Deaf Athlete Triumphs
from North Texas Daily
Former NT defensive lineman John Castrese ran football plays without hearing the calls. In fact, at the last school Castrese played football for, very few of the players could hear the calls. John Castrese has not heard a spoken word since he was born; he is deaf. More

Town Rallies to Help Young Athlete in His Time of Need
from Dallas Morning News HS Game Time
In January, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer one day and underwent surgery the next, Wesley Hill called it "a pretty big shock." When the cancer came back in June, the shock had spread with it. "Pretty much everything I was hoping for," Wesley said, "was shot." All that he'd hoped for was the opportunity to prepare for his senior season of football in Abernathy, a West Texas town of about 3,000 just north of Lubbock. More

Texas Offers Prep Football’s Biggest Stage
from ESPN
College-quality coaching and talent, pro-style media coverage, the presence of legitimate state champions crowned through a true playoff system, rabid fan support -- everything Texas high school football has to offer was on display that November afternoon as an estimated 60,000 packed a venue normally reserved for the NFL to watch Carroll rally for a 22-21 victory over Euless Trinity in 2006. While some states might share some, or even all, of those characteristics, none bring them together on a stage as immense as the one offered by Texas, where high school football isn't so much a game as it is a way of life. More

In High School Football, Switching Positions Can Sometimes Lead to Great Things
from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
When Jeff Hulme became head football coach at Mansfield last year, he knew he had an all-state prospect at running back in Stepfan Taylor. But what Hulme didn’t know was who he would have up front blocking for Taylor. All five starting offensive linemen from 2007 were graduating, so last spring Hulme made the decision to move two defensive tackles to offensive line, Weston McDowell and Joved Popal. As with most coaches in the area, Hulme did what he had to do to give his team the best chance at success. Even if that requires an in-season position switch, coaches will do what it takes to win. More

Texas High Schools Have Become a Mirror Image of Big 12 Football
from The Kansas City Star
Dart after dart found the target. By halftime, quarterback Tyler Cotton, operating from the spread, had completed 13 of 20 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns on deep posts, and his team was well on its way to victory. Those kinds of numbers might be found in any offense-happy Big 12 game, but Cotton doesn’t line up for a college team. More

Programs Must Go National to Find System-Fitting Players
from ESPN
College football fans have a love for their in-state heroes, the local guys who make good and become major contributors to their home-state institutions. It's unrealistic, however, to think a college program can target only the talent within its own area. Many factors contribute to the national recruiting trends in today's world of college football. More

A Heartfelt Story
from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Back in May, near the end of school, Orlando Guerra came in from a late night out and did what many teen-agers do. He plopped down in front of the TV for some channel surfing. But something didn’t feel right. His heart was racing, and it wasn’t the first time. Weeks earlier, it had happened right before football practice. Then he did what many teen-agers might not do: He woke his parents and told them. Two days later, he was in a doctor’s office, starting a summer of worry that led to his surgery in August to repair a heart abnormality known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. More

Steele’s Simmons a Hot Commodity
from San Antonio Express-News
Steele guard Meighan Simmons caused many a jaw to drop in leading the Knights to the Class 4A state girls basketball tournament last season. Now, the junior is yielding national attention. Simmons, the reigning Express-News Girls Basketball Player of the Year, is ranked as the nation's sixth-best prospect for her class (2010) in a recent ESPNU HoopGurlz 60 list. Simmons is given a 92 ranking, which is tied for the second-highest ranking doled out. More