Be sure to make your vote count by checking out our latest poll on the HSGameTime.com home page.

Longview, last year's district champ, moved to 4A and has been replaced with DeSoto, District 8-5A co-champ a year ago. Mesquite, Tyler Lee and North Mesquite also made the playoffs in 2007.

So which team will dominate in '08?

Posted by Jason Zimmerman  at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Jack Petersen, part of Southlake Carroll's victorious run of 9:56.54 at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in late June, is affiliated with a few reputable trainers, including Jon Drummond.

Drummond, a former TCU standout, trains Tyson Gay, who ran the fastest-ever time in the 100 (a wind-aided 9.68) at the Olympic Trials.

Petersen will run at Alabama under the watch of coach Harvey Glance, the Olympic sprint coach and a gold medalist in the 1976 Olympic Games.

Here's how Petersen and the Carroll distance medley fared at Nike:

C.J. Brown, 1200 meter leg, Split: 3:04

Mason Williams, 400 meter leg, Split: 50.35

Jack Petersen, 800 meter leg, Split: 1:55.08

Colby Lowe, 1600 meter leg, Split: 4:06

Posted by Bobbi Roquemore  at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should a Texas sports team wear uniforms bearing the flag of Mexico and images of Pancho Villa and Santa Anna? That's the question we're asking in light of what Team Texas is wearing in this week's USAW Junior National Dual Championships in Oklahoma City.

Pictured here is Grapevine's Joe Andrews wearing one of the Team Texas singlets (props to The Oklahoman for providing the photo). As you can see, it has the Mexican flag along with the Texas flag. The image on the left leg is that of Pancho Villa.
I'm told there's a matching blue singlet (the competition requires both red and blue singlets) that has an image of Santa Anna. If you don't remember your seventh grade Texas History, Santa Anna was the numero uno villain of Texas' war for independence from Mexico.

There's no doubt Texas owes much of its heritage to Mexico and people of Mexican descent. After all, Texas was once part of Mexico. That was the intent of the uniform design, according to the Team Texas officials I talked to. There's a proper way to convey that, but these images are a little confusing, and perhaps out of place for a youth sports team. What do you think?

Posted by Keith Whitmire  at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Plano West grad and California-bound Shannon Hawari made the 18-and-under Open division's all-tournament team at the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships that are being held at Dallas Convention Center. Hawari's Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV) 18 Asics squad advanced to the quarterfinals.

Five others made the 17-and-under Open division all-tournament team including
Skyline Juniors 17 RoShamBo Jason's Tori Mellinger (Lake Highlands), Katherine Culwell (Highland Park) and Maddie Jones (Plano West) and TAV's 17 Asics' Lauren Martin (Euless Trinity) and Tobi Farrar (Arlington). TAV's 17 Molten's Sally Downs (Coppell) made the 17-and-under National division's squad.

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Austin Juniors 17 Mizuno pulled away for a 25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 25-21 victory against Skyline Juniors 17 RoShamBo Jason in the finals of the 17-and-under Open division at the U.S. Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships at Dallas Convention Center. Skyline was bidding to become the first Dallas-area school to win an Open division national title. Austin Juniors is only the second team from Texas to ever win an Open division national title.

The third game was particularly heartbreaking for Skyline, which couldn't convert four game points. Austin Juniors rallied for six straight points to secure the game after trailing 24-20. Amber Tatsch had three kills during the rally.

Austin Juniors' Sara Shaw took over in the fourth game with six kills. Skyline made a late charge in the fourth game after Austin Juniors led 23-17. Skyline staved off four championship points behind the serving of Lake Highlands' Tori Mellinger. But, Austin Junior secured the game on the fifth championship point when Skyline committed a hitting error. Highland Park's Katherine Culwell and Plano West's Maddie Jones were solid all the way through.

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Skyline Juniors 17 RoShamBo Jason held off Texas Advantage 17 Asics in five games to advance to today's final in the 17-and-under Open division at the U.S. Junior Olympics Volleyball Championships at Dallas Convention Center. Skyline won 25-19, 30-28, 27-29, 24-26, 15-11.

Skyline plays Austin Juniors 17 Mizuno in today's final that begins at 5 p.m.

Great effort on both sides. Skyline was in full control, leading 20-11 in the third game before TAV rallied. TAV fought off three match points and Jasmine Norton of Rowlett had seven kills in the third game.

» Continue reading: Volleyball: Skyline holds off TAV, plays for national title

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seven Texas teams will still be challenged by teams from out of state on Labor Day weekend at Texas Stadium, but there have been a few tweaks since details were first released in mid-March.
The four Saturday games are now part of the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series Presented by Burger King.
The schedule:
Justin Northwest vs Woodland Hills (Pa.), 11 a.m.; Mansfield Timberview vs. Buford Georgia, 2 p.m.; Cedar Hill vs. LaSalle (Ohio) Catholic, 5 p.m. and Arlington Bowie vs. Trotwood-Madison (Ohio), 8 p.m.
Woodland Hills replaces Ruston, Louisiana, Northwest's original opponent.
New name for the three Monday games is the National Football Foundation Event at Texas Stadium.
The matchups: Euless Trinity vs. John Curtis Christian (La.), Klein Oak vs. Mandeville La., and Colleyville Heritage vs. Clovis East (Calif.)

Posted by Randy Jennings  at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV) 17 Asics and Skyline Juniors 17 RoShamBo Jason face each other at noon today in the semifinals of the 17-and-under Open division at the U.S. Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships at Dallas Convention Center. This ensures one local team plays for the national title at 5 p.m.

TAV defeated Minnesota-based Northern Lights 17-1 in three games and Skyline outlasted California's Gold Cal 17 Jeff in five games. Another Texas team, Austin-based AJV 17 Mizuno plays California's Wave 17 Brent Spalding in the other semifinal.

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

State-championship coach John Lawhon is heading to Klein to take over for retired Allen Baker, the state's all-time winningest coach (656 wins in 31 seasons).

Although Lawhon's most recent position was as boys coach at Corsicana, he made his name as Coppell's coach for seven seasons. He guided Coppell to the 2004 state title and had three other state tournament appearances.

"It's an honor to get the job," said Lawhon, who finalized all his paperwork at Klein today. "I have some big shoes to fill, and I'm not even going to try."

Baker was the only coach Klein had ever had before his retirement. He led Klein to three state titles and a record 13 state tournament appearances.

He resigned from Coppell in 2007 to head to Corsicana - his alma mater - for his second stint there. Lawhon coached at Corsicana from 1995-2000 before leaving for Coppell. During his last three seasons at Coppell, he commuted from Corsicana. He plans on making the move to Klein.

"I didn't plan on this job coming open," Lawhon said. "Allen spoke with me at the state tournament, and he thought I'd be a good fit for the school and that got the ball rolling."

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Area teams - Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV) 17 Asics and Skyline 17 RoShamBo Jason - have advanced to the 17-and-under Open division quarterfinals of the US Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships at Dallas Convention Center. Both went 6-0 in their respective brackets during pool play. Quarterfinals begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday. They could face each other in the noon semifinals. The final is set for 5 p.m. TAV was national runner-up in the 16-and-under Open division last year.

Posted by David Hinojosa  at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Louise Henry, the Director of Development and Communications at Flower Mound Coram Deo:

Two experienced coaches are joining the Coram Deo athletic team this fall: Steve Lane will coach football and Victor Lemley will coach basketball.

Steve Lane, a football coach with 36 years experience in public and private schools, will be the head football coach. In 2002, Mr. Lane coached at Southlake Carroll when the Dragons won their first 5A state championship.

Victor Lemley, current dean of students for Coram Deo, will coach basketball. He has seven years experience coaching basketball, played college ball and was an all-state basketball player in high school.

Posted by Cameron Maun  at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let us know which football team you think will be the District 10-5A -- otherwise known as Garland ISD -- champion in 2008 by checking out this week's poll question on the HSGameTime.com home page.

Posted by Jason Zimmerman  at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)