starters on defense, including Foster and defensive end Jackson Richards. The offense returns five starters.

Quotable:

"We’re very optimistic about this year. We’ve had a very good off-season and carried that into the summer. These first days I’ve been very impressed with the intensity, the enthusiasm." — coach Hal Wasson

"Every day that our offense goes out there and works against that defense it makes us better because we’re going against the best defense in the country." — RB Tommy Avers

Notable: After a legitimate battle for the quarterback spot, senior David Piland won the starter’s job. Piland threw for 1,224 yards last season behind Padron. Senior quarterback Kyle Williamson remains a viable option.

Schedule

Aug. 29: Plano West

Sept. 4: at Arlington

Sept. 11: Houston Bellaire

Sept. 18: Mesquite

Sept. 26: at Galena Park North Shore

Oct. 9: Coppell

Oct. 16: Marcus

By MATTHEW REAGAN

Few things in Texas are as sacred as high school football. And for several area programs, some of which are among the most storied and successful in the state, 2009 could mark their return to power and domination of the state ranks.

Euless Trinity will look to return to the national spotlight once again with three big games in its first three weeks. Southlake Carroll, loaded with skill and tradition, will try to reclaim elite status.

Everman hopes to get past the state semifinals, and Fort Worth Dunbar bids to accomplish something no Fort Worth school district team has done in more than 60 years. And look for one district in particular to outshine the rest with its talent-laden ranks.

1. Where’s the hype for Trinity?

After the Gatorade commercial, the national television exposure and the notoriety of the haka ritual, Euless Trinity finds itself in an unfamiliar spot heading into this season: The Trojans are absent on the 2009 National Prep Preseason Poll — a poll, among many others, they sat atop for most of 2008.

You won’t even find Trinity mentioned in the Top 10 of the poll’s Southwest rankings. Two teams you will find on this list are the Allen Eagles and Cedar Hill Longhorns. And this could bode well for Trinity.

After opening the season on Labor Day at Cowboys Stadium against Bingham, Utah, the Trojans take on Allen and Cedar Hill in back-to-back weeks at Pennington Field.

One looming question is whether Trinity can reload as it has in the past.

Gone are running back Dontrayevous Robinson and quarterback Denarius McGhee, in addition to linebacker Earnest Norman and defensive backs Prinz Kande and Eryon Barnett — all of whom moved on to the collegiate level.

This season, the Trojans will lean on junior running back Tevin Williams, who rushed for nearly 1,100 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2008, new dual-threat quarterback Willie Hubbard and veteran offensive and defensive lines.

Wins over Allen (ranked second in Class 5A by The Associated Press) and Cedar Hill (ranked third) would thrust Trinity back on the national stage.

2. Resurgence at Southlake Carroll?

Combine loads of talent, an early playoff exit in 2008 and five state championships the past seven seasons and what do you get?

A program with a lot of pressure on it to overcome last year’s woes. Most schools would welcome an 8-3 mark and a second-round playoff appearance, but not Southlake Carroll. For the Dragons, 2008 was a year in which they failed to reach expectations.

Championships and playoff wins are second nature for the Dragons, who are ranked seventh in the state. Quarterback David Piland, a Houston commitment, will lead the play-calling duties for the Dragons, while on the defensive side, Texas Tech commitment Jackson Richards will anchor the defensive line. Defensive back Kacy Rodgers, who has committed to Miami, and linebacker/kicker Cade Foster, an Alabama pledge, are part of the talent the Dragons will rely on to return to glory.

Carroll has two monster out-of-district games: Arlington and perennial Class 5A heavyweight Galena Park North Shore, games that could signal another rise or show that the Dragons have fallen back to earth.

3. Talent abounds in Arlington, Mansfield

A wave of talent means District 4-5A, composed of the Arlington and Mansfield schools, might be the toughest in the state. Arlington Lamar returns all-state running back Ja’Terian Douglas, and Arlington boasts a heralded quarterback-lineman duo in the Joeckel brothers, Matt and Luke, who are headed to Texas A&M.

Arlington Martin returns a three-headed rushing attack, and Arlington Bowie could be the biggest threat in the district, because the Volunteers always have defensive linemen and wide receivers, among other positions, who see playing time at the next level.

Mansfield Summit running back Nelson Akinwande and tight end Eric Waters and Mansfield defensive end Femi Awe look to be Division I talent, while Sam Houston quarterback Jamal Turner accounted for 30 touchdowns last season. Only District 8-5A — which produced Division I state champ Allen and Division II finalist Wylie last season — measures up to the level of competition in 4-5A.

District 5-5A

Coach: Gary Olivo

Last season: 7-4 (4-3 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in first round to Hebron 21-17

Enrollment: 2,665 (fifth in 5-5A)

Key returnees: DB Casey Rosenblatt (6-0, 175), DB Kenny Buyers (5-10, 166), RB Kenny Farrow (5-10, 195)

Key losses: QB Lehi Tonga, DL Josh Mauro

The big picture: Inexperience will challenge the Blue Raiders as junior Kenny Farrow is the only returing starter on offense. Casey Rosenblatt is likely to play safety and receiver and knows that the young squad which returns only two defensive starters will need leadership.

"Obviously we don’t have many starters returning," Rosenblatt said. "But I feel like the starters returning and the players we have with varsity experience definitely are helping the younger guys get ready for our first game so they’re not in as much shock and awe as our first game." James Mauro will get the call at quarterback.

Quotable: "We are probably going to be younger than we’ve been in a while. A lot of juniors on the roster, but they’ve been working together really well. We’re looking forward to it. We’re positive about the season." — coach Gary Olivo

Notable: L.D. Bell will run a one-back spread offense and use some two-back and tight-end sets.

Schedule

Sept. 4: Haltom

Sept. 11: at Burleson

Sept. 18: at Grand Prairie

Sept. 25: Keller Central

Oct. 1: at Grapevine

Oct. 9: Justin Northwest

Oct. 16: Colleyville Heritage

Oct. 22: at Keller

District 5-5A

Coach: Tony Baccarini

Last season: 2-8 (2-5 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,145 (eighth in 5-5A)

Key returnees: RB Tray Lynch (5-7, 165), WR Mark Munson (6-1, 195), OT Shane Thompson (6-4, 240)

Key losses: LB Brandon Mahoney, WR Aaron Fisher

The big picture: The Panthers return four on defense and eight on offense. Fossil Ridge enjoyed a boost last spring when senior QB James Jordan (6-1, 175) moved in from Washington. Baccarini said Jordan possesses the dual-threat skills the Panthers haven’t enjoyed in years past. "From my point of view I think we’ll be one of the best offenses in the league and maybe even the state," Jordan said. "We have a lot of weapons from wide receiver to running back, and I think we’re going to be great."

Quotable: "We’re progressing along. We’ve got some work to do. We’re trying to get more people to where we can roll more kids onto the field. One deep we’re solid. We’ve got three for two positions in a lot of places, but the more kids we can get on the field the better we’ll be." — Coach Tony Baccarini

"Everybody thinks of Fossil Ridge being finesse, but we come in, we hit hard and we get after it. It think our hard work pays off and that’s our strength." — LB Adrian Alcantar

Notable: Fossil Ridge’s strength could lie in its junior class, which, according to Baccarini, has lost about three games since the seventh grade.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Arlington Lamar

Sept. 4: at Flower Mound

Sept. 11: Flower Mound Marcus

Sept. 24: Colleyville Heritage

Oct. 2: at Euless Trinity

Oct. 9: Keller Central

Oct. 16: at Grapevine

Oct. 23: Justin Northwest

District 5-5A

Coach: Kevin Atkinson

Last season: 7-3 (4-3 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,923 (fourth in 5-5A)

Key returnees: QB Cameron Allerheiligen (6-3, 195), RB Kelo Webster (5-9, 195)

Key losses: OL Bryan Collins, DB Matt White

The big picture: The Indians return from a bitter 7-3 season when Keller missed the playoffs on a coin-flip tiebreaker, while teams in other districts reached the postseason with four wins. "Our approach to that is we’re [upset]," quarterback Cameron Allerheiligen said. "We believe we deserved to be in the playoffs with a 7-3 record. We just come this year knowing we won’t let that happen again. Like I said we’re [upset] and we’re coming out ready to play." The return of Allerheiligen and Webster gives the Indians one of the top backfields in 5-5A. However, the offensive line must replace three, including the dominant Collins.

Quotable: "The whole point of defense is getting to the ball. We’ve been running like crazy and getting 11 hats to the ball in practice and hopefully that’s going to carry over. That’s going to be the key if we can recognize and get ourselves to the ball as quickly and as violent as possible." — Coach Kevin Atkinson

"We’ve got a couple new players on defense and we’re kind of working on the chemistry right now. We’ve got a lot of guys working on getting to the ball. We’re going to have a really athletic defense, and we’re going to come out and surprise a lot of people." — DB Robert Dewitt

Notable: The Indians are working a new odd-front defensive scheme after Jeff Berry was promoted from running backs coach to defensive coordinator.

Schedule

Sept. 3: Midlothian

Sept. 11: at Arlington Martin

Sept. 18: at Haltom

Sept. 25: Euless Trinity

Oct. 2: at Keller Central

Oct. 10: Grapevine

Oct. 16: at Justin Northwest

Oct. 22: L.D. Bell

District 5-5A

Coach: Bart Helsley

Last season: 3-7 (1-6 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,928 (third in 5-5A)

Key returnees: RB Trenton Turrentine (5-10, 190), OL Cody Cutting (6-3, 230), DB Marcus Fore (5-10, 165)

Key losses: WR Jarrod Darden, QB Dustin Stenta

The big picture: The Chargers come back from a spring routine that featured a heavy focus on running the ball. Trenton Turrentine (283 yards on 47 carries) returns after missing most of last year after suffering a knee injury in the third game. Blake Nichols also returns to the backfield after suffering a kidney injury last year. "They are two different types of runners, but it’s nice to line up and have both those kids on the field," coach Bart Helsley said. "It gives our team confidence to have both those guys in there and healthy." The two backs allow Central the option of playing three wideouts and two backs or a one-back spread. Defensively, the Chargers return all four in the secondary.

Quotable: "I feel like the defense is a lot further ahead than we normally are the past few years. Normally, the offense has been a little bit better always. This time I think the defense has the offense by a little bit to begin." — Cornerback Marcus Fore

"From being a freshman here going up to a senior you can just see it grows and you can tell the guys get closer as a unit. People ask, 'Are you going to be good this year,’ and you just say 'you’ll have to come watch to see.’ But we really feel like this team has gotten a lot closer as a group and we’re really excited for the season." — Offensive lineman Cody Cutting

Notable: The Chargers return a solid 12 starters, with six on offense and six on defense, which Helsley said should be better at stopping the run.

Schedule

Aug. 27: at Mansfield Legacy

Sept. 4: Carrollton Newman Smith

Sept. 18: Richland

Sept. 25: at L.D. Bell

Oct. 2: Keller

Oct. 9: Keller Fossil Ridge

Oct. 16: Euless Trinity

Oct. 23: at Colleyville Heritage

District 5-5A

Coach: Bill Patterson

Last season: 6-5 (4-3 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: Division I, lost in first round to Coppell 31-17

Enrollment: 3,005 (first in 5-5A)

Key returnees: WR Chris Bain (5-8, 170), WR Eric Clinton (6-4, 220), LB Anthony Chiofalo (6-0, 200)

The big picture: The Texans return the vital core to their spread offense with senior QB Taylor Barnhill (6-4, 205) back at the helm. Just as important is the return of all four receivers, including Bain (353 yards, 4 TDs) and Clinton (503 yards, 3 TDs). "It’s going really good," Barnhill said. "We’re just getting established and we’re getting better every day. We’re progressing, which is a very good sign." Northwest gets a new coach in Bill Patterson, who led Garland Naaman Forest to the playoffs the past two seasons. Defensively, the Texans line up in a 3-4 with Anthony Chiofalo leading the way at linebacker.

Quotable

"I think we’re progressing with a new staff, a new offense, a new defense. I think we’re getting better each week. We’ve got some improvement to make in the secondary on defense. Offensively I was pleased the other night but a scrimmage is a scrimmage. This Friday night against [Mansfield] Timberview we’ll see where we are because they are very athletic." — Coach Bill Patterson

"This year I think our offense is a lot better than last year. Our quarterback and our wide receivers are really good this year. Our defensive line is good this year." — LB Anthony Chiofalo

Notable: The Texans reached the playoffs last season by winning a coin-flip tiebreaker.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Mansfield Timberview

Sept. 4: at Burleson

Sept. 18: South Grand Prairie

Sept. 25: Grapevine

Oct. 2: at Colleyville Heritage

Oct. 9: at L.D. Bell

Oct. 16: Keller

Oct. 23: at Keller Fossil Ridge

District 5-5A

Coach: Mike Fuller

Last season: 9-2 (6-1 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: Division II, lost in first round to Southlake Carroll 31-7

Enrollment: 2,461 (sixth in 5-5A)

Key returnees: DB Cameron Armstrong (5-11, 190), DE John Miles (6-3, 220), OL Clint Mitchell (6-1, 280)

Key losses: QB Steven Hill, LB Bobby Schneider

The big picture: The Panthers lost a ton of experience after 49 lettermen graduated and only 17 returned. The biggest question falls upon the offensive line, which returns only one with Clint Mitchell at right guard/center. The receiving corps gets a boost from the return of Jake Skinner (5-9, 170), who had 434 yards and five TDs in 2008. The defense, particularly the defensive line, should be a strength for the Panthers. "D-Line is definitely going to live up to last year. We are definitely going to hold our own. We are definitely quick and aggressive," John Miles said. Miles is expected to guide the three-man defensive front for the Panthers.

Quotable

"I don’t see it being a down year [in 5-5A]. To me it seems like most of the teams will be better than last year. A lot of people had some key players that were juniors or younger." — coach Mike Fuller

"I feel pretty good, pretty confident with the new team. A lot of young guys on the team but hopefully we’ll have some seniors step up in the leadership role and make good things happen." — OL Clint Mitchell

Notable: The Panthers get a new face at QB with junior Jeff Calvert (6-1, 180) set to take control of the spread offense.

Schedule

Aug. 29: at Midland Lee

Sept. 7: Irving MacArthur

Sept. 12: Plano East

Sept. 24: at Keller Fossil Ridge

Oct. 2: Justin Northwest

Oct. 9: Euless Trinity

Oct. 16: at L.D. Bell

District 5-5A

Coach: Dave Henigan

Last season: 0-10 (0-7 in 5-5A)

Playoffs: None

Enrollment: 2,212 (seventh in 5-5A)

Key returnees: LB Ian Bargsley (5-9, 185), RB John Mundy (6-1, 190), OL Dalton Forsythe (6-4, 265)

Key Losses: WR Nathan Schroeder, DB Tim Peterson, WR Travis Trenkle

The big picture: New coach Dave Henigan has brought a fresh enthusiasm to the program. The Mustangs used an extra week of practice this fall to focus on the quick-paced, spread offense. Henigan, a former quarterback, will call the offense himself from the sideline. "Everything we’re doing is new, really, and it’s brought some energy," Henigan said. "Don’t get me wrong, [former coach Gary Mullins] and those guys did a good job, but they hit some hard times last year. So these kids and the community are very eager for all the changes that we’ve made. So getting them to buy in really, honestly, hasn’t been that hard."

Quotable

"Right now, we’re working hard. Hopefully that will pay out in our games and maybe we can move on to the playoffs. If we all believe and can buy in, we’ll get some wins this year." — WR Ted Hull-Ryde

"I feel like we’re really coming together as a team. It’s nothing compared to the experience that it was last year. It’s totally different. The attitude is different. We’re changed for sure." — LB Ian Bargsley

Notable: The Mustangs return three starters on defense and four on offense, highlighted by workhorse running back Mundy.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Marcus

Sept. 4: at Aledo

Sept. 11: at Lewisville

Sept. 25: at Justin Northwest

Oct. 1: L.D. Bell

Oct. 10: at Keller

Oct. 16: Fossil Ridge

Carlos Mendez

Reaching the playoffs year after year means becoming good at a critical skill — replacing a playoff quarterback.

It’s the top issue for some of last season’s best teams. Fort Worth Arlington Heights, Fort Worth Dunbar, Fort Worth Southwest, Euless Trinity, Arlington Bowie, Arlington Lamar, Colleyville Heritage, Aledo and Everman all went into the off-season needing to find a quarterback.

It’s a position you have to get right.

"It is pressure," said Dunbar quarterback Erick Martin, who will take over the job Nicholas Rockwell held last year — throwing to blue-chip receiver Darius White. "Nick was an awesome QB. But I’m not going to let the team down."

Heights opens the season tonight without last year’s starter, Mark Grace. Its opponent, Birdville, is an ’08 playoff team that has no such worries — Josh Dorman returns, along with his top receivers.

In Week Zero, experience at quarterback is likely to show.

"Looking at Birdville in their scrimmage, they scored on every possession," Heights coach Steve Hale said.

Heights will go with sophomore Omar Valadez, who impressed Hale with his toughness. In a scrimmage last week, linebacker Willie Byrd smashed the young quarterback with a blitz. But without even grunting, the 6-foot-1 Valadez got up, went to the huddle and called the next play.

"He had a bloody nose, but we as coaches didn’t know it," Hale said. "He didn’t say a word. He got back in the huddle and went again. He’s shown unbelievable toughness. He’s made it clear."

Valadez brushed off the bloody nose. The pressure? Well, he’ll be feeling that.

"It’s nerve-wracking. It’ll be my first varsity game," he said. "This whole week, I’ve been trying to stay calm. I’m just trying to get the job done."

The new QBs

Here’s a look at how some teams with high expectations found their new quarterback (and who they are):

Aledo. Trey Ozee has a football name. His grandfather is former Arlington Sam Houston coach Ken Ozee. He is not exactly a new quarterback, either. He started one game last season because of an injury to starter Tanner McDonald. This year, he won a tight battle with Matthew Bishop, a sophomore transfer from Denton Ryan.

Arlington Bowie. Deric Davis has been in line to take over since the spring, and he did not disappoint with his practices. But he’s got a high standard, taking over for Christian Matthews, who won five playoff games.

Arlington Lamar. Tyler Wilson, a senior, showed his potential in 7-on-7 with a quick release and accuracy. He’s not big — only about 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds — but coach Eddy Peach said you’ll notice his competitiveness.

Colleyville Heritage. Jeff Calvert is a junior who takes over for a 3,000-yard passer, Steven Hill. It’ll mean a difference. Calvert is less of a pocket passer because he’s quicker and more elusive. "We’ll run the ball a lot more with him," coach Mike Fuller said.

Everman. Barry Browning is in charge of the Bulldogs’ powerhouse running game. He’s already got some big-time experience. He took over in the 4A Division II semifinals against Sulphur Springs last year when starter Marcus McAdoo left in the second quarter with a sprained ankle.

Euless Trinity. Willie Hubbard, a senior, has speed, a strong arm and command of the offense. "He went through 14 games of reps last year as the backup, and with us, the backup gets almost the same amount of reps as the first-string quarterback," coach Steve Lineweaver said. "He’s arguably the fastest guy on the team, he’s got a good arm, and he’s got a competitive nature. That’s enough good things for us to give him a try."

Fort Worth Southwest. The Raiders are going with a freshman — a 5-10, 150-pound freshman. Wesley Harris got his chance in a scrimmage and was mighty tough to tackle, so he won a job on an offense with only one returning starter. "There’s going to be a little learning curve," coach Lanny Trammell said. "We may struggle early with him. But late in the year, I think he’s going to be something special." His running ability means the Raiders don’t have to junk the offense that worked so well for last year’s starter, Jason Dillon.

By PAUL WESSELS

It is still early in the high school volleyball season, but tournaments are the time to really set teams apart from the pack.

Teams like Grapevine, Colleyville Heritage and Mansfield Legacy are putting themselves in great position early by placing well in tournaments all across the state.

Birdville is another team that is making strides during this early, difficult schedule.

"We’ve played some pretty tough competition," Birdville coach Courtney Grimes said. "The girls have stepped up pretty well, which is good to see with only three returning players."

Birdville has 10 wins after finishing second in the Abilene tournament and losing in the second round of the gold medal bracket of the Northwest Tournament. Now the team is preparing for another tournament this weekend in Frisco.

"We got out of our usual tournaments to get into ones with new competition," Grimes said.

Birdville still has Grapevine, Euless Trinity and Colleyville Heritage left on its nondistrict schedule and things don’t get any easier once District 6-4A play begins.

"Last year we made it to the regional quarterfinals and the deeper you go in the playoffs the better the competition is," Grimes said. "It’s good to see the girls step up every night. None of the wins have been easy."

But it isn’t all about winning tournaments at this point. It’s about gaining momentum and putting your team in the best position to win when district starts

Four area teams in Pearland Invitational

Arlington, Keller Central, Arlington Martin and Grapevine will travel to Houston this weekend to play in the Pearland Volleyball Classic, a tournament that features 76 teams.

"This is one of the toughest, if not the toughest tournament in the state," Central coach Christina Rudiger said. "To be in a tournament with the caliber of teams that will be in this is a tremendous honor."

Central was originally scheduled to play Arlington two days before Pearland, but when the teams found out they were in the same pool in this event, they dropped their non-tournament match-up.

"It’s funny that you go six hours to play somebody that you can face in 45 minutes," Rudiger said. "But in all, we are excited about this opportunity."

Stat of the week

302Career coaching wins for Justin Northwest coach Dayna Horak, who recorded No. 300 Friday night with a 25-17, 25-21 victory against Richardson. This is her 16th year as a head coach, sixth at Northwest.

Matches to watch

Mansfield Summit vs. Paschal, 11 a.m. Friday: Paschal has a lot to prove when it faces one of the best 5A teams in the area at the Arlington Invitational.

Red Oak vs. Keller, 4:30 p.m. today: One of the best teams in the area faces the No. 3 team in the state at Coppell High School in the Jenny Eckert Memorial tournament.

Haltom at Aledo, 6:30 p.m. Friday: Aledo plays the second straight 5A team on its nondistrict schedule, not to mention those it has played in dual matches and tournaments.

TAPPS Division I-1

Coach: Joe Prud’homme, 17th year

Last season: 7-3 (3-3 in TAPPS I-1)

Playoffs: Won TAPPS Division 1 state championship

Enrollment: 1,033

Key returnees: WR/DB Ross Gallagher, RB Marco Hernandez, TE Tanner Smith

Key losses: QB Robert Ratliff, OL Kyle Lamers, DL Miles DeVilder

The big picture: Sometimes having a target on your back can be just as bad for a team as a key injury. But the Nolan Catholic Vikings don’t seem to have a problem dealing with that pressure. Coach Joe Prud’homme thinks this team has what it takes to make another run at a championship. That might be true, but the Vikings will need to find someone who can replace quarterback Robert Ratliff, MVP of last year’s state title game. The bulk of the load now falls on running back Marco Hernandez, who has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Quotable

"We know when other teams prepare for us they don’t take anything for granted. We have to pick up our level of play."

— coach Joe Prud’homme

"We were facing nine guys in the box every game last year and now the receivers are juniors and have done a lot better in the weight room." — RB Marco Hernandez

Notable: The Vikings will need to replace Ratliff, who is the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards.

Schedule

Friday: Lake Worth

Sept. 4: at Dallas St. Mark’s

Sept. 11: at Waco Reicher

Sept. 18: Argyle Liberty

Sept. 25: at Grapevine Faith

Oct. 2: Dallas Bishop Dunne

Star-Telegram staff writers Tobias Xavier Lopez and Carlos Mendez sound off on this week’s big games, including the game of the week: Stephenville at Aledo. Video highlights from the game can be seen beginning Saturday morning at www.dfwvarsity.com. Lopez will also talk about this week’s games in a live chat today at 5 p.m. at www.star-telegram.com/highschools.

Game of the week Stephenville at Aledo

7:30 p.m. Friday

Tobias: These are a couple of teams you know pretty well, Carlos. Don’t these country boys play for the Golden Tractor or something like that? Anyway, this is as good as it gets any week of the year much less in Zero Week. Stephenville got off to a slow start last year and I say it happens again as those nasty Bearcats handle their business at home.

Carlos: The Golden Tractor must be mighty important, because these teams go hard after each other — so hard, even the coaches get carried away. Last year, Stephenville pulled a "Load Left" on its side of the field late in the game, got stuffed, and Aledo scored to win. I can see Aledo’s D doing something like that again.

Mansfield Timberview at Northwest

7:30 p.m. Friday

Tobias: C-Los, I like the Texans’ offense in this one with quarterback Taylor Barnhill checking in at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He’s a senior with all four of his receivers back in Northwest’s spread offense. Barnhill also has the luxury of Ben Collins (6-2, 260) back on the offensive line.

Carlos: The Texans are definitely ahead in the pass combo department. They may be a step ahead of the Timberview this week. But Timberview is one of those Mansfield schools, and Mansfield seems to keep pumping athletes out of wells, and at Timberview most of those athletes are on defense. That’s what wins this game for the Wolves.

Arlington Lamar vs. Keller Fossil Ridge

7:30 p.m. Friday at Keller ISD Stadium

Tobias: I got a look at Fossil Ridge in the Panthers’ scrimmage against Birdville last week. I like their dual-threat quarterback James Jordan. From talking to him he’s a sharp young man, a 16-year-old senior because he skipped kindergarten. It’s the Fossil Ridge defense that could have their hands full with the powerful running of Ja’Terian Douglas.

Carlos: Ridge spent most of last year just trying to figure things out — who’s healthy, who’s playing where, what are we running? But once that got sorted out, things got better. And if they’ve got QB figured out, all the better. But you’re right. It won’t be enough against Ja’Terian and crew.

North Crowley at Mansfield Summit

7:30 p.m. Friday at R.L. Anderson Stadium

Tobias: Man, this is one that I just don’t have a feeling about. North Crowley went 4-6 last year, but earned a playoff spot in a soft District 3-5A. Summit struggled to a 3-7 mark and now gets a new boss in Travis Pride.

Carlos: It wasn’t exactly a barnburner last year. Summit won 12-7 or something like that. Of course, NoCro had QB issues all year, and something was missing at Summit. But last year is last year. Summit at home with a new coach is a good call.

By PAUL WESSELS

The Grapevine Lady Mustangs are off to a hot start at 15-2 and at the center of that is senior outside hitter Taylor Nyquist. Being one of three seniors on a roster can make things difficult for a young athlete, but Nyquist takes it all in stride during this stretch. She earned all-tournament honors while her team finished second in the Lewisville Tournament last weekend and helped her team win the Grapevine Invitational two weeks ago.

Tell me a little bit about your team.

We’re pretty good. We are young, with four sophomores and just three seniors that have active leadership roles.

What is it like to be a senior on this team?

I like the leadership role. It’s a little bit tough because the team might be a little more undisciplined, but we get along with the young girls really well and there is no drama on the team.

What kind of things do you teach the younger players?

We show them our leadership roles and that attitude is a big thing on the court. We tell them to always play as a team and stay positive. We want to leave our mark on them.

What is your favorite part about playing volleyball?

Competing. I love the thrill of getting a block. I love how fast it goes and always fighting for another ball.

What schools are you looking at going to after graduation?

Arkansas State, Lehigh, Butler. I’m just looking for the best scholarship opportunity.

TAPPS Division I-1

Coach: Kris Hogan, seventh year

Last season: 9-3 (4-2 in TAPPS I-1)

Playoffs: Lost in second round to San Antonio Central Catholic 28-14

Enrollment: 265

Key returnees: QBPeter Ashton, LB/TE Jordan Adams, OL/DL Preston Daniel

Key losses: LBGreg Wright, RB/DB Jordan Duninngton, LB/OL Justin Huffman

The big picture: It will be a difficult year for the Grapevine Faith Lions, mostly because they return just one starter. At least it’s the quarterback, junior Peter Ashton. But coach Kris Hogan thinks the team will still be competitive, he just wishes he had more leadership for his young players to look to for guidance. Normally his system involves giving new players at least a season to learn before putting them on the field, but he doesn’t have that luxury this year.

Quotable

"There are going to be some challenges we have not had in the past. Basically, we have one kid who has been on varsity prior to this year."

— Coach Kris Hogan

"You think a lot about losing your whole offense, but you adapt to it and you learn to love your players around you."

— QB Peter Ashton

Notable

Only three players on this year’s team played at all on Friday nights last season.

Schedule

Aug. 28: Arlington Grace Prep

Sept. 5: at FW North Side

Sept. 11: at Irving Cistercian

Sept. 17: FW Diamond-Hill Jarvis

By JOHN HENRY

Turning 125 this school year, Fort Worth Paschal High School probably would be an appropriate setting for some good ghost stories. Its history of distinguished graduates and characters could fill some of the largest repositories.

On the football field, Paschal certainly has had to deal with some ghosts of the past.

The Panthers have languished in mediocrity for the better part of 45 years. Only three playoff appearances since 1964. A 19-111 record since their last playoff appearance, in 1995. Twenty-six consecutive losses, including winless seasons in 2006 and 2007.

All plot lines for some scary stories.

Tonight, coach Matt Cook and his staff begin the third year of rebuilding the football program with a game against Arlington Sam Houston at 7:30 at Handley Field.

Cook’s project is well off the ground. An Era of Change is under way at Paschal, and it revolves around a carefully, deliberately crafted plan and an attitude adjustment.

"Night and day," said Cook, when asked about the difference in the program when he started and now. "We’ve put in motion some things that will help us make things happen here."

One thing he’s not deploying is a team of ghostbusters. In fact, instead of ghosts of the past, the Panthers might be able to draw inspiration from a team of guardian angels.

Our coach, Bill Allen, was our steady hand that August day for the start of two-a-days. Coach Allen was the epitome of high school sports — a fair competitor, firm, consistent, and a student of the game.

The first day of practice in 1960 took place right on the same field as your two-a-days this year, in the back of old Paschal.

Our star and leader was Bobby Sanders, an end and linebacker. Three or so guys on our team understood some things about competition. Bobby was one of them. Many of us tried to get by just on talent. But he and a couple of others, such as linebacker Mike Bourland, had some intangibles, most notably an infectious enthusiasm for the game.

Bobby was talented, but tough and scrappy, too, qualities we soon all adopted. We weren’t all very big, and no one had lofty expectations for us. But we knew we’d be tough. We didn’t have the best talent as a team, but we knew we’d bring a competitive spirit to the field that was second to none.

That we might become one of the best teams in the history of Fort Worth schools didn’t really cross our minds.

All we thought about on this day was wind sprints and drills in typical hot August weather, salt tablets and … no water. What did they have against water, anyway?

But we loved practice. Well, most of us loved it. We learned to work hard, be determined and be enthusiastic during those days in August. We knew we could overachieve just because of those things alone.

~

Paschal’s teams went to the state semifinals in 1960 and ’61 and the state quarterfinals in ’63 and ’64. Unquestionably, those were the school’s football glory years.

Since 1964, the Panthers have been to the playoffs three times — 1993, ’94 and ’95 — with records of 3-8, 4-7 and 4-7. Each season ended in blowout bi-district playoff losses. This season they’re seeking their first district victory since beating Granbury in 2005. In all, the Panthers have two district victories in the 2000s.

There are many reasons for the demise.

O.D. Wyatt High School’s opening in 1967 and Southwest’s in 1968 cut into Paschal’s enrollment and talent base. Then the problems that plague urban schools — gangs and high dropout rates — didn’t miss Paschal. It helped ravage the football program.

PAUL WESSELS

Colleyville Heritage is riding a wave of confidence after winning the Lewisville ISD tournament.

"The girls worked really hard to beat Grapevine in the final," coach Jamie deTurck said. "It was a total team effort. Our setter was out and a lot of girls stepped up to help the team."

Junior outside hitter Hillary Desmaris said this team has a better connection than past Panthers teams have had.

"We have a sisterly bond, so we can give each other feedback and no one takes it the wrong way," Desmaris said. "Freshman year we weren’t as close and we couldn’t help each other as much."

That camaraderie is something they are going to need tonight when they face Arlington Lamar and Bishop Lynch.

"Arlington Lamar will be a big battle for the girls," deTurck said. "We have already played them twice this year, and the girls are already getting pumped up for it."

The teams split their previous meetings.

"The last time we played them we all had a bad game and we are trying to redeem ourselves," Desmaris said.

Central’s early challenges

Despite two seventh-place finishes in early season tournaments, the Chargers are pleased with their play.

"We played some tough competition," coach Christina Ruddiger said. "Austin Westlake, Friendswood, they are all storied programs. We also played against some different styles and we welcomed the challenges."

Those challenges are helping the team learn a lot about themselves.

"It’s good to play the tough teams because it helps us grow and know what we need to work on," junior setter Caylin Mahoney said. "To play big you need to play the big teams."

Ruddiger attributes a lot of that success to the development of some of her junior players.

"All of our juniors have really matured a lot as players and as young people," Ruddiger said. "They are more mentally tough this year than last year and it’s nice to see that maturity."

Arlington heating up

Arlington is starting to pick up momentum after winning three matches in the Allen Texas Open.

"We’re getting much better each time we play," coach Sue Cauley said.

Before the season started, Cauley had said it would take awhile for her team to hit its stride. But the team appears to be coming together ahead of schedule.

"We only have one player at their original spot from last year," Cauley said. "Our outside hitter is the only player that played her position."

Our users have chosen Stephenville at Aledo as this week's game of the week.

The game earned 1,406 votes, or 58 percent of the votes cast.

Arlington Lamar vs. Keller Fossil Ridge was second, with 29 percent.

North Crowley vs. Mansfield Summit earned 9 percent, and Mansfield Timberview at Justin Northwest got 5 percent.

The Star-Telegram will shoot video of the winning game and post it on our Web site.

Next week's poll will be posted Saturday.

By BRIAN HERNALSTEEN

MANSFIELD — Daniel Wheeler’s only two carries were the difference Thursday night for Keller Central. His two touchdowns led the Chargers to a 19-6 victory over Mansfield Legacy.

The debut of the newly named Vernon Newsom Stadium could best be described as cloudy.

A two-hour rain and lightning delay prevented both teams from getting into a groove in the second half.

Legacy looked promising in its first drive, scoring four minutes into the game.

The third-year program used a strong rushing attack, featuring Cameron Davis, who collected 54 yards and a touchdown on the first drive, and finished with 113.

Davis’ 7-yard run put Legacy up 6-0 early, but Central answered with an eight-minute drive that covered 84 yards.

Wheeler scored his first touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, taking an end-around 5 yards for the score.

Shortly after Central’s go-ahead touchdown, the game was delayed because of lightning. When play resumed, Legacy drove inside the 20, but the Broncos missed a field-goal attempt and Central led 7-6 at half.

Legacy never regained its form in the second half, and the Central running game took control.

Central’s Blake Nichols gained 114 yards while chewing up the clock and keeping the Legacy defense off the field. Wheeler’s second score came in the fourth quarter after a seven-minute drive.

On fourth-and-goal inside the 1-yard line, Wheeler bowled over Legacy defenders to get the touchdown for a 13-6 lead.

Legacy gave it its best trailing late in the game, and had its chances, after a 30-yard reception by Rodney Whitmore, but the drive came up short.Central scored its third touchdown when time expired as Corey Fogle completed a 25-yard pass to James Nwampah in the end zone.

Boswell quarterback Quinton Gregory passed for 312 yards and four touchdowns as the Pioneers outlasted Wichita Falls 34-27 on Thursday night in Wichita Falls.

The difference-maker ended up being Gregory’s 27-yard touchdown pass with 9:37 left in the game on a fourth-and-9 play. Gregory found running back Dante Lipscomb wide open in the middle of the field, giving the Pioneers a 34-20 lead.

Wichita Falls’ Eddie Aboussie (18 carries, 102 yards, two touchdowns) had an apparent 89-yard touchdown called back with 4:54 left in the game.

Irving Nimitz 14, Haltom 13 (2 OT): The Vikings’Tyler Orwig kicked the decisive extra point against Haltom at Irving Schools Stadium.

Haltom evened the score at 7-7 in the fourth quarter when Shaq Mathis capped a seven-play, 42-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Regulation ended in that fashion, and both teams went scoreless in the first overtime.

Buffalos quarterback Arron Shockey completed 17 passes for 171 yards, and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard run in the second overtime.

Saginaw 7, Eastern Hills 0 (1st quarter): The Rough Riders’ score will stand when both teams return to Clark Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday. Saginaw running back D.J. Hester caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Henry Munoz.

TAPPS Div. II Dist. 1

Coach: Richard Reed, 1st year

Last season: 6-5 (2-2 in TAPPS Div. II Dist. 1)

Playoffs: Lost in first round to Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill 21-11

Enrollment: 205

Key returnees: WR Brady Ball, DE Caleb Curreri, RB Gabe Goodman, OL/DL Jacob Flores

Key losses: DE JJ Blass, QB Morgan Kenyon

The big picture: First-year head coach Richard Reed has a simple goal — win at least one playoff game. While he does have a team with a lot of talent, one thing he has going against this goal is depth. While Reed suits up 30-35 players on Friday nights, Grace Prep’s division opponents often double his team in size. But Reed said newcomer linebacker Sedrick Freeman can help level the playing field. Add Freeman to end Caleb Curreri and two-way lineman Jacob Flores and this defense could be impressive enough.

Quotable: "Over the past couple of years this team has consistently made the first round of the playoffs. Our goal is to try and get back to the playoffs and go beyond the first round."

— coach Richard Reed

"We want to win district for sure and I think we have a chance to go undefeated. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves and we believe in each other."

— wide receiver Brady Ball

Notable: Sophomore Jacob Flores, at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, will anchor the team’s offensive line.

Schedule

Today: at Grapevine Faith

Sept. 4: Trinity Chr.-Cedar Hill

Sept. 11: at South Hills

Sept. 18: Dal. Bishop Dunne

Sept. 24: at TMI San Antonio

Oct. 10: Fort Worth Christian

By CARLOS MENDEZ

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Cory Hines and Josh Dorman beat the blitz when they had to.

Hines caught a 46-yard touchdown pass with 6:42 to play to give Birdville a 35-28 victory over Arlington Heights in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at the Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletics Complex.

The game was delayed more than an hour and a half by weather.

It was Hines’ seventh catch and second touchdown.

Heights made no secret of its strategy: to blitz Dorman on almost every play.

The Jackets sent defenders from the sides and the middle, and the move brought results — three sacks, three knockdowns, two pass tips and an interception in the first half. Heights had collected six sacks by the fourth quarter.

But when the Jackets dropped into coverage, Dorman and his receivers connected even against good coverage. The Hawks also forced three pass interference penalties from Heights in the first half. Dorman threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns in the first two quarters.

Marquis Jackson caught five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown and returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown in the first half for Heights, tying the game 14-14 in the first quarter.

By the third quarter, Heights’ blitzing had worn down the Hawks.

Dorman was knocked down three consecutive times in one third-quarter series, and the Hawks were scoreless on their first four drives of the second half.

In the meantime, Heights used its second interception — by cornerback Jordan Price — to set up a one-play touchdown drive. Theo Davis took a flare pass 31 yards for the tying score with 4:51 left in the third quarter, making it 28-28.

TAPPS Division 2-1

Coach: James Roller, 3rd year

Last season: 6-7 (1-3 in TAPPS 2-1A)

Playoffs: Lost in first round to Dallas Christian 69-21

Enrollment: 456

Key returnees: RB/LB Caleb Gonzalez, CB/RB Ryan Stockton, OL Michael Atherton

Key losses: QB/SS Payton Roberts, RB Jacob Lowry, FB Clay Maninger

The big picture: Expectations are higher for the Eagles this season than ever before. With a senior-heavy roster, coach James Roller expects this team to make the playoffs, but that’s not the limit for his squad. This is the best team he has fielded in his three years at Southwest Christian and with dual-way athletes such as Caleb Gonzalez and Ryan Stockton leading the way, a deep run in the playoffs is a possibility. But Roller said this is a team that will have leadership by committee, so not all the pressure is on one or two players.

Quotable: "When you get a team turned around going the right direction, it’s a good feeling. The last two teams had a big deal to do with this one."

— coach James Roller

"We have definitely improved over the years, and this year we have united more and have never felt more confident as a team." — cornerback/running back Ryan Stockton

Notable: There are 18 seniors on this year’s roster.

Schedule

Today: at Covenant

Christian

Sept. 4: Fort Worth

Country Day

Sept. 11: Trinity Valley

Sept. 18: at Lake Worth

Sept. 25: at Brazosport

By JOHN HENRY

Disappointment outweighed all the anxiety and eagerness associated with season-opening high school football Thursday night when games at Fort Worth school district fields were postponed because of lightning.

Severe thunderstorms moved into the area right around kickoff of games at Clark Stadium, Farrington Field and Scarborough-Handley Field.

Fort Worth Paschal’s game against Arlington Sam Houston (at Handley), Fort Worth Eastern Hills against Saginaw Boswell (at Clark) and Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis vs. Fort Worth North Side (at Farrington) were postponed until 7 p.m. Saturday at the same sites.

Admission to each of those games will be free, said Fort Worth schools athletic director Herb Stephens.

"Safety is the No. 1 thing," Stephens said after announcing the postponements.

Stephens said district athletic-department policy stipulates that no game can be resumed until 30 minutes after the last detected strike of lightning. That meant the games wouldn’t have been able to be started until 9 p.m. Thursday at the earliest.

Though the district has no curfew policy regarding late games, Stephens said he was sensitive to the fact that Thursday was a school night.

If this had been Friday?

"We would have gotten the games in" in all likelihood, Stephens said.

The postponement might turn out to be good fortune for Paschal. The Panthers would have played without star running back Emmanuel Smith, who did not suit up Thursday because of an illness, coach Matt Cook said.

That reminder eased the frustration of Panthers players, who were, needless to say, eager to get their season started.

"It’s a letdown to get ready and then postpone it," said Brian Gallagher, Paschal’s starting quarterback.

TAPPS Division 1-2

Coach: Scott Smiley, second year

Last season: 3-8 (0-4 in TAPPS 1-2)

Playoffs: None. Last appearance, 2007

Enrollment: 341

Key returnees: RB/S Jordan Keiser, TE/DE Tyler Graves, OL/LB Zach Johnson, WR/DE Tyler Page

Key losses: S/WR Barrett Watson

The big picture: After going winless in district last season, there is no place for the Cardinals to go but up. And coach Scott Smiley said his team is improving every day during practice. Smiley thinks his team made strides last season and, with a lot of players back, that experience will help this team continue to improve.

Quotable

"We have great skill kids and the kids are getting better each week so we will just have to see how much better we can get." — coach Scott Smiley

"We have a good line this year and that will help for sure. We know our plays better after having a year of coach Smiley’s offense." — running back/safety Jordan Keiser

"Our linebackers are looking good. They aren’t big, but they are fast and hard hitters." — offensive lineman/linebacker Zach Johnson

Notable: Junior quarterback Tyler Eager is also first-team all-state in baseball.

Schedule

Today: at Dallas Gateway

Sept. 4: Cistercian

Sept. 11: at All-Saints

Sept. 18: at Dallas Christian

Sept. 25: Life School

Oct. 2: at Valley View

By CARLOS MENDEZ

Darius White was 4 years old when he played in his first football game. A tackle football game.

He’s always been faster and bigger than the other players.

He was an impact sophomore for the varsity football team at Fort Worth Dunbar. In the past two seasons, he’s caught 27 touchdown passes. Last season, he averaged 26.4 yards a catch to help the Wildcats go 9-2.

He has the biggest names in college football — Texas, Oklahoma, USC — sold.

So the 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior must have been considering all of this when he thought about the question: "Do you feel like you’ve proved yourself?"

A few moments passed. Should he be politically correct? Say no? Or, what do you think?

Suddenly, a smile broke his face.

The No. 6-rated recruit in the country answered, "A little bit."

Sure looks like it. White is perhaps the best prospect Fort Worth has ever produced. The city is the home of other big football names, such as Turner Gill, Mike Renfro, Yale Lary and Jim Shofner.

But in the modern world of recruiting services, White stands alone among Fort Worth schoolboys. He is rated the sixth-best prospect in the country by Rivals.com and the eighth-best by ESPN. He’s rated as the No. 3 wide receiver by Scout.com. He is Rivals’ No. 2 receiver, and ESPN’s No. 1.

What’s left to prove?

"I still want to do a lot more," said White, as fall workouts began at Dunbar, which opens the season Saturday at Abilene. "I want to get faster, stronger. I want to know the game better. What coverage is the defense running? What are the cornerbacks trying to do? That’s what the coaches are teaching us — understanding the game."

It is the details where White can improve. Dunbar coach Todd Lawson wants to see more precise routes, particularly because the team is breaking in a new quarterback following the graduation of Nicholas Rockwell, one of White’s close friends and his quarterback the past two seasons. Player and coach both want a full effort on every play, which can be difficult to produce when the Wildcats start pulling away from inferior competition.

"We all know he’s got an extra gear. I’d like to see him play at that gear," Lawson said. "He’s stepped up to the challenge every single year. This year, I’d like to see intensity on every play. It’s really kind of hard for him because he’s so talented."

White, who will be 18 on Sept. 11, is not a complete football product. Until last year at this time, he thought of himself as more of a basketball player. (And he is, indeed, one of the top players on the school’s famed Flyin’ Wildcats.)

"I remember when I was a freshman, I came out just to play. I was running around," he said. "But that was another level. Junior high was a level. High school was another level. This year, senior year, is another level. Now there’s another level after that. My mind right now is on knowing how to focus, how you’ve got to stay on your plan, on your game."

His competition is focused on him, too.

At Fort Worth Wyatt, the defense hopes it gets a chance to face him for the District 7-4A championship.

Arlington Heights defensive back Jake Knowles remembers tackling the blue-chipper last year.

"It felt great," he said.

By DAVID CASSTEVENS

GRANBURY — The names of businesses on the historic courthouse square suggest Granbury is paradise on earth.

There’s the Merry Heart Tearoom.

The D’Vine Wine store.

A quaint gift shop is called Almost Heaven.

The Hood County seat appears to offer its 7,500 residents just about everything they could want, except for the one treasure every prideful Texas community prizes, perhaps above all else: a winning high school football team.

The Granbury Pirates start a new season Friday night, with a mix of hope and trepidation.

They take on the Richland Rebels, a Class 5A playoff team last year.

Granbury, a 4A school, lost to Richland 42-0 last year. The Pirates then fell to Arlington Sam Houston 62-16. Cleburne beat the team 37-0. And so it went, week after week, each outcome as predictable as cafeteria food.

Stephenville 51, Granbury 0. Everman 69, Granbury 3.

"It was a killer. Other teams didn’t respect us," said Cullen Hayworth, the Pirates’ 16-year-old safety.

The Pirates, outscored 445-64, finished last in District 8-4A with a record of 0-10.

"An ugly 0-10," said head coach Scotty Pugh. "We got the snot beat out of us."

It wasn’t really unexpected.

His boss, the man who hired him — athletic director Dwight Butler — told Pugh before the 2008 season that the Pirates wouldn’t beat anyone.

Granbury made headlines only once, when a resident objected to the black skull-and-crossbones flags distributed by the high school’s football booster club. The woman called the banners "satanic" and warned that the city would risk "the wrath of God" by flying them.

The Pirates have lost 24 of their last 25 games. That, in itself, seems like punishment enough.

Those blessed with long memories fondly recall Granbury’s glory days.

The Pirates last made the playoffs in 1977, when Hayworth’s father, Mark, was an all-state receiver on that team. Granbury’s 1966 team played for the Class 2A state championship, losing to Sweeny 29-7.

H. W. "Poggie" Ames was a star lineman for the Pirates 43 years ago. Now a grandfather, he spoke nostalgically of how different life was for teens back then, before cellphones and vi