TEXAS HS FOOTBALL – STATE FINALS ARE HERE!

[Sirhornsalot]

All games will be held at JerryWorld in Arlington. All games will be televised live on FoxSports Southwest .

– Temple DE Taquon Graham will be the lone Texas commit represented in the finals. His Wildcats will take on Highland Park. Graham's primary target that day will be Jerry Jones' grandson, the QB.

– Somebody send an SOS to Tom Herman right now. Have him spend every moment he can with CC Lamb, the WR from Richmond Foster. Kid is a player, a step above most. As one coach described him "he plays with every fiber of his being." As is, he's heading to OU unless Herman takes an interest and makes a push. Surely, Texas coaches saw Lamb in action while watching Graham this past weekend?

– Mike Howeth is the defensive coordinator for DeSoto. He was the DC at Highland Park the last time Highland Park won a state title (2005, Matt Stafford's sr yr). He's also been a part of championship runs in Denison, Duncanville. When DeSoto plays Cibolo Steele Saturday, Howeth will be seeking his fourth state title.

– Let no one say Temple didn't earn the right to be in the state finals. They faced and defeated arguably the two best class 5A teams in the Houston area (Manvel, Richmond Foster) in back to back weeks. Temple's HC called Manvel the best high school team he'd ever seen.

– Former Dallas Cowboys safety George Teague is now the head coach at Plano's John Paull II school. John Paull II was winless this year.

– Believe it or not, this marks the very first time perennial power DeSoto has played in the state finals. Wow.

– Aledo will be seeking it's 7th state title when they face Calallen. (state titles in 1998, 2009, '10, '11, '13 and '14)

CLASS 6A, DIV 1

The Woodlands vs. Lake Travis 8 p.m. Saturday

CLASS 6A DIV II

DeSoto vs. Cibolo Steele 4 p.m. Saturday

CLASS 5A DIV I

Highland Park vs. Temple 12 noon Saturday

CLASS 5A DIV II

Aledo vs. Corpus Christi Calallen 8 p.m. Friday

CLASS 4A DIV I

Abilene Wylie vs. Carthage 4 p.m. Friday

CLASS 4A DIV II

West Orange-Stark vs. Sweetwater 12 noon Friday

CLASS 3A DIV I

Mineola vs. Yoakum 8 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 3A DIV II

Gunter vs. Boling 5 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 2A DIV 1
 

Crawford vs. Refugio 1 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 2A DIV II

Iraan vs. Bremond 10 a.m. Thursday

MY PICKS:

The Woodlands over Lake Travis

DeSoto over Cibolo Steele

Temple over Highland Park

Calallen over Aledo

Abilene Wylie over Carthage

West Orange Stark over Sweetwater

Yoakum over Mineola

Boling over Gunter

Crawford over Refugio

Iraan over Bremond

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

The Woodlands

DeSoto

Temple

Aledo

Wylie

WOS

Mineola

Gunter

Refugio

Iraan (sentimental pick)

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[tejasrulz]

I'll go with the winners in bold and I'll admit most are total guesses

CLASS 6A, DIV 1

The Woodlands vs. Lake Travis 8 p.m. Saturday - Friends who live in that area

CLASS 6A DIV II

DeSoto vs. Cibolo Steele 4 p.m. Saturday

CLASS 5A DIV I

Highland Park vs. Temple 12 noon Saturday - Friends who live in that area

CLASS 5A DIV II

Aledo vs. Corpus Christi Calallen 8 p.m. Friday - Know the A.D.'s sister, good looking woman and real nice person

CLASS 4A DIV I

Abilene Wylie vs. Carthage 4 p.m. Friday

CLASS 4A DIV II

West Orange-Stark vs. Sweetwater 12 noon Friday

CLASS 3A DIV I

Mineola vs. Yoakum 8 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 3A DIV II

Gunter vs. Boling 5 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 2A DIV 1

Crawford vs. Refugio 1 p.m. Thursday

CLASS 2A DIV II

Iraan vs. Bremond 10 a.m. Thursday (for the same reason JB did)

 

[Brandon17]

No love for 6-man football?

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Welcome to TexasFootball.com’s Championship Central, your home for complete coverage of the 2016 UIL Texas high school football state championships.

 

[63_Texas_1]

I remember Mineola from 1st grade at Daingerfield.  Mineola won bidistrict in a close game. I remember one of my dad's friends saying:  "Well, at least we don't have to play Jacksboro."  Jacksboro went on to win state against Rockdale, 52-0.  That margin of points was a record that stood for a long period of time.  

 

[CoachEmUp64]

DeSoto Wins

LT Wins

HP Wins

Wylie Wins

WOS Wins

Yoakum Wins

Gunter Wins

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I remember Mineola from 1st grade at Daingerfield.  Mineola won bidistrict in a close game. I remember one of my dad's friends saying:  "Well, at least we don't have to play Jacksboro."  Jacksboro went on to win state against Rockdale, 52-0.  That margin of points was a record that stood for a long period of time.  

When did you go to 1st grade in Daingerfield?

 

[UTK66]

No love for Carthage? 

 

[63_Texas_1]

When did you go to 1st grade in Daingerfield?

Actually that was 2nd grade.  I went to elementary school there 1961 - 1962. My dad was a casualty of Lone Star Steel (like many others).

 

[Sirhornsalot]

That must have been the wildcat strike they had out there way back then

 

[63_Texas_1]

That must have been the wildcat strike they had out there way back then

I don't know.  I remember him talking about one Texas Ranger that cleaned up a strike there. I think this was different from that incident.  I think he was laid off due to downsizing, but can't be sure.  I just remember him coming home and telling mom.   It was a gloomy evening.  We moved to Baytown.  He worked for Armco Steel.  I can't remember a lot details but I can remembering being in school and day dreaming while looking out of the windows watching the Tigers practice.  I just knew I was going to play football for the Daingerfield Tigers. 

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I don't know.  I remember him talking about one Texas Ranger that cleaned up a strike there. I think this was different from that incident.  I think he was laid off due to downsizing, but can't be sure.  I just remember him coming home and telling mom.   It was a gloomy evening.  We moved to Baytown.  He worked for Armco Steel.  I can't remember a lot details but I can remembering being in school and day dreaming while looking out of the windows watching the Tigers practice.  I just knew I was going to play football for the Daingerfield Tigers. 

I used to hear my Dad talk about the wildcat strike of the 60s. He said it got really bad. He put in 34 years at Lone Star Steel, retired in 1981, a week before they laid off 3K.

The place is still going, now owned by US Steel out of PA. I suppose it will get cranking again in the not so distant future.

I worked there for one summer before heading off to school, driving fork lifts and whatnot. The pay was awesome but it was a dangerous place to work.

 

[Royal 60]

My kids played for SWEENY in the mid 80s --- we were really good BUT Daingerfield who we played for 3A state championship in Waco just kicked our butt --- seems like they had 12 or 13 kids played D1 ball. A side note it was about 30 degrees and felt like -10 .

 

[Sirhornsalot]

My kids played for SWEENY in the mid 80s --- we were really good BUT Daingerfield who we played for 3A state championship in Waco just kicked our butt --- seems like they had 12 or 13 kids played D1 ball. A side note it was about 30 degrees and felt like -10 .

You were at the game? I was in the press box, covering the game that night. That was the '83 Daingerfield team, which is widely considered one of the best teams ever in Texas HS football. Daingerfield beat Sweeny for the state title that night, 42-0. It was their 14th shutout that season.

A snowstorm had ripped through Central and East Texas a day or so before that game, so we drove in with snow on the ground almost all the way to Waco. Yes, it was pretty cold.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I think some of you have been keeping up with this case. Here's the latest, below.

I played four seasons for Alexander. I never once saw or experienced him doing anything malicious. He once popped me on top of my helmet with his whistle. In a fit of anger, he grabbed me by my face mask while griping me out. Neither incident caused me harm and frankly, I had it coming. I was his QB. So if there was this kind of wrath to be thrown around, it would have landed on me the most. My testimony doesn't prove anything in this case, other than it was not what I experienced with him.

Troup ISD responds to former coach's $1.6M lawsuit

TROUP, TX (KLTV) - Troup school board members have responded to a lawsuit filed on behalf of former Athletic Director and Head Coach Dennis Alexander.

In March, the board voted to end his contract after allegations rose that Alexander struck a student during football practice.

The termination followed a hearing conducted by a Dallas judge, hired by the Texas Education Agency. The judge recommended that Superintendent Stuart Bird and Troup Independent School District terminate Alexander's contract and the school district followed through with that decision.

Alexander filed a suit in November seeking $1.16 million in compensatory and punitive damages and to be reinstated to his former position. The district filed a response to the allegations on Dec. 2.

Alexander's suit alleges the board violated his rights, called his reputation into question and created a stigma that "foreclosed his freedom to take advantage of other employment opportunities."

According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 20, 2015, Troup ISD Superintendent Stuart Bird received a complaint from a football player's parent who alleged that he slapped "a football player in the face with his open hand at a practice held on Oct. 19, 2015." The suit alleges that the parent and his father were both members of the school board.

Days later, a second player claimed to have been struck on the back of the head at practice. However, Alexander's lawsuit claims that player was not interviewed until after he was suspended.

"Another coach who was at the practice testified that Alexander did not slap or strike any of the football players. Any contact by Alexander with the boys was not malicious or harmful," the document reads.

In their response, the district denied that claim. They also denied that the district violated Alexander's rights "intentionally, maliciously, and with conscious disregard" of his rights, entitling him to recover damages.

The district says in its response that the former director "failed to exhaust administrative remedies" prior to filing suit.

Alexander has requested a jury trial. A date for that trial has not been set.

http://www.kltv.com/story/34040468/troup-isd-responds-to-former-coachs-16m-lawsuit

 

[DBut82]

I think some of you have been keeping up with this case. Here's the latest, below.

I played four seasons for Alexander. I never once saw or experienced him doing anything malicious. He once popped me on top of my helmet with his whistle. In a fit of anger, he grabbed me by my face mask while griping me out. Neither incident caused me harm and frankly, I had it coming. I was his QB. So if there was this kind of wrath to be thrown around, it would have landed on me the most. My testimony doesn't prove anything in this case, other than it was not what I experienced with him.

Troup ISD responds to former coach's $1.6M lawsuit

TROUP, TX (KLTV) - Troup school board members have responded to a lawsuit filed on behalf of former Athletic Director and Head Coach Dennis Alexander.

In March, the board voted to end his contract after allegations rose that Alexander struck a student during football practice.

The termination followed a hearing conducted by a Dallas judge, hired by the Texas Education Agency. The judge recommended that Superintendent Stuart Bird and Troup Independent School District terminate Alexander's contract and the school district followed through with that decision.

Alexander filed a suit in November seeking $1.16 million in compensatory and punitive damages and to be reinstated to his former position. The district filed a response to the allegations on Dec. 2.

Alexander's suit alleges the board violated his rights, called his reputation into question and created a stigma that "foreclosed his freedom to take advantage of other employment opportunities."

According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 20, 2015, Troup ISD Superintendent Stuart Bird received a complaint from a football player's parent who alleged that he slapped "a football player in the face with his open hand at a practice held on Oct. 19, 2015." The suit alleges that the parent and his father were both members of the school board.

Days later, a second player claimed to have been struck on the back of the head at practice. However, Alexander's lawsuit claims that player was not interviewed until after he was suspended.

"Another coach who was at the practice testified that Alexander did not slap or strike any of the football players. Any contact by Alexander with the boys was not malicious or harmful," the document reads.

In their response, the district denied that claim. They also denied that the district violated Alexander's rights "intentionally, maliciously, and with conscious disregard" of his rights, entitling him to recover damages.

The district says in its response that the former director "failed to exhaust administrative remedies" prior to filing suit.

Alexander has requested a jury trial. A date for that trial has not been set.

http://www.kltv.com/story/34040468/troup-isd-responds-to-former-coachs-16m-lawsuit

I'm not familiar with the coach or this case, but from my experiences in football this sounds like whatever kid he "struck" was a pansy.  I've been cussed at while spit flown from the coaches mouth, pick up from the ground by my face mask and slapped across the head.  It's football.  And I'm sure I deserved it for whatever reason at the time.  Unless the coach fist punched him in the mouth, I find it hard to believe this coach did anything uncommon of any high school football coach in the state....

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I'm not familiar with the coach or this case, but from my experiences in football this sounds like whatever kid he "struck" was a pansy. I've been cussed at while spit flown from the coaches mouth, pick up from the ground by my face mask and slapped across the head. It's football. And I'm sure I deserved it for whatever reason at the time. Unless the coach fist punched him in the mouth, I find it hard to believe this coach did anything uncommon of any high school football coach in the state....

While I tend to agree with you, times have changed. Those tactics that we grew up with are no longer acceptable now days.

 

[Embrey]

I yearn for the good old days when an attitude adjustment was simply that and not considered child abuse.

I could go on with the stories of growing up in a town with segregated schools through elementary. Every game was like a race war. We thought we hated each other's guts. Until we came together in 7th grade. It was one of the great learning experiences of my young life. That and the light physical and psychological abuse and humiliation that was doled out with regularity when the coaches deemed it necessary.

It worked then and it works now.

Just because we don't 'accept' it doesn't mean it is wrong. It means we are wrong.

We will go the way of the dodo bird if we keep raising kids that don't know what an ass kicking feels like.