TAAF Winter Games of Texas kick off January 17 in Victoria

By Chris Price
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

VICTORIA, TEXAS (January 3, 2025) Two weeks from today, Victoria will once again take center stage for amateur sports when it hosts the opening weekend of the 2026 Texas Amateur Athletic Federation (TAAF) Winter Games of Texas on January 17-18. The event gives local residents and visitors the opportunity to watch some of the state’s top amateur athletes.

Competitions during the first weekend include disc golf at Riverside Park, cornhole at Texas A&M University-Victoria’s Galvan Community Hall, golf at Riverside Golf Course, and swimming at the Victoria ISD Aquatics Center. Events will begin throughout the day, with start times varying by sport. 

Hosted in Victoria since 2022, the TAAF Winter Games are expected to attract between 1,500 and 2,000 visitors over two weekends. 

Texas State dominate Rice Owls in Armed Forces Bowl

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (January 3, 2026) On Friday, January 2, 2026, the Texas State Bobcats overwhelmed the Rice Owls in the 23rd annual Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Bobcats, representing the Sun Belt Conference, secured a convincing 41-10 victory over their in-state rivals from Conference USA.

The Armed Forces Bowl, one of the marquee postseason games concluding the 2025 FBS season, blends college football with patriotic celebrations honoring U.S. military service members. Sponsored by aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin, the bowl showcases not only athletic competition but also flyovers, parachute demonstrations and tributes to all six branches of the armed forces.

Texas State entered the game with a 6-6 record after closing the regular season with a three-game winning streak. Under head coach G.J. Kinne, the Bobcats’ balanced offense and opportunistic defense set the tone early, building a lead that Rice could not recover from. Rice, which finished the year 5-7 and only received a bowl invitation after other eligible teams declined, struggled to find offensive traction against a disciplined Bobcats unit.

Despite the lopsided score, the event had its share of dramatic moments off the field. One of the pregame parachutists became briefly entangled in equipment above the end zone before descending safely to the ground, an alarming sight that fortunately resulted in no reported injuries.

Parachute accident at Armed Forces Bowl

Video courtesy of New York Post Sports via YouTube.com.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (January 2. 2026) It has been reported by various media outlets, including the Houston Chronicle and USA Today, that one of the parachutists that was to land on the infield at Fort Worth’s Amon G. Carter Stadium accidentally got caught in a cable supporting the field-goal netting and remained suspended in mid-air for a second, before a fall of several yards.

The incident occurred during the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, leaving fans stunned. It was also reported that the parachutist appeared to have avoided serious injury.

Texan Amber Glenn: A rising star in U.S. Figure Skating

Photo credit: U.S. Figure Skating Used with permission.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (January 2, 2026) Amber Glenn has become one of the most exciting U.S. figure skaters today. Born on October 28, 1999, in Plano, Texas and training with the Dallas Figure Skating Club, she started skating when she was just five years old. Now 26, she has worked hard for years and is finally getting huge wins on the ice.

Glenn is a two-time U.S. national champion, winning in 2024 and 2025. She also made history by winning the 2024-25 Grand Prix Final, the first American woman to win it in nearly 15 years,

One reason fans love Amber is that she can land very hard jumps. She is one of the few women in the world to land a clean Triple Axel in big competition.

At the 2025 World Championships, Glenn skated strong and finished fifth overall; her best result at that event. Her performances helped the U.S. earn three spots for women at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

She, along with other skaters will compete in the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure skating  Championships on January 4-11, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri.  The U.S. Championships also will serve as the final qualifying event prior to the selection of the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team that will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina. 

Miami shocks Ohio State 24-14 in Cotton Bowl Playoff Game

By Chris Price
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (January 1, 2026) The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the college football season on Wednesday (December 31) night. Miami beat the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes 24-14 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Miami didn’t let Ohio State score in the first half and built a 14-0 lead by halftime. The Hurricanes scored on a short touchdown pass and then made a huge play when Keionte Scott returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown. That big play helped Miami take control early.

Ohio State tried to come back in the second half. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown early in the third quarter and then got past Miami’s defense again in the fourth, making it 17-14. But Miami answered right away with a long touchdown drive that gave them a 10-point lead.

The Hurricanes’ defense played very well all night. They pressured Ohio State’s quarterback, Julian Sayin, and forced him into mistakes. Sayin threw two interceptions, including the one that Scott took back for a score. Miami also forced another interception late to seal the win.

Miami’s quarterback Carson Beck did a good job leading his team. He completed most of his passes and threw for one touchdown. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. also had a strong game, rushing for good yardage and catching a key pass for six points.

For Ohio State, the loss was a hard end to the season. The Buckeyes came in as a top-ranked team and were favorites to win, but Miami’s defense and big plays kept Ohio State from taking charge. Even though the Buckeyes had more total yards, Miami’s plays when it counted were the difference.

Now they will move on to the CFP semifinal game at the Fiesta Bowl on January 8 against either Georgia or Ole Miss.

Penn State powers past Texas in 1972 Cotton Bowl Classic

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved

DALLAS, TEXAS (January 1. 2026) On January 1, 1972, college football fans watched a big game in Dallas, Texas; the 36th Cotton Bowl Classic at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. The matchup was between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Texas Longhorns.

Both teams came into the game with strong seasons. Penn State had a record of 10–1 and was ranked No. 10 in the country. Texas was 8–2 and ranked No. 12. Texas also was the Southwest Conference champion. Penn State was an independent team with no conference.

The first half was a tight battle. Each team scored two field goals, and at halftime Texas led 6–3. But the second half was very different. Penn State scored 27 unanswered points.

Penn State’s offense came alive. Running back Lydell Mitchell had a big game and scored a touchdown. Quarterback John Hufnagel ran for a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to Scott Skarzynski. Kicker Alberto Vitiello added three field goals for Penn State. Texas only had the two field goals they scored in the first half.

The final score was Penn State 30, Texas 6. This big win helped Penn State move up in the final rankings, while Texas dropped lower in the polls.

Two Penn State players were named the Most Valuable Players of the game. Those honors went to linebacker Bruce Bannon, a defensive end and running back Lydell Mitchell.

On a side note, the writer of this article (Robert H Kelly) was in attendance at the game. At the time, he was a senior at Killeen High School and a member of the Kangaroo Marching Band, who preformed during the pregame activities.