SPORTS UPDATE #97

Welcome!

*** Friday – November 16, 2007 ***

• Sponsor named for UIL championships

• UIL Volleyball Championships schedule 

• Schroeder resigns at Bastrop

• Friendswood makes title game in 4A volleyball — Friendswood’s Whitney Rhoden led all players with 18 kills as the Mustangs moved up to play Waco Midway on Saturday in a title game at San Marcos.

• Yates advances with win in 4A football playoffs

• High school early signings continue today (Houston area)

• Cy-Fair gets second chance in state volleyball tourney

• Skyline, led by defense, aims to reach new heights

• Plano West’s moves has it moving up

• McKinney Boyd goes from zero to amazing

• 2-minute drill with Bishop Lynch’s Johnny Koepp

• Boys signings: Highland Park hits jackpot

• Area high school notebook: Football playoff games piling up at Bowers Stadium -  Install field turf and they will come.
  The folks at Sam Houston State are finding that out as Bowers Stadium has suddenly become an attractive site for high school football playoff games again.

• An offense with some ‘flavor’  -  High School Football: Antlers’ spread attack has evolved since Lanier saw it last year. (Tivy)

• Looking for a happy ending
  High School Football: Harper’s Winters planning on extending his senior season.

• Cranes surge past ‘Cats  -  High School Football: Fourth-quarter outburst ends Comfort’s season in 50-21 playoff loss.

• Settling in; Hopkins stepping out of former shadows  -  The Nixon Mustangs were so prolific during the past eight years that a spot in the postseason became an afterthought. Full Story 

• Denver City playoff hopes clash with Littlefield
  Futility seemed to follow Adrian Larrea and his teammates wherever they went.

• Today’s area high school football playoff games
  BI-DISTRICT CLASS 3A Division II Snyder vs. Brownfield 7:30 p.m., Grande Communications Stadium, Midland (Lubbock area)

• Maybe coin flips are the best way to break ties
  One of the good things about covering high school football on the South Plains is the rapport I develop with certain coaches. By that token, one of the things I enjoy most is when Morton football coach Don Rives calls in his team’s weekly statistics.

• Wilkins leads Klein Forest’s offensive attack 

• Diboll, Westwood bring high-powered offenses into tonight’s bi-district playoff game 

• Corrigan-Camden opening playoffs tonight 

• 11/16 area hoops scores   (Lufkin area)

• Lady Wildcats split victories  -  SANTO — The 13th-ranked Santo Lady Wildcats basketball team opened the season with a win over state-ranked Roby and took a loss on Tuesday in Brock.
  ….more>>

• Nolan tops state-ranked Strawn  -  STRAWN — The Strawn Lady Greyhounds are 2-1 on the year after a win over Eastland and a loss to Fort Worth Nolan.

• What to expect from the top 10  (football playoffs)

• HIGH SCHOOLS  -  Athletes put future in writing  (SA)

• Defense shines for Longview 

• Bushland comes back, ends Harmony’s season 

• ET Girls Basketball 

• Panthers must slow play-making Wright   (Spring Hill)

• Grinning Attitude: Jamal Freeman gives his coaches something to smile about - Late in the fourth quarter of the Wildcats’ emotional win over Texas High two weeks ago, fiery defensive coordinator Steve Hale felt someone patting him on the rear. He whipped around and saw Jamal Freeman and Rodney Evans grinning back at him.

• Short-handed Cats win opener: SSHS defeats Mount Vernon - Playing with only seven players on the varsity roster, the Sulphur Springs Wildcats opened their season with a 53-43 win over the Mount Vernon Tigers Tuesday night.

• Wildcats back to Mesquite for playoffs - The Sulphur Springs Wildcats have played some of their most memorable playoff games in Mesquite stadiums. On Friday, they will have a chance to make more memories.

• Football: Crane dominates Comfort

• Lady Bears down Jasper in Nederland tourney  -  Paced by the 21 points and seven steals by Ellen Williams, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears slipped past the Jasper Lady Bulldogs 53-47 at the Nederland Lady Bulldog Tournament Thursday.….more>>

• Codspring’s Barbay prepping for old WO-S ‘buds’   -  To say that first-year Coldspring head football coach Bryan Barbay knows a little something about football would be a huge understatement.

• Galena Park – PNG Fast Facts

• Healthy Thomas’ boost EC’s hopes  (East Chambers)

• Playoffs | District 32-4A vs. District 31-4ACORPUS CHRISTI – Mercedes has the daunting task of opening against undefeated Corpus Christi Calallen… Full Story…

• Playoffs | Sub 4A PreviewRIO HONDO — Rio Hondo coach Gus Cavazos said he has warned his team about the pitfalls of believing its… Full Story…

• La Villa ousted in first roundSEGUIN — Flatonia defeated La Villa 21-20 in the teams’ Class A Divison II bi-dictrict game on Thursday…

• Injuries taking toll on Madison running backs -  Injuries are a part of football. Hardly ever does a team make it through the season “injury free.” And it’s not out of the ordinary to see a team have two, or maybe three, players’ season come to an end with an injury.

• Texans ready for a run -  Traveling along Ranch Road 12 through Wimberley, one can sense the Village does not get overwhelmed by change. Not in the bad sense – that the town is stuck in the past, but rather that there is some continuity in an ever-changing society.

• High schools blog: Samuell stuns Kimball in wild finish

• Football: Blackmon makes big plays for Falcons  (Lake Dallas)

• Recruiting: Liberty’s Hand, Blair sign with Division I programs

• Basketball: Ponder prepares for tournament

• Nelms known to Rebel
  Plano Senior senior and boys co-captain Steven Nelms made it official Thursday morning, signing his letter of intent to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

• Gilson to be a Boilermaker
  When Plano Senior senior Kristen Gilson made her visit to Purdue, things seemed to “click” between her and her future teammates.

• Skeeters look to make some noise in Class 5A playoffs

• Wranglers try to take the next step with playoff win (West Mesquite)

• Stallions feeling good heading into playoffs for first time in five years (North Mesquite)

• Safeties Jeremy Carter, Travis Wilkinson share load in Lumberton’s defensive backfield  Lumberton (9-1) vs. Smiley (8-2)  7:30 p.m., Barbers Hill’s Eagle Stadium

• Newton knocks Buna out of postseason

• Tigers open playoffs against familiar foe Kilgore (Mt. Pleasant)

• Lady Mats fall to 0-3   CONVERSE — The Seguin girls basketball team finished strong on Thursday as the Lady Matadors outscored Incarnate Word, 21-10, in the fourth quarter.

• Westwood in playoff after 15-year absence  -  If the Westwood Panthers want to keep their season alive, they know they’ll have to play one of their best games Friday night against Diboll in the Class 3A-Region III bi-district game at Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin.
  Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.….more>>

• Frankston reverses fortune -  FRANKSTON — When Les Rhea took over the Frankston football program in 2003, the Indians finished the season 1-9.

• Patriots say ball-control key to victory
  Of all the game-by-game offensive goals Prairiland lists on a dry-erase board hanging in the weight room, one looms largest heading into Friday’s bi-District playoff game against Winnsboro: Control the ball for at least 32 minutes.

• Paris standouts ink with Arkansas colleges
  Two Paris High athletes made it official Wednesday afternoon, as they took the next step by signing with two different Arkansas universities.

• Uvaldeans to take on Carrizo Springs in basketball home opener tomorrow

• EAST TEXAS PLAYOFFS

• LOBOS CRUISE TO BI-DISTRICT WIN (Longview)

• Lady Vipers take loss in Fort Bend Shootout  (Victoria)

• Nov. 16 High school basketball results   (Waco area)

• Midway’s Bachtel to coach this week 

• November 15, 2007: 3-5A football by the numbers

• November 15, 2007: Lee update

• Crenshaw leads Cubs into playoffs — Senior QB displays toughness (Brenham)

• Early Advantage  -  EARLY — The Early Longhorns have known for two weeks they would be making their third consecutive trip to the playoffs. Saturday night, the Longhorns have the opportunity to earn a third straight bi-district championship.

• Coyotes start ‘third season’ vs. Lometa
  RICHLAND SPRINGS — The No. 2 Richland Springs Coyotes have hardly broken a sweat thus far in defense of their Six-Man Division I state championship. But the level of competition should begin to significantly increase now that the postseason has arrived.

• Coleman, Haskell to clash in rematch of triple OT thriller

• Dallas Kimball plays on following death of defensive line coach

• Two Moody baseball players sign letters of intent  -  CORPUS CHRISTI-A pair of Moody baseball players will sign letters of intent today. Marc Gomez, who was named the Class 4A player of the year by the Texas Sports Writers Association last season, will sign with Texas-San Antonio. Thomas Tovar will …

• Verrett to play ball for Baylor  -  Logan Verrett has a lot on his mind these days. The Calallen senior and the 10-0 Wildcats are preparing to open the Class 4A Division II playoffs Friday night at home against Mercedes. With a team-high four touchdown catches, Verrett …

• Five tennis, volleyball players sign  -  Two Coastal Bend athletes are staying close to home, two are remaining in state while another is headed for the East Coast. Wednesday’s National Signing Day proved to be an eventful one for five of the top high school tennis …  (Corpus Christi area)

• H.S. Football Notes: Week 10  -  CLASS 5A CARROLL Now is not the time to be sputtering on offense. Carroll managed only 250 total yards in last week’s 8-7 win over Victoria, a scoring effort well below the team’s average of 31 entering the game. The …

• H.S. Football Playoff Pairings: Round 1  -  Class 5A Friday Division I Carroll (8-2) vs. S.A. O’Connor (7-3), S.A. Farris Stadium 7:30 Division II S.A. Warren (10-0) vs. Ray (8-2), Buc 7:30 CLASS 4A Friday Division I South San (4-6) at G-P (6-4) 8 Weslaco East (4-6) … Read

• Unsatisfied: Mildred wants more than just a district title  -  So Mildred’s won its first district title in 31 years? Big whoop.Take it from them.”I don’t think our kids are satisfied with what we’ve done,” Mildred coach Joe Drennon said.….more>>

• Rice loses Martin for 3-6 weeks due to fractured foot  -  RICE—Girls basketball coach Craig Roberson was not expecting to start the 2007-2008 season quite like this. As a matter of fact, it probably was the last thing he imagined when the Lady Bulldogs began the season as one of the favorites in their district.

• Tenaha outlasts Union Hill   (football)

• Battle on the Border tourney begins Friday
  Eight teams will take part in this year’s Battle on the Border Boys Basketball Tournament sponsored by the U.S. Border Patrol.

• Playoff Panthers  -  Parkland, Austin to tangle in bi-district game  -  A day doesn’t go by that the Austin High School football players don’t get a pat on the back for their 10-0 season. 

• 1-4A executive committee clears Chapin in eligibility case
  The District 1-4A executive committee — made up of principals from each of the district’s schools — held a special meeting Wednesday in which it found no punishable 

• Bowie’s Dodds, Branyon: been there, done that  (Austin)

• High school football roundup  (Austin – Central Texas)

• Llano 47, Luling 12

• Off the Beaten Path  (Central Texas)

• Poth to face Bushland in 2A finals  (volleyball)

• New Braunfels Canyon falls in state semifinals  (volleyball)

• Westlake seniors wanting to write their own perfect volleyball ending

• Snyder makes quick work of Brownfield  -  The turning point of this one may have been when the bus door opened. Full story »

• Stephenville routs Wyatt in first round

• Wylie looking to ground Eagles for second straight season

• Clyde’s ‘other’ running back also a top defender

• Finally healthy, Eagles ready for first-round foe (Abilene High)

• High School Football – Playoffs, Round 1  -  Alice Coyotes (6-4) @ Edcouch-Elsa (9-1)  PLAYOFFS  More of this story

• Bushland returns to state, eyes big prize

• Randall seeks to benefit from tough slate

• High School Volleyball State Tournament

• Randall’s Kinnear signs with UTA

• Canadian respects Hornets’ quickness

• Nazareth vs. Clarendon

• Memphis vs. Springlake-Earth

• Once more with meaning  -  Jim Wommack and Jimmy Cantrell had breakfast together last Saturday morning. They’ll be together again this Saturday, just not at the same table.….more>>  (Athens – Mabank)

• Panthers rush to face Hornets again  -  So here we go again. A reborn Mabank Panther team tries for the second time this season to beat the Athens Hornets, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

• ’Cats vs Texas City
  The Blackcats will find out soon enough whether bypassing La Marque in the first round is a blessing or a curse.

• Sharks vs West Oso
  The Sharks have just one week to prepare for a bi-district playoff game that has been 42 years in coming. (Palacious)

• Centerville volleyball team having historical run 

• Martin leading on Bryan line

• Navasota football capsule 

• Raiders ready for physical contest  -  When Randall takes the Kimbrough Memorial Stadium turf tonight for their eighth appearance in the state football playoffs since the school opened in 1988.

• Canadian rips Tulia 

• Bushland chases another first 

• Bryan football team to face Stony Point in bi-district 

• Consol football team set for bi-district meeting with Round Rock 

• District 13-5A football teams have chance to stop 14-5A’s dominance 

• Madisonville’s rematch highlights playoff openers for Brazos Valley football teams 

• Navasota football team wins bi-district game over Needville  

• Brazos Valley Basketball Box Scores 

• Rest to aid Ray, GW in playoffs  -  Having reported for preseason workouts on Aug. 6, the football teams from Ray and George West didn’t have a bye until the final week of the regular season. Now that the Texans and Longhorns have had a chance to rest, … Read

• Nac girls win at tourney 

• Huskies to face Eagles
  Numerous people expected a District 2-4A football championship out of Canutillo High School this year, considering the team returned a wealth of talent. 

• Montwood aims to end skid vs. Central
  This football team has had enough of losing to San Angelo Central.Montwood High School fell to the Bobcats in the Class 5A bi-district round in 2003 and 2006, but the Rams 

• Hanks senior signs with Longhorns
  Now, there is just one thing left on Devin Miertschin’s list of things to do, but it’s nowhere near as big as the one he checked off that list Thursday. 

• Flatonia 21, La Villa 20

• Bar set higher as Katy eyes football title — In search of a fifth state championship, the Katy Tigers carry the hopes of a community on their broad shoulders as the playoffs unfold at Rice Stadium tonight against Strake Jesuit. READ STORY

• The cases for and against a Katy title

• 4A: Worthing’s no trouble for Yates

• 3A: Navasota wins; no one’s in Dexter’s class

• High school notebook: Sealy, others thrive

• Lewisville FG wins it in OT

• Into the Lions’ den: Eagles begin playoffs at Leander
  It’s a familiar time of year for coach Bret Boyd and his football team as the Ellison Eagles will make their third consecutive appearance in the state playoffs tonight against a familiar foe in the Leander Lions at A.C. Bible Stadium in Leander.

• No. 5 Salado taking on Hempstead in first round

• Area Sports: Florence boys rout Dime Box in tourney

• Matadors believe in winning
  Gridiron heroes are nothing new for Estacado. Since it opened in 1968, the campus has had revered players roaming the halls who brought glory to the Matador name.

• Littlefield runs all over Denver City on way to win

• Levelland Lobos out for win, not revenge
  Levelland football coach Ryan Rhoades insists today’s bi-district playoff against Andrews is not about revenge.

• Clay, Day score often in Snyder playoff win
  MIDLAND – Will Clay and Lance Day each accounted for three touchdowns Thursday night as the Snyder football team throttled Brownfield, 55-12, in a Class 3A Division II bi-district playoff at Grande Communications Stadium.

• Prep basketball season in full stride  (Lubbock)

• Jackets ready for Frankston   (EF)

• Texas High soars behind Sorenson 

• Jefferson comparable to playoff opponent 

• Turning things around: Focus on forcing turnovers sparks Temple defense’s improvement
  Coming into this season, the Temple Wildcats’ defense had a simple-but-ambitious goal: Force at least three turnovers per game.

• Next stop, Denver: Tem-Cats’ Murdoch to continue basketball career with Pioneers
  Temple girls basketball star Kaetlyn Murdoch is taking her game to the Rocky Mountains.

• Confident Troy surges into postseason, battles playoff-tested Lexington HUTTO – Three weeks ago, the Troy Trojans might have been awakened. The scary thing is that most people didn’t even know they were napping.

• Cameron Yoe limping into playoffs but aiming to surprise unbeaten La Vega  -  KILLEEN – Glass half empty: The Cameron Yoe Yoemen have lost two games in a row by a combined 71 points and are limping into the playoffs.

• No. 6 Granger begins Class A championship quest vs. Johnson City LBJ
  PFLUGERVILLE – For Granger, the “real” season begins tonight.
  At the beginning of the season, the senior-dominated No. 6-ranked Lions (9-1) had high expectations of following in the 1997 squad’s footsteps and winning the school’s second state championship. They haven’t disappointed, ripping through District 27-A to earn their second straight trip to the playoffs.

• Blackcats face streaking Stingarees
  The Bay City Blackcats have ridden the arm of senior quarterback Shaun Rutherford all season and will continue tonight when they open the Class 4A, Division II playoffs versus Texas City.

• Bucs to battle Buffs
  CLUTE — Brazoswood ran its way through a impressive regular season with just one loss. As the postseason begins, the squad is focused on continuing its winning ways.

• Lady Mustangs roll past Canyon
  SAN MARCOS — After rolling past New Braunfels Canyon on Friday, the Lady Mustangs will play Waco Midway for the state title Saturday.

• Playoffs begin for area footballers
  There’s no “easy” draw for New Braunfels, Canyon or Smithson Valley in the first round of the postseason playoffs.

• Midway 1 win from state volleyball title