|
|
|
|
IKE’S IMPACT ON HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Houston, TX
|
|
|
By: Randy McIlvoy, KPRC Local 2 Sports Director
|
|
I don’t know about you, but I think we all got to know “Ike” from his infancy all the way to his massive landfall. I am a native Houstonian and have been through a few storms in my lifetime. I have experienced Tropical depressions, Tropical Storms, and Hurricane Alicia back in 1982 when I was a sophomore in high school.
I do not fear these monsters but boy do I respect them. After Ike, shouldn’t we all?
It’s hard to write about the importance of sports on any level because honestly there are much more serious issues going on throughout the Greater Houston and Galveston area. Lives were lost because of Ike, which pummeled the coastline and rolled right through the fourth largest city in the United States.
I am proud to be a native from the area because the citizens have stepped up to lend a helping hand on the early road to recovery. As part of my duties at KPRC Local 2, it was time to put on the ‘NEWS HAT” to help with our Ike coverage. I was in Kemah on the Friday of the storm as the surge from the bay began to overtake that community. I saw the powerful winds and rain rip apart trees, homes and businesses. I covered flooding and a rescue operation from vehicles along Beltway 8 and helicopter rescues from Bolivar to Ellington Field.
It was eye opening, but at the end of each day I was proud at the bonding I was witnessing.
Galveston was turned upside down by Ike. The surge began to strengthen by Friday morning and as the Gulf pounded and eventually overtook the Galveston seawall at that early stage. We all knew Ike was a monster and the “BIG ONE” was coming.
Throughout all of the destruction, life will move on for Houstonians and Galvestonians alike. Ike wreaked havoc on high school football seasons for two consecutive weeks. Some games will be made up, others will just be cancelled as district play for most programs kicks in. At Galveston Ball High School, it is not only about rescheduling games, but about completely regrouping after 10 days apart.
“I evacuated to the Dallas area. Many of my players were there as well, but a lot were scattered across Texas and into Louisiana,” Ball head coach Ron Holmes told me five days after Ike’s arrival.
Holmes finally returned to his home in LaMarque the week following Ike. He wanted to check out his damage, reconnect with his players and families and find out what was left at the Ball campus and Courville Stadium, which Ball has called home for over 50 years.
The results were better than he had expected.
“I received reports that the damage to the stadium weren’t nearly as bad as we had thought,” Holmes said. “That said, living on the Island isn’t an option at this point, so we are trying to regroup and make alternative plans for practice sites and game locations.”
With Holmes and his Ball High program in need, his friends have begun to reach out. LaMarque, a longtime rival, has offered their auxillary fields as a practice site while the school also indicated Etheredge Stadium was available. Holmes has also had offers come in from the Clear Creek ISD as well as Dickinson ISD. As of this writing, Ball is expected to resume its season on October 4. That night will be emotional for all involved with the program.
“Just getting the guys together after the storm was special,” Holmes told VYPE. “We got to talk through things, let the kids tell their stories of Ike and start the healing process.”
Holmes says the Mayor and Galveston officials have done an outstanding job of mapping out a plan of recovery. For now, patience will be the key.
“The Mayor has done an incredible job. I’m a BOI (Born on the Island) along with many others and there is no doubt this city will once again come together. This community loves its sports and especially its high school football. We’re going to be okay.”
The Thursday and Friday post-Ike I made a trip to Rhodes Stadium as Katy ISD played its regularly scheduled games. Watching the guys play under the lights put a smile on the faces of many. There is something about sports that helps people escape for even a short time. Playing football games may seem odd considering the circumstances many are facing and will face for months to come. For two hours though, it is the cure-all as we all try to reclaim a sense of normalcy.
Ike will never be forgotten but I think everybody is ready to move forward on the road to recovery.
Let the games begin.•
|
|
| No comments added! Click [ add a comment ] to be the first! |
|
|
|
|
|
Holl In The Family
by: Matt Woodward
Growing up, Katy’s Sam and Holly Holl were expected to play sports. At a young age they juggled four sports...
More 
Archives
|
|
 ™
|
|
A collection of this month's best action photos.
|
|
|
 ™
|
|
TV TIME GROWING FOR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
by: Randy McIlvoy
When the five-o’clock whistle blows in the small communities that dot the county roads and interstates of Texas, it’s shutdown time and the high school...
More
|
Coming Back
by: Robert Andrews MA
The most traumatic thing that can happen to an athlete is to suffer a serious sports-related injury. The injury sends a shock wave through the...
More
|
Archives
|
|
|
|
|
A.J. Highsmith
Hightower quarterback A.J. Highsmith has led Hurricanes the past three seasons and deep into the playoffs. We caught up with...
More
Archives
|
|
|
|
|
You need to upgrade your Flash Player to version 9 or newer.
|
|
|
|
™
®
