Tim Polzer's Rumors & Facts: Livid Parents Affected UIL Track Change

UIL’s Decision Pleases Some, Bothers Others

I hear that local track and field coaches, athletes and parents were L-I-V-I-D over the UIL’s initial decision to cancel this weekend’s regional track meets. The cancellation would have determined state qualifiers simply by the event’s top four times. Qualifying by times alone would have left several of the area’s best performers out of the state meet – their reasoning? It seems that some top athletes don’t try their best if they knew a regional spot was within their grasp. They would rather pique at the state meet, and not take a chance at injuring themselves at regionals. Outside of track and swimming, are there any other high school sports in which top performers don’t do their best?

I also hear that some area baseball and softball coaches aren’t THAT upset at having an extra week to prepare for the delayed postseason. While teams will miss the edge of competition, they will also enjoy extra time to recover from injuries. Ace pitchers, who often carry a heavy load during the season and playoffs, will have rested arms entering the playoffs. Folks who are not happy with the UIL’s delay are the baseball and softball select team coaches who will have to wait to get some of their top players in their camps.

Vilarino Headed Back To Birthplace

After new Kentucky coach John Calipari honored G.J. Vilarino’s request that he be released from a letter-of-intent, the McKinney guard looked to family for guidance.  Gonzaga fans are now glad that G.J. was born in Spokane, Wash., where he still has family.

Wylie’s Witt Leaving Nebraska For Yale

Former Wylie quarterback Patrick Witt will transfer from Nebraska to Yale. Witt, who was No. 2 on the Huskers’ QB charts, was blown away by a trip to the Yale-Harvard game in 2007. Now he’s going to be a big part of Yale’s bid to win “The Game.”

Don’t Like The Weather? Go To Denver

If you love snow days, you should have been in Denver with me Sunday. I arrived for a magazine publishers conference only to wake up to heavy snow flurries and deep accumulations. The snow melted beneath a 60-degree sun the following day. Needless to say, Texas isn’t the only state that brags: If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.

VYPE Gains National Fans

Speaking of that magazine conference, VYPE is two for two creating a flurry of admiration and national niche magazine publishers astonished at the idea of a quality glossy high school sports magazine.

Going Out With A Bang

Plano defender Brett Hardy has decided not to play collegiate soccer after helping the Wildcats to their sixth state championship. Which reminds me of a former co-worker who went 4-for-4 in a company softball game, took of his jersey and retired. “It’ll never get better than this,” he said. And he stuck to that plan.

All-VYPE Soccer Team

Hardy will draw heavy consideration for our upcoming All-VYPE Soccer Team, scheduled to appear in our June magazines.

Big Recruiting Commits

Has any high school student-athlete come more full-circle than Allen quarterback Matt Brown? Brown’s journey has taken him from surprise sophomore starter, to a heartbreaking playoff upset to Rowlett, back to the top of area rushing and passing statistics, then to a playoff injury that kept him on the sidelines of Allen’s state title win. Now Brown has verbally committed to Arizona. Through thick and thin, the senior-to-be never lost his drive. He’ll likely share quarterback duties with Tucker Carter at Allen.

Alabama came into the MetroPlex and found a future kicker in Southlake Carroll’s Cade Foster. Foster committed to the Tide, passing up offers from LSU and Oklahoma.