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©2008-2009. All Rights Reserved. Material published in SAm Magazine may not be republished, resold, recorded or used in any manner, in whole or in part, without a publisher’s express written consent. Reprints of articles are available by e-mailing [email protected]. SAm Magazine is published ten times annually by Thirteen Acre Media, LLC. The editorial or advertising content of this publication are the opinions of the authors or advertisers and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policies or opinions of SAm Magazine.

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contents8 11 2

031 4

0 46

clark / churchill 12

reagan / smithson valley 14

new braunfels / new braunfels canyon 16

bowl games the naturalfeast basketball preview cross country

contents40 48

55 62

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triple threats overtime feed the machinegear up fast?

judson 32

taft 33

clemens 34

macarthur 35

wagner 39

edison 44

It is the start of a new era in high school sports media with SAm Magazine, San Antonio’s only high school sports magazine and Readsam.com, the interactive website. We are dedicated to providing you a media outlet, filled with unbiased, relevant content that is a positive platform for high school athletics. We aim to recognize you, the student athlete, the parents, the supporters. You strive to instill a sense of school pride, sportsmanship, dedication and leadership as you are the role models for the student body and your community. We desire to capture all your achievements, hard work and discipline in our publications.

YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF SAm

Charlie Perrin II

from the

Publisher / Operations

SAm Magazine would like to sincerely apologize for the incorrect spelling of the following Alamo Heights player names in the September 08 issue of SAm Magazine. We in no way meant any disrespect or inconvenience for any of the parties involved.

Retraction:

CollinBibb

BeauWilson

SergioAcosta

Victor Givens II


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Fall signals the start of football season, which for millions of young men in the

Lone Star State is an essential compo-nent of coming of age. But the traditional 11-man style of football isn’t always practical; team size, location, travel and a host of other factors make fielding such a team difficult. Fortunately, there are other op-tions. For instance, athletes from the state’s smallest schools have been play-ing six-man football since 1938. And in recent years, teams comprised of home-schooled students have surged in popularity thanks to programs like the Family Educators Alliance of South Texas (FEAST), a San Antonio-based or-ganization that provides educational and extra-curricular services to home school families throughout south Texas. “We have a lot of fun making things happen,” says John Harris, coach of the Pa-triots, a six-man team representing FEAST. The Patriots now field varsity, ju-nior varsity and middle school teams of about 20 players each - typical sizes for six-man football teams. And the pro-gram is a very strong contender in the Central Texas Six-Man Football Confer-ence (CTFC). This season, Patriot varsity

is 2-0, including a 51-8 win over San An-tonio Christian Academy. “FEAST sports has been around al-most as long as FEAST,” Patriots athlete coordinator Linda Whiten says. “We be-gan with track and field and basketball. When we moved to the old San Antonio Christian School campus, we were able to add other sports like six-man.”

A Short History and Primer:

Six-man football was invented in 1934 by Stephen Epler, a coach at a tiny Ne-braska school who wanted his athletes

to experience the thrill of football. Four years later, six-man football made its debut in Texas with an exhibition game between Prairie Lea and Martindale. The sport spread like wildfire throughout the state, and within a few years there were more 160 six-man teams throughout the Lone Star State. Today, more 200 public and private schools as well as home-school educational groups participate in Texas six-man football, by far the largest number of any state. Six-man football is a modified ver-

sion of the eleven-man game played at larger institutions. The obvious difference between the two is the amount of players a team fields at any one time. But several other key differences further separate six-man and eleven-man football. The most fundamental of these involve the physical setup and basic rules of the game. The playing field for six-man football is just 80 yards long and 40 yards wide, compared to a 100-yards-long and 50-yards-wide traditional football field. The first down chains are different too, as 15 yards are required for a first down instead of 10. So even though the

playing field shorter, offenses must move the ball farther for a first down. The rules and procedures govern-ing plays also differ. All six-man plays must begin with what is referred to as a “clean exchange” of the ball. Before the ball can cross the line of scrimmage, the quarterback must throw, pitch or hand it off to another player. But at least he has plenty of options, since all players are eligible receivers. The scoring system itself even dif-fers. A field goal in six-man is worth four

Feast

“Six-man football is a faster, more exciting game”

BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTERby Jon Black / pics Antonio Morano

readsam.com SAm Magazine 9

points rather than three. And the point values of point-after-touchdown kicks and conversions are reversed, meaning a successful kick nets two points while a “two-point” conversion is only worth

one. These changes may seem strange and arbitrary, but they’re based on solid reasoning. The reality is that with half the number of players on the field, running and passing the ball for positive yardage is much easier in six-man football. The cumulative result of all these changes is a faster-moving, higher-scoring game, with a much greater emphasis on passing. The flow of six-man football often looks more like rugby or even soccer than traditional football. These differences also reduce most size advantages. One of the state’s most legendary six-man football players, Ty-ler Ethridge from the tiny central Texas community of Richland Springs, was 5’-8” and weighed 175 pounds. Yet he ran and threw his way to more than 200 touchdowns during his career.

“Six-man football is a faster, more ex-citing game,” Harris says. “It allows all of the players to touch the ball and score. Ev-eryone plays a key role in the game, and not just the ‘skill’ players, because everyone is a ‘skill’ player here. It keeps the players’ at-tention and it also has higher scores.”

Challenges and Opportunities of Home School Sports:

Because the Patriots represent several home-school families rather than one central public or private school, the team faces certain unique challenges. Perhaps the biggest is cost. Football is an expensive sport, and the price tags associated with extensive equipment and logistical requirements add up fast. Public schools receive funding for their athletics programs, and private schools have usually developed methods of dis-tributing these costs, but home school organizations usually pass these costs directly to the families. “Home schooling is very much a ‘pay as you go’ proposition and our ath-letics are no exception,” Whiten says.

Other challenges also stem from the limited personnel and resources avail-able to organizations like FEAST. Instead of paid coaches, these teams rely heav-ily on volunteers and part-time paid staff. Harris says that FEAST athletics has been blessed with some truly extraordinary coaching talent, “Some of our coaches would be considered qualified to coach at a 4A/5A or small college level.” Unlike students at a conventional educational institution, FEAST players are not centrally located. Instead, home school athletes are scattered throughout south Texas, creating some real logistical challenges for games and practices. “We work to schedule our practices during the afternoon to accommodate our families’ needs and to keep continu-ity for our players’ schoolwork at home,” Harris explains.

The result is that FEAST athletes get less team practice than many of their com-petitors. Athletes at many schools practice every day for two and half hours in addi-tion to their daily athletics periods. This in-cludes an organized weightlifting program, which many coaches consider essential for maximum performance. By compari-son, FEAST athletes practice three days a week, for two and half hours a day and lack an organized weightlifting program. For similar logistical reasons, FEAST coaches get less daily interaction with their players than coaches at conventional edu-cation institutions. Harris says this requires more intuition on the part of coaches. FEAST coaches often begin each sea-son with a high percentage of players that have never played football before – and have never participated in organized sports. This means that the Patriots often have a bigger learning curve than their competi-tors from public or private schools. Despite these challenges, Harris feels the Patriot’s performance has been remarkable. He also says that students, coaches and families alike have a great deal of fun.

“It’s pretty remarkable that our players are able to compete at the same level,” he said. “We are grateful for

the opportunity to play sports, because that’s a privilege that is not always af-forded to every home school student in the nation.”

Everyone plays a key role in the game, and not just the ‘skill’ players, because everyone is a ‘skill’ player here

“Some of our coaches would be considered qualified to coach at a 4A/5A or small college level”

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From the other publisher

JAM...Charlie Perrin slams the ball during Tarleton’s Midnight Madness basketball practice. The annual Midnight Madness event marks the beginning of official basketball practices in the NCAA. (photo by Cameron Yarborough)

BowlGames

guccitown & country

wurst

pg11


GucciClark vs Churchill

The Clark Cougars and the Churchill Chargers high school football teams

certainly don’t lack passion when they square off against their respective op-ponents each week, but when these two teams meet in the famed “Gucci Bowl,” that passion elevates into frenzied intensity. This season marked the 25th anni-versary of this historic football faceoff, which ended with a 20-16 Clark victory. The fans erupted and the players cel-ebrated, as the winning side has done every year since 1983, when the term “Gucci Bowl” was first applied to the two schools’ annual showdown. The name “Gucci” was stamped on this game because of the affluent areas the two high schools called home. As San Antonio grew, so did the prestige of this annual bowl game; making it one of the most talked about football rival-ries in the city. So where does this rivalry stem from? Since 1983, Clark and Churchill high schools have always started their seasons against one another; but it’s also a matter of geographic territory. Clark sits on the eastern side of the north side boundary, and Churchill is located in the middle of

the north east western boundary; which means these two schools touch almost back to back. Clark and Churchill were the only two high schools on the north sides of San Antonio at the time; making the Gucci Bowl rivalry inevitable. “The Gucci Bowl was always a game that the communities look for-ward to,” says Clark High School Booster Club president Janet Whisen-hunt. “This game has become a strong tradition the city expects, and with that tradition comes an intensity that stays strong throughout the season.” This rivalry hasn’t always had a posi-tive reputation. One of the most popular pre bowl game events is the pizza eating contest between the Churchill and Clark cheerleaders. But in 2004, the Northeast Independent School District decided the Churchill cheerleaders would no longer participate in the event because of the negative media attention it received. Students from both schools engaged in what’s considered not “Being Gucci.” Between throwing pizza boxes and ex-changing insults and other choice words in the parking lot of a Volare’s Pizza loca-tion, the NEISD bowed out of the contest

and hasn’t looked back. Both schools boards met after the incident and decid-ed to overhaul the image and attitudes regarding the game. One tradition that is as strong today as it was 25 years ago is the “Back in Black” t-shirts that are sold before every game. And for the past two years, profits from the “Back in Black” t-shirt sales are donated to Gridiron Heroes, a local organization that assists high school football players who have sustained spinal cord injuries. Be-cause of this, the Gucci Bowl has fostered a charitable spirit to both campuses. “The idea of donating the monies to charity really changed the attitude and tone of the game,” Whisenhunt says. “When people hear the name ‘Gu-cci Bowl,’ they always assumed it was a snobby event between two snobby schools. We wanted the kids to under-stand that the excitement of the game can go hand in hand with charity. It’s not just about football.” From a coaching standpoint, the game is about marking your territory early in the season. But it’s also about building intensity that hopefully lasts through the entire season and into the playoffs.

by Kimberly Oakman / pics Antonio Morano


“As a coach you wonder, ‘Is this how they are, or is it just because of this game?’ Churchill head football coach Carl Gustafson says. “The Gucci Bowl has a playoff-type atmosphere, and when you put the team in that situation, it’s like a rehearsal that sets the tone for the rest of the season.” Regardless of the score, each Gucci Bowl is a hard-fought contest. This year the Cougars dominated the second half with a 40-yard touchdown run by Jock Tilghman and a game-winning 29-yard touchdown run by quarterback Hayden Greenbauer. The competition ended with Clark taking home the 25th anniversary Gucci Bowl title. The past 25 years of the Gucci Bowl have personified the very meaning of a foot-ball rivalry. Intensity, domination and district bragging rights extend beyond the locker room and engulf both communities. At this rate the Gucci Bowl continue playing a big role in both programs’ football seasons for years to come.

“We wanted the kids to understand that the excitement of the game can go hand in hand with

charity. It’s not just about football”

town&Country

What constitutes a rivalry? That’s a questions that Reagan and Smith-

son Valley haven’t had the opportunity to answer, as the communities have quickly branded the Town and Country Bowl an annual grudge match amongst the two teams. But some question whether the game is really a rivalry at all. “A real rivalry is when one school wins one year and the other school wins the next, that’s not the situation we’ve been in,” Reagan Rattlers head coach David Wetzel said. The bowl has typically been a lop-sided affair with District 26-5A power-house Smithson Valley usually dominat-ing the annual match. But following an

unexpected 10-7 Rattler victory this year, the match-up is starting to look a lot more like a ‘real’ rivalry. But don’t tell that to David Hill, the Rangers’ Head Coach. He says the Rang-ers have made a conscious decision to avoid any rivalry talk whatsoever. “When you put so much emphasis on any one game, you run the risk of flatten-ing out in next week’s game,” Hill said. “People have tried to put us in a rivalry with Reagan. Some people have tried to put us in a rivalry with Judson. Now that New Braunfels is 5A, people are talking about a Smith-son Valley/New Braunfels rivalry. Maybe next week it will be Madison,” he added.

But if both schools discourage the notion of a Rattlers/Rangers rivalry and previous contests going overwhelmingly in favor of Smithson Valley, where did this idea of a rivalry come from? And simi-larly, how did this annual match-up get dubbed the Town and Country Bowl? The latter is simple. The name “Town and Country Bowl” evolved from the two schools’ relative locations late last de-cade. Back then, Reagan was located on the edge of San Antonio (the town), while Smithson Valley was located in Spring Branch, which at that time was perceived as very rural (the country). But the origin of the assumed rivalry isn’t so cut and dry. The most logical ex-planation is this: when Reagan opened in

Reagan vs Smithson Valleyby Jon Black / pics Antonio Morano


1999, it was the closest large school to Smithson Valley. Perhaps many people simply expected the schools to become cross-town rivals (or what passed for “cross-town” on the fringes of San Anto-nio nearly ten years ago). Ironically, Johnson - which opened this year - is now closer to both schools than they are to each other. Regardless of its history, hardly any-one expected this year’s outcome. Smith-son Valley went into the game as heavy favorites, and early indications on the field did little to challenge that assumption. Smithson Valley’s first drive of the game was a relentless, well-oiled onslaught that end-ed in a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, with the Rangers up 7-0, it was beginning to look like a repeat of previous Town and Country Bowls. An ambitious Regan drive in the sec-ond quarter, which included runs of 55 and 20 yards, seemed likely to end in a touchdown. But the Rangers forced them to settle for a field goal. Still, Regan end-ed the first half with points on the board.Smithson Valley’s offense is rightly re-garded as one of the best in the San An-tonio. During this year’s Bowl, they led the game in time of possession and num-ber of plays. But the top-notch Reagan defense, along with some poorly-timed

Ranger penalties, kept Smithson Valley from turning possession into big plays.In low-scoring, tightly contested games, anything can happen. With 1:41 left in the game, Reagan defensive back Zach Bean intercepted a Ranger pass, which gave the Rattlers possession on their 42 yard line. After four very tense plays, quarter-back Derrick Walls completed a 28-yard pass to wide receiver Ryan Witte, who ran the ball in for a touchdown, putting the Rattlers up 10-7. An impassioned Smithson Valley drive that started with less than a min-

ute on the game clock never materialized into points. Thus, the Reagan Rattlers emerged victorious in what has to be one of the season’s most dramatic upsets. Following the game, Wetzel was effusive in praising his players. “The game was a great defensive slugfest, just as we thought it could be. SV kept the ball a lot more than we did, but our defense came up big when it had to. I was so proud of our whole football team.” “It was a strange game,” Davis ad-mits. “We led in time of possession and number of plays, but had trouble making

the big plays. You’ve always got to give your opponent some of the credit and they played a really strong game.” Asked if the 10-7 victory in the Town and Country Bowl changes his thoughts about the possibility of a Reagan-Smith-son Valley rivalry, Wetzel said, “We still have some more catching up to do be-fore it is a real rivalry. They have an out-standing program. We think we do, too. But we have a lot to do to match their consistency over the last several years.”Quite frankly, the notion of a rivalry doesn’t make sense. Both schools have

traditionally ignored the idea, and Reagan had only won the series once prior to this year. It is hard to imagine less favorable conditions for stoking community pas-sions. And yet, the game continues to be dubbed the Town and Country Bowl – just as the idea of a Reagan/Smithson Valley rivalry persists. It is blogged about, de-bated on message boards and even dis-cussed the community. One thing is for certain - the 2008 Town and Country Bowl will do nothing do dissuade those voices. It may even make a few new converts to the cause.

“The game was a great defensive slugfest, just as we thought it could be. SV kept the ball a lot more than we did, but our defense came up big when it had to. I was so proud of our whole football team”


Wurst

What’s the perfect formula for a high school football rivalry? Take one mid-

sized Texas city, give it two high schools and one big annual face-off between them. It would be hard to find a better example of that formula in action than New Braunfels and its annual Wurst Bowl. Now in its 27th year, the game be-tween cross-town rivals New Braunfels High School and New Braunfels Canyon has been officially dubbed “The Wurst Bowl.” The name reflects the city’s cel-ebrated German Heritage as well as the game’s timing. Traditionally, the face-off took place around the time of the city’s annual Wurstfest celebration. “This is a pretty unique rivalry,” ex-plains NBHS head coach Chuck Cani-ford, “These kids grew up together, played on the same Little League teams or Pop Warner teams.” “New Braunfels is a phenomenal football town,” says Canyon High School head coach Les Davis, “[During the game] half the stadium is red and half the stadium is blue.” Although Wurst Bowl history is a bit lopsided - NBHS leads the Wurst Bowl Se-ries 22-5 - the rivalry is well-loved through-out the entire community. In a city like New

Braunfels, a strong rivalry between its two high schools is probably inevitable. Both Coaches are quick to note the friendly nature of the rivalry. There is a sense that this rivalry avoids the kind of ugliness and bad sportsman-ship that is sometimes associated with longstanding rivalries. “This is a one-week-a-year thing,” Davis explains, “T-shirts for the winning side show up now and then, but it’s a re-ally friendly rivalry.” “It’s a friendly rivalry, classy, we play hard,” Caniford adds. “There’s a lot of passion but, at the end of the game, no matter who won, these kids are going to shake hands and hug … and mean it.” When talking about any hometown rivalry, there is a tendency to emphasize the “rivalry” and overlook the “home-town” part. Those who are divided by their Unicorns/Cougars loyalties are oth-erwise united as friends and neighbors. For 364 days a year, New Braunfels en-thusiastically supports both teams. “As long as they’re not playing us, we want them to be successful.” Cani-ford explains. Davis expresses similar sentiments, “People support both programs for nine

games a year then get very polarized dur-ing one week. When the game is over ev-eryone becomes friends again.”

Favorite Moments:

While the Wurst Bowl is always excit-ing, everybody has a favorite moment. For Davis, the 2005 Wurst Bowl had a very personal angle. His youngest son, Steven, was a senior on the team. Can-iford is particularly proud of the Uni-corn’s victory in 2006. NBHS went into the game 3-3 against a heavily favored 6-0 Canyon Cougars. Instead, the Uni-corns defied expectations and pulled out a win. The 2006 bowl also seems to have been a popular one with students and the community. Emotions were running high on both sides of the stadium and stayed that way throughout the duration of the contest. At one point in the game, the Unicorn mas-cot got so excited that he climbed on top of the press box to cheer his team on from a more visible location. In that sta-dium, and in a bulky mascot’s costume, the stunt was arguably as athletic as any-thing happening on the field.

New Braunfels vs New Braunfels Canyonby Jon Black / pics Antonio Morano


Wurst Bowl 2008:

With the 5A New Braunfels Unicorns outscoring Canyon in the past three con-tests by a combined 104-12 and having trounced Seguin 51-6 the previous week, the Unicorns were heavily favored in this year’s contest. One of the biggest question marks leading up to this year’s Wurst Bowl was the Unicorn’s elevation to 5A, specifi-cally: could that affect the rivalry against 4A Canyon. Both Coaches acknowledge that this change won’t diminish the inten-sity of the cross-town rivalry. The 27th Annual Wurst Bowl end-ed with a 35-0 NBHS victory. However, the final score does not tell the entire story. Canyon’s first four possessions were tight, well executed and confident drives that looked quite likely to end in Cougar touchdowns. While the first two drives floundered because of pain-ful penalties and the second two ended in interceptions, Canyon demonstrated

that it has the goods to remain equal contenders in this rivalry. Even with a half-time score of 14-0, Canyon was still hanging strong. By the third quarter, however, the well-oiled NBHS offense and energetic defense eventually ground down the Cougar’s morale and eventually pulled off the convincing victory. NBHS’s recent history and 5A sta-tus suggest it may have the momentum heading into the next few Wurst Bowl contests. But even with the mistakes made in this year’s game, Canyon dis-played the tools to play top-quality foot-ball too. Regardless, it looks as though the upcoming Wurst Bowls aren’t going to lack excitement. The vibrancy of this rivalry seems en-coded in the DNA of a city that loves foot-ball and has two high schools with proud football traditions. The teams and the community also remind us that an intense rivalry can go hand-in-hand with good sportsmanship and community spirit. Davis sums up the feeling of Coach-es, athletes, and the community, “It is a lot of fun to be part of this great game.”

The vibrancy of this rivalry seems encoded

in the DNA of a city that loves football and has two high

schools with proud football traditions


JarekLancaster

DOUBLE AGENT

Most coaches can only dream of big-play athletes like Jarek Lancaster,

an offensive and defensive standout who possesses a unique combination of lead-ership, strength and consistency. But the coaches at O’Connor High School don’t have to dream. That’s be-cause Lancaster, the Panther’s starting quarterback, is for real. Lancaster has played on both sides of the ball during his high school career, excelling at each. In fact, his experiences as a defensive end and a linebacker give him unique insights into the quarterback position. “Playing on both sides of the foot-ball helps me make better reads and ad-just to the flow of the game quicker,” he says. “All the experience I gained these last two seasons on defense helped me become a more efficient player.” As a freshman quarterback, his in-tensity and running abilities quickly caught the attention of his opponents, who often watched helplessly as he picked defenses apart with his arms and legs. “His first season at quarterback, I knew Jarek had talent,’ says Coach Padron. He had great running abilities and was a very intense player. I believed he would be stron-ger on defense, and we began developing him right away.” Padron said Lancaster had the natu-ral abilities of a defensive end. So Lan-caster spent his sophomore year as a de-fensive lineman. Though he lacked the size of traditional defensive ends, his athleticism prevailed. By the end of the season he had accu-mulated 37 tackles (12 solo), 4 sacks, and 1 interception. He excelled on the D-line, forcing opponents to remain aware of his posi-tion on the field. But it wasn’t just opposing coordinators who had their eyes on Lan-caster, the O’Connor linebacker corps was eager to include him in their ranks.

“While playing his sophomore year, we knew that he was a linebacker,” says defensive coordinator David Malesky. “Going into the spring of his junior year, we moved him to outside linebacker. We could tell he was a little uncomfortable there, but after about week five, he fig-ured it out and began mak-ing plays that you see great players making.” The linebacker spot proved to be a better fit for Lancaster, as evident by his stats. During his junior year he tallied 74 tackles (35 solo), 1 blocked pass and a kickoff return for 70 yards. “As a quarterback, it was about hav-ing a calculating mentality, and at de-fense, the intensity I needed to be suc-cessful was on a whole different level,” Lancaster says. “I had to become a dif-ferent beast on the football field. It was difficult at first, but I took on the respon-sibility without hesitation.” As Lancaster grew as an athlete, certain college football programs took notice. Before long he had collegiate of-fers from around the nation, including Army, Air Force, Navy, North Texas and Stanford. He couldn’t believe it when

college programs began sending him emails and phone calls, and “Shocked” was the only word he could use to de-scribe the surprise. “I laid everything out on the table and tried to make sense of it all. It was really overwhelming to choose which school I

would go to. I couldn’t believe that these schools actually wanted me,” he says with a laugh. “It wasn’t just about foot-ball. I needed an institution that would give me a great education.” Lancaster eventually decided on Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he was recruited as a linebacker. He said Rice stood above the rest; mainly be-cause it was close to home. “Rice was a good choice for me, and I felt comfortable with the coaching staff and I want to be close to my fam-ily,” he says. “I want to come home and see the Panthers play on my off weeks. Leaving home will be an adjustment, but if I can be successful at a new posi-tion, I should be okay with learning my new surroundings.” Malesky agrees. ”Jarek is a natural football player and picks up on things very quickly,” he says. “He has the de-sire and mentality to be the best he can be. He is very intelligent and will be suc-

cessful at any position he plays.” Not only does Lancaster have

the talent to be a contender at the college level, but his aca-demic discipline gives him an added advantage. Lan-caster maintains a 4.0 GPA even with his on-field com-

mitments. The strength and discipline that

makes him standout as an athlete and a student comes from the one thing he values above all

else: his family. His parents, Pat and Linda

“I had to become a different BEAST on the football field”


Lancaster, knew from an early age that Jarek’s natural athletic abilities would go hand in hand with football. “Jarek has worked very hard to get at the level that he is as an athlete and as a student,” his father, Pat Lancaster, says. “He gets things done without procrasti-nation. He worked very hard and sacri-ficed a lot of social activities to get this chance to be a college athlete.” Lancaster will need his intelligence and strength as he makes his way through a new program.

“The hardest thing about moving on to college is starting over,” he says. “But, I have a great family that has helped me remain strong as a person and as an athlete. The coaching staff at O’Connor worked with me for three years and en-sured that I would be competitive, and it’s because of them that I am moving my career to the college level.”

The strength and discipline that

makes him stand-out as an athlete

and a student comes from the one thing he val-

ues above all else: HIS FAMILY

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aaronGreen

Aaron Green took the handoff and sprinted into the end zone. That

touchdown put the cap on a 69-56 win over Kerrville Tivy in a game earlier this season. For Green, it was his ninth of the game, a new city record! The final scoring run gave the Madison High sophomore a night for the record books in only his second varsity football game. Aaron amassed 428 yards rushing on the night, a total that will put him third on the all-time yards gained in a single game rushing list in the city. The amazing thing about the nine touchdowns is that each and every one of them was needed. Each time Mr. Green was asked to step up he answered the call. Aaron Green’s heroics are the stuff legends are made of. But in the Green fam-ily feats such at this are commonplace, as Aaron comes from a long time of fine athletes. His father, Tony, starred at Baylor back in the 1970’s. An uncle, Gary Green, also starred at Baylor at the same time and went on to play in the NFL for nine years, making the Pro Bowl five times. Aaron also has an older brother on this Madison team, Andrew, who’s a highly recruited senior. Another older

brother, Tony II, plays at Alabama A&M. A cousin, Gary II, Gary Green’ son, plays wide receiver at Kansas. So the Green family has been well represented in football for the past sever-al decades. With the likes of Aaron Green that tradition will continue. Aaron’s coach, Jim Streety, marvels at his young phenom, “Aaron has un-limited potential. He comes from a solid family that values education and hard work. He has tremendous athletic ability.” Coach Streety knows there is unlimited upside potential for Aaron Green. While Coach Streety does not ask underclassmen to be leaders on the Madison team he thinks Aaron will be a leader when his time comes. “He can and will be a leader,” Coach Streety says, “and I think he will be a vocal leader as well as leading by example. Aaron gets excited.” Coach Streety laughs when asked if players like Aaron Green make him look like a better coach! Aaron has not had another monster game like he did against Kerrville Tivy, but the young man continues to put up great numbers. And he continues to score touchdowns. After eight games Green

had 20 touchdowns. He also had run for almost 1500 yards, which was second in the city. He will lead his team into the playoffs on a high note. On top of being a great football play-er, Green is also a great hurdler. He won the national AAU 110-meter hurdles for his age group. Aaron Green has accomplished all of this in his first year of varsity football. By Coach Streety’s own admission he is still learning the high school game. One way of knowing if a player is mak-ing a name for himself is to check out some of the message boards dealing with Texas high school football. Mr. Green’s name is prominent on almost all of them. Aaron Green is a phenomenal young athlete. He’s already accomplished much in his young career and he’s just getting started. Coming from a fine family of gift-ed athletes, he’s just carrying the water when it’s his turn. Stay tuned! There will be a lot more news on Aaron Green in San Antonio high school sports over the next couple of years. And also remem-ber, he’s not even old enough to get his driver’s license yet. Wow!!

THE NATURALby JD LeCoq / pics Antonio Morano


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{ {THE LINE O

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Guys like Dillon Brown and Willy Mc-Clain deserve your attention. Not be-

cause they’re some of the strongest guys on the Smithson Valley varsity football team, and not because they among the biggest or the fastest. They deserve your attention because most fans don’t even notice them.Yet if you ask the two senior linemen, that just means they’re doing their jobs. Offensive linemen don’t play for glory, they say, they play for their team. “I play for the team, not myself,” Brown said. “If we score, I’m pumped just like everyone else.” But their jobs are not easy. Despite popular misconceptions, o-linemen aren’t the big, fat, slow oafs commonly found in Hollywood movies; instead, they might just be the best athletes on their teams. “It’s a fast man’s game,” McClain said. Speed plays a surprisingly large role on the offensive line, which stands to rea-son given blocking assignments. Not only are these guys going toe-to-toe against their defensive linemen counterparts, they are also responsible for picking up speedy linebackers and even defensive backs (who are often the fastest players on the team). “(Playing on the offensive line) is about getting your hands up quick and moving sideways and being faster than anyone in the first 10 yards,” Brown said. That’s something Adrian Salinas, David Vela and Joseph Barajas, line-men on the Holy Cross varsity squad can confirm.“On o-line you need to be think-ing constantly,” Salinas, a tackle, said. “You’ve got to know who your man is and be ready to pick up blitzing linebackers. It’s a lot harder than people think.” In fact, Salinas recently transitioned to guard from defensive end, a position

“I play for the team, not myself”

“It’s a fast man’s game”It’s a fast man’s game“It’s a fast man’s game”“It’s a fast man’s game”by Lee Vander Boegh / pics Antonio Morano

“I play for the team, not myself” readsam.com SAm Magazine 25

characterized by quickness and power. He admits that his successes at his for-mer position didn’t prepare him for the rig-orous demands of the offensive line. “It’s faster than most people think,” he said. “I have trouble keeping up (with the speed).” “There are people that run 4.5’s (40-yard dash times) and you’ve got to keep up with them,” Brown added. Not only are o-linemen much faster than the average football fan would ever expect (some of the linemen we inter-viewed for this story are among the fast-est players on their teams), they are also smarter. While football movies often cat-egorize at least one lineman as slow and dim-witted, the reality couldn’t be any far-ther from the truth. Some analysts have even gone so far as to call them the most intelligent players on the field. “It’s harder than it seems,” Vela said. “There’s a lot of thinking.” What’s there to think about? Block-ing schemes require clockwork precision. Getting the right bodies on the right de-fenders is the only way to open up room for the running backs. If this seems sim-plistic, it isn’t. Most teams line up with three or four down defensive linemen and three or four linebackers in “the box” – a term used to describe a defense’s run-stopping alignment. With only five true offensive linemen, the center, guards and tackles must determine their assignments before the play – then make adjustments once the ball is snapped. And don’t forget that linebackers and defensive linemen are free to jump around prior to the snap, thus negating any predetermined offen-sive blocking scheme. Still not convinced? Safeties and cor-nerbacks often cheat into the box or blitz into the backfield, which means five offen-sive linemen must account for all 11 de-

“I play for the team, not myself”“I play for the team, not myself”

“I play for the team, not myself”

“It’s a fast man’s game”It’s a fast man’s game


fensive players at all times. Granted the o-line will oc-casionally get blocking help from tight ends and running backs, protecting the quar-terback and opening run-ning lanes ultimately falls on their shoulders. That’s not to say that anything short of a 60-yard, perfectly-blocked running back scamper is a lineman failure. Think about a com-mon short yardage or goal line situation. Pounding out a few inches shouldn’t be that hard, right? Let’s do the math: in a perfect world, all 11 offensive play-ers block all 11 defensive players – but that’s not counting the fact that the run-ning back can’t block and carry the ball at the same time, so now that 11 vs. 11 just became 11 vs. 10. And most quar-terbacks don’t throw blocks, so even if everyone else executes their blocks per-fectly, two defenders are literally unac-counted for. By the very nature of math-ematics, any positive yardage is a direct result of a smart line making the right decisions at the line of scrimmage. How do the linemen know which defenders to block? “You really have to communicate out there,” Vela said. “And you have to be ready (to make adjustments); sometimes you need to double team.” Another surprising fact about play-ing along the offensive line is the sheer complexity of most blocking schemes. Forget about zigzag arrows for receiver routes and zone-reading quarterbacks, on any given play an offensive line-man may drop back into a pass block, charge into a defender during a run, “pull” out of his position for a kick-out block further down the field, double team an opponent, crisscross blocks with another lineman or even deceived his opponent into screen play. And usually after a lineman effectively takes his man out of the play, he’ll move on to another opponent or escort his back down the field. Next time a running back rips out a long gain, pay atten-tion to his surroundings. Odds are that an offensive lineman is in the vicinity, even if it’s 20 or 30 yards downfield. Still, most linemen face an unfortu-nate double standard: When a defense

tallies a sack or a tackle-for-a-loss, it’s considered an offensive line failure. Yet great running and pass protection are taken for granted. “People tend to blame the offensive line, but it’s just part of the job,” Vela said. “When we do score, we get recognition from the team.” Salinas has another approach: “I know I’m not going to get credit for the

touchdown, so I take it out on the guy I’m going to block.” Something else offensive linemen don’t get credit for: their big hit ability. Linebackers and safeties are known for big hits, but put either one of them on a collision course with a center, guard or tackle, and you’ll likely see them avoid the blow at nearly any cost. Most of them shift out of the way, which stands to reason given the very nature of physics. If force is a combination of mass and speed, and o-linemen are the biggest (and often some of the fastest) guys on the team, the ensu-ing inertia can be devastating, especially

when applied to someone much smaller. Rett McSween says “if a linebacker or safety is doing his job correctly, they should try to avoid the lineman.” And despite their repu-tations, linebackers rarely strike fear into hearts of an offensive line. “You’ve got size on them,” Brown said about run-ning towards a linebacker. “You’ll just run them over.” In fact, when we asked Brown and McClain who the hardest hitters on the field are, Brown immediately re-sponded with, “I would say

Will (McClain) is our biggest hitter.” That’s something Brown would know. Not only have the two seniors played along the line together all four years of high school (technically McClain played tight end before moving to center, but we’ll let it slide since that position usually lines up alongside the tackle), they’ve been play-ing sports together since they were eight. That tight bond isn’t unusual along the line.

Perhaps more than any other group on the field, the “big uglies” up front are a close-knit group, almost a fraternity of sorts. They spend a significant amount of time togeth-er on and off the field, and the result is a relationship that ultimately helps the team. “We stand together a lot,” Vela said. “Even at school we eat lunch together. We lift weights together. We help each other out.” “We’re all pretty tight, like family,” Bara-jas added. “We always have each other’s back, especially on the football field.” It all comes back to playing for the team, not for glory. That’s why any suc-cessful football coach will give full credit to their offensive line. “I think the public perception is that these are big, fat kids that can’t play anywhere else,” Floresville head football coach John Baker said. “But the truth is that games are won and lost by those guys up front.” “A lot of people that don’t know foot-ball might only see the stars out there,” Vela says. “But (the team) knows.”

“TRUTH IS THAT GAMES ARE WON AND LOST BY THOSE GUYS UP FRONT”

“We’re all pretty tight, like family,”

photo by Stefan Soliz

PositionsNot all offensive line positions are equal. Though the roles vary depending on the type of

offensive scheme, here are the traditional o-line roles:

CenterThe center is easily identifi-able because he’s the one who snaps the ball to start the play. In most offenses, the center is the one who calls out blocking audibles for his fellow linemen, since he has the centermost view of the defensive scheme.

GuardsFlanking the center on both sides are the guards. These guys take on the interior defen-sive linemen as well as inside linebackers and occasionally defensive backs.

TacklesTackles book end the offensive line. Usually characterized by excellent footwork, tack-les protect the perimeter of quarterback pocket and take on defensive ends and other defenders coming from the outside. To protect the quar-terback’s blind side, the best pass-blocking tackle usually lines up on the quarterback’s non-dominant side (i.e. if the quarterback is right handed, this tackle will line up on the left side).

FullbacksIf tight ends are a mixture of re-ceivers and tackles, fullbacks are a cross between a tailback and a guard. They typically line up in the offensive backfield, usually between the quarter-back and the tailback. Though some offenses give their full-backs the ball as often as their halfbacks, they are primarily used as lead blockers. They’re also eligible to catch passes out of the backfield.


Drew allenalamo Heights

LIFER

Drew Allen does not have gaudy num-bers. He has something better. This

Alamo Heights Mule quarterback will join the Oklahoma Sooners football team next year. Drew has verbally committed to the Sooners and is considered a top pro-style signal caller by most ranking sites, including Rivals.com and Scout.com. Allen, leading his 4A Mules, had averaged about 230 yards passing with six touchdowns after three games. He was completing 50% of his passes against all 5A competition. Operating behind a completely new offensive line, Allen had to make a few adjustments. After having no touchdown passes through two games, he fired six in a big win over Laredo United. Drew Allen has always been a quar-terback. Starting with the Mighty Mules in the junior leagues until today, Allen states, “I am a lifetime Mule.” Allen backed up Mule great Giovanni Vizza, now at North Texas State, and got in a few snaps as a sophomore. Drew passed for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior while mak-ing the All-District team. He also added five touchdowns and 254 yards rushing. In addition to be a standout football player, Allen participates in track and field where he also excels. On the track, Drew runs the 110 and 300 meter hurdles and anchors the 4X400 relay team. In the field he is a triple jumper. Drew is also an excellent student. He has a 3.85 GPA and one day wants to own his own business after majoring in Business at Oklahoma. Allen is in the top 15% of his class. He strives to make

all A’s and says, “I don’t want any B’s on my report card. I don’t like to see that.” Drew also states that Oklahoma has a great academic support team which will help him with his college studies. Allen also has wonderful parents and two brothers who cheer him on. Will they watch him play at Oklahoma? Allen replies, “They already have a hotel picked out!” Drew also enjoys “hunting and fish-ing”. He can be found often times at the family ranch with his buddies having fun. As great a player that Allen is, he can’t do it alone. Drew is surrounded by an offensive line made up of first-year starters that is a tad bit on the small side. Rhett McSween, the Mules starting cen-ter, says, “We use our quickness to our advantage.” Heights’ game plan this year is to use wider splits on the offensive line. Ross Studer, a guard on the team, chimes in, “I am not the fastest guy on the field but I use all my strength and quickness to do the best I can.” The Mules offensive line knows Allen is a special player that will lead this team a long ways. “He’s legit,” says Nick Mor-ton-Gonzaba, “It’s off to the playoffs.” Allen has a lot of confidence in his ability. He knows after his Mules career is over the college game will be much quicker. He thinks he’s up for the task. He will need to be. “Oklahoma only has two scholarship quarterbacks on their roster,” Drew says. “I’ll only be a couple of snaps away from the starter.” Even though the college game will be a much different affair than high school, Al-len does not seem fazed. He admits, “The

throwing window will be tighter in college. Coach Byrd (head coach Don Byrd) has worked with me on that. There will be more coverage’s to deal with on the col-lege level also.” One gets a feeling Drew can easily master these circumstances. I strive to be a leader all the time,” he says. Drew Allen is a special young man. He’s brimming with a quiet confidence that let’s you know he is a winner, and a great quarterback. If he weren’t Okla-homa would not have come calling. He’s not cocky. Allen just proves himself on the field. He’ll prove himself again in col-lege and quite possibly beyond that. Stay tuned, Drew Allen is just getting started.

& by JD LeCoq / pics Antonio Morano


WillieCulp

epper

Name: Willie Culpepper, Jr. School: BrackenridgeHeight: 5”8”Weight: 150 Position: Running Back Class: Junior

Explaining Willie Culpepper’s running style is like describing the wind. This 5’-8”, 150-pound lightning bolt of a running back is the offensive backbone of the Brackenridge High School Eagle football team and a big reason why the Eagles tallied a perfect 6-0 record and a district championship last year – the school’s best season since 1967. Culpepper began playing football at the tender age of five, and hasn’t missed a beat since. He quickly moved up the Pop Warner ranks before eventually settling into the arms of the Eagle football program. So far, it’s been a great fit for this talented young athlete. Not only does Culpepper have a district title under his belt, he amassed an impressive 900 yards and ten touchdowns last season as a sophomore. He’s got amazing quickness and agility, and his lightning speed threatens any defenses. Since this is only his junior season, Culpepper is still improving. Fans and coaches expect him to hit the 1,000 yard mark this season, which should make even more mouths drop as this gifted running back becomes better and better with each carry.

LIGHTNING CRASHESby Kimberly Oakman / pics Antonio Morano


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BasketballPreview

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JudsonRocke

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Ned Cox Sr, GuardDeMarcus Richardson Sr, GuardChris Wacker Sr, PostRobert Shaw Sr, GuardStuart Lagerson Jr, Post

Rocket pride lives on as the Judson High School boys basketball team prepare for another playoff berth 18 years running. The Rockets will return eight letter-man from last year’s team, with three of those letterman as starters at the Varsity level. The buzz continues that this is the most experienced team the community has seen in the past five years. “The athleticism is definitely stronger this season, and all we need to do is use that towards getting further in the playoffs,” says senior Ned Cox. “We have a lot to prove to ourselves as a team, and the com-munication HAS to be there to succeed.” Last season, the Rockets went head to head with other basketball power-houses, such as Reagan and Madison high schools. Their biggest challenge of the season was Wagner; Judson’s newest neighborhood rival. The Rockets lost to Wagner in both meetings, but have vowed to not let the Thunderbirds sore past them on the scoreboard this season. The 2007 season proved to be a tough task for the Rockets, as they lost to state favorite Austin Bowie in the first round of the playoffs. The Varsity roster is jam packed with some of the strongest athletes in the district, and the Judson community expects that strength to carry all the way into the post season.

11-5 district record 23-10 overall recordbi-district finalists

2007 accomplishments

ATHLETIC PROOFby Kimberly Oakman / pics Antonio Morano


taftRaid

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IF THE SHOE FITS

Patrick Barton - Sr, Guard Dray Baker - Sr, GuardShawn Burton - Jr, ForwardDylan Elias - Soph, Guard

The Taft Raiders are no stranger to success, but this season will be a “bounce back” season, considering they said goodbye to a long time coach and star player all in the same season. Former head coach Mike Osterman, who coached at Taft High School since 1985, stepped down in the summer of 2008. The Raiders also took a hard hit when they lost superstar Julian Boyd. Getting over these obstacles will make or break the Raider season, as they prepare to stay one of the most competitive teams in the district. ‘We learned a lot from Coach ‘O’, and he will be missed,’ says senior Dray Baker. As far as Julian goes, we need to pick up where he left off. Julian was a great rebounder and a strong player. We have some big shoes to fill this season.” It has been an off-season of adjustment for the Raiders, but no matter what happens, they remain optimistic and proud of the accomplishments from last season, and the hard work will only lay the foundation for continued success. Newly appointed head coach Joey Tate, who coached under Osterman the past five seasons, has one thing on his pre-season agenda: fundamentals. “Because we lack size, we have to capitalize on our speed and moving the ball quicker up and down the court,” he says. “We have the skills, but it’s all about execution. Coach ‘O’ taught us that, and we will continue to build on what he left us.”

28-5a district runner up 29-10 overall record


by Kimberly Oakman / pics Anel Monge


Clemens Buff

alos

REPEAT DEFENDER

24-10 overall record 13-1 district record

2007 accomplishments Quinton Hector - Sr, Point GuardNick Nash, - Jr, CenterTaylor Smith - Sr, Forward

The Buffalo boys basketball team returns this season with one thing on its agenda: total district domination. Seven seniors graduated from the Buff roster, but maintain their strong leadership abilities with five seniors on the court this year. “We have a lot of young players this year, but the seniors will have to step up and take command,” says senior Taylor Smith. “Our communication has improved and that will show on the court this season.” The Buffs charged all the way to the third round of the playoffs last season, losing to Brackenridge High School at the buzzer. Eager to get that loss off their minds, the players are ready to return with a stronger defense and better rebounding – elements that could make or break their 2008 season. This year’s roster is packed with fresh players who have no varsity basketball familiarity. But you can bet that the team will be working extra hard before the season begins to counteract this inexperience. Regardless, the athleticism and depth of this team has grown throughout the past year, and that will show in the leadership of its seniors.



Stephen Miller - Sr, GuardKeith Callies - Sr, GuardChris Gramling - Jr, GaurdJared Abell - Sr, GaurdBrandon Potts - Sr, Forward Joeseph Hatch - Sr, Post

The MacArthur Brahmas boys basketball team might not have had a stellar season last year, but the players and coaches are hoping the experience opens the doors to a better record this year. With six varsity letterman on the roster, the Brahmas aren’t taking last season for granted. In fact, it is serving as inspiration. “Our shooting strength and team unity has improved over the last two seasons,” senior guard Stephen Miller says. “But this season is about redemption, and showing everyone what we are truly capable of on the court.” The men’s team hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2006, and the biggest why are district rivals Madison and Churchill.“Madison is definitely our biggest obstacle because they bring us everything they have,” senior guard Keith Callies says. “Our team continues to work on communication and making smarter decisions in games. That’s our number one ticket to being the best.” The Brahmas open their season November 17, againt John Jay.

MacarthurBrah

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REDEMPTION SONGby Kimberly Oakman / pics Anel Monge


David


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THE ILLUSIONIST

Name: Brandon Thompson School: Stevens High School Height: 6’2”Weight: 175 lbsPosition: Guard Class: Senior

Only in its third season of varsity athletics, Stevens High School star guard Brandon Thompson has more than earned his spot on the Falcons Varsity roster. Thompson is known as a selfless athlete. He cares more for his team’s success rather than adding to his own resume. He will gladly give that extra pass to a teammate rather than taking that extra shot for himself. His coaches agree that his selfless attitude helped earn him numerous achievements last season. Thompson racked up 1st team All-District and All-Regional Honors last season, and was named to the San Antonio Express News Superteam. Thompson delivered on average 14 points a game, 3.5 assists, and four steals a game last season. His gracefulness and quickness with the ball catches some of his opponents off guard, according to head coach John Hirst. “Brandon has amazing ball handling skills, and with that he makes plays look so easy. It’s almost deceiving,” he says. The Falcons hope those skills deceive other district powerhouses, like Clark and Warren high schools. This young athlete’s leadership and power on the court helped lead the Falcons to the playoffs last season, and a repeat is expected. With the competition heating up in the district, the Falcons will fly high with Brandon Thompson leading the attack.


David


DavidClark

WELCOME TO MACHINE

19.7 points per game 10.2 rebounds per game 5 assists per game


Name: David ClarkSchool: Stacey High School Height: 6’3” Position: Small ForwardClass: SeniorCollege Bound: Verbal commitment to St. Mary’s University-San Antonio

Stacey High School has a well-oiled machine on its basketball front court; a 6-foot, 3-inch phenom named David Clark. His style and flair for the game are truly unique, but it’s his dedication to the game of basketball make him a one-of-a-kind player. “Thinking before doing” is this athlete’s weapon of choice on the basketball court, which could explain why his all-around performance just keeps getting better. “David’s skills have grown tremendously,” his head coach Mike Flores said. “David is probably our best ball handler and has a consistent jump shot. He has worked very hard to improve and it is all finally paying off. David is a true gym rat.” Watching him, it’s hard to imagine that Clark wasn’t born into his position. He seemed initially overwhelmed by the speed of high school basketball and his frame wasn’t substantial enough for his position. But he invested his time in the weight room and overcame these obstacles. It’s a habit that stuck, because he bangs out countless drills and agility exercises as if they were his hobbies. Clark’s coaches told him that basketball players are made between the months of April and September - both academically and athletically. He takes those words to heart. Clark’s commitment to academics is just as strong as his commitment to athletics, evident by the fact that he was one of only a few players who attended tutoring sessions every day after school. He explains that his parents are the reason his academics are such a priority. “My parents always remind me that the word ‘student-athlete’ is written that way for a reason,” he said. “‘Student is the word I should always remember first. Without being a student, I can forget about being a dominant athlete.”


38 SAm Magazine readsam.com40 SAm Magazine readsam.com

Name: Charlicia “CeCe” HarperSchool: MadisonHeight: 5’ 7” Weight: 140 ibsPosition: Guard Class: Junior

The Lady Maverick varsity team has a secret weapon, and her name is

Charlicia Harper. “CeCe,” as her teammates call her, is expected to solidify her spot on the varsity roster this season as she takes over as one of the most talked about female basketball players in recent San Antonio history. As a sophomore, CeCe racked up All-District, All-State and All-Regional honors last season and helped carry the Lady Mavericks to an overall record of 30-8 and a Bi-District title in the 26-5A district. She led the Lady Mavericks in scoring last season, averaging 18 points per game. She also tallied 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 steals per contest. Though she is known for her speed and quickness on the court, it’s her confidence and leadership that are so dangerous. That’s what sets her apart from her younger, more inexperienced teammates; and it’s what will provide the fuel for the Lady Mavericks for the next two seasons. She credits her strong ball handling and sniper-accurate shooting precision to her six years spent playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) club basketball. Harper has high hopes for All-District and All-State honors again this season.

CharliciaHarp

er

SECRET WEAPONby Kimberly Oakman / pics Anel Monge



WagnerLad

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FUNDAMENTAL TALENT

Michelle Rodriguez - Jr, Guard

Darlisa Riche - Soph, PostArielle Roberson - Soph, Post

Considering this is only the third year that Wagner High School has had a varsity athletics program, the Lady Thunderbirds have already proven their talent with a 16-0 district record. The varsity roster only graduated four seniors from last year’s squad and has a solid core of strong juniors eager to make their marks. Head Coach Christina Camacho is counting on the experience and athleticism of those juniors to repeat a district title. “I knew there was going to be a strong talent pool over here at Wagner,” says Camacho. “The expectations in my mind are high, and this team doesn’t break under pressure and they believe they can win.” Camacho focuses on the fundamen-tals of the game, which she believes can make all the difference between being a dominant powerhouse and not giving the opponents a real challenge on the court. “Combining fundamentals with this team’s God given talent was a struggle at first,” she says. “But when an athlete can see how much better she can be by focusing on the small things, the rewards are incredible.” Solid fundamentals will come in handy against other district favorites like Judson and Corpus Christi Car-roll. These two teams finished as two of the top teams in the 27-5A district, and will have something to say about the Thunderbirds holding on to that current district title.

16-0 district record 36-2 overall record

2006-07 runners up in 27-5a2007 state semi-finalist



Fall is cross country season in Texas. While cross country may not get the

kind of coverage afforded to football or volleyball, no sport asks more from its athletes in terms of endurance or com-mitment. And no cross coun-try team gives more than the Harlandale In-dians. Harlandale is one of three high schools in south San Antonio’s small Harlandale ISD. “I spend the whole season stress-ing how everything we do must be done together. I focus on how we need to be there for each other and to be the one who will step up when our brothers or sisters are having a bad day; that he/she makes a difference and that he/she is needed,” says Barbara Menchaca, Head Coach for both the girls and boys cross country teams. Manchaca is a 16 year veteran of coaching cross country, track and volleyball. She has been at Harland-ale since 2000 and been coaching cross country exclusively since 2002. Cross Country has a strong tradition at Harlandale. In the past five years, the boys’ team has earned two district titles and three district runner-up titles. The girls’ team has also performed well in recent years in the face of intense competition. Harlandale is part of the highly competitive District 29 4A that also includes Castroville Medina Valley, Floresville, Pleasanton, McCollum, Southside, and Uvalde. All the teams in the district are tough and competi-tions often simply come down to which teams runners are having the best race on race day. “[The district is] terrific competition and that makes it so excit-ing,” Menchaca says. While the Indians takes all their com-petitors seriously, their friendly rivalry

with sister school McCollum lends a spe-cial intensity to that competition. “We always love to compete against the Mc-Collum Cowboys,” Menchaca says, “The athletes race with guts and fierceness

and then spend the cool down period hanging out and talking. There is a lot of respect for each other. Coach Rivera at

McCollum is wonderful. You’ll often hear us cheering for each others team.” Even in a strong district, the Indians have done well this season. At the begin-ning of the year, the team seemed to be

facing an uphill battle. Their girls team had lost two seniors who Menchaca de-

scribes as her “go to girls.” The Indians also lost three senior boys who had helped carry the team since their freshman year.

Harlandale

“I spend the whole season stressing how everything we do must be done together”

IndiansNO GUTS NO GLORY

by Jon Black / pics Barbara Menchaca



“The athletes race with GUTS and FIERCENESS”

“This is when all our HARD WORK will come to fruition”However, in both teams, younger runners have risen to the challenge. “The first race of the season was a happy moment for me because I saw how well we looked and knew what po-tential lay ahead. That emotion you get when you see the hard work and sacrifice start to pay off,” Menchaca explains. As a team, both the boys and girls cross country squads have consistently finished in the middle of the pack or bet-ter. Individually, the runners have generally been finishing in the top 25% at their meets. In recent meets, the girls team has finished 13th of 22 at NISD, 11 of 24 at Judson, 6 of 11 at NISD, 14 of 21 at SWISD. Harlandale’s season has not been without its disappointments. At the end of the first six weeks, the boys JV cross country team lost half its members due to grades. It was a particularly painful blow to Menchaca, who enjoys bragging about her kids’ academic as well as ath-letic prowess. Despite such setbacks, this year’s cross country team is filled with athletes who have excelled on and off the field. Among the standouts on the girls team are Miranda Blanquiz, Jocelyn Campos, Staphany Lopez, Jamie Ramirez, Jennifer Ramirez, Alexis Schneider, and Destiny Villa. On the boys team, John Hernan-dez, Tim Saenz, Gilbert Salazar, and Ben Uribe have played a key roll in keeping Harlandale’s performance strong. Menchaca says she’s eagerly look-ing forward to the District meet. “This is when all our hard work will come to frui-tion,” she says.


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She may be quiet and reserved, but make no mistake that when Lauren Hierholzer talks about running, she can go

on for days. Hierholzer, a 2nd year high school cross country runner, is already making strides to become one of the most consistent runners in San Antonio. She came from Reagan High School last season before transferring like many high school athletes to one of the city’s newest schools. She now resides at John-son High School, and the transition to a new program was not as difficult as she imagined. “I learned a lot my first season at Reagan, and it was great training with Coach (Nancy) Alma-raz,” she says. “Coming over to the Johnson program was a smooth transition. I am excited about finishing my high school career with a new program.” While at Reagan, Lauren competed in the UIL State Cross Country Meet, and now has the experience of a sea-soned runner at the state level. She hopes to have the same success at Johnson high school, but understands there is still more work to be done. Cross Country intrigued her as a child, but she admits she had trouble understanding the sport in the beginning. The difficulty of learning how to pace and take her time through uneven ground proved to Lauren that this was a sport that might take a lot out of her, but she was up to the challenge. “I remember telling my dad one day that running just might be the sport for me,” she explains. “I gave it my all since day one, and I never looked back.” Lauren’s drive and determination for the sport of cross country comes from a strong relationship with her father, John Hierholzer, who is an avid runner himself. Running in the Hi-erholzer family is a favorite past time, and the bond between father and daughter has been unbreakable since Lauren was eight years old. “I have been lucky enough that Lauren has such a love for running,” he says. “Many fathers have a hard time connecting with their daughters, but we don’t have that problem. This is our common ground, and I hope I will always be able to run with her.” Lauren has excelled at many meets earlier this season, in-cluding the North Side and Round Rock cross country meets. She placed 12th overall in the Ricardo Romo/UTSA/Six Flags Fiesta Texas Cross Country Classic, helping the Jaguars to a sixth-place team finish in the girls’ gold division. Head coach Jimmy Dykes, who has worked with Lauren since she found her spot on the Johnson program, believes that her work hab-its and mental toughness will continue to be her keys to suc-cess. “Lauren is a leader by example, and her passion for this sport really shines through,” he says. “She never complains about anything. Lauren might be very reserved but her work habits are far from that.” Discipline and commitment are the only words Lauren Hi-erholzer understands when it comes to running. The hard work and dedication she gives to the sport every single practice, every single run, and every single meet will guide her on the path to success as she completes her high school career.

LaurenHierholzer

“Lauren is a LEADER by example, and her PASSION for this sport really shines through”

SHE KEEPS GOING AND GOING.....by Kimberly Oakman


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Mistyelizo

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SETTING THE TONE

“A setter is like a quarterback. It’s my job to control the flow of the game. Once I get the ball, I get one chance to set up a play.” Misty Elizondo, senior volleyball player at Clemens High School, takes pride in the deep rooted responsibility to her teammates. Her job can be summed up in one word: communication. By definition, a setter coordinates the offensive moves of her teammates by deciding which player will attack the ball. Elizondo not only sets up the play, but she assists in the execution of which teammate gets the pleasure of spiking the ball over the net. “I am expected lead vocally, and if my teammates don’t hear who I am setting the ball to, it can get confus-ing!”, she says. “I rely on my eyes and speed to get to where I need to be on the court.” Since junior high school, Elizondo found her home at the setter position. This position offered her a chance to get right in the middle of the action and assists in securing victories for her team. After rotating on the volleyball court and testing out other positions, her niche was setting, and has been ever since. “I will miss her communication on the court the most”, says first year head coach Jo Conn. “Misty is a very strong vo-cal leader, and it’s a coach’s dream when you have a player you can rely on game in and game out. She has done just that.”

Name: Misty ElizondoSchool: ClemensHeight: 5’ 6” Weight: 125 ibsPosition: Setter Class: Senior

by Kimberly Oakman / pics Lydia Elizondo


I f there’s one word the Lady Bear vol-leyball team is tired of hearing, it’s

“Youth.” Just because underclassmen make up 90 percent of the roster doesn’t mean this team is green. Yet the varsity gals from Edison High School hear it all the time, which is often followed with “Re-build-ing.” Those words just make them hungrier to get to the top of the 28-4A district; a place they claimed last season along with an undefeated record. As evidence, they’ve been ranked among the top five teams within the 28-4A district. “We have a strong commitment to each other, and that makes us stronger,” says sophomore Michale Kelly. “At the beginning of the season, we had goals and promises to fulfill, such as stronger passing and consistent blocking, and we have to follow through this season.”

In 2007, the Lady Bears were un-defeated in the 28-4A district, but re-turned only one letterman, senior Leslie Moore. She explains that last season wasn’t just about a district champion-ship; it was also about overcoming the clique mentality.

“The team did not share the same goals last season,” she said. “We had little groups that would separate and no one really came together on or off the court. We weren’t as coachable, and accepting constructive criticism was difficult for us. But the coaching staff challenged us to become stronger athletes, and it seems to be working.” The Lady Bears have the talent to rise to the top, but head coach Denise

Cardenas says the drive and desire to be the best all starts with fundamentals. “I come from the old school style of coaching, which preaches defense and discipline,” she says. “I drive them hard when it comes to the basics of the game, and they take that to heart.

This team has tremendous respect for one another, and it shows on the court. They have developed into a stronger unit since last season.” With the 2008 high school volley-ball season winding down, the Lady Bears will stop at nothing to grab the seed in their district. They are prov-ing that their youth isn’t a handicap, but instead makes them even moredriven and competitive.

edisonLady Bears

“I drive them hard when it comes to the basics of the game, and they take that to heart”

SONIC YOUTHby Kimberly Oakman / pics Antonio Morano


MelissaDahle

STUDENT OF THE GAME

Brandeis might be a first-year high school devoid of an entire senior

class, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos are without star power on the volleyball court. Junior, outside hitter Melissa Dahle has stepped into a leadership role usu-ally reserved for seniors, and has already led the Broncos to an impressive record and some experts are already predicting a playoff bid. Dahle’s love for the game runs deep. She got interested in volleyball at a young age by watching her older sister play. “My sister used to play and I was a gym rat,” she said. “When I was in the 4th grade I told my parents I wanted to play club ball and I just fell in love with the game.” That love is evident as Dahle sits for this interview after an intense practice in a gym without air conditioning and both her knees iced. Her parents also love the game. “My parents are really supportive of every-thing,” she says proudly. “They don’t like to miss my matches.” Dahle is among the city leaders with 379 digs or nearly six per game after 22 matches. Melissa is also a team leader with 174 kills. She’s also near the top of her team’s statistics in all other catego-ries, such as aces, blocks and assists. With district play in full swing, Dahle and the Broncos hope for a playoff berth even though Brandeis is a new school.

Why such optimism? “The team chemis-try is great. It’s like we’ve always played together,” she says. “Karlie (Ortega, an-other team leader) and I knew we had to lead. Bringing players in from two high schools and the freshmen from several feeder schools has worked smoothly. We don’t look at the freshmen as freshmen. They have worked so hard. They have re-ally helped the team out.” Coach Maddie Williams, who has ex-perience with brand new programs (she started a new high school volleyball team in Houston), could be a big reason why the team has been so cohesive. “Coach Williams has been great,” Dahle says. “She’s patient, but knows when to be tough. The team really likes her.” That praise goes both directions. “She’s just a great kid and a great lead-er,” Williams says of Dahle. Williams knows her team will get better and bet-ter as they play more matches, especially under Dahle’s on-court leadership. That leadership seems to come naturally. Her on-court demeanor is one of confidence. When a teammate, or the whole team, gets down, she always knows how to pick them up. And she leads by example by constantly elevating her level of play. This was evidenced in a

recent match when Brandeis came back from a 0-2 hole and pulled out a 3-2 win.Dahle’s successes reach far beyond the volleyball court. She is an excellent student, and earns all A’s and B’s in ad-vanced placement classes. “I’d love to go to college and become either a vol-leyball coach or a physical therapist,” she says about her post high school am-bitions. There is no doubt that both are easily within her reach. Recently, Olympic beach volleyball caught her attention, though she read-ily admitted, “I don’t think that would be

something I could ever do.” That is prob-ably an understatement though. Based on her play at Brandeis, she can likely play any kind of volleyball if she sets her mind to it. Melissa Dahle is a top-notch vol-leyball player, a great student and a wonderful young lady. She realizes the “student” in student-athlete is most im-portant. Success in life will surely be hers one day in whatever career she chooses. Until that time we can enjoy her kills and digs on the volleyball court for the Brandeis Broncos.

She realizes the “student” in student-athlete is most important

by JD LeCoq / pics Teresa Shumaker


If you’re trying to get Stephanie Glatt’s attention, you better use the words

“volleyball,” “basketball,” “cross-coun-try” or “academics.” Say anything else and she might fall asleep. Since her freshman year at Sta-cey High School, this three-sport ath-lete takes pride in the fact that she overexerts herself. She casts aside warnings that she’ll burn out or wear herself down. “I’m stronger than I thought, both physically and mentally,’ she says. It’s not unusual for students to participate in a multitude of sports at smaller high schools, but how those student-athletes juggle the responsibil-ities makes all the athletic difference. “Playing three sports is very draining and I am always worn out, but I’m used to it by now,” she says. “I learned early that I have to manage my time and get into a routine with sports and academics.” From morning to night, Glatt subjects herself to a rigorous practice schedule. The sun rises during 6:30 a.m. cross country workouts, which leads into a full seven-hour school day. Back-to-back volleyball and

basketball practices follow the final bell. Then it’s time to hit the books. When she isn’t running distance rac-es, spiking a ball, or dribbling to the basket, she spends her weekends and what little free time she has bur-ied in textbooks. She even squeezes in study time between practices and on the bus to away games. Is it worth it? According to Steph-anie it is. “Sports are my life, and I will do what is necessary to survive in all three,” she says. Yet she remains equally focused on strong academic performances. “Maintaining my grade point average is the only guarantee I will have at getting into the right college,” she ex-plains. “That’s the choice I made and now I have to see it through.” With those decisions come the understanding of sacrifice and the ability to stay mentally tough. Amber Greeness, Glatt’s head volleyball and basketball coach, remembers the chal-lenges with getting Stephanie to relax. “At first, Stephanie wanted to do everything she possibly could when it came to sports,” she says. “She was overwhelmed and began to stress out. She would get down on herself when she made a mistake, and that attitude began to hurt her overall confidence. Over the years, she has become more coachable and realizes sports are a team effort. Now she is more vocal on the court and has stepped up to help the young and in-experienced players.”

stephanieGlattTRIPLE THREAT


“He’s just a good kid,” says St. An-thony High School athletic direc-

tor Eddie Marshall when asked to de-scribe three-sport star Cole Jones. This sentiment is echoed by nearly everyone involved with the school; including coach-es, other students and parents. Even though Jones doesn’t see him-self as a throwback to the old days, he is reminded of a bygone era when star athletes played more than one sport on a regular basis. Jones’ statistics are a telling exam-ple of his pure athletic abilities. As the Yel-low Jackets’ quarterback, he has already recorded a 350-yard passing game. He’s also a .300 hitter in baseball and averages points in the double digits in basketball. His versatility isn’t limited to playing multiple sports; he’s also lined up in vari-ous positions while playing each one. For instance, he currently plays outfield on the baseball team, but smiles as he re-calls having played nearly every position. He also splits time between the shooting guard and point guard positions on the basketball squad. In addition to his multi-sport ath-lete talents, Cole Jones is an exemplary student. He maintains straight-A’s and hopes to become a pharmacist in the fu-

ture. Since Incarnate Word (one of Cole’s school choices) has added a pharmacy program Cole won’t have far to go from where he stars at St. Anthony’s. But in the meantime, Jones has football on his mind. He thinks St. An-thony can make a run at the playoffs and do quite well. And as long as he is at the helm, it’s not an unrealistic expectation.

Cole isn’t the first St. Anthony super-star in his family. His two older brothers also went through the program, one of whom was the quarterback on last year’s football team (Cole played receiver last year). As is the case with most great ath-letes his parents are very involved in Cole’s athletic endeavors. “They go to all my games,” he says. Even if he doesn’t consider himself a throwback to multi-sports stars, his atti-tude towards athletics certainly reflects a bygone time: “I just enjoy the game,” he says. La-menting that many professional athletes complain about the money they are being paid, he adds, “I’d play for nothing.”

Jeff Smith, head track and cross country coach, has coached Glatt for the past six years. He ex-plains that she is the athlete most coaches can only dream about. “Stephanie has never had any academic or behavioral issues whatsoever,” he says. “It takes the pressure off of a coach when you have athletes that you don’t have to watch and encourage all the time. Stephanie is not like that. She is receptive to instruction, shows up on time, and doesn’t take anything for granted. She is the perfect student-athlete.” Stephanie knew that sports were her calling at an early age. “Stephanie was six years old when she came home with a flyer for club soccer,” her father John Glatt says. “From the day we put her in soccer, we knew she would be very athletic, and as she grew, she picked up on sports very well. Over the course of high school we noticed she was taking on a lot of responsibility, and her mother and I had to let her know our concerns. Choosing what to give up was dif-ficult for her to do, but as a family, we all decided that it would be best not to work this year, and just focus on athletics and academics.” Glatt’s dedication does beg the eventual question: how does she find time to sleep? “I hated giving up my job, but it allowed more time to focus on athletics and academics,” she says. “This is my senior year, and I can’t afford to make mistakes.” Mistakes? It’s hard to imag-ine a teenager this focused and dedicated to her future would even have time to make mistakes. Stephanie Glatt doesn’t immerse herself in the “typical teenage culture;” which in her mind, is ruled by MySpace and text mes-saging. Athletics and academics rule her world, and she plans on taking that dedication to highest levels of achievement.

ColeJones

“I’m STRONGER than I thought, both physically and mentally”

“I’d play for NOTHING”

TRIPLE THREATby JD LeCoq / pics Anel Monge


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Bobby Stautzenberger knows high school sports. For the last 13 years if

you have turned on your radio on a Friday night to hear Texas high school football you probably heard the voice of Staut-zenberger. He started Texas Sports Radio Network over a decade ago and it contin-ues to grow. Stautzenberger is a 1988 graduate of Judson High School. He played offensive tackle for Judson’s 1988 state champion-ship team. After graduating high school Stautzenberger left San Antonio for Dallas to attend University of North Texas. That is where he really got his start in radio. Staut-zenberger would do a mock broadcast of the Pilot Point High School football games on a hand held recorder and then turn the tape in the next Monday for a grade in his broadcasting class. His on-air talent grew from those early classes.

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TEXAS SPORTS RADIO NETWORKby Robin Perrin / pics Antonio Morano



After graduating from University of North Texas in 1994 he returned to San Antonio. After Stautzenberger’s return, his alma mater football team was not well covered on Friday nights. Judson made it to the state playoff game in 1995 against Odessa Permian. The Judson vs. Permian game was played in Dallas and was broadcast in San Antonio, but by the Odessa Permian broadcasters. The owner of the San Antonio radio sta-tion could not find a crew willing to go to Dallas to cover the Judson game. That is when Stautzenberger decided things had to change. In 1996 Stautzenberger started Tex-as Sports Radio Network and it has now become a staple for high school sports fans across the state. Like most businesses, TSRN started out small. In his first year of opera-tion he called 16 football games. Stautzenberger had an interesting first season. He kept his elementary teach-ing job while starting TSRN, but spent an enormous amount of time attempting to grow TSRN. “I needed to make an im-pact so we kind of put all of our eggs in one basket that year. Judson at that time had won 8 straight regional champion-ships so we felt like it was a sure deal we would at least have a semifinal team,” Stautzenberger said. To Stautzenberger’s surprise, Jud-son almost did not make it into the play-offs that first year he was in business. Judson ended up beating McArthur 38-37 in double overtime just to advance to the playoffs. Judson faced Austin Bowie in the first round of the playoffs. Bowie jumped out to a 24-0 lead at halftime. Needless to say, it did not look good for Judson or Stautzenberger. Howev-er, Judson ended up scoring 32 points in the second half in order to continue their state run. It was the biggest come back in Texas football playoff history and Stautzenberger not only saw it, but had the pleasure of broadcasting the game. Judson did end up making it to state that year, despite barely advancing to the playoffs. Stautzenberger covered all 15 Judson football games including his first state football championship game. The next year Stautzenberger ap-proached Alamo Heights and asked if he could cover Friday night football for the Mule’s. In his second year in business he covered Judson and Alamo Heights football covering over 50 regular season games and 10 playoff games. By the

forth year in business Stautzenberger started calling playoff basketball games. By now the business was growing at such a pace that he was able to quit his teaching job to completely focus on his radio business. In 1999 Stautzenberger increased his already booming business when he started streaming football games live on the internet. The on line stream was a great way for parents in the military to listen to their kids games back in Texas. TSRN would have 30 to 40 on line listen-ers for the live game and then they would archive the game where players and fam-ily could go and listen on line anytime they wanted. Texas Sports Radio Network

and Stautzenberger covered almost 100 games in the third season of operation. Texas Sports Radio Network now covers over 200 games a year, which include football, bas-ketball and baseball.

Football draws the largest crowd followed by playoff basketball. “People expect to hear our broadcast. We have kind of cre-ated a habit for listeners and programmers and so forth,” Stautzenberger said. TSRN provides a scoreboard show on Friday nights for five different radio stations and has done so for 12 years. Listeners can still listen to games online for free. TSRN employs five crews to cover all the different high school sports. About six years ago Texas Sports Radio Network expanded into the Aus-tin area and this season expanded into Corpus Christi. Stautzenberger is hope-ful Corpus Christi will be as successful as San Antonio and Austin has been. One of Stautzenberger’s Austin employees start-ed TSRN in the Dallas Fort Worth area, which has already been a success. TSRN has streaming affiliates across the state. Texas Sports Radio Network has done a lot for the San Antonio area. They have brought coverage of high school sports to a level it has never been before. San Antonio counts for 25% of TSRN’s total listening market. TSRN has any-where from 700,000 to 900,000 listeners a month. That number jumps to over a million statewide listeners in the month of November due to football playoffs. Stautzenberger has seen a lot in the past 13 years, but nothing compares to what took place in 2002. In 2002 San Antonio had horrible rains that caused the Bandera High School football field to flood. Bandera had to fight a lot of adver-sity that season, but they made the best out of a bad situation. Bandera made it

to the state playoff game that year and Stautzenberger got to call the game. Bandera wasn’t the only area team that made it to state that year from the San An-tonio area. Judson also made it to the state championship game. Judson beat Midland to win state with a 76-yard pass with seven seconds to go in the game. Stautzenberger was there calling the game. The John Jay boy’s basketball team also made it to the state playoff game in 2002. Jay was playing Dallas Kimble and was down by two with seconds left. Jay hit a half court shots at the buzzer to win the state title. It is not a surprise Staut-zenberger was there in Austin doing the play by play for that game. Stautzenberger is lucky to have been at three memorable games. What made

“I needed to make an IMPACT so we kind of put all of our eggs in one basket that year”


it incredible was the fact they all took place in one year. The Judson football game and Jay basketball game are two of the greatest moments in Texas football and basketball history. “When you have

that headset on and you are calling that game, you don’t know when that special moment is going to be so you come pre-pared every time for it to be. I tell my guys that are out broadcasting that you never know what you are going to see,

you could see something that no one has ever seen before, you could be there for something truly unique and truly special. You never know when that moment is go-ing to come.” Stautzenberger said.

Texas Sports Radio Network has become more than just a broadcast for Stautzenberger. It has become a lifestyle where he has created an organization that allows him more time with his fam-ily. He feels very blessed to do what he

loves. “When you have that headset on and you are broadcasting, that is where all the hard work becomes enjoyable.” Stautzenberger said. Stautzenberger has done the play

by play for 24 state champion-ship games. He has done many for Judson football, Central Catholic football, Taft football, Alamo Heights football and others. He has also covered state championship games for

Reagan soccer, Churchill soccer and Boerne baseball. Stautzenberger has seen lots of great high school sports and lots of great athletes over the years and he plans on seeing a lot more in the years to come.

“When you have that headset on and you are calling that game, you don’t know when that special moment is going to be”

Go to readsam.com, create a user account and nominate yourself or a friend to be the SAm player of the month. Tell us in 500 words or less why you, or your friend, represent the embodiment and spirit of SAm Magazine, and you could be featured in our next issue and online. Each player selected as the “Who is SAm” player of the month will be profiled and showcased online and in the next issue of SAm Magazine.

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CALLINg ALL ARtIStS: SAm Magazine is looking for fine art pieces from San Antonio high school students, inspired by San Antonio high school student athletes. So if you have a drawing, painting, or sculpture, and would like to have your piece featured in the next issue of SAm this is your chance. Just visit us at readsam.com and create a user account. Then click on the CONTESTS tab for more informarion and details on how to submit your piece.


art Melanie Power is the winner of the art contest from the September 2008 issue. Melanie is a member of the Churchill Chargers Volleyball Team. The original art piece was done in copper sheeting using an old world technique taught to her in art class. Melanie submitted her art work to Jim Avery (James Avery Craftsman) and soon a jewelry piece modeled after Melanie’s original art began production (Melanie’s Cross). Congratulations Melanie Power, September 2008, Art Contest Winner.


?Yes speed is a skill, and like any other

skill it can be taught. To many ath-letes speed, skill, and teaching men-tioned in the same sentence seem like oxymorons. We tend to forget that elite level speed and power athletes, although many are genetic freaks; spend literally hundreds if not thousands of hours re-

fining what they do best. If you as-sume these athletes wake up in

the morning and say, “Today I’m going to be the fastest

most powerful athlete in my sport” and

then simply walk out

the door and destroy their com-petition, you are probably sadly mis-taken. Now don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderful and even attainable long term goal for many, but like any other long term goal there has to be a systematic and often-times gradual process involved in reaching peak performance. Unfortunately, the connection be-tween speed development and speed expression is far too underrated. The following are scenarios that we see quite frequently. Sarah cannot squat her own body weight, cannot skip, and cannot do a solid push up, but is expected to drop her 40-yard dash time by .5 tenths of a second in 6 weeks so she can show well at an upcoming soccer showcase tour-nament. Realistically, in 6 weeks I can improve her squat pattern, teach her how to skip, and do a solid push up. The .5 tenths drop on the 40 may or may not happen. If it does it will be a result of the improvements in those fundamental pat-terns, not in spite of them. Often times though we tend to think speed improve-ment happens the other way around and in spite of or separate from the prerequi-sites fundamentals.

Here is another one, “I would like my son, Johnny, to improve his footwork, but just like me when I was his age, he’s got lead feet.” Unfortunately, not only is this instilling a negative self-image in this young man, but it’s also setting unreal-istic expectations that Johnny’s “lead” foot speed will only ever get as fast as his father’s. Not true. Yes, genetic pre-disposition will have an effect on athletic potential, there is not doubt about that, but we also have to believe that each of us possesses our own parameters for success, and our goal should always be to maximize those parameters whatever the circumstance. This can be done if we agree that a movement skill such as speed is complex, and like any other skill it can be introduced, rehearsed and re-fined, or taught. Think of athlete development the

same way as you would think of academic development. If

you wanted to

i m p r o v e your expres-sion of math skills you would have to take a systematic ap-proach to do this, right? In order to understand calculus, you would first need a foundational grasp of basic math, then on top of that you would integrate algebra and finally you would need to add a layer of trigo-nometry. Ironically, many of us do not approach our physical development in the same way as our cognitive develop-ment. We want to “peak by Friday,” and usually we want it with the least amount of effort. Sadly though, this approach is usually a train wreck simply waiting to happen. Talk to just about anyone who is successful in life regardless of their voca-tion, and they will tell you that success is a process. The more systematic you are the more success you will achieve. Okay, so how do you systematically develop speed as an athlete? Well, be-

are You aFast Learner

by Rob Harris MS, CSCS, USAW I / pics Antonio Morano

fore we can do that we have to first define what speed is. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) speed is defined as:

A) The ability to move all components of the kinetic chain in the intended direc-tion, through the required range of motion in the fast-est possible time.

B) Speed is a biomotor abil-ity that can be learned and trained by following in inte-grated training program.

Now that we have that let’s take it a step further and break speed down into what we call “useable” or “playing” speed.

Playing speed involves the following components:

•Starting speed

•Acceleration

•Maximum Velocity

•Deceleration

•Agility

For the purposes of time this month we will specifically focus on the skill of ac-celeration. Sports such as soccer, field hockey, basketball, baseball, softball, football and track and field all require the ability to effectively and efficiently over-

come your own body mass, gravity, and sometimes an opponent (starting speed) in order to initiate acceleration. But the bottom line is if you can’t accelerate then starting speed is pretty useless, right? In other words, if you can’t get to where you need to go once you get going then a good start is only going to help so much. Acceleration is defined as a rate of change of velocity. It is the ability to get to optimal velocity in the shortest amount of time. This can be achieved by optimizing stride rate (number or fre-quency of strides over time) and stride length (distance covered per stride). When we talk of optimizing stride length and stride frequency you immediately think of sprinting in track right? Well in all actuality you want an optimal stride length and frequency regardless of the direction you’re going.

‘Till next time, remember speed is a skill and like any other skill it can be taught, really!

a movement skill such as speed is complex, and like any other skill it can be introduced, rehearsed and refined, or taught{ {


A pre-game or pre-practice meal three to four hours before the event allows for

optimal digestion and energy supply. Most authorities recommend small pre-game meals that provide 500 to 1,000 calories. The meal should be high in starch, which breaks down more easily than protein and fats. The starch should be in the form of complex carbohydrates (breads, cold ce-real, pasta, fruits and vegetables). They are digested at a rate that provides consistent energy to the body and are emptied from the stomach in two to three hours. High-sugar foods lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar, followed by a decline in blood sugar and less energy. In addition, concen-trated sweets can draw fluid into the gas-trointestinal tract and contribute to dehydra-tion, cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Don’t consume any carbohydrates one and a half

to two hours before an event. This may lead to premature exhaustion of glycogen stores in endurance events. Avoid a meal high in fats. Fat takes longer to digest. Fiber has a similar effect, as well. Take in adequate fluids during this pre-event time. Caffeine (cola, coffee, tea) may lead to dehydration by increasing urine production. Don’t ignore the psychological aspect of eating foods you enjoy and tolerate well before an event. However, choose wisely -- bake meat instead of frying it, for example. Some athletes may prefer a liquid pre-event meal, especially if the event begins within two or three hours. A liquid meal will move out of the stomach by the time your event begins. Remember, include water with this meal.

Regardless of age, gender or sport, the pre-game meal recommendations are the same. Following a training session or competition, a small meal eaten within thirty minutes is very beneficial. The meal should be mixed, meaning it contains carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Protein synthesis is great-est during the window of time immediately following a workout and carbohydrates will help replenish diminished glycogen stores. Maintain nutritional conditioning not only for athletic events, but all the time. A pre-event meal or special diet for several days prior to competition cannot make up for an inadequate daily food intake in previ-ous months or years. Lifelong good nutrition habits must be emphasized. Combine good eating practices with a good athlete development program, and a winning athlete can result.

SKIM MILK • 2 cups

CooKed Lean Meat or equIvaLent • 2 ounces

FruIt • 1 serving (1/2 cup)

PaSta or baKed Potato • 1 cup or 1 medium

bread or SubStItute • 2 servings

vegetabLe • 1 serving (1/2 cup)

Fat SPread • 1 teaspoon

deSSert • Angel food cake or plain cookies, 1 piece of cake or 2 cookies

SKIM MILK • 1 cup

Lean Meat or equIvaLent • 2 ounces

FruIt • 1 serving (1/2 cup)

bread or SubStItute • 2 servings

Fat SPread • 1 teaspoon

FeeD tHe MaCHINeROB HARRIS MS, CSCS, USAW I

APPROxIMATELY 900 CALORIES APPROxIMATELY 500 CALORIES


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