Category Archives: Athletics

Parents of student athletes sing praises of annual Football Showcase

Last month, the seventh annual Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase (GHSFS) took place, and hundreds of student athletes came to NRG Stadium’s practice bubble that day in the hopes of landing an academic scholarship.

The event turned out to be a huge success, as of the 468 students who showed up this year, 374 of them—or a whopping 80 percent—were offered scholarships. And while the tallies of this year’s scholarship dollars still aren’t in yet, the totals have topped $10 million for each of the past four years. Continue reading →

It’s on to regional hoop quarterfinals for five HISD teams

Five HISD boys’ basketball teams will play Monday and Tuesday in the University Interscholastic League regional quarterfinals.

Defending state champions Yates will see the tipoff for their games against Pflugerville at 6 p.m. Monday at Rudder High School in Bryan. The game was postponed from the weekend because of weather that made driving hazardous.

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Westside defensive lineman picked for 2016 Army All-American Bowl

Westside High School defensive lineman Jordan Elliot has been selected to participate in the Army All-American Bowl to be played on Jan. 9, 2016, in San Antonio — just one of 90 of the top high school players in the nation to be chosen for the elite game.

Jordan Elliot

Jordan Elliot

Elliot is currently the No. 6 defensive lineman in Texas and No. 33 in the U.S. According to his coach, Mark Byrd, he’s an automatic qualifier to the NCAA and currently holds 17 offers from Division I teams, including University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, University of Alabama, University of Oregon, University of Missouri, and University of Oklahoma.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound junior has been named to the UIL District 20-6A All-District Defensive Team the past two years, and was selected for the Associated Press All-State Team this year.

HISD teams see district basketball playoff action

Teams from 12 Houston ISD high schools — including last year’s state champion Yates HS — launch district basketball playoffs this week.

North Forest, Sharpstown, Madison, and Sterling all have their first games Monday, with Yates, Sam Houston, Bellaire, Lamar, Westside, Scarborough, Worthing, and Wheatley seeing action Tuesday.

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Super Bowl champ and HISD grad surprise students

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Former Houston Astros Manager Marquis Donnell “Bo” Porter and wide receiver Brandon LaFell of the Super Bowl championship New England Patriots surprised students at Revere Middle School on Feb. 13, when they visited the campus to talk to them about what it takes to be successful.

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HISD celebrates a legendary football coach

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Few will argue that one of the finest men to coach an HISD varsity team was Coach Luther Malachi Booker at Yates High School. Coach Booker’s legacy continued Feb. 7 with his posthumous induction into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. The late football coach’s family, friends, and former students will also gather at the Feb. 12 HISD Board of Education meeting to honor Booker.

Booker was head coach at Yates from 1971 to 1988. In those years, his teams won 13 district titles, made it to the state semifinals three times, and won a state championship in 1985. That year, the Lions even beat the favored team, Odessa Permian, 37-0, ending the season with a perfect 16-0 record. Continue reading →

HISD student athletes commit to play college sports on National Signing Day

More than 90 of HISD’s top student athletes committed to taking their academic and athletic talent to the college level as part of National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 4.

The HISD ceremony at the Region IV Education Service Center, aimed to recognize the students’ formal commitment to continue their education and sports careers at colleges and universities around the country. During the event, students signed symbolic certificates of intent to continue their careers in baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.

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Among the highlights:

  • More than 50 HISD senior boys will continue their football careers in college, including 11 from Lamar High School, seven each from Reagan and Wheatley high schools, six from Kashmere High School, five from Furr High School, and four each from Madison, Sterling, and Westside high schools.
  • Five HISD senior girls will run track and field in college.
  • Eleven senior boys and four senior girls will play college basketball.

Traditionally, National Signing Day has been reserved for senior high school football players completing their letters of intent with colleges and universities. But, for the past six years, HISD has included both female and male athletes from all sports to showcase the district’s athletic talent. Additional athletic commitments also are expected after Signing Day.

During the event, students heard from featured speaker Antonio Armstrong, a Kashmere High School graduate, former NFL player, and owner of Houston-based 1st Class Training, as well as HISD Director of Athletics Marmion Dambrino, HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, HISD Board of Education Trustee Wanda Adams, and representatives from the Houston Positive Coaches Alliance.

Click here to view a list of the 2014-2015 HISD student athlete signees.

Five HISD schools named finalists for Touchdown Club’s sportsmanship awards

HISD representatives accept good sportsmanship awards on behalf of Austin, Davis, North Forest, Sterling, and Yates high schools at the Touchdown Club’s annual luncheon Jan. 28.

HISD representatives accept good sportsmanship awards on behalf of Austin, Davis, North Forest, Sterling, and Yates high schools at the Touchdown Club’s annual luncheon Jan. 28.

Austin, Davis, North Forest, Sterling, and Yates high schools were all named finalists for the Touchdown Club Houston’s annual Sportsmanship Awards.

Nominees are determined based on referees’ scores after every game in the areas of:

  • actions of coaches
  • actions of players
  • actions of supports groups (such as parents and bands)
  • respect for the American flag.

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eNews Highlight: It’s over—all of my college applications are done!

Now, EMERGE scholar can just wait and let the acceptance letters roll in

Some people thought Olaide Sode was crazy when they found out she was planning to apply to almost two dozen different colleges and universities this year.

But the Carnegie Vanguard High School senior persevered, and she wrapped up the last of the 23 batches of paperwork this week. Now, she is basking in the glow of her accomplishment—and waiting for the acceptance letters to start rolling in.

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