We got our first up-close-and-personal look at the No. 1 team in the Greater Houston area, The Woodlands Highlanders, last Friday night in Port Arthur against the Port Arthur Memorial Titans. The Highlanders looked solid, but not spectacular, in their 24-7 win over Memorial. They scored two touchdowns, kicked two field goals and posted two safeties in picking up their fifth win of the season.
But perhaps the most impressive thing about the victory was that it came on the road—again. The Highlanders have made more than token trips in their pre-district schedules. They’ve traveled to CFISD’s Pridgeon Stadium (25 miles from campus), Katy ISD’s Rhodes Stadium (55 miles) and Clear Creek ISD’s District Stadium (61 miles). But at 123 miles from their campus, Port Arthur Memorial Stadium was the granddaddy of their road trips—and potentially the one that will be most like any November playoff roadies they’ll have to make.
“We knew that what we did on the road might be the tale of the tape as far as how we would respond during the season,” head coach Mark Schmid told us before the Port Arthur game. “We’re really pleased with what we’ve done and how the kids have responded and it’s going to go a long way in helping us be successful this season.”
Translation: these pre-district road trips are going to be similar to what TWHS will face in the Region II playoffs, and Schmid thinks that his team has benefitted from traveling so much so early.
Port Arthur Memorial acquitted themselves very well against the Highlanders. The PAM defense will be the key to any success they have against North Shore in two weeks. The linebacking corps, anchored by Earl Hines and Ashland Wilson, is solid. The defensive ends, Stanton Smith and Treshod Lewis, are strong and quick off the ball. The secondary caused problems for The Woodlands’ passing game.
The problem with the Titans’ defense on Friday was twofold: they played most of the game on their side of the 50 yard line and they spent more than two-thirds of the game on the field. Memorial’s offense had trouble generating much at all against the Highlander defense.
And if there was one area where the Highlanders unexpectedly impressed, it was on the defensive side of the ball. DE Cody Davis and LB Perry Cooper especially stood out and, overall, the team swarms to the ball and hits hard on every play. They forced Memorial’s QB Corwin Keal to hurry throws and they basically shut down the rushing duo on Ronzell King and Daleon Stinette.
Looking ahead, the Lufkin game for The Woodlands will be interesting, especially since it involves another significant (110 mile) road trip to Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin. But the Woodlands should cruise into the playoffs well-prepared for that ride. And we now believe that Port Arthur Memorial may actually be no worse than the third best team in District 21-5A.
* * * * *
It was a weekend of upsets in the Houston area. Maybe none was more surprising than the Dekaney Wildcats’ pounding of the Westfield Mustangs in their District 13-5A opener and Dekaney’s homecoming game. Nobody in their right mind (who isn’t a parent of a Dekaney player) would have ever predicted that.
But thanks to a superb effort by a sophomore named Trey Williams, who rushed for—get this—375 yards in the game, the Wildcats pulled out a 47-39 stunner over a team that, in the pre-district season, looked potentially headed for an undefeated season and a deep playoff run.
The effort by Williams was so inspiring that it prompted one web media member to call in a report to one of the local postgame scoreboard shows on Friday and proclaim the sophomore to be the best running back ever. Ever.
The saddest part of that little episode was the hosts of that scoreboard show didn’t even question or challenge him on that statement.
Now, while we did not see the performance young Mr. Williams gave on Friday and will, from this point forward, watch his box scores with much more interest, we can’t help but think that one game does not a ‘Best-Ever’ tag earn.
Frankly, the statement sent us scurrying to high school record books to find out where Williams’ 375 ranks all-time and, while we have yet to determine the exact ranking, we can tell you it’s not even in the top 10 single-game rushing performances in the history of Texas high school football.
Texas is a state that has produced the likes of Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Billy Sims, Ken ‘The Sugar Land Express’ Hall, Doak Walker, Cedric Benson and so many more great running backs. To suddenly pass the mantle to a high school sophomore seems unwise and unfair—to Williams.
Trey undoubtedly will be—and rightfully so—mentioned across the state as the offensive player of the week for Week 4 of the 2009 season. But let’s allow him to just be a tenth-grader who helped his underdog team to the biggest win in his school’s young football history, at least for now. Maybe in 2011, we can start comparing him to the Tyler Rose.
Until then, we say, 'Way to go, Trey Williams, for your outstanding performance!'
* * * * *
Speaking of the greatest individual-game rushing performances by Texas high school players, how many of the names in the all-time top 10 would you recognize?
They are Darryl Ellis (Somerville, 587 yards, 1998); Tyson Thompson (Irving, 525 yards, 1998); Ken Hall (Sugar Land, 520 yards, 1953); Cleon Williams (Boling, 517 yards, 1991); Phillip Graves (Hutto, 517 yards, 2001); Devin Thomas (San Antonio Madison, 483 yards, 2006); Larry Boyd (Union Hill, 481 yards, 1988); Ronnie Ashmore (San Antonio Edgewood, 476 yards, 1985); Eric Bizer (Centerville, 467 yards, 2003); Buddy Hanson (Tom Bean, 467 yards, 2002).
Thanks to the folks at TxPrepsFootball.com for the list.
* * * * *
Back to the subject of Port Arthur, we are connoisseurs of fine press box cuisine, and the good people at Memorial Stadium—the new and improved Memorial Stadium—quickly put themselves at the top of our list.
Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans and carrots was the fare for the night. And they had people come deliver the meals to us (and then check on us to make sure everything was satisfactory)! This wasn’t your average every-man-for-himself rush to the five Little Caesars’ pizzas on the counter.
Kudos to the folks in Port Arthur for approving some bonds that built a new high school campus for Memorial and funded some very nice improvements to the press box and scoreboard (i.e., video replay board) at the stadium. Their only regret may ultimately be that they didn’t funnel a few of the dollars into some field turf for the surface. But, hey, that’s what school district bond elections every two or three years are for, right?
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Being the complete source for all things related to high school athletics, we get tidbits of info from not only the teams, but also the bands, drill teams, cheerleaders and mascots for those teams.
Here’s one we have to share that proves the point that band directors just don’t get it…
In the first half of a Saturday night game in the Houston area (we won’t tell you which one), a band director was heard to chastise his band members for cheering too wildly and loudly for their football team in the first half of their game. His reasoning? The band needed to save their energy for the halftime show.
That led us to the question: how much energy does a halftime show require and how relevant to performing at halftime is screaming your lungs out for your team? We've never seen a marching choir at half...except maybe at that School for the Performing Arts game...
Now we have to watch these band shows with a little more intensity to see who is or isn’t leaving it all on the field at the half.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Still plenty of teams who haven't lost yet...
A little of this, a little of that as we get ready for Week 4…
* * * * *
Thru Week 3, there are two area 5A teams that are averaging over 50 points per game—and they both reside in the same district.
District 13-5A’s Westfield Mustangs have scored 156 points in their three games for a 52-point average. The Klein Forest Golden Eagles have done just a little better, scoring 160 points in their first three contests (53.3 ppg average). Those two teams meet October 1 in what should be THE offensive shootout of the year.
* * * * *
Before their matchup next week, Klein Forest and Westfield play Klein Oak and Dekaney, respectively, this week. If someone had told you before the season that one of those two teams would be 0-3 and the other would be 2-1, you’d have been hard pressed to get anyone to believe that Klein Oak would be winless.
And Dekaney, in their second varsity season, has been a pleasant surprise, with wins over Clear Springs and Willis. Bad news for the Wildcats? They open their district season this week against Westfield.
And unfortunately for the Panthers, they don’t have an opponent who will help them rebound from their tough pre-district schedule. And with Klein (3-0) and Klein Collins (3-0) also among their opponents in the first four district games, is it too much of a stretch to call Oak’s first 13-5A game a must-win?
* * * * *
There are 16 undefeated Houston-area teams left in the 5A ranks. Four of those teams are 4-0: The Woodlands, Cinco Ranch, Atascocita and Chavez.
While The Woodlands and Cinco Ranch were expected to be this good before the season started, both teams have had to defeat opponents who were expected to give them a run for their money, and potentially hand them losses.
The Highlanders came up with a big 31-27 win over the Katy Tigers in Week 1 and the Cougars knocked off both the Reagan Rattlers out of San Antonio and the Cypress Ridge Rams, who have yet to find their stride without Russell Shepard.
Atascocita and Chavez are something more of unknown commodities. Atascocita’s toughest game to this point was a 38-35 overtime win over the Oak Ridge War Eagles in Week 2. Chavez, out of the HISD and District 20-5A, may be even more of a mystery.
The Lobos have played only one other 5A team in their first four games: New Caney (1-3). Two 4A teams (Jones, Sharpstown) and one 3A team (Splendora, who actually gave the Lobos their toughest contest) have been the other opponents.
Chavez has a QB, in Andre Kelly, who has thrown for almost 1,000 yards, a receiver with almost 400 yards and four TDs in Jafus Gaines, plus a 300-yard rusher in Tim Gay.
We may find out a lot about this Chavez team this week, as they open District 20-5A play against the Lamar Redskins, who are 3-0 to this point and heavy favorites to win the district, at Barnett Stadium on Thursday.
Besides Lamar, the other 3-0 teams are Westfield, Klein, Klein Collins, Klein Forest, Cy Woods, Cy Creek, Alief Taylor, Hightower, Clements, Elkins and Travis.
It’s interesting to note that 13-5A and 23-5A each still have four undefeated teams. Districts 21-5A, 22-5A and 24-5A have no undefeated teams left.
* * * * *
Thru Week 3, there are two area 5A teams that are averaging over 50 points per game—and they both reside in the same district.
District 13-5A’s Westfield Mustangs have scored 156 points in their three games for a 52-point average. The Klein Forest Golden Eagles have done just a little better, scoring 160 points in their first three contests (53.3 ppg average). Those two teams meet October 1 in what should be THE offensive shootout of the year.
* * * * *
Before their matchup next week, Klein Forest and Westfield play Klein Oak and Dekaney, respectively, this week. If someone had told you before the season that one of those two teams would be 0-3 and the other would be 2-1, you’d have been hard pressed to get anyone to believe that Klein Oak would be winless.
And Dekaney, in their second varsity season, has been a pleasant surprise, with wins over Clear Springs and Willis. Bad news for the Wildcats? They open their district season this week against Westfield.
And unfortunately for the Panthers, they don’t have an opponent who will help them rebound from their tough pre-district schedule. And with Klein (3-0) and Klein Collins (3-0) also among their opponents in the first four district games, is it too much of a stretch to call Oak’s first 13-5A game a must-win?
* * * * *
There are 16 undefeated Houston-area teams left in the 5A ranks. Four of those teams are 4-0: The Woodlands, Cinco Ranch, Atascocita and Chavez.
While The Woodlands and Cinco Ranch were expected to be this good before the season started, both teams have had to defeat opponents who were expected to give them a run for their money, and potentially hand them losses.
The Highlanders came up with a big 31-27 win over the Katy Tigers in Week 1 and the Cougars knocked off both the Reagan Rattlers out of San Antonio and the Cypress Ridge Rams, who have yet to find their stride without Russell Shepard.
Atascocita and Chavez are something more of unknown commodities. Atascocita’s toughest game to this point was a 38-35 overtime win over the Oak Ridge War Eagles in Week 2. Chavez, out of the HISD and District 20-5A, may be even more of a mystery.
The Lobos have played only one other 5A team in their first four games: New Caney (1-3). Two 4A teams (Jones, Sharpstown) and one 3A team (Splendora, who actually gave the Lobos their toughest contest) have been the other opponents.
Chavez has a QB, in Andre Kelly, who has thrown for almost 1,000 yards, a receiver with almost 400 yards and four TDs in Jafus Gaines, plus a 300-yard rusher in Tim Gay.
We may find out a lot about this Chavez team this week, as they open District 20-5A play against the Lamar Redskins, who are 3-0 to this point and heavy favorites to win the district, at Barnett Stadium on Thursday.
Besides Lamar, the other 3-0 teams are Westfield, Klein, Klein Collins, Klein Forest, Cy Woods, Cy Creek, Alief Taylor, Hightower, Clements, Elkins and Travis.
It’s interesting to note that 13-5A and 23-5A each still have four undefeated teams. Districts 21-5A, 22-5A and 24-5A have no undefeated teams left.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Here's a look at LSN's Week 3 offerings...
We continue to have interesting match-ups and the opportunity to see some of the area’s best talent on a weekly basis in our LSN broadcasts, and Week 3 is certainly no exception. Here’s a sneak peak at our offerings this week—
WESTFIELD (2-0) at MEMORIAL (1-1)
Hold on to your hats, folks. Westfield’s offense is back and running like a finely-tuned machine. After putting up 40 points against Cypress Falls two weeks ago, Corby Meekins’ Mustangs took the intensity to an even higher level last week against Beaumont West Brook in their 67-35 win.
The Mustangs put up 47 points before halftime and never looked back, posting 550 yards of offense. QB Jacoby Walker completed 10 of 16 passes for 233 yards and three TDs and rushed for one other TD. Westfield’s third-string tailback Josh Jenkins led all rushers with 120 yards. Back-up Preston Dotson rushed for 75 yards and three TDs.
If there was one glimmer of hope for a Westfield opponent, it was that the defense allowed 500-plus yards to West Brook. But, similar to the first game against Cy-Falls, much of that was allowed in the second half after the game was well in hand and with second and third team defenders on the field.
So the Memorial Mustangs will have their work cut out for them this Saturday night. Memorial (1-1) will be trying to rebound from a 20-14 loss to Pearland.
Memorial entered the season with a lot of holes to fill that were left by several graduating seniors from the 2008 team, but are still expected to compete for a playoff spot in District 18-5A. Coach Gary Koch likes his offense to grind it out on the ground and one of the big keys to the game will be the Memorial offense’s ability to hold onto the ball and keep the Westfield offense off the field.
But Westfield is as quick defensively as most teams are offensively and they have the ability to shut down runs outside the tackles as well as between them.
This game will be an interesting study in contrasting styles.
HUMBLE (0-3) at KLEIN (2-0)
The Humble Wildcats have struggled out of the gate this season. This week’s game doesn’t appear to offer any relief for them. The Wildcats travel to Klein Memorial Stadium to take on Stan Labay’s Klein Bearkats.
Klein is another team, like Memorial, that likes to pound the ball on the ground and eat up large chunks of game time controlling the ball. If the Bearkats beat you by 3 TDs, it means they’ve dominated time of possession and it’s as huge a defeat as a 35-40 loss to a free-wheeling offense.
And this season, Dekota Barnes has added some spice to the Klein attack. He’s already rushed for nearly 300 yards in two games, and added a pair of kickoff returns for TDs as well. Needless to say, Job #1 for Walt Beasley’s Wildcats has to be to stop Barnes.
Humble has had offensive woes of its own this season. Jersey Village shut the Wildcats out last Saturday night en route to the Falcons’ first victory since Week 6 in 2007. Turnovers have been a huge problem in the first three games for Humble. They have turned the ball over seven times in that span.
The Wildcats are not without talent or athleticism, though. WR Xavier Maxwell is a talented playmaker and Humble will need to figure out ways to get the ball into his hands, either by land or air.
If Humble can avoid turning the ball over and turn some of their drives into scores, then they may force Klein out of their offensive game plan of long-time consuming drives that shorten a game and deflate a defense.
ST. THOMAS (1-2) at SANTA FE (2-0)
St. Thomas picked up their initial victory of the 2009 season last Friday against Magnolia West. After falling behind 14-0 after one quarter, the Eagles dominated the final three, outscoring M-West, 35-7.
Sophomore QB Hunter Kopycinski had a strong showing, passing for 248 yards and 3 TDs. Derek Martin (105 yards on 7 carries) and Josh Ibarra (158 yards on 4 catches) were the rushing and receiving leaders.
Perhaps as gratifying for Coach Donald Hollas and his staff was the fact that their defense held the Mustangs to only one scoring drive in the final three quarters, after allowing 105 points to opponents in their first nine quarters of the season.
This week they look to even their record at 2-2, but this will be a pretty good test for the Eagles.
Santa Fe comes into this weekend having won back-to-back games for the first time since 2005. And they’ve already equaled their win total for 2007-2008 combined.
The Indians’ offense has been solid in both their games, including last week’s 327-yard performance against Huffman-Hargrave. Joseph Walton rushed for 168 yards and three TDs in that one.
Defensively, Santa Fe kept Hargrave in negative numbers (-20 yards) rushing. This team is definitely better than their recent predecessors.
It will interesting to see if Kopycinski continues the progress as QB that he showed last week for the Eagles and it will be interesting to see if Walton is able to continue his strong start to the 2009 season for Santa Fe.
St. Thomas faithful may have looked at the schedule before the season got under way and subconsciously posted a ‘W’ beside this one, but the game won’t be a ‘gimme’ – for either side.
OAK RIDGE (2-1) at CYPRESS CREEK (2-0)
The War Eagles of Oak Ridge arguably had the most entertaining game of last weekend. They lost, in overtime, to the Atascocita Eagles, 38-35. The game went back-and-forth all night long with momentum swings and lead changes—and some missed opportunities too.
Oak Ridge opened up a 25-15 lead early in the third quarter, but couldn’t hold it and allowed 17 unanswered points to Atascocita before they rebounded to tie the game at 32-32 late in the fourth quarter. Both teams had opportunities in the final minutes to win the game in regulation, but failed to do so.
Oak Ridge managed a 32-yard field goal from Martin Gonzales in overtime, but Atascocita won on a four-yard TD run from Kent Brooks.
This week, Oak Ridge heads to the Berry Center to take on one of the area’s best teams, the Cypress Creek Cougars. The Cougars are 2-0 with wins over Klein Oak and Tomball coming into their final pre-district tune-up game.
In theory, it’s pretty easy to figure out how to harness Cy Creek: stop Jermichael Selders. As coaches will say, though, “We’ve never played a game there—in Theory.”
Selders has rushed for 389 yards in two games. Mix in the fact that Chuckie Keeton appears to be a more-than-adequate replacement for Austin Pugliese at QB, and the Cougars look like one of the teams to beat, not only in District 15-5A, but Region II as well.
For the Cougar defense, their key will be in stopping War Eagle QB Ryan Cyr. He is the engine for the Oak Ridge offense and runs the option attack adeptly for Coach Bob Barrett.
NEDERLAND (1-1) at FRIENDSWOOD (1-1)
Nederland travels to Friendswood on Friday night to take on the 2008 Class 4A Region III Division 1 champions, the Friendswood Mustangs.
These two teams seemed on track to meet a couple of times last year, but Hurricane Ike wiped out the first scheduled meeting and the Magnolia Bulldogs knocked off Nederland in the second round of the playoffs, one week before the winner faced Friendswood’s heralded offense led by QB Jacob Karam in the regional semifinal.
Karam, as well as a couple of his talented receivers, are gone in 2009 and Friendswood, while formidable, is still searching for some answers. Last Friday, against Class 5A Brazoswood, the Mustangs fell behind 21-3 before rallying to within three points before losing 28-18. Friendswood is 1-1 coming into this week’s action.
RB Andrew Cole will be the player to watch when Friendswood has the ball. Last season, Cole rushed for over 1,500 yards. On Friday, he ran for 91 yards and had 58 yards receiving against Brazoswood.
While Friendswood knew going into the season that they would have to replace a QB, Nederland found out two weeks ago that they also had to replace theirs. Junior Tyler Smith stepped into the starting role when a torn knee ligament suffered by Kirby Bellow in the opener brought an end to his season.
Smith was the driving force behind Nederland’s late rally and game-winning fourth-quarter drive that gave them a 27-23 win over Waller at Waller’s new home field.
Defense and special teams helped keep the Bulldogs within striking distance of Waller until the offense began to chip away at the 23-7 deficit. A blocked punt, fumble recovery and interception led to three Nederland TDs.
RB Nick Cardenas rushed for 142 yards on 24 carries and scored two rushing TDs. Smith completed 15-of-30 passes for 167 yards and two TDs. Ryan Brady had nine receptions for 100 yards and two TDs.
Although Friendswood had the spectacular 2008 playoff run that ended in a state semifinal loss to eventual Class 4A Division 1 champion Lake Travis, the Bulldogs have a richer playoff tradition. Nederland has been to the playoffs in 12 of the last 13 seasons, only missing the postseason in 2007.
This one should be very close and entertaining. Friendswood may get the slight emotional edge playing their 2009 home opener.
* * * * *
In addition to these match-ups, we also will have live coverage of Groesbeck and China Springs thanks to our partnership with Massey Broadcasting.
WESTFIELD (2-0) at MEMORIAL (1-1)
Hold on to your hats, folks. Westfield’s offense is back and running like a finely-tuned machine. After putting up 40 points against Cypress Falls two weeks ago, Corby Meekins’ Mustangs took the intensity to an even higher level last week against Beaumont West Brook in their 67-35 win.
The Mustangs put up 47 points before halftime and never looked back, posting 550 yards of offense. QB Jacoby Walker completed 10 of 16 passes for 233 yards and three TDs and rushed for one other TD. Westfield’s third-string tailback Josh Jenkins led all rushers with 120 yards. Back-up Preston Dotson rushed for 75 yards and three TDs.
If there was one glimmer of hope for a Westfield opponent, it was that the defense allowed 500-plus yards to West Brook. But, similar to the first game against Cy-Falls, much of that was allowed in the second half after the game was well in hand and with second and third team defenders on the field.
So the Memorial Mustangs will have their work cut out for them this Saturday night. Memorial (1-1) will be trying to rebound from a 20-14 loss to Pearland.
Memorial entered the season with a lot of holes to fill that were left by several graduating seniors from the 2008 team, but are still expected to compete for a playoff spot in District 18-5A. Coach Gary Koch likes his offense to grind it out on the ground and one of the big keys to the game will be the Memorial offense’s ability to hold onto the ball and keep the Westfield offense off the field.
But Westfield is as quick defensively as most teams are offensively and they have the ability to shut down runs outside the tackles as well as between them.
This game will be an interesting study in contrasting styles.
HUMBLE (0-3) at KLEIN (2-0)
The Humble Wildcats have struggled out of the gate this season. This week’s game doesn’t appear to offer any relief for them. The Wildcats travel to Klein Memorial Stadium to take on Stan Labay’s Klein Bearkats.
Klein is another team, like Memorial, that likes to pound the ball on the ground and eat up large chunks of game time controlling the ball. If the Bearkats beat you by 3 TDs, it means they’ve dominated time of possession and it’s as huge a defeat as a 35-40 loss to a free-wheeling offense.
And this season, Dekota Barnes has added some spice to the Klein attack. He’s already rushed for nearly 300 yards in two games, and added a pair of kickoff returns for TDs as well. Needless to say, Job #1 for Walt Beasley’s Wildcats has to be to stop Barnes.
Humble has had offensive woes of its own this season. Jersey Village shut the Wildcats out last Saturday night en route to the Falcons’ first victory since Week 6 in 2007. Turnovers have been a huge problem in the first three games for Humble. They have turned the ball over seven times in that span.
The Wildcats are not without talent or athleticism, though. WR Xavier Maxwell is a talented playmaker and Humble will need to figure out ways to get the ball into his hands, either by land or air.
If Humble can avoid turning the ball over and turn some of their drives into scores, then they may force Klein out of their offensive game plan of long-time consuming drives that shorten a game and deflate a defense.
ST. THOMAS (1-2) at SANTA FE (2-0)
St. Thomas picked up their initial victory of the 2009 season last Friday against Magnolia West. After falling behind 14-0 after one quarter, the Eagles dominated the final three, outscoring M-West, 35-7.
Sophomore QB Hunter Kopycinski had a strong showing, passing for 248 yards and 3 TDs. Derek Martin (105 yards on 7 carries) and Josh Ibarra (158 yards on 4 catches) were the rushing and receiving leaders.
Perhaps as gratifying for Coach Donald Hollas and his staff was the fact that their defense held the Mustangs to only one scoring drive in the final three quarters, after allowing 105 points to opponents in their first nine quarters of the season.
This week they look to even their record at 2-2, but this will be a pretty good test for the Eagles.
Santa Fe comes into this weekend having won back-to-back games for the first time since 2005. And they’ve already equaled their win total for 2007-2008 combined.
The Indians’ offense has been solid in both their games, including last week’s 327-yard performance against Huffman-Hargrave. Joseph Walton rushed for 168 yards and three TDs in that one.
Defensively, Santa Fe kept Hargrave in negative numbers (-20 yards) rushing. This team is definitely better than their recent predecessors.
It will interesting to see if Kopycinski continues the progress as QB that he showed last week for the Eagles and it will be interesting to see if Walton is able to continue his strong start to the 2009 season for Santa Fe.
St. Thomas faithful may have looked at the schedule before the season got under way and subconsciously posted a ‘W’ beside this one, but the game won’t be a ‘gimme’ – for either side.
OAK RIDGE (2-1) at CYPRESS CREEK (2-0)
The War Eagles of Oak Ridge arguably had the most entertaining game of last weekend. They lost, in overtime, to the Atascocita Eagles, 38-35. The game went back-and-forth all night long with momentum swings and lead changes—and some missed opportunities too.
Oak Ridge opened up a 25-15 lead early in the third quarter, but couldn’t hold it and allowed 17 unanswered points to Atascocita before they rebounded to tie the game at 32-32 late in the fourth quarter. Both teams had opportunities in the final minutes to win the game in regulation, but failed to do so.
Oak Ridge managed a 32-yard field goal from Martin Gonzales in overtime, but Atascocita won on a four-yard TD run from Kent Brooks.
This week, Oak Ridge heads to the Berry Center to take on one of the area’s best teams, the Cypress Creek Cougars. The Cougars are 2-0 with wins over Klein Oak and Tomball coming into their final pre-district tune-up game.
In theory, it’s pretty easy to figure out how to harness Cy Creek: stop Jermichael Selders. As coaches will say, though, “We’ve never played a game there—in Theory.”
Selders has rushed for 389 yards in two games. Mix in the fact that Chuckie Keeton appears to be a more-than-adequate replacement for Austin Pugliese at QB, and the Cougars look like one of the teams to beat, not only in District 15-5A, but Region II as well.
For the Cougar defense, their key will be in stopping War Eagle QB Ryan Cyr. He is the engine for the Oak Ridge offense and runs the option attack adeptly for Coach Bob Barrett.
NEDERLAND (1-1) at FRIENDSWOOD (1-1)
Nederland travels to Friendswood on Friday night to take on the 2008 Class 4A Region III Division 1 champions, the Friendswood Mustangs.
These two teams seemed on track to meet a couple of times last year, but Hurricane Ike wiped out the first scheduled meeting and the Magnolia Bulldogs knocked off Nederland in the second round of the playoffs, one week before the winner faced Friendswood’s heralded offense led by QB Jacob Karam in the regional semifinal.
Karam, as well as a couple of his talented receivers, are gone in 2009 and Friendswood, while formidable, is still searching for some answers. Last Friday, against Class 5A Brazoswood, the Mustangs fell behind 21-3 before rallying to within three points before losing 28-18. Friendswood is 1-1 coming into this week’s action.
RB Andrew Cole will be the player to watch when Friendswood has the ball. Last season, Cole rushed for over 1,500 yards. On Friday, he ran for 91 yards and had 58 yards receiving against Brazoswood.
While Friendswood knew going into the season that they would have to replace a QB, Nederland found out two weeks ago that they also had to replace theirs. Junior Tyler Smith stepped into the starting role when a torn knee ligament suffered by Kirby Bellow in the opener brought an end to his season.
Smith was the driving force behind Nederland’s late rally and game-winning fourth-quarter drive that gave them a 27-23 win over Waller at Waller’s new home field.
Defense and special teams helped keep the Bulldogs within striking distance of Waller until the offense began to chip away at the 23-7 deficit. A blocked punt, fumble recovery and interception led to three Nederland TDs.
RB Nick Cardenas rushed for 142 yards on 24 carries and scored two rushing TDs. Smith completed 15-of-30 passes for 167 yards and two TDs. Ryan Brady had nine receptions for 100 yards and two TDs.
Although Friendswood had the spectacular 2008 playoff run that ended in a state semifinal loss to eventual Class 4A Division 1 champion Lake Travis, the Bulldogs have a richer playoff tradition. Nederland has been to the playoffs in 12 of the last 13 seasons, only missing the postseason in 2007.
This one should be very close and entertaining. Friendswood may get the slight emotional edge playing their 2009 home opener.
* * * * *
In addition to these match-ups, we also will have live coverage of Groesbeck and China Springs thanks to our partnership with Massey Broadcasting.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Should we worry about Klein Oak?
Several area teams are out of the gate at 0-3. Klein Oak has to be the biggest surprise of them all. The Panthers, who were state-ranked in almost everyone’s preseason poll, will take a week off this week before beginning District 13-5A play. And the question that looms is this: are they really not as good as we thought, or have they just run into some tough opponents?
The answer is probably a mixture of both. Klein Oak has lost to three very tough opponents—Cy Creek, Cy Woods and Notre Dame Prep from Sherman Oaks, California. Perhaps everyone underestimated those teams, especially Creek and Woods—who appear to be ready to slug it out for District 15-5A supremacy this season.
Creek won a close game with a late TD from Jermichael Selders. No big deal; the game could’ve gone either way. But, Notre Dame came to Texas as the top-ranked team in the Los Angeles metro area and hammered the Panthers, 37-7, in Jerry Jones’ new palace. And last week, Woods put up 56 points against them and the buzz began.
Oak has been outscored 116-47 in their three games. They have given up 1,261 total yards of offense.
Coach David Smith has given every indication that he’s not overly concerned. His goal is to win a district championship and that quest begins next Thursday. But, there lies another problem. The rest of the district may be better than expected.
The first district test may be the toughest. Klein Forest has been as good offensively as any of the Panthers’ first three opponents. But, Klein is 2-0 going into their final non-district game this week against Humble. And, Klein Collins has also been solid, especially on the defensive side. Then, there’s Westfield…
It’ll be interesting to watch that Klein Oak-Klein Forest match-up next week. It could be very important for the Panthers.
* * * * *
Last Friday—9/11—Deer Park ISD took time to pay tribute to police, firefighters and military personnel as part of a memorial to those who died in the World Trade Center towers eight years ago. It was a nice tribute and a solemn reminder of a tragic day eight years ago. The game that followed, between Deer Park and Cy-Fair, moved along at a quick enough pace that we were prevented from passing along our thoughts and thanks to those folks who toil to keep us safe and sound every day. But, we greatly appreciate their work and sacrifice.
* * * * *
My predictions for the Houston-area Class 5A district winners: Westfield (13), The Woodlands (14), Cypress Woods (15), Katy (17), Stratford (18), Aldine (19), Lamar (20), North Shore (21), Deer Park (22), Hightower (23) and Clear Lake (24).
Some of these—okay, most of them—are no-brainers. But there may be a surprise or two in there. Either way, I’m out there on record.
* * * * *
If you want to see the current state-wide poll from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website, click this.
The answer is probably a mixture of both. Klein Oak has lost to three very tough opponents—Cy Creek, Cy Woods and Notre Dame Prep from Sherman Oaks, California. Perhaps everyone underestimated those teams, especially Creek and Woods—who appear to be ready to slug it out for District 15-5A supremacy this season.
Creek won a close game with a late TD from Jermichael Selders. No big deal; the game could’ve gone either way. But, Notre Dame came to Texas as the top-ranked team in the Los Angeles metro area and hammered the Panthers, 37-7, in Jerry Jones’ new palace. And last week, Woods put up 56 points against them and the buzz began.
Oak has been outscored 116-47 in their three games. They have given up 1,261 total yards of offense.
Coach David Smith has given every indication that he’s not overly concerned. His goal is to win a district championship and that quest begins next Thursday. But, there lies another problem. The rest of the district may be better than expected.
The first district test may be the toughest. Klein Forest has been as good offensively as any of the Panthers’ first three opponents. But, Klein is 2-0 going into their final non-district game this week against Humble. And, Klein Collins has also been solid, especially on the defensive side. Then, there’s Westfield…
It’ll be interesting to watch that Klein Oak-Klein Forest match-up next week. It could be very important for the Panthers.
* * * * *
Last Friday—9/11—Deer Park ISD took time to pay tribute to police, firefighters and military personnel as part of a memorial to those who died in the World Trade Center towers eight years ago. It was a nice tribute and a solemn reminder of a tragic day eight years ago. The game that followed, between Deer Park and Cy-Fair, moved along at a quick enough pace that we were prevented from passing along our thoughts and thanks to those folks who toil to keep us safe and sound every day. But, we greatly appreciate their work and sacrifice.
* * * * *
My predictions for the Houston-area Class 5A district winners: Westfield (13), The Woodlands (14), Cypress Woods (15), Katy (17), Stratford (18), Aldine (19), Lamar (20), North Shore (21), Deer Park (22), Hightower (23) and Clear Lake (24).
Some of these—okay, most of them—are no-brainers. But there may be a surprise or two in there. Either way, I’m out there on record.
* * * * *
If you want to see the current state-wide poll from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website, click this.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Looking at the LSN Week 2 slate…
CY-FAIR vs. DEER PARK
The Cy-Fair Bobcats square off against Deer Park, and this should be a grind-it-out, hard-fought game. The Deer lost to Aldine, 27-20, last week, but finished 8-2 last season. They like to run, and a healthy Shawn Onyechi has done a solid job in their first two games. Onyechi missed the 2008 season with injuries. On defense, they have five starters back from their playoff team a season ago.
Cy-Fair is out of the gate at 0-2, but they’ve played some very good opponents: The Woodlands and Klein Collins. They were held to 67 total yards of offense in last Friday’s 10-0 loss to Klein Collins. Their hope is that Tevin Champagne can break loose on the ground but they may need to turn to the passing game a little more. After all, this is a team that earned a spot in the State 7-on-7 Championship.
This will be the ninth all-time meeting between Cy-Fair and Deer Park, but the first meeting between the two schools since 1965. That means not only were these current players for either team not born when the last meeting took place, you could probably find many of the players’ parents on either side of the stadium who were not yet born at the time.
Deer Park won the 1965 meeting, 28-16. I have to be honest: it’s been difficult to find a game summary on that one to pass on details to you.
Deer Park also leads the series, 5-3. The two teams first met in 1939, Cy-Fair’s first year to participate in varsity athletics. Deer Park won. They played again in 1940 and the Bobcats won. They next played each other from 1943 through 1946, with Cy-Fair winning the first game before Deer Park ran off three in a row. A home-and-home series in 1964-1965 marked the last time before this week that the teams played.
It should have happened last year, but Hurricane Ike wiped out the scheduled game.
ST. THOMAS vs. MAGNOLIA WEST
St. Thomas needs a shot of confidence to rebound from the 53-12 beating that Vidor put on them last week. After looking pretty competitive in a loss to Strake Jesuit in Week 0, the wheels came off the Eagles’ cart last week. Coach Donald Hollas, starting his second season at the helm, has a relatively young, inexperienced squad, and these are likely some of the growing pains to be expected as St. Thomas tries to grow into his offensive and defensive systems. This week, they try to rebound against second-year varsity program Magnolia West.
Magnolia West, out of District 18-4A, has EVERYBODY back from last year’s 2-7 inaugural season. That’s because they played 2008 without a senior class. This season, they’ve started 1-1, losing last week to Kingwood Park after a one-point win in their opener against Class 3A Shepherd. Inconsistency due to turnovers has been an early-season problem for the Mavericks. Two lost fumbles and two interceptions in the first two games have hampered them. This will be their final pre-district tune-up game, so look for Coach Dave Joiner to push his team to get into a tougher mindset. They’ll need it in a district that includes Magnolia, Brenham, Montgomery and more.
This could wind up being a very competitive match-up. The key may be which offense can managed to get untracked first.
HUNTSVILLE vs. ST. PIUS X
St. Pius, under first-year head coach Rene Ramirez, is a team that has proven to be capable of putting points on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for them, they’ve given up quite a few too. That is why, having scored a combined 73 points in their first two contests, they are only 1-1 coming into Week 2. They lost a heartbreaker to Westbury in the opener, 41-37, as the Rebels scored two TDs in the final three and a half minutes of the game to erase a nine-point deficit.
The Panthers rebounded last week with a 36-22 win over the Columbia Roughnecks.
Brent Peavy has looked sharp passing the ball in the first two games. He’s thrown for 312 yards and two TDs, and has completed 73% (33-45) of his passing attempts. Returning starter Venric Mark and Bradley Ward have both run the ball well for St. Pius. In fact, Mark and Ward join Peavy as Panther rushers who average over six yards per carry. Mark has also reprised his 2008 performance as a stellar return man on special teams. He’s already returned a punt for a TD.
On defense, Greg Daniels and Kirk Poston are impressive on the defensive front and would be formidable at any classification of high school football. They combine great speed and agility with strength that makes them both problematic for opposing offenses to deal with.
Huntsville will be playing their second game of the season, after falling to College Park, 28-7, in Week 1. The Hornets scored first on a 6-yard TD run by Justin Gilbert, but were shut down the rest of the way. Besides Gilbert’s run, Huntsville only managed 23 more rushing yards the entire game. Penalties and two turnovers contributed to the Hornets’ problems, but they apparently also had several players miss plays in the second half due to leg cramps. After trailing 9-7 at the half, Huntsville’s defense gave up 19 unanswered points in the second half.
STRATFORD vs. SPRING
Our Saturday night KSEV game should be a very nice matchup. Stratford is expected to be a contender for the District 18-5A crown this season and Spring has already shown the ability to score at will in their first two games.
The Spartans will be coming off an off-week, which means their coaches were likely able to personally scout the Lions in their 42-7 drubbing of Humble at Turner Stadium. We’ll see if that insight provides any help to the Stratford cause on Saturday. If nothing else, they know that Spring’s offense is very good. In their opener, a 53-51 last-second shootout loss to Langham Creek, the Lions amassed 533 yards of offense.
QB P.J. Kopesky has been very efficient in the passing game (24-36, 519 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs). Ridgeway Frank and Darel Haynes are averaging more than six yards per rush attempt.
Spring’s run defense has been solid, allowing only 99 total rushing yards in two games, but Will Bryant—a very good passing QB—was able to pick the secondary apart for over 300 yards in Week 0. Last week against Humble, the Lions recovered enough to only allow 172 passing yards.
That should mean that a lot eyes will be on Stratford QB Mark Benninger, who threw for 133 yards and one TD in the Spartans’ opening-week win over MacArthur, 34-0. But Benninger didn’t have to be outstanding against the Generals in that game, as the running game produced 165 yards.
Stratford’s head coach Eliot Allen will likely demand that his team reduce the turnovers. Five fumbles, which they committed against MacArthur, against an offense like Spring’s would be devastating.
This will be the first real test of the new season for Stratford and it will be interesting to see how they respond.
OAK RIDGE vs. ATASCOCITA
Oak Ridge is another high-powered offense and they are out of the gate at 2-0, with wins over Caney Creek (34-0) and Tomball (49-28). But they will run into the best defensive team they’ve seen so far this year in Atascocita. The Eagles have allowed only one TD in each of their first two games and are also 2-0 to start the 2009 season.
On offense, Atascocita has relied heavily on RB Jarvis Neal, who has rushed for 160 yards in two games. For Oak Ridge, QB Ryan Cyr is the triple-option threat that makes the War Eagle offense go. He’s run for 174 yards and thrown for another 235 yards in Oak Ridge’s two games.
Atascocita has a well-respected linebacking corps and they will be charged with trying to contain Cyr. Oak Ridge’s defense will try to bottle up Neal and force QB Earnest Carrington to be a playmaker.
Our expectations are that if it’s a low-scoring, defensive game, that favors Atascocita. If there are some points put on the board, that favors Oak Ridge.
Legacy Sports Network will also have action from the Golden Triangle area, as well as the Groesbeck-West game from central Texas. Lots of good football at our website this weekend. Put your headphones on and enjoy it!
The Cy-Fair Bobcats square off against Deer Park, and this should be a grind-it-out, hard-fought game. The Deer lost to Aldine, 27-20, last week, but finished 8-2 last season. They like to run, and a healthy Shawn Onyechi has done a solid job in their first two games. Onyechi missed the 2008 season with injuries. On defense, they have five starters back from their playoff team a season ago.
Cy-Fair is out of the gate at 0-2, but they’ve played some very good opponents: The Woodlands and Klein Collins. They were held to 67 total yards of offense in last Friday’s 10-0 loss to Klein Collins. Their hope is that Tevin Champagne can break loose on the ground but they may need to turn to the passing game a little more. After all, this is a team that earned a spot in the State 7-on-7 Championship.
This will be the ninth all-time meeting between Cy-Fair and Deer Park, but the first meeting between the two schools since 1965. That means not only were these current players for either team not born when the last meeting took place, you could probably find many of the players’ parents on either side of the stadium who were not yet born at the time.
Deer Park won the 1965 meeting, 28-16. I have to be honest: it’s been difficult to find a game summary on that one to pass on details to you.
Deer Park also leads the series, 5-3. The two teams first met in 1939, Cy-Fair’s first year to participate in varsity athletics. Deer Park won. They played again in 1940 and the Bobcats won. They next played each other from 1943 through 1946, with Cy-Fair winning the first game before Deer Park ran off three in a row. A home-and-home series in 1964-1965 marked the last time before this week that the teams played.
It should have happened last year, but Hurricane Ike wiped out the scheduled game.
ST. THOMAS vs. MAGNOLIA WEST
St. Thomas needs a shot of confidence to rebound from the 53-12 beating that Vidor put on them last week. After looking pretty competitive in a loss to Strake Jesuit in Week 0, the wheels came off the Eagles’ cart last week. Coach Donald Hollas, starting his second season at the helm, has a relatively young, inexperienced squad, and these are likely some of the growing pains to be expected as St. Thomas tries to grow into his offensive and defensive systems. This week, they try to rebound against second-year varsity program Magnolia West.
Magnolia West, out of District 18-4A, has EVERYBODY back from last year’s 2-7 inaugural season. That’s because they played 2008 without a senior class. This season, they’ve started 1-1, losing last week to Kingwood Park after a one-point win in their opener against Class 3A Shepherd. Inconsistency due to turnovers has been an early-season problem for the Mavericks. Two lost fumbles and two interceptions in the first two games have hampered them. This will be their final pre-district tune-up game, so look for Coach Dave Joiner to push his team to get into a tougher mindset. They’ll need it in a district that includes Magnolia, Brenham, Montgomery and more.
This could wind up being a very competitive match-up. The key may be which offense can managed to get untracked first.
HUNTSVILLE vs. ST. PIUS X
St. Pius, under first-year head coach Rene Ramirez, is a team that has proven to be capable of putting points on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for them, they’ve given up quite a few too. That is why, having scored a combined 73 points in their first two contests, they are only 1-1 coming into Week 2. They lost a heartbreaker to Westbury in the opener, 41-37, as the Rebels scored two TDs in the final three and a half minutes of the game to erase a nine-point deficit.
The Panthers rebounded last week with a 36-22 win over the Columbia Roughnecks.
Brent Peavy has looked sharp passing the ball in the first two games. He’s thrown for 312 yards and two TDs, and has completed 73% (33-45) of his passing attempts. Returning starter Venric Mark and Bradley Ward have both run the ball well for St. Pius. In fact, Mark and Ward join Peavy as Panther rushers who average over six yards per carry. Mark has also reprised his 2008 performance as a stellar return man on special teams. He’s already returned a punt for a TD.
On defense, Greg Daniels and Kirk Poston are impressive on the defensive front and would be formidable at any classification of high school football. They combine great speed and agility with strength that makes them both problematic for opposing offenses to deal with.
Huntsville will be playing their second game of the season, after falling to College Park, 28-7, in Week 1. The Hornets scored first on a 6-yard TD run by Justin Gilbert, but were shut down the rest of the way. Besides Gilbert’s run, Huntsville only managed 23 more rushing yards the entire game. Penalties and two turnovers contributed to the Hornets’ problems, but they apparently also had several players miss plays in the second half due to leg cramps. After trailing 9-7 at the half, Huntsville’s defense gave up 19 unanswered points in the second half.
STRATFORD vs. SPRING
Our Saturday night KSEV game should be a very nice matchup. Stratford is expected to be a contender for the District 18-5A crown this season and Spring has already shown the ability to score at will in their first two games.
The Spartans will be coming off an off-week, which means their coaches were likely able to personally scout the Lions in their 42-7 drubbing of Humble at Turner Stadium. We’ll see if that insight provides any help to the Stratford cause on Saturday. If nothing else, they know that Spring’s offense is very good. In their opener, a 53-51 last-second shootout loss to Langham Creek, the Lions amassed 533 yards of offense.
QB P.J. Kopesky has been very efficient in the passing game (24-36, 519 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs). Ridgeway Frank and Darel Haynes are averaging more than six yards per rush attempt.
Spring’s run defense has been solid, allowing only 99 total rushing yards in two games, but Will Bryant—a very good passing QB—was able to pick the secondary apart for over 300 yards in Week 0. Last week against Humble, the Lions recovered enough to only allow 172 passing yards.
That should mean that a lot eyes will be on Stratford QB Mark Benninger, who threw for 133 yards and one TD in the Spartans’ opening-week win over MacArthur, 34-0. But Benninger didn’t have to be outstanding against the Generals in that game, as the running game produced 165 yards.
Stratford’s head coach Eliot Allen will likely demand that his team reduce the turnovers. Five fumbles, which they committed against MacArthur, against an offense like Spring’s would be devastating.
This will be the first real test of the new season for Stratford and it will be interesting to see how they respond.
OAK RIDGE vs. ATASCOCITA
Oak Ridge is another high-powered offense and they are out of the gate at 2-0, with wins over Caney Creek (34-0) and Tomball (49-28). But they will run into the best defensive team they’ve seen so far this year in Atascocita. The Eagles have allowed only one TD in each of their first two games and are also 2-0 to start the 2009 season.
On offense, Atascocita has relied heavily on RB Jarvis Neal, who has rushed for 160 yards in two games. For Oak Ridge, QB Ryan Cyr is the triple-option threat that makes the War Eagle offense go. He’s run for 174 yards and thrown for another 235 yards in Oak Ridge’s two games.
Atascocita has a well-respected linebacking corps and they will be charged with trying to contain Cyr. Oak Ridge’s defense will try to bottle up Neal and force QB Earnest Carrington to be a playmaker.
Our expectations are that if it’s a low-scoring, defensive game, that favors Atascocita. If there are some points put on the board, that favors Oak Ridge.
Legacy Sports Network will also have action from the Golden Triangle area, as well as the Groesbeck-West game from central Texas. Lots of good football at our website this weekend. Put your headphones on and enjoy it!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Pictures!
Everything is better with pictures, right?
This post is going to be about giving you some insight as to what goes on before and during a broadcast. All of the photos in this post are from the game between Cypress Falls and Westfield at the Berry Center in Cypress.
If you've never seen the Berry Center or been to a game there, you've missed an absolutely gorgeous facility. I have said numerous times--because I firmly believe it--this multipurpose facility (for athletics/fine arts/conferences, etc.) built by the Cy-Fair ISD is nicer than many college stadia around the country.
So, as you look at these photos, try not to be so awe-stricken by the stadium in the background that you lose the appreciation for OUR awesomeness!
PS--Thanks to the new Legacy Sports staff photographer, who also happens to be my beautiful wife Dawn, for all of the photos in this post.
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This post is going to be about giving you some insight as to what goes on before and during a broadcast. All of the photos in this post are from the game between Cypress Falls and Westfield at the Berry Center in Cypress.
If you've never seen the Berry Center or been to a game there, you've missed an absolutely gorgeous facility. I have said numerous times--because I firmly believe it--this multipurpose facility (for athletics/fine arts/conferences, etc.) built by the Cy-Fair ISD is nicer than many college stadia around the country.
So, as you look at these photos, try not to be so awe-stricken by the stadium in the background that you lose the appreciation for OUR awesomeness!
PS--Thanks to the new Legacy Sports staff photographer, who also happens to be my beautiful wife Dawn, for all of the photos in this post.
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Here are my co-conspirators, Brett Mills (left) and Jim Wolfinger (right). 'Wolfie' is our new stat man for this season. We hope to have him knee-deep in numbers before he has time to regret his decision to take on that responsibility.
Brett has become, in a short period of time, my favorite guy to work a game with. He's got a great sense of humor, as well as knowledge of the game, and we seem to dislike the same things and people. And know matter what experts tell you, it is a common dislike for things that builds strong bonds.
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The man with the chagrined look on his face is Michael Silvers, the engine behind the broadcasts. That look in the first photo is probably him cringing at something I just said that makes no sense. The second photo is Michael furiously scribbling something to rectify the mistake! I'm sure he loves his job!
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You always get down to field level before the game. There are multiple things you want, or need, to do to enhance the broadcast...little things that add up to big points with listeners.
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In these photos, I am going over pronunciations of players' names with coaches. One of the first things I was taught is that the most important thing you can do as a broadcaster is to get a person's name right. If your listeners know that you can't pronounce a player's name properly, it doesn't matter to them how intelligent you try to make yourself sound.
There are basically two reasons a broadcaster gets a name wrong and neither of them is excusable. First, the broadcaster is too lazy to ask someone to confirm the pronunciation. Second, the broadcaster is so arrogant that he thinks no one really cares about the players, only his description of the game.
The Katy Tigers have a QB named Michael Stojkovic. His surname is pronounced STAH-KO-VICH. In a recent radio broadcast, I listened to a seasoned play-by-play guy continuously refer to him as STOY-YO-DO-VICH. How he ever arrived at that pronunciation is beyond me, but it tells me he is either lazy or too arrogant to care about that player. (Actually, I know the guy and know which it is, but I won't tell you!)
Some names are flat-out hard to pronounce. With the influx of players whose families are from foreign countries, that list is becoming larger. So, there are times when mispronouncing those names is somewhat excusable. But, even then, it should only be a slip of the tongue once or twice and not because you haven't taken the time or effort to find out how the player pronounces his name.
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You also use the time down on the field to really get a good perspective of the athletes and how they prepare for a game. Some teams just look like they know what they're doing in pregame warm-ups. Some don't. You match up faces and uniform numbers to the names you've heard about. Frankly, you soak up the unique ambience of a game night.
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And Brett likes to make friends with the guys he will spend the rest of the evening trash-talking!
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You visit with both head coaches. I always try to have 4-5 questions ready to ask each coach. Sometimes their responses to your questions can lead to others, but it's always good to be prepared to have the questions ready beforehand.
And the trick to a successful interview is to ignore the funny looks they give you from the previous dumb question you asked.
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Memo to self: wear the cool shades next week!
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Back in the booth, I have found that you look smarter and more intense when biting your lips while using a laptop. Notice the example here. I look smart AND intense. I can't explain why. It just is what it is.
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