Welcome to The Baseline, the Palestine Herald-Press sports blog. Here, you'll find breaking news updates, live game updates, thoughts and musings on sports, both local and national, and more.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Neches/Saltillo Live Chat

Friday, February 25, 2011

LIVE CHAT: Neches/Savoy Regional Semifinal

Thursday, February 17, 2011

It may be time to shrink the playoffs in Texas

Over at Yahoo's Prep Rally blog, Cameron Smith examines an 81-5 victory by Dallas Lincoln over Seagoville...in the PLAYOFFS.

Now, in Class 4A and Class 5A, just like in football in those bigger classifications, four teams from each district make the playoffs. When that happens, things like an 81-5 beat down have a chance to happen. Seagoville entered the playoffs eight games under .500, while Lincoln entered as the No. 12 team in the state.

I've never personally understood the need for four playoff teams from a district, because of this very reason. It's bad enough that in smaller district's there are times when more than half of the teams in the district make the playoffs, as is the case in Slocum/Grapeland's five-team district.

I realize that there are times when district's are loaded and the three (or maybe four) teams that make the playoffs can all compete. But, more often than not that isn't really the case.

I think it's probably time for the UIL to shrink the size of the playoff fields, especially at the 4A and 5A level. I'm okay with three teams from each district making the playoffs, but four seems a bit excessive.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Former Cayuga coach named lone Waco Robinson finalist

After spending a year a Jacksboro, former Cayuga head football coach Tommy Allison could be on the move again.

Multiple outlets are reporting that Allison, who spent three years at Cayuga and led the Wildcats to two state title games, is the lone finalist for the head coaching/athletic director position at Waco Robinson.

Via Smoaky.com:
Former Cayuga AD/Football Coach Tommy Allison, who led the Wildcats to the Class 1-A State Championship in 2009, is the lone finalist for the AD/Head Coaching job at Waco Robinson.
Allison went 4-6 this past season at Jacksboro High School, after going 35-8 in three years at Cayuga.
Waco Reicher's Mark Waggoner and Robinson defensive coordinator Brad Talbert were among the three finalists.
If he is offered the job and approved, he'll replace Brian Lewis who resigned following the 2010 season.
One legitimate question is this: Will Allison bring defensive coordinator Craig Earp along with him? If so, one would think along also comes Earp's son Carson, who threw for more than 3,000 yards for Jacksboro in only his sophomore season.

Earp is no stranger to the Waco area, coaching at Waco Connally and Hubbard, just to name two.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

4 locals named to All-Smoaky teams

Smoaky.com released its All-Smoaky teams for the 2010 football season today, and four Dogwood Circle players made the cut.

Frankston linebacker and SFA-signee Jabralon Allen and Cayuga defensive back Chris Turner both earned second team defensive honors. Allen was named the Dogwood Circle defensive player of the year after tallying 152 tackles in 2010, 23 for losses, while Turner earned first team honors on the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver. Both were recently named to the Texas Sports Writers Association's all-state teams.

Dogwood Circle first team wide receiver C.J. Wagner from Cayuga earned second team special team honors from the Web site as a kick returner after returning two kicks and a punt for touchdowns.

Earning a third team nod from Smoaky.com was Grapeland's Reshawd Shepherd. His district's co-offensive player of the year, Shepherd caught 46 passes for 811 yards and 10 TDs, while rushing for 355 yards and three more scores. Shepherd earned first team honors at WR on our Dogwood Circle squad.

What should the Rangers do about Michael Young

There are now only five days remaining until pitchers and catchers are due to report to Surprise, Ariz., for the Texas Rangers Spring Training.

Fans of the defending American League champions should be getting pumped up for another season of Rangers baseball, and players, coaches and management should be prepping for a repeat run toward a title.

Instead, what is everyone doing? Worrying about this troublesome Michael Young situation.

I wrote a column when the Rangers acquired Mike Napoli from Toronto saying that if/when Michael Young wanted out because his at-bats wouldn't be there, the Rangers owed it to him to trade him.

This past week, Michael Young did just that, demanding that Texas try and deal the six-time All Star.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Inside the TABC polls (Week of 2/7/11)

It's getting down to the nitty-gritty time for high school basketball teams around the state this week. Girls regular-season play wraps up tonight, while the boys will finish things up with games tonight, Friday and next Tuesday.

For local squads, there wasn't loads of movement in the polls this week, as has been the norm for most of the season. That being said, many local teams still find themselves considered some of the top 20 or so squads in their respective classes in the state.

Let's dive in.

Blog inactivity

Sorry the blog's been so dormant lately, but between vacation days and illness, I've been out the loop for the better part of the week.

I'd love to say that I'm back in, but that just wouldn't be true. I will be at Westwood tonight though to watch this rivalry games, as the Palestine girls chase a district title.

If your out and about, see you there. If not, I promise to try and be back soon.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A soccer-style 'what if?' for American sports

As I sat on my couch Sunday watching East Texan Clint Dempsey and Fulham roll past Tottenham in English soccer's FA Cup play, I got to thinking about the way soccer leagues in Europe do things.

For example, almost every European nation has multiple soccer leagues, which work on a tier system, a lot like baseball in America.

The difference is, every year those leagues change makeup, adding and losing teams to different leagues based on final season record.

Inside the TABC polls (Week of 1/31/10)

We're entering the final month of regular season basketball, and a lot of the local squads are beginning to heat up as the playoffs approach.

Granted, these rankings have no bearing on making the playoffs (like Arizona's rankings system does), but it is a somewhat accurate gauge of where team's stand against the rest of the state.

So, without further adieu, let's dive in to this week's polls.