Texas High-School Athletes Gain Ground in Class
from The Wall Street Journal
A new Texas law that could double the amount of academic credit high-school athletes receive for playing sports is stoking a long-standing debate in the Lone Star State about whether athletics should count the same as schoolwork More

Houston Area Teams Off to Strong Starts
from the Houston Chronicle
The 2009 football season opened to favorable reviews for area teams. The Woodlands ran past Cy-Fair 42-6 on the road behind 185 passing yards and one touchdown from quarterback Trent Eckel and two touchdown receptions from Randy Knust, who had 155 receiving yards on seven catches. But there's no time to celebrate with Katy on the docket. More

The Hearts of Two Champions
from the Mineral Wells Index
It had been a hard practice for Laramie Stroud, one of the many tough ones in the machine known as Strawn High School football. His head hurt from tackling teammate Trey Doyle in practice. His legs burned from the 100-yard wind sprints he and his teammates are ran, and the sun ... well, it’s Texas in August so you know the drill. To say the least, he was beat up and tired ... and sitting in the shade with the others watching practice looked pretty tempting. Quitting, however, isn’t something the senior defensive end would even consider. Especially after a chance meeting with a disabled fan last month. Rusch Dillard – he reminds himself every step he forces his body to take – you did this to me. More

Rockwall ISD Opens School Year with New Aquatic Center, New School, Renovated Stadium
from The Dallas Morning News HS Game Time
The Rockwall school district has a new aquatic center, a $17 million jewel that lured former Highland Park swim coach Mike Sorrells out of retirement. Among other features, the center has a 50-meter competitive pool and a smaller one for swim lessons, athletic rehabilitation and therapy. More

McCallum Coach, Player Who Died Memorialized by Teams
from the Austin American-Statesman
This season, McCallum football players will wear helmet decals with former coach Pat Honeycutt's initials on them. Nobody on the McCallum volleyball team will ever wear Halle Brent's No. 8 jersey again. A semester after the McCallum community lost two of its own, the Knights are moving on. Earlier this year, Honeycutt died of a heart attack that he suffered at a McCallum basketball game on Jan. 30. Honeycutt, who also served as athletic director, had been the school's head football coach for 17 seasons, compiling a 96-82-1 record. More

Steele's Brown Returns in Style
from the San Antonio Express-News
Playing in his first game since suffering a lower leg fracture late last season, Steele running back Malcolm Brown showed why he's already ranked among the state's elite juniors. Brown rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns Saturday at the Alamodome, propelling the Knights to a 35-14 victory over East Central in the Texas Football Classic. More

Carroll Boys, Girls Race to Cross Country Titles
from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Carroll boys cross country team appears to have gotten over last year’s disappointing Region IV-5A finish. The Tigers’ defending regional championship girls’ team, meanwhile, picked up right where it left off Saturday in the season opener for both teams at Cole Park. More

Comanche Football Team Might be Better Than Expected
from the Abilene Reporter-News
Virtually everyone familiar with Class-2A football in the Big Country expected the long-suffering Indians of Comanche to emerge as on of the area’s most improved teams in 2009. The Indians returned nearly every key player from last season’s 3-7 club, including quarterback Jerick Roberts, so it was a logical assumption that they would field a far better product. But how many of you saw a 47-0 Zero-Week rout of Hamilton coming? More