Sam Rayburn falls to Channelview in District 22-6A action

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

CHANNELVIEW, TEXAS (September 30, 2022) Darius Clark-James threw for three touchdowns and rushed for one more as the Channelview Falcons downed the Sam Rayburn Texans by the score of 62-21 ar Ray Maddry Stadium on Friday night.

Bryce Parker carried the ball three times for 91 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons, with David Watson, Marquis Neal and Derreon Williams all adding receiving TDs. For the Texans, Jesus Mendoza carried the ball nine times for 154 yards with one touchdown.

The Texans are now 2-4 for the season and 0-2 in UIL District 22-6A action. Their wins have come against Houston Milby (20-0) on September 2 and Houston Chavez (19-13) on September 17. They will next face fellow Pasadena ISD foe South Houston on October 13 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pasadena.

With the win over Sam Rayburn, the Falcons have posted a 3-2 season record, with a 1-0 mark in district action. Their next contest is on Thursday, October 8 versus South Houston, also at Pasadena's district stadium.

In other District 22-6A ganes, Pasadena Memorial downed South Houston 55-48, with Dobie topping Pasadena 59-12. Deer Park was idle.

Eight Pasadena ISD swimmers named academic all-state

Submitted photo, Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (July 15, 2022) Four recently graduated and four current senior Pasadena Independent School District swimmers and divers were recently recognized for their achievements in both the classroom and the pool by being named to three different coaching associations’ academic all-state teams for 2021-2022.

The Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) recognized Pasadena Memorial High School’s recently graduated seniors Rachel Del Angel, Cinthea Martinez, and Zulema Pica, along with current seniors Madison Arcizo and Jenae Flores. Del Angel, Martinez, and Pica were two-time recipients of the award, having also been honored in 2021-2022.

Pasadena High School recently graduated senior Ana Mercado and current senior Emely Lopez were also honored by TISCA, along with 2022 Sam Rayburn High School graduate Mitzy Gonzalez-Perez.

The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) and the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) also bestowed academic all-state honors on Memorial’s Del Angel, Martinez, and Pica.

These eight Pasadena ISD student-athletes were the only selections from District 22-6A. Del Angel is headed to Ouachita Baptist University in the fall and will be continuing her swimming career at the NCAA Division II level. Pica and Martinez will be attending college at Stephen F Austin State University, while Mercado and Gonzalez are slated to attend San Jacinto College in the fall.

As for Lopez, Arcizo, and Flores, they will return to their respective high schools for their senior year and compete in their final season as high school athletes.

Sam Rayburn HS swimmers pick up three top-eight finishes at Beaumont Invitational

Submitted photo by
Darla Kelly, Pasadena ISD

By Chris Price
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

BEAUMONT, TEXAS (November 13, 2021) Select members of the Sam Rayburn High School Swimming Team travelled to Beaumont on Saturday to compete in the Christopher McClain Beaumont ISD Sprint Invitational. The meet was held at the Beaumont ISD Natatorium and saw 17 of the top high school teams from southeast Texas invited to compete in the annual classic.

The Texans were represented by four athletes in eight events, with three swims finishing in the top eight in their events. Senior and four-year team member Mitzy Gonzalez-Perez (shown second from left) carried the banner for Sam Rayburn, placing second in the 200-yard freestyle and seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke. Also breaking into the top eight was freshman Zachariah Flores (shown third from left) who took fifth in the 200-yard freestyle. He also placed 13th in the highly contested 100-yard freestyle.'

Senior Jason Arismendez (shown far left), who is also a four-year member of the Texan program, finished 11th in the 200-yard freestyle and 39th in the 50-yard freestyle. Freshman Darianna Rodriguez (shown far right) contributed with a 15th place in the 100-yard freestyle and 18th in the 50-yard freestyle.

As a result of the individual performances, the Texans placed 10th in the girls division, 12th in the boys division and 13th in combined scoring. Next up for the AquaTexans is the 19-team Texas City Turkey Bowl Swimming and Diving Invitational on November 18-19 at Matthew T Doyle Natatorium in Texas City. 

Former Pasadena-area high school swimmers competed in first college meet of 2021

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (January 15, 2021) Three swimmers who competed for Pasadena, Texas area schools during their prep careers kicked of the 2020-2021 college season with a series of dual meets at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Melanie Jimenez (Pasadena Memorial HS, Class of 2020) and Christopher Brown (First Baptist Christian Academy, Class of 2020) are competing for McMurry University (Abilene, Texas) , with Michael Vargas (Sam Rayburn HS, Class of 2019) is competing for the University of the Ozarks Eagles, located in Clarksville, Arkansas.

In the first day of the two-day competition, the McMurry War Hawks were competing against Austin College while the Ozark Eagles faced Colorado College. In the McMurry vs. Austin meet, the War Hawks downed the Kangaroos in the men's division 138-38. In the women's division, Austin topped McMurry, 103-72. In the Ozark vs. Colorado matchup, the Tigers down the Eagles, 178-44

Photo courtesy of
McMurry Athletics
Media Relations Department

Jimenez (shown left) competed in two individual and two relay events. Her first individual event of the meet was the 50-yard freestyle, where she placed second with the time :28.33. In the 100-yard freestyle, she placed third (1:02.68) in a race that saw a mere 63-hundreths of a second between the top-three places. The War Hawks 200-yard medley relay saw the former Maverick regional qualifier swim the freestyle leg, anchoring the relay to a second place finish. The 400-yard freestyle relay was contested as an "exhibition" swim, due to entry limitation. Jimenez swam the leadoff leg with the time of 1:04.74  in route to a final time of 4:27.81.

Photo courtesy of
McMurry Athletics
Media Relations Department

On the men's side of the War Hawks-Kangaroo contest, Brown (shown right) competed the 1000-yard freestyle, where he posted the time of 14:13.48, good enough for a third-place finish. In the 100-yard backstroke, he took fourth place, with the time of 1:19.48. The final event for the freshman was the 100-yard backstroke, where clocked the time of 1:16.08 in an exhibition swim. 

Photo courtesy of
University of the Ozarks
Sports Information
Department

Vargas (shown left) competed in two swimming and one diving event in the Eagles' contest against the Colorado, The sophomore  placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:29.84) and fifth in the 100-yard backstroke (1:11.51). In one-meter diving, he took third place (103.95 points).

All three swimmers will meet on Saturday, when McMurry and Ozarks face off in the final competition of the weekend.  

Students from Pasadena Memorial HS place second in open water swimming competition

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 1, 2017) Students from Pasadena Memorial High School swam their way down the Colorado River in Austin in route to a second place finish in the team standings at the American Swimming Association State High School Open Water Championship, as part of the Cap 2K Open Water Race on April 30, 2017. Students from four Houston-area high schools competed in the championship, including students from Pasadena High School, First Baptist Christian Academy, and Sam Rayburn High School

The group who attends Pasadena Memoria placed six swimmers in the top eleven of the girl's high school aged division; finishing behind Westlake High School for the second consecutive year in the team standings. Leading the way was 16-year-old Catherine Acosta. The junior completed the two-kilometer course in 36:08.43; good enough for fifth place. 2017 was Acosta's second time competing in the open water race. Also competing their second time were Memorial classmates Brianna Lykens

Pasadena-area swimmers headed out to
the starting line of the Cap 2K.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography,
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

(7th place, 41:40.61), Abigail Salazar (9th place, 42:36.20), Reanna Bowers (10th place, 44;20.02) and Christine Osborne (11th place, 47.07.79). Joining them in the Maverick's scoring was first-timer Kimberly Dutton (6th  place, 39:34.82). Pasadena High School junior Alexa Perez placed eighth with the time of 42:12.21. Memorial scored 18 points for the runner-up in the team standings behind Westlake (27 points). Westside High School was third with seven points while Pasadena placed fourth with three points.

In the boy's division, First Baptist Christan Academy's Christopher Brown finished in seventh place with the time of 37:49.41, followed by Sam Rayburn High School's Michael Vargas in eighth place (37:55.20). FBCA placed fifth in the team standings as a resullt of Brown's performance.

Glamour on the Gridiron

Members of the Sam Rayburn High School TexAnns show
their "trademark" smile.
Photo by Donna Alsdorf
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Don Green
Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

PASADENA, TEXAS (August 26, 2016) The grueling hours began in early May.  There were ice packs, aching muscles and hidden tears of frustration.  All the hard work carried over into the summer, with conditioning skills to prepare the bodies for the coming season.  Thursday, August 25 arrived. It was finally game time.  These athletes waited patiently for the horn signaling their turn on the field.  The scoreboard read: ClementsRangers 30, Sam Rayburn Texans 0, and then their game began.  You see, they compete during the game within the game; also called halftime.  The Sam Rayburn TexAnns are a group of 50 young ladies that also happen to be conditioned athletes. They strut onto the center of the field to a 50-year tradition.  The Mighty Texan Band serenades the officer line with “They’re Playing Our Song”.  The rest of the team joins the officer formation for the performance. Their field pom routine lasts less than five minutes, but months of preparation go into those moments.  They have waited since May for their debut under the lights.

These ladies are coached by a team of home grown talents; LaNeese Lehrmann Gareri and Tracey Neal Klingler, both members of the SouthHouston Janettes during their youth. Between them, they total over 25 years serving as an assistant or director.  They know the game as well as any fan.  They can identify a formation problem on the line of scrimmage and during the halftime show as well.  Ms. Gareri has twice been director of a team that danced during halftime of a state championship game.  She has also been the mom of a varsity football competitor, and supporter of a middle school athlete.  Mrs. Klingler serves as mom to a current varsity softball and volleyball coach, a collegiate football player, and a high school volleyball stand-out.  She is also spouse to a current varsity football coach. Their preparation and investment for this evening is quite impressive.  The resume of every dance director in Pasadena I.S.D. is equally stellar.

Lieutenant Selina Ramirez flies
through the air during the TexAnns' performance.
Photo by Donna Alsdorf
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved.

After a sizzling pom routine the TexAnns leave the field with that "trademark" smile.  The applause shows the crowd was impressed. Was the routine absolutely perfect….probably not.  The dancers are aware of the little gaffes and the directors see the areas that require improvement.  There were no yellow flags on the field, however there were minor infractions that will cause adjustments. They will look at film and relive the routine, pledging not to repeat the tiny mistakes on their next attempt.

All along you thought this game was just about the warriors of the gridiron.  However there are so many other students representing with grit and determination.  Cheerleaders, band and color guard, JROTC, and even student athletic trainers; all displaying a logo and doing a yeoman’s job.  Each of those organizations have a bevy of school personnel and loving family members serving as their entourage.  Back at home the members of the volleyball team have finished their own practice and anxiously await their own opportunity that will occur Friday evening.

Finally, just after 9 p.m. on a school day that started at 7:05 a.m., we are ready to load those buses and travel 45 minutes back home.  The final score was 30-7. The Texans were finally able to cross the goal line during the fourth quarter, but unable to match the first half total of the Rangers. In spite of the disappointing point total all students leave the stadium as excellent representatives of Sam Rayburn High School and Pasadena I.S.D. 

Grand View College Wins Inaugural Football Game

DES MOINES, IOWA (September 1, 2008) The Grand View College football team won their inaugural game today knocking off Briar Cliff University 20-17 at Williams Stadium in front of 4,300 excited fans.

The Vikings are now undefeated in the school's short history of football at 1-0, while Briar Cliff starts the season off at 0-1.

Both teams exchanged possessions through the first half until Briar Cliff took the lead on a 27 yard field goal with 3:24 left in the first quarter.

Grand View answered back early in the second quarter when Brett Opdahl hauled in a 31 yard touchdown pass from Gregory Charles to record the first points in Grand View College football history.

Briar Cliff connected on another field goal to make the score 7-6 going into the second half.

Another Briar Cliff field goal gave the Chargers the lead at 9-7, until Lawrence Furlow scored on a 50 yard touchdown run with 5:43 to go in the third quarter.

Grand View's final score came off of an 89 yard interception return for a touchdown by Quentin Palmer making the score 20-9. Briar Cliff scored their only touchdown of the game with three seconds left in the game.

The Vikings are lead by head coach Mike Woodley, who is the former head football coach at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas.

The Vikings hit the road next week to take on Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa at 1:00pm.