UTSA dominates FIU 57-20 in First Responder Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (December 26, 2025)  The UTSA Roadrunners put on a big show Friday night at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, beating the Florida International Panthers 57-20 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. UTSA came from behind and scored 38 straight points to take control of the game after FIU jumped out to an early lead.

FIU looked strong early. The Panthers scored first on a touchdown pass from Joe Pesansky and then seemed to take charge when Maguire Anderson returned a punt 97 yards for another score. For a moment, the Game looked like it might be close.

But UTSA answered with a big push. Quarterback Owen McCown started the comeback with a short run by Will Henderson III, then connected with Henderson on a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. After a field goal, McCown threw a 23-yard touchdown to Devin McCuin to give UTSA the lead. Running back A’Marion Peterson added a 10-yard score to put the Roadrunners up 31-14 at halftime.

In the second half, UTSA kept scoring. Henderson scored again on a short run, and McCown added another passing touchdown. Backup players also got in on the scoring action, including Bryson Donnell with a touchdown run. The Roadrunners built a big lead and never looked back.

McCown had a strong night, finishing 18 of 28 for 295 yards and three touchdowns. UTSA’s offense outgained FIU 481 yards to 255 yards, showing its power on both run and pass plays.

The win gives UTSA its seventh straight winning season and third bowl win in a row. For FIU, the season still ended with a 7-6 record, and the bowl appearance marked the Panthers’ first postseason game since 2019.

Texas Longhorns fire two staff members over sports betting breach

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (December 25, 2025) It is being reported by MySA.com that The University of Texas at Austin has fired two staff members in its athletic department after discovering sports betting rule violations, school officials confirmed this week.

The issues happened between January and October 2025 when six people tied to the athletics department placed 121 bets totaling just under $1,100 on daily fantasy sports platforms. Although these sites are legal in Texas, NCAA rules still bar people connected to college teams from placing any wagers.

The Longhorns self-reported the violations after finding them in internal reviews. Two of the six people involved were immediately fired. One person had already left the university, and three others remain employed.

Some of the wagers were tied to Texas Longhorn sporting events, including Longhorn women’s basketball and softball games. 

Texas A&M secures NCAA volleyball title with 3-0 win over Kentucky

By Chris Price
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI (December 21, 2025) The Texas A&M Aggies beat the top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats 3-0 to win their first-ever NCAA women's volleyball championship. The game, which was played at T-Mobile Center. It was an all-SEC final, with both teams from the same conference fighting for the big prize.

The match was exciting from the start. In the first set, Kentucky jumped ahead early, leading 10-4. The Aggies looked in trouble, but they fought back hard. Ifenna Cos-Okpalla made big kills and blocks to spark the comeback. Texas A&M won the close set 26-24.

After that, the Aggies took control. In the second set, their strong blocks stopped Kentucky's attacks. Players like Kyndal Stowers and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla kept scoring. Texas A&M won easily, 25-15. Kentucky made too many mistakes and could not catch up.

The third set was similar. Texas A&M built a big lead and never let go. Logan Lednicky and Stowers added key points. Cos-Okpalla ended the match with a final kill, winning the set 25-20.

Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky also played well on defense; forcing Kentucky into errors throughout the game.

This win was sweet revenge for Aggies after dropping their match against Kentucky on October 8 by the score of 1-3 (25-21, 22-25, 15-25, 25-27) in conference play.

DeSoto downs C.E. King 55-27 to capture UIL 6A title

Submitted Photo

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025) In the UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the DeSoto Eagles beat the C.E. King Panthers 55-27 to win the state title.

DeSoto started strong and played great on both offense and defense. Right from the first quarter, the Eagles took control of the game. SaRod Baker scored the first touchdown on a short run. He added another long touchdown later, helping DeSoto build a big early lead.

DeSoto’s Legend Howell was the star on offense. He threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Ethan Feaster caught many passes and scored two touchdowns himself.

The Eagles also made big plays on defense. Damarion Ross intercepted a pass and ran it back 94 yards for a touchdown. That score helped put DeSoto even farther ahead before halftime.

Even though C.E. King scored some touchdowns in the second half, DeSoto stayed in control and never let the lead slip. King had a great season, and just getting to the state title game was a big accomplishment for the Panthers.

North Shore wins tough defensive game, downs Duncanville 10-7 for 6A-1 title

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025) North Shore High School won a hard-fought game over Duncanville 10-7 to become UIL Class 6A Division 1 state champions. The game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in front of 39,436 fans.

The first half was a defensive battle. Neither team could score and the game stayed 0-0 at halftime. North Shore finally broke the tie early in the second half. Quarterback Kaleb Maryland threw a long 44-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Bocard (shown right). That made it 7-0.

Later in the fourth quarter, Daniel Cruz kicked a 27-yard field goal to make it 10-0. Duncanville did not give up. With about six minutes left, Trenton Yancey threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Zach Turner. That cut the lead to 10-7 and brought Duncanville close.

Duncanville moved the ball late in the game, but North Shore’s defense made the big stop when it mattered. With less than a minute left, North Shore stopped Duncanville on fourth down to seal the win.

This was the sixth time North Shore and Duncanville met in the state title game since 2018. North Shore now leads the rivalry with four wins in those six matchups.

South Oak Cliff tops Richmond Randle for UIL 5A Division II state title

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2025)  The South Oak Cliff Bears won the UIL Class 5A Division II state football championship, beating the Richmond Randle Lions 35-19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday. South Oak Cliff finished the season 15-1 and brought home its third state title in school history.

From the start, the Bears played strong offense and defense. South Oak Cliff’s defense made life tough for Randle’s offense all game. Randle did not score an offensive touchdown until late in the fourth quarter. Their star running back, Landen Williams-Callis, finished with 121 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also scored on a 100-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.

The big star for South Oak Cliff was Mikail Trotter. Trotter ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns, and all of his scoring runs were longer than 30 yards. He helped the Bears get ahead early and kept them in control.

Quarterback Jayden Williams was sharp, completing 12 of 13 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. That efficient play made it hard for Randle’s defense to slow down South Oak Cliff’s offense.

Even though Randle fought hard, South Oak Cliff’s strong play all day made the difference. Randle showed effort and talent, but the Bears made the plays needed to win a state championship

North Shore downs Dickinson 46-29

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS  (December 6, 2025) The North Shore Mustangs knocked off the Dickinson Gators 46–29 in the quarterfinals of the UIL Class 6A Division I playoffs on Friday night at TDECU Stadium.

From the start, North Shore’s offense showed they had too much firepower. Quarterback Kaleb Maryland threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Jaylen Bocard (shown above) early in the first quarter to put the Mustangs up 7–0.

In the second quarter, North Shore kept rolling. Maryland hit wide-out Aubery Johnson on a 53-yard strike and later ran in a 26-yard touchdown himself, stretching the lead. Dickinson responded right before halftime when senior quarterback Lorenzo Aguirre found Ja’Marion Payne in the end zone; bringing the score to 20–10 at the break.

In the second half, North Shore turned up the pressure again. They scored two touchdowns in the third quarter; one by Maryland on the ground and another on a pass to receiver La’Damian Defreeze — widening their lead to 34–10. Dickinson tried to rally after recovering a fumble, with Washington hauling in a touchdown catch.

In the fourth quarter, North Shore added a field goal and another rushing score to make it 44–23. Dickinson scored once more before time expired, but the Mustangs sealed the win when a blocked extra point was returned for two points.

With the win, North Shore advances to the regional semifinals where they will face the Lake Travis Cavaliers on Saturday, December 13 at Aldine's Thorne Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.