KFDM COOP

Their picked to win District!

Gridiron heroes preparing for upcoming season By Dave Rogers Published June 28, 2008 The boys of summer don’t just play baseball anymore. Four days a week, about 200 football players for Baytown’s three high schools are on campus lifting weights and running sprints under the direction of their coaches. “This way they maintain what we built in the spring and they come in in August in shape and ready to roll,†Lee coach Mark Crooms said. “We didn’t have this when I was playing. I wish we had.†Of course, it’s illegal to hold summer football practices before the UIL’s official preseason start dates (Aug. 11 for those who held spring training, Aug. 4 for those who did not). These workouts fall under the UIL title “Summer Strength and Conditioning Program†and may be held Monday through Thursday from the end of school until the fourth Thursday in July. For Lee, Sterling and Goose Creek Memorial athletes, the voluntary two-hour workouts include a mix of weightlifting and running designed to make the players stronger, faster and quicker. “Basically we spend an hour in the weight room with them, then we go out and do some agility drills and running, work them into shape for August,†explained Memorial head coach Bret Boyd. His players are working out at Gentry Junior School while waiting for the new school to open. Rules forbid any football specific instruction and it’s not just football players doing the workouts. “We started off with athletes in all sports,†Boyd said. “We had several girls. But consistently, day in and day out, it’s primarily football. A lot of the other sports have started comparable programs.†Sterling assistant coach Adam Moseley said it’s the same at his school. “We have some girls’ basketball players and others come through every now and then, but 99 percent of are football,†he said. Each school offers two two-hour sessions a day, to accommodate their players’ availability. Players may legally attend only once per day. Crooms and fellow Lee assistant coach Milford Stephensen oversee sessions that run from noon to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Moseley and Mike Garcia oversee Sterling’s strength and conditioning sessions from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Usually, attendance is a lot better in the morning,†Moseley said. “Usually, the afternoon is for kids going to summer school.†Crooms said Lee also plans its sessions with summer school in mind. “The ones in summer school can come right over (at 2 p.m.),†he said. “The ones not in summer school come at 12. The ones who are working can come on their own (after 4 p.m.). I usually don’t go home until 6.†At Gentry, Memorial coaches hold strength and conditioning sessions from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 10 a.m. to noon. “Next year, we may do times differently,†Boyd said. “We may do one from 8 to 10 in the morning and another from 5 to 7 in the evening. But we took a poll of kids we were working with in the spring for the best times and this is how it ended up.†The times are good for the Patriots, based on turnout. “We’re probably averaging 65-70 kids during the day,†Boyd said. “We started off with about 90 and then everybody started taking their family vacations.†“Attendance has been great†at Lee, Crooms says, with about 60 players coming to the noon session and 30 more at 2 p.m. Moseley said Sterling averages about 50 players for its morning session and 25 in the afternoon. “You’re obviously going to have kids who use the summer to take family trips,†Sterling head coach Herb Minyard said. “We also try to impress upon them that if you’re here, in town, you kind of need to be here. “Obviously, we can’t make it mandatory. It’s a voluntary deal, if they want to prepare themselves.†Preparation is what it’s all about. “Football and volleyball are the only two sports that begin before school,†Minyard said. “Kids have to prepare themselves through the summer months to be ready to go.†Exactly, said Boyd. “Coaches have always been in the weight room for safety reasons, but it’s just been four or five years they’ve allowed the conditioning programs,†the Patriot coach said. “It’s definitely good with today’s world and the heat. It’s hard for kids to go out on their own and work out. Having them together helps everybody

8) 8)

This kid is going to be one of the best WR's in the State!

[Hidden Content]

Looks like it will reopen! State Approves HISD’s Plan for Two New Schools at Sam Houston June 20, 2008 Letter From Commissioner Click here to see a copy of the June 18 letter from the Texas Commissioner of Education (PDF). The Texas Commissioner of Education has approved HISD’s plan to create two new schools—a ninth-grade academy and a college-preparatory center—at the now-closed Sam Houston High School site, clearing the way for work to continue to have students return in August. Commissioner of Education Robert Scott approved HISD’s plan to create the two new schools, saying the “proposal has promise.†The Commissioner said a management team will be assigned to HISD to direct and oversee the work of creating the two new schools that will replace Sam Houston High School, which was closed because of unacceptable academic performance. “We are very pleased that Commissioner Scott has accepted our proposal to get exciting new schools with strong academic programs up and running for our young people in August,†Superintendent of Schools Abelardo Saavedra said. “The commissioner’s quick action on our request lets us move ahead with the work we need to get done to be ready to serve children when school starts again on August 25.†Commissioner Scott ordered Sam Houston High closed earlier this month because it failed to make enough academic progress to get off the state’s list of academically unacceptable schools. But last week, Dr. Saavedra worked with the commissioner’s office and the HISD Board of Education to craft a plan to open two new schools. The Texas school accountability system requires that all students and student groups (African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged), meet the academic standard in every subject before a school can be rated as academically acceptable. At Sam Houston High School, HISD officials were not able to help the school make enough progress in one subject—math. “Sam Houston has made some good progress these last few years. We’re all proud of the hard work of the teachers, the students, the parents and the community, and we are committed to many more great things in the future for that community,†Dr. Saavedra said. A new principal already has been appointed. Jane Crump, the very successful principal of William Stevenson Middle School, was named last month to lead the 10th-through-12th grade campus next year that will be a center for math, science, and technology and will offer college and career pathways for students in engineering, health professions, information technology, and automotive technology. The separate ninth-grade academy will feature a longer school day for students, and college and career programs, along with teen leadership classes focusing on character development. The ninth-grade academy will include intensive math, science, and technology instruction. Students needing extra math assistance would get 90 minutes of supplemental instruction every day. The students also will have a chance to take dual credit and Advanced Placement courses to earn college credit while still in high school. In a letter to Dr. Saavedra (PDF) dated June 18, Commissioner Scott wrote “I am granting the district’s request to repurpose the facility, subject to state oversight. “I believe your proposal has promise, particularly the longer school day for the 9th Grade Academy and the college readiness emphasis for the Math and Science Center. I expect the district to implement the proposal in a focused and consistent manner well beyond the first year detailed in the proposal, and am ordering state oversight for that purpose.†Commissioner Scott wrote the management team assigned from the state will “have the authority to direct the actions of the principals, superintendent and school board with respect to the two new campuses … .†The repurposed schools will have new names approved by the management team, and students won’t be assigned to either of the new schools for the next two years. Instead, any student around the district who wishes to attend either of the new schools, including students who live in the old Sam Houston attendance zone, can apply for admission. HISD must also offer students formerly zoned to Sam Houston transfers and transportation to any surrounding HISD high school if they wish. Parents of students previously assigned to Sam Houston High will be allowed to elect in writing to choose one of the two new campuses for their children. Although Commissioner Scott said at least 75 percent of the instructional staff previously assigned to Sam Houston must be reassigned, he is authorizing the management team to make “case-by-case exceptions for individual teachers who did not teach a subject that resulted in an Academically Unacceptable rating … .†“I appreciate the effort you, your staff, and the Houston ISD school board have made to develop the proposal for these two new schools,†Commissioner Scott wrote. “The plan will require a sustained commitment from the district but does show promise to become something the entire Houston community can be proud of.â€

Glad to see him doing well!!

[Hidden Content]

Men 100 Meter Dash ================================================================ World: W 9.72 5/31/2008 Usain Bolt, JAM American: A 9.79 6/16/1999 Maurice Greene, Nike OT: T 9.91 7/11/2004 Maurice Greene, Nike Hayward: S 9.88 2004 Shawn Crawford, USA Name Year Team Qtrs ================================================================ Heat 1 Quarter-Finals Wind: 1.6 1 Tyson Gay adidas A 9.77Q 2 Jeffery Demps unattached 10.01Q 3 Walter Dix Florida State 10.02Q 10.011 4 Leroy Dixon Nike 10.02Q 10.018 5 Michael Rodgers unattached 10.07q 10.063 6 Wallace Spearmon Nike 10.07q 10.069 7 J-Mee Samuels Arkansas 10.09 10.088 8 Teddy Williams Tx-San Antonio 10.24 Heat 2 Quarter-Finals Wind: 1.6 1 Travis Padgett unattached T 9.89Q 9.884 2 Rodney Martin Nike 9.95Q 3 Mark Jelks Nike 9.99Q 4 Chrisdon Hargrett adidas 10.12Q 10.113 5 Kendall Stevens unattached 10.12 10.114 6 Mardy Scales unattached 10.15 7 Mickey Grimes Nike 10.22 8 Rubin Williams Tennessee 10.26 10.256 Heat 3 Quarter-Finals Wind: 1.6 1 Darvis Patton adidas T 9.89Q 9.888 2 Ivory Williams Nike 9.94Q 3 Xavier Carter Nike 10.00Q 4 John Capel unattached 10.06Q 10.053 5 Rae Edwards Nike 10.06q 10.056 6 Trindon Holliday L S U 10.09q 10.083 7 Shawn Crawford Nike 10.09 10.090 8 Jeremy Hall Florida 10.26 10.260 ===================================================================== World: W 9.72 5/31/2008 Usain Bolt, JAM American: A 9.79 6/16/1999 Maurice Greene, Nike OT: T 9.91 7/11/2004 Maurice Greene, Nike Hayward: S 9.88 2004 Shawn Crawford, USA Name Year Team Qtrs Wind ===================================================================== Quarter-Finals 1 Tyson Gay adidas A 9.77Q 1.6 2 Travis Padgett unattached T 9.89Q 1.6 9.884 3 Darvis Patton adidas T 9.89Q 1.6 9.888 4 Ivory Williams Nike 9.94Q 1.6 5 Rodney Martin Nike 9.95Q 1.6 6 Jeffery Demps unattached 10.01Q 1.6 7 Mark Jelks Nike 9.99Q 1.6 8 Xavier Carter Nike 10.00Q 1.6 9 Walter Dix Florida State 10.02Q 1.6 10.011 10 Leroy Dixon Nike 10.02Q 1.6 10.018 11 John Capel unattached 10.06Q 1.6 10.053 12 Chrisdon Hargrett adidas 10.12Q 1.6 10.113 13 Rae Edwards Nike 10.06q 1.6 10.056 14 Michael Rodgers unattached 10.07q 1.6 10.063 15 Wallace Spearmon Nike 10.07q 1.6 10.069 16 Trindon Holliday L S U 10.09q 1.6 10.083 17 J-Mee Samuels Arkansas 10.09 1.6 10.088 18 Shawn Crawford Nike 10.09 1.6 10.090 19 Kendall Stevens unattached 10.12 1.6 10.114 20 Mardy Scales unattached 10.15 1.6 21 Mickey Grimes Nike 10.22 1.6 22 Teddy Williams Tx-San Antonio 10.24 1.6 23 Rubin Williams Tennessee 10.26 1.6 10.256 24 Jeremy Hall Florida 10.26 1.6 10.260

Come on Berk

Former Texas Tech basketball coach Robison dies LUBBOCK — Polk Robison, the second-winningest coach in Texas Tech basketball history who helped elevate the program from obscurity, has died. He was 96. Robison died early Friday, Texas Tech University spokesman Chris Cook said. Robison coached Texas Tech from 1942 to 1961 and had a career record of 248-195. His teams won three consecutive Border Conference titles, and his success is credited with helping the Red Raiders break into the Southwest Conference in 1956. Five years later, Texas Tech won the league championship. "It was a monumental milestone in making Texas Tech a major college athletic force to be reckoned with," Walt Huffman, dean of Texas Tech University's law school and Robison's son-in-law, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. After leaving coaching, Robison served as Texas Tech's athletic director from 1961 to 1969. Funeral arrangements were pending Saturday.

[Hidden Content]

WOS 87 i'm sure can find the data..

[Hidden Content]

8) Good staff in place!

Let's hear it!!

Draft picks could upgrade team's versatility The only things missed from the old neighborhood reunion were plates of hard shell crabs and some hammers to crack them open. Donte Greene and Joey Dorsey, a couple of kids who grew up on the streets of Baltimore, held their brand new Rockets jerseys for the cameras, wearing broad smiles and likely different expectations for their rookie seasons in the NBA. Greene, 20, enters the league after just one college season at Syracuse, long and angular, with a body and a game that need to fill out for the future. The 24-year-old Dorsey could take the floor next season and make an immediate impact with a physique and a personality that are as subtle as a battering ram going through a door. “I wouldn’t compare myself exactly to Tracy McGrady,†said the 6-9, 222-pound Greene in a soft voice. “I’m more of a Rashard Lewis type. Tracy McGrady is one of the top players in the game. I want to learn from him, Yao Ming, Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, some of the vets. They’ll be a blessing to me to help my game grow.†The 6-7, 265-pound Dorsey grinned. “Ray Lewis with a basketball,†he said, comparing himself to the hard-hitting NFL linebacker. The pair of rookies is the product of some deft and frantic maneuvering by the Rockets brass on draft night, turning the No. 25 selection in the first round into two live, potentially-productive bodies and an additional future second-round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. “It went according to plan,†said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. “In terms of what we wanted to come away with from the draft – a wing and a big, a balance of future and now – we got two players who we like a lot.†The Rockets see Dorsey, who played in the NCAA championship game for Memphis last season, as somebody who can spend time at both the four and five positions, giving them an active, large body on defense as a forward and a player capable of spelling Yao at times in the middle. While Dorsey may be short in stature for a traditional big man, he’s got the wingspan of more than a 7-foot and an aggressive, explosive style of play that the Rockets have craved in recent seasons. “I worked all summer on my offense,†said Dorsey, who averaged just 6.9 points a game for the Tigers last season. “I was trying to show people that I could score the ball. “But I think my defense is gonna be great for this team. I’m a defensive specialist. I’ll come here right away playing that defense with energy.†Greene, who’s done most of his shooting from the outside, sometimes questionably, is a bet for the future by the Rockets on a player with great athleticism and raw talent who could pay off dividends down the road. Barring injuries or unexpected developments, it would be surprising to see him crack the playing rotation for significant minutes next season. “I think it’s gonna tell when we get out on the court with the other players,†said head coach Rick Adelman. “I think what both of these guys are gonna find out, once they get on the court with our guys, is there’s gonna be a lot of competition. Our guys play hard and go after it. If they pick that up from the guys and are willing to work, there is an opportunity to play. “You look at last year with (rookies) Aaron (Brooks) and Carl (Landry). They both stayed with it. That’s what I told Aaron and Carl. You have to stay ready and be prepared in case you’re needed and they were. These guys both have talent. Now they have to learn what the NBA’s about.â€

Good luck Lions this year!

[Hidden Content]

Rockets pick Frenchman Batum HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Rockets selected French forward Nicolas Batum with the 25th pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-8 Batum has played three seasons in the French ProA league. He's averaging 12 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists this season with MSB Le Mans. The 19-year-old Batum was a member of the Under-19 French national team that took the bronze medal at the 2007 U-19 championships. Batum was named the Most Valuable Player when France won the gold at the 2006 Under-18 European championships. Houston went 55-27 last season, but lost to Utah in the first round of the playoffs. The Rockets have lost their last seven postseason series and haven't advanced out of the opening round since 1997. The Rockets also hold the 54th overall pick in Thursday's draft.

I agree LU should beat Tech but a close game is likely.