wookinpanub
08-24-2007, 06:04 PM
http://www.brazossports.com/
It sounds like the new high school in Bryan (Rudder) will likely be placed in Class 3A its first two years in the next alignment with Caldwell and I'm guessing Navasota, Madisonville, Rockdale and Cameron. They story suggests it first being 3A, anyway. it might have to play punching bag its first year with no seniors. Remember when Rosebud-Lott was the punching bag? How time flies......
Rudders' colors are navy and forest green. Hmmmm, kinda wild.
With Salado's growth, the district's geography could shift, of course.
-----------------------------
Here's the story about Bryan Rudder's Rangers:
Rudder High football program puts down roots
By DAVID CAMPBELL
Eagle Staff Writer
The doors to Earl Rudder High School will open in the fall of 2008.
This football season, Rudder will put down roots.
Rudder will be a "virtual schoo," with freshman classes held on the Bryan campus this year.
The building will be virtual, but the curriculum and sports are real and the coaching staff of the Rangers will be familiar. Former Viking assistant C.M. Pier is the head football coach and athletic coordinator.
Although Pier shared varsity and JV responsibilities when he coached at Denison, this is the first year he has coached at the freshman level.
"The biggest difference is the maturity level of the kids, from varsity to freshman," Pier said. "You can't do as much as you can with a varsity kid. There is not as much meeting time as you have with a varsity kid. You're teaching them to play football."
When the school joins the University Interscholastic League next season, Rudder should benefit from a year with the same group that will be their varsity coaches. However, the highest-placed upperclassmen will be sophomores, competing against juniors and seniors at the varsity level.
There were essentially two options for sports at Rudder. The school could have allowed its sports teams to compete at the junior varsity level for two more seasons, until the following UIL realignment. Their first varsity game would have been when the players were seniors.
"This is what is right for the kids," Bryan athletic director Harry Francis Jr. said. "They could have had a new school, come to Rudder and only get one year of varsity athletics."
Instead, it is almost certain they will enter UIL play as a 3A school when alignments are announced in February. If they take any lumps as a group of sophomores, they hope to hand them back as they mature.
"When you get to playing Madisonville, Navasota and Caldwell, good 3A programs, it will be against kids who have been through the Friday-night wars," Pier said. "In the offseason we will try to close that gap. You can't close it completely, but it can come down some. We want to reduce that gap and see what happens."
The Rudder football team will play a separate schedule from its freshman counterparts at Bryan High. That's an effort to build team pride and unity, and it is recognition that the Vikings still had plenty of talented players for their own full schedule.
Creating the schedule in the middle of a two-year alignment period was challenging, but Francis put it together.
"We found three opponents on the Vikings' schedule that said they could field a third freshman team: Leander, Temple and A&M Consolidated," Francis explained. "We were close to Conroe, The Woodlands and Montgomery and it was really a blessing that we could travel there."
The gateway to Rudder football has the team donning uniforms of navy and forest green, the school colors of the Rangers.
"We still work them hard. The big difference is we break out of workouts shouting Rangers instead of Vikings," Pier said. "I talk to the Bryan kids all the time. We're it the same field house and I know them and give them a word of encouragement."
Pier says there is no reason for competition between the schools.
"We are Rudder and have to have our own pride. It's not Rudder vs. Bryan High," Pier said.
Rudder will open its football campaign with a challenging scrimmage against the varsity team for TAPPS Division III state champion Austin Regents.
"There is no doubt that we would like to win. Is that going to happen? I don't know," Pier said. "The main thing is that they get an understanding of me, our coaching staff and what we expect and want. Hopefully, that will carry on for years to come."
RUDDER RANGERS - freshman (only team fielded this year)
Aug. 30 Montgomery Home 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 6 Huntsville Away 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 13 Leander Home 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 27 Temple Away 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 4 The Woodlands Away 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 11 Huntsville Home 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 18 A&M Consolidated* Home 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 25 The Woodlands Away 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 1 Montgomery Away 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 8 Conroe Away 4:00 p.m.
It sounds like the new high school in Bryan (Rudder) will likely be placed in Class 3A its first two years in the next alignment with Caldwell and I'm guessing Navasota, Madisonville, Rockdale and Cameron. They story suggests it first being 3A, anyway. it might have to play punching bag its first year with no seniors. Remember when Rosebud-Lott was the punching bag? How time flies......
Rudders' colors are navy and forest green. Hmmmm, kinda wild.
With Salado's growth, the district's geography could shift, of course.
-----------------------------
Here's the story about Bryan Rudder's Rangers:
Rudder High football program puts down roots
By DAVID CAMPBELL
Eagle Staff Writer
The doors to Earl Rudder High School will open in the fall of 2008.
This football season, Rudder will put down roots.
Rudder will be a "virtual schoo," with freshman classes held on the Bryan campus this year.
The building will be virtual, but the curriculum and sports are real and the coaching staff of the Rangers will be familiar. Former Viking assistant C.M. Pier is the head football coach and athletic coordinator.
Although Pier shared varsity and JV responsibilities when he coached at Denison, this is the first year he has coached at the freshman level.
"The biggest difference is the maturity level of the kids, from varsity to freshman," Pier said. "You can't do as much as you can with a varsity kid. There is not as much meeting time as you have with a varsity kid. You're teaching them to play football."
When the school joins the University Interscholastic League next season, Rudder should benefit from a year with the same group that will be their varsity coaches. However, the highest-placed upperclassmen will be sophomores, competing against juniors and seniors at the varsity level.
There were essentially two options for sports at Rudder. The school could have allowed its sports teams to compete at the junior varsity level for two more seasons, until the following UIL realignment. Their first varsity game would have been when the players were seniors.
"This is what is right for the kids," Bryan athletic director Harry Francis Jr. said. "They could have had a new school, come to Rudder and only get one year of varsity athletics."
Instead, it is almost certain they will enter UIL play as a 3A school when alignments are announced in February. If they take any lumps as a group of sophomores, they hope to hand them back as they mature.
"When you get to playing Madisonville, Navasota and Caldwell, good 3A programs, it will be against kids who have been through the Friday-night wars," Pier said. "In the offseason we will try to close that gap. You can't close it completely, but it can come down some. We want to reduce that gap and see what happens."
The Rudder football team will play a separate schedule from its freshman counterparts at Bryan High. That's an effort to build team pride and unity, and it is recognition that the Vikings still had plenty of talented players for their own full schedule.
Creating the schedule in the middle of a two-year alignment period was challenging, but Francis put it together.
"We found three opponents on the Vikings' schedule that said they could field a third freshman team: Leander, Temple and A&M Consolidated," Francis explained. "We were close to Conroe, The Woodlands and Montgomery and it was really a blessing that we could travel there."
The gateway to Rudder football has the team donning uniforms of navy and forest green, the school colors of the Rangers.
"We still work them hard. The big difference is we break out of workouts shouting Rangers instead of Vikings," Pier said. "I talk to the Bryan kids all the time. We're it the same field house and I know them and give them a word of encouragement."
Pier says there is no reason for competition between the schools.
"We are Rudder and have to have our own pride. It's not Rudder vs. Bryan High," Pier said.
Rudder will open its football campaign with a challenging scrimmage against the varsity team for TAPPS Division III state champion Austin Regents.
"There is no doubt that we would like to win. Is that going to happen? I don't know," Pier said. "The main thing is that they get an understanding of me, our coaching staff and what we expect and want. Hopefully, that will carry on for years to come."
RUDDER RANGERS - freshman (only team fielded this year)
Aug. 30 Montgomery Home 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 6 Huntsville Away 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 13 Leander Home 5:00 p.m.
Sep. 27 Temple Away 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 4 The Woodlands Away 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 11 Huntsville Home 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 18 A&M Consolidated* Home 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 25 The Woodlands Away 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 1 Montgomery Away 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 8 Conroe Away 4:00 p.m.