KFDM COOP

Congrats!

Cloudy, some sun possible this afternoon late

Rain is about over!

RAIN IS MOVING OUT SO LOOKS LIKE THEY"LL PLAY!!

NM

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Spring football returned to Baytown Thursday afternoon. It’s only 135 days until Sterling’s 2008 season opener against La Porte, so the Rangers were out on the practice field after school trying to get ready. “We’ve got quite a few new players,†Sterling’s head coach, Herb Minyard, said. “We’ve got to increase our knowledge of execution, offensively and defensively, and on special teams. “We have some specific objectives we’ve got to be able to do to be successful next fall.†Sterling’s not the only local team holding spring drills this year. Lee has set Monday to begin its first spring training season in three years. Minyard’s Rangers were 1-9 a year ago, with their final game, a 52-49 overtime thriller against Kingwood their only win of the season. But they played well in late season losses to Beaumont West Brook and Port Arthur Memorial. Minyard is hoping that momentum will carry over into spring training, 18 practices in pads in the next 30 days, and then the season. “I think the last three ballgames at the end of the ’07 season saw us improve our mental understanding of our offense. Our execution improved,†he said. “That has carried over, not only to our offseason, but will be carried over to the spring. Sterling did not hold spring training a year ago, which was the second year in a row for the team to add a new defensive or offensive coordinator in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Scott Large will be working for his second year with the Rangers. “Spring football is not only for us to teach and insert offense, defense and kicking game, but also learn to be fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game,†Minyard said. “In the spring, there’s time to work on skills like blocking and tackling. During the season, or in August, it’s all about preparing for the opponent. Not having spring last year probably hurt us a little in that regard.†The school district rezoning to create a third high school at Goose Creek Memorial left Sterling with only about 90 players in grades 9, 10 and 11, the ones who were available for practice Thursday. Linemen Miki Partsch, Michael Gibson, Chris Howard and Curtis Jenkins, backs and receivers Chance Nelson, Dwain Nicholas, D’Andre Thompson and Andre Corley are among the more recognizable names on Minyard’s roster after graduation and rezoning finished with his 2007 team. A few players, like Keagan Kogut, the only experienced quarterback, are involved in other sports like baseball and track and will join the drills as soon as those seasons end. “I’m pleased with the progress we made in our offseason program,†Minyard said. “We’re going to continue lifting through spring football so we can maintain our strength.†The Ranger coach says he is not planning to hold a spring Blue-White game to end this year’s spring drills. “Right now we’re working on becoming a better fundamental football team,†he said. “There’s a great deal of work still to do.â€

Nederland, PN-G seeking revenge By Cody Pastorella The Port Arthur News District 22-4A's top four baseball squads face off tonight. Headlining the two games will be playoff hopefuls Little Cypress-Mauriceville and Nederland who have a 7 p.m. start in Mauriceville. Also at 7 p.m., the Port Neches-Groves Indians will be looking for revenge against the Vidor Pirates at the Reservation. All four teams have plenty to play for, as there is just one more week of the regular season after tonight's action. The winner Nederland’s game against LC-M will have control of its own destiny as far as who finishes in the third and final playoff spot. Vidor (8-2) and PN-G (8-2), on the other hand, are playing for the district title. With Vidor and LC-M meeting April 25 for the final game of league play, the Dogs and Indians have the best opportunity to seal their fate with wins tonight. The Bulldogs and Bears are tied for third in district after three straight victories from Nederland and three straight losses from LC-M knotted each team at 7-4. Of the Bears’ three losses, two of them have been decided by at least 10 runs. The most recent 10-run ruling came at the hands of the Dayton Broncos, who thrashed the Bears 12-1 on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs have really picked up steam heading into tonight's matchup. Last Friday, they pounded out nine hits in their 6-3 win over PN-G. Then, on Tuesday, Kirby Bellow pitched a gem and started a seventh- inning rally that eventually led the Bulldogs to a 1-0 victory over the Ozen Panthers (6-5). LC-M beat Nederland 7-3 in the first meeting on March 25. The Bulldogs outhit the Bears 10-9 in that contest but left nine runners stranded. Down 1-0, the Bears scored three in the third and three more in the fourth off Cody Laird to take a 6-1 lead. Josh Dean, who pitched five solid innings against PN-G to get the win last week, took the hill in the fourth inning against LC-M. Dean only surrendered one run in his 3.2 innings of work, and is the likely candidate to take the hill tonight. In his start against PN-G, Dean was very sharp, giving up just three runs. As far as pitching goes, no one could be more ready than the Tribe. PN-G's Eric Harrington has had plenty of rest, pitching just one inning on Tuesday and has not had a start since April 8. Mitchell Todd, the Tribe's regular No. 2 will also be ready to go if necessary. Vidor beat the Indians 4-3 on March 25. That decision came on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning off Todd. Harrington received a no-decision in that game, after pitching eight innings and allowing only three unearned runs. In District 22-4A softball, both the PN-G Lady Indians and the Nederland Lady Bulldogs have guaranteed playoff spots.

UT-PB signee Mills heads Dogs all-state swimming list By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News NEDERLAND -- Besides owning four school records, Kyle Mills is enabling his swimming pool efforts to pay for his college education. The 18-year-old Nederland senior signed a letter of intent Thursday to accept a swimming scholarship at UT-Permian Basin in Odessa. It's the first such scholarship for a Nederland swimmer since the duo of Scott Cessac (TCU) and Jenny White (Arkansas) earned such honors for the Bulldogs in 1999, according to Dogs swimming coach Julie Johnson. That's one of two special swimming awards recently secured by Mills. Kyle and four other NHS swimmers were chosen to the Class 4A all-state swimming team, chosen by TISCA (the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association). Mills was a first-team all-state selection for recording a Nederland school-record time of 53.02 in the 100-yard butterfly. Mills also displayed his sprinter's prowess in clocking a 21.92 in the 50-yard freestyle. "The fact that he broke that 100-yard butterfly record three different times says something about the kind of season Kyle had, too," Johnson said Thursday at a signing ceremony for Mills attended by all three local television stations. There's no doubt those other relay members will miss him, too. The quartet of Mills, Nick Hoelzer, Patrick Wilson and Joshua Sonnier combined for a 1:44.99 in the 200-yard medley relay, earning a second-team all-state berth. An honorable mention all-state choice in 2007, Mills also was part of an honorable all-state relay foursome in the 200-yard freestyle relay with the same other three swimmers -- Hoelzer, Wilson, and Sonnier. There's another all-stater on Nederland's squad who will miss Mills next winter, too. She's junior Samantha Wickizer, a second-team all-state choice in both the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle. Kyle's parents, Stephen and Sherry Mills, were at NHS for the signing ceremony. They can be mighty proud of this youngster who was "just in it to have fun." "I wasn't thinking of scholarships or anything when I started swimming competitively in the seventh grade," he said. "But I placed in regionals in both of my events (the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly)." Mills (6-0, 165) will be missed by Wickizer because the co-captains of this year's team tended to push one another to better performances. "I don't know what's going to happen but I know I'm going to miss him," Samanta said. "Me and him push each other in practice."

LU football search moving quietly By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News BEAUMONT -- While an early May timeline for naming a Lamar football coach remained possible, Billy Tubbs did not sound as if he planned to complete the process that soon. Speaking Thursday morning on Lamar's coaching search for the first time this month, the Lamar University athletic director sounded as if he intended to proceed as quietly and privately as possible on any discussions with likely candidates. "Our timeline is not necessarily set," Tubbs said, when asked about his plans for beginning any interview procedures. "We still have hurdles to clear the Texas Coordinating Board and through our (Texas State University System) board of regents. That doesn't mean we can't think ahead of the game. "We've obviously been on the prowl for football coaches and you always have to be proactive in having people in mind... We're on top of it to say the least." When asked for even a ballpark guess on Lamar's number of football coaching applicants, Tubbs responded, "I have no idea how many applicants we've had." Tubbs did not sound as if it were too far into the selection process if an applicant expressed a strong interest in the job. It already was posted last month that Lamar University intended to hire a head coach with college coaching experience. Although the May timeline was tossed around Golden Triangle media circles, an August timeline also had been expressed as a possible point when LU hoped to have a coach in place. "We have some ideas about what we're going to do but we're doing all of that in-house," Tubbs said. "We're not going to give our thoughts out about the candidates... but hey, you know the Port Arthur News and the Beaumont Enterprise will name the coach anyway... So I may have to turn it over to you!"

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Bears eager to end losing streak Gabriel Pruett The Orange Leader LITTLE CYPRESS — It does not get any bigger than tonight for the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears — at least for the time being. The Bears will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak tonight as they play host to the Nederland Bulldogs with both teams sitting at 7-4 in District 22-4A play. Port Neches-Groves and Vidor are both tied for first place in the standings and the Indians will entertain the Pirates tonight to break the first-place tie. LC-M is coming off a surprising 12-1 defeat against the Dayton Broncos on Tuesday. Nederland was busy defeating Ozen, 1-0, to force the tie for third. “Friday is as big as they get,†LC-M Coach Steve Griffith said. “We have to play well and play how we had been playing earlier in the season.†The Bears have been reeling as of late since a 11-1 lose to PN-G at Don Gibbens Field. Ozen (6-5) then got the better of LC-M, 5-3. “We are going to do everything we have to to get ready to play and play as hard as we can,†Griffith said. “Hopefully we will be there in the end.†Also taking place at Don Gibbens Field will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new entrance at 5:30 p.m. Trees in memory of two LC-M students, Corbin Burnett and Victoria Enmon, will also be dedicated. The Bridge City Cardinals (12-0) have already locked up the District 21-3A championship and will look to remain unbeaten in league play when they play host to the West Orange-Stark Mustangs (2-10) tonight. Orangefield (4-8) snapped a six-game losing streak on Tuesday by defeating WO-S and will now entertain Hardin-Jefferson (9-3) tonight. The Hawks are alone in second place while Jasper and Silsbee are in a tie for third place in District 21-3A. The Bulldogs and Tigers will square off tonight. In softball action, tonight’s game between the WO-S Lady Mustangs (10-3) and Bridge City Lady Cardinals (11-2) cannot get any bigger. The Lady Cardinals have dropped their last two district games after winning 89 in a row while the Lady Mustangs are coming off a 2-0 defeat to Orangefield. Orangefield (6-7) will be looking for another district win tonight as the Lady Bobcats play host to the Hardin-Jefferson Lady Hawks (2-11). The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears are all alone in third place in 22-4A and are a game up on Dayton (8-5). LC-M plays host to Vidor (2-11) tonight to wrap up the regular season.

8) Be nice now Westend. 8)

Let's hear it!

Congrats!

Bulls dismiss Boylan as interim coach DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The Chicago Bulls fired interim coach Jim Boylan on Thursday, likely the first of several changes after a disappointing season. General manager John Paxson said Boylan was let go during a morning meeting at the Bulls' practice facility. Boylan left without commenting. "It really just came down to the fact that I think we need the option to look at things differently," Paxson said. "I want to now be able to explore candidates and listen to different philosophies on how to [use] our personnel." The firing was the first move of what figures to be a busy offseason for a team that finished 11th in the Eastern Conference just one season after reaching the second round of the playoffs. The Bulls won 49 games and a playoff series last season but took a big step backward in 2007-08, finishing 33-49. They were 24-32 under Boylan, who was promoted from assistant to his first NBA head coaching job after Chicago fired Scott Skiles in December. "I was brought in here in the middle of the season," Boylan said a day before the Bulls ended his tenure. "It's kind of a tough situation. A lot of things happened." Still, Boylan described his experience as "fun." "I had a lot of fun doing it," he said. "It was full of all kinds of experiences -- some good, some not so good. Sitting in the head coach's seat was comfortable and enjoyable. I loved the challenge." Paxson said he doesn't "have any one person in mind" to replace Boylan and that NBA head coaching experience is not required. He's willing to consider an assistant or college coach. Former Indiana and Detroit coach Rick Carlisle might be considered, as well as Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau. A year ago, the Bulls were preparing for what turned out to be a first-round sweep of Miami and their first series victory since the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen era. They pushed Detroit to six games in the second round, but the optimism they brought to training camp seemed to disappear just as the season began. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turned down five-year contract extensions worth more than $50 million, and Kobe Bryant trade rumors only added to the angst. The Bulls got off to another slow start, as in the previous few years -- but couldn't break out of it this time. "At times, this year, we let things bother us that I thought we were past," Boylan said. "I felt we had the formula for how to be successful and everybody understood it, but it seems like as you reflect back on the season, that wasn't the case." Paxson said the Bulls "lost our identity as a team -- and our spirit." The Bulls were 9-16 when they fired Skiles. They missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season, when Skiles took over early on for Bill Cartwright and Chicago finished 23-59. Skiles led the Bulls to the playoffs the next three seasons. But neither he nor Boylan could turn things around this year. The losses piled up, players lashed out. The hard-nosed defense and unselfish play of the previous three years never surfaced. "A lot of things in this league aren't fair," guard Kirk Hinrich said. "[boylan] kind of got dealt a tough situation. The record is what it is. We're done here. It's just a position we didn't want to be in." Guard Ben Gordon said Boylan was in an obviously difficult situation. "But in this business, a lot of people have to deal with tough situations," Gordon said. "He's a guy who will continue to get better as a coach because he puts effort into it." Boylan dealt with several tough situations this season. Rookie Joakim Noah was suspended in January after a verbal outburst at assistant coach Ron Adams in practice. Initially a one-game suspension, his teammates voted to extend it to two. A short time later, Noah and Ben Wallace exchanged words following a blowout loss to Orlando. Tyrus Thomas, apparently unhappy with his playing time, skipped practice and was handed a two-game suspension last month. Chris Duhon missed a March 9 shootaround after being spotted the night before in Durham, N.C., at the North Carolina-Duke game; he was fined, benched for one game and inactive for another. Bulls officials were not happy with his reaction -- "I haven't been playing a lot anyway," he said. It was true. Duhon's minutes had been limited after Larry Hughes' arrival with Drew Gooden in the three-team deal that sent Wallace to Cleveland. Another episode was coming, this one involving Andres Nocioni. Nocioni blew up at Boylan after being lifted in the second quarter of a game against Indiana late last month and got sent to the locker room. Nocioni apologized two days later, another sorry episode in a sorry season for the Bulls. Paxson called the outbursts "disturbing" and "out of character." To top it off, players did not develop the way he anticipated. Deng, who looked like a budding star last season, missed 16 games in January and February with left Achilles tendinitis after sitting out three in November with lower back pain. He averaged 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. Hinrich also struggled, averaging a career-low 11.5 points and 6.0 assists. Gordon, the team's leading scorer, saw his average drop from 21.4 points to 18.6. "I do think we need a different, or new, type of vibe with our team," Paxson said. "A different kind of energy."

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas stars Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft Thursday, less than two weeks after leading the Jayhawks to their second national title in 20 years. Rush was set to enter the NBA draft a year ago, but injured his knee during a pickup game and withdrew his name. The 6-foot-6 junior guard averaged a team-best 13.3 points this season, helping Kansas to its third national championship overall. By declaring for the draft a second time, Rush loses his college eligibility. Arthur has not signed with an agent, meaning he can return to Kansas. The 6-9 sophomore forward tied Mario Chalmers as Kansas' second-leading scorer this season at 12.8 points per game and was second with 6.2 rebounds.

Japan baseball team hits 66 runs in two innings A Japanese high school pleaded for a regional game to be abandoned after surrendering 66 runs in less than two innings, local media reported on Thursday. The coach of Kawamoto technical high school threw in the towel to spare his pitcher's arm with his team losing 66-0 with just one batter out in the bottom of the second. The hapless hurler had already sent down over 250 pitches, allowing 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second before Kawamoto asked for mercy. "At that pace the pitcher would have thrown around 500 pitches in four innings," Kawamoto's coach was quoted as saying. "There was a danger he could get injured." Opponents Shunshukan were officially credited with a 9-0 victory, giving the scoreline a tinge of respectability for the luckless Kawamoto school.

Don't think they really kept score. Weekly leagues games have now started and we'll have info on those.

Should be a pretty good BB District 18-3a Jasper Carthage Center Diboll Huntington Hudson Pollock Central Rusk

Livingston will be in the mix!

Rain Friday! Probably have to play Saturday!