Recent news that the UIL is pushing the addition of a Class 6A briefly brought a flutter of hope to a lot of people. Finally, most of us hoped, the UIL is going to separate the mega-schools from everyone else in 5A and give them their own classification.

Nope.

Instead, the UIL wants to make each classification just a little smaller. That means Class 6A (the current Class 5A) would go from 245 schools to 210. Where would that leave Lake Highlands? Even lower on the enrollment totem pole.

According to the DMN’s story, area schools that would be too small to make the move up to 6A include District 9-5A opponents Jesuit (2,078 enrollment) and Samuell (2,075). Also not making the cut: Saginaw, with an enrollment (per the UIL formula) of 2,120. That’s not many more kids than Lake Highlands’ current enrollment figure of 2,281.

“It would put us even further down the list from a numbers standpoint,” LH football coach and athletic coordinator Scott Smith said. “In the grand scheme, I don’t think it would be as beneficial for Lake Highlands as we would want it to be.”

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School in July? That’s what the Lake Highlands football coaching staff will be doing next week. The staff will be in San Antonio for the annual THSCA convention, commonly known as “coaching school.”

The convention is a great networking time for coaches of all sports and will also feature lectures on professional development, coaching strategies and the like. Every year the event features celebrity speakers as well. Some of the bigger names this year include Texas Tech football coach Tommy Tuberville, Oregon football coach Chip Kelly and Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz.

For the Lake Highlands staff, coaching school also serves as a sort of retreat before the start of two-a-days on Aug. 9. (Yes, the start of football is just around the corner.) That’s more important this year than most with some new assistants joining the staff.

“The big thing for us, it’s not necessarily the X’s and O’s, it’s more the camaraderie,” LH head coach Scott Smith said. “It’s an opportunity for us as coaches to get away and bond a little bit, to set the stage for two-a-days. It’s just some time to get together as a group.”

In a recent series called “Early Influence” on espn.com, Houston Texans lineman Wade Smith credits former Lake Highlands assistant Harry Everett (a classmate of mine at LH) and a “Coach Hill” from Lake Highlands Junior High for giving him the direction and confidence to make it to the NFL.

It’s a great example of how coaches and teachers can influence lives. Not all kids grow up to be massive NFL lineman, but a lot of them can be successes in other ways thanks to the guidance of educators.

Question: Does anyone who this “Coach Hill” was at LHJH?

Tonight is the official end to Lake Highlands’ 7-on-7 football season, weather permitting, with games starting at 7 p.m. at Plano West’s practice fields.

The Wildcats have been playing in a weekly league against Sachse, Plano West and the new Wylie East. LH did enter one state qualifier, but did not advance to the state tournament which starts next weekend in College Station. The Wildcats could have entered another qualifier to earn a berth, but winning a touch football title is not the goal of LH’s 7-on-7 program. (more…)

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football – the unofficial “bible” of high school football in the state – is on newsstands now.

No surprise, but the DCTF staff picks Lake Highlands to finish second in 9-5A behind Skyline. LH also didn’t make the magazine’s preseason Top 25, but the short piece on the Wildcats (page 205) is well-researched. It lists the LH-Skyline clash in Week 9 among its “Dream Tour” of the best games in the state every week.

Dave Campbell’s also shows a lot of love to LH running back Desmond Roland. He’s on the second team “Super Team” offense and is predicted to be the 9-5A Offensive MVP. Roland is also listed among the Top 300 recruits in the state and offensive lineman Kent Perkins is listed in an even more elite grouping of the Top 20 sophomores.

At 376 pages, there’s lots more info – just enough to get fans through to August two-a-days.

LHHS' Ricky Zorn, #5 wearing LH helmet, played quarterback in the Texas-Oklahoma high school all-star game

LH’s Ricky Zorn played quarterback in the 73^rd annual Oil Bowl Classic Saturday night in Wichita Falls, leading his State of Texas team to a 14-13 win. The Texas vs. Oklahoma all-star game features top recent graduates and raises funds for the Shriners.

Ricky had a large cheering section at the game, with all his mom’s relatives (she’s from Wichita Falls) and a few LH students and neighborhood fans. Ricky’s LHHS quarterback coach, Lonnie Jordan, brought his wife and four children, and his basketball coach, Rod Beasley, came with his wife, Jennifer.

As you can see in these video links, Ricky proved he can still pass and run with the best of ‘em, and he threw a great block to make room for the runner in another play. In typical Ricky-style, he was the team’s leading rusher in the first half, and he traded QB duties all night with two other boys who’d earned spots on the team excelling in their hometowns.

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If you see Lake Highlands resident Dan Beebe at Mi Cocina or Mariano’s Hacienda in the next few weeks, be kind and send over a bowl of queso…or maybe something stronger.

You see, Dan isn’t just the father of Lake Highlands football player Patrick Beebe. He’s also the commissioner of the Big 12.

Dan Beebe

If you’ve been paying attention to the sports headlines lately, the Big 12 is under fire. First the Big Ten targeted certain Big 12 schools for expansion, now the Pac-10 is reportedly going to offer invitations to six Big 12 teams (Texas, A&M, Tech, OU, OSU and Colorado).

Some experts are saying that the Big 12′s days are numbered. Beebe has remained positive, and if anyone can keep the thing together, it’s him. He’s a sharp guy, in addition to being a Lake Highlander.

So if you see him around the neighborhood, try not to pester him about Big 12 doings. On the other hand, feel free to wear him out about Wildcat football. He’d probably appreciate talking about something other than the politics of college sports for a while.

If it’s June, it’s time for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to return as required summer reading for area football fans. DCTF managing editor Dennis Hall told me the summer preview editions should begin appearing at area bookstores and supermarkets in the June 14-18 window, although you might get lucky and see one before then.

Hall was tight-lipped about any insight as to where the magazine ranks Lake Highlands in the state, region and district. Based on the number of returning starters, which DCTF often uses as a barometer, you could make a case for the Wildcats being the favorite in District 9-5A.

Skyline, of course, will get a lot of attention because it will again have a number of talented college prospects, but this will be a younger, less-experienced version than last year’s. LH, on the other hand, will be more experienced in virtually every area except quarterback. If the Cats hit the jackpot at quarterback, and there are several promising candidates, the 2010 team could raise some eyebrows.

However, look for LH to start the season under the radar. So much of the prediction game for high school media is based on how teams did the previous year. In 2009, LH was overshadowed by Skyline in its own district, then made an early, second-round playoff exit in that titanic battle with Tyler John Tyler. LH is also hurt by being in Region II, when so many of the area’s 5A powerhouses are now in Region I. LH also hasn’t had the opportunity to showcase itself at Texas Stadium/Cowboys Stadium the last couple of seasons, despite having highly competitive teams.

So when you see early forecasts that leave Lake Highlands out of the area Top 10 rankings, remember it’s where you finish that matters.

Sam (#18) and Emmanuel (#81) Acho visit Ms. Wetherington's fifth grade class at Merriman Park Elementary

Ruth Wetherington’s fifth grade class at Merriman Park Elementary had visitors last week – Sam and Emmanuel Acho. The Acho brothers are standouts on the University of Texas football team, but they came to talk to the kids about their experiences on mission trips to Nigeria. Both their mother and father came to America from Nigeria.

“These guys are great role models and leaders in the community,” said Ms. Wetherington after their visit. “They believe in the importance of education and community service, and they encouraged the students to make the most of their opportunities and work their hardest.”

Sam is a senior at UT and plays defensive end for the Longhorns. He’s been chosen twice for the Academic All Big 12 and was named a first team Academic All-American by ESPN Magazine. Emmanuel plays linebacker and was also selected for the Academic All Big 12 team. Both boys graduated from St. Mark’s in Dallas.

“It was such a fun experience, and the kids loved getting to meet real college football players,” said Ms. Wetherington. College football players encouraging young people to help others, make sacrifices and give back to their community. Win-win.