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Running Back Has Huge Game, But Team Loses

2011-09-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

Class 4A Frisco running back Carlos Harris had a huge night on Friday as he carried 36 times for 446 yards with seven touchdowns, including six touchdown runs of 40 yards or more.

With Harris piling up the yardage, Frisco moved up and down the field, ending the night with 680 yards of offense and scoring 62 points. Only one problem; while Frisco piled up the yardage and points, their opponent was doing the same as Lucas Lovejoy scored 64 points to hand Frisco their first loss of the season. The win was Lovejoy's first of the season and the teams ended the night with a combined 1,186 yards of offense.

Indiana Receiver Breaks National High School Record

2011-09-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

South Bend (Ind.) Washington receiver Gehrig Dieter set the national receiving record on Friday night with 447 yards and four touchdowns in a 63-10 victory over Elkhart Central to break the record previously held by Rose Bud, Arkansas receiver J.D. Felice, who had 421 yards in a game in 2008.

In the first three weeks of the season Dieter has gone over 300 yards in each game and could well be on his way to breaking a season record for yardage. He broke the Indiana state record with 373 yards receiving in the season opener. Three weeks into the season, Dieter hasn't had a game with fewer than 300 yards.

Blake Jumonville of Richardson Pearce holds the Texas state record with 386 yards against Carrollton Newman Smith in 2009.

Video of Indiana Receiver Gehrig Dieter

Saturday Morning Blitz

2011-09-03T12:14:00.002-05:00

Friday night action was highlighted by the top two team in Class 2A going down and Class 1A Canadian losing to an out of state opponent. In Class 5A, Euless Trinity showed off their new Nike Pro Combat uniforms in a 34-17 win over Abilene, while Txprepsfootball.com class top ten 5A teams DeSoto (#4) and Denton Guyer (#6) play Monday at Cowboys Stadium in the Kirk Herbstreit Classic.

In Class 4A, Kerrville Tivy QB Parks McNeil is filling the shoes of the departed Johnny Manziel nicely as he accounted for over 400 yards of offense and seven TDs in a 48-7 route of a San Antonio Madison team that gave Cibilo Steele a test last week. Also in class 4A, Aledo running back Johnathan Gray continues his assault on the record books as he is only two scores away from Traylon Shead’s career mark of 146 touchdowns. The Bearcats face #1 Lake Travis next week in Aledo, and speaking of Lake Travis, QB Baker Mayfield has stepped in for the injured Colin Lagasse and the Cavaliers haven’t missed a beat.

In class 3A, #1 Tyler Chapel Hill won a wild one over class 4A Whitehouse Thursday night (59-49) and defending champ Carthage went down to Lindale, 33-21.

In 2A action, #1 Daingerfield and #2 Tatum both lost big to class 3A opponents Atlanta and Gilmer respectively by scores of 37-6 and 34-0, while Idalou beat Littlefield 27-6 in a battle of top ten teams.

In class 1A football, #1 Canadian lost 24-18 to Meade, Kansas. Meade is one of the top 2A teams in Kansas, but the Wildcats mauled them 36-6 last season.

Herbstreit Classic Preview

2011-08-30T20:34:00.001-05:00

Here's a little information on the out of state teams scheduled to play in the Herbstreit Classic at Cowboys Stadium on Labor Day.

Cocoa High, Florida just had their 38 game win streak snapped by Colerain, Ohio last week.
Cocoa High, Florida

The Douglass Trojans are the defending Oklahoma 4A state champs.
OKC Douglass Trojans

Edna Karr is ranked #1 among large schools in Louisiana.
Edna Karr, Louisiana

Cowboys Stadium: Arlington, TX
Monday: Sep. 05, 2011 10:00am CT FSN
Edna Karr vs. Arlington Bowie
Monday: Sep. 05, 2011 1:15pm CT FSN
Cocoa vs. Skyline
Monday: Sep. 05, 2011 4:30pm CT FSN
Frederick A. Douglass vs. DeSoto
Monday: Sep. 05, 2011 7:45pm CT FSN
Cedar Hill vs. Denton Guyer

The Heat is On!

2011-08-28T18:48:00.004-05:00

I attended the Garland-Denton Guyer (albeit briefly) and the Highland Park-Everman games on Saturday and it was a case of survival as the games kicked off at 4-4:30 with temperatures in the 107 degree range. Saw players cramping up all over the field and Garland-Denton Guyer even cut the quarters back to 10 minutes. Can we get a petition going that no game will be played before Labor Day? Remember fall will be here on September 23rd.

It's Time to Stop the Insanity

2011-08-06T11:47:00.005-05:00

Without fail, we hear about football players and coaches every year that die or end up hospitalized due to excessive heat.

Why is it football season starts in the hottest month of the year in Texas? Is it tradition? Is it because it just fits someones school year calendar better?

If you took the entire calendar year and said what is the one month you would start a sport where you wear a heat incubating uniform and are expected to sprint at full speed for short bursts and propel your body in to other players, you certainly wouldn't select the hottest month of the year would you? Yet that's what we expect of the young men in the state of Texas each year.

Football is portrayed as a macho, he-man sport and to complain or belly ache about anything, much less the heat, is just not accepted. Most kids age 15-18 have been taught to respect authority and do what they're told without resistance or questioning why. If you complain or question a coach you are not a "team player" and most likely end up doing "gassers" or "up-downs". I know in my football days that if my coach told me to run through a brick wall, I was going to try my darndest to do it, and without so much as a whimper.

We're putting at least two groups of people in a bad position. With the pressure coaches face to win, they are expected to whip their team in to shape, come heat, snow, rain, hell or high water. The players themselves face the pressure of complying with the coaches orders under extreme conditions, while facing everything else life throws at them at that age.

Parents are so proud to witness their son's football accomplishments, but shouldn't they have some input on their son's safety? Maybe it will take a group of parents marching on the UIL office to wake someone up.

How about moving moving the season back one month? Flip-flopping the football and baseball seasons? Moving start times back to 8 PM? There has to be someone associated with Texas high school football that is a lot smarter than I am who can figure this out. It's so miserable in Texas in August and early September that it's not even enjoyable to watch a football game, much less play in one. No doubt we'll hear of band members, cheerleaders and spectators who were overcome with heat exhaustion once the season begins.

The NFL and Colleges seem to do a much better job of protecting their players than we do our young men here in Texas. Notably, the Cowboys are in a dome right now. Is it because someone has an investment in them?

At the very least it should be mandated that all schools follow the recommendations of the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

UIL, coaches, administrators; it's time to STOP the insanity before one more person's life is lost.

Cowboys Stadium to host 1A through 5A championships

2011-07-25T15:37:00.003-05:00

The UIL announced Monday that Cowboys Stadium will host all the 11-man state football championships for the first time in history.

UIL football championships in both divisions of 3A through 5A were held at Cowboys Stadium last season in front of near record crowds and will now be joined with the 1A and 2A in 2011. The Conference 1A 6-man Division I and Division II football state championships will be held at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.

Last year marked the first time all UIL football state championship games in all conferences were held at pre-determined locations. The UIL has determined the site for the Conference 5A football state championships since 2006.

The UIL is currently working with Fox Sports Southwest to have all of the games televised or shown on the Internet, according to UIL director of athletics Mark Cousins.

Only the 2011 championships have been locked into Cowboys Stadium and the location of future championships is still up in the air, Cousins said.

State championship schedule:

Friday, December 9

3A Division I – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 15

1A Division I – 12 p.m.

1A Division II – 4 p.m.

2A Division I – 8 p.m.

Friday, December 16

2A Division II – 12 p.m.

3A Division II – 4 p.m.

4A Division I – 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 17

4A Division II – 12 p.m.

5A Division I – 4 p.m.

5A Division II – 8 p.m.

Live webcasts slated for 7-on-7 state tournament

2011-07-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Fox Sports Southwest will show live webcasts of 7-on-7 action this Saturday, July 16th. Here's the details.

Four Texas Teams Listed in National Rankings

2011-06-01T18:34:00.001-05:00

Aledo, Katy, Euless Trinity and Allen are ranked in the national Top 25 just released by MaxPreps Football. MaxPreps Rankings

Texas HS Football Suffers "Down Draft"

2011-05-01T14:34:00.004-05:00

Texans take pride in claiming to be the nation's high school football capital, and the state produces college and NFL players almost as fast as McDonald's produces Big Mac's.

However, the conveyor belt slowed to a crawl this year compared to seasons past as only six players from Texas high schools were taken in the first three rounds of the draft.

In 2009, there were six Texans taken in the first round alone and there were 26 players taken from the Lone Star state last year, while 24 players were selected this year. Not much of a difference, but of the 24 players taken, nine were selected in the final round of the draft (round seven).

Here's a breakdown of players taken in the 2011 NFL draft that attended high school in Texas.

Jacquizz Rodgers from Lamar Consolidated was selected
in the 5th round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Gray Gives Horns Verbal Commit

2011-04-22T16:50:00.005-05:00

If Aledo's Johnathan Gray fulfills the verbal commitment he made to Texas today, it gives Texas the top rated running backs in Texas the past two seasons, after the Horn's nabbed Cibolo Steele powerhouse RB Malcolm Brown last year. The Longhorns ran a formidable spread offense when Vince Young and Colt McCoy were in the driver's seat, but with such a talented backfield should this still be their offense of choice? Word is a "Bring Back the Wishbone" chant went up in Austin today.

State's Top Running Back Set to Announce

2011-04-15T15:26:00.001-05:00

According to his father, Aledo running back Johnathan Gray is set to announce his college choice next Friday on his birthday. Gray is one of the top backs in the nation and is positioned to break the state record for career touchdowns next season as he only needs eleven scores. That should come early in his senior season as he had eight TD's in last year's state title game alone.

Longhorns off to Another Early Recruiting Start

2011-02-13T19:11:00.002-06:00

The Texas Longhorns have become synonomus with early recruiting in the past few years under Mack Brown, and they are at it again as they picked up their fifth verbal commitment Sunday from DeSoto lineman Curtis Riser.

Earlier in the day they received a verbal pledge from Copperas Cove athlete Orlando Thomas, who played QB for the Bulldogs last season after serving as a wide receiver the year before.

Aledo running back Johnathan Gray, who is one of the top running backs in the nation, also visited Texas on Sunday, but it appears he is in no rush to make a decision.

Monument Unveiling Information

2011-01-24T21:21:00.003-06:00

We posted the upcoming details of a monument honoring Texas high school football and some of the finest players to grace the Texas high school gridirons to be held in conjunction with the Super Bowl in an earlier post. The details of the unveiling have been finalized and they're listed below. If you're a Texas high school football fan and you're going to be in town, it's definitely worth a venture to downtown Fort Worth.

*** Media ALERT ***

FORT WORTH AND GERDAU AMERISTEEL TO UNVEIL 7-TON RECYCLED STEEL MONUMENT HONORING HISTORIC LEGACY OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

WHAT:
The official unveiling of the highly anticipated “Cradle of Champions” monument honoring the rich tradition of Texas high school football. This legacy structure will be an extraordinary visual, standing 16-feet high in historic Fort Worth’s Sundance Square. In celebration of Texas’ deep heritage of high school football, Gerdau Ameristeel built the monument utilizing steel from both the recently demolished stadium in North Texas and high school football facilities from across the state. The seven ton illuminated monument depicts the state of Texas along with football imagery to capture the rich history of football in the Lone-Star state.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief will unveil the monument which includes approximately 2,000 names of Texas High School alumni who have successfully gone on to play in “The League.” This remarkable visual will be located at Chisholm Trail in Sundance Square and be available for public viewing from January 28-February 6.

WHEN:
Friday, January 28, 2011
11:00 AM CST

WHERE:
Chisholm Trail Parking Lot - Sundance Square
201 Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas 96102

WHO:
Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Mayor
Tim Brown, Dallas Native and Professional Football Legend
David O’Brien, Son of College Football Icon Davey O’Brien
Johnny Campbell, President and CEO of Sundance Square
Jim Kerkvliet, Gerdau Ameristeel's Vice President of Sales and Marketing

VISUALS:
· 16-foot Solid Steel Illuminating Monument Depicting State of Texas
· Names of Approximately 2,000 Former Texas High School Football Players
· Kabuki Drop Unveiling of the Monument
· Interviews with City Officials, former NFL players and Gerdau Ameristeel Executives

U.S. Army All American Bowl Set to Kickoff

2011-01-08T11:43:00.001-06:00

The U.S. Army All American Bowl, featuring several of the top high school football players in Texas, is getting set to kickoff at noon on NBC.

West Roster

Athletic Republic Showcases Advanced Testing at U.S Army Combine

2011-01-03T20:28:00.001-06:00

ATHLETIC REPUBLIC SHOWCASES ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC TESTING PROTOCOLS FOR U.S. ARMY NATIONAL COMBINE

Athletic Republic's Proprietary Electronic Timing System and online "Locker Room" creates accurate synchronized data for high school athletes that rival the NFL combine.

SAN ANTONIO- Dec. 28, 2010 - America's premier high school football underclassmen are descending on San Antonio Jan. 6-8, 2011, to participate in the U.S. Army National Combine. Athletic Republic, the nation's leading science-based performance sports training organization for athletes, will utilize its proprietary "athletic assessment technology" to provide athletes and recruiters with the most accurate speed, agility and strength data available. Athletic Republic is utilizing its online tool, the "Locker Room," to allow athletes to combine video and times along with game footage to further showcase their talents.

Athletic Republic is providing each athlete with an Athletic Republic RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Band with imbedded microchip to electronically register the athlete, store data and video footage in real time on private electronic files. The RFID bands change the way athletes' statistics are measured and stored. They track and identify players during one-on-one match-ups, capture and synchronize the performance of each athlete with Dartfish Video.

"College football coaches will tell you that recruiting is an art, not a science," said Steve Swanson, Athletic Republic's Chief and Science Technology Officer. "Our mission is to provide college programs with scientifically verifiable data to take some of the guesswork out of an athlete's speed, agility and strength scores."

Studies show that electronic timing produces more accurate sprint time testing results with less variability compared to manual timing. The athlete's electronic results are then stored in Athletic Republic's proprietary "Locker Room," a web-based profiling tool that creates an "end result" report overlaid with video; bringing numbers to life and enabling the athlete to view the results and send it to a coach.

This will be the first time many of these U.S. Army National Combine athletes will have their 40-yard dash, 20-yard short-shuttle, 185-pound bench press and vertical jump tested under pressure-cooker conditions. College recruiters are going to be able to review Athletic Republic's science-based data and know that everything is accurate. As athletes build their video profiles in the Locker Room, recruiters will be able to view highlights of their combine tests and best plays during the one-on-one drills. The Locker Room provides a new twist on a typical combine experience.

About Athletic Republic:

Since 1990, more than 800,000 athletes have gained more than just a step on their competition thanks to Athletic Republic's sport-specific training programs designed to enhance speed, power and agility.

The Athletic Republic performance sports training network follows a science-based approach to an athlete's development, which includes more than 4,000 pages of sport and position-specific protocols.

Typically, athletes who have completed an eight-week Athletic Republic training program have seen improvements of 0.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash, an increase of 4-6 inches in their vertical leap and 5 mph in elite level throwing velocity.

For more on Athletic Republic, visit www.AthleticRepublic.com.

East Texas Owns Class 3A

2010-12-11T10:52:00.002-06:00

Two East Texas teams battled it out for the Class 3A DI State Championship Friday night with Henderson prevailing 28-21 over Tyler Chapel Hill. Tyler and Henderson are only 34 miles apart, and when you add in Carthage, who knocked off previously unbeaten Brownwood, 35-28, and meets Coldspring-Oakhurst next week for the Class 3A DII title, you have to say that East Texas has earned bragging rights in Class 3A football this year.

Carthage is only 29 miles east of Henderson and they will be gunning for a third consecutive title next Friday at Cowboys Stadium. If Carthage does bring home another title, it will be a clean sweep for district 16-3A.

By the way, the Henderson-Chapel Hill game drew 20,560 fans at Cowboys Stadium last night; a great attendance for a Class 3A game, and it could be a precursor to some huge crowds next weekend for the class 4A and 5A championships.

TV and Webcast Info for State Championship Games

2010-12-09T09:16:00.001-06:00

Fox Sports Southwest and Fox Sports Houston have all the championship games covered this year either on live TV or live webcast. Most all newer TV's will allow a direct hookup to your computer, so if you have the setup, you can watch the live webcasts on your big screen. They are also broadcasting some classic games this year (see schedule below).

The action kicks off tomorrow night with the live webcast of the Class 3A Division I title game from Cowboys Stadium between Tyler Chapel Hill and Henderson.

Live TV Broadcasts on Fox Sports
Class 5A Division I and Division II, the Class 4A Division I and Division II and the Class 3A Division II championships played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Friday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, Dec. 18.

Live Webcasts at foxsportssouthwest.com
Class 3A Division I title game from Cowboys Stadium on Friday, Dec. 10; the Six Man Division I and Division II championships from Shotwell Stadium in Abilene on Saturday, Dec. 11; and four games from Vernon Newsome Stadium in Mansfield on Friday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, Dec. 18 in Class 1A Division I and Division II and Class 2A Division I and Division II.

Texas High School Football Championship Classics Schedule
Dec. 12 8:00 p.m. 2001: Mesquite vs. San Antonio Taft FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 13 11:00 a.m. 2001: Mesquite vs. San Antonio Taft FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 13 7:00 p.m. 2008: Allen vs. Fort Bend Hightower FS Southwest*/FS Houston
Dec. 14 4:30 p.m. 2008: Allen vs. Fort Bend Hightower FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 14 9:30 p.m. 1995: Converse Judson vs. Odessa Permian FS Southwest/FS Houston Plus
Dec. 15 Noon 1995: Converse Judson vs. Odessa Permian FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 15 5:00 p.m. 2009: Euless Trinity vs. Austin Westlake FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 16 11:00 a.m. 2009: Euless Trinity vs. Austin Westlake FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 16 11:00 p.m. 2004: Southlake Carroll vs. Smithson Valley FS Southwest/FS Houston
Dec. 17 1:00 p.m. 2004: Southlake Carroll vs. Smithson Valley FS Southwest/FS Houston
* -- available on FOX Sports Southwest Plus in North Texas markets

Pearland / Katy Attendance Makes Record Books

2010-12-04T18:04:00.005-06:00

High school football attendance is sometimes hard to get a handle on as the turnstile count is often an estimate or involves guesswork, but the thrilling Pearland / Katy game (Pearland won 38-35) played at Rice Stadium this afternoon had an announced crowd of 41,368, and that's good enough to move it in to 6th place on the all-time list. Rice Stadium also hosted the 4th and 12th highest attended games.

Attendance Game Site Year
49,953 Plano vs. Port Neches-Groves Texas Stadium 1977*
46,339 Southlake Carroll vs. Euless Trinity Texas Stadium 2006
45,790 Highland Park vs. Waco Cotton Bowl 1945*
45,000 Houston Washington vs. Galveston Rice Stadium 1968
45,000 Dallas Adams vs. Richardson Cotton Bowl 1967
41,368 Katy vs. Pearland Rice Stadium 2010
39,102 Garland vs. Katy Astrodome 1999*
39,102 Stephenville vs. Port Neches-Groves Astrodome 1999*
38,570 Port Neches-Groves vs. Houston Kashmere Astrodome 1977
38,374 Plano vs. Highland Park Texas Stadium 1980
38,000 Odessa vs. San Antonio Jefferson Memorial Stadium (Austin) 1946
36,000 Fort Bend Willowridge vs. Houston Yates Rice Stadium 1988
*state championship game

Sources: UIL, Bill McMurray's Texas High School Record Book,
Texas Football magazine, FW Star-Telegram archives, Txprepsfootball.com

More on Trinity / Coppell

2010-12-04T17:39:00.001-06:00

Euless Trinity's 41-40 victory over Coppell Friday night was an instant classic.

A few snippets from the game.......

Euless Trinity extended it's winning streak to 27 games.
There were exactly 0 punts in the game.
Coppell scored all eight times it had the ball ( 4 TD's, 4 FG's), and it still wasn't enough.
Coppell QB Joe Minden had an exceptional game as he was 26-35 passing for 392 yards and two TD's.
Trinity had 539 yards of offense and Coppell had 441 yards.
Trinity's Brandon Carter was 4-5 passing for 79 yards and a TD, rushed 13 times for 149 yards and a TD, and had a reception for 24 yards.

If Trinity is to win a state title, they will have to break a trend. They have won three titles since 2005, and they have all come in odd numbered years (05', 07', 09').

Big Games Litter the Landscape

2010-12-02T19:35:00.005-06:00

Suffice to say that every game is big in the fourth round of the playoffs, but this week brings an extra special smorgasboard of enticing games.

Start off with undefeated Euless Trinity and Coppell in Class 5A. The game sold out 48 hours in advance allowing it to be televised live and local in the DFW area on channel 21.

Move down the road to Waco where traditional Class 4A rivals Stephenville and Aledo square off at Baylors' Floyd Casey Stadium, and on to the Alamodome for CC Calallen and Boerne Champion.

In Class 3A, 13-0 teams Brownwood and Monahans lock horns in San Angelo, while undefeated Class 2A teams New London West Rusk and Lexington meet at Hewitt Midway High School in Waco.

And in what has to be the Class 1A game of the year, Canadian and Albany, who have been ranked 1 & 2 much of the year, tangle in Plainview to see who remains undefeated.

And that's just Friday night ........... Saturday brings equal value to the plate with a Class 5A matchup in Waco between DeSoto and Round Rock Stony Point (tape delayed Saturday at midnight in DFW area on 21), and undefeated teams Pearland (13-0) and Katy (13-0) at Rice Stadium.

Class 25-4A district foes Cedar Park and Lake Travis meet in a rematch of a regular season game won by Cedar Park at UT's Memorial Sadium, while Class 2A features two more games between undefeated teams when Tatum (12-0) and Cameron Yoe (12-0) meet in Ennis, and Schulenburg (12-0) and Refugio (12-0) battle at the Alamodome.

These games and many more on the schedule will help to make this the biggest weekend of Texas High School football yet to be seen in 2010.

Mesquite ISD Showing Depth

2010-11-24T15:40:00.001-06:00

Out of five schools in the Mesquite ISD, three made the playoffs, and all three are on to the third round of the playoffs.

When you think of Mesquite, you would assume Mesquite or North Mesquite would be in the playoff mix, but this season, it is the other three schools in the district that have stepped up.

Mesquite Horn pulled off a surprising 48-14 drubbing of Copperas Cove in the first round of the Class 5A DII playoffs and takes on Leander Saturday afternoon in Waco. Horn was the third place team in district 11-5A, where the top two teams, Longview and DeSoto, are also still alive.

In Class 4A, Mesquite Poteet pulled off a surprise of its' own in the second round by defeating a Whitehouse team that many thought had the potential to challenge for a state title by a 24-19 margin. The road continues to be tough for them as they take on undefeated Highland Park in the third round.

Class 4A West Mesquite also won a big game last week with a 55-34 win over a Sherman team whose only loss was by one point earlier in the season to Highland Park. They now face 9-3 Wylie at Cowboys Stadium on Friday.

The only state championship won by a Mesquite ISD school was by Mesquite High, which won the title in 2001 with a 14-13 victory over San Antonio Taft.

Pearland Flying Low

2010-11-20T19:56:00.001-06:00

Pearland has been flying under the radar all year, which is pretty hard to do when you are 12-0 on the season. The Oilers never were ranked in the AP Top Ten Poll during the year, and only garnered five points in the final poll of the season.

Maybe voters were frightened off by several close call victories during the season, or the fact that their defense is prone to giving up yardage. It seems clear though, that they are worthy of their perfect record after they man handled Beaumont West Brook in the second round of the playoffs, 51-22, a game in which the beleaguered defense didn't allow a point until the fourth quarter.

Pearland boasts two of the top offensive players in the Houston area in running back Dustin Garrison, who has over 2,300 yards rushing on the season, and quarterback Trey Anderson, who took over the West Brook game when Garrison was held to a season low 57 yards. Anderson has 21 touchdowns against only three interceptions on the year.

From this point forward there will be no low flying however, as they now face Cypress Creek next week, who knocked off once beaten Katy Cinco Ranch 54-28, before a potential matchup with fellow unbeaten powerhouse Katy.

1950 Class 2A Playoff Bracket

2010-11-18T12:12:00.001-06:00

Here's a class 2A playoff bracket from 1950. This was the largest classification in the state at the time until the following year, when the UIL added 3A and 4A. Most of the the schools listed are 4A or 5A today, with the exception of Breckenridge, which remains 2A.

1950 Football Play-Off Bracket

Victoria West vs. Weslaco East Time Change

2010-11-15T20:54:00.001-06:00

The Victoria West vs. Weslaco East second round playoff game originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Comalander Stadium in San Antonio has been moved to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Brownwood makes a statement

2010-11-12T07:43:00.001-06:00

The Class 3A undefeated and #1 ranked Brownwood Lions have rarely been challenged all season, so one might expect some complacency to set in, but the Lions would have none of it in their opening round playoff game against Iowa Park.

They scored a school record 88 points on their way to an 88-24 victory, and announced to the rest of Class 3A that they on a mission to bring home the Class 3A DII championship trophy.

The team looks like one of the best in Brownwood history, and they'll move on to play the winner of West and Bridgeport next Friday night in Stephenville.

Who has the toughest road to a state championship in class 5A?

2010-11-09T11:46:00.001-06:00

Class 5A Division I is loaded, and any team that makes to it through Regions I or II had better bring their "A" game each week in the playoffs.

One thing is for sure. The state champion of Class 5A Division I will probably have faced one of the toughtest roads to the title in the history of Texas high school football.

Who's road will be the toughest? While anything can and will happen in the playoffs, we're going to project the toughest road to state using the theory that all the favorites will win and move forward through each round (which probably won't happen).

And the winner is............
The Woodlands

Imagine this rocky road to a state championship, with The Woodlands winning six consecutive games to claim the title.

Round One Klein Oak (7-3)
Round Two RR Stony Point (10-0)
Round Three A&M Consolidated (9-1)
Round Four Klein Collins (10-0)
Round Five Euless Trinity or Coppell (10-0)
Round Six (State Championship) Katy (10-0)

That means the Highlanders would beat six teams that entered the playoffs with a combined 56-4 record, including four who were undefeated. Good luck running that gauntlet!

Undefeated teams meet to settle 12-2A Division II district championship

2010-11-05T16:45:00.002-05:00

Lexington and Rogers will settle the 12-2A Division II district championship tonight at Merk Field in Rogers. Both teams are 9-0 and ranked in the Class 2A top ten.

This should be a good one, but it may be tough to top last season's tilt, won 21-20 by Rogers. The matchup to watch is a Rogers offense that has averaged 41 points per game against Lexington's defense, which only allows 8 points and 115 yards per game.

Other 2A games to watch tonight:
Grandview (8-1, 4-0) at Maypearl (8-1, 4-0)
Malakoff (9-0, 4-0) at Crockett (8-1, 4-0)
Corsicana Mildred (8-1) at Lone Oak (9-0, 4-0)
Linden-Kildare (8-1, 4-0) at Hughes Springs (8-1, 4-0)
Schulenburg (9-0), (6-0) at Boling (8-1, 6-0)

Game is believed to set national record with twelve overtimes

2010-10-30T01:02:00.000-05:00

It's finally official ....... at 12:53 AM on Saturday morning. The class 4A Jacksonville Indians and Nacogdoches Dragons sent fans on a search for the record books Saturday morning after playing twelve overtimes before Jacksonville finally prevailed, 84-81.

It is believed that the twelve overtimes set a national record, and sends Jacksonville to the playoffs, while the Dragons quest for a playoff spot is over, as they needed to win by at least seven points to qualify.

Five players and coach suspended after brawl

2010-10-26T21:07:00.002-05:00

The DeSoto Eagles will self suspend four players for their upcoming game against Mesquite, and Mesquite Horn will suspend one player, all with the approval of a district 11-5A committee, following a fight that took place during Friday's 61-47 DeSoto victory.

The brawl started soon after a Mesquite Horn player approached Mathis after he went on to the field to speak with officials after a DeSoto player was injured.

Mathis has removed himself from practice this week, and will not coach or attend DeSoto's upcoming game against Mesquite.

Katy could go DI, create "monster division"

2010-10-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Katy Tigers perennially go 5A Division DII come playoff time, but this year could be different. There is at least an average to good chance they could end up in DI this season.

If that happens, DI could end up with nine of our current top ten teams to create a "monster division". Can you imagine Euless Trinity, Katy, RR Stony Point, Allen, Coppell, Katy Cinco Ranch, The Woodlands, DeSoto and GP North Shore all in the same division? There is a strong chance it could happen, which will make for some interesting early round matchups.

Here's our early Class 5A Playoff Projections.

The Best Winless Team in Texas

2010-10-13T20:32:00.001-05:00

Who's the best winless team in Texas? Our hands down vote goes to Tyler Lee. The Class 5A Red Raiders, who are 0-6, have played a brutal schedule, and it doesn't get any easier this week when they take on 5A top ten DeSoto.

Tyler Lee's previous opponents have a 34-5 record, and all but one are currently ranked in the top ten of their classification, or have been at some point this season.

The Red Raiders are not that bad, and they have played their last three opponents close, losing 13-7 to The Woodlands, 25-20 to Beaumont West Brook and 28-14 to Mesquite Horn.

Amazingly enough, if Tyler Lee can figure out a way to win two of their last four games, they might be able to sneak in to the playoffs. If they do, they will carry the banner as the state's most battle tested team.

A&M Consolidated coach to join select company

2010-10-07T15:55:00.001-05:00

Only 64 coaches in the history of Texas high school football have 200 victories or more. A&M Consolidated head coach Jim Slaughter is on the verge of becoming the 65th, as he owns 199 career victories heading in to tomorrow's game with Bryan.

Slaughter totaled 126 victories during 17 years as the head coach at San Angelo Lake View, Corpus Christi Carroll and Lufkin, before becoming athletics director at Carrollton Farmers Branch, a position he held for five years before replacing Ross Rogers at A&M Consolidated in 2000.

Slaughter's record at Consolidated is 73-44, and his teams have reached the playoffs eight of the nine seasons he has been at the helm.

Games we wish we had seen - week five

2010-10-03T21:58:00.003-05:00

This week's games "we wish we had seen" are ......

#5 Class 3A Caldwell 21, Brookshire Royal 15
Caldwell stops Brookshire Royal in a battle of Class 3A unbeatens, as Caldwell's Kedrin Shepard rushed for 139 yards and two TDs.

#4 Class 4A Nederland 39, Port Neches-Groves 32
Nederland pulls off the upset in this traditional rivaly. The Indians scored late and recovered the ensuing on sides kick, but an errant snap from center sealed their fate and sent the Nederland faithful flowing on to the field.

#3 Class 2A - Bushland 27, Muleshoe 20
The Mules had seven false starts and six turnovers on offense, and Bushland makes the plays when they need to, as Muleshoe's 30 game regular season win streak comes to an end.

#2 Class 4A - Cedar Park 36, Cedar Park Vista Ridge 35
Cedar Park scores with 29 seconds left in the game and decides to go for the win. If it works, it's a "gutsy" call. If it fails, it's a "dumb" move. Chalk one up for gutsy, as the Timberwolves convert to win a matchup of unbeaten teams.

#1 Class 1A - Stamford 32, Archer City 26 2OT
In another clash of unbeaten teams, this time between two of the state's top 1A teams, Stamford jumped out to a 20 point lead, but Archer City came roaring back before a missed PAT by the Wildcats allowed Stamford to walk off with a double overtime victory. The game was not without a price for Stamford however, as all-state wideout Jesse Ramos was lost with a shoulder injury.

Legendary Newton coach dies after heart attack

2010-09-25T22:47:00.002-05:00

Legendary Newton High School football coach Curtis Barbay has died of a massive heart attack at Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth this evening.

Barbay, 68, coached for about 40 years and won three state titles at Newton High School. He won more than 300 games, and is the winningest football coach in Southeast Texas.

The Eagles were a perennial powerhouse under Barbay, and are currently ranked in the top ten in class 2A. Barbay passed away doing what he loved till the very end according to KFDM News in Beaumont. Please pray for his family and the Newton community.

Abilene makes late comeback

2010-09-24T22:05:00.004-05:00

Good one in Plano tonight as Abilene and Longview are tied. Abilene throws a TD pass with 16 seconds remaining....going to overtime. Longview is 1-3, but every game has come down to the end for them. Catch the overtime here.

West Orange-Stark game against Giddings cancelled

2010-09-18T17:12:00.000-05:00

According to the Beaumont Enterprise, West Orange-Stark coaches confirmed that their next game, Saturday, September 25 against Giddings in Conroe, has been cancelled.

There has been no decision made about the Mustangs' game in two weeks against Kirbyville.

WO-S quarterback dies in hospital after seizure

2010-09-17T22:41:00.001-05:00

It is being reported by Beaumont area media that Reggie Garrett, a senior quarterback at WO-S High School, was pronounced dead at Baptist Hospital Orange just after 9:30 p.m. tonight.

Garrett jogged to the sideline after throwing a touchdown pass with nine minutes left in the second quarter, and passed out on the sidelines where paramedics suspect he had a seizure.

Abilene and Tampa Plant kickoff the weekend on ESPNU

2010-09-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

Abilene and Tampa Plant square off tomorrow night in Abilene in a game scheduled to be televised on ESPNU at 7 PM. Plant is led by RB James Wilder Jr., the son of former Tampa Bay RB James Wilder, while Abilene RB Herschel Simms is expected back from a shoulder injury.

Plant QB Phillip Ely, who is pledged to Alabama, was out last week with a lower leg strain, but he is also expected back for the game.

The game kicks off a big weekend of football, including matchups of top ten class 5A teams Katy and Beaumont West Brook, and Round Rock Stony Point and DeSoto.

In class 4A, the headliner is Lake Travis vs. Kerrville Tivy, along with Waco Midway vs. Everman.

Southlake Carroll QB appeal denied

2010-09-14T17:06:00.001-05:00

AUSTIN -- Southlake Carroll senior quarterback Daxx Garman's appeal to be reinstated was denied Tuesday by the University Interscholastic League state executive committee in a unanimous vote.

Waco ISD athletic director Johanna Denson, San Antonio ISD athletic director Gil Garza,Troy ISD superintendent Kerry Hansen, and Houston ISD athletic director Daryl Wade decided to uphold the District 7-5A committee's Aug. 27 ruling to rescind Garman's eligibility after it determined his move from Oklahoma to Southlake Carroll last February had been made for athletic purposes, which is forbidden by the UIL.

Carroll ISD issued the following statement.

What a wild weekend of football!

2010-09-12T16:37:00.001-05:00

Week two in Texas high school football featured a Florida invasion, plenty of big games and plenty of big performances. Here's our recap of week two.

It's over, Aledo wins, 14-10

2010-09-10T21:58:00.003-05:00

Class 4A #2 Aledo scores with six minutes remaining in the game and ends Lake Travis' 48 game win streak, 14-10.

Aledo takes 4th quarter lead, 14-10

2010-09-10T21:37:00.002-05:00

Aledo now leads Lake Travis for the first time, 14-10, as running back Johnathan Gray scored from the one yard line on 4th down with six minutes remaining in the game. Lake Travis has been turnover prone the second half.

Lake Travis leads Aledo 10-7 at halftime

2010-09-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

Lake Travis is leading Aledo 10-7 at the half. You can link to the Aledo broadcast here.

Aledo/Lake Travis Broadcast

2010-09-10T18:55:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for the internet feed for the big class 4A matchup between Aledo and Lake Travis, you can find it here. Cavalier QB Michael Brewer's is not starting. You can find many other games on our broadcast links page.

District Executive Committe rules Trinity did not violate rules

2010-09-08T22:24:00.001-05:00

A District Executive Committe ruled by an 8-0 margin that Euless Trinity violated no rules in a seven on seven tournament that was aired in the DFW area by WFAA channel 8.

The district released the following statement.

DEC Decision: HEB ISD Did Not Violate UIL Rules

After WFAA aired its story last week, the UIL instructed HEB ISD to conduct an internal investigation and provide information to them and to the District 6-5A Executive Committee (DEC), the local governing body that deals with UIL rules enforcement.

We provided information they requested at a hearing held at 10:00 a.m. today. In an 8-0 decision, the DEC ruled that HEB ISD did not violate any UIL rules.

We are pleased with today's ruling. We have said from day one that we wanted to participate in an official DEC investigation and that we would abide by their decision. We want to thank the DEC members for their work on this matter, and we want to thank the entire HEB community for your continued support.

Lake Travis win streak on the line

2010-09-08T14:05:00.001-05:00

The Lake Travis Cavaliers are the owners of a 48 game win streak and three consecutive state titles, but they are about to be tested as never before over the past three seasons, including the playoffs.

First the Cavaliers face 4A #2 Aledo Friday night at home, then they host 4A #6 Kerrville Tivy, who is coming off an impressive win over San Antonio Madison.

Lake Travis gave up 268 yards rushing to Pflugerville Hendrickson running back Kenny Williams last week and will have their hands full with Aledo's junior running back Johnathan Gray, who ran for over 200 yards and five TDs against Weatherford last week.

The Cavaliers are also missing top wide receiver Conner Floyd, who is out with a leg injury. Make no mistake though, Lake Travis still has plenty of talent, and the swagger of a champion. If they ace this test and go on to win another title they will make their mark with one of the best runs of any team in Texas high school football history, regardless of classification.

AP Poll September 7th

2010-09-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

Here is The Associated Press high school poll for September 7,

2010, with first place votes in parentheses, records, points based
on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, and the team's ranking in last week's
poll:

Class 5A

School Record Total Points Prv

1. Euless Trinity (22) (2-0) 246 1

2. Abilene (3) (2-0) 224 2

3. Katy (2-0) 200 3

4. Round Rock Stony Point (2-0) 148 4

5. Allen (2-0) 126 5

6. Katy Cinco Ranch (2-0) 112 6

7. Beaumont West Brook (2-0) 90 7

8. DeSoto (2-0) 73 8

9. The Woodlands (2-0) 62 9

10. Lufkin (2-0) 33

Others receiving votes: 11, Cedar Hill 23. 12, Coppell 10. 14,

Justin Northwest 7. 14, Round Rock 7. 16, Klein Collins 3. 17,

League City Clear Springs 2. 17, Copperas Cove 2. 17, Austin

Westlake 2. 17, SA MacArthur 2. 21, Denton Guyer 1. 21,

Pflugerville 1. 21, Port Arthur Memorial 1.

Class 4A

School Record Total Points Prv

1. Lake Travis (24) (2-0) 249 1

2. Aledo (1) (2-0) 223 2

3. Brenham (2-0) 194 3

4. Denton Ryan (2-0) 169 4

5. Kerrville Tivy (2-0) 145 5

6. Dallas Highland Park (2-0) 112 6

7. Smithson Valley (2-0) 96 7

8. Friendswood (2-0) 73 8

9. Tyler (1-1) 34 9

10. Cedar Park (2-0) 27

Others receiving votes: 11, Stephenville 26. 12, Hewitt Midway

14. 13, Angleton 4. 14, Killeen 3. 15, Gregory-Portland 2. 15,

Everman 2. 17, New Braunfels Canyon 1. 17, Whitehouse 1.

Class 3A

School Record Total Points Prv

1. Brownwood (23) (2-0) 248 1

2. Carthage (2) (2-0) 217 2

3. Celina (2-0) 186 3

4. Prosper (2-0) 149 5

5. Sealy (2-0) 131 7

6. Wimberley (2-0) 123 8

7. Argyle (2-0) 100 10

8. Kirbyville (2-0) 73

9. Abilene Wylie (1-1) 32 6

10. Gilmer (1-1) 30 4

Others receiving votes: 11, Lucas Lovejoy 22. 12, West

Orange-Stark 17. 13, Henderson 9. 13, Bridgeport 9. 15, Giddings 8.

16, Brookshire Royal 7. 17, Caldwell 4. 18, SA Houston 3. 19,

Monahans 2. 19, Pittsburg 2. 19, Devine 2. 22, Silsbee 1.

Class 2A

School Record Total Points Prv

1. Daingerfield (23) (2-0) 246 1

2. Refugio (2) (2-0) 212 2

3. Tatum (2-0) 187 5

4. Littlefield (2-0) 177 4

5. Godley (2-0) 139 7

6. Cameron Yoe (2-0) 117 10

7. Lexington (2-0) 88

8. Linden-Kildare (2-0) 48

9. Newton (0-1) 41 3

10. Muleshoe (2-0) 30

Others receiving votes: 11, Blanco 25. 12, New London West Rusk

15. 13, Omaha Pewitt 10. 14, Bushland 8. 14, Edna 8. 14, Sonora 8.

17, Altair Rice 7. 18, White Oak 2. 18, Malakoff 2. 20, Franklin 1.

20, Grandview 1. 20, Lago Vista 1. 20, Comfort 1. 20, Woodville 1.

Class 1A

School Record Total Points Prv

1. Goldthwaite (17) (2-0) 241 1

2. Canadian (5) (2-0) 210 2

3. Mart (3) (2-0) 207 3

4. Tenaha (2-0) 174 4

5. Albany (2-0) 125 6

6. New Deal (2-0) 107 7

7. Springlake-Earth (2-0) 88 8

8. Alto (2-0) 85 9

9. Kerens (2-0) 61 10

10. Stratford (1-1) 35

Others receiving votes: 11, Falls City 11. 12, Ganado 10. 13,

Evadale 5. 14, Archer City 4. 14, Plains 4. 16, Sunray 3. 17,

Stamford 1. 17, Seymour 1. 17, Mason 1. 17, Burton 1. 17, Cayuga 1.

Trojans dominating Shiloh Christian at halftime

2010-09-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

Euless Trinity has amassed 455 yards of total offense and leads Shiloh Christian 53-20 at halftime. The announcers are trying to put a good face on this one, but it's apparent Shiloh Christian is out of it's league.

Scoring coming fast and furious in Trinity/Shiloh game

2010-09-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Eulees Trinity jumped out quick on Shiloh Christian to go up 14-0, but Shiloh answered with a 96 yard kickoff return to make it 14-7. The Trojans answered right back to make it 21-7 with 8:33 still remaining in the first quarter. The game was scheduled to be broadcast on Fox SW Plus, but can't find anything. Shiloh Christian is streaming the game here, but it seems they are experiencing technical difficulties. We'll post more information when we have it.

Herbstreit Classic set to air tomorrow

2010-09-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

The Herbstreit Classic at Cowboys Stadium tomorrow will feature four games, with the first kickoff at 10:30 AM, featuring powers from Texas and Arkansas, as Euless Trinity meets Shiloh Christian.

Dallas Skyline then takes on another out of state powerhouse at 1:30 PM as they face St. Thomas Aquinas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This game was originally scheduled for 4:30, but flip flopped with the Cedar Hill-Denton Guyer game, which will now be played at 4:30 PM.

The day wraps up with another classic matchup at 7:30 PM as #4 DeSoto takes on Arlington Bowie.

All the games will be shown on Fox Sports Southwest, however, the first two games will be shown in the DFW area on Fox Sports Southwest Plus due to a conflict with the Rangers-Blue Jays game.

TV station that aired Carroll QB eligibility is airing Trinity story tonight

2010-08-31T20:13:00.002-05:00

WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, the station that first aired a story concerning the eligiblity of Southlake Carroll QB Daxx Garman, is set to air a story tonight concerning the behavior of Euless Trinity coaches at a 7 on 7 competition. The HEB school district has issued a press release ahead of the broadcast.

Think your team made a bone headed play over the weekend? Check these out ...

2010-08-29T19:44:00.005-05:00

We get frustrated with our team sometimes when they pull a bonehead play, but it would be hard to top these two.

Games on TV tonight

2010-08-28T12:40:00.001-05:00

RB Malcolm Brown Cibolo Steele

Two of the nation's top rated running backs square off tonight at 6 PM on ESPN as Cibolo Steele RB Malcolm Brown and San Antonio Madison RB Aaron Green go head to head, while Euless Trinity, the top ranked Class 5A team in the state, and the nation according to some polls, faces a tough Tyler Lee team at 9 PM on ESPNU.

Carroll QB ruled ineligible

2010-08-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

Just hours before Southlake Carroll is scheduled to take on Copperas Cove, quarterback Daxx Garman has been ruled ineligible by a 4-3 vote of a District 7-5A Executive Board.

Senior Roman Namdar, who has never started a game for the Dragons, is expected to assume the QB duties.

Southlake Carroll QB's eligiblity questioned

2010-08-25T15:28:00.005-05:00

A story by channel 8 news field reporter Brett Shipp was shown in the DFW area last night questioning the eligibilty of Southlake Carroll QB Daxx Garman. This looks to be an ongoing story and we'll save any comments one way or another for now. Garman's eligibility should be confirmed before the Dragons season opener against Copperas Cove Friday night.

Link to statement from Carroll ISD school district
Additional info from Carroll ISD
Link to NewsOK

Texas Congressman's take on high school football

2010-08-22T22:43:00.000-05:00

The week Texas high school football fans have waited for is here. A cool front is expected to invade the state by mid week and knock temperatures down to the upper 80's and mid 90's, so load up your blankets and thermos of coffee and hot chocolate. It's time for some football!

We received the following from the office of Congressman Ron Poe, who serves in the 2nd congressional district of Texas, which covers Harris, Jefferson and Liberty counties. He shares our passion for Texas high school football, so we thought we would share.

Poe Notes - Aug. 19

By Ted Poe, U.S. Congressman

Friday Night Lights

Well, I am back in Texas this month and the first thing I hear when I turn on the radio in my Jeep is that new Kenny Chesney song, “Boys of Fall.” Now I know I am behind on this one, but Washington doesn’t have a lot of country radio stations. (I can add that to the long list of reasons I love being back in Texas.)

It’s that time of year, a time that folks in Texas and across the South prepare for all year long. Football in Texas is its own religion, where even your preacher cuts the sermon short on Sundays to get you home in time to watch the game. Nowhere else on Earth will you find a culture so wrapped up in football like we are in Texas.

I had my D.C. staff down here last week, and I think next year I might sign them up for two-a-days so they can really appreciate Texas in August. And for those staffers that don’t have the good fortune of being from Texas, I had to impart on them the seriousness of this time of year.

According to football legend Darrel Royal, there are only two sports in Texas: football and spring football. In coffee shops, barber shops and even in the beauty salons all across Texas, the talk is all the same – how’s the team gonna be this year?

Proud Texans naturally believe everything is bigger and better in Texas – because it is. And like most fathers, I am a proud dad. My son Kurt started playing football when he was 8 years old, and I watched him play every game from Humble pee-wee football until he took the field wearing the purple and white of our alma mater, Abilene Christian University.

From the beginning, Kurt played quarterback. Quarterback is one of those positions that is tough on parents – it’s all the fame or all the blame. Every time I saw him take the field, I saw that same little 8-year-old boy full of determination. It was that very determination that led to him walking on at ACU and earning a spot as a safety and becoming an Academic All Conference player.

With this new position, came a new prayer for the Poe family. The word “interception” took on a whole new meaning for us.

I was a judge during that time and I would head out on Friday nights after court and drive all night to towns such as Abilene; Kingsville; Canyon; Wichita Falls; Commerce; Las Cruces, N.M.; and Ada, Okla., to get there for Saturday’s game.

There is nothing more fun than being in a stadium on that first crisp fall weekend and seeing your team, and your son, take the field to thousands chanting: “W-I-L-D-C-A-T-S, purple, white, purple, white, fight, fight, fight!”

Texas football is that of legend and legacy. It has spawned books, movies and TV series. A look into a way of life that is so unique, so Texan. It’s the Junction Boys, the Tyler Rose, the last-minute touchdown run by Texas Longhorn Vince Young in the Rose Bowl for the national championship. (I was there by the way with my son. What a game. What a memory.)

Yes, Texans love their football, right down to the names they choose for their children and the cars they buy. I am sure there is some big executive up in Detroit wondering why they have to send so many maroon cars and pickups to Texas.

We may not have too many fall weddings, but I am willing to bet that you have been to a wedding where the new Mr. and Mrs. took off down the aisle to the “Eyes of Texas” or got a big “Whoop!” after the preacher declared them husband and wife.

Now I am not one to say that we don’t love our Texans and Cowboys. A smile still comes across my face when I think of the Astrodome and those “Luv Ya Blue” days. But professional football today just doesn’t have that same thrill and excitement anymore. Sure, maybe up north it does since they don’t have high school stadiums that hold 15,000 people, field turf, jumbotrons, and the caliber of coaches and players we have in Texas.

But it’s not just the facilities. What makes the game so special is the atmosphere of it all. It’s the band, the drill team, the cheerleaders, the moms selling T-shirts, the school clubs hanging banners – the whole atmosphere is what makes the game great.

So this weekend, grab the family, put on your school colors and head to the game. Grab some hot dogs and a coke and take part in one of Texas’ finest traditions. You will see some of those folks that you went to high school with and some of the same old guys sitting in the same seats they were in 20 to 30, or even 40 to 50 years ago. I wish all the players, the coaches, the trainers, the cheerleaders, the drill team and all those people that volunteer their time to support our kids the very best of luck. Know that you are all part of something special, a Texas religion – Texas football.

Spot the ball; it’s game time. And that’s just the way it is.

Kim Brode
Field Representative
US Representative Congressman Ted Poe TX 02
1801Kingwood Drive Ste 240, Kingwood, Texas 77339
Office 281-446-0242
Fax 281-446-0252
poe.house.gov

Three Texas teams ranked in USA Today Super 25 top ten

2010-08-19T20:02:00.000-05:00

Three Texas teams are ranked in the USA Today Super 25 top ten.

Euless Trinity is #1 in the nation, while Abilene is #3, and Lake Travis checks in at #9.

Steele RB gives pledge to Longhorns

2010-08-18T21:31:00.002-05:00

Cibolo Steele RB Malcolm Brown verbally committed to the University of Texas Wednesday night. Brown, who ran for 2,170 yards and 33 TDs last season, is the top rated running back in the nation according to Rivals.com.

Class 2A rankings released

2010-08-17T23:15:00.007-05:00

Class 2A moves to a two division format in 2010, and Daingerfield and Refugio are our #1 picks in each division. Daingerfield will be looking for a third consecutive title, while Refugio returns 14 starters from last season's 14-1 team. Link to class 2A rankings

Detectives now questioning Aldine coach's story

2010-08-17T12:13:00.001-05:00

Detectives investigating the story of Aldine coach Lionel Crawford's shooting are now saying the story is not "checking out" according to the Houston Chronicle.

Aldine head coach recovering from gunshot wound after carjacking

2010-08-15T17:07:00.006-05:00

Smiley N. Pool Houston Chronicle

Aldine head coach Lionel Crawford is said to be improving after suffering a gunshot wound during a carjacking, but still has a ways to go to fully recover according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Mustangs improved to 7-5 last season in Crawford's first year after winning only three games the previous season.

Link to Article

Brownwood is #1 in Class 3A

2010-08-14T22:47:00.001-05:00

The Brownwood Lions are #1 in our just released Class 3A Rankings. The Lions return almost their entire starting offense and defense, as 18 starters return.

Lucas Lovejoy has exceeded the learning curve, as they have only had a program since 2008, but are now ranked #2 in the state.

Gilmer won a title last season and has enjoyed great success in recent years. They have lost so much talent from a year ago though that it's tough to justify a top ten ranking.

Florida vs. Texas .... Who is Better?

2010-08-10T22:17:00.004-05:00

National polls and message boards continue to raise the question, what state has the best football?....and there are more state vs. state high school games each year.

Several 2010 games match Texas high schools against out of state teams, including the Florida vs. Texas High School Football Showcase, which pits four Florida teams against four teams from Texas on September 10th and 11th in DeSoto. The Showcase features two top ten teams from Texas, in Abilene and DeSoto, as well as four top teams from the state of Florida.

Press Release

Texas Teams Prominent in National Poll

2010-08-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

Texas teams are littered through the newly released PrepNation Poll. Euless Trinity is ranked #1, followed by Abilene at #3 and Austin Lake Travis at #4.

Just ahead of Abilene is Tampa Plant, Florida, who comes to Texas for a matchup with the Eagles on September 16th.

Class 5A Rankings Posted

2010-08-01T12:10:00.003-05:00

Our Class 5A rankings are now posted. The two 5A defending state champions, Euless Trinity and Abilene, are our top two picks. Frankly, it was hard to see it any other way with the nucleus both teams are returning.

DeSoto probably has the best offensive talent in the state, but they're not as well rounded as the teams in front of them. If their defense steps up this season they'll be a handful for any team they face.

Our top ten is full of familar programs, but the new kid on the block is Arlington Martin. We feel they just have too much talent to leave out of our top ten.

If you're looking for a darkhorse keep an eye on Plano. Even though they were only 5-7 last season, they return a solid nucleus after making their way in to the playoffs where they threw a scare in to eventual champion Euless Trinity.

Other teams to watch outside of our top twenty five are Leander, San Antonio Reagan, San Antonio Madison and Clear Springs. Tyler Lee has a talented team, but they play what undoubtedly has to be the toughest schedule in the state, as they have six teams on their schedule who are ranked in our top thirteen.

Who Drives the Car at Trinity?

2010-07-31T10:05:00.002-05:00

The defending Class 5A DI state champion Euless Trinty Trojans will be searching for a new quarterback in 2010 and the question is, who is going to drive the car? The short answer is, does it matter?

The longer answer is that the Trojans have shown in the coach Steve Lineweaver era that they are a team that doesn't depend on their quarterback to carry them. With what seems like a never ending supply of NFL size linemen, all-state tight ends and plenty of speed at the skill positions, Trinity just expects someone to drive the car straight enough to let the rest of the team help carry them to the finish line.

Super athlete Brandon Carter, who is pledged to OU, is expected to rotate between the WR position he played last season, and QB, while Junior Lahi Kautai and Joel Sullivan look plenty capable when called upon.

Lake Travis Wins 7on7 Title

2010-07-10T23:08:00.001-05:00

Lake Travis won the large school 7on7 state championship with a 42-39 victory over DeSoto. The Cavaliers won all eight games they played over two days. Lufkin won the consolation bracket, beating The Woodlands 50-39 in the final.

7 on 7 Begins Today

2010-07-08T11:51:00.001-05:00

The 7on7 state tournament begins today in College Station. Here are the pools for the large and small school divisions.
Division I
Division II

Top Running Backs Collide On ESPN

2010-06-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

According to the SA Express-News Cibolo Steele's Malcolm Brown, who is the top rated running back in the nation as listed by Rivals.com and San Antonio Madison running back Aaron Green, who is slotted fifth at his position by Rivals, will be featured on ESPN on August 28th at 6 PM in a game to played at Heroes Stadium.

What's Next For Big 12?

2010-06-17T15:30:00.006-05:00

The Big 12 managed to stay together after losing Colorado and Nebraska and some saber rattling from Texas and Texas A&M.

Now what?? With the conference apparently on firm footing again, it's time for the Big 12 to go after some other schools and actually get back to 12 teams. So Colorado and Nebraska are gone. I say good riddance! Nebraska realized it was never going to get a leg up on Oklahoma or Texas and Colorado was a stepchild in the Big 12, so both ran away to try their luck elsewhere.

Now the Big 12 needs to beef up by going after LSU and Arkansas. Why would both join the big 12? Money of course. But wait, doesn't the SEC offer a bigger payout to league members? By all reports they do, but if the Big 12 comes up with some new TV money and allows teams to go after their own TV contracts, there is more money to be had.

Arkansas has become nothing more than a whipping post since leaving the Southwest Conference and has to long for the days of past conference rivalries with the Longhorns and Aggies, although the Hogs were smart enough to nail down a non-conference schedule with the Aggies at Jerry World for the next nine years. Meanwhile, LSU would be better served by yearly tussles with the neighboring state of Texas. Yes, LSU has a couple decent rivalries with Alabama and Florida, but geographically their fan base is much closer to College Station and Austin. The biggest benefit for both of these schools would be that it puts them in a better position to recruit Texas.

The next thing to do is to jettison Iowa State and round up TCU. The Horned Frogs are showing they are perennial top ten material in football and have advanced to the College World Series in baseball. Iowa State.......maybe the Pac 10 has a place for you. TCU......there's a place for you in the Big 12; but you need to add 15-20,000 seats to your stadium and make sure it's packed on Saturday's.

On any given Saturday I would pay to see Oklahoma/LSU, Texas/Arkansas, TCU vs. Texas A&M and Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State. Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri and Baylor would round out one of the nation's top, if not the top conference in college football.

We can all dream can't we?

Woman Hired as Varsity HS Football Head Coach

2010-03-13T12:47:00.006-06:00

Natalie Randolph was named as the head coach of the boys' varsity high school football team at Coolidge High School in Northwest Washington D.C. on Friday, and is believed to be the only female head coach in the United States. Coolidge High tabbed the 29-year-old former wide receiver for the D.C. Divas of the women's professional football league as head coach after she served a two-year stint as an assistant at Woodson High School.

The main concern seems to be that the other head coaches are afraid of being the first team to lose to a team coached by a female.

Read the story here.

Win Super Bowl Tickets and Other Prizes

2010-02-28T22:01:00.002-06:00

The Fort Worth Star Telegram is asking readers to vote for the greatest moments in North Texas High School Football in the last 100 years. By participating you'll have the opportunity to win Super Bowl tickets and other prizes. You can print and mail your votes here or vote online here.

National Signing Day Show to be Streamed

2010-02-03T17:36:00.003-06:00

Fox Sports Southwest will be streaming their national signing day show here at 6 PM central time.

Not many surprises on signing day, with the notable exception of Dallas Skyline all-state linebacker Corey Nelson, who switched his commitment to Oklahoma after originally stating he was bound for Texas A&M.

Realignment & Signing Day

2010-02-02T20:28:00.004-06:00

The 2010-11 realignment didn't seem to produce many surprises this year. Mostly it seemed to be a time of returning to the past, including, but not limited to the return of Abilene to the "Little SWC" out west and Longview rejoining class 5A.

Longview will be welcomed back to 5A with one of the toughest non-district schedules in the state as they travel to Allen and Lufkin, before hosting Abilene.

One of the best matchups forthcoming in 2010 will be a tilt between defending class 4A champs Lake Travis and Aledo at a location to be determined. It will be a home and home series the next two years.

Also, former class 2A schools, Aubrey and Pilot Point, who had outstanding 2009 seasons (Pilot Point garnered a state title), will move up to class 3A and join each other in district 9-3A.

On the heels of realignment comes national signing day tomorrow, with the Texas Longhorns scheduled to sign one of the most highly touted classes in school history. The late commitment of Plano West DE Jackson Jeffcoat put the cherry on an outstanding group that features a strong core of wide receivers and the second leading rusher in Texas high school football history in Cayuga's Traylon Shead.

And don't look now, but the Texas A&M Aggies have lined up a class considered top ten material by most analysts. The men in maroon appear to be on the rise.

U.S. Army All-American Bowl

2010-01-09T11:36:00.002-06:00

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl, played in San Antonio, will be televised on NBC at noon today. The state's top recruit, DE Jackson Jeffcoat from Plano West, will not play today due to a sprained ankle.

As usual, some recruits will announce their college intentions, but don't expect a commitment announcement from Jeffcoat, who stated he is still in the process of deliberation.

Txprepsfootball.com All Texas Team Released

2009-12-26T22:17:00.004-06:00

The 2009 Txprepsfootball.com All Texas Team featuring some of the finest high school football players in the state has been released and it features players from all classifications, including nine from class 5A, ten from class 4A, six from classes 3A and 1A, and seven from class 2A.

Txprepsfootball.com All Texas Team

Amazing Run

2009-12-25T15:44:00.003-06:00

Check out this run by James Wilder Jr., of Tampa (Fla.) Plant High. Wilder, who is the son of former NFL running back James Wilder ran through three defenders and went 42 yards for a touchdown in the Florida 5A state final against Manatee.

The 6-2, 223 lb. Wilder, just a junior, will be one of the top recruits in 2011.

Class 4A Championships to be Streamed on Fox Sports

2009-12-19T11:28:00.002-06:00

The two Class 4A State Championship games will be streamed live on Fox Sports today. Brenham and Aledo square off at 1 PM and Longview and Lake Travis kickoff at 6 PM. You can watch the games here.

2009-12-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Kickoff time for the Bushland vs. Daingerfield Class 2A Division II state championship game Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls has been changed from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Should be a great matchup as both teams have dominated the competition throughout the season. Daingerfields' only loss was to 3A state champ Gilmer.

Gilmer Leading Abilene Wylie 24-7 at Half

2009-12-12T19:27:00.006-06:00

Gilmer is leading Abilene Wylie 24-7 at halftime in the Class 3A DI championship game. You can watch the 2nd half here on Fox streaming video.

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=foxsports&from=sp&vid=38de17e4-c9a9-468f-848a-2d6481a4b605" target="_new" title="High School Football Championships">Video: High School Football Championships</a>

Katy Going for Three Peat

2009-12-12T17:55:00.004-06:00

The Katy Tigers held off New Braunfels today 14-6 in a low scoring affair. The weather was a factor as it was a foggy, windy day. Despite the weather, almost 21,000 fans showed up at Rice Stadium.

Katy (14-1) will face Abilene (14-0) at 7 p.m. next Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the Class 5A Division II state title in a game that shapes up to be a classic.

Can Katy lay claim to team of the decade? ........ or is it the Southlake Carroll Dragons? .... who dominated the early half of the decade. Interestingly enough, the two teams met in the 5A Division II title games in 2003 and 2005 with Katy winning 16-15 in 2003 and Carroll paying them back in 2005 by a 34-20 margin.

UIL All Time Offensive and Defensive Teams

2009-12-09T13:35:00.004-06:00

The UIL has published their All-Time Offensive and Defensive Teams as selected by the fans and I have to say they did a pretty good job. There may be a slight quibble here or there, such as how do you leave the national record holder in career rushing yardage, Ken Hall, off the first team, but it's hard to argue that Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson are undeserving of first team accolades.

I wonder how the college & professional careers of the players weighed on the voters minds. I don't remember seeing the criteria for the voting, but LaDainian Tomlinson & Earl Campbell both started their high school careers as linebackers and therefore didn't rack up huge career numbers in high school and Raymond Berry didn't blossom as a receiver until he reached the NFL.

All Star Games Just Around the Corner

2009-12-09T13:04:00.006-06:00

The Texas high school football season is winding down, but you can still see some of your favorite players in action at the Under Armour All-American Bowl played in Florida on January 2nd and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl played in San Antonio the following Saturday on January 9th at noon.

Both games feature plenty of Texans and will give spectators a sneak peak at some of the best players in Texas and how they fare against the best players from around the nation.

Under Armour All-American Bowl Roster
U. S. Army All-American Bowl West Roster

What a night in Class 3A Division I

2009-12-06T10:34:00.006-06:00

Two great games in Class 3A Division I last night!

Gilmer edged Cuero in a game between undefeated teams, 42-36. The teams appeared evenly matched judging by the scoreboard and the total yardage (410 for Cuero, 407 for Gilmer).

On the other side of the bracket, Abilene Wylie rallied to victory by scoring with eight seconds left in the game to defeat Lucas Lovejoy, a school in only their third year of existence, 31-27.

Gilmer and Abilene Wylie will meet at SMU's Ford Stadium Saturday at a time to be determined for the state championship.

Bushland / Crane Moved to Tomorrow

2009-12-04T17:05:00.003-06:00

Crane received close to two inches of snow in the area earlier today and because of travel concerns, the Class 2A D2 Quarterfinal game between Bushland and Crane is moved to 2 pm tomorrow. The game is still at the same location (Frenship).

What's Up in Class 5A DI Region II?

2009-11-28T20:57:00.002-06:00

Cy Woods just pulled off a huge 28-21 upset of Dallas Skyline and Tyler Lee is leading RR Stony Point 16-7 at halftime. If Tyler Lee holds on it would set up an unlikely matchup for the region championship. Can you say bracket buster? You can catch the second half of Stony Point and Tyler Lee here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T08:44:00.006-06:00

Thanksgiving always makes me think of the two "F's"...... food and football. There's a great slate of games tomorrow and Saturday. We're headed to the Euless Trinity-Arlington Martin game tomorrow at noon, then on to catch Cedar Hill and Abilene. On Saturday, we'll take in a Class 2A battle of unbeaten teams, Pilot Point and Godley.

A reminder that a condensed version of the exciting Allen / Southlake Carroll game played last weekend at Cowboys Stadium will be shown at 9 PM tonight on Fox Sports Southwest.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

More on Carroll / Allen

2009-11-23T14:29:00.007-06:00

The Southlake Carroll / Allen game on Saturday night (it ended Sunday morning) took a series of events to send the game to overtime and fans from both teams probably feel like their team should have won in regulation.

If you're a Carroll Dragon fan you probably looked on in amazement as Carroll got off a punt from their own endzone that only traveled 16 yards and the officials put one second back on the clock to allow Allen to throw a touchdown pass on the last play in regulation.

If you're an Allen fan you're probably still lamenting the fact that the Eagles drove inside the Carroll 30 yard line on all nine possessions in regulation and piled up 539 total yards of offense, yet only scored 14 points before the last play in regulation.

On a side note, the crowd estimated at 40,000 will move this game in to sixth place on the top ten all-time playoff attendance list.

Venue Change for Abilene and Cedar Hill

2009-11-23T13:54:00.005-06:00

The Class 5A playoff game between undefeated teams Abilene and Cedar Hill originally slated to be played at Aledo has been moved to the Birdville Fine Arts Complex in North Richland Hills.

This will help accomodate a larger crowd as Bearcat Stadium in Aledo holds just over 8,000 while the BFAC holds 12,000. Kickoff time is still 2 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Skyline / DeSoto Highlights

2009-11-22T09:10:00.001-06:00

Highlights from the big Dallas Skyline / DeSoto game as well as Cedar Hill's victory.

Dragons Prevail

2009-11-22T00:28:00.003-06:00

The Southlake Carroll / Allen matchup lived up to the hype as Allen threw a touchdown pass on the last play in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Both teams scored in the first overtime and again in the second overtime, however Allen went for the win instead of attempting to send the game to a third overtime. The Eagles attempt failed and the Dragons escaped Cowboys Stadium with a 35-34 double overtime playoff victory that will rank with some of the best playoff games ever played.

Brazoswood Beats the Odds

2009-11-21T11:48:00.003-06:00

Brazoswood accomplished what only one other team had been able to do by upsetting Galena Park North Shore at GPISD Stadium last night.

It's Over

2009-11-20T22:12:00.001-06:00

Stephenville kicks a field goal on their first possession in overtime and Aledo comes back to score a touchdown and win 26-23.

Aledo and Stephenville in Another Classic

2009-11-20T21:56:00.002-06:00

It seems any Aledo and Stephenville game becomes an instant classic. They are in another one at Cowboys Stadium as they are going to overtime in a Class 4A second round playoff game. You can catch it here.

Friday Night Playoff Games to Watch

2009-11-20T11:49:00.004-06:00

Rain is currently covering the eastern 2/3 of the state and may affect some playoff games this evening.

It's round two of the playoffs and there are big games all over the map tonight.

In Class 5A, perennial playoff teams Austin Westlake and Converse Judson tangle, along with undefeated teams San Antonio Southwest and Harlingen (could a Valley team win a region?)

In Class 4A, traditional rivals Aledo and Stephenville go head to head, while Lake Dallas and Everman meet at Pennington Field in Bedford. Also, Brenham meets undefeated Port Neches-Groves, while 10-1 teams Medina Valley and CC Calallen meet in Victoria.

In Class 3A, they don't get much bigger than the matchup of undefeated teams Sealy and Cuero. The game between 10-1 Graham and 11-0 Monahans also bears watching.

In Class 2A, the big game is in Frisco where two 11-0 teams square off as Gunter meets Pilot Point.

In Class 1A, undefeated Godthwaite against once beaten Shiner looks good.

Class 4A Venue Changes

2009-11-16T17:24:00.005-06:00

According to the Denton Chronicle two second round playoff games have changed venues. Denton Ryan vs. Arlington Heights, which was originally listed at Cowboys Stadium, is moving to Keller ISD Friday at 7 p.m. and Denton Guyer vs. Mansfield Legacy, which was orginally posted at Birdville ISD on Thursday, will be at Dragon Stadium in Southlake Friday at 7:30 p.m.

14-5A Narrowly Avoids Sweep

2009-11-14T21:48:00.002-06:00

Class 5A district 14-5A narrowly avoided being swept in the first round of the playoffs when The Woodlands edged Klein Forest 32-31 in overtime as Klein Forest missed the PAT after scoring to pull within one point.

Klein Collins, Spring Westfield and Klein of district 13-5A all moved on, with the most notable victory being Klein's 27-21 upset of Lufkin.

Trojans Hammer Flower Mound

2009-11-14T14:24:00.005-06:00

Euless Trinity hammered Flower Mound in an early Class 5A Division I Region I game at Cowboys Stadium, racking up 88 points and 805 yards of offense in a 88-27 victory. It was the most points by an 11-man team in the Texas high school playoffs since 1941 when Lancaster beat Duncanville 89-0 in the Class B playoffs.

Can You Say HUGH UPSETS?

2009-11-14T11:13:00.009-06:00

There were three HUGH upsets on Friday in classes 3A-1A.

In Class 3A, Giddings, who was ranked in the Class 3A top ten all season, lost 40-21 to Brookshire Royal, who was 5-5 entering the playoffs.

Class 2A Muleshoe had it's 25 game winning streak broken by Amarillo River Road, 25-21. Muleshoe went 15-0 on it's way to a state title last season and was 10-0 coming in to the playoffs.

In Class 1A, Quinlan Boles was undefeated (9-0) and ranked in everyone's top five. After not being challenged all season Boles went down hard to Collinsville, who was 5-5 during the regular season, by a score of 56-21.