GALVESTON — Landry’s employees and their families put Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier workers to the test Sunday as they prepare for the official opening.
I'd like to take a brief moment to wake our high school football fans from hibernation.
This week, exactly 18 weeks have passed since the high school football season came to an end with the state championships. We are also exactly 18 weeks away from the real start of the 2012 season, Week Zero. On Wednesday, we will stand precisely 129 days between both games.
Living in Texas, you can't get much farther from real high school football.
Halfway to the next season: Veterans Memorial Stadium in League City. Photo by Kevin M. Cox
Fear not, La Marque will provide a brief taste of football when the high school hosts the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association 7-on-7 Tournament on Saturday. Beginning at 9 a.m., Dickinson, La Marque, Ball High and Friendswood will all square off in what should be an entertaining day of pad-less football.
Luckily, the baseball season has captivated the attention of most of our football followers. With less than a week remaining on the regular season, all but one District 24-4A team has a shot of making the playoffs. A few really talented teams will be left home, depending on this week's results.
Unfortunately, this week is loaded with standardized tests, so the games are on hold until Friday. In District 24-5A, Clear Creek and Clear Springs are both battling for better sitting in the playoff race.
What's your opinion? Has this baseball season been enough to whet your appetite or are you snoozing through until August?
If you have any high school football coaching experience and you're currently unemployed, you just might be in luck.
Friendswood coach Steve Van Meter officially announced his retirement after a 20-year stint as the athletic director and head football coach of the Mustangs. His departure opens up the third vacancy for Galveston County head football coaching jobs, following the resignation of Texas City's Tim Finn and the retirement of Dickinson's Warren Trahan.
The three coaches had a combined 51 years of head coaching experience, and it'll be tough to replace them. But school districts move swiftly on making these hires, and my prediction is that all three schools will have new leaders in place by Easter.
The biggest question right now is, what do they need?
Texas City could use an energetic young coach, perhaps similar in qualities to La Marque's Mike Jackson or someone who could revamp the Stingaree program. It's no secret that Texas City will be stockpiled with explosive talent for at least the next two years. With the right guy, the Stings could legitimately compete for a state title in 2013.
Dickinson will be hiring a head football coach, as Tom Mooney already holds the athletic director position. That coach will take over a program with great athletes, strong-willed players and arguably the best facilities in the Houston area. Dickinson's weight-lifting room, field house and stadium are all first-class, which makes the school more attractive for top-notch coaches.
With Friendswood's consistent success, I would think the Mustang administration will be looking for a carry-the-torch kind of guy. Van Meter did such a tremendous job building up Friendswood athletics as a whole. Keeping those ways in place will be important for keeping the parents and community happy. At the same time, you've gotta win on Friday night. The Mustangs might need a coach to refigure a defense that was one of the worst in school history in 2011.
The hiring of head football coaches in Texas is such an important process. A great coach can rejuvenate a struggling program, while a bad coach can run a program into the ground pretty quickly.
Does anyone have any idea who these programs should seek?
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for live coverage of the Division II-4A Region III Final between Manvel and La Marque at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Galena Park ISD Stadium.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our playoff preview chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin Friday at 7 p.m. to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us for live game coverage of the Division II-4A Region III Final between Manvel and La Marque at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Galena Park ISD Stadium.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for live coverage of the Class 4A Div. II Region III quarterfinal between La Marque and Beaumont Ozen at 2 p.m. Saturday in Baytown's Stallworth Stadium.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
I know, I know, La Marque fans: "We don't care who we play because the road to state goes through La Marque." And yadda, yadda, yadda. I just thought I'd put your response to this blog before I even say anything.
An honest Cougars fan would take a step back and realize that a very good thing happened in last week's area round.
La Marque’s Kendall Hill drags a pack of defenders during an 8-yard gain in the first half of a Division II-4A area playoff game. - Photo by KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News
You get to face Beaumont Ozen (7-5) when you were supposed to face Brenham, who was 11-0 until last week. I know your response to that will be, "Well, Brenham was overrated."
Maybe Brenham's offense was overrated, but the defense was one of the best in the state. Now you're facing a scrappy Ozen team that has proven by its record to be very beatable.
Don't get me wrong — underestimating a team this deep in the playoffs is the last thing you want to do. But the regional quarterfinal on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Baytown's Stallworth Stadium should be very interesting.
Be sure to join our Playoff Game chat to follow all the action beginning at 1:45 p.m. I'm sorry to our regulars, but because of the Thanksgiving holiday and the strains of Black Friday shopping, we won't be hosting a Pigskin Preview chat this week.
Be sure to make your Pigskin Picks early this week because of the Thursday game! Also note that the Pine Drive Christian Eagles are making their debut on the Pigskin Picks contest. They're playing in the TAPPS six-man state semifinal on Saturday and have a very good chance of representing Dickinson well.
Not to mention we have some excellent basketball games on slate in the coming weeks, and things are already getting velly, velly eentelesting.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. After picking up a bi-district playoff victory, the Clear Springs Chargers take the field against Port Arthur Memorial at Stallworth Memorial Stadium in Baytown on Saturday at 1 p.m. This should be a good one, but I think Clear Springs has the offensive firepower to move along.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. After picking up a bi-district playoff victory, La Marque moves on to this weekend’s area round to play Sharpstown Friday at 7 p.m. at Clear Creek ISD Veterans Memorial Stadium in League City.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Friday evening and Saturday afternoon for live game coverage.
After picking up bi-district playoff victories, La Marque and Clear Springs are moving on to this weekend’s area round. La Marque will play Sharpstown Friday at 7 p.m. at Clear Creek ISD Veterans Memorial Stadium in League City. The Clear Springs Chargers take the field against Port Arthur Memorial at Stallworth Memorial Stadium in Baytown on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. Clear Creek will face Fort Bend Bush at 6 p.m. Saturday at Pearland's The Rig. Can Clear Creek handle the dominating Fort Bend Bush team?
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. Clear Springs plays Fort Bend Dulles at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pasadena Memorial Stadium. Will Clear Springs take care of business or be upset by a Fort Bend school like last year?
Also, Friendswood's Lady Mustangs will fight for their first trip to the state volleyball tournament in four years in the regional final beginning at 1 p.m.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
The Friendswood Mustangs' high school football season came to a close at the hands of the Angelton Wildcats Friday night at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. Friendswood plays Angleton at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium. It's a rematch of the season opener when Angleton won 42-28. Can Friendswood overcome the earlier loss to Angleton and advance to the area round?
We'll also have updates for volleyball fans as we follow the Lady Mustangs in regional semifinal action. Friendswood takes on Waller at 6:30 p.m. at the Berry Center.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
After jumping out to a 19-3 lead over Terry High School on Thursday night in Alvin, the La Marque Cougars had to claw their way to a 31-25 victory in the bi-district round of the state 4A high school football playoffs.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. La Marque takes on Terry on Thursday night in Alvin. The Cougars lost the season opener to Terry by one point, but Cougar fans wanted their revenge. They’ll get it against one of the Houston area’s top teams.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin Thursday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Thursday evening for live game coverage.
The preview chat is a day early this week because La Marque will take on Terry on Thursday night in Alvin. The Cougars lost the season opener to Terry by one point, but Cougar fans wanted their revenge. They’ll get it against one of the Houston area’s top teams.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
It's playoff football time, and you know what that means. The players, coaches, equipment managers, athletic trainers, cheerleaders, band members, fans, parents and officials (hopefully) are stepping their game up for what could be lengthy playoff runs for several Galveston County teams.
That's why I'm calling on our Pigskin Pick artists to step their games up as well.
The high school football games will now be worth five points instead of the regular season two. Our veteran players should know how important it is to get your picks right, and newcomers are strongly encouraged to register now to get your playoff pickin' on.
Remember to join our special Playoff Pigskin Preview chat on Thursday at noon where we'll offer all the insight and predictions you'll need to make the very best picks.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. As the regular season wraps up this week, we'll be covering Friendswood at Texas City; Santa Fe at Ball; and Clear Creek vs. Clear Lake. We'll also have updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. As the regular season wraps up this week, we'll be covering Friendswood at Texas City; Santa Fe at Ball; and Clear Creek vs. Clear Lake.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
The football season is winding down for most of Galveston County's teams, but the excitement is only just beginning for a select few.
While Dickinson, Ball High, Santa Fe, Hitchcock, High Island, Bay Area Christian and O'Connell will play their final games this weekend, a few others will play a warmup game before they begin their playoff runs. Clear Creek, Clear Springs, La Marque and Pine Drive have already knotted up playoff spots (while the Cougars rest this week), but two major Galveston County football programs will put it all on the line Friday night to secure the fourth and final playoff berth in District 24-4A.
Texas City and Friendswood will square off on Friday night, and the implications from that game will affect teams across the state. If Texas City wins, La Marque becomes the Div. II first-place representative for District 24-4A and has a lighter path down the playoff line. If Friendswood wins, La Marque would then be the Division II runner-up behind Manvel and would be thrown against a whole slew of tough teams.
Long story short, if I were a La Marque fan, I'd be wearing orange in the stands of Stingaree Stadium on Friday night.
If you can't make the game, join our Friday Night Football chat beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night as well as our Pigskin Preview chat on Friday at noon.
It's going to be an exciting week to finish off the season, and another game I'll have an eye on is the matchup between winless in district play Santa Fe and winless for the past 14 months, Ball High. It's going to be a major showdown for these two teams that want nothing more than a victory to finish off the season.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. We'll be covering the Fight for 518 game between Clear Creek and Clear Springs; Texas City at Santa Fe; La Marque vs. Dawson; and Dickinson vs. Clear Lake. We'll also have updates from Ball at Manvel and other area games.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. This week will focus on the Fight for 518 game between Clear Creek and Clear Springs. We'll also be covering Texas City at Santa Fe; La Marque vs. Dawson; and Dickinson vs. Clear Lake.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Video clips from the Dickinson vs Clear Springs shoot-out, the Clash of the Causeway between La Marque and Ball High, Manvel taking on Texas City and the Friendswood vs. Santa Fe battle.
We also have videos from Coogs Sports Net and our Friendswood Mustangs ultimate fan Ross Johnson
Have video highlights from your game? Upload them and send the link to sports@galvnews.com.
Video clips by Kevin M. Cox, Patrick Graham and Jennifer Reynolds
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. We'll be covering the Clash of the Causeway game between La Marque and Ball; Santa Fe at Friendswood; Manvel at Texas City; Clear Creek at Alvin; and Hempstead at Hitchcock. We'll also have updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. This week will focus on the Clash of the Causeway game between La Marque and Ball. Will this be the last time these two teams face each other if La Marque drops to Class 3A? After nine personal fouls and three Tors were ejected last week, how testy could things get on the island?
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Our weekly installment of video highlights from across the county. This week we have clips from Battle by the Bay: La Marque vs. Texas City, Ball High traveled to Pearland to play Dawson, Creek hosted Pearland and O'Connell makes it's video debut with us. Also clips from Friendswood vs. Manvel and a look at the Battle by the Bay from Coogs Sports Net.
Got video from your game? Upload them to YouTube and then e-mail the link to us at sports@galvnews.com.
Video shot by Jennifer Reynolds, Kevin M. Cox and Patrick Graham
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. This week, we'll be covering Texas City at La Marque for the annual Battle by the Bay; Clear Springs vs. Clear Lake; Dickinson vs. Alvin; and Ball High vs. Dawson. We'll also have updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Today, we'll be chatting live from Texas City at the Nessler Center, where La Marque and Texas City will be on hand for the annual Battle by the Bay luncheon.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. We'll be covering Texas City at La Marque; Clear Springs vs. Clear Lake; Dickinson vs. Alvin; and Ball High vs. Dawson. We'll also have updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Video clips this week from the La Marque vs. Friendswood, Pearland Dawson vs. Texas City games including special highlights from Ross Johnson of Friendswood and Coogs Sports Net's Mike Lockwood in La Marque.
If you have video clips, including band highlights, e-mail the link to us at sports@galvnews.com.
There are only four weeks of Galveston County football left in the regular season, and we’re starting to separate the winners from the losers in our Pigskin Picks contest.
The picker known simply as “acehiwes” stands alone in the lead with 78 points, but he has seven contestants within three points of him, including last week’s winner, Ethan Zanner, who trails by just one point.
It could be an exciting finish, and I’m going to make it even more exciting with the addition of a new element.
For each of the remaining four weeks, I’ll pick two “moneyball” games, which feature matchups with a heavy, heavy underdog. If you dare to pick the underdog and the underdog comes through with an improbable upset, I’ll give you 10 points instead of the standard two.
These are the two moneyball games for this week:
Ball (0-6, 0-2) at Pearland Dawson (7-0, 3-0). Pick the Tors to shock the world against the Eagles, and I’ll give you 10 points. Of course, if you’re wrong, you get nada.
Clear Springs (3-3, 3-0) at Clear Lake (0-6, 0-3). Accurately predict the Falcons’ upset over the surging Chargers, and I’ll give you a cool Alexander Hamilton’s worth of points.
It’s just a little something to make things interesting, and if you’re the gambling type, you’ll love this addendum.
For those of you who STILL haven’t signed up, please do so now. You could easily become our winner of the week and win prizes from Texas First Bank.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. This week, we'll be covering Texas City vs. Dawson; Clear Springs vs. Clear Brook; Dickinson at Pearland; and Friendswood vs. La Marque. We'll also have updates on Santa Fe vs. Manvel.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football with Sports Editor Jordan Godwin each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. We'll be covering Texas City vs. Dawson; Clear Springs vs. Clear Brook; Dickinson at Pearland; and Friendswood vs. La Marque. We'll also have updates on Santa Fe vs. Manvel.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
This week we have videos of the Friday night high school football action from Santa Fe at La Marque, Texas City at Ball High, Brazoswood at Dickinson and Pearland Dawson vs. Friendswood. If you would like to have your video posted here each Monday, e-mail your video link from YouTube to sports@galvnews.com.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. This week, we'll be covering La Marque vs. Santa Fe; Texas City at Ball High; Dickinson vs. Brazoswood; and Clear Creek at Clear Brook. We'll also have updates from Friendswood at Dawson; Hitchcock at Industrial; and private schools, O'Connell and Bay Area Christian.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football. Sports Editor Jordan Godwin each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. We'll be covering La Marque vs. Santa Fe; Texas City at Ball High; Dickinson vs. Brazoswood; and Clear Creek at Clear Brook. We'll also have updates from Friendswood at Dawson; Hitchcock at Industrial; and private schools, O'Connell and Bay Area Christian.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
After a surprisingly mediocre non-district showing from most Galveston County football teams, we're now one week into district play. While some teams proved they've worked out their pre-district kinks, others showed that they might not be ready for the task.
Clear Springs, Clear Creek and Friendswood picked up victories, while Ball High, La Marque, Dickinson and Santa Fe didn't fare so well. After an off week, Texas City will have its chance to show us if the sophomore sensations are for real by traveling down to Galveston for Ball's homecoming.
Speaking of Ball homecomings, is anyone going to the Texans game on Sunday when former Tor Casey Hampton plays for the Steelers in Reliant Stadium? More on him coming Sunday.
Clear Creek’s Chris Mirka hangs onto the ball as Dickinson’s Tyler Neubauer, left, and Victor Tran make the tackle.
Back to high school football.
Our Pigskin Picks contest is starting to get very competitive. Most of our players like the new two-point high school games, one-point college games format better, and I think we're separating the true experts from the lucky guessers. We've had winners from Texas City (two of 'em), Santa Fe, League City and Galveston, and I'm still waiting on the Friendswood and Dickinson experts to strike gold.
Friendswood statistician Ethan Zanner, who has witnessed every single game played at Clear Creek ISD Veterans Memorial Stadium this year, likes to think he'll be the first Friendswood native to get on the board. Zanner is among the top five right now, just ahead of me.
Remember, you can always sign up and become a weekly winner. Sign up today and win tomorrow if you think you know what you're talking about.
This should be a fun week. With so many toss-ups, I have a feeling we're going to have a few wrong guesses.
This week we launch a new feature that includes videos of the Friday night high school football action from across Galveston County. If you would like to have your video posted here each Monday, e-mail your video link from YouTube to sports@galvnews.com.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. This week, we'll be covering Clear Springs at Pearland; Dickinson at Clear Creek; La Marque at Manvel; and Ball at Friendswood. We'll also be providing score updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat Friday to preview high school football. Sports Editor Jordan Godwin and his guests will meet each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage.
Every Galveston County football team except Texas City will take the field on Friday night for their district openers.
We'll be providing live coverage Friday evening from Clear Springs at Pearland; Dickinson at Clear Creek; La Marque at Manvel; and Ball at Friendswood. We'll also be providing score updates from other area games.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County. This week, we'll be covering Santa Fe vs. St. Thomas Catholic; Texas City vs. Pasadena Memorial; and Ball High vs. Lamar Consolidated. We'll also have updates on La Marque, Hitchcock, Bay Area Christian, Pine Drive and O'Connell.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football. Sports Editor Jordan Godwin and his guests will meet each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff.
This week, we’ll sit down with legendary Ball High football color analyst Dennis Byrd to talk about his latest mad scientist experiments with technology and the Tors’ woes and how they can solve their problems.
Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage. We'll be covering Santa Fe vs. St. Thomas Catholic; Texas City vs. Pasadena Memorial; and Ball High vs. Lamar Consolidated. We'll also have updates on La Marque, Hitchcock, Bay Area Christian, Pine Drive and O'Connell.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Now that we’ve got a pretty good feel for this year’s Galveston County football teams, I’m making a small change to the Pigskin Picks contest, so pay attention.
Most of our top pickers seem to have psychic powers when it comes to picking the local games but struggle with the college picks. While college football is important, the focus should be on our teams. That’s why the high school football picks will now be worth two points, while college football games will be worth one. Do your homework and read up on our teams so you can make the most educated guess on who will win.
Meanwhile, congratulations to our Week 3 winner, Jimmy Haught of League City, who amazingly picked 14 out of 14 games correct. If you haven’t signed up yet, you still have a chance at football greatness. Seriously, if you know your stuff, you could have a prize in hand this time next week by registering and dethroning all of our pundits in Week 4.
It should be a solid week of football. Almost half of our teams are taking the week off to prepare for district play, but we still have some intriguing matchups. Remember, if you can’t make the game, join our Friday Night Football chat to get the latest scores and updates on your team. This means you, La Marque fans who aren’t driving out to Freeport to watch the Cougars take on Brazosport on Friday night. We’ve got you covered.
In this week’s Pigskin Preview chat, we’ll sit down with legendary Ball High football color analyst Dennis Byrd to talk about his latest mad scientist experiments with technology and the Tors’ woes and how they can solve their problems.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County.
This week, we'll be covering the La Marque home opener against Sterling. We'll also have live updates from Clear Creek vs. Deer Park; Dickinson vs. Dobie; and Ball High vs. Beaumont Central. Other games in our scoreboard will include Friendswood vs. Stratford; Texas City at Port Neches-Groves; Hitchcock vs. Concordia Lutheran; High Island at Legacy Christian Academy; and O'Connell at Sabine Pass.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football. Sports Editor Jordan Godwin and his guests will meet each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage.
Friday's special guest will be La Marque Cougars coach Mike Jackson. Join in to ask Coach Jackson questions about La Marque's home opener against Sterling.
We'll be providing play-by-play updates Friday evening on the La Marque home opener against Sterling. We'll also have live updates from Clear Creek vs. Deer Park; Dickinson vs. Dobie; and Ball High vs. Beaumont Central. Other games in our scoreboard will include Friendswood vs. Stratford; Texas City at Port Neches-Groves; Hitchcock vs. Concordia Lutheran; High Island at Legacy Christian Academy; and O'Connell at Sabine Pass.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
The doctor will field your questions and hear your grievances just seven hours before the Cougars host Sterling for their home opener at Etheredge Stadium.
Mark your calendars, tell your boss you're taking the day off, keep the kids home from school. Do whatever you have to do to get to this exclusive chat where you have the opportunity to interview coach Jackson.
If you don't think I've been asking him the hardball questions or there's something you've been wanting to know, here's your chance.
With the beautiful weather, the end of August and fall's delights trickling in (knock on wood), high school football took a big upturn last week. The wretched opening week is long gone after our county's teams posted a collective winning record in the first week of September play.
Clear Creek, Dickinson, Friendswood, La Marque, Santa Fe and Texas City are all now 1-1 on the year, while the Pine Drive Christian Eagles and the Bay Area Christian Broncos are our lone undefeated teams. O'Connell, Ball High, High Island and — strangely — Clear Springs are still winless, but we can be optimistic about their chances to get in the winner's column this week.
Our Pigskin Picks participants had an excellent week. Santa Fe's Darlene Clough won Week 2 of the contest by picking 10 of 12 games correct and predicting Dickinson 24-20 over Texas City (actual score 28-14). Bryan Williams and Howard Hooter of Dickinson, Kerr Urbanek of Hitchcock all also picked 10 games correctly, as did Dickinson's Bryan Williams, who currently leads the contest. Remember, you can register throughout the season and still be eligible to win awesome prizes from Texas First Bank.
I'll be hosting another Pigskin Preview live chat on Friday at noon, and you had better be there to chat with our guest host. More details on that coming on Thursday. Stay tuned.
Join Sports Editor Jordan Godwin for high school football coverage in Galveston County.
This week, we'll be covering Texas City vs. Dickinson. We'll also be providing updates from other area games, including La Marque, Ball High, Clear Creek, Friendswood and Hitchcock.
Don't forget, you also have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
Join our weekly lunchtime chat for a nice side of high school football. Sports Editor Jordan Godwin and his guests will meet each Friday at noon to prepare for opening kickoff. Then join us Friday evening for live game coverage.
Don't forget, you have until 15 minutes before kickoff each night to make your selections in our Pigskin Picks football contest.
Comments that include profanity, personal attacks, antisocial behavior or other inappropriate material will be removed. You are responsible for the content you post. See our Discussion Guidelines.
AUSTIN — Senior receiver Dittrich Bunton, who was one of Galveston County’s top receivers in 2010 as a Dickinson Gator, has been ruled eligible to play for La Marque beginning Friday.
“We’re thrilled that the truth came out, and he’ll have a chance to play just like all the rest of the kids,” La Marque coach Mike Jackson said.
Bunton was ruled ineligible by the District 24-4A committee after a Dickinson Athletics testimony said he moved for athletic purposes. La Marque appealed to the UIL state executive committee, and Bunton was approved in Austin on Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m very, very excited,” Bunton said. “It was very stressful, and I’m so relieved it’s behind me. I just can’t wait to get on the field on Friday.”
Bunton had 427 receiving yards on 23 catches last season with two touchdowns and brings instant firepower and added depth to a La Marque team that was upset by Terry, 22-21, in their opening-week loss.
“He’s the one kid on our team that might not come off the field,” Jackson said. “This opens up a whole lot of options for us, but more importantly, he’ll get a chance to play.”
What exactly happened on Aug. 26, 2011? Who could have predicted the turmoil, bloodshed and devastation that wrecked Galveston County football during the opening week?
Scooter Wilson, that's who. The District 2 City Commissioner in Texas City pretty much bet against every team except for Texas City, La Marque and Clear Creek, and he was correct on seven of eight of his Pigskin Picks — he didn't see the La Marque loss to Terry happening. He almost accurately predicted the Clear Springs loss to Dawson because his nephew serves as offensive coordinator of the Eagles.
Clear Springs’ Ladarius Coney pressures Dawson quarterback Garry Kimble Friday in Pearland. Photo by Kevin M. Cox
Will Ball bounce back from the loss to Wheatley against an even better Atascocita team? Will La Marque get things fixed this week and get a Cougar win against Wheatley?
Can Friendswood handle another hyper-athletic team like West Orange-Stark after losing to Angleton? Will Clear Springs again have issues with cramps keeping their stars on the sideline?
Can Santa Fe's offense reach the end zone, and will the defense have a better night against Brazosport? Can Texas City keep their momentum going against a Dickinson team that struggled to make stops in the opener?
Was Clear Creek's dominating performance on Saturday what we should have expected from this group all along?
A lot of questions will be answered throughout the week in The Daily News to help with your picks. And, if you still haven't made up your mind by Friday, join us at noon for another Pigskin Preview live chat.
About Jordan Godwin
Jordan Godwin worked previously for the Houston Chronicle, the Austin American-Statesman and the Associated Press. Jordan graduated in 2010 from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism. He is from Daisetta.
Jordan has covered four NCAA national championships, as well as the Houston Texans and Houston Rockets. He lives in Webster with his wife, Monica, and their cat, Lump, and dog, Jack.
