Cinco Ranch announces baseball, swimming signings

Cinco Ranch announced a pair of signings today by athletes in their their baseball and swimming programs.  Congratulations go out to Stefan Crichton (baseball) and Jason Ting (swimming), who will both continue their participation in athletics as part of NCAA collegiate programs next year.

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All District pitcher and staff ace, Stefan Crichton has committed to TCU to continue his baseball career at the next level. Joining Stefan are:

Seated: Mom (Loretta), Stefan, and Dad (Brook)

Standing: Jerry Miller (Baseball Coach), Kevin Hildebrand (CRHS Head Baseball Coach), Shane Weaston (Baseball Coach), James Cross (CRHS Principal), and Don Clayton (CRHS Athletic Coordinator)

 
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Top Cougar swimmer Jason Ting has committed to Harvard University to continue his career at the next level. Joining Jason are:

Seated: Mom (Han), Jason, and Dad (Frank)

Standing: James Cross (CRHS Principal), Christie Patterson (CRHS Head Swim Coach), Sharon Power (Swim Instructor), and Don Clayton (CRHS Athletic Coordinator)

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We join with the Cinco Ranch community in extending our congratulations to these student-athletes and wish them the best next year and beyond.

Special thanks to CRHS athletic coordinator Don Clayton for providing the information.

Cinco Ranch announces softball signings

Congratulations to Courtney Buchman, Teresa Mursuli and Amy Pelton of Cinco Ranch High School, who today signed commitment letters to continue their athletic endeavors in softball at the next level.

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Lady Cougar softball leader Amy Pelton has committed to Sam Houston State University to continue her career at the next level. Joining Amy are:

Seated: Mom (Pam), Amy, and Dad (Dave)

Standing: Amber Griffin (Softball Assistant Coach), Jerry Miller (Softball Head Coach), Erik Hammond (Strength Coach), Sandy Mader (Softball Instructor), J.D. Fincher (Conditioning Coach), James Cross (CRHS Principal), Don Clayton (CRHS Athletic Coordinator), and Kayley Poenitzsch (Softball Assistant Coach).

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Lady Cougar softball leader Courtney Buchman has committed to the University of Texas at San Antonio to continue her career at the next level. Joining Courtney are:

Seated: Dad (Matthew), Courtney, and Mom (Pamela)

Standing: Kathy Henry (CRHS Administrative Principal), Amber Griffin (Softball Assistant Coach), Cameron Buchman (brother), Kayley Poenitzsch (Softball Assistant Coach), and Don Clayton (CRHS Athletic Coordinator).

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Lady Cougar softball leader Teresa Mursuli has committed to Ouachita Baptist University to continue her career at the next level. Joining Teresa are:

Seated: Dad (Orlando), Teresa, and Mom (Vivian)

Standing: Kathy Henry (CRHS Administrative Principal), Amber Griffin (SB Asst Coach), Kayley Poenitzsch (SB Asst Coach), Danny Mursuli (brother), and Don Clayton (CRHS Athletic Coordinator)

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We join the Cinco Ranch family in wishing the very best for these young women this spring and then next fall as they move into the collegiate ranks.

Special thanks to Cinco Ranch athletic coordinator Don Clayton for providing the information.

Prediction recap/full-disclosure

A few weeks back, as the 2009 playoffs got underway, I boldly predicted the Final Four in both divisions of the Class 5A bracket.  And when you get it right, you have the right to brag about it!

Of course, when you're like me and get it almost completely WRONG, you should 'fess up to it too...

I deliver written jabs to enough other people that it's only right that I expose my own personal shortcomings...no matter how hard they are to find.  And trust me, I've lived with myself long enough to know just how close to perfect I am.

My predictions for the 5A Division 1 Final Four: Coppell, The Woodlands, Hightower and Converse Judson.

Have you ever completely whiffed on a tee shot in golf??  I know that feeling well.  You quickly look around and hope the other guys in your foursome were getting something out of their bags on the back of the carts.

The Woodlands, Hightower and Judson couldn't make it past the second round.  Coppell lasted until the third round.  WHIFF!

My predictions for the 5A Division 2 Final Four were Cedar Hill, Klein Collins, Katy and San Antonio Reagan.

Have you ever barely foul-tipped a 55-mph batting-practice fastball?  You tell yourself that it's only because you're rusty.  But by the third or fourth time, you realize your glory days are gone.

The Reagan Rattlers couldn't muster more than a lone field goal in a first-round loss to Pflugerville.  Cedar Hill and Klein Collins fared somewhat better, both making it to the third weekend before losing.

Katy is still Katy.  Nailed that one!  Foul tip!

Having learned my lesson, I will refrain from ever picking state semifinalists again...at least for this year.

There apparently was a city championship on Saturday...but which city?

When UT wins (lucky) and the Houston Texans lose (dumb), I get cranky about the least little thing.  So, here goes...

Did you know a city championship game was played on Saturday?

At least one person thinks so and said so in a broadcast, notwithstanding that there hasn’t been anything remotely close to a city championship since the days before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. People should be offended, if for no other reason, calling a game ‘The City Championship’ hearkens back to the days of segregation and overt racism.

But, beyond that, when a game that is played between a team from Katy and a team from League City is implied to be the Houston ‘city championship’, those fans should feel justified in boycotting such ignorance of our local geography, too.

So apparently, there was a city championship on Saturday. But which city? Houston? That also leads to the question: can you have a ‘city championship’ without a team from that city in the game?

The Katy Tigers and the Clear Springs Chargers met Saturday in the Class 5A Region III Division 2 championship game, which Katy won 38-21. Region III encompasses so much more than the Houston city limits that it seems almost unthinkable that one person would insult the great football that is played in the entire region by boiling down the Region III championship game to a ‘city championship’.

People who live, vote, pay taxes and build their lives in the communities of Katy and League City (both incorporated entities with elected officials and municipal services that are completely independent of the city of Houston) should be more than a little irritated by someone who chooses to demean their football team’s accomplishments by claiming they are playing for the Houston City Championship.

What if West Brook had made the regional final? What if the Ball Tors were playing? Would a team from Beaumont or Galveston play for the championship of Houston?  In one small mind, the answer would be 'yes'.

I listen to a lot of high school sports, either online or on the radio. Not only our LSN broadcasts, but those from around the Houston area, as well as the state of Texas. I do it because I really love the games, the enthusiasm that they create and the lessons of the goodness of teamwork that is learned from these events.

And in listening to these broadcasts, what I have generally found to be true is this: the broadcasters who cover these games--whether they are polished veterans or raw novices--usually genuinely love the games they are covering. And that makes the profiteering vultures with self-serving agendas easy to spot. You know them: they don't bother to learn players' or coaches' names properly, everything they relate in-game turns into a personal anecdote that centers around themselves and their attention to detail is very lax.

I think calling a regional championship game, or a state quarterfinal, a 'city championship' falls into the latter category.

Okay, okay…in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t the biggest catastrophe or the greatest injustice in the world today.  My overly-emotional reaction is most likely too extreme.  Blame it on UT and the Texans.

But, if you’re going to cover a sport, at least show a little respect for it.

Random thoughts on Week 15...

As the fifteenth weekend of Texas high school football in 2009 draws nearer, many different topics vie for my attention...

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Our featured 5A playoff game this week is Stony Point vs. Cypress Woods.  Both teams average over 35 points per game and 400-plus yards of offense.  This should be an excellent matchup and we are pleased to bring you all the action in high-quality audio at the LSN.  We're bringing our 'A' game, too...complete sentences and all!

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How many Texas high school football playoff games have ever been played in snow?  If our fearless meteorological experts are correct, there could be some that are on Friday night. 

When the season winds down and the number of playoff teams dwindles, many games move from Fridays to Saturdays, and such is the case again this season.  Across the state, in all classifications, there are only 11 Friday night games. (There were originally 12 on the schedule, but Sinton-LaGrange has been rescheduled to Saturday to avoid a weather problem.)  In places like San Antonio, San Marcos, Corsicana and Waco, there appears to be a chance that some snow will be on the turf or falling at gametime.

Still, it is hard to get a historical perspective on Texas high school football games played in snow.  Try googling 'Texas high school football in snow' and you'll learn more about Indianapolis Colts' long snapper Justin Snow (from Abilene Cooper HS) than you really need to know.

I'm not even sure there's a section in the officials' handbook on how to deal with snow. Lightning? Yes. Snow? Doubtful.  Officials may navigate some uncharted waters Friday night.

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Speaking of officials, the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO) has filed a lawsuit against the UIL, which had several weeks ago announced its intention to require all officials who worked a UIL-sanctioned sporting event to be registered with the UIL. 

In effect, the UIL wanted to be the governing body over the officials that are used in their games, a move that effectively would destroy TASO as an organization.  TASO is attempting to block the UIL's move through court action.

There are arguments both for and against what the UIL is doing (Randy Byers at Houston5ABaseball.com has done a good job of following this issue and elaborating on the ramifications as they relate to baseball umpires), but no matter which side you take, there had to have been a better way to handle this.

Could we see potential officials' boycotts of big-time UIL events down the road? We'll see. You can certainly expect salvos fired from both sides and general nastiness before this issue goes away. 

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What was this Florida State offensive lineman thinking on this play?  Perhaps sophomore tackle Zebrie Sanders--who hails from Ohio, nowhere near Texas--was having a premonition of Bobby Bowden's impending 'retirement' and needed a moment to cope.

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The TAPPS football championships in all six divisions are being played this Saturday, and LSN's sister network, TAPPStv.com, will provide live video streams of the games from the Temple/Killeen area.  There is a nominal charge for the broadcasts, but unlike other media outlets who have covered championships in the past, TAPPStv.com doesn't require you to take out a second mortgage to view the games.  A one-time $10 fee gets you every championship game.

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Okay...I've resisted as long as possible. I can't hold out any longer:  Tiger, what the...??? 

There isn't enough money in the world, much less Eldrick's bank account, to alleviate the self-inflicted agony he is going through at this very moment.

And though you've undoubtedly already heard this, he will now be known (instead of Tiger) as Cheetah Woods. 

Get it?  Hilarious!

Signed, Third Grade.

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I think the greatest thing America learned on this past Thanksgiving Day is that, while Colt McCoy is very good, he's certainly no Jerrod Johnson. Johnson is probably the greatest QB ever to play the game, certainly better than VY ever hoped to be.  In fact, JJ practically sewed up the Heisman on Turkey Day. 

(The previous paragraph is dedicated to all you Longhorns out there.  Remember this: you cannot correct an opinion, no matter how absurd it is.)

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Speaking of the McCoy family, Dad Brad and Little Brother Case play Friday night on the LSN, as the Graham Steers take on the Wimberley Texans in the Class 3A Division 2 Regional Final.

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Okay folks, bundle up this weekend and remember: when the weather outside is frightful, the computer is so delightful...and the best way to stay in touch with some great high school football.