CTS
06-14-2013, 11:11 AM
Football all-star game will feature players from smaller schools
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
If St. Pius X graduate Kenneth Danna weren't playing in the first Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Bowl, he probably would have spent this week lounging at a friend's house, watching TV.
Instead, he practiced, stayed lean and prepared for Friday's all-star game at Huffman Hargrave High School, which pits private-school players against their counterparts from Houston's smaller public schools.
"It's nice to have one more opportunity to strap on the pads and go out there one last time, because I thought I was done playing football a couple months ago," the defensive back said. "To have this opportunity is cool, and to play against public schools is an opportunity you don't always get."
Most of these players wouldn't have had the opportunity to play in an all-star showcase before this year.
The Texas roster for Saturday's Bayou Bowl showdown with Louisiana, which also is sponsored by the GHFCA, includes two Class 3A players - La Marque's Lawrence Montegut Jr. and Bellville's Kamm Coker.
The other 34 players are from local 5A and 4A schools.
"It's a really big deal to me," said Hargrave's Preston Townley, who will quarterback the 3A-and-under team before walking on at Stephen F. Austin.
"One of the first things I thought of was, it's the inaugural bowl, so that's special. And then the next thing is that it's going to be played at my home stadium, and that in itself is such a cool deal."
La Marque coach Mike Jackson came up with the idea of pitting small schools against private schools in a game complementing the Bayou Bowl two years ago while presiding over the GHFCA.
The process began in earnest in spring of 2012, with Jackson, Tarkington coach Brandon Carpenter (the small schools coach) and St. Pius coach Blake Ware (the private schools coach) taking the lead.
"I don't know, if you look back, how many (small school) kids were ever voted into (the Bayou Bowl), because, quite naturally, most of the kids are going to come from your 4A and 5A programs," Jackson said.
"So this game came about as a way to get more of our smaller schools and private schools involved (in the GHFCA) but also … as a game for that kid who's maybe not going to go play Division I football - maybe he's not 6-3, 230 and runs a 4.5, but he plays everything, he loves the sport of football, and he would represent your program and your community in a positive way."
The response has been good, Jackson said.
They don't have the El Campo or Navasota players they wanted, but the 57 players selected represent schools from Kashmere, Coldspring and Columbia to Episcopal, St. Thomas and Strake Jesuit.
And the best part? They will be on TV.
KUBE will broadcast the 7 p.m. game live.
"We're pumped about it," Danna said. "We're like, 'Oh, we've never played any public schools before, (and) we're ready to whip up on them.' So we'll go out there and give it our best shot.
"I know the public-school players are probably looking down on us, like we don't have a chance. But everybody on our team thinks we have a great shot."
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GALVESTON DAILY NEWS
BAYTOWN — Seven Galveston County players are going to get the chance to buckle up for one last game of high school football.
The Greater Houston Football Coaches Association will unveil its inaugural summer bowl game 7 p.m. today at Falcon Stadium, 25437 Willy Lane, in Huffman, and the 11th edition of the Bayou Bowl will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Stallworth Stadium, 2509 East Archer Road, in Baytown.
The Bayou Bowl will be televised on KTRK Channel 13, while the GHFCA Bowl will air on KUBE Channel 57.
The Bayou Bowl pits all-stars from the greater Houston area against a group from Louisiana.
Two Galveston County players are scheduled to see action in that game. Matthew Cody of Clear Springs, who has committed to play for Mary Hardin-Baylor, will line up at linebacker, while La Marque’s Lawrence Montegut, who is headed for the University of Texas-El Paso, will do some damage at defensive end.
The workouts for the game have been broiling.
“It’s hot, but it’s for something I love to do,” Montegut said. “I’ll take this heat any day to do something I love to do.”
The defensive end is also looking to make one last splash.
“I’m ready to come out and give it my all before I go off to college,” he said.
Cody is more than a little surprised he was tabbed for the all-star game.
“I never thought I’d be out here with these guys. They are all 6-foot and then there’s little old me just chilling out here.”
Cody stands 5 foot, 91⁄4 inches.
“But in playing shoes, I’m about 5-10,” he said.
The linebacker said the game will be a physical one.
“It’s building up for Saturday and it’s going to be a war out here,” Cody said. “It’s going to be exciting.”
Still, he predicts a Texas victory.
“I think we’re going to have an easy win,” he grinned. “It’s going to be a good warm-up for college. I figure we’ll go out there and dominate and win by 60 or 70.”
The GHFCA Bowl is limited to players from smaller schools and private institutions, and La Marque has a quintet of players — offensive lineman Xavier Chinn, defensive linemen Jeffrey Sowell and Michael Parker, wide receiver Daniel Lee and strong safety Isaiah Leigh — scheduled to play.
La Marque head coach Mike Jackson is past president of the GHFCA and he pushed for the game to be established.
“When you become president, everybody has a pet project that they want to bring along,” he said. “I felt that we needed to get the smaller schools, the 3A, 2A, 1A and privates involved.”
The reason was simple, not enough players from the lower classifications got to play in an all-star game.
“La Marque would usually get a player into the Bayou Bowl, but a lot of the smaller schools didn’t and this gives them another opportunity to showcase their abilities,” Jackson said.
Having the game televised is a big deal, too.
“A lot of these guys have never played on TV before and now they have the chance to end their high school careers by playing on TV,” Jackson said. “It’s big for them.”
All-star football games
WHAT: Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Bowl
WHEN: 7 p.m. today
WHERE: Falcon Stadium, 25437 Willy Lane, in Huffman
TV: KUBE Channel 57
WHAT: Bayou Bowl
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Stallworth Stadium, 2509 East Archer Road, in Baytown
TV: KTRK Channel 13
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
If St. Pius X graduate Kenneth Danna weren't playing in the first Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Bowl, he probably would have spent this week lounging at a friend's house, watching TV.
Instead, he practiced, stayed lean and prepared for Friday's all-star game at Huffman Hargrave High School, which pits private-school players against their counterparts from Houston's smaller public schools.
"It's nice to have one more opportunity to strap on the pads and go out there one last time, because I thought I was done playing football a couple months ago," the defensive back said. "To have this opportunity is cool, and to play against public schools is an opportunity you don't always get."
Most of these players wouldn't have had the opportunity to play in an all-star showcase before this year.
The Texas roster for Saturday's Bayou Bowl showdown with Louisiana, which also is sponsored by the GHFCA, includes two Class 3A players - La Marque's Lawrence Montegut Jr. and Bellville's Kamm Coker.
The other 34 players are from local 5A and 4A schools.
"It's a really big deal to me," said Hargrave's Preston Townley, who will quarterback the 3A-and-under team before walking on at Stephen F. Austin.
"One of the first things I thought of was, it's the inaugural bowl, so that's special. And then the next thing is that it's going to be played at my home stadium, and that in itself is such a cool deal."
La Marque coach Mike Jackson came up with the idea of pitting small schools against private schools in a game complementing the Bayou Bowl two years ago while presiding over the GHFCA.
The process began in earnest in spring of 2012, with Jackson, Tarkington coach Brandon Carpenter (the small schools coach) and St. Pius coach Blake Ware (the private schools coach) taking the lead.
"I don't know, if you look back, how many (small school) kids were ever voted into (the Bayou Bowl), because, quite naturally, most of the kids are going to come from your 4A and 5A programs," Jackson said.
"So this game came about as a way to get more of our smaller schools and private schools involved (in the GHFCA) but also … as a game for that kid who's maybe not going to go play Division I football - maybe he's not 6-3, 230 and runs a 4.5, but he plays everything, he loves the sport of football, and he would represent your program and your community in a positive way."
The response has been good, Jackson said.
They don't have the El Campo or Navasota players they wanted, but the 57 players selected represent schools from Kashmere, Coldspring and Columbia to Episcopal, St. Thomas and Strake Jesuit.
And the best part? They will be on TV.
KUBE will broadcast the 7 p.m. game live.
"We're pumped about it," Danna said. "We're like, 'Oh, we've never played any public schools before, (and) we're ready to whip up on them.' So we'll go out there and give it our best shot.
"I know the public-school players are probably looking down on us, like we don't have a chance. But everybody on our team thinks we have a great shot."
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GALVESTON DAILY NEWS
BAYTOWN — Seven Galveston County players are going to get the chance to buckle up for one last game of high school football.
The Greater Houston Football Coaches Association will unveil its inaugural summer bowl game 7 p.m. today at Falcon Stadium, 25437 Willy Lane, in Huffman, and the 11th edition of the Bayou Bowl will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Stallworth Stadium, 2509 East Archer Road, in Baytown.
The Bayou Bowl will be televised on KTRK Channel 13, while the GHFCA Bowl will air on KUBE Channel 57.
The Bayou Bowl pits all-stars from the greater Houston area against a group from Louisiana.
Two Galveston County players are scheduled to see action in that game. Matthew Cody of Clear Springs, who has committed to play for Mary Hardin-Baylor, will line up at linebacker, while La Marque’s Lawrence Montegut, who is headed for the University of Texas-El Paso, will do some damage at defensive end.
The workouts for the game have been broiling.
“It’s hot, but it’s for something I love to do,” Montegut said. “I’ll take this heat any day to do something I love to do.”
The defensive end is also looking to make one last splash.
“I’m ready to come out and give it my all before I go off to college,” he said.
Cody is more than a little surprised he was tabbed for the all-star game.
“I never thought I’d be out here with these guys. They are all 6-foot and then there’s little old me just chilling out here.”
Cody stands 5 foot, 91⁄4 inches.
“But in playing shoes, I’m about 5-10,” he said.
The linebacker said the game will be a physical one.
“It’s building up for Saturday and it’s going to be a war out here,” Cody said. “It’s going to be exciting.”
Still, he predicts a Texas victory.
“I think we’re going to have an easy win,” he grinned. “It’s going to be a good warm-up for college. I figure we’ll go out there and dominate and win by 60 or 70.”
The GHFCA Bowl is limited to players from smaller schools and private institutions, and La Marque has a quintet of players — offensive lineman Xavier Chinn, defensive linemen Jeffrey Sowell and Michael Parker, wide receiver Daniel Lee and strong safety Isaiah Leigh — scheduled to play.
La Marque head coach Mike Jackson is past president of the GHFCA and he pushed for the game to be established.
“When you become president, everybody has a pet project that they want to bring along,” he said. “I felt that we needed to get the smaller schools, the 3A, 2A, 1A and privates involved.”
The reason was simple, not enough players from the lower classifications got to play in an all-star game.
“La Marque would usually get a player into the Bayou Bowl, but a lot of the smaller schools didn’t and this gives them another opportunity to showcase their abilities,” Jackson said.
Having the game televised is a big deal, too.
“A lot of these guys have never played on TV before and now they have the chance to end their high school careers by playing on TV,” Jackson said. “It’s big for them.”
All-star football games
WHAT: Greater Houston Football Coaches Association Bowl
WHEN: 7 p.m. today
WHERE: Falcon Stadium, 25437 Willy Lane, in Huffman
TV: KUBE Channel 57
WHAT: Bayou Bowl
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Stallworth Stadium, 2509 East Archer Road, in Baytown
TV: KTRK Channel 13