SPLIT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL ALIGNMENT STUDY

This is a draft of a plan that could split football conferences into two divisions. This is not a proposal by UIL staff, nor has it been approved by the UIL Legislative Council.

The study of a split conference alignment plan for football is complete. This plan divides each conference into two divisions in football. The largest half of each conference is grouped into a division and the smaller half of the conference is divided into a separate division. The large school division has 16 districts and the smallest half of each conference has 16 districts. Approximately six to eight schools are placed into each district. The same number of schools from each district advance to the playoffs. Twelve champions would be crowned as is done currently.

Check out the details of the draft here: http://www.txprepsports.com/showthread.php?t=1731

This could work to some school's advantage, but on the other hand it may hurt some too.

HS Pre-Season Baseball Rankings

TABC released their pre-season rankings in Texas HS baseball and there are a few suprises. Where did Coppell come from, toping the rankings in Class 5A?

5A: 1. Coppell 2. Houston Bellaire 3. Flower Mound 4. South Lake Carroll 5. Klein 6. Laredo United 7. Plano West 8. San Antonio Reagan 9. Spring Branch Memorial 10. Katy

4A: 1. Corpus Christi Calallen 2. North Richland Hills Birdville 3. Friendswood 4. Lamar Consolidated 5. Waxahachie 6. Waco Midway 7. Austin Lake Travis 8. Corpus Christi Moody 9. Highland Park 10. Brenham

3A: 1. Cuero 2. Taylor 3. Giddings 4. Robstown 5. Pittsburg 6. Bridge City 7. Bullard 8. Pleasant Grove 9. Bellville 10. Andrews

2A: 1. Buna 2. San Angelo Grape Creek 3. Hallettsville 4. Riviera Kaufer 5. Rogers 6. White Oak 7. Holliday 8. Palmer 9. Grandview 10. Rosebud Lott

1A: 1. Bosqueville 2. Flatonia 3. Maud 4. Follett 5. Malakoff Cross Roads 6. Archer City 7. Granger 8. Seymour 9. New Deal 10.West Sabine

Texas and Super Bowl XLlll Have Connection

Texas ties are strong in the Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and Arizona combining to have 11 players who played high school here... Texas-raised players have had huge impacts during the first XLII Super Bowls... theoldcoach has its All-Time Texas team led by Bob Lilly, Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Duane Thomas and Forrest Gregg... Will any of this year's Texas players break into this All-Time team... Details... http://theoldcoach.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=906249

Smith Earns Offensive Player of the Year

Carthage QB Si'Darius Blackshire shown here joins Smith on first team.

Carthage running back Dwight Smith gained over 2,800 yards, had 41 touchdowns and led the Bulldogs to their first ever Class 3A State Championship.

Carthage knocked off Celina in the DI state championship where Smith had 267 yards and five touchdowns.

We covered that game, this kid is dynamite and that is NO joke! He is still undecided where he's heading for college, but trust me he will play at the next level.

Look at who else made it here: http://theoldcoach.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=906139

Peace Changes His Mind on College

South Grand Prairie wide receiver Dewayne Peace has changed his orginal commit from Michigan to Arizona.

Reports indicate the reason Peace had a change of heart was because the Wolverines were wanting to convert the WR to conerback and that was not part of the deal when he gave them his verbal.

Which leads me to this, why would folks be talking about an "Early Singing Day", at least with verbal's they are non-binding and the Athlete can get out of them.

Let me know what you think........

ATTENTION ALL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

http://theoldcoach.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=984&CID=883979

One Week and Counting........

Well folk's the time is getting closer, National Signing Day for college football. Now keep this in mind there maybe some changes in verbal commits, because verbal's are nonw binding and that allows the Athlete to change their mind.

Should be interesting to see just how many more Athletes change their mind on the college they will attend.

Check out THEOLDCOACH.com for all the latest signings in Texas.

www.theoldcoach.com

Daingerfield's Moore shares top defensive honor

Carl Moore made it a clean sweep of postseason awards Tuesday.

Moore, who helped lead the Tigers to a Class 2A Division II state championship in December, was named Class 2A's co-defensive Player of the Year on the Texas Sports Writers Association All-State Football Team.

Moore, who racked up 174 tackles (112 solos), 33 tackles for losses, seven sacks, nine forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and three passes broken up, was the 2A defensive player of the year on the Associated Press All-State Team.

Rollison Commits to Auburn

Auburn has landed a commitment from the nation's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback.Sulphur Springs (Texas) four-star Tyrik Rollison said Tuesday he plans to sign with the Tigers Feb. 4, National Signing Day.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder gave his verbal pledge to Auburn after taking an official visit to the Plains this past weekend.

Rollison chose the Tigers after narrowing his list to Auburn and Kansas State. He also had offers from Kansas, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Florida State, Oregon and Arizona among others.

This past fall as a senior, Rollison threw for a school-record 4,728 yards and 53 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,094 yards.

Rollison led Sulphur Springs to the Class 4A Division II state championship. In the title game, a game Sulphur Springs won 69-49 over Dayton, Rollison combined for 517 yards and seven touchdowns. He connected on 23-of-29 passes for 398 yards and four scores, and also added 127 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

As a junior, Rollison completed 296-of-423 passes (69.9%) for 3,691 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also rushed for 554 yards and seven more scores.

2009 TGCA State Softball Poll (preseason)

Class 1A 1. Shiner 2. Bosqueville 3. Eula 4. Elkhart Slocum 5. Maud 6. Thorndale 7. Windthorst 8. Marfa 9. Alto 10. Iola

Class 2A 1. Kirbyville 2. East Bernard 3. Coahoma 4. Danbury 5.. Big Sandy Harmony 6. Sadler S&S Consolidated 7. Poth 8. Hawley 9. Clyde 10. Harleton

Class 3A 1. Huntington 2. Needville 3. Texarkana Liberty Eylau 4. Burkburnett 5. Andrews 6. La Vernia 7. Longview Spring Hill 8. Robinson 9. Celina 10. Levelland

Class 4A 1. Nederland 2. Waco Midway 3. Dripping Springs 4. Rockwall 5. Barbers Hill 6. Port Neches-Groves 7. Mesquite Poteet 8. Wolfforth Frenship 9. Frisco Wakefield 10. Rockwall Heath

Class 5A 1. Austin Bowie 2. Klein Oak 3. Tomball 4. Odessa 5. Brazoswood 6. Weatherford 7. Rowlett 8. Mesquite 9. Alvin 10. Pearland

Covenant School Fires Coach

The Covenant School fired its girls’ basketball coach Sunday, the same day he distributed an e-mail and posted on a Web site that he disagreed with the school’s headmaster as well as the school’s chairman of the board, who have publicly apologized for Covenant’s 100-0 victory over Dallas Academy.

Kyle Queal, Covenant’s head of school, said former coach Micah Grimes “now only represents himself.” Queal said he could not answer if the firing was a direct result of his e-mail and posting.

Grimes’ e-mail and posting said, “In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls’ basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed, “We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

10 Texans selected to All-America high school team

Headlined by Player of the Year Garrett Gilbert of Lake Travis and Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, 10 players from Texas were selected for the Parade Magazine All-America High School Football Team.
Gilbert, who committed to play at Texas in the fall, quarterbacked the Cavs to a 48-23 victory in the Division I 4A final against Longview.
Cypress Ridge’s Shepard threw for 1,850 yards and 20 scores while rushing for 1,962 yards and 29 TDs. After graduating early, Shepard will begin attending LSU in February.
For Gilbert, his passing stats of 55 touchdowns and a record 4,851 yards don’t add up to more than what back-to-back state championships with his team mean to him.
Shepard is ready for the next phase as the highly coveted recruit for the LSU Tigers.
Tyrik Rollison of Sulphur Springs was the third Texas quarterback chosen for the team.
Other Texas players who made the squad were:
• Running back — Kendial Lawrence, Rockwell-Heath;
• Receiver — A.J. Dugal, Dayton;
• Linemen — Jamarkus McFarland, Lufkin; Mason Walters, Frenship; Alex Okafor, Pflugerville;
• Linebacker — Chris Williams, Abilene; and,
• Defensive back — Craig Loston, Eisenhower.

Graham Harrell ought to be available in fourth round or later

After the Senior Bowl, it doesn't look like Graham Harrell will be off the board before the point of the draft when the Cowboys want to pick a quarterback.
Based on the reports I read, Harrell had an OK week of practices in Mobile. His performance in Saturday night's game can be summed up with one word: horrible.
Harrell didn't look comfortable with his drops. His passes lacked zip, especially on throws outside the numbers. He severely underthrew a deep ball to an open receiver, resulting in an interception. In other words, the kid who set records at Ennis High and Texas Tech probably confirmed to a lot of scouts that he is the dreaded "system quarterback."
Well, as Tony Romo recently taught us, it's all about finding the silver lining after a quarterback stinks it up. In this case, the silver lining is that Harrell definitely didn't boost his stock, so the Cowboys ought to be able to grab him after addressing more pressing needs than backup quarterback.
I'll admit to being biased in favor of kids I saw play in high school, but I still believe Harrell will be at least a solid backup in the NFL after a year or two to make the adjustment from the spread to a pro scheme. And he's still better than Brad Johnson right now.

Colton Nash Heading To Arkansas

Arkansas got its second commitment of the day Friday when Sulphur Springs (Texas) defensive end Colton Nash contacted the Razorbacks with the good news.

Nash, 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is the 30th player to commit to the Razorbacks for the 2009 recruiting class, which also includes two additional spots from last year. Nash is rated a three-star prospect and the No. 35 strongside defensive end prospect in the nation.

Nash has also taken an official visit to Colorado. He had one scheduled for Oklahoma State on Jan. 30 but won't take that visit now, and he also cancelled opportunities this weekend.

Nash said Tech and AU were his second favorite teams.

COWBOYS-REALITY TV - ANOTHER GIMMICK?

The first time Michael Irvin watched "American Idol," he loved the concept of giving undiscovered singers the chance to become stars. Now Irvin is doing the same for NFL wannabes. The Hall of Fame receiver is launching a reality TV show in which 12 "football neophytes" will compete for an impressive grand prize: a spot on the Dallas Cowboys' training camp roster.

PLEASE!!!!!!!!

Covenant School to forfeit 100-0 win over Dallas Academy

Officials from The Covenant School visited Dallas Academy on Thursday morning to apologize for their girls basketball team's "victory without honor" in last week's 100-0 game.

Covenant, located in Dallas, also e-mailed the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools to declare its desire to forfeit the District 3-2A game.

Edd Burleson, the TAPPS director who oversees 236-member high schools, said there is no formal procedure when a school wants to overturn one of its victories.

Dallas Academy has since withdrawn its team from the TAPPS district and is piecing together a new schedule that will include junior varsity opponents.

On Jan. 13, Covenant kept the pressure on winless Dallas Academy until midway though the fourth quarter, when it scored its 100th point. The score was 59-0 at halftime and 88-0 after three quarters.

Dallas Academy is known for its work with students who have learning problems, such as short attention spans and concentration.

Auburn in Top 2 for nation's No. 2 QB

Sulphur Springs (Tex.) standout Tyrik Rollison, who is rated the nation's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback, has narrowed his list down to two schools and will be visiting one of his favorites this weekend.

"It's Auburn and Kansas State," Rollison said. "They're on top because they're the two schools that are recruiting me the hardest."

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Rollison will officially visit Auburn this weekend and said his goals are simple.

"I'm just looking for somewhere I can fit in at," Rollison said.

Rollison had a huge senior season leading Sulphur Springs to the Class 4A Division II title. On the year, he completed 315-of-428 passes for 4,728 yards and 51 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. Rollison also carried the ball 172 times for 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Rollison was a standout in the Army All-American game completing 9-of-14 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Mel Kiper's 2009 NFL mock draft

Kiper's Mock draft: Highland Park's Stafford No. 1; 5 Texans in top 16. Not suprising....

Picks 1-16
1Detroit Matthew Stafford QB Georgia (HP)
2 St. Louis Andre Smith OT Alabama
3 Kansas City Mark Sanchez QB USC
4 Seattle Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech (Carter)
5 Cleveland Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
6 Cincinnati Jason Smith OT Baylor (WT White)
7 Oakland Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
8 Jacksonville Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
9 Green Bay Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio St.
10 San Francisco Aaron Maybin DE/OLB Penn St.
11 Buffalo Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma St. (Tyler Lee)
12 Denver B.J. Raji DT Boston College
13 Washington Brian Orakpo DE Texas (Houston Lamar)
14 New Orleans Vontae Davis CB Illinois
15 Houston Everette Brown DE Florida St.
16 San Diego Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia

High School coach charged in death of football player

A Kentucky high school football coach has been charged with reckless homicide in the death of a player who collapsed at practice on a hot day.

Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel says a grand jury indicted Pleasure Ridge Park head football coach David Jason Stinson on Thursday. The school is in Louisville.

Pleasure Ridge sophomore Max Gilpin collapsed on Aug. 20 and died three days later at a hospital.

Texas High Just Keep's Producing "Big Time" Players

The last week has been a wild ride for Texarkana Texas High receiver Cobi Hamilton.

Friday he received an offer from Texas before setting out to Oklahoma St. for an official visit. Sunday night he hosted Arkansas coaches on an in-home visit. Then Wednesday, coaches from Auburn and Texas traveled to Texarkana to make their pitch to one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound prospect recently named a top three of Arkansas, Oklahoma St., and Texas with Auburn still hanging on in the fourth spot. Now he is down to two.

He visited Arkansas in Janurary and this week, after eyeing both Auburn and Texas, will make his way to Austin to get a closer look at the Longhorn program.

Remember Nathan Vasher the All-American DB out of Texas, now with the Chargers? You got it a graduate of Texas High and a student of the Tigers Head Coach Barry Norton.

Rumor has it that Norton and Hamilton will make the trip to Austin together on Friday.

Hamilton is ranked No. 64 in the 2009 Rivals.com Texas Postseason Top 100, and was named first-team all-district for the second consecutive year after recording 1,071 yards and 14 touchdowns on 64 receptions. He has narrowed his list to Arkansas and Texas after also receiving offers from Auburn, Oklahoma St., Missouri, Nebraska, Baylor, TCU, Kansas, Kansas St., Houston, Southern Miss, Tulsa, and Louisiana Tech.

Former UT star Dronett of Bridge City found dead at home

Even before he joined the University of Texas football team two decades ago, Shane Dronett already owned a larger-than-life reputation built on wrestling alligators and staring down water moccasins in the bayous near his hometown.

On Wednesday, Dronett, who had struggled with a benign brain tumor more than a year ago, was found dead at his home in suburban Atlanta. The former Longhorn All-America defensive end was 38.

News of Dronett's death had reached some of his former UT teammates by late Wednesday morning. Dronett, who played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons, had last seen some of his college teammates the weekend of the Texas-Oklahoma game in October.

It seemed appropriate that the last Longhorn game Dronett saw in person was the 45-35 victory over the Sooners in Dallas. When he played for Texas from 1989-91, Texas was 3-0 against its archrival, with Dronett starring in the final two contests with a combined 23 tackles.

Dronett very nearly didn't make it to Texas because of a lack of a scholarship. It seems that the heavily recruited Dronett had unofficially committed to five schools ? Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami and Louisiana State.

He placed a call around midnight, the night before national signing day in 1989, to tell the Longhorn coaches he really wanted to sign with Texas. McWilliams said he had been saving the final scholarship for a running back who eventually signed with Texas A&M.

McWilliams dispensed defensive coordinator Leon Fuller to Bridge City. And Gooch made Dronett sign a napkin, an "unofficial" letter of intent to secure Dronett's late-night promise.

Dronett left for the NFL with a year of eligibility remaining. He was a second-round pick of Denver in 1992. He signed with Atlanta in 1997 and played with the Falcons until 2002.

After dabbling in the art business following his retirement from the NFL, Dronett settled on selling real estate.

About a year ago, he had surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. Former teammates noticed he wasn't quite the same. He was quieter, they said, and didn't tease them as much.

Still, he participated in the annual UT lettermen's golf tournament last spring, and he traveled to El Paso for the Longhorns game against UTEP in September.

Dronett is survived by his wife, Kris, his college sweetheart and two daughters.

Marshall's Darius Jones Makes a Switch.....

Marshall senior Darius Jones, who is being recruited as an athlete, has switched his verbal commitment from Oklahoma to Baylor. Jones ran for 800-yards playing quarterback and multiple positions for the Mavericks.

OU's Johnson joins Senior Bowl roster

OU wide receiver, and Gilmer native, Manuel Johnson has joined the roster for the Under Armour Senior Bowl.

Johnson is a late addition to the game and played last weekend in the East-West Shrine Game as a member of the West roster.

Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew, from Tyler Lee, is also playing in the game.The Under Armour Senior Bowl takes place this Saturday at 6:00 pm CT on NFL Network live from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

Dang Jerry Jones has his hand in everything. Now why in the heck would the NFL network carry this game? They must not want people to tune in.

New #1 Athlete in Texas Rankings

There is a new No.1 in the Rivals.com postseason Texas top 100 but he didn't have to travel very far to get to the top spot. Houston Cy-Ridge dual-threat quarterback Russell Shepard entered the season as the No. 2-ranked player in the state but with a senior season that was impossible to ignore, Shepard pushed his way to the top of the list.
In 2008, Shepard rushed for 1,946 yards and 28 touchdowns, eating up 7.6 yards per carry. What makes those numbers even more impressive is that the bulk of it came during his team's three-game playoff run. During that span, Shepard rushed for 835 yards on 89 carries and 11 touchdowns.

Additionally, as an athletic quarterback that has had his passing abilities questioned in the past, Shepard went a long ways towards proving his doubters wrong in that area. Shepard raised his completion percentage 10 points from 2007 to 2008 and passed for 1,843 yards as a senior with 794 yards being his previous career high for a season. More importantly, Shepard only threw four interceptions on 257 attempts.

With that kind of improvement, expect Shepard to keep the 'QB' label well into his college career.

There was more shakeup within the top ten beyond Shepard. The previous top prospect, Jamarkus McFarland slid to No. 7 while another defensive tackle moved up to No. 8 in San Antonio (Texas) Warren's Calvin Howell.

Beaumont (Texas) West Brook running back Christine Michael dominated summer camps, seven-on-sevens, fall games and a post-season All-American Bowl to continue his rise up the list to No. 5.

Outside of the top ten, one of the biggest risers was Mesquite, Texas athlete Marcus Trice. The Oklahoma commit never failed to impress any time he was on the field jumping from a preseason rank of 42 all the way up to No. 20. As an undersized player, Trice is used to earning what he gets.

Trice did his damage on both the defensive side of the ball and on offense as a senior. His 61 catches and 690 yards receiving may have even opened some eyes at his future school of Oklahoma.

The highest debut on the list is at the No. 31 spot in Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider wide receiver Eric Ward. The former Oklahoma commit will be taking his exciting and explosive skills to Texas Tech after earning district MVP honors.

Immediately following Ward at No. 32 is Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point defensive end Tevin Mims whose stock soared as a senior and earned him a late push by the Texas Longhorns for his commitment. Mims' high school teammate Glasco Martin joined him with a debut on the list only a few places down at No. 37. Martin has been a Baylor commitment since early in the summer.

Though he just made the cut on the preseason top 100 at No. 98, Kendial Lawrence out of Rockwall (Texas) Heath earned himself plenty of breathing room in the postseason edition. Lawrence rushed for an incredible 2,679 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior and landed safely inside the top 50 at No. 49.

Another player with similar numbers to Lawrence is Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill running back Matthew Tucker. The TCU commit edged Lawrence in yardage with 2,707 yards rushing but lost the battle of touchdowns with only 31 to his credit. That senior season earned Tucker a debut at No. 90.

In another deep year in Texas that contains no less than six five-stars nationally and 42 more four-stars, the Texas 100 was truly an elite list in 2009.

Two Dallas Football Players Change Mind On College

This and several incidents just like it is why "Oral commitments are non-binding." Now that the football season is complete and "National Signing Day" is less two weeks away some Athletes have chenged their minds on just what college they will attend. That's exactly what Dallas Lincoln defensive back Donovan Bonner and Rockwall-Heath linebacker Ryan Mosby have done.

Bonner committed to Colorado State early last summer, when he was still at Spruce (and Spruce still had a program). I always thought that was an odd choice for Bonner. You just don't see that many area kids sign with Mountain West schools, and if they do, it's usually TCU. Bonner said it was tough de-committing from Colorado State, but Missouri was a better option for him. It's the Big 12, an automatic-bid BCS conference that plays its games on ABC and ESPN. Plus, he'll get to play in Texas more often.

Having been to Fort Collins several times, Bonner would have had a great time at Colorado State. But it's hard for a Dallas kid to ignore the opportunities a Big 12 school presents.
On the other hand, Rockwall-Heath's Mosby de-committed from a Big 12 school, Iowa State, to commit to Kentucky. This was all about the coaching change at Iowa State. Mosby was very comfortable with Gene Chizik's staff, but Chizik left for Auburn. Mosby began looking around and found stability in Kentucky, where coach Rich Brooks isn't going anywhere. And if he does, top assistant Joker Phillips has already been named the head-coach-in-waiting.

Allen receives national ranking trophy from MaxPreps

Allen's Class 5A Division I state football championship team was presented with a trophy from MaxPreps for finishing fifth in the Web site's national rankings.
The presentation was made Sunday by the Army National Guard, partners of the MaxPreps Tour of Champions.

Allen defeated Fort Bend Hightower, 21-14, on Dec. 20 in the state championship game.

Fecci Named HC at McKinney North

The Board made it official Tuesday night; Mike Fecci is the new head coach at McKinney North. The board kept it in-house hiring Secci he has been the Bulldogs offensive coordinator for the past two years, but has been with North for three years and now steps in for Shawn Pratt, who took over as the McKinney Districts AD.

Secci has had coaching stints at Rowlett where he coached linebackers and also at Irving Macarthur where he was the offensive coordinator. “This is a great hire for us. Mike is a great guy, he is good with the kid’s, but most of all he is in this business for the right reason” said Pratt.

Some Big Games Already Planned For 2009

It's only January, but Texas high school football fans are already pointing toward a handful of key football games in the opening weeks that may shape the race for the 2009 UIL 5A Football Finals.Among a handful of key games in the opening weeks of the season before district play begins:
Southlake Carroll vs. Plano West:Two premier 5A programs from the North Texas area will return to anchor the Tom Landry Classic on Saturday, August 29 at SMU's Ford Stadium. Red Oak and Highland Park will again complete the season-opening doubleheader.

Odessa Permian vs. Duncanville:Both perennial powers will be meeting at a neutral site for the second year. After playing at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene to kickoff the 2008 season, the 2009 matchup moves to San Antonio as part of the season-opening 2009 Texas Football Classic. A kickoff on Thursday August 27 – the opening night across Texas – remains a possibility for this game.

Euless Trinity vs. Cedar Hill/Euless Trinity at Allen:Trinity's fierce warpath during the non-district schedule includes huge back-to-back meetings with recent 5A state champions. Look for the Cedar Hill game possibly being moved to Saturday, September 12, while the Allen game (remember the Eagles ended Trinity's 27-game winning streak during the postseason last fall) will be at Pennington Field on the 18th.

Galena Park North Shore at Katy:It was a top game on our regular-season list for 2008, and may be another memorable collision in 2009. The site will be Rhodes Stadium in Katy on Friday, August 28, as North Shore looks to extend its regular-season winning streak. Don't be surprised if regional TV moves this game to Thursday the 27th or Saturday the 29th.

Galena Park North Shore vs. Southlake Carroll:The much-anticipated meeting in North Texas between the two 5A powers in 2008 was cancelled due to Hurricane Ike. Since the Dragons lost the home game, the 2009 game on September 25 will be played at a neutral site instead of in Galena Park, perhaps Texas A&M's Kyle Field or Waco ISD Stadium.

Allen at Longview:It's the Battle of Champions, with Allen coming off a 5A, Div. I state championship and Longview losing to explosive Lake Travis for the 4A, Div. II crown last December. Yes, Longview is in 4A, but traveling to East Texas will show how good the Eagles will be defending their crown in '09. No time to rest for the Lobos, who will then head to Tyler to meet Tyler Lee in the 2009 Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic, which will also include a matchup of John Tyler vs. Lufkin in the annual three-day event.

Katy vs. TBD:One noteworthy game in 2009 yet to be determined involves the two-time defending state champion Katy Tigers. The Tigers will again host a highly-regarded opponent from outside Texas. Last October, Katy defeated then unbeaten Weston ( Fla. ) Cypress Bay in the Battle At Rhodes on ESPNU. TITUS Sports Marketing, which is based in Dallas, is charged with finding the national opponent again for Katy.

Welcome All......

Welcome to my blog and hope you enjoy...Texas High School Sports is the most exciting thing going right now and that's what we'll be discussing here. Again thanks for dropping by and if you have any suggestions, or comments feel free to email us.