Congratulations Coach Oliver!

Highland Park's Varsity Baseball Coach, Fred Oliver was announced as one of three coaches that were selected for the Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame 2011 inductees. If you have ever spent any time around Coach Oliver you would know they don't come any nicer than him. Coach Oliver coached the Scots last year as his first year at HP, in return they won him his 500th game. Think about that for a minute...500 games. His daughter had been organizing a gathering in his honor that he was unaware of and the weekend after the 500th win, players from the team that he coached to his very first win showed up to surprise Coach Oliver at a Scots game. Again stop and think about when the players played for him and the fact that they took the time to come to Dallas to honor him. I apologize to Coach Oliver for being a little slow in my congratulations.

53 Points and a Win

On January 14th I witnessed a high school junior, David Allen of Highland Park put up 53 points to help his team, The Scots beat McKinney Lions 87-79. It took three overtimes and some breaks for Allen to work out some leg cramps but when the time finally ran out and the score wasn't tied finally, David Allen couldn't help but smile as his teammates, opposing coaches and fellow students congratulated him. It was a team effort to get the win and to keep playing despite missing players home with the flu, one player who had just recovered from a stomach bug and flat out exhausted players on both sides of the ball but it was worth it. Allen put up 18 points during overtime but still 53 points is something to stop and take notice of. Congratulations to the Scots for a hard fought victory.

Hall of Famer

One of my heroes, a word I don't use to often, was honored along with 19 other Cotton Bowl Hall of Famers during halftime of the AT&T Cotton Bowl game. To commemorate the 75th Annual Cotton Bowl game, 20 Cotton Bowl Hall of Famers were recognized during halftime. Brad Bradley was the first Hall of Famer t0 be recognized as he was escorted by a Kilgore Rangerette on to the field. Brad Bradley has been an official Cotton Bowl photographer for almost as long as the game has been occurring, he has attended 59 consecutive games and counting in some capacity, most with a camera in his hand. James "Brad" Bradley and his father-in-law originated the posed action shots. He always has a smile on his face and something nice to say to everyone he encounters. Congratulations Brad Bradley and thank you for the millions of photos you have taken over the years that sit in homes across the country.