An almost-unbelievable year has earned Cy-Fair High School national accolades.   The school's athletics program was ranked by Sports Illustrated as the No.

  Like most people, I travel on a budget. Summer is fast approaching, so my other half and I have several trips to plan for - a flight to Ohio in July to see my family, a getaway weekend for her birthday and possibly a weekend excursion to Florida to see some of her family.

  The Greater Houston Football Coaches Association held its annual Awards Night Wednesday at the University of Houston, and several area coaches, referees, teachers, and students were honored by their peers.

  I’ve always hated shopping for cards. Almost without fail, I think the drawings are cute but the lines contain more corn than a Midwestern cookout.

Rounding up a varied sports scene and taking your suggestions: Several area bi-district softball matchups have been decided. The Katy ISD and Cy-Fair ISD schools have decided their series, but Spring Branch and Houston ISD schools in 19- and 20-5A won’t meet until Tuesday morning to set dates and times. Perhaps the area’s premier series will be between Fort Bend Elkins and Alvin, two of the area’s premier teams. The 17-5A vs.

      Two local state championship football players and three area boys basketball players were among the Houston-area student-athletes named Tuesday to participate in the Texas High School Coaches Association football and boys basketball all-star games in July in San Antonio. Katy receiver/defensive back Trent Hunter, a Texas A&M signee, and Lamar Consolidated receiver Chuck Obi lead the area’s representation in the football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

  I didn’t think I was too badly burned. Then my lady saw head once I arrived home from the first day of the Texas Southern University Relays and nearly recoiled.

  Level with me, guys. The best way to plan your next sentimental holiday, whether for your wife, sister, mother, etc., is to plan ahead. Well ahead. I do most of my Valentine’s Day shopping on the 13th on February and my Christmas shopping on the 21st of December.

  The first sporting event I can remember watching in high definition was the 2005 Patriots-Eagles Super Bowl.    Having become a bit of a technology snob, I sat amazed - not at Terrell Owens' memorable performance (remember when he was an Eagle?) but at the clarity of the picture.

  It never fails. Whenever I wear my blue Cutter and Buck windbreaker, people inevitably compliment me on how sharp it is. I get the feeling they think I make six figures, which I don’t. I can see why, though.

    When Spring Branch ISD first laid out plans to upgrade Tully Stadium and the surrounding athletic facilities, one of the first objectives that came to mind was making as much of the end product as “multipurpose” as possible.

  Anymore, I travel on a budget. Not only do I have the usual monthly bills and gas for a 75-mile round-trip commute to work, but every once in a while I want to get back to my hometown in Ohio to see family and friends.

  First, the good news. During a recent shuffling of pictures on our server, the “Dave’s Notebook” graphic was misplaced, so at least this week you won’t have to look at me every time you pull up this story. Now to share a few thoughts while listening to spring training baseball from sunny Florida: First Classic proves memorable The first Space City Classic ended up being atypical of many all-star games.

  The Nike Men’s City Court III shoe may be designed for tennis fanatics, but it’s just as good for walking downtown as for getting in position to slam an ace. The Nike Men’s City Court III is composed of mesh, leather and synthetic lining that combine to provide support, comfort and the duration needed for both athletics – whether play is regular or casual – and everyday life. A full-length Phylon midsole is provided to ensure cushion. Colors are white, obsidian and silver.

When you live in a big city like Houston, you have to know your way around or you likely will get lost. That problem can easily be fixed with the Magellan RoadMate 1200, a GPS device specifically designed for North America.   Not only is the device pocket-sized, but it is also reasonably priced at $169.99 exclusively at Radio Shack stores nationwide.   The device features a 3.5-inch LCD, a touch screen that adjusts for night use.

  Amidst girls basketball tournament madness and the Roger Clemens hearings on Capitol Hill, an emptying of the notebook: Jim Hicks’ Second Annual Playoff Preview is scheduled for Saturday at Forest Brook High School. Hicks, the proprietor of RCSSports.com, perhaps the top Web site dedicated to Houston-area boys basketball, has scheduled four intriguing matchups pitting 5A against 4A teams and, in one case, a home-school team.   The schedule has nationally-ranked Yates playing A&M Consolidated at 3:30, Eisenhower (30-3) against Smiley at 5 p.m., HCYA against Huntsville at 6:30 and Wheatley against Whitehouse at 8 p.m. The original schedule had Yates playing HCYA. Both teams made the Houston vs.

  Do you have hundreds of great photographs sitting at home in a box marked “frame these?" Or are you the type of person that keeps thousands of photos on your digital camera and never does anything with them? If you fit either description, Canvas On Demand may be the perfect product for you.   Canvas On Demand allows you to take as many photos you want off of your digital camera, upload them on the Canvas On Demand website, and order various sizes of canvas.

  With Valentine's Day a week ago, you’re likely soon going to be looking for that perfect gift for that special someone. Look no further than Gift Baskets.com, the perfect one-stop shop for all of your needs.

            National signing day for football players is going on all across the nation and the Greater Houston area has its fair share of top athletes moving on to the next level.

  With the stress of school, sports and even work, you sometimes need to just lie down and relax. Even if you’ve always wanted a stress-relieving, therapeutic, professional message, but have been turned off when you look at the prices, head to Massage Envy. For a limited time, Massage Envy is offering an introductory one-hour message for only $39. Whether you're looking to relieve stress, lower your blood pressure or get some much-needed relaxation, Massage Envy is the place for you. You can choose from six types of messages, and Massage Envy's flexible hours make it easy for anyone. And with several locations in the Houston metro area, you're never too far from your much-needed massage. Visit www.massageenvy.com or stop by their several area locations for more information on massages and pricing.

  Even though we're not in any organized basketball season, it's still a great time to use basketball to stay in shape and get some exercise.   Why not have some fun at the same time?   Just grab the Spalding NBA Neverflat Basketball.

  Are you a golf fanatic? If you are, the perfect thing to improve your game is Sharper Images, new Brush-T Golf Tees.   Brush-T Golf Tees provide straighter, longer, Tee Shots.

Spending money to save money doesn’t necessarily sound like a win-win proposition – or even a plausible one. It is with The Athlete’s Connection ’s affiliate program.   The Athlete’s Connection has partnered with local and national merchants, arranging to earn a share of profits when shoppers deal with merchants via this Web site.   In turn, those profits – usually between 3 and 10 percent of a total purchase price – is deposited into our sister Web site, College Ball or Bust.com , to help deserving student-athletes go to college.   Visitors to the site can shop with nearly 60 merchants at our Online Mall page.

  Because football stays at the fore all year for many of us, realignment has perhaps been the premier topic of discussion the last few weeks here in the office. Once that dam breaks, most everything for the next two years falls into place. Four days before the University Interscholastic League releases its realignment plans for 2008-09 and 2009-2010, among the biggest questions regarding the Houston area – or at least its western corridor – are where Strake Jesuit will fall, whether Stratford will take a drop to 4A or play up to 5A and where the Aldine, Spring Branch and Alief ISD schools will land. With an eighth Cy-Fair ISD high school, Cypress Woods, coming into 5A this fall, conventional wisdom says all of that district’s schools will be joined in one cluster.

  AUSTIN — As expected, The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc. has been selected to conduct the University Interscholastic League Anabolic Steroid Testing Program for 2007-08 and 2008-09, the UIL announced Tuesday.   After a formal bidding process, the UIL considered all proposals submitted and selected The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc., also known as Drug Free Sport, to conduct the UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Program mandated by Senate Bill 8. “We are excited about Drug Free Sport conducting what is slated to be the largest steroid testing program in the country, and the first of its kind for high school students,” Dr.

  The Touchdown Club's Sterling Bank High School Sportsmanship Luncheon is scheduled for noon Jan. 23 at the JW Marriott, 5150 Westheimer Rd. in the Galleria. Finalists for the Sportsmanship Trophy are Cinco Ranch, College Park, Cy-Fair, Deer Park, Humble, Katy Taylor, Klein, Mayde Creek, Sam Rayburn, Seven Lakes, Waltrip and Booker T.

{mp3}Tully Stadium update 20080115{/mp3}      Construction continues on the massive renovation of Tully Stadium, with the facility’s 12-year-old turf next in line to go. The fieldhouse should be completed by Jan.

AUSTIN — Amendments to current UIL rules passed by the Legislative Council of the University Interscholastic League have been approved by Commissioner of Education Robert Scott.

    Family and friends joined together Monday morning to cheer on eight athletes at the Special Olympics Texas Area 4 Figure Skating competition at Ice Skating USA.

  With two seasons under his belt, Morton Ranch coach Jim Shewmake has decided to resign as athletic coordinator and football coach. “I sat and talked with my immediate family and decided it was time for me to move on and see what else is out there,” Shewmake said.

  As 2008 begins, it's time for seniors to hit the books harder and narrow down their college search. With the college search comes the application process, which honestly is one of the most time-consuming, difficult things I have had to endure as a high school student.   EssayEdge.com is a Web site that enables students to get help on their college essays.

  Emptying a full cupboard of thoughts on this Monday: The U.S. Army All-American Bowl reaffirmed itself as the nation’s premier high school football postseason game Saturday, drawing more than 36,000 to the Alamodome to watch the East’s 42 standouts outslug the West’s 42 33-23. The Army outslugged another opponent Saturday, too – the UnderArmour All-America High School Football Game, a new game created by ESPN to, no matter what it says, compete directly with the Army game. Houston was well-represented in both games, sending five players to San Antonio and six to Orlando.

  As on this New Year's Eve, I was in Houston a year ago today ready to share good times with family and friends. I would never have envisioned, though, that by today I'd have moved here from my native Ohio and become a daily witness to some of the best high school teams I've ever watched.

  Many area athletes have spent time honing their skills at the junior college level before realizing success at major universities and beyond. A few examples: * San Jacinto College has produced such NBA talents as Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Alton Lister, Walter Berry and Ledell Eackles.

  Eric Joseph Bassett Jr., a senior member of the Cypress Falls football team, died Sunday after being involved in a car crash. He was 17. Bassett was involved in a three-car collision on Eldridge Parkway when he lost control of his Nissan Altima.

Don't you hate it when you’re in your car, and your cell phone battery dies? You'll have no more worries with the Sharper Image Portable Rechargeable Compact Energy Pak.

          Spirits were high Friday afternoon at Pasadena Memorial as the school held a pep rally ahead of Saturday’s regional quarterfinal against Katy. The entire student body celebrated the Mavericks success as they prepared for the biggest game in the school’s short history. “The community is really riding behind us and we are really excited," Mavericks head coach John Snelson said. Snelson knows Katy has some concerns as well, mainly Mavericks running back Bo Snelson, who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. "It's not about who we are playing, it is about us doing the things we need to do," coach Snelson said.   Come back to the Athlete's Connection soon for a video of the event. 

The University Interscholastic League on Wednesday released details of how its new steroid-testing program will work.   The UIL did not, however, release any sort of timetable on when it will begin.

Are you ever on the road looking for that sporting event, wondering if you will make it on time? With Sharper Image’s Garmin nuvi 750 Portable GPS, you’ll never be lost.

  We all know Houston has one of the warmest climates around, with temperature rising well above 100 degrees on occasion in the summer. This can be a hazard to the athletes who have to train during the summer’s warmest periods.

  Coaches, parents, and sports fans from all across the Greater Houston area gathered at their local high schools to see athletes participate in their signing days.

The holiday season is right around the corner, which means it’s shopping time! Are you having trouble finding the perfect gift? If you’re a sports fan, what better way to capture the true action with the new Canon PowerShot SD750? With this new Canon you can take the action home. The SD750 is one of the few cameras that has a full three-inch viewing screen.

          Stratford celebrated their Homecoming Friday with an exciting win over the Northbrook Raiders.

As the cooler weather rolls in, what better time for a nice game of golf! Why depend on a caddy to tell you the yardage of the green, or how far you hit the ball with each club?   With the Sharper Image SkyCaddie SG4, you can track everything yourself! The SkyCaddie SG4 automatically calculates the distance to 40 targets simultaneously in less than a second.

  Cypress Ridge celebrated its fourth annual Homecoming Friday night.

      Katy High School celebrated its homecoming Friday night with mums, helicopters, and a victory as the Tigers took home their third district win. The nationally recognized Katy Bingle Brigade dance team took the field.

  Spring Woods celebrated their 2007 Homecoming Friday night.

Playing football at The Rig in Pearland has always been an experience that varsity football players look forward to when playing against the Oilers of Pearland High School.  But the Rig will now be the home for another group of athletes and support teams.

            David Bailiff is getting his first taste of the Rice-Houston football rivalry, and the Rice football coach couldn’t be more excited.