The practice was not too intense as the Lady Cards Head Coach; Kayley Johns and her coaching staff were evaluating their players. They have not set their rosters for varsity or junior varsity, so the coaching staff is using this time to evaluate what they have and see who fits where before the season starts. The Lady Cards will have another full week of practice and then will travel to Foster High School to participate in a couple of scrimmages to get back into game shape.

The Wet Bulb Glode Temperature (WBGT) is mandatory for schools to use to monitor environmental conditions and guide activity modifications.

The WBGT was introduced to schools in 2023 as a recommendation, but the Medical Advisory Committee recommended the policy be mandated for all schools. The WBGT estimates the effect of the temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation from a combination of three thermometers.

The American College of Sports Medicine said using the WBGT guidelines help dictate modifications to activities.

Schools are required to have an approved instrument that measures WBGT.

Every school will also be required to have a rapid cooling zone for the 202627 season. The rapid cooling zone is for an individual experiencing heat illness or distress and allows for full body immersion in ice water.

Coaches and directors are required to adopt a heat injury prevention philosophy by always having unrestricted access to water, and a student-athlete must never be denied access to water.

Other recommendations made are alternate start times for practices and competitions to allow for the best conditions possible. Allow athletes to warm up in the air conditioning before organized warmups begin. Ice towels and sponges as well as a longer halftime period to ensure a more complete cool down and hydration/refueling process.

WBGT readings should be taken 15 minutes prior to the start of every practice to ensure accuracy. It is also recommended that whenever possible the same person makes the WBGT readings every time to ensure consistency.

The team brought home some hardware. Here are the boys’ results:

PLACE / NAME(s) / TIME

8U 50M DASH

1 / Kannon Ford / 7.85

6 / Dakalin Smith / 8.62

16 / Levi Rosales / 9.19

18 / Kayden Thomas / 9.30

25 / Hudson Brantley / 9.84

27 / D’Kori Bolden / 9.87

35 / Julius Peikert / 11.22

8U 100M DASH

7 / Dakalin Smith / 16.40

15 / Ezekiel Frazier / 17.18

28 / D’Kori Bolden / 19.24

8U 200M DASH

2 / Kannon Ford / 33.19

13 / Ezekiel Frazier / 38.55

25 / Hudson Brantley / 42.30

8U 400M

9 / Levi Rosales / 1:23.44

10u 100m Dash Place / Name / Time

18 / Kyden Moore / 15.91

35 / Trey Schonenberg / 17.40

10U 200M DASH

27 / Kyden Moore / 35.43

10U 400M

20 / Bryce Rosales / 1:28.80

12U 100M DASH

4 / Darien Bolden Jr. / 13.65

35 / Jartavius Venghaus Jr. / 15.68

14U 100M DASH

Place / Name / Time

6 / Trevon Eaton / 12.75

13 / Weston Dyer / 13.37

14U 200M DASH

17 / Weston Dyer / 27.06

14U 400M

3 / Jett Jones / 57.59

7 / Trevon Eaton / 58.83

14U 800M

6 / Jett James / 2:22.51

12U 200M DASH

4 / Darien Bolden Jr. / 28.23

25 / Jartavius Venghaus Jr. / 31.25

16U 200M DASH

34 / Deshannon Eaton / 27.30

PLACE / NAME(s) / DISTANCE

12U LONG JUMP

9 / Jatravius Venghaus Jr. / 12’2

12U SHOT PUT

1 / Bryce Johnson / 33’8.25

2 / Briggs Drozd / 31’9.75

14U SHOT PUT

Place / Name / Distance

2 / Sutton Michalke / 45’1

14U DISCUS

Place / Name / Distance

4 / Sutton Michalke / 101’10

PLACE / NAME(s) / HEIGHT

14U HIGH JUMP Place / Name / Height

1 / Jett James / 4’10

As the Raiders prepare for a new season, Dumont says there’s one thing about this team that people outside the program may not realize.

“They’re hungry,” he said. “These kids are hungry to get the Raiders back to being a playoff program.”

That hunger has been fueled by a senior class that has embraced the challenge of rebuilding the program. Dumont praised the leadership and work ethic of seniors Kor’dae Johnson, Glen Mi l ls, Draeden Amos, Chase Diggs, Nelson Bernal and Omar Rivera, calling them the core of the team’s leadership group.

While the seniors are setting the standard, the future is already making an impact. Dumont expects DJ Amos, Gabe Barrios, K’Von Parker, JJ Grounds, Sergio Aguado, Noah Salazar and Alonzo Gonzales to see significant playing time this season as they continue developing into the next generation of Raider leaders.

The Raiders will face a challenging non-district schedule, but Dumont sees those games as an opportunity to prepare for what matters most.

“I want our team to learn how to win and build momentum for district,” he said.

For Dumont, coaching at Rice is about much more than football. Representing the community is personal.

“This community is home,” he said. “I bleed blue and want nothing but the best for Raider Nation because we’re all family here.”

When fans leave the stadium on Friday nights, Dumont hopes they remember more than just the final score.

“I want them to see unselfishness and swag,” he said.

And when asked what one thing his team must do every Friday night to give itself a chance to win, his answer was simple.

“Have fun. Play as a team,” Dumont said. “Those things, along with being unselfish, are what it will take for us to get back to the playoffs.”

With a hungry roster, strong senior leadership, and a coach whose message centers around teamwork over individual success, the Rice Raiders are determined to bring winning football back to Raider Nation in 2026.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to The Huddle. This week, we’re talking about my favorite football movie: Remember the Titans.

It’s my favorite because it perfectly captures what sports are truly about.

The movie follows the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team in Virginia during the first season after the school’s integration. Head Coach Herman Boone faced the challenge of bringing together Black and white players with one common goal: winning.

Boone took the team to Gettysburg College for training camp, where he put the players through grueling practices designed to break them down physically and mentally until they began to see each other as teammates instead of opponents.

The location wasn’t chosen by accident. Gettysburg was the site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, where more than 50,000 soldiers were killed. Boone reminded his players that they were still fighting many of the same divisions more than a century later.

He gave them a choice: continue fighting each other or become the generation that proved people from different backgrounds could accomplish great things together.

Boone also required each player to spend time getting to know a teammate of a different race and report back each day with something new they had learned. The lesson was simple: if they were going to battle together on Friday nights, they first needed to understand and trust one another.

Those relationships transformed a divided football team into a brotherhood.

To me, that’s what sports are all about.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Black, white, brown, blue, pink or orange. It doesn’t matter what your political or religious beliefs are. Every athlete has a story, a reason for playing and a role on the team.

Sometimes the greatest victories happen long before the final whistle.

The boys’ results are listed below: PLACE / NAME(s) / TIME

6U 50M DASH

23 / Logan Springs / 10.63

24 / Syr Giles / 10.65

6U 100M DASH

21 / Syr Giles / 21.26

22 / Logan Springs / 21.43

8U 100M DASH

8 / Tristen Brinkley / 15.14

8U 200M DASH

10 / Tristen Brinkley / 30.62

12U 100M DASH

1 / Jayccon Edwards / 13.50

12U 200M DASH

2 / Jayccon Edwards / 27.81

23 / Cameron Brown / 30.91

12U 400M

9 / Cameron Brown / 1:08.51

14U 100M DASH

15 / Ivan Samaniego / 13.45

18 / Jabrae Callis / 13.96

14U 200M DASH

18 / Ivan Samaniego / 27.09

24 / Jabrae Callis / 27.81

16U 300M HURDLES 

3 / Davon Casillas / 47.44

18U 100M DASH 

22 / Josh Lino / 12.27

30 / Kyle Sims / 13.21

18U 200M DASH

15 / K’Von Parker / 24.24

22 / Cavarri Weeks / 25.62

18U 110M HURDLES

5 / Jeremiah Grounds / 18.40

18U 4X100M RELAY

3 / Kyle Sims, Jeremiah Grounds, Josh Lino, K’Von Parker / 445.66

PLACE / NAME(s) / DISTANCE

12U SHOT PUT

9 / Bryson Weeks / 22’4.75

PLACE / NAME(s) / DISTANCE

18U TRIPLE JUMP

2 / Jeremiah Grounds / 40’6

Pulido was selected as the Columbus High School Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2003 after setting school records in the 3200m with a time of 9:40 and the 5k with a time of 15:57 and was selected twice as All-State and Tri-County Runner of the Year.

He was also a fourtime letterman in track a nd cross- cou nt r y while at Columbus High School. After leaving Columbus, Pulido received a full ride scholarship to Texas A&M Corpus Christi where he majored in kinesiology.

Pulido went on to have a great career running for the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders where he held the top times in the 3000m and the 5000m runs and the second fastest time in the 5000m and the 10000m races.

Pulido is a Cardinal once again in his new role at UIW.

2026 season.

The team brought home some hardware. The girls’ results are listed below: PLACE / NAME_s / TIME

6U 50M DASH

3 / Brayleen Grounds / 9.54 

6U 100M DASH

4 / Brayleen Grounds / 18.91

8U 50M DASH

19 / Skylar Ross / 9.65

30 / Raveonna Johnson / 10.12

8U 100M DASH

17 / Skylar Ross / 18.58

31 / Raveonna Johnson / 20.98 

10U 100M DASH

16 / Layla Henneke / 16.28

44 / Emma Mack / 17.90

10U 200M DASH

19 / Layla Henneke / 34.18

10U 400M

21 / Emma Mack / 1:32.73 

12U 100M DASH

13 / Rhonda Schoneberg / 14.58

27 / Navaah Woods / 15.41

32 / Addison Mack / 16.14

12U 200M DASH 

25 / Lillie Herzik / 31.99

12U 400M

17 / Aubrey Brantley / 1:26.79

12U 800M

10 / Aubrey Brantley / 3:38.61

12U 4X100M

8 / Navaah Woods, Addison Mack, Aubrey Brantley, Rhonda Schoneberg / 59.76

14U 100M DASH

6 / Jaycee Hayes-Woods / 13.72 

14U 200M DASH

26 / Destiny Pence / 30.76 

14U 400M

14 / Jaycee Hayes-Woods / 1:10.48 

16U 200M DASH

13 / Addyson Olive / 27.11 

16U 400M

4 / Addyson Olive / 1:01.15 

18U 100M DASH 

18 / Ella Herzik / 14.09 

18U 200M DASH 

15 / Ella Herzik / 28.44

PLACE / NAME_s / DISTANCE

10U LONG JUMP

8 / Layla Henneke / 10’9.75 

10U SHOT PUT

3 / Journee Bedford / 15’11.75

12U LONG JUMP

12 / Addison Mack / 12’0.75

14 / Lillie Herzik / 11’8 

14U LONG JUMP

8 / Jaycee Hayes-Woods / 14’1.50

14 / Destiny Pence / 12’4 

14U TRIPLE JUMP

7 / Destiny Pence / 27’4.25 

14U SHOT PUT

2 / Laura Henneke / 30’9 

14U DISCUS

6 / Laura Henneke / 47’11 

16U TRIPLE JUMP 

2 / Addyson Olive / 34’6 

16U SHOT PUT

6 / Jamaria Brooks-Woods / 23’

The Columbus-based co-ed slow-pitch softball team, appropriately named “Your Mom,” joined the West End Slow Pitch Society’s 21-and-over summer league this season.

The team competed in four regular-season games before wrapping up its inaugural season at the league tournament Aug. 2 at West End Park in Industry.

Team members paid league fees to participate, but they said the friendships, laughs and memories made throughout the season were well worth it.

The team’s custom jerseys were designed by Columbus resident and Small Town Preps owner Cody Brune.

The team ran hard and won a few medals for their efforts. The girls’ results are listed below: PLACE / NAME_s / TIME

6U 50M DASH

14 / Legaci Callis / 10.86

6U 100M DASH

13 / Legaci Callis / 21.56

8U 50M DASH

24 / Khloei Wilson / 9.82

8U 100M DASH

26 / Khloei Wilson / 19.88 

10U 100M DASH

20 / Lynnox Springs / 16.45

32 / Elijana Brinkley / 17.22

10U 200M DASH

22 / McKinlee Sides / 34.91

10U 4X100M

3 / McKinlee Sides, Lynnox Springs, Aaliyah Gonzalez, Elijana Brinkley / 1:04.86

14U 100M DASH

36 / Paris Davis / 16.61

16U 800M

10 / Lillian Torrens / 3:04.07

16U 4X100M

9 / Destiny Rodriguez, Sha’Kira Kuykendall, Faith Rodriguez, Aubi Schafer / 56.44

16U 4X400M

5 / Lillian Torrens, Faith Rodriguez, Destin Rodriguez, Sha’Kira Kuykendall / 4:55.77

18U 100M HURDLES 

5 / Fallan Wied / 16.71

18U 300M HURDLES 

2 / Fallan Wied / 49.23

The Wildcats ended the 2025 season with an 8-3 overall record and a 4-2 district record to enter the playoffs in fourth-place district standings.

Their season came to an end in the bi-district round of the playoffs where Refugio won with a score of 35-23.

The Wildcats will be without their star running back, Jerron Fisher this year. Despite losing Fisher, the Wildcats have plenty of returning players that can help the Wildcats push their way back into the playoffs this season.

Quarterback Col l in Morrison is one of those returning players. He finished the 2025 season, completing 64% of his passes for 679 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Morrison will look to improve all those numbers in 2026, and he has a great supporting cast to achieve that goal. Running backs Ace Mesa and Ty Chmelik will also return to the Wildcats this season.

They wi ll make the Wildcats rush attack explosive, but it may be a tough task. In addition to losing Fisher, the Wildcats also lost several key players on the offensive and defensive line.

For a team that loves to run the football in a district full of teams who also love to run the ball, the Wi ldcats wi ll need to prioritize the lines on both sides of the ball. If they can’t establ ish or stop the run, a tough season could be even tougher.

DCTHSF predicts the Wildcats to place fourth in the district standings again, securing another playoff run.

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to The Huddle. This week, I’m talking about the pros and cons of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals in sports.

The main sport affected by NIL deals is college football, and many fans are torn over them.

Looking at the pros first, there are several benefits to NIL deals, especially for the players. Universities have been making thousands — and sometimes millions — of dollars from players’ athletic performances, and the athletes deserve a piece of the pie.

It also provides athletes with some security in their careers. Let’s say (God forbid) a player suffers a career-ending injury. Everything they worked their entire life for vanishes in one play, and now they don’t even have a dime to show for something they worked so hard to achieve.

But let’s flip the coin and look at the cons of these NIL deals.

The biggest con is that it’s all a money game now. Whoever can pay the most money lands the best players, similar to free agency in the NFL.

Some of the top high school players still take the old-fashioned route, setting their sights on a school and trying to earn a scholarship. But others are only chasing the money, which creates another problem.

Let’s say a five-star recruit chooses a school that offers a lucrative NIL deal. The player arrives on campus, but the school soon realizes he isn’t as good as expected.

The school has invested thousands of dollars in a player who didn’t pan out and may feel obligated to play him because of that investment. It’s equally unfair to the athlete, who may feel pressure to live up to the dollar amount attached to his name instead of simply playing the game he loves and developing at a steady pace.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, NIL deals take away from college football. They take away one of the biggest draws of sports: competition on the field.

The richest schools will often get the best players. While there is still plenty of competition in college football, and the games remain exciting to watch, the competition is slowly moving away from the field and into the checkbooks.

Dave Campbell’s Texas High School Football released its preseason predictions for the 2026 season for the Rice Raiders.

After finishing the 2025 season with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-5 district mark, placing sixth in the district standings, the Raiders have plenty of experienced players returning.

Among them is star quarterback Kor’Dae Johnson, who returns for his senior season. Johnson was a bright spot for the Raiders last year, throwing for 1,448 yards and 14 touchdowns, the most among quarterbacks in Colorado County.

Another key returner is Glenn Mills, who plays tight end and linebacker. Mills finished the 2025 season with 18 catches for 355 yards and two touchdowns.

Johnson and Mills are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Raiders’ returning talent. Linemen Omar Rivera, Chase Diggs and Draeden Amos also return as the Raiders look to push their way back into the playoffs.

Dave Campbell also listed one sophomore to watch for the Raiders: Ta’Rell Tarver. Tarver had a strong freshman season, rushing for 450 yards and two touchdowns while also becoming a threat in the passing game.

Tarver caught 29 passes for 307 yards in 2025 and will look to improve as both a runner and receiver this season.

Dave Campbell predicts the Raiders will finish sixth in the district standings again this season and miss the playoffs. The Raiders have no shortage of experienced players returning, however, and despite the prediction, they enter the 2026 season with their sights set on a return to the playoffs.

The Columbus Minor All-Star team traveled to Rosenberg July 12 to compete in the state tournament.

The team finished the tournament with a 2-2 record, with both losses coming against New Braunfels.

In the opening game, Columbus picked up a 19-4 win over North Houston. Columbus jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back.

The team extended its lead by scoring five runs in the second inning to take a 12-0 advantage into the third. North Houston scored four runs in the top of the third to cut the lead to 12-4.

Columbus answered with seven runs in the bottom of the third to seal the 19-4 victory. Emri Chester spent most of the game in the circle for Columbus, allowing just one walk while striking out five batters.

The win gave Columbus momentum heading into its second game against New Braunfels. Unfortunately, Columbus’ offense was shut out as New Braunfels handed the team its first loss of the tournament, 10-0.

In game three, Columbus took on Jasper, and its offense came back to life. Columbus needed only five innings to secure the victory.

After two innings, Columbus led 5-3. The team extended its lead by scoring two runs in the third inning, one in the fourth and five in the fifth while holding Jasper scoreless over the final three innings to earn a 13-3 win.

In its final game, Columbus faced New Braunfels again and suffered its second loss of the tournament, 10-5. Columbus battled throughout the tournament in an effort to earn a spot in the regional tournament.

Although the team fell short of its goal, Columbus has plenty of positives to build on heading into next season.

Woolridge learned May 18 that he had made the team. Jenkins attended Blinn’s summer tryout July 8 and learned two days later that he had also earned a spot.

“It means a whole lot to me that I get to continue my basketball career with my best friend,” Woolridge said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“It means a lot to me. I would’ve never thought I would actually still be playing ball with someone I grew up with,” Jenkins said. “Avan and I have been friends and playing together since we were kids. Now that I am heading to play college ball with him, I feel more comfortable and confident in everything that I do. Because he has my back and he knows I have his.”

For Woolridge, Blinn was always on his mind. He spent his senior season preparing for the spring tryout, and once he earned a roster spot, he immediately encouraged Jenkins to pursue the same opportunity.

“Well AJ and I have been talking about playing basketball with each other since we were little, so when I made the team, I made sure AJ would at least have the decency to try out as well, and when we saw there was a summer tryout, he paid the registration fee and we went,” Woolridge said. “I was happy he did it and made the team in the next couple of days!”

For Jenkins, he was ready for a break from basketball. During the summer, he got the itch to return to the court, and he credits Woolridge for helping him get there.

“Avan was telling me about Blinn and said he was going to the spring basketball tryouts, but I never really thought much of it for myself. He would tell me I should go with him to tryout- this was still was towards the end of our senior year,” Jenkins said. “At that time, I was just so ready for everything to be over. I mean I wanted to play college basketball, but I also wanted to just relax and be able to take a break. This summer I got a sudden urge and I wanted to play. We got online and saw there was a summer tryout. I paid the registration fee online and barely got it done in time. I cut it close, because I got that ‘urge’ two days before their last tryout!”

Jenkins is very excited to be joining Blinn’s basketball program and even more excited that he gets to play alongside his best friend. He thinks being in the program together will help them both become the best players they can be on the court.

“I’m playing at Blinn with someone I grew up with and played basketball with since sixth grade. We played outside all day every day from our first real game in seventh grade, through AAU ball, and all the way to our last game our senior year,” Jenkins said. “That’s something special. I feel like it’s going to help not only my game, but I feel like it’s going to benefit both of us. It’s also going to make us better players simply because we are going to hold each other accountable and making sure, we’re doing the right thing.”

Woolridge also thinks they will both benefit on the court by having each other to lean on but he is looking at the work on the court and the work in the classroom.

That mindset aligns well with Blinn’s expectations for its student- athletes. As redshirt freshmen, Woolridge and Jenkins will spend their first two weeks on campus focused primarily on academics before turning their attention fully to basketball.

The pair are scheduled to move into the boys’ basketball dorms on Aug. 21, where they will begin their college basketball careers.

“It’s a process for everything, not just basketball but our academics as well. I think it’s going to help both of us a lot to get ourselves on track and keep us focused,” Woolridge said. “We both didn’t make it to college sports to fail. We came to achieve and succeed!”

Two big innings by Serbin — the first and fifth — proved to be the difference as the Jackrabbits claimed a 14-3 victory.

Defensive standouts for the Vets included Ryan Rerich, Connor Gesler and Camden Morrison, while Brett Janacek did yeoman’s work behind the plate.

Offensive leaders were Gesler with a double, single and two RBIs; Kannyn Goehring with two hits, an RBI and a run scored; Rerich with a double, a hit by pitch and a run scored; Emerson Harvey with a single, a hit by pitch and a run scored; Mo Pavlik with a single; and Seth Janecka with a base hit.

Janecka pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs while striking out two batters and giving up just two baserunners.

The Vets thanked Preston Langhoff for announcing and operating the scoreboard, along with fans for their continued support. They also recognized Tom Strickland and the concession stand crew for their work during the game.

Sponsors of the week were Hill Bank & Trust Co., Elstner Meat Co., Winkler’s AC & Electric, Bubela Real Estate, Anytime Fitness, KC Insurance (Bear Kana), State Farm Insurance (Ken Kram) and the Sara Prihoda family.

The Vets return to Strickland Field at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 12, for their final home game of the season against Flatonia.

Cranek had a great 2026 season, being second on the team with a batting average of .384. She was tied for second on the team, hitting 11 doubles and led the team with six triples and five home runs.

Defensively she was even better posting a .984 fielding percentage to help bring the Lady Cards all the way to the state semi-finals and earn her spot on the All-State team.

Columbus faced Bryan Harvey and Western Hills twice during the tournament.

The All-Stars opened tournament play with an 11-0 victory over Bryan Harvey. Columbus took a 2-0 lead in the first inning before adding six runs in the third and three more in the fourth to secure the win.

In game two, Columbus suffered its first loss of the tournament, falling 5-1 to Western Hills. Western Hills built a 2-0 lead in the second inning before Columbus scored its lone run in the third. Western Hills added three insurance runs in the fifth to seal the victory.

Columbus bounced back in game three with another dominant performance against Bryan Harvey, earning an 11-0 win. Columbus scored one run in each of the first two innings, added two more in the third and broke the game open with seven runs in the fifth.

The season came to an end in the tournament finale as Western Hills defeated Columbus 3-0.

Although the All-Stars fell short of advancing, Columbus finished the sectional tournament with two convincing victories and gained valuable experience to build on heading into next season.

Dave Campbell’s Texas High School Football has picked Columbus to win the Class 3A Division I state championship while also recognizing several Cardinals with preseason honors.

Senior offensive and defensive lineman Keyon Hemphill-Woods was selected as the publication’s Class 3A “cover boy.” The 6-foot-4, 290-pound University of Texas commit is expected to anchor both

6u Girls

Legaci Callis- 50m & 100m

6u Boys

Logan Springs- 50m & 100m Syr Giles- 50m & 100m

8u Girls

Khloei Wilson- 50m & 100m

10u girls

Lynox Springs, Elijana Brinkley, Aaliyah Gonzales, McKinlee Sides and Calli Embry- 4x100m Elijana Brinkley, Lynox Springs and Calli Embry- 100m

10u Boys

Tristan Brinkley- 100m & 200m

12u Boys

Jayceon Edwards and Cameron Brown- 100m & 200m Bryson Weeks- Shot Put

14u Girls

Paris Davis- 100m

14u Boys

Ian Samaniego and JaBrae Callis- 100m & 200m

16u Girls

Destiny Rodriguez, Sha’kira Kuykendall, Faith Rodriguez and Aubrianah Schaefer-4x100m Lillian Torrens, Faith Rodriguez, Destiny Rodriguez, Sha’kira Kuykendall, Aubrianah Schaefer- 4x400m Sha’kira Kuykendall- 300m Lillian Torrens- 800m 

18u Boys

K’von Parker, Jeremiah Grounds, Kyle Sims, Josh Lino and Cavarri Weeks- 4x100m K’von Parker- 200m Cavarri Weeks- 200m Jeremiah Grounds- Triple & Long Jump Davon Casillas- 110m Hurdles Josh Lino- 100m & Long Jump

18u Girls

Fallan Wied- 110m & 300m Hurdles

For many years, Todd and Morgan Barten have been dedicated supporters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Champion Valley, generously giving their time, resources and hearts to help local youth thrive. As owners of the Darmor Club in Columbus, they graciously donated the use of their golf course and underwrote the entire charity golf tournament, ensuring that every dollar raised could directly benefit the children and families served by the Clubs. Todd and Morgan’s unwavering support continues to make a lasting difference, helping create opportunities and brighter futures for countless young people throughout the area.

Their spirit of giving has been passed on to the next generation. Over the past year, their son, Charlie, dedicated countless hours to collecting lost golf balls from the tall grasses along the Darmor Course. What began as a simple effort to recover stray golf balls grew into a meaningful way to support his community. Charlie carefully cleaned, sorted, and saved the golf balls before reselling them at the Darmor Charity Golf Tournament, with all proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Champion Valley. Through his hard work, determination, and generosity, Charlie raised an impressive $1,200, helping provide valuable programs and opportunities for our local youth while exemplifying the true spirit of community service and philanthropy.

The UIL Lone Star Cup is awarded annually to six high schools in each of the UIL classifications, 1A-6A.

The cup is based on their team performances during district and state championship tournaments. In addition to the athletic performances, the Lone Star Cup also honors the schools with strong academic programs.

So, it’s significant that Columbus finished in the top 10 because most people know how talented they are on the fields, courts, and track. But now they can see that these kids are strong students with great work ethics in the classroom.

Athletically Columbus’ season was highlighted by the football, volleyball, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, boys’ golf and girls’ golf teams all winning the district championship this year. The Columbus football team, girls’ golf and the softball team both had deep playoff runs as they chased a state championship.

The football team’s journey ended in the quarterfinals where they lost to the eventual state champion Yoakum. The girls’ golf team had a great year as they made it to the state invitational led by Thea Schobel who finished in fifth place as an individual while the team finished in 8th place. The softball team made it all the way to the state semi-finals and were one win away from playing in the state championship game, but they also lost to the eventual state champion, Grandview.

They managed to accomplish all these things while handling their business in the classroom. Columbus showed that they are both a passionate athletic program and a strong academic program.

All of these factors added up and helped Columbus earn the 10th place spot in the Lone Star Cup standings.

This team was one of the smallest in size and number but showed great determination in the four games they played.

They started their season facing Rice Little League. The game started with Weimar jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

They then extended their lead by two more runs in the second inning and carried a 5-0 lead into the third. Rice’s offense surged in the fourth and fifth inning of the game, scoring three total runs.

Weimar was able to hold off Rice’s offense though and secured the 5-3 victory to start their season.

In game two of the season, Weimar took on Sealy and once again they came away with a win. Weimar’s offense shined brightly early in the game again as they held onto a 10-0 lead by the end of the third inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, Weimar scored once more to make the score 11-0 and then Sealy scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the score sitting at 11-2 in the fifth inning, Weimar drove the nail into the coffin by scoring two runs to arrive at the final score of 13-2.

Game three was not the best outing for Weimar as they were defeated by Washington County by a score of 14-0. In game four though, Weimar bounced back with another win.

They faced Sealy for the second time in the tournament. This time the score was much closer. Weimar scored the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning, but Sealy quickly tied the game in the top of third.

In the bottom of the third, Weimar broke the tie and carried a 3-2 lead all the way until the top of the sixth where Sealy tied the game again. This forced the game into extra innings, but Weimar ended the game in the bottom of the seventh scoring one run for a final score of 4-3.

In game five of the tournament, Weimar took on Rice for a second time and won the game 13-6. Rice held the early lead with a 3-0 score at the end of the first. Weimar came back in the second inning to tie the game, but Rice broke the tie and carried a 4-3 lead into the third.

In the third inning, Rice scored one run to extend their lead to 5-3. In the fourth inning, Weimar scored five runs and took the lead over Rice with a score of 8-5.

Rice scored their final run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 8-6. Weimar then scored four runs in the fifth inning and one more in the sixth inning to arrive at the final score of 13-6.

In their final game against La Grange Weimar was handed their second loss of the season with a score of 8-4 to end their season.

This Weimar team’s performance this season was admirable and gave Weimar fans a glimpse into a bright future for Weimar baseball.

They played hard all three games against Sealy, Bellville and Schulenburg, picking up their lone win against Bellville.

In game one of the tournament, Columbus took on the eventual district champions, Sealy. Columbus found themselves trailing early on the scoreboard as Sealy jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the end of the second inning.

Sealy scored once more in the top of the third inning to carry a 7-0 lead until the fifth inning. Jace Tribe hit a single to drive home a run for Columbus, but this would be their only run scored in the game for a final score of 7-1.

Game two of the tournament, was where Columbus jumped back into the win column after defeating Bellville. Columbus wasted no time establishing a lead in game two of the tournament as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Columbus scored once more after Cormac Barten hit a fly ball and got on base because of an error. It also drove home a run and gave Columbus a 2-0 lead.

Columbus went up 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth after Frank Janecka scored on a wild pitch. Then their final run came in the bottom of the sixth, after a ground out from Tribe brought home a run to win the game 4-0.

In game three, Columbus took on Schulenburg, and they held Columbus to zero runs until the fifth inning. Despite being limited on offense, Columbus still managed to keep this game close and ended up with a final score of 12-8.

Trailing 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Columbus’ offense woke up and scored four runs. After four singles in a row, Columbus scored their first run of the game.

They followed that up by hitting back-to-back, ground balls that brought home three more runs and made the score 10-4. In the top of the sixth, Schulenburg scored two more runs to extend their lead, but Columbus was ready with a response.

Columbus scored their final runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as they tried to claw their way back into the game. Unfortunately, they were unable to get the game tied up to go into extra innings, and they were handed a 12-8 loss by Schulenburg.

Columbus missed out on winning the championship but now are motivated to come back stronger next year and get over the hump to win the district championship.

Before bracket play Rice went undefeated in pool play defeating Hamilton, Wink and Tioga before defeating Milsap in round one of bracket play.

Rice started the tournament by facing Hamilton in game one of pool play and it was a close game. Rice and Hamilton went back and forth and exchanged leads, but the Raiders were able to hang on and pick up a gutsy 3432 win to start the state tournament.

This gave the Raiders a ton of confidence going into game two of the tournament and that helped them pick up another victory. In game two, the Raiders faced Wink, and the Raiders’ offense came to play, scoring 21 points on their way to a win.

Defensively the Raiders held Wink to only 14 points which played just as big of a role in the Raiders win as the offense did. The defense made several big plays to prevent Wink from scoring, and it helped lift them to a 2-0 record.

In game three against Tioga, the Raiders defense continued to play a strong game and once again limited their opponent to only 14 points. This opened the game up for the offense that scored 24 points and brought the Raiders their third victory in three games.

With a 3-0 record in pool play, the Raiders entered bracket play as the first seed of their bracket. In the first round of bracket play the Raiders took on Milsap in another close game.

In round one, the Raiders edged Milsap out by only six points with a final score of 26-20, and it kept their season alive as they advanced to the second round. In the second round the Raiders ran into Era who handed the Raiders their first loss of the tournament with a score of 40-14.

The loss ended the Raiders’ 7-on-7 season but with a strong performance and a record of 4-1 at the state tournament, it gave Raider fans a glimpse of what is coming this fall when 11on-11 football starts.