Coach Reed's Station

Last Few Days

2011-05-27T06:45:00.001-07:00

The last few days have been a little hard. The athletic banquet was a tough one, but I enjoyed visiting with the parents and seeing the kids get their awards. I'm excited about what lies ahead, but sad about leaving this place behind. Had some great kids and great support here.

Tough Day

2011-05-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

This may be the toughest day of my coaching career. I have decided to move on and accept a head basketball position at Franklin ISD near College Station. It was a move that had to be made based on our current family situation. Franklin offered both my wife and I good teaching jobs. I am excited about the upcoming opportunity, but I am disappointed that I have to leave Whitesboro, a community that has embraced my family and made us feel like it was home. The hardest thing to leave behind is the hard working and dedicated basketball guys that I've had for the past four years. I hope I encounter the same situation where I am headed. I want to thank the community of Whitesboro for the past four years.

5th ANNUAL BEARCAT BASKETBALL CAMPS

2011-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Are set for Tuesday May 31 through Friday June 3. 4 great days of basketball. Campers will learn fundamentals of the game, compete in numerous competitions and activities, and learn about the core values of character. Sign up today. Brochures are located at all Whitesboro Schools. You can also print one on the Bearcat Basketball link at http://hs.whitesboroisd.org/orgs/Org.cfm?OrgID=1618

Whitesboro Golf Competes At Regional Meet

2011-04-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday the Whitesboro Boys Golf Team and Jennifer Mrusek (Whitesboro Girl Individual Medalist) competed at Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro Texas in the 3A Region 2 Championships. Our boys team finished 10th in the event shooting a two day total of 685. Cameron Clark led the boys team with a 161 followed by Zach James with a 169, Charlie Hayes with a 173, and Luke Bond with a 182. Jennifer Mrusek shot a 111 on Monday and finished 55th overall. Her second round was cancelled due to inclement weather. For a complete listing of results visit www.lionathletics.com and click on UIL link

Coach Comments: The kids competed really well the past two days. These kids have not had a nice day to play golf all Spring and have really attacked the courses with great attitudes. They continue to get better and have short and long term goals among them. I am very proud of their efforts this season and am glad we got to finish in the Regional Tournament. I look forward to some good golf over the next few years and want to wish my two Senior boys (Cameron Clark & Luke Bond) the best of luck. They have been great leaders for this program.

Clark selected to play in Dr. Al Hambrick All Star Game

2011-04-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Cameron was selected to play in the Al Hambrick All Star Game on April 23, 2011. Cameron has been a varsity basketball player for us since his Soph season. Cameron earned 2nd team AD honors in 2009 and also earned 1st team AD honors in 2010 and in 2011. Cameron was also All Texoma Land Honorable Mention in 2010 and 2011. He just recently received Academic All State Honors through THSCA and TABC.

Cameron Clark will remember April 11, 2011

2011-04-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Earned the nickname "IRON MAN" on April 11, 2011. His day began with a round of golf at the Bridges Golf Club in Gunter, TX. If you haven't played there it is one long course that has a lot of ups and downs. After walking 18 holes, battling 20+ mph winds, and helping his team secure a regional tournament birth, He had to race to Sanger to compete in the finals of the District 9-3A track. Cameron finished his round of golf at 3 P.M. and had to run the Spring Relay at 5 P.M. After that he was also running the 800 meter relay and the Mile relay. He helped his team secure two more regional births in the 800 and Mile relays. It was an awesome sight watching him smile after he finished the day. I told him we used to have shirts made for our multi-sport athletes that said "IRON MAN - REST WHEN YOUR DEAD"!!!

Cameron has been a pleasure to coach for the past 4 years. I'm glad he achieved the success on April 11 and continued his Spring season for a few more weeks.

WHITESBORO GOLF IS HEADED TO REGIONALS

2011-04-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

What a great day for our young men on the golf course! We started our district round a little over a week ago and found ourselves in a little hole to start round 2. Cameron and Charlie struggled in week one and I could tell their confidence was shattered a little. Zach James, aka "The Fish", played solid in round one along with Hank Bennett and kept us in contention. I challenged the guys when we got back to hit the course all week and get ready for round 2. After watching an inspiring Masters on Sunday afternoon, I couldn't wait to take the guys to the tournament on Monday. As usual the weather was lovely. I told the guys that the winner of the Masters had to come from behind to win. The other guys leading just couldn't hold on. What a great situation you are in. You're four strokes back and Sanger has to hold on. The opportunity is there and waiting on you to take it from them. I told them to have confidence and imagine every shot is going to be an amazing one. The kids played lights out and dominated the second round and earned a team birth to the Regional Tournament.
Cameron Clark shot an 85 and had a 2 day total of 179, Zach James shot an 88 giving him a 2 day total of 175, Charlie Hayes shot an 86 making his 2 day total 178, Hank Bennett shot a 94 bringing his 2 day total to 182, and Luke Bond finished at 92 bring his 2 day total to 187. Ryan Harbin played as an individual medalist shooting 117 and making his 2 day total a 245.

Jennifer Mrusek also qualified for Regionals as an individual medalist by shooting a 107 and posting a 2 day total of 219. Jennifer was kind of in the same boat as our guys. She was one stroke behind entering the second round and was paired with the girl she needed to beat to earn a spot at Tanglewood next week. Jennifer did a great job battling the long course and the strong winds. Bobbi Holliday also competed as an individual medalist and shot a 133 giving her a 2 day total of 269

I am very proud of this group. They have been fun to coach and I really like the enthusiam and work ethic. Regionals will be held at Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro on Monday (18th) and Tuesday (19th).

REMEMBER YOUR CORE

2011-03-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

"CORE OF CHARACTER"
COMMITMENT-FAMILY-EXCELLENCE
CONFIDENCE...HARD WORK...MOTIVATION...INTEGRITY

Here are some suggestions on how to be a better athlete, but also a better person from Jim Calhoun, Head Boys Basketball Coach at UCONN

Thanks to Coach Eric Musselman for this material from Jim Calhoun's Guide to Becoming a Better Basketball Player:

* Surround yourself with people who make you a better person, who challenge you by their expectations.

* Don't believe the lie that character and courage only count between the lines on the court. They count in everything you do.

* Never forget the lasting power of poor judgment and the awful power of drugs and alcohol to mess up your life and your opportunities.

* Never underestimate your ability to control your own self-image,and to crush the stereotypes that people might have about you.

* Don't be misled about the real reason you are in school. Your education is the key to success in life--never forget that.

Girls Golf Results at Tanglewood

2011-03-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Mrusek shot a 107 and Bobbi Holliday shot a 152 at yesterday's tournament. District 9-3a 1st round will be Monday April 4 at Oakmont CC in Corinth, TX

Boys Golf Results at Tanglewood Resort (Denison HS)

2011-03-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

Team Scores
1 Frisco High 306
2 TX Pleasant Grove 306
3 Prosper 310
Argyle 310
4 Carrollton Ranchview 313
6 North Lamar 324
7 Argyle 328
8 Sulphur Springs 329
9 Whitesboro 332
10 Longview Springhill 335
11 Prosper 336
12 Paris 344
13 Denison 347
14 Bonham 356
15 Argyle 357
16 Mt Vernon 367
17 Anna 375
18 Van Alstyne 377
19 S&S 379
20 Princeton 384
21 Paris 409

Whitesboro finished 9th in this tough field. Cameron Clark and Hank Bennett shot 81. Charlie Hayes and Zach Zames shot 85 and Luke Bond shot 90.

Coach comments: "The majority of this tournament included teams that you would see if you are fortunate to make the regional tournament in a few weeks. Our boys played with the defending 3A state champions (Texarkana Pleasant Grove), Atlanta, and Argyle. It was a great experience for our guys to play with that level of talent. We are improving daily and I feel that we will be right in the hunt for a regional berth in a couple of weeks."

"I'm No Moses"

2011-03-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

Or are you?

Thank God for the challenges and opportunities he places in front of you each day. Ask him to use you to accomplish his tasks, recognizing that he has chosen you specifically out of all the people in the world to do those things.

Accept that you are imperfect and God loves working through imperfect people.

BEARCAT GOLF FINISHES 2ND

2011-03-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Bearcat golf team finished second at the Whitesboro Invitational tournament held at the Bridges Golf Club on March 21, 2011. Whitesboro shot a 330 12 strokes behind Sanger who won the tournament. Hank Bennett led the cats with a 79, Charlie Hayes shot an 80, Cameron Clark shot an 82, Luke Bond shot an 89, and Zach James shot a 90. Ryan Harbin shot an 86 as a medalist. Jennifer Mrusek finished 6th on the girls side shooting a 94.

Coach Comments: "Was pretty pleased with the results today. We still have a long way to go to be a regional contender, but we are improving each week. We need to do a better job focusing around the greens and eliminating 3 putts."

Former Bearcat Making Some Noise in College Station

2011-03-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

(Trav is the player in the white jersey closest to the sideline playing Cornerback)

#15 is Travis Labhart former Whitesboro Bearcat (2009) Travis is making quite an impression in Spring Ball at Texas A&M. I graduated a Red Raider, but I'm an Aggie fan right now. Good Luck Trav!!!!

District 9-3A Boys Basketball All District

2011-03-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

MVP - Clarke Overlander Argyle
OFF POY - John Johnson Sanger
DEF POY - Wes King Argyle
Newcomer - Trey Eleazer Whitesboro
Soph - David Moore Gainesville

1st TEAM
Cameron Clark Whitesboro
Matt Hobbs Whitesboro
Logan Johnson Pilot Point
Aaron Buckingham Pilot Point
Collin Crutsinger Sanger
Hayden Smith Sanger
Hunter Higgs Sanger
Kenyon Morgan Gainesville
Harold Wills Gainesville
Kielyn Lewis Gainesville
Patrick Resche Argyle
Connor York Argyle
Doug Fryer Argyle

Honorable Mention
Jordan Gill Whitesboro
Collin Kilcrease Whitesboro
Troy Willis Whitesboro

2011 Boys State Tournament Schedule

2011-03-06T21:09:00.001-08:00

Boys Basketball State Tournament

2011 Dates & Location
Thursday, March 10 -
Saturday, March 12

Frank Erwin Center
Austin, TX
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Schedule
Thursday, March 10 - Semifinals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 1A Division I Clarendon (24-6) vs. Tenaha (27-9)
10:00 AM 1A Division I Clyde Eula (35-2) vs. Evadale (21-15)
2:00 PM 3A Corpus Christi West Oso (33-3) vs. Dallas Smith (26-9)
3:30 PM 3A Burkburnett (32-3) vs. Mexia (31-5)
7:00 PM 4A Fort Worth Arlington Heights (32-3) vs. La Marque (32-4)
8:30 PM 4A Dallas Kimball (36-3) vs. Cedar Park (22-16)

Friday, March 11 - Semifinals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 2A Idalou (31-1) vs. Hallettsville (33-4)
10:00 AM 2A Melissa (36-1) vs. Tatum (31-7)
2:00 PM 1A Division II Paducah (27-6) vs. Waelder (31-7)
3:30 PM 5A Lewisville Marcus (37-1) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (29-7)
7:00 PM 1A Division II Bronte (32-3) vs. Roxton (25-6)
8:30 PM 5A Garland Lakeview Centennial (36-1) vs. Northside Taft (34-5)

Saturday, March 12 - Finals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 1A Division I
10:00 AM 3A
2:00 PM 2A
3:30 PM 4A
7:00 PM 1A Division II
8:30 PM 5A

Meals Scores 9 as Cru advances to Sweet 16

2011-03-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

Men's basketball beats McMurry to advance to NCAA Sweet 16

Brian Todd drew the defensive assignment on McMurry's Steven JonesCru will face Augustana (IL) in next game
Jon Wallin - SID
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3/5/2011 9:38:43 PM
Box Score

Abilene, TX – In round four between the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team and McMurry University, the Cru landed some big early punches but could knock McMurry out until the final bell as UMHB posted a 70-67 victory in an NCAA Division III National Championships Second Round game Saturday night in Abilene. The Cru improves to 23-7 on the season with the victory and UMHB moves into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. McMurry finishes the season at 21-8 and was making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2001.

The Cru dominated the early going, leading the entire way and taking its first double-digit lead of the game at 28-17 with 6:23 left in the first half. UMHB would push the lead to 40-19 with 1:16 left in the half before a late McMurry run cut it to 40-24 at the half. The Cru would carry a double-digit lead into the late going, holding a 58-47 lead with 6:43 remaining. McMurry would use a 6-0 run to cut it to 58-53 with 5:04 to go, but UMHB answered with a 4-0 run of its own to push the lead back to nine at 62-53. A Derick Sumpter three-pointer and three straight points from Teddy Chambers cut the lead to three at 62-59 with 1:22 to go. James Allen would then hit four straight free throws for the Cru to take the lead back to seven points. After the teams traded points, Chambers and Jaden Isler wrapped three-pointers around a Marlon Miller free throw to cut the UMHB lead to three at 70-67 with 1.8 seconds on the clock. Dean Pele would hit the first of two free throws and McMurry could only manage a desperation heave from Steven Jones as the buzzer expired.

Allen led the Cru with 15 points off the bench and he hit 4-6 from the field in the game. Miller added 13 points and Sterling Phillips had 10 points for UMHB. Robert Moore grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and <strong>Cory Meals had eight big points in the first half. Sumpter led McMurry with 17 points but he went just 6-17 from the field. Isler had 16 points and six assists and Jones finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cru shot a blistering 61 percent from the field in the first half and held McMurry to 32 percent shooting in the half. UMHB finished at 49 percent for the game while McMurry shot 44 percent. The Cru out rebounded McMurry 38-37 and held them to 30 percent shooting from three-point range. The UMHB bench also outscored McMurry's 28-9 in the win.

UMHB will now advance to take on Augustana (IL) in the Sweet 16 next Friday night. Defending national champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point and St. Thomas (MN) are the other two teams in that pod. The site for that pod and game times will be announced sometime tomorrow.

UMHB had only won one NCAA Tournament game entering this year's tournament. The ASC has now had a team advance to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. U.T.-Dallas advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the previous two seasons

Whitesboro Golf Competes @ Oakmont Country Club

2011-02-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Whitesboro golf team shot a 343 Monday at Oakmont Country Club in Denton. Whitesboro entered the Denton Ryan JV Classic but elected not to medal. The round was in preparation for their upcoming district round in April. Hank Bennett shot an 81, Charlie Hayes shot an 84, Cameron Clark shot an 86, Zach James shot a 92, and Luke Bond shot a 104. Ryan Harbin shot a 108 as an individual medalist. On the girls side, Jennifer Mrusek shot a 100 to place her in the middle of the field.

Coach Reed: "Weather was very challenging today and the kids attacked the course with no complaints. We struggled in certain areas, but now know what areas to work on before the April tournament. Jennifer played really well today and continues to improve around the greens."

WHITESBORO GOLF TEAM OPENS SPRING SEASON WITH TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

2011-02-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Bearcat golf team won the Cardinal Shootout at Tanglewood Country Club on Monday February 21. The tournament was hosted by Pottsboro High School. A late morning cold front kept the golfers humble for most of the day. Whitesboro shot a 349 to edge 2nd place Sanger with a 355. Azle came in third with a 356.

Charlie Hayes placed 4th winning a scorecard playoff and shooting an 81. Cameron Clark shot an 84, Hank Bennett and Zach James shot a 92 while Luke Bond shot a 95. Ryan Harbin shot a 98 as an individual medalist.

Coach Reed: "I was pleased with the way we started this spring golf season. The boys competed and have already established goals for this season. They must continue to practice and improve daily to make a run at the district championship and regional tournament."

Former Bearcat Continues To Shine

2011-02-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

Men's basketball tops Texas Lutheran 71-64

Cory Meals came off the bench to score 10 points for the CruCru clinches #2 seed in next week's ASC Tournament

Bearcats Finish Season on a Positive

2011-02-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro hosted the #2 team in the state in 3A Tuesday night for the final game of the season. Whitesboro had already been eliminated from playoff contention after a hard fought loss at Gainesville the previous Friday. Argyle already secured up another district championship and was looking to push their record to 10-0. Whitesboro battled hard early running a lock down 2-3 zone that gave Argyle some trouble. Argyle hit a 3 to end the 1st quarter and took a 12-11 lead. The Bearcats exploded in the second quarter behind some good 3 point shooting from Matt Hobbs and Troy Willis. Whitesboro led 28-22 at half. The Bearcats continued to dominate in the 3rd period and took a 48-36 lead going into the final quarter. Argyle's all state prospect decided to take over for the Eagles and scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter including 4 3 point baskets. The Bearcats went cold and couldn't get to the free throw line late allowing Argyle to get back into the game. Cameron Clark hit a huge 3 point basket to put the Bearcats back on top late in the game, but Argyle answered tying it at 55 apiece. Argyle regained possession and held for the last shot. The Eagles put up a 3 point attempt that didn't draw iron and bounced right to the Argyle post. The Bearcats committed a foul with .6 on the clock allowing Argyle to knock down 2 free throws and take a 57-55 lead. Trey Eleazer launched a 3/4 court shot that was online and an Argyle defender went above the rim and grabbed the ball. Goaltending was on everyone's mind, but the officials determined that Trey did not get the shot off in time letting Argyle escape with the win.

Coach Reed: I couldn't be more proud of this team tonight. We talked about making this our playoff game since we were eliminated from post season contention. We talked about closing the gap with this school and making sure that we have the confidence to play at this level. I was very proud of our effort and passion towards this game. Our season was a bit of a disappointment, but several positives came about from this experience. I am going to miss my seniors and want to thank them for all their effort that they have put into this program for the past four years. You guys have helped build a successful and positive program and I am excited about the future."

Game Changes

2011-02-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Due to weather: games with Sanger have been cancelled for tonight

The tentative schedule is to play Varsity only on Wednesday Feb 2 with girls starting at 5 PM and boys at 6:15. This is only if we go to school on Wednesday.

If not, we are going to try and play the games on Thursday at regular times which will include subvarsities.

MS Tournament scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled. We are going to host a Saturday only day tournament and guarantee each team 2 games.

Tournament will start at 8 AM on Saturday.

Matt Romig Speaks To Our Players Today

2011-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Coach Arledge invited Matt up to speak to his girls basketball team today and Matt was kind enough to stay an extra hour and talk to our guys. For those of you who don't know Matt's story, he was diagnosed with a rare form of luekemia this past year and has been making great strides in his recovery process. Matt is a member of the Texas A&M Kingsville football team and a graduate of Bells High School. Matt has accomplished quite a bit on the football field drawing some interest from the NFL.

Matt told his story today to our boys, but what was awesome was how he challenged them to get their priorities in line. First thing he talked about was their grades. He said playing sports at the next level is a great thing, but you better make your grades and earn that education. He talked about being a great teammate and making the effort everyday in practice even when you don't want to. He said wake up every morning and thank God that you have the opportunity to do something positive with your life.

Thanks Matt for the great message and I know we'll see you put the pads on again.

"CHAIN REACTION"

Whitesboro Falls To Gainesville

2011-01-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

In a tough battle of two very talented teams, Whitesboro came up a little short on their homecourt Tuesday night losing to Gainesville 68-56. The loss drops Whitesboro to 2-2 in district play. Whitesboro led after the 1st quarter 16-13 after a quick start by Matt Hobbs who scored 8 points in the quarter. Matt finished with 16 points on the night. The Bearcats led 28-26 at half. The third quarter provided a lot of fireworks as Gainesville outscored Whitesboro 25-20 taking a 51-48 led going into the 4th. Weston Walsh scored 8 of his 12 points in the third. Troy Willis nailed a huge 3 point basket to cut into the lead. Gainesville jumped out to a lead in the 4th and Whitesboro struggled offensively to score and the game slipped away. Cameron Clark fiished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 assists. Trey Eleazer finished with 7 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Jordan Gill finished with 5 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Coach Reed: "I was proud of the way our kids played. We went cold in the 4th quarter and couldn't match their run. Gainesville went to the line 29 times to our 9. I was a little disappointed in the way the game was called because I felt like we were doing the things to get to the line. We've just got finish games and we've got to become a better free throw shooting club. We miss too many in crucial parts of the game. Our effort was there, but we've just got to convert on the offensive end."

ACTS OF KINDNESS

2011-01-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

What a powerful day! I had the opportunity to go to my wife's school today and listen to Cody Hodges (Former QB for Texas Tech) speak on behalf of Rachel's Challenge. For those of you who don't know, Rachel was the first person who lost her life in the Columbine shootings. Her father is carrying on her dream of reaching out to the world by showing acts of kindness. It was a very moving message and really makes you stop and think about how you live your life.

Here is what is so strange: When I got back to work, I had a message on my machine from a man who lived in the town we played in Friday night. He was shocked that I called him back. He wanted to let me know how thankful he was for a young man in my basketball program. He told me he nearly lost his life in October in a car accident. He was just now getting around with the help of a cane. Our boys were leaving the gym to load the bus and Trey went back and got the doors for him. He said, "Coach I know you think this is probably silly, but that was one of the nicest things I have ever seen. In this negative society, I just wanted you to know how many positives you have in your program. For your player to do that after a tough loss meant the world to me." I caught a tear because all that was running through my mind was the events from this morning while listening to Rachel's Challenge. The power of her message was shining at that moment.

I sat my whole program down this afternoon and told this story. I told them that Trey's actions might have changed that man's outlook on life. I told them that you never know what kind of an impact that you may have on people and that you should alway be a positive influence. I thanked them for being young men of character and told them how proud I am to be their coach.

What a powerful day and to think it was just from hearing about a young man hold a door open for another man.

Bearcats go to 2-0 in District 9-3A with win over Aubrey

2011-01-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro coasted to a 66-24 win over Aubrey on Tuesday. The win puts Whitesboro at 2-0 in District 9-3A. The Bearcats opened the game with a 17 point first quarter and held Aubrey to just 2 points. Whitesboro led 29-8 at half and never looked back. Matt Hobbs and Troy Willis led the Bearcats in scoring with 12 points. Troy Willis knocked down 4 three pointers. Cameron Clark finished with 9 points and 4 assists. Collin Kilcrease finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Collin was also 100% from the free throw line. Weston Walsh finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. Trey Eleazer finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Grayson Ezzell finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds. Mike Antoine (3 points), John Wood (2 points), Jordan Gill (2 points), Mitch Krueger (1 point), and Ryan Harbin (1 point) rounded out the scoring for the Bearcats. Gill also collected 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.

Coach Reed: "Was pleased with the way we started the game and put them in a hole early. I was disappointed in our execution offensively at times, but we found other ways to score. A lot of the supporting cast contributed offensively and that was good. You don't want to have any let downs during this time of the year."

Whitesboro opens District 9-3A with a win at Sanger

2011-01-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2011

Whitesboro dug themselves a hole early by not taking care of the basketball, but found a way to weather the storm and battled back to a convincing 66-58 win on the road at Sanger Friday night. The Bearcats trailed 18-5 in the first quarter. Cameron Clark, Matt Hobbs, and John Wood finally got an offensive spark late in the quarter to close the gap. Whitesboro trailed 20-13 after the 1st. The Bearcats put up a strong defensive front in the second quarter limiting Sanger to only to only 12 points which were mainly from the free throw line. Trey Eleazer provided a spark for the Cats scoring 9 of his 18 points in that quarter. Whitesboro trailed 32-28 at the half. The Bearcats came to life in the 3rd quarter outscoring Sanger 18-10. Matt Hobbs finally broke free from the pressure defense and knocked down 2 of his 4 3 point field goals in the 3rd quarter. Hobbs finished the game with 15 points. Whitesboro never looked back outscoring Sanger 19-16 in the 4th to secure the win. Ryan Harbin was a difference maker off the bench scoring 7 of this 11 points in the final period. Trey Eleazer finished the game with a double-double (18 points/13 rebounds). Cameron Clark scored 13 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. John Wood added 3 points and Jordan Gill scored 2 points and collected 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Collin Kilcrease finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds. Mitch Krueger finished with 2 points.

Coach Reed: "This was a great game played in a playoff style atmosphere. Early I thought Sanger had the momentum to run us out of the gym, but our guys kept their cool and chipped away at their lead. We stressed focusing on the game plan and playing hard for four quarters and I think we did that. We played with great enthusiasm and toughness as well. This was a great way to start our run in this very competitive district. The key is preparing daily and taking it one game at a time."

Whitesboro Struggles Offensively in Loss to Van Alstyne

2011-01-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2011

In a defensive battle, Van Alstyne came out on top 40-32. Whitesboro could never get going offensively and had a really hard time getting to the charity stripe. The Bearcats only shot 5 free throws on the night. Whitesboro led 18-14 at half behind a good effort from Troy Willis and Mitch Krueger who got the Cats going late in the first quarter. Willis finished the game with 8 points leading the Bearcats in scoring. Krueger finished with 5 points. Cameron Clark had 6 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals for the Bearcats. Trey Eleazer added 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Jordan Gill grabbed 7 rebounds in the loss.

Whitesboro beats Bonham on SFC Night

2011-01-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

After selling a few pancakes and raising money for a worthy cause, the Whitesboro Bearcats stepped on the floor and took care of the Bonham Warriors. Whitesboro exploded in the first quarter outscoring Bonham 29-11. The second quarter proved to be much of the same as Whitesboro went in at half up 44-19. Bonham remained a scrappy squad in the second half though and tried to make several runs. Whitesboro answered each run and won 75-50. Matt Hobbs continued his sharp shooting scoring 22 points. He was 57% from the floor and an amazing 71% from beyond the arc. He also went 100% from the free throw line and also grabbed three boards. Trey Eleazer scored 10 points and had 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Mitch Krueger scored 8 points and started the 1st quarter run by knocking down two 3 pointers. Troy Willis and Ryan Harbin each scored 7 points and played very well coming off the bench. Ryan also grabbed 5 rebounds. Weston Walsh provide a little inside power scoring 5 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. John Wood, Cameron Clark, Jordan Gill, and Collin Kilcrease each scored 4 points for the Bearcats.

This was are 5th annual Shoot For The Cure Night. This Shoot For the Cure was a little different this year because we weren't only raising money for the Cystinosis Research Network. We also were raising money for a benefit account for Matt Romig. Matt was a former player of Head Girls Basketball Coach Chris Arledge. Matt was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer know as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. There are 200 known cases in the world. Matt is improving, but there is still a long road ahead. I am proud of the Whitesboro and Bonham communities for stepping up and helping out this young man and his family.

Mason Reed is the nephew of Head Boys Coach Shad Reed. Mason was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Cystinosis. This disease attacks certain organs in your body and can be controlled by taking very strong medications. There is currently no cure for this disease. Mason is now in third grade and doing quite well. He has begun a new study in Atlanta that will allow him to take medications every 12 hours instead of every 6. This study is made possibly by all the fundraising efforts for the Cystinosis Research Network.

To learn more about these two diseases visit www.cystinosis.org and www.mattromig.com

Coach Reed: "I want to thank everyone who helped make this event a success. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that sacrifice their time and it is greatly appreciated. There were numerous business who donated to the cause as well. We can't thank you enough. This is a great community that cares for kids and I am proud to be a part of that."

SFC 2011 PHIL 4:13

2011-01-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

SFC 2011 was a huge success. There are so many people to thank that help make this event so successful. First of all, my lovely wife somehow watches two kids and works all evening making sure everything goes well so I can focus on my game. Can't say how much I appreciate Curtis Clark, Russ Wilson, and Mike Gillum. These three guys have been my pancake and bacon gurus for 4 years. I know there are many more parents who help out as well and I really appreciate you guys too. My two assistants Toby Sluder and Micah Ledbetter are overworked and underpaid. Thanks guys for helping make this program a success and being positive role models for our kids. Also, a huge thanks to all businesses who donated to this worthy cause.

It was an emotional night for me personally because this was the first year that my nephew could not attend. Mason has been flying to Atlanta the past few months quite frequently participating in a study funded by Cystinosis Research Network. He has missed so much school that he was unable to attend. CRN has reached a new level though by finding ways to make his life easier by allowing him to reduce medication times and sleep normal. It is great to know that because of the generous donations of our community and others that these advances are being made with this disease.

I have never met Matt Romig, but after the conversations that I had with Coach Arledge I was proud to be a part of his story as well. He is battling right now and having such a positive outlook on life. I told my boys tonight to be thankful each and every day that they have the opportunities such as competing on an athletic stage. I hope they understand what an impact they have on a daily basis.

Last, I would like to thank the community of Bonham and Whitesboro for their support. When I moved to North Texas four years ago, I was amazed at how well the community of Bonham supported their kids. It's obvious that Whitesboro does the same. It showed again tonight.

Sherman Holiday Tournament Results

2011-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Whitesboro Bearcats competed in the Sherman Holiday Tournament this past week and finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. The Bearcats opened tournament play against Pottsboro winning 76-33. It was a dominating performance with Matt Hobbs leading the way with 19 points. Trey Eleazer had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block while Cameron Clark finished with 10 points and 3 assists. Mitch Krueger finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. John Wood (6 RB), Ryan Harbin (5 RB), Jordan Gill and Grayson Ezzell (4 RB) were effective on the boards.

Day 2 had Whitesboro facing the Melissa Cardinals who are ranked #1 in 2A. Melissa won the contest 51-38, but the Bearcats gave them all they could handle. Matt Hobbs scored a game high 22 points. Cameron Clark and Mitch Krueger scored 4 points and Trey Eleazer had 3 points. Trey also had 6 rebounds in the contest. In the late game, Whitesboro faced Pittsburg. Whitesboro got off to a slow start and trailed 23-18 at half. The Bearcats started the 3rd quarter with a 10-0 run and then another 10-0 run after a Pittsburg layup and ended up taking a double digit lead. Whitesboro won the contest 54-47. Matt Hobbs led the way again scoring 23 points and was 5-7 from the 3 point line. He was also 100% from the Free Throw line. Collin Kilcrease finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Trey Eleazer finished with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Jordan Gill added 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Whitesboro shot 43% from beyond the arc.

Day 3 put Whitesboro in the Semifinals facing the 2A state ranked Whitewright Tigers. The Bearcats fell to Whitewright a week earlier 47-37. Whitesboro got off to a fast start behind some sharp shooting from Cameron Clark. Whitewright settled in and took a 32-27 lead at half. Whitesboro started the second half with a 9-0 run and took a 36-32 lead before the Tigers were able to answer. Both teams battled in the second half and Whitesboro had a 48-44 lead with 2 minutes to go in the game but could only manage 2 points in the final 2 minutes. Missed opportunities at the free throw proved to be costly and allowed Whitewright to pull away 55-50. Cameron Clark finished with a game high 22 points and went 4-8 from the 3 point line. Matt Hobbs finished with 11 points. Jordan Gill finished with 4 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Trey Eleazer finished with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Coach Reed: "Overall this was a very productive tournament for us. We learned a lot about the toughness of this team this past week. We have got to eliminate all of our empty possessions on the offensive end and answer the runs. You can't go cold against good teams and dig yourself out of the hole. We are playing well on the defensive end right now. We still have some weak areas but these young men are working their tails off right now. I'm excited about the upcoming weeks and district play."

Bearcats Volunteer Time To Help Out Community

2010-12-18T17:56:00.000-08:00

Our boys basketball program spent Saturday morning helping out the Whitesboro Ministeral Alliance gather and hand out food to community members at the First Baptist Church. This is the 3rd year that our boys have helped out and they have done an outstanding job. I am very proud of these guys and their willingness to help others. I am also blessed to live in a community of such caring people. I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas.

Whitesboro falls to Whitewright

2010-12-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Bearcats dropped a tough one Friday night to the visiting Whitewright Tigers. It was a defensive battle for most of the night with both teams struggling to score. Tyrone Swoopes from Whitewright did most of the scoring in the second half and proved to be the difference in the game. Whitewright won 47-37. Trey Eleazer scored 12 points for the Bearcats while Matt Hobbs added 10. Collin Kilcrease scored 8 points and Cameron Clark finished with 5 points. It was a tough night on the offensive side. Whitesboro could not match a 3rd quarter run by Whitewright where Swoopes hit 3 3 point baskets. Whitesboro managed to score only 7 points in the quarter. The Bearcats had plenty of opportunities and looks at the basket but could not finish. It was a disappointing loss because we fought so hard on the defensive side. The Bearcats travel to Muenster on Monday looking to rebound.

BEARCATS TAKE CARE OF ANNA

2010-12-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro traveled to Anna last night and put together a solid performance coming away with a 61-48 win. Matt Hobbs led all scorers with 16 points. He also had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the win. Cameron Clark chipped in 11 points and went 6-6 from the FTL. John Wood added 10 points and 4 rebounds. Jordan Gill finished with 7 points, but was very dominant on the boards grabbing 10 rebounds. Jordan played a solid ballgame. Collin Kilcrease was another dominant player on the boards grabbing 9 rebounds and scoring 4 points. Troy Willis scored 6 points, Mitch Krueger scored 5 points, and Ryan Harbin and Grayson Ezzell each had 1 point each. A key in the win was that Whitesboro limited their turnovers and executed in the half court game offensively. Great Win!

Matt Hobbs is Bearcat Player of the Week (Dec 7 - Dec 11)

2010-12-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

Matt averaged 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists at the Fairfield Tournament this past week.

Matt also won the 3 point contest hitting 18 3's in the finals.

Bearcats go 1-2 in Fairfield

2010-12-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro won on Thursday night against Palestine Westwood 54-45 in OT. Matt Hobbs led all scorers with 20 points. Mitch Krueger added 10, Grayson Ezzell 8, Cameron Clark 6, John Wood, Jordan Gill, and Collin Kilcrease each had 4. John Wood and Jordan Gill each had 7 rebounds while Mitch Krueger recorded 6. John also had 4 of our 15 assists. Grayson Ezzell finally had a breakout game in the paint and started the Bearcat comeback. Matt Hobbs finished 50% from the 3 pt line hitting 4 of 8.

Friday wasn't as pleasant for the Bearcats who lost to Waco High 70-42. The Bearcats had a hard time handling the pressure defense from Waco and had a season high 32 turnovers. Matt Hobbs scored 13 points, Collin Kilcrease scored 8 points, Jordan Gill had 6 points, Cameron Clark had 5 points, Mitch Krueger and John Wood scored 4 points, and Ryan Harbin scored 2 points. Collin Kilcrease had 6 rebounds for the Cats.

Saturday didn't get much better for the Bearcats. Whitesboro dug a hole early against a fast start Corsicana team. Not getting to the perimeter shooters and closing out proved to be costly to the Cats. They trailed at half 33-17. Whitesboro mounted a second half comeback but came up just a little short losing 60-51. Matt Hobbs led in scoring with 20 points and had 6 3 pointers. Jordan Gill finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Mitch Krueger and Ryan Harbin finished with 5 points. John Wood finished with 4 points, Troy Willis finished with 3 points, Cameron Clark, Grayson Ezzell, and Collin Kilcrease finished with 2 points.

MATT HOBBS & GRAYSON EZZELL SWEEP TOURNAMENT FESTIVITIES

2010-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

This past weekend at the Fairfield Tournament two of our Bearcats got the opportunity to participate in a 3 pt and slam dunk contest.

Grayson Ezzell won the slam dunk contest by hammering down 3 impressive dunks

Matt Hobbs won the 3 pt contest with ease draining 18 3 pointers in one minute.

Great job men!

Cameron Clark

2010-12-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

is the Bearcat Player of the Week for November 30 - December 3
Cameron had a solid performance vs. Bells this past Friday. Congrats

Coach Reed hits 100

2010-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Coach Reed won his 100 game of his career last Friday night versus Bells. It is a tribute to the success and hard work of all the young men who have played under him in the past 6 years.

Bearcats take down Bells

2010-12-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

It took a spark plug in the 3rd quarter, but the Bearcats finally pulled away from Bells winning 63-37. After a sluggish start, the Bearcats trailed 28-27 at half. Whitesboro outscored Bells 16-2 in the 3rd quarter using an aggressive press and limiting them to 1 shot. Bells managed to score only 9 points in the second half and had only 4 points going into the last two minutes of the game. Matt Hobbs led all scorers with 21 points. Cameron Clark added 14 points and had a solid defensive performance as well. Haden Clark chipped in 3 points. Jordan Gill charted 8 rebounds and John Wood and Collin Kilcrease each had 5 rebounds.

Former Player Cory Meals Starting for UMHB

2010-11-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Cory Meals is starting for the CRU this season. I had the opportunity to go watch Cory play at Austin College the other night. It makes me proud to see this young man excelling at the collegiate level in the sport he loves to play. UMHB has a good team this year and Cory plays a vital role in their success. Congrats Cory - Proud of You Man!!!!

BEARCAT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

2010-11-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Our Bearcat Player of the Week for Nov. 16 - Nov. 20 is Matt Hobbs. Matt scored 23 points in the win vs. Princeton and had a solid performance in the Ponder tournament earning an all tournament selection.

Our Bearcat Player of the Week for Nov. 23 - Nov. 27 is Collin Kilcrease. Collin was a beast on the boards Tuesday night grabbing 13 rebounds and he also scored 8 pts. Collin was also solid defensively recording 5 steals.

Bearcats Roll Against Pottsboro

2010-11-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

The boys played well last Tuesday night against Pottsboro. All 3 teams won. Our varsity squad used a balanced scoring attack and played solid defense in the win. Collin Kilcrease grabbed 13 rebounds in the win and scored 8 pts.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

2010-11-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

MATT HOBBS was named to the ALL Tournament Team at the Ponder tournament this past weekend.

VARSITY BOYS FINISH 2-3 AT PONDER TOURNAMENT

2010-11-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

We played 5 games in 3 days and got a lot of work in this past week. We had a great win over 3 time defending state champion Ponder on Thursday night. Matt Hobbs hit a 3 with 6 seconds left to lift us to the win 52-49. We lost to Argyle Liberty Christian 45-35 and shot poorly from the floor (27%). We rebounded with a win over Ft. Worth Dunbar JV 63-51 and then lost two games on Saturday to Lubbock Trinity Christian and North Crowley JV.

Our JV boys lost in the Championship game to Lake Dallas.

I was proud of our boys this past weekend

SCHEDULE CHANGE

2010-11-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

NOV 11 - VAR/JV SCRIMMAGE @ VAN ALSTYNE

NO HOME SCRIMMAGE VS HOWE

Boys Golf Finishes 2nd at Paris Tournament

2010-10-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

Results from the Paris Tournament on Tuesday October 19, 2010

Team Score: 328

Charlie Hayes 74 2nd Place Individual
Hank Bennett 80
Haden Clark 85
Zach James 89
Ryan Harbin 108

Comment: The fall golf tournaments have really been beneficial to the development of our players. I'm excited about the Spring season.

Boys Golf Finishes 3rd at Denton Guyer Open

2010-10-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

At Oakmont Country Club October 11, 2010

Carrollton Ranchview 308
Argyle 323
Whitesboro 325
Denton Guyer Black 326
Prince of Peace 326

Individual Scores:
Hank Bennett 78
Charlie Hayes 81
Haden Clark 81
Zach James 85
Ryan Harbin 108

2010 "Shoot For Cure"

2010-09-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Is scheduled for December 7 against Gunter - Come out and help support trying to find a cure for Cystinosis. For more information on Cystinosis - visit www.cystinosis.org

Cliff Lee

2010-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Is a stud!!! Glad he is back on track and the Yankees have been swept!

Mentoring

2010-09-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a great book called the "Power of Mentoring". The book was written about John Wooden and the influence he has had as a mentor both visible and invisible. I encourage all coaches and teachers to read this book. Our profession is difficult, but the impact that we have on our youth is unreal.

Basketball Scene from Cable Guy

2010-02-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmuDHcrWig

This is one of my favorite scenes from a movie in regards to basketball.

Cats lose district opener @ Prosper

2010-01-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know, Prosper has one of the most luxurious high schools in the state and possibly country. They have a 2100 seat gymnasium with a four sided scoreboard with video monitors. We have nicknamed this place "The University of Prosper". I was a bit worried about our boys playing their first district game in this facility. Afterwards, I was proud of our results even though we lost the game. Prosper beat us 70-58 and we pretty much played them even for three quarters. We just let them outscore us 14-7 in the first quarter and turnovers played a huge part of that. Matt Miller continued to elevate his game by pouring in 24 points and 17 rebounds. He also had numerous blocks and altered Prosper's shots all night long. I was very proud of my Senior's performance tonight. Matt Hobbs chipped in 11 points including three 3 pointers. All of our boys played hard and left everything on the floor. We had several key players in foul trouble all night and it allowed our bench to see more minutes. I was pleased with their efforts as well. I believe this game will prepare for the tough road ahead in district and will allow us to adjust and prepare to beat them in a couple of week at home. We travel to Celina on Tuesday.

Bearcats beat Van Alstyne

2010-01-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro hosted their 4th annual "Shoot For The Cure" night in honor of Mason Reed against the Van Alstyne Panthers on Jan. 8, 2010. The night was a huge success and the Bearcats won 46-33 behind a solid performance from Matt Miller. Miller scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds. He went 4 of 5 from 3 pt line and shot 85% from the Free Throw line. John Wood and Cameron Clark scored 7 points for the Bearcats. The Bearcats were dominant defensively mixing up their zone and man to man defensives all night.

"Shoot For The Cure"

2010-01-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

"Shoot for the Cure" night is scheduled for Friday Jan. 8, 2010 versus Van Alstyne. There will be a pancake dinner starting at 4:30. The event is to help raise money and awareness for Cystinosis research. Cystinosis is a rare genetic disease that currently there is no cure for. The event is in honor of Mason Reed, nephew of Head Coach Shad Reed. Please come out and support this worthy cause.

Cats beat Bonham

2010-01-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Whitesboro traveled to Bonham on Jan. 5, 2010 and defeated Bonham 53-44. We played well in spurts and executed down the stretch to put them away. Zane Ferguson did a really good job tonight handling pressure and led us in scoring with 17 points and had 4 rebounds. Matt Miller chipped in 11 points and had a huge 4th quarter on the boards. He finished with 5 rebounds. Cameron Clark finished with 8 points. Matt Hobbs continued to produce off the bench scoring 7 points. Jordan Gill (6 RB), John Wood (4 RB), and Dalton Tune (3 RB) were solid on the boards. This was good win for us on the road.

WEEK 5: REFLECTION

2009-12-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

Week 5 Assignment: Course Reflection

The components of the Instructional Leadership course proved to be very interesting throughout the past five weeks. I was impressed with the amount of literature that our course professors provided and was a little overwhelmed at times. Although it was very time consuming, the literature provided masses of useful information to the technology side of our educational system. The discussions with our colleagues also proved to be very beneficial in answering questions or concerns regarding the technology plan. I really expected to do some form of project in this course integrating classroom lessons with technological devices. I did not expect to spend the majority of the course posting comments on the discussion board about the various components of the technology plan. This learning objective proved to be very beneficial in order for me to gain knowledge of certain items related to educational technology. I really thought the creation of the power point presentations and my own blog site helped bridge the gap between my thoughts on the course and the actual outcomes. This course proved to be very beneficial for my current job because our new superintendent is very adamant about incorporating more phases of technology into our school system. He fully supports blogging, twitter, and the use of cell phone technology for educational purposes. I really reflected on his words and visions for our school district while I navigated through this course.
The only negative aspect of this course is that I felt I did not fully engage in the four domains of technology applications. There is a lot of content involved and a school leader must research and stay current with that content in order to be an effective campus administrator. I also felt like I could’ve learned more about the Technology Application TEKS and what must be covered by specific grade levels. As I navigated through each week of this course, I felt overwhelmed at times because I didn’t know if I was tying all of the information together. After the completion of some of my assignments, I questioned whether I did them right or not. I tried to cover the information and follow the course rubrics to the best of my abilities and finalize a product that could benefit the students and teachers on my campus.
This course allowed me to realize that I have a lot to learn about educational technology applications. Technology is reaching new heights in our society and our schools are falling behind because of financial burdens, lack of knowledge from campus leaders and teachers, and stakeholder differences. I have learned that we must find new and creative ways to integrate technology into our schools. Our students are gaining knowledge outside of school at a rapid pace and we need to apply that knowledge to every campus curriculum. I feel like I have become a more innovative thinker after the past five weeks. I am already thinking of ways to improve the technology in my Physical Education classes. This past week I purchased a Nintendo Wii in hopes to improve the physical activity of our unmotivated students. The excitement of playing computer games at school has really caught fire and with the installation of the Wii the students will be able to physically exercise while playing. Some administrators may look down upon this approach to Physical Education, but I believe it is solving the problem of lack of participation in these classes.
My attitude has changed towards the way we use technological devices in education. I am still against using cell phones in the classroom and I am not convinced that twitter is a productive tool, but I do like the idea of blogging. I didn’t think I would until I completed the assignment and created my own blog. Blogging seems to be a fast and easy way to provide information to a large number of people who are interested in the related content. Community stakeholders and school districts can benefit from educational blogging. I intend on posting all my basketball and golf information to my blog for anyone to follow. Newspaper reporters can follow the blog and get updated information on game reports and stats and parents can get important information while communicating with their coach. The same would work for classroom teachers as well. Students could collaborate with one another on projects and assignment through blogging. The only concern is the monitoring of the student sites to make sure they are following acceptable use policy guidelines. The possibilities are great, but require extensive work and effort by school personnel. Parents must also be willing to put in the time to help our educators integrate the proper technology into our schools. Technology will continue to grow and be a vital part of our educational system and we must continue to learn and educate one another while we implement it into our schools.

Action Plan Power Point

2009-12-13T21:50:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Action Plan Power Point

View more presentations from sereed34.

TEXAS STaR CHART POWER POINT

2009-11-29T13:12:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Texas S Ta R Chart Power Point

View more presentations from sereed34.

WEEK 2: STaR Chart Analysis (Teaching & Learning)

2009-11-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

I chose this area of the STaR Chart because I feel that our campus needs the most improvement in integrating technology as a whole into our classrooms. Our campus has several fascinating teachers who utilize resources and integrate technology on a daily basis. Our campus also has teachers who are set in their ways and refuse to apply technology integration into their classroom. After conducting the analysis, our campus needs improvement in the TL1 and TL6 areas. To get to the target tech phase, we must continue to improve with the integration of student-centered learning and technology. Online learning must continue as well. The three year trend shows that our campus can only reach the advanced tech phase. We must strive to improve in these weak areas to reach the target phase so our campus may reach the goals of the long range technology plan.
One way to improve the patterns of classroom use is to work collaboratively with our communities businesses, industries, and higher education institutions. Having the support of these stakeholders will allow our students to apply technology in real world application. We must challenge our students to become problem solvers. Textbooks are a good start, but collaborating with other stakeholders will allow students an wider range of opportunities to become real world problem solvers.
One way to improve our online learning is to continue to educate our teachers on web-based lesson planning and teaching. Providing our teachers time to implement this technology into their daily lessons is the key to successfully improving this area in the STaR chart. Most teachers are willing and eager to implement technology into their classrooms, but few want to spend hours away from their families doing that. Our campus must find ways to utilize time to allow those teachers the opportunities to integrate that technology into their lessons.

Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS Summary

2009-11-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Pre-K technology applications TEKS are composed of ten different domains. These domains include social and emotional development, language and communication, emergent literacy reading and writing, math, science, social studies, fine arts, physical development, and technology. Each of these domains contains skill areas and six of those domains include expectations for the child by 48 months of age and end of year outcomes for Prekindergarten students. The domains also include examples of child behavior and instructional strategies.
The social and emotional development domain are composed of self concept skills, self control skills, social competence skills, and social awareness skills. This domain describes childrens' transformation from the toddler stage and they start to identify feelings, thoughts, ideas, and become aware of their body in space. This domain also describes how rules and routines help students improve their self control skills. Organized classrooms are key components to developing this skill. Students also start to develop their social competence skills by developing special relationships with adults and other students.
In the language and communication domain, listening comprehension skills, speaking skills, speech production skills, vocabulary skills, and sentence and structure skills are described. This domain is very important because this is where the child understands what is being said and how to respons appropriately. The child also starts using language for different purposes and engages in conversation. Adults start to understand the child's speech and the child perceives differences between similar sounding words. In addition to these skills, the child develops a vocabulary to describe people, places, things, and actions. These first two domains set the tone for the following domains where students become motivated to read and learn the alphabet. They begin to retell stories and compare and contrast. The student begins to scribble and write to convey meaning.
In the mathematics domain, the student can identify objects and count up to ten with number words. The child begins to indentify the objects to be counted. The student can also indentify shapes and measure objects appropriately. In the science domain, the main objective for students is to describe, observe, and investigate properties and characteristics of common objects. In the social studies domain, the student identifies similarities and differences in people and families. They also organize their life around events, time, and routines. The child also identifies the flags of the United States and Texas and begins to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. In the fine arts domain, the student explores a wide variety of materials and make discoveries about color, shape, and texture through art experiences. In the physcial development domain, the student develops motor skills through action. This is done by using manipulatives and participating in activites. The technology domain exposes the student to new technologies and introduces them to computers. They learn how to use devices such as keyboards, mouse pads, software, sound recorders, and other devices.
The Pre-K TEKS are very instrumental in laying the foundation for student performance in future grades. These guidelines are the basis for learning. Students must be able to master these TEKS before they can move on to the next grade levels. Knowing how to read, write, associate words, count, identify events, collect data, and use technology all have to be improved on and mastered to meet the expectations of the future grades.

Technology Long Range Plan

2009-11-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just completed reviewing the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology for 2006-2020. This plan was divided into four domains and broken down into different segments for our assignment. The vision for this plan is quite simple. Digital tools and resources should be provided by the educational system to all students, educators, parents, and stakeholders. This vision is also broken down into three phases throughout the fourteen years. The area of vision include educator preparation, leadership, professional development, teaching and learning, infrastructure, and administration and instructional support.
The state of our global economic system is causing the need for technological change in our schools. State leadership is responsible for providing direction, equitable access, and resources to close the gap with other countries. The 21st century learner is more than likely technology savvy. It is the educational system's responsibility to provide content that relates to the student's learning style. Personal and portable learning devices need to be integrated into our learning environments because they are coming a primary means of communication in our global world.
Teachers need to a voice in the technology advancement of their campuses. From previous surveys, most teachers believe that schools need fast, wireless internet and laptop computers for every student in order to be successful. These two components are the highest ranked in building a school. Another component is providing teachers time to participate in technology professional development opportunities.
Schools want each student to be involved in engaging and meaningful lessons. In order to achieve this, students must have availability in schools, libraries, homes, and communities to stimulate their engagement. Distance learning and online learning are key components in the educational technology system.
In order to provide engaging lessons, teachers must be allowed ample time to complete professional development opportunities. Professional development must ensure that all teachers understand the importance of educational technology and its uses. Distance learning is key for professional growth.
Public education must involve a transformation to meet the demands of the 21st century. Our schools must prepare our students for the workforce. Administrators must embrace technology for daily task and data driven decision making. Leaders must be aware of all regulations regarding technology in schools and be able to implement different strategies in relation to the district's technology plan.
The infrastructure is the critical element for all four areas of the long range plan. The infrastructure must be safe, flexible, scalable, and reliable. It will provide easy access for teachers and students to information, resources, materials, and collaborative work. It will also provide easy access to student data for parents, teachers, and administrators.
The long range plan is great tool for leaders to use when implementing technology on their campuses. The star chart is a tool used by most districts to determine the levels of technology in the classroom. Each area has recommendations by the appropriate agencies as well. The main goal is maintain cohesion between the state and local agencies.

Technology Assessments

2009-11-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

Both of these assessments reflect the impact of technology and the effects it has on our school systems. One of the assessments is geared towards the knowledge base that one might have about computer systems and the other assessment is geared towards finding out the state of your district's technology plan.
In the first assessment (Technology Applications Inventory), I rarely answered no to any of the questions. I answered yes to all of the questions in the foundation domain. I still lack knowledge in these areas, but I know enough to figure things out in those specific areas. I would say my biggest weakness in the foundation domain is delineateing between the various digital file formats. In the information acquistion domain, I need some extended knowledge in understanding the difference between and use appropriately vector graphic files and bit-mapped graphic files. In the problem solving with technology tools domain, I chose to pursue extra information pertaining to creating linear and non-linear multimedia projects and using interactive virtual environments, such as virtual reality or simulations. In the communications domain, I chose to gain knowledge in tracking trends, setting timelines, and evaluating products using technology tools such as database managers, planners, and project management tools. This assessment was a very good gauge of my computer literacy skills.
In the second assessment (State Educational Technology Directors Association), I tried to answer the survey questions to the best of my ability in relation to the technoloy goals and objectives within my school district. I feel like our school district provides this information to a certain extent to our students. Our students are using technology resources on a daily basis, but I do feel like they could spend more time utilizing technology resources. I teach PE so it is hard for me to get a good idea of how much technology is being used in the classrooms. I do know that I am in the process of implementing a fitness and game program into my PE curriculum that will allow me to utilize a Nintendo Wii system. I hope to enhance student learning and engagement by providing them with a fun and technology based environment. I would love to some day create a virtual exercise reality center for our PE students. For example, we could compet in the Tour de France on a stationary bike or run the Boston Marathon on the treadmill.
These assessments are very accurate for the progress of technology in school districts. I have started thinking of ways to enhance technology in my PE classes after taking these assessments.