Bayley commits to Texas

Stratford swimmer Hunter Bayley has committed to the University of Texas, his mother, Lori, said in an e-mail Friday morning.

Bayley, the 2007 state 500 freestyle champion, finished third in the 200 free (1:39.63) and eighth in the 500 free (4:42.9) at the state championships last year. He was sixth in the 100 back as a sophomore.

He chose Texas rather than Arizona, Lori Bayley said.

I have a message out to Hunter, so when I hear from him a story will be posted as soon as possible.

Plays of the Week poll results

Cy Springs: Arter 66-yard TD pass to Wilson
43.8%

Memorial: Ratterree's 55-yard punt return for TD
26.7%

Madison: Thomas jukes, scores second of five TDs
21.9%

The Woodlands: Lasco 78-yard TD run
6.7%

Chavez: Cole busts out, scores from 40 yards
1%

Bi-district volleyball pairings

Here's what we have now ... waiting on a few calls and e-mails to be returned. Still waiting on the 19-5A vs 20-5A and 23-5A vs 24-5A. When I get more matchups, they'll be posted here:

Tuesday
Cinco Ranch vs. Memorial at Don Coleman Coliseum, 5 p.m.
Katy vs. Spring Woods or Alief Taylor at Stratford, 5 p.m.
Cypress Falls at Round Rock, 6 p.m.
Elsik vs. Katy Taylor at Morton Ranch, 6 p.m.
Cy-Fair vs. Georgetown at Brenham High School, 6:30
Cedar Park or Leander vs. Cypress Woods at Berry Center, 6:30
Bellaire at MacArthur, 7 p.m.
Cypress Creek vs. Round Rock Westwood, 7 p.m.
Seven Lakes vs. Stratford at Don Coleman Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Dulles vs. Dickinson at Pearland, 8 p.m.
Eisenhower vs. Westside
Kingwood vs. Carnegie Vanguard
Atascocita vs. Lamar
Travis vs. Clear Brook
Clear Creek vs. Fort Bend Austin
Elkins vs. Clear Lake

Poll results

The results of last Thursday's poll on how closely fans follow playoff projections:

Closely; it's fun to guess who my team might play
57.4%

Somewhat; I like to get an idea
30.9%

Not really; nothing is set in stone
11.8%

Playoff predictions: Week 9

Time to look at this week's playoff predictions at 5ATexasFootball.com and see what we got...

1. It still looks tough in the top part of Division I, Region III with Cinco Ranch, Eisenhower, North Shore and Hightower at the top half, while Pearland looks to come out of the bottom half. But which team could upset those teams and win the region? Well, Memorial could make a run with its tough defense and strong running game. Plus, the Mustangs will have an easy road until meeting Pearland in the regional semifinals. Also, Lamar could be a team that might be ready for a breakout run in the postseason, but will have to get past Memorial in the second round first.

In Division II, Region III, it's as wide open as it can get. Granted that Katy is the defending state champs and should always be a team no one should have any doubts about. But this is a Katy Tiger team that struggled early in the season against two really good teams like The Woodlands and North Shore, and it's still a question whether they have completely turned the corner and returned to its swagger it had last year.
One team that has the tools to knock off Katy is Beaumont West Brook. The Bruins have a very diverse offense centered around running back Christian Michel and quarterback Christian Louis. They could keep the Tiger defense on their heels and knock off the state champs.
I still think Elkins can run the table to the regional finals. The Knights look explosive enough on offense to overcome a mediocre defense, and has a favorable bracket with only Strake Jesuit as the only true test.

In Region II, Cypress Creek looks really strong, but will have to get past Klein Oak in the second round and a tough Tyler Lee team in the third round if the Cougars have any dreams of winning the region in Division II, while the winner of The Woodlands/Westfield game could be the region champ in Division I.

What say you? Got any big games or matchups you like, or am I off-base in my predictions?

More honors for Whitsett

Memorial High School golfer Cory Whitsett has been named a Rolex Junior All-American after he won two big tournaments this summer, the Western Junior and Rolex Tournament of Champions, and finished in the top 10 five other times.
The complete release is here.

There's still damage at Knoblauch Field

Much of the area, including most of that in our coverage area as well as my neighborhood out on the League City-Friendswood border, has recovered from Hurricane Ike to the point that you have to look for damage.

Other than a few fences that have yet to be repaired, my neighborhood has gotten off pretty lucky.

One structure still visibly damaged is Ray Knoblauch Field at the Butler Complex, where I was this afternoon to cover the Chavez-Madison football game. The left half of the backstop is completely collapsed but not broken away from the other half, so it bends down behind home plate – making for an interesting-looking and extremely bent support beam.

Much of the roof of the visitor’s dugout (the first base side) is completely gone, and many letters are missing from the scoreboard.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the infield was considerably overgrown.

Hopefully the pictures I took of the screen and fence along the left-field line will load correctly and you can see it yourself.

It was really something of a sad sight, considering that just four months ago I watched two of the best baseball series I’ve ever seen when Westside played Baytown Sterling in the regional semifinals, then was edged by Bellaire in a phenomenal three-game regional finals.

On an unrelated note, since we’re nearing playoff time scouts from across the area were out in force. Atascocita was in, as were Strake Jesuit head coach Ron Counter and a few assistants – presumably scouting a later-round game since 18-5A teams will see 17-5A in the bi-district round.

Lamar was out in force; they get Madison in two weeks in the regular-season finale.

Game wrapup coming soon.

This week's poll results

Because the results of our previous poll disappears when we post a new poll, here is the result of last week's poll:

Do you watch other high schools' games on TV?

Yes, I love high school football no matter who's playing

47.1%

Depends on the matchup

43.1%

No, it's not my school

9.8%

More Florida baseball

While the World Series is played Wednesday and Thursday in Tampa Bay, many local players are heading to Jupiter, Fla. for the 2008 World Wood Bat Association & Baseball Championship Series.
Teams representing our area are the Bellaire Offseason Cards, the Houston Heat and the Texas Scout Team Yankees.
The Cards team, coached by Steve Silver, consists entirely of Bellaire players. This group finished second in the recent TASO tournament. Players from our coverage area on the other teams are as follows:
* Houston Heat: 2B/SS Barrett Barnes (Fort Bend Austin), P/3B Matthew Bean (Kinkaid), P Michael Bentz (Memorial), C M.P. Cokinos (Memorial), P Tyler Duffie (Lamar), C Ryan Guedry (Houston Christian), P/1B Kevin Hahn (Stratford), OF Connor Harrell (Kinkaid), IF/3B C.J. Jarvis (Houston Christian), P/C Daniel Mengden (Westside), P Keifer Nuncio (Katy), P/IF Michael Reed (Stratford), P Jeff Spillane (Houston Christian).
* Texas Scout Team Yankees: 3B/middle IF Jake Miller (Stratford), UTIL Andrew Stumph (Katy), OF Kyle Von Tungeln (Kempner).
Thanks to the mother of Memorial pitcher/1B Steven Murray for mentioning this event to us.
Check out more info about the tournament here.

No new sports

The UIL shot down proposals to add gymnastics and boys volleyball as sports during its weekend meetings. Read more here.
Additionally, representatives from the Rio Grande Valley were in Austin trying to get Region IV postseason tournaments rotated into their area. Any changes would not take effect until the next realignment, which will be for the 2010-11 school year. Read more here.

UIL Legislative Council meeting Monday

It's always interesting to see what will come up at these meetings. Here's a look.
I noticed lacrosse is not on the menu. I was surprised last summer to hear that might not be a varsity sport in this state for a while.
Here's the agenda, straight from UIL.
**
The University Interscholastic League Legislative Council will convene October 19-20 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Austin to review UIL rules and vote on proposed rule changes.

The UIL Legislative Council meets annually to hear testimony from interested parties and consider changes in UIL policy. Some proposals that will highlight the agenda at this year’s meeting include:
· Adding gymnastics;
· Modifying 6-Man football realignment policies;
· Changing Officials fees;
· Allowing boys to participate in UIL volleyball;
· Creating bi-lingual UIL academic events.

Football thoughts to come sometime this weekend. It's late and I have cross country in the morning, not to mention a family wedding at night.
Have a great weekend!

The blowout story I "promised"

My former colleague in covering Central Ohio prep sports, Steve Blackledge of the Columbus Dispatch, mentioned the recent trend of blowouts in his notebook this morning. Click here. You may be surprised at what you read.

Random thoughs on Week 7

Sitting at my desk on a rainy Thursday morning (but it looks better this afternoon), I was talking with Dave about my thoughts about some football teams, so I decided to put them into words for you wonderful people in the blogosphere.

1. In today's podcast, Dave asked me about why teams in District 24-5A get mostly ignored in the conversation of top area teams. Well, I said mostly because a lot of those teams aren't very good. But one team stuck out in my mind as a team that has the talent and coaching to win, but always seems to bottom out late in the season.
Clear Lake is a well-coached, physical and talented team year in and year out. But the Falcons have had big problems winning district games the last couple of years. Late losses to rivals Clear Brook and Clear Creek hurt Lake last year and that cost them a playoff spot. If they would have won those games, they would be a top team in the area.
But this year, Clear Lake is playing pretty good ball so far. Except for a loss to The Woodlands (which is nothing to be ashamed of this season), the Falcons look really strong with impressive wins over Aldine and Strake Jesuit, plus two easy district wins against Alvin and Clear Springs. Now the tough part begins.
The Falcons face Clear Brook Friday night, then undefeated Dickinson at home next week, then at Brazoswood and a big game against Clear Creek to end the season. All of these games are make-or-break for Clear Lake. I hate to use that phrase, but it's the truth. Three of their next four games must be wins, or it will be another tailspin finish for Clear Lake.

2. I know I've been gushing about how Travis and its big win over Elkins last week. The Tigers are the talk of 23-5A (along with Hightower, of course), but one team that is making history is Bush.
Ever since their debut back in 2001, the Broncos have been a doormat in Fort Bend ISD. In their seven seasons, Bush had a losing record in each of them, only cracking the three-win plateau twice. But now, Bush is 2-2 so far and is 2-1 in District 23-5A play after a 20-19 win over Fort Bend Austin in a game where special teams were not too special for both teams. But for Bush, a win is a win.
Allen Aldridge, a former NFL linebacker who played for the Denver Broncos (coincidence?), has taken over as Bush head coach after being the defensive coordinator the last two years and has installed a winning attitude for a program that desperately needed one. Bush will probably fall to Hightower this Saturday, but with big games coming up against Elkins and Kempner, the Broncos are in a prime position to clinch the school's first playoff berth.

3. Who would have thought that Alief Taylor would be in a position to win District 17-5A? Well, they do if the Lions can beat Strake Jesuit on Friday and Memorial next week.
Give credit to Taylor quarterback Rodney Owens, who has made several big plays this season, including a 66-yard touchdown run against Hastings. Owens is averaging 9.7 yards per carry and has six rushing touchdowns and four passing so far.
But the defense will have to step up in the next two games if the Lions are looking to win its first-ever district title.

So it's football time this weekend, and my schedule is stuffed. I'll be at Mercer Stadium for three games: Austin-Kempner on Friday, Elkins-Clements on Saturday afternoon and Hightower-Bush on Saturday night. Should be a fun weekend of football!!!

A (really) short week

This note was for a football notebook this week that will have to wait until next week, but I liked it too much to waste so here it is:

Thursday night’s Cypress Ridge-Cypress Falls game at the Berry Center will have several interesting dynamics, not the least of which is that both teams will be coming off only four days of preparation.

The game will be shown on ESPNU at 7 p.m.

Fortunately for the Rams, Cy Falls didn’t have an extra day either. The Eagles are coming off a 40-33 loss to Langham Creek.

“We’ve done this (short weeks) before,” Rams coach Gary Thiebaud said Saturday night after a 21-14 win against Cy-Fair. “Tomorrow (Sunday) is gonna be a long day for coaches, then we’ll practice Monday. It’ll be a full practice. Normally after a Saturday game Monday practices are short. Then Tuesday will be good and Wednesday we’ll have to scale it back.

“It’ll be a huge one. The kids are excited about being on national TV. We’re right in the district hunt. It’s another important game.”

91-0? 96-0? Really??

Caught wind this morning of a high school football game in Florida that ended up 91-0. I have never seen with my own two eyes such a lopsided game; the worst I ever witnessed was a 76-12 beatdown back in 2002 or 2003.
That, however, wasn't the worst blowout of this weekend. That honor goes to Beechcroft High School in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, which beat Centennial 96-0. I know both schools well; in my high school days in the mid-1990s, Beechcroft was one of our biggest rivals for the conference championship every year. Coach Tom Dunlap has done a wonderful job with the Cougars for years, but when I look at a box score and see they beat Centennial (which long since has been an also-ran in the Columbus City League) by scoring 55 in the first quarter, 21 in the second, six in the third and 14 in the fourth, I just shake my head and wonder how it's possible.
Of course I haven't been able to substantiate this next anecdote, but I've read in more than one place that Beechcroft ran only 24 plays, not including kneeldowns. Among the scores were 10 offensive touchdowns, three fumble returns for scores and one punt return.
Beechcroft's only loss of the year came the week before, 13-6 to Brookhaven, the only other decent team in their division and one of only a handful of legitimate programs in the city. Other than that, they've beaten mostly creampuffs by a combined 376-19 score.
If your second- and third-teamers are good enough to continue to dominate the opposition, there's not a lot anyone can do. I hope that's what's been happening with Beechcroft or any team that wins that big.
I have a feeling my old compadre, Columbus Dispatch preps writer Steve Blackledge, will be doing a story on lopsided games sometime soon. If he does, I'll be sure to link to it here.

Loston to Clemson off?

With word of Tommy Bowden's ousting as Clemson coach comes the (almost inevitable) word that Eisenhower safety and Clemson commit Craig Loston now is "looking elsewhere," according to an ESPN.com story.
Funny enough, minutes after the firing was announced, Loston's recruiting page on ESPN.com already listed him as having decommitted.
This is hardly a secret. Loston committed to Clemson in April but has been considered a soft verbal almost ever since. His cousin, Cypress Ridge QB and LSU commit Russell Shepard, is working hard to build the Tigers' already-sterling class and - perhaps not surprisingly - Loston is on his watch list.
Loston may remain a Tiger, but gut says it'll be in Baton Rouge.
We'll keep our eye on this.

Thanksgiving Jamboree schedule released

Port Arthur Memorial, HCYA, Bellaire, Wheatley and host Strake Jesuit highlight the field for the Thanksgiving Jamboree basketball tournament, scheduled for Nov. 28-29 at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School.

As usual, it's mostly Houston taking on Dallas. Thanks to the omnipresent Jim Hicks of RCSSports.com for providing the schedule, which is as follows:

Friday, Nov. 28
Austin LBJ vs. HCYA, noon
North Forest vs. Port Arthur Memorial, 1:30
Second Baptist vs. Dallas Kimball, 3 p.m.
Istouma (La.) vs. Dallas Pinkston, 4:30
St. Thomas vs. Dallas Lancaster, 6 p.m.
Westfield vs. Dallas Lincoln, 7:30
Bellaire vs. Episcopal School of Dallas, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 29
North Forest vs. HCYA, 10:30 a.m.
Second Baptist vs. Austin LBJ, noon
Westbury Christian vs. Istrouma (La.), 1:30
Port Arthur Memorial vs. Dallas Pinkston, 3 p.m.
St. Thomas vs. Episcopal School of Dallas, 4:30
Strake Jesuit vs. Glen Oak (La.), 6 p.m.
Bellaire vs. Dallas Lincoln, 7:30
Wheatley vs. Lancaster, 9 p.m.

An early look at some playoff projections

It's that time in the season where a lot of us high school football pundits take a look at where teams might be when the playoffs roll around. Our friends at 5A Texas Football have posted their early playoff predictions, and there's a lot of good stuff out there. Of course, things can change from week to week until Nov. 8, but here's what I see that stands out in the predictions in teams from the Houston area:

1. The top part of Div. I Reg. III is super strong: Cinco Ranch, Eisenhower, North Shore and Hightower. All four of those teams could face each other in the area round (Cinco vs. Ike, NS vs H-Tower) and in the reg. semis. The survivor then would more than likely face Pearland in the reg. final.

2. Feel free to flame me on this, but I think Elkins could end up in the Div II Reg. III final. Why? I feel the Knights can get by Dickinson, Lee and La Porte, and have a shot against either Mayde Creek or Strake Jesuit.

3. We might finally see Katy vs. West Brook in the reg. semis if everything holds. I feel Katy can get by Stratford and Humble with ease, while the Bruins should take out South Houston and Clear Brook.

4. We could see a rematch of a fun, high-scoring game between Klein Oak and Cy Creek in the second round.

5. The Woodlands. Spring Westfield. First round. Wow.

6. Cy Ridge could face Lufkin in the second round. That should be real entertaining.

What do you think about the predictions, and what do you think about my thoughts?

Random observations

I would have filed this blog right after I got home from St. John's-St. Thomas last night, but a flat tire sustained at I-45 and the 2351 exit dictated otherwise, as in I got everything posted when I got home, then went straight to bed.
A few observations from Friday night:

- Congratulations to North Shore and coach David Aymond on their 73rd straight regular-season victory, a state record. Aymond is a total class guy and though I'm not the closest to their team, I always enjoy talking to him and stepson Dustin Porterfield, who is hard at work with the new VYPE publication here in town. The best thing about this win, as far as I'm concerned, is Aymond didn't schedule the sisters of the poor! They went 100 miles north into a potential hornet's nest and survived.

- I wasn't surprised that Memorial beat Stratford, but I was surprised it was by 18 points. The defense sounds like it was awesome; a Jared Carameros INT return for a touchdown and 190 total yards allowed. Unless they slip big-time, I'll put it on record now that Memorial goes undefeated in the district.

- Even having lost 20-12 to Langham Creek, Cy-Fair seems to have improved considerably. They rushed for 320 yards and shaved their turnovers considerably (one fumble and one interception). That said, they're already behind the 8-ball and need to punch through for that first win soon.

- Congrats to Aldine for getting that first win, 14-7 against Nimitz. The offense amassed only 210 yards but resorted to trickery for the winning score; the winning touchdown was thrown by quarterback/kick holder Alex Jones on a fake field goal attempt.

- Kudos to St. Thomas band director Donald Thoede, who was invaluable in more ways than one Friday night. Not only did he give me the complete bios of all the Homecoming candidates for that short story (I had it finished before the queen was announced!) but his band's selection is outstanding. Not every band plays "Day Tripper," the opening drum line of "Those Shoes" (by the Eagles) and other pop staples but they do. It was great not to hear the Hey song for once.