Denton RC High School

4Q 0:00: Colby's 3-pointer missed at the end.

4Q 0:13: Ryan just called its last timeout after Jones sunk a layup on a dish from Mohair. Everman has the ball. Ryan will intentionally foul. It's going to come down to free throws.

4Q 0:30: Bud Sasser just hit an unbelievable shot in the paint with two guys all over them. Ryan is within striking distance, but Everman has the ball.

4Q 0:43: Ryan is intentionally fouling at this point. Mohair just hit a bucket, but Harlin just knocked down a couple from the line.

4Q 1:10: Colby just hit a free throw.

4Q 2:13: That was a minute of a bunch of nothing for Ryan, something they can't afford at this point.

4Q 3:30: Bad stretch for Ryan. After calling timeout, Everman scored seven straight. The Raiders need a run to stay in this one. Sasser is cramping, and tensions are high on the Ryan bench.

4Q 5:00: Colby is turning it on. he has nine in the fourth so far.

3Q 0:00: Ryan got a bad bounce when a shot by Kevin Smith hit the rim and some how went in. Derrick West just got a steal off Trey Mohair and went in for the easy layup. Bad finish to what was a great quarter for the Raiders.

3Q 0:48: Both teams are piling up the fouls. Carlton Thomas was whistled for three straight. Both teams are matching each other shot-for-shot. The end of this game is going to be insane.

3Q 2:29: This is the most physical game I've seen Ryan play. Kids are getting mugged, but Ryan is pushing back. Sasser hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 42, and Ryan has a slight lead.

3Q 5:15: Colby Jones just got into it with Marcus McAdoo after both fell to the floor on a drive by Jones. They received offsetting technicals, and Jones got free throws out of the original foul. Bud Sasser has been a man possessed to open the half. He has seven in the third quarter alone.

Here we go.

Overstreet told me this week that this matchup was about as even as could be on paper. After 16 minutes of play, I'd have to agree with him.

Everman has held a steady lead, but Ryan is a run away from getting it back to even. The Raiders trailed by as little as one late in the second quarter. Ryan hasn't been very good at the line. Let's hope that doesn't come back to bite them.

This Harlin kid is the real deal. He's built like Fred Hunter, but he's quicker. He can shoot, he can pentrate and he can rebound. The Raiders need to slow him down to win.

2Q 2:58: Ryan has founded its footing a little bit in the second quarter. Its defense has stepped up and Colby Jones is playing well. This game is INTENSE. It's quick, both teams are hitting the floor for loose balls.

1Q 0:00: Carlton Thomas was fouled shooting a prayer from half-court, giving the Raiders a break, but Everman looks pretty good. DeAntre Harlin is a monster, and the Bulldogs have a bunch of guys who can shoot.

1Q 6:43: Bud Sasser and Chaz Garrett hit 3-pointers to force Everman into a timeout.

And we're off!

I'm set up here at Keller Central and we're about 15 minutes from tip off. Look back a few posts if you want to see my keys to the game.

I'm going to update the score in the headline of this blog regularly, and then add some analysis when I can. Just hit refresh on your browser to get the lateset.

Also, KNTU 88.1 FM is brodcasting the game if you want to listen to that. But don't forget to check back at the blog to see what I think is happening in the game.

This should be a good one. Everman looks pretty stout. This one is pretty much a toss up.

Is that there is no new news.

After Liberty Christian athletic director said back at the end of January, and Mark Bowles confirmed, Bowles is considering ending his brief retirement (December 2008) from the sidelines to come back and coach football for a 27th season at Liberty.

He said in January that he had told Bowles he wanted to know by mid-February. Well, it's late Feb, and there's still no decision. All he said was that he told Bowles he wanted to know "soon".

I'm not going to say Ryan's bi-district game with Aledo was a gimme, but outside of an early lull, the Raiders had their way against the Bearcats.

It won't be that easy again for the Raiders as Everman is very capable of knocking off 5-4A's champion. From what I hear, the Bulldogs are a physical team, and Ryan will have to match that to win.

That starts with Adam Choplick inside. He will have the toughest defensive assignment against DeAntre Harlan, who averages 15.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He's a force on the offensive glass as well.

Swing men Chris Joubert (11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Sterling Hunt (10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds) give Everman other scoring options who can play both inside and out.

The only thing I can say with certainty about District 5-4A baseball this year is that it's going to be deep and it's going to go down to the wire.

Outside of that, it's anyone's guess. I'm having a hard time trying to figure who is going to make the playoffs. Somebody good is going to get left out of the postseason in this district.

I will say this: If Denton can find two quality starters on the mound, it will be tough to beat. The Broncos have SS Christian Perry, 2B Hunter Dozier and C Abel Baker returning, among others. They have six returning all district players, but none of them are full-time pitchers.

Former Ryan defensive back Ishie Oduegwu has apparently had enough of injuries.

The senior at Texas, who missed all of 2008 due to a shoulder injury, decided to give up football this week after four surgeries and not a lot of game time.

Tough break for a guy that had a lot of talent. Oduegwu was a little before my time, but I'm sure you guys have plenty of memories.

What was his best moment at Ryan? Any memorable plays, tackles or interceptions?

Just got this little tidbit from DR-C master photographer Gary Payne.

He called to tell me he just left a Drew Pearson book signing here in Denton and overheard a conversation between the famed Dallas Cowboys receiver and a local woman.

Woman: "Blah blah blah, something about Guyer, blah blah blah."

Pearson: "Oh yeah...Denton Guyer? Yeah, that quarterback over there is pretty good."

Not bad praise for the sophomore quarterback.

0:04 4Q: Well, this one's over. It got a bit nasty at the end there, but overall, Guyer's early hole proved to be too much to come back from along the post play of Joe Richards.

0:51 4Q: Guyer just had a tie ball between Antonio Burton and an Azle player and it got a bit nasty as Wade Lucko was kneeing Burton in the face. A Guyer player ran off the bench but was restrained by the coaching staff. Double technical was called on Wade Lucko and Burton. This game, which has been a good one, has gotten ugly and it appears it's over. Guyer's Richie Hamden was also called for a technical for leaving the bench and has been ejected.

Well, it looked like Guyer was getting back after a slow start when Tyler Crosek and Melvin Fudge his back-to-backs 3s to pull within four, but then Azle just kept scoring and Guyer let John Derr start to find his shooting touch as he put in six points in the second quarter after being held scoreless until the first-quarter buzzer.

Derrick Johnson and Tyler Crosek each lead Guyer with eight points, and have scored but five of Guyer's first-half points (21).

The main problem for the Wildcats seems to be containing Azle's post Joe Richards. He's not really a true post more of a in-the-paint player who likes to get the ball at about the free throw line and beat whoever is guarding him, which he's made a habit of doing so far in this one. He leads the Hornets with 9 points. Derr has 8.

I'd also like to add that coming out of the locker room at halftime, Guyer looks defeated already. It might not mean anything, but they don't look like a team who believes it will come back.

2:03 2Q: Guyer fought back early in the second with two consecutive 3-pointers from Crosek and Melvin Fudge to pull to within 16-12, but since then it's been disastrous as Guyer trails by 12 now, despite being in the one-and-one bonus since the 5:58 mark.

0:00 1Q: Guyer trails 16-6 as second-chance points have helped Azle tremendously. John Derr just scored his first points of the game on a teardrop floater at the buzzer.

2:45 1Q: Guyer trails 10-4 and all but four of Azle's points are on offensive putbacks. On the bright side, the Wildcats have held Richards and Derr to two combined points thus far.

Here we go. Guyer is the visiting team and wearing black. Azle is home and wearing white.

I'll do my best to keep folks updated here, just keep hitting refresh and I'll try to updates during timeouts and at the end of each quarter. In the meantime, know that the Guyer mascot just came to sit next to me at my own personal scorer's table here at beautiful Justin Northwest HS and mimicked being a reporting/blogging beast. It was kind of humorous. Tip is in 4 minutes.

Also, Azle has a decided crowd advantage, which isn't a surprise being a one-horse town and Guyer having no alumni base. There was a funny moment when Guyer was announced to a bit of a roar, then Azle was announced to a huge one. Ryan Woodward and Tyler Crosek looked at each other and laughed, and Crosek yelled "I love this" while jumping up and down.

Well, Guyer history is once again being made here in about 30 minutes when the boys basketball team plays in its first-ever postseason game after earning the fourth playoff spot out of District 5-4A.

The reward? Playing the 6-4A champ Azle Hornets (20-10).

After watching pregame warm-ups for the past 20 minutes, I can tell you that Azle is a deceivingly athletic bunch, and as I've said all week, lives off of its post play (Joe Richards, 17 ppg) and sharpshooting guard John Derr (22 ppg).

The Wildcats were featured on the 6 p.m. sportscast on WFAA with big-shot Dale Hansen on Monday night.

Check it out here.

Featured are: Ryan Woodward, Derrick Johnson and Antonio Burton, along with head coach Nathan Moses, of course.

We're five hours from tip-off of the school's first postseason game and I'm ready to make my prediction. Guyer wins by 5 in a relatively low-scoring game.

4Q 1:27: Ryan has this well in hand. Colby Jones is face down at center court right now suffering from a cramp. His calf muscle is buldging out. Now secret to what's hurting him. He's had a great game.

4Q 3:27: The Raiders scored six straight points to open up a pretty healthy lead. This one is all but Ryan's, prompting a Bearcat to curse at the scorer's table while going to the bench. Was it something I said?

4Q 4:07: Ryan had a little streak of turnovers, but is still in full command of this game. Aledo is in foul trouble, which is about to start eating at its depth. Colby Jones is doing it all tonight.

Aledo is just not as athletic as Ryan is. The Bearcats did well to jump on Ryan early with its 3-point shooting. But Ryan's defense has locked down and Aledo's shooters can't get open.

Colby Jones left the game briefly with an arm injury, but he made the last bucket of the half on a play that was designed to go to him. He looks fine to me. He already has 16 and looks pretty fired up for his first playoff game.

Bud Sasser hasn't scored since the first quarter, but he has seven. Aledo's run-and-gun style fits Sasser well -- he's a big man that can run. Choplick hasn't scored in this one. Aledo's style probably doesn't benefit him.

Either way, I think Ryan is gonna roll. The Raiders are up 36-23.

2Q 2:13: Colby Jones left with an injury, but has returned to the game.

2Q 3:54: Timeout Aledo. The Bearcats are starting to get pushed around. Ryan's defense is tightening up, and Aledo's early hot shooting is cooling off. Ryan went on a 12-1 run that ran into the second quarter. The Raiders have scored six unanswered.

2Q 8:00: Ryan took the lead on its last possession of the quarter when Mikey Taylor got a layup. Bud Sasser already has seven, and Colby Jones has been good on both ends. Aledo already has seven fouls.

1Q 2:14: Aledo is in foul trouble. They have six already.

1Q 4:15: Ryan got run around a bit to start the game. They've caught their breath though. Adam Choplick is gonna be running in this one.

We're getting off a little late, but we're off!

I'm going to try to give some blog updates from Ryan's playoff opener against Aledo at Keller High School tonight. We'll do it the same way we do football. Just click refresh on your browser to get the most recent update.

Be patient with me, though. Blogging basketball games is tough. There isn't a whole lot of time to stop and type. I'll give you what I can though.

Not according to the UIL's anabolic steroid testing report, which was released on Friday. Of the 18,817 students tested, only seven come back positive. Ten tests were unresolved.

For those of you keeping track of the math, that's 0.03 percent, a number so insignificant that yours truly thinks this whole business was a complete waste of time and money.

Being in Texas, we see our fair share of politicians that like to work the "family values" angle. The steroids issue has been part of that on both the local and national levels. I'm sure it will continue to be a national issue with Alex Rodriguez's forced admission of steroid abuse, but here's to hoping this goes away on the local front.

Well, in a little more than 24 hours, the Guyer Wildcats will play their first postseason game in the program's brief history, leaving the baseball team as the lone boys program at the school without a playoff appearance.

The Wildcats will play Azle, the district champ from District 6-4A, who appear to be a bit of a two-man team, which in high school basketball is plenty enough to have a good team.

The Hornets are 20-10 on the season and went 12-2 in district, finishing up the season much like Ryan has -- on a hot streak.

Ryan head coach Bryce Overstreet said the Aledo Bearcats push the ball offensively more than any team the Raiders have faced this year. That means transition defense is going to be crucial to Ryan advancing in the playoffs.

Getting back on defense will be an absolute necessity. Ryan has played really good team basketball lately, and with the extra emphasis it got in practice this week, I'm confident the Raiders will do well.

But those players who stumble back into the defensive zone after an offensive possession will need to be a little lighter on their feet in this one. Every team has a few of those guys, but Ryan can't afford to get run around.

Watching De'Amber Wilhite single-handedly turn Ryan's playoff game against state-ranked Fort Worth Dunbar into a tight contest in the fourth quarter reminded me of Dwyane Wade in the NBA Finals against the Mavericks.

She is an absolute warrior. She got the ball, crashed the net and there was absolutely nothing Dunbar could do about it. The Lady Wildcats had three girls on her by the time she reached the paint. They either failed to stop her or took a foul.

The only difference between Wilhite's performance D-Wade's is that the fouls she drew were actual fouls, and not phantom calls dialed in from some Vegas bookie or David Stern's ratings specialist.

We are about 17 minutes from tipoff at a McKinney Boyd High School (which is an awesome looking campus) for the girls Class 2A Regiona II area final between Krum and Melissa.

Right now Melissa has a lot more fans than Krum. That probably has to be due to the fact the Krum boys are playing right now. Last I heard the Bobcats were getting crushed by Ponder at Ryan High School.

I imagine a lot of Krum fans are en route here.

Melissa just walked on the court. They have a lot more size than Krum. And a lot more players. Maybe the Lady Cardinals called some players up from thier JV and freshman squads.

I'm going to go see how the food tastes. Check back here for any other updates.

Word from Aubrey camp is Aubrey's football coaching position is open, according to the school's Web site.

The district's school board unanimously voted Wednesday night to split the duties of athletic director and head football coach into two different positions to help prepare for Aubrey's move to Class 3A.

Daryl Hellman will not coach the football team next year. He will focus on the AD duties.

I'll have more on this when I hear from the folks at Aubrey.

Former Denton offensive lineman Herman Johnson is in Indianapolis today through Tuesday displaying his skills for NFL teams.

The 6-7, 364 pounder was an All-American at LSU last season and some draft experts have him pinned as a round two selection during April's NFL Draft.

NFL.com said this about Johnson: "Possibly the largest player in college football, one might suspect Johnson is a dominant player because he can block just about anything with his massive girth -- perhaps even sunlight."

For the next five days he will do numerous interviews, tests and workout drills including "the kick slide drill" which is a crucial drill at the combine for all linemen wanted to get a big paycheck on Sundays.

Basically the combine is a big job fair, as big interview without suits and ties.
The resumes aren't on paper. They are on film. Johnson is expected to do well this weekend.

Saturday is the big day for all offensive linemen.
I'll let you know more on how he does with all his workouts and drills as the days pass.

So I'm sitting at Pei Wei tonight eating some chicken and beef Pad Thai and get a call from an 866 number. Great...another telemarketing call, I thought. Nope, it was my boys from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. They wanted to get the cell phone number for Kyle Clark, Guyer's offensive tackle who signed with Tech on Feb. 4, so I gladly obliged.

Here's the result of the phone call. When I spoke with Clark the weekend Leach was interviewing in Seattle, he sounded like he was really wavering on his commitment, so I bet he was really sweating bullets this week. But he's happy tonight, as Leach is locked up for five years and seemingly longer if all goes well.

The District 5-4A champion Ryan Raiders begin their quest for a state title against Aledo at 7 p.m. Monday at Keller High School.

The Lady Raiders look to pull another upset when they take on Fort Worth Dunbar at 8 p.m. Friday at Keller Central High School in the area round.

I'll have more on these matchups tomorrow, but here's something to think about for the boys game: Aledo beat Guyer three times this year. Ryan beat Guyer twice this year. Aledo split with 6-4A champion Azle. Ryan thumped Azle earlier this year.

Just looking through the results, 5-4A and 6-4A played out in similar fashion this year. Azle dropped some games in district play, but avoided the head-scratching losses that plagued its rivals. The Hornets finished the year with an 11-game winning streak.

So much for those sub-par season-ending performances having any affect on the Ryan Lady Raiders in the playoffs.

Honestly, I thought Ryan was going to have a tough time against Aledo after watching their final three games of the year, although the quality of Aledo's team had more to do with it than anything.

But the second half against Aledo tonight was easily the best I've seen the Lady Raiders play in my two seasons covering them. Not only were the dominant, but they were dominant against a state-ranked opponent with two Division-I players.

Guyer middle linebacker Cody Marley has ended a lengthy, rollercoaster ride of a recruiting process by committing to Kansas State. He will sign soon. More to come later as I'm multi-tasking at a high school basketball playoff game.

UPDATE: 11:32 p.m.

After I sat in the Justin Northwest gym by myself and had Cody on speakerphone while frantically typing away before I let myself out of what is essentially a medium-sized college campus (that place is huge), I got a few more tidbits. Look for a story in Thursday's print edition of the DRC.

Lake Dallas senior Kelsee Barr saw her high school athletic career come to an end last night when the Lady Falcons were beaten by Springtown, 58-38.

She struggled in the first half, going 1-for-5 from the field, and had just four points at the break, but she wasn't the only one.

The Lady Falcons looked lost offensively in the first half against a strong defensive rotation from Springtown, who also applied a pretty consistent pressure, which disrupted Lake Dallas' offense.

The Lady Cats get a tough draw for their second round playoff game in the Class 2A bracket.

Krum will face Melissa, the top team out of District 11-2A, at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Coach Degelia just informed me that they are still trying to fine a gym to play in. Little Elm could be the spot, she said.

Melissa crushed Hooks last night, 71-54. Krum (29-6) had a first-round bye.

The Lady Cardinals are pretty good. Their record is 24-4. One of their losses was to Aubrey, a team Krum beat twice and lost to once this season.

Melissa has three scorers who average double figures led by guard Skyler Zadow (14 ppg)

I think Krum's star guard, Kirsti Degelia (my pick for area player of the year) is going to have to have another one of her 20-point plus performances on Friday if Krum wants to move on.

In Ryan's loss to Aledo in the area round of the playoffs last year, Aledo forward Taylor Hays and point guard Hannah Christian both scored 17 points. Hays sunk two free throws down the stretch that ultimately won the game for Aledo.

The Lady Raiders will have to find a way to slow those two down as they're both having outstanding senior seasons. Hays is second in the area in scoring with 22.8 points per game. She also averages 8.2 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks. Domineak Darrough, there's your competition.

On the perimeter, Christian does it all, averaging 19.4 points per game and 8.2 assists. Expect De'Amber Wilhite and Emily Paramore to have their hands full defensively.

Hays and Christian give Aledo an inside-outside combination that may be the best in the area, but outside of those two, the LadyCats don't have any major contributors. If Ryan can chip away at that duo, it has a chance to win.

In the grand scheme of things, the Ryan Raiders may not be world-beaters, but the District 5-4A champions won't have to be in the first few rounds of the playoffs.

Using the Class 4A state poll (which Ryan has not cracked this year, probably because of its unflattering nondistrict record) and whatever standings I could find online, I pieced together what Ryan's path through the playoffs might look like.

So far, it looks pretty good. In the first round, I'm predicting Ryan will get the loser between Aledo and Birdville. Aledo won the first matchup by 10. I'm going to pencil in Birdville.

In the second round, it will most likely be Fort Worth Tremble Tech, Fort Worth Eastern Hills, Mansfield Timberview or Everman. The third round is where it could get hairy. Fort Worth Dunbar would probably be the favorite. Wichita Falls and Saginaw Boswell are also possibilities.

The playoff picture is all but set in District 5-4A as much was decided in two games decided by late scores on Friday.

First, Lake Dallas beat Little Elm, 56-54, on a last-second shot by junior guard Jarred Ross. The Lobos had won three straight to get just a game behind Guyer after being out of the mix most of the season.

But the loss coupled with Guyer's 57-55 win over The Colony on a buzzer-beater by Derrick Johnson knocks out the Lobos and gets the Wildcats into the playoffs for the first time in school history. Denton's 63-41 loss to Wichita Falls also allowed Guyer to clinch.

Ryan had all but clinched the district title going into the night, but the Raiders sealed the deal with a 68-46 win over Wichita Falls Rider.

I'm at the Krum-Aubrey girls game at Guyer and this gym is fuller than I've ever seen it for any Guyer game, and fuller than I've ever seen Denton's or Ryan's gyms as well.

There was just a "mascot fight" during halftime and there was a flipping contest between a male student from each school. Crazy crazy stuff. Imagine if this was a playoff game.

SMU head coach June Jones may not have many friends in Denton by the time he gets done trimming his roster.

Jones rescinded the scholarships of Ryan alum Ben Goldthorpe and Denton alum Anthony Sowe. This comes after his troubles with former Ryan quarterback Justin Willis.

Jones sites "team violations" as the reason for their release. To me, it sounds like he's just clearing the way for "his guys."

It's a tough break for Goldthorpe and Sowe. SMU isn't the type of place you want to have your scholarship revoked given how expensive it is. Hopefully those two guys can get on somewhere else or get this worked out with Jones.

Ryan's loss to Aledo in the first round of the playoffs last year was one of the most frustrating games I've ever covered. The officiating was bizarre, and the Lady Raiders lost, 56-55.

But the Lady Raiders are getting a chance to avenge that loss as they have drawn No. 13 Aledo in the first round for the second straight year. Aledo and Springtown originally planned to break their tie by playing a game, but they decided to flip instead. Aledo lost and will get Ryan.

The game is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Decatur High School. Head coach Monesha Allen wanted me to point out that senior citizens get in free, so round up all the old folks you can find and get out to Decatur to cheer on your Lady Raiders on Tuesday.

With three straight losses, including an absolute drubbing at the hands of Wichita Falls, the Wildcats are still in the driver's seat for the fourth and final playoff spot in District 5-4A.

After the embarrassing 69-30 loss to the Coyotes, Guyer (12-15, 6-6) came back and played right with eventual district champ Ryan until the fourth quarter came along. Even though they came out on the losing end, the Wildcats showed that they had bounced back from what could have been a season-killing loss in the previous game.

So now here's the deal: Guyer wins out at The Colony on Friday and at home against Wichita Falls Rider on Tuesday, and the Wildcats are in. For the record, they lost by 3 to the Cougars at Guyer and beat Rider by 18 on the road in previous meetings.

I'm not sure what curse is vexing the Ryan Lady Raiders right now, but it has not been broken since popping up on Friday as Ryan struggled to beat Guyer on Tuesday.

Turnovers and another iffy night shooting the ball limited Ryan to just 41 points - its second lowest offensive output of the year.

Yes, it was a meaningless game. Yes, Guyer has played good defense this year. No, the Lady Raiders haven't been at their best over the past two games.

That's not to say they can't rebound. After all, it was just two games, and with a little break to catch their breath, the Lady Raiders can be ready for the playoffs.

With 86 percent of the results in, the Denton Record-Chronicle is projecting the Ryan Raiders to be the 2008-09 District 5-4A champions after they clinched a share of the crown when Wichita Falls Rider upset Wichita Falls late last night.

While I'm running the risk of setting off a storm of controversy a la Gore "winning" Florida in 2000, I feel like this is safe bet given Ryan needs a win over Rider or Denton, or a Wichita Falls and The Colony loss to win the title outright.

Ryan beat Rider and Denton handily the first time around. I'm confident the Raiders will win at least one of those games. Hopefully the Supreme Court won't have to get involved in this one.

Denton boys coach Harold Jackson probably won't sleep well tonight.
The Broncos blew a big opportunity to get back in the playoff hunt when they lost to Little Elm 66-63 at home on Tuesday night.

Because fourth place Guyer also lost, a Denton win Tuesday night would have put the Broncos in tie with the Wildcats for the final playoff spot out of District 5-4A.

Denton can still make the playoffs, but chances are very slim with two games left and the district's top two teams, Ryan and Wichita Falls on the horizon.

Guyer is a team with all sorts of problems right now, though. If Guyer continues to reel and lose its next two games (The Colony and Rider), the Broncos have to pull off at least one upset win to get in.

Does anyone out there think the Broncos can still get in the playoffs?

I didn't talk to a single person before the season that didn't think the Ryan Lady Raiders were going to win the District 5-4A title. So much for that.

Ryan coughed up two big games last week, and its fate as the third seed in 5-4A is all but sealed. If Wichita Falls somehow loses to an overmatched Wichita Falls Rider team, Ryan could sneak into second, but don't count on it.

More alarming than actually losing was how out of sync Ryan seemed against The Colony. The Lady Cougar guards are very quick and they try to run you out of the building. They did just that.

But Ryan's strength is suppose to be defense, and specifically perimeter defense. How did this happen? The fact that Ryan forced overtime was somewhat miraculous given how much it struggled.

Well, just got off the horn with Guyer senior Spencer Wilson, and he confirmed what I've been hearing for a few days now -- the defensive tackle will be playing college football for Navy.

Wilson had the good fortune of lining up next to Taylor Bible last season, but make no mistake, he didn't ride Bible's coat tails either.

The senior was the best pass rusher on an absolutely loaded Guyer defensive line. He finished the season with 61 tackles, including 24 behind the line. He led the team in both sacks (4 1/2) and QB hurries (34).

Ryan's wins over Wichita Falls and The Colony put the Raiders on a fast track to its first district title since 2002-03.

But don't dust off a space in the trophy case just yet. There are still three games to go, a single slip up would blow the whole deal. Ryan's remaining schedule is at Guyer, at Wichita Falls Rider and at home against Denton.

The Raiders destroyed Rider the first time they played. I'd be surprised to see them slip up there, but Denton and Guyer are fighting for playoff spots. The Wildcats are looking to rebound after getting absolutely crushed by Wichita Falls on Friday, and Denton may be in a win-of-go-home situation when the two meet in the regular-season finale next week.

Recently, Aubrey pitcher Kasey Carlock signed her letter of intent to play softball at Paris Junior College.
This will be her fourth season as a Lady Chap starter in the circle.
Paris Junior College is located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Aubrey.

The college has had some recent success with back-to-back visits to the regional tournament.

This is a good move for Carlock, who can show of her skills at this level and hope a major 4-year university comes knocking on her door.

On a side note: Carlock seems to be a pretty good sister. During her sophomore season she began wearing yellow ribbons in her hair to show her support to the troops in Iraq. Her brother, Sam, is currently serving his second tour in the Middle East.

The entire team has continued to wear the yellow ribbons since Kasey first tied one two years ago.

Her brother is expected to be back in the states at the end of the month.

Former Liberty Christian head football coach Mark Bowles might not have much to say about the people looking to fill his shoes after his retirement following the 2008 season, but he's also not opposed to throwing his hat back in the ring.

The coach, who started Liberty's program and spent 26 years at the helm, decided after Liberty's season ended in December to step down, but now is having second thoughts as the administration, assistant coaches, parents and players have swayed him back to possibly return.

Bowles, who still serves as a vice principal at Liberty, was on the committee to hire a new coach and said the school received interest from coaches across the country, including some high-profile big-name coaches from this area, who he couldn't tell me on the record because of the fact that some currently have jobs elsewhere.

But after much thinking, the committee decided that if Bowles doesn't return, the hire will be made from within.

You've heard here first: Guyer defensive tackle/hulking man-beast Taylor Bible has verbally committed to play college football for Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns.

Look for more on Bible in Monday's DRC, but just a few quick points:

A) He's a man-child.

B) 88 tackles, an unbelievable 42 behind the line of scrimmage

C) Dominated Mason Walters

D) Third-team all-state by Texas Sports Writers Association, DRC All-Area Defensive Player of the Year, The Dallas Morning News first-team all-area, honorable mention all-state by the Associated Press.

E) On the Rivals.com Top 250 for 2010 -- the top 250 college prospects in the country, regardless of position.

The Broncos still have a shot at the playoffs. Thanks to Guyer's big loss to Little Elm last week, Denton is still only two games back from the Wildcats with four games to play.

Denton's next two games are winnable. They should beat Lake Dallas tonight (Denton beat the Falcons ??-?? earlier this season. On Tuesday night the Broncos have a home tilt against Little Elm, another winnable game.

Guyer's next two games, on paper, look like losses. The Wildcats have a tough Wichita Falls team on the road tonight and on Tuesday face a hot a Ryan team at home.

If the Broncos can get something going and win their next two and Guyer continuews to reel and lose its next two, the two teams will be tied heading into the final week of play.

This should be fun to see how everything turns out

Former Ryan linebackers coach Eric Lokey will not return to SFA for his second season in the same capacity with the Lumberjacks.

Former Ryan coordinator Dave Henigan will not return as head coach of the Corsicana Tigers.

I'm not sure where Lokey is headed, but the Corsicana Daily Sun reports that Henigan will stay on as assistant athletic director.

Add David Johnson's name to a list of impressive 2010 recruits that keeps on growing. Johnson made his verbal commitment on Monday to TCU and head coach Gary Patterson.a

Johnson was a first-team selection to our All-Area team. The 6-2, 245-pound tackle is a versatile lineman, as was evident by his moving around the defensive front all season last year, though he spent most of his time at tackle.

The giant dominated the competition all season. He finished with 77 tackles (24 behind the line of scrimmage). He also forced two fumbles and had a team-high 12 sacks.

Liberty Christian running back Reid Fitzgerald can flat out play football.

The 6-1, 210-pound senior has been a first-team All-Area team selection by our staff for the past two seasons, and if not for such unbelievable quarterback play in the area, he would've been a strong candidate for MVP or Offensive Player of the Year this season.

Now, he's looking for a place to continue his football career at the next level after rushing for 2,411 yards and 25 touchdowns with just one fumble in 13 games last season, earning him TAPPS all-state honors.

We all gushed about Ryan's offensive line this year, and we were vindicated for our lucrative praise on Wednesday.

Ryan's four starting senior offensive linemen -- Blake Holland, Tim Smith, Matt Burks and Alton Moss -- all signed letters of intent. The fifth starting lineman, Garrett Gramling, will be among the nation's top offensive line prospects next year.

Holland signed with Truman State, choosing it over Midwestern State. Smith signed with Austin College. Burks signed with Bethany College. Moss signed with Trinity Valley Community College.

Other signees were D.J. Beshears with Kansas, Yahshua Williams with Texas Tech, Peyton Whitlock with Eastern New Mexico and Jay Catlin with Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College.

Fret not, Lady Raider fans. Ryan can still win its second consecutive District 5-4A title with season-closing wins over The Colony and Guyer.

Ryan's 49-48 loss to Wichita Falls is no doubt a set back as the Lady Raiders lost to the Lady Coyotes for the third time in four years. But a second win over The Colony and 5-4A is more or less theirs -- again.

And like I said in the previous post, I think Ryan matches up better with The Colony anyway. Here are some thoughts on the game.

Even though Jesse Coffey, Kyle Clark and Greg Hall all signed this morning to play college football (Nebraska, Texas Tech, Stephen F. Austin), the Wildcats will likely have a couple of more guys from their first true senior class go on to play Division I football.

The ongoing recruiting saga of Cody Marley will likely end today or tomorrow. Long story short, the middle linebacker had a handful of Division I offers earlier in the year in non-BCS conferences. He wanted to play big-time BCS ball, so he didn't accept. Now they're all pulled.

Last week, he was in serious discussions with Pittsburgh about an open spot it might have, and that fell through.

I was not impressed with the Wichita Falls boys basketball team on Tuesday, and it had nothing to do with its play on the court.

Shortly into the Coyotes' 63-61 loss to Ryan, a group of Wichita Falls students sitting behind the Coyote bench began heckling Ryan with extremely borderline comments -- cursing, sexual innuendo and mostly mean-spirited commentary.

One of the students was keeping the score book for Old High, so I can only assume they were with the team. No Wichita Falls coaches or officials (or Ryan's for that matter) attempted to calm them down for almost two hours of non-stop jabbering.

Ryan's players took obvious exception to this, and the Raider student section began to take notice. Midway through the fourth quarter, a group of very large Ryan students made their way toward the hecklers. They were cut off by a Ryan official and sent back to their seats (although no attempt was made to quiet the Wichita Falls students, who were dropping F-bombs, and not the ones that rhyme with "puck.")

Add another school to the list for Guyer defensive tackle Taylor Bible.

So far, the junior man-beast had offers from Arizona, Kentucky, and Texas Tech, just to name a few. But the rumor on the street is (out of John Walsh's mouth) that he will receive what could be an end-all offer this weekend from Mack Brown & Co. down in Austin.

If I remember correctly, I think I heard Taylor say he wants to go to LSU, but an offer from Texas is about as good as it gets. I don't expect him to commit anywhere until at least late spring like his old teammates Kyle Clark and Jesse Coffey did last spring, but we'll see what transpires.

The Ryan Lady Raiders aren't the only basketball team off McKinney Street looking to close the deal on a 5-4A title this week.

Having already clinched a playoff spot, Ryan can eliminate Wichita Falls from district title contention with a win over the Lady Coyotes tonight. Ryan is tied with The Colony for first place at 10-1, a tie that will inevitably be broken as the two face off on Friday.

The Lady Raiders lost to Wichita Falls the first time they played, even though the Lady 'Yotes lost their all-time leading scorer Janette Merriex early in the game. If you don't remember the first time Ryan played The Colony, stop what you're doing and read this story now.

I think we've gone over the list of athletes signing on Wednesday, but I'll touch on my beats again and throw Lake Dallas some love because I just got a call today from Michael Young as they've set their signing ceremony.

Follow the jump for the details.

The Ryan boys basketball team takes the "one game at a time" mantra to heart, but even the Raiders will have a hard time believing that this week.

Ryan hosts Wichita Falls Tuesday and The Colony Friday. The Coyotes are tied with Ryan for first place in District 5-4A. The Colony fell out of that tie on Friday with a loss to those same Coyotes.

Ryan's district title hopes ultimately hinge on how they play this week.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Guards
Brock Wempa, Royse City, 6-3, 280, Sr.
Presley Godson, Lamar Consolidated, 6-4, 320, Sr.
Tackles
Paden Kelly, Lake Travis, 6-6, 280, Sr.
(tie) Jesse Coffey, Denton Guyer, 6-7, 285, Sr.
Mason Walters, Wolfforth Frenship, 6-6, 290, Sr.
Center
Austin Woods, Rockwall-Heath, 6-5, 280, Sr.
Tight End
Josh Graves, Stephenville, 6-3, 210, Sr.
Wide receivers
A.J. Dugat, Dayton, 6-0, 195, Sr.
(tie) Jace Jackson, Sulphur Springs, 6-3, 190, Sr.
Cade McCrary, Lake Travis, 6-4, 185, Sr.
Quarterback
Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis, 6-4, 210, Sr.
Running backs
Kendial Lawrence, Rockwall-Heath, 5-10, 185, Sr.
John Hubert, Waco Midway, 5-9, 185, Sr.
(tie) Ryan Young, Sulphur Springs, 5-8,175, Sr.
D.J. Jones, Denison, 6-0, 215, Jr.
Placekicker
(tie) German Chavarria, Stephenville, 5-9, 160, Jr.
Lance Ratliff, Wolfforth Frenship, 6-2, 175, Sr.