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High School Notesby: Jamie DeMoney© More from this issue Privates may vie for championships in Texas The days of public and private schools competing for separate state championships in Texas might be coming to an end. A bill approved in March by the Texas state Senate would allow private schools with enrollments of over 500 to compete with University Interscholastic League (public) schools for state championships. Texas is currently one of three states that do not allow private and public schools to compete with each other for district and state championships. Proponents of the status quo cite the "recruiting issue." In order to keep enrollments up, private schools often seek out student-athletes from across district boundaries. The result is the appearance of traditionally powerful programs stockloading talent out of the backyard of some of their public-school rivals. There are competing amendments to the bill aimed at addressing recruiting. One would restrict the private schools to only using student-athletes from within the corresponding attendance zone of the nearest public high school. The other would allow participation of athletes from outside the district, but only in non-championship events. The bill must still gain approval in the House and be signed by Governor Rick Perry before it becomes law. A similar bill died in the House two years ago. Alabama schools still hoping to save sports While lawmakers are haggling over ways to compensate for a $266 million deficit in education funding, spring football practice went on as scheduled in Mobile, Ala. A $28.8 million budget shortfall led to the Mobile County school board effectively canceling sports and all other extracurricular activities for next school year. However, superintendent Harold Dodge issued a letter to high school principals announcing that schools could still hold spring football workouts. The decision was contrary to Dodge's earlier order to cancel spring practices in an effort to subdue "false hopes" that a resolution would be found to save next year's season. The funding crunch is due to a statewide education spending proration. Mobile County, the state's largest district with some 66,000 students, figures to feel the most severe ill-effects because it lacks sufficient local funding. The Mobile Register reported that a collection of bills were being prepared by the state legislature to address the funding problem. The most likely proposal was believed to be a temporary sales tax increase. Any other tax increase - such as income or property - would require a vote of the people. Privates may vie for championships in Texas The all-time winningest high school football coach in Minnesota history has retired for the second time. After leading Cambridge-Isanti to its third state championship last fall, George Larson decided to leave coaching again. This time for good, he said. Larson's career record is 307-66-6 with three state titles in 38 seasons. He returned to Cambridge-Isanti in 1999 after five seasons away from the sidelines. The Bluejackets made it to the Class 4A state championship game during both seasons of Larson's return. "I loved coming back," Larson told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "But I didn't go hunting last fall. And, when you do things, you should do them 100 percent. I didn't get a chance to enjoy some other things." An Eye to 2002 This month we continue to look at some of the top rising prospects from the Class of 2002. This time we head to south to Florida, where Division One football talent is about as abundant as sunshine and voter fraud. In alphabetical order, here are the Prep Recruiting Network's early list of prospects to watch from Florida. Evaluations are based upon conversations with each player's high school coach following the season. Jamelle Cornelius WR-CB, 6-0, 175, 4.43 Antonio Cromartie, S-WR, 6-3, 180, 4.45 Kwane Doster, RB, 5-11, 180, 4.2 Rashard Dudley, RB-SS, 5-10, 210, 4.25 Davin Joseph, OG, 6-4, 270, 4.8 Jermaine McCollum, CB-WR, 5-10, 175, 4.3 Jamie DeMoney, former managing editor of American Football Monthly, is editorial director at Prep Recruiting Network in Overland Park, Kansas. |
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