Camps, camps and more camps!

LAREDO MORNING TIMES

The following are local prep camps for high school footbal and volleyball starting soon.

FOOTBALL

Nixon Football Camps
The Nixon 6th - 8th grade camp will be held Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until noon.
The 9th grade Elite Mustang Football Camp will be held on the same days from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Campers will receive football skill instruction. The Nixon Coaching Staff welcomes Pop Warner players and boys and girls between the 6th - 9th grade.
Cost is $30 and the campers will receive a Nixon Mustang Camp T-Shirt, individual picture, and a personal player profile.
Registration will be daily at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Contact Coach Brad Hopkins for further information at 337-2880.

United Football Camp
United High School will host its football camp for seventh-ninth graders Monday, Aug. 4 – Thursday, Aug. 7 from 8-11:30 a.m.
Registration will be held on Monday at 7:30 a.m. Camp fee is $30.
There will be a bus to pick up students on Mines Road at Washington Middle School at 7:30 a.m. daily.

Cigarroa Football Camp
Registration for the Toro football camp is at 8 a.m. on Aug. 4.
The camp is for incoming seventh-ninth graders.
The camp will run Aug. 4-8 from 8 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
Fee is $10 and includes a t-shirt.

VOLLYEBALL

St. Augustine Volleyball Tryouts
All St. Augustine girls in ninth-12th grades are welcome to try out for the volleyball team starting Monday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m. Tryouts will run through 8 p.m.
Please pick up your physical paperwork before tryouts. Call 724-8131 with any questions.

LBJ Volleyball tryouts
LBJ High School Volleyball Tryouts will be held on Monday, Aug. 4 at 8 a.m.
If you are interested you may pick-up paper work this week at the LBJ Girl’s Coaches Office from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information call 473-5205.

United Volleyball Tryouts
Physical forms and tryout information will be available for all girls interested in trying out for the Lady Longhorn volleyball team beginning on Tuesday.
Physical forms can be picked up with Doc Garcia in the fieldhouse, and try-out information can be picked up in the girls’ coaches office.
Tryouts begin on Monday, Aug. 4 at 8 a.m.
For more information, contact Coach Longoria at 473-5655.

Alexander Volleyball Players
Alexander High School volleyball players need to pick up physical paperwork for this season.
Players cannot practice without their paperwork and physical.
For more information, contact Coach Terry Cruz at 206-0026.

Cigarroa Volleyball Camp
All players need to stop by the gym to pick up their physicals from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday.
Practice begins Monday at 8 a.m.

Nixon Volleyball Camp
Nixon High will host a volleyball camp for ages nine years up to incoming freshmen today through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.Cost is $65 and willing participants may register the day of the camp.For more information, contact 337-8466 or 795-3849.

Nixon Volleyball Info
All incoming freshmen who intend to play Nixon volleyball need to pick up their paperwork anytime this week, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Nixon gym.
Practices start Aug. 4. Any player that does not have their paperwork finished by then will not be allowed to play.
For more information, contact 337-8466 or 795-3849.

Prep tennis action

There's a lot going on in local prep tennis action, so here's the latest:

There will be open courts at Alexander High School today through Thursday, July 31, from 6-8 p.m. for all students interested in trying out for the tennis team this fall.

All players must pick up physical paperwork and submit it before practice begins on Monday, Aug. 4. For more information, contact Coach Cuellar at 286-3056 or 763-1646.

Martin High will be starting tennis workouts today from 9-11 a.m. at the M.H.S. East side Shirley Field, and from 4-6 p.m. at Market Tennis Courts.

All returning lettermen and incoming freshmen/new players are welcome.

Students needing their paperwork can pick it up during the morning session.

The fifth Annual Longhorn August “Blast” Tennis Tournament will be played this Friday and Saturday at the United High School Tennis Courts.

All junior events will begin on Friday with singles starting at 8 a.m. and the junior doubles at 2 p.m.

All adult singles will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and will finish Saturday morning. On Saturday afternoon, all adult doubles will begin at noon, and the mixed doubles will start at 6 p.m.

To enter call United Coach Mark Collins at 763-9386.

Nixon Junior Football Camp

The J.W. Nixon Mustang Junior football camp will run today through Thursday, July 31, from 8:30 a.m. – noon.

Campers will receive basic football skill instruction. The Nixon coaching staff welcomes Pop Warner players and boys and girls between second – fifth grade.

Cost of the camp is $30, and the campers will receive a Nixon Mustang Camp T-Shirt, individual picture, and a personal player profile.

Registration will be daily beginning at 7:30 am.

Contact Coach Brad Hopkins at 337 – 2880 with any questions.

U.I.S.D announces fall football practices start times

The start dates for fall football practices for U.I.S.D. were announced today.

LBJ will start its practices on Aug. 4, a week earlier than everyone else. United, South and Alexander will begin LBJ.

The Wolves get an early jump because they did not participate in spring ball.

As soon as I hear back from LISD Athletic Director Rene Ramirez regarding his district's start times, I'll post them accordingly.

Local prep volleyball camps underway

Nixon Volleyball Camp
Nixon High will host a volleyball camp for ages 9 years up to incoming freshmen from July 28-31 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Cost is $65 and willing participants may register the day of the camp.

For more information, contact 337-8466 or 795-3849.

Alexander Volleyball Camp
Alexander Volleyball Camp will be held Monday, July 28 – Thursday, July 31, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Alexander High School.

Registration will be held Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the Alexander gym.

Registration fee is $75 and includes a T-shirt and sports drink.

For any additional information, call 473-5855.

Lady Panther Volleyball Camp
The United South Lady Panthers will have a volleyball camp at the United South High School gym on Monday, July 28, from 9-11:30 a.m.

Registration is on July 28 at 8:30 a.m.

Enrollment is limited to girls entering grades 6-9.

The camp cost is free. For more information, contact Coach Chris Sandoval at 236-3946 or 473-5450.

Alexander High football news

Alexander High football players need to come by the school fieldhouse and pick up paperwork for this year.

Players who have not taken a physical need to do so immediately. Players cannot practice without their paperwork and physical.

For more information, contact Coach Joel Lopez at 324-9110.

Also, Alexander High will host a junior football camp for third-sixth graders from July 28-30 from 8 a.m. – noon.

From Aug. 4-7, Alexander will host its Bulldog football camp for seventh-ninth graders from 8 a.m. – noon.

Cost is $35 per camper. The Alexander High football coaching staff will teach the camps.

Only two Texas H.S. athletes guilty of steroids

By PAUL J. WEBER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — The nation’s largest steroids testing program caught only two Texas high school athletes taking unauthorized substances out of more than 10,000 students who were tested, according to results issued by the state Wednesday.

Athletes tested played sports ranging from football to women’s golf, and the results renewed criticism about the two-year $6 million program approved by lawmakers last year.

The students who tested positive weren’t identified by name, school or sport.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press showed that a senior tested positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone, and a 10th grader was found using a steroid called methylandrostandiol.

Four tests came back unresolved and three students refused to be tested, according to figures released by the University Interscholastic League. One athlete left the testing area without cause or approval, and 18 missed the mandatory testing without an excused absence.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, one of the key figures in pushing the plan through the Legislature, has said the program is meant to serve as a deterrent. Dewhurst spokesman Mike Wintemute said the lieutenant governor was “encouraged” by the results, and that success should be measured by the number of students who never began using steroids.

Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston, a critic of the steroids testing, said he wasn’t surprised by the results. He described the initiative as a “feel good” program that is not acting as a deterrent.

“This program should be abolished moving forward. It’s turned out to be a colossal waste of taxpayer money,” said Patrick, who said he would rather spend the money every year battling alcohol abuse among teens because it’s a much bigger problem.

Asked whether the program should be scaled down, Wintemute said it was an issue lawmakers will consider when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

“But the lieutenant governor believes it’s prudent to receive the results of this next round of tests before making any final determination about the need for continued funding,” Wintemute said.

UIL spokeswoman Kim Rogers said the two students who tested positive are multi-sport athletes, but that the sports they play are unknown. Rogers said she did not know when conclusive results from the four unresolved tests would be ready.

Testing was conducted at 195 schools, testing 6,455 boys and 3,662 girls.

More than 3,300 football players were tested, more than three times the number of any other sport. Seven of those athletes either tested positive, missed testing because of an unexcused absence, refused testing or left the testing area.

Only one male powerlifter was tested, compared with 277 male tennis players. Students in many sports, including football, were multisport athletes.

Texas found itself at the center of the debate over steroid use among youths when the father of a suburban Dallas high school baseball player went on a national crusade following his son’s suicide.

Don Hooton of Plano has traveled the country imploring state governments to pass steroid legislation. His son, 17-year-old Taylor Hooton, died in 2003. Doctors believe he became depressed after he stopped using steroids.

Hooton said the results “ratchets up the stakes” to make sure testing isn’t abandoned. He urged critics to let the new program complete a full year of testing before rushing to judgment.

“To use this test to come to the conclusion that we don’t have a steroids problem in Texas is naive, at best,” Hooton said.

Testing began in February after the program was stalled by creating guidelines and finding a company to implement the program. The contract was awarded to the National Center for Drug Free Sport, which also handles testing for the NCAA.

In submitting its results to the UIL, the company wrote, “we must steer clear of the temptation to use the number of positive cases generated by this short period of testing to draw any conclusions about the success, or lack thereof, of this testing initiative.”

Random testing resumes in the fall, and state officials say between 40,000 and 50,000 student-athletes will be screened during the school year.

High school athletes could get more credits towards graduation

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Texas high school athletes could receive twice as much credit toward graduation for playing sports under a proposal before the state Board of Education.

The idea to allow four years of sports to count toward graduation instead of two was brought to the board by a coach from Brenham High School. Craig Agnew said new graduation requirements that took effect with freshmen last year discriminate against athletes by cutting the time available for participation in athletics.

In all, the number of credits needed to get a diploma will increase from 24 to 26 starting with 2011 graduates.

Agnew said in Wednesday’s editions of The Dallas Morning News that the new standards allow students to get four years of credit for activities such as band, choir, dance team, theater and Junior ROTC but not football, basketball, baseball and other sports.

“This is discriminatory against athletics and student athletes,” Agnew told the board in a letter.

Students can now get up to two years of credit for participation in sports, which meets the current requirement of 1½ years of physical education and also a half-year toward elective course requirements. A credit is equal to one year of instruction in a subject.

Agnew emphasized that backers of the plan, including the Texas High School Coaches Association “are not against increased academic rigor. We just want athletics to be on equal footing with other student activities.”

Several board members have expressed interest in the proposal, which will be discussed by the board Thursday. A recent survey of school superintendents statewide will be presented to the board and is expected to show support for the idea.

Board Chairman Don McLeroy, a Republican from College Station, said he favors the change and believes a majority of the 15 board members will support it.

“I appreciate all that athletics does for kids. It’s really important,” McLeroy said.
Critics, including some board members, question whether such a move would lessen the emphasis on academics in Texas high schools.

Agnew’s proposal would allow a student to count the additional two years in athletics as part of the elective courses needed for graduation. The so-called Recommended High School Program taken by most students requires 3½ years (or credits) of elective courses to graduate, as well as 1½ years (or credits) of physical education.

That would mean a student using the proposed option would count four years of sports as 1½ credits in physical education and 2 ½ credits in electives. It would also mean that such students would have just one more credit for elective courses, unless they exceeded the minimums for graduation.

Under the more rigorous Distinguished Achievement Program, students take 2½ credits of electives, so student athletes graduating under that plan would have to use all their electives for sports.

Other groups supporting the change are the Texas Girls Coaches Association and the Texas Athletic Directors Association.

Bulldogs tally Laredo's first-ever 7-on-7 state tourney win

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

The Alexander Bulldogs’ 7-on-7 football team won one of three games at the Texas High School football championship tournament at Texas A&M University on Friday.

The Bulldogs fell to Stephenville in overtime, 41-35, defeated Houston Langham Creek in the next contest, and then fell to Arlington Bowie, 26-22, in the final game of the afternoon.

The Bulldogs move on to the consolation bracket starting at 8 a.m. today. There is no advancement to the championship from the consolation bracket.

Sixty-four teams are competing in this weekend's state championship tournament.

Against Stephenville, the game was tied 35-35 at the end of regulation.

The Bulldogs had the ball to start the game in overtime, which is like the college game.

But quarterback Jerry Lopez threw an interception and a Stephenville went on to win the game by scoring on their possession.

The Langham Creek contest was another close one.

With the game tied with 30 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs scored on three plays with no time remaining to secure the first ever 7-on-7 state championship tournament win in Laredo history.

In the final game of the afternoon, Bowie pulled away with a gritty four-point win.
Alexander is just the second Laredo school in the 11-year history of Texas 7-on-7 football to participate in the state championship tournament.

Nixon qualified in 2005 but did not compile a win during the tourney.

Alexander’s team is as follows: Sergio “Red” Velasquez, Andrew Hall, RJ Aguero, Tony Martinez, Ivan Vera, Carlos Santoyo, Emmanuel Palacios, Richie Ortiz, Joseph Ruiz, Wayo Avina, Jay Lopez, Robert Lopez, Cesar Vallarta, Jeffrey Feurtado, Juan Medina, Jerry Lopez, Aldo Hernandez, Esteban Cruz, Ramon Sciaraffa and Albert Tamez.

Bulldogs prepare for 7-on-7 state championship run

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

Not since 2005 has Laredo seen a local 7-on-7 football team qualify for the Texas high school football championship tournament.

But the Alexander Bulldogs are ready to nix all memories of that prominent Nixon squad and build memories of their own.

The Bulldogs romped through five teams — McAllen High, San Benito, Roma, McAllen Nikki Rowe and Beeville — at the Mission tournament earlier this summer, claiming a 5-0 record to qualify for the 11th annual 7-on-7 high school football state championship tournament starting today at Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs finished their 7-on-7 regular season on Wednesday with an 11-1 record.

“It’s amazing, especially going down to the valley and beating all those teams,” senior receiver Ramon Sciaraffa said. “We grew a special bond because everyone’s been together so long during this summer. But we’re confident, and we take pride in representing Laredo and showing what we’ve got.”

The state championship tournament consists of 64 teams.

The consolation and championship games are slated for Saturday at Kyle Field.
The consolation game will be at 4 p.m., with the championship game at 5 p.m.

Last year, Georgetown defeated Houston Stratford, 41-24, in the championship game, with San Benito defeating Nikki Rowe, 41-34, in the consolation contest.

The Bulldogs will begin tournament play today against Stephenville at 1 p.m. at Field B.

“It was good to see us beat those teams in the valley,” said Alexander athletic coordinator/head football coach Joel Lopez, who was also the head coach of Nixon when it qualified for the state championship tournament in 2005. “It was fun to watch, and it’s exciting to see the guys be successful. The kids are enjoying themselves and having a great time out there.”

This year’s Bulldogs club consists of 20 players, spearheaded by senior quarterback Jerry Lopez and a plethora of talented receivers in seniors Aldo Hernandez, Esteban Cruz and Sciaraffa.

Seniors Jay Lopez and Sergio “Red” Velasquez have also figured significantly into the mix, as well as defensive standouts Robert Lopez, Jeffrey Feurtado and Juan Medina.
Seven-on-seven football was designed as an offseason workout program for Texas high schools to promote and improve the quality of quarterbacks, receivers, secondary players and linebackers.

To comply with UIL, active coaches are prohibited from instructing players during games.

Active coaches generally attend the games and supervise from the bleachers, managing sportsmanship and discipline.

The game emphasizes passing – an Alexander trademark – using a 45-yard field and a one-hand touch for a tackle.

All players except the center are eligible receivers, and uniforms consist of shorts and T-shirts with no pads or helmets.

“There’s a lot of advantages, no doubt,” Lopez said of 7-on-7 football. “It focuses on key positions and the kids really wanted to do it this year. For defensive guys, it’s good to go 7-on-7 and be able to see if they’re dropping into the correct zones. It’s good to see how they’re making reads. If you can get the quarterback to hold the ball, you’ve done excellent because they only get four seconds to throw.

“Offensively, it’s good practice to run our routes and get our timing down. So it’s something we can obviously benefit from.”

Added Sciaraffa, “It’s a skill game and you have to be really good at what you do. We have one of the best aerial attacks in Texas, so it fits us perfectly.”

Alexander and Nixon are the only two Laredo schools to have qualified for the 7-on-7 state championship tournament in its 11-year existence.

“We’re not going in as underdogs,” Sciaraffa said. “People know who we are and what we’re about.

“We’re going in confident that we’ll get the job done.”

United South Tennis Open Courts

The United South High School tennis team will be holding open court sessions for summer conditioning starting Monday, July 14. The sessions will be held Monday-Thursday.
Incoming freshmen and junior varsity players are welcome from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m., while the courts are open to varsity players from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Four Longhorns selected to All-State baseball teams

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

Four United Longhorns were selected to the Texas Sports Writers’ Association Class 5A All-State baseball team earlier this week, and the same four were also named to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches’ Association All-State baseball team on June 26.

Seniors Jorge Guarneros and Ramon Sandoval and juniors Luis Pollorena and A.J. Gomez were each named to the elite squads after significantly contributing to United’s outstanding playoff run this season.

The Longhorns finished 32-8 and qualified for the state semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Plano West.

“It’s a tribute to them, their parents and the coaching staff,” United Coach J.J. Gomez said. “It’s hard to get four guys onto the team, but they work hard, and it’s a great program.”

Pollorena was named as a first-team first baseman to the THSBCA team.

He was also named as a third-team first baseman to the TSWA team.

He batted .448 with 38 RBIs and two home runs. He compiled 56 hits and scored 51 runs while walking 22 times and striking out 10 times.

Guarneros, who shared District 29-5A MVP honors with LBJ’s Beto Castillo, was named as a second-team pitcher to the THSBCA team and an honorable mention pitcher and shortstop to the TSWA team.

The righty was 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA. He struck out 100 and walked 23 in 82 innings pitched, allowing 17 earned runs on 55 hits.

He also batted .451 with 42 RBIs and five home runs. He had 55 hits and scored 37 runs, walking four times and striking out 10 times.

Sandoval was named as a third-team outfielder to the THSBCA team and an honorable mention outfielder to the TSWA team.

He hit .427 with 27 RBIs, four home runs and 36 runs scored.

Guarneros and Sandoval will both be continuing their careers at TAMIU next fall.

Gomez, the coach’s son, had a strong playoff run and was named as a first-team second baseman to the THSBCA team and an honorable mention second baseman to the TSWA team.

Gomez batted .333 with 30 RBIs and 34 runs scored. He was 8-for-8 on stolen bases.

Coach Gomez, while not completely taken aback by the selections, said he was somewhat surprised by the Longhorns’ placing four on the teams.

“It’s a bit of a surprise because it’s hard to get noticed down here (South Texas),” he said. “But it’s also not a surprise because we’ve had a good year and we beat some solid teams and went very deep into the playoffs.

“Hopefully we can start opening some doors for this region and make it an attractive place for scouts to come and recruit our talent.”

Plano West senior pitcher Ben Flora and Georgetown senior pitcher Taylor Jungman shared Player of the Year honors on the TSWA team.

Flora was 13-0 with a 0.91 ERA, while Jungman was 14-0 with a 0.89 ERA.

Plano West’s Kendall Clark was TSWA’s Coach of the Year.

Clark led his club to a 40-2 record and the Class 5A state championship this season.

Alexander High tabs Mendoza as Cross Country coach

By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES

It was announced on Tuesday that Nixon High head cross-country coach Luis Mendoza was hired to assume the same role at Alexander High.

Mendoza, a 1997 graduate of Nixon, spent the last two years as head coach at Nixon, and the previous four as assistant basketball and cross-country coach.

“It’s closer to home,” Mendoza said of why the move was attractive. “My wife works in the United Independent School District and my son will be going to a UISD school in a few years. The opportunity was there and it was best for my family.”

Mendoza will be replacing Javier Reyes, who took the girls’ head basketball position at Alexander left open by the promotion of Lisa Haberkorn to Assistant Athletic Director at UISD.

The search committee interviewed a total of four applicants. Mendoza was recommended.
“He has a lot of experience and a lot of enthusiasm,” UISD Athletic Director Bobby Cruz said. “He’s a hard-working young man. Alexander is a program that has a tradition of excellence and we look forward to Coach Mendoza keeping the program in the right direction.”

The Bulldogs’ cross-country program is coming off a prominent year in 2007.

It qualified for the state meet in Austin and finished 12th as a team.

In spite of the graduation of gifted runner Ivan Garcia, the Bulldogs will be returning the core from last season’s team, including dynamic sophomore Ryan Elizalde, sophomore Luis Morales, junior Charles Dickinson, and seniors Mike Rocha and Alfredo Morales.

Mendoza said, while he’ll miss the Laredo Independent School District, the Alexander opportunity was too good to pass up.

“I’m a product of LISD and I’ll miss it,” he said. “They gave me my first opportunity in coaching and I’ll never forget that.

“But this move was best for my family, and family comes first.”

NOTES: Cruz said there are still many openings left to be filled. There are assistant coaching vacancies at the high school level, as well as middle school coach openings. As far as high school head coaching openings, interviews will take place next week to find an LBJ softball and boys’ track coach. In two weeks, interviews will take place to find a South softball and boys’ soccer coach.