OSG High: Phil Campbell Returns To The Field

((HT: WAAY-TV Huntsville))

Admittedly, when something hits you as close as the April tornadoes did the HQ, it makes you think...

And think hard...

So, as part of our TWTW coverage on the OSG High side, we're giving you a glimpse into the world of what we get to see every week during the summer and fall- small towns that wrap themselves around their football teams...

You see the work we do with Ringgold ((GA)) High and now, we'll keep you posted on Phil Campbell ((AL)) high as well... 38 people in a town of 1,200 or so were lost on that day four months ago...

And they haven't quit since...

Erika Odell has the story before and behind in their game with Cold Springs


WHNT-TV's coverage is hyah...

We'll follow Phil Campbell along all season and update you on their progress as well...

Yes, we have our reasons...

Hey, did you know we wrote a book on high school football...???

OSG High: Alabama School For The Blind Making Wrestling Strides

As part of their "Spirit of Alabama" series, Alabama's 13/WVTM-TV profiled a wrestling program that has national champs in their history and just keeps humming right along...

And, yeah, you read the headline properly it's at the ASB...

Time to catch up with our friends Hawes and Pallone again...


Nicely done...

OSG High: Alabama FB Player Can't Wear Pink Tape

((HT: WBRC-TV))

The HQ would like to, first and foremost, make sure that the causes you have close to your heart are chased, pursued, and shouted from the mountain tops 12 months out of every calendar year- not just when it's called upon to do so...

We also know that October has been a very pink month for breast cancer...

We've worn the ties in public... just so you know...

But one suburban Birmingham football player couldn't wear pink tape, or he would be found in violation of his school's uniform policy...

He wore it anyway...

Emily Luxen got to wander around in the rain to get to the bottom of the story...


Good for Jesse to stick to his guns...

Oh, Locust Fork didn't win a game this year- finishing 0-10...
You'd think a larger lesson could have been gleaned from a Sophomore...

OSG High: Skyline High School (AL) shuts down Football

Skyline HS locker room/Courtesy: Mark McCarter Huntsville Times

Wow! It's really kind of hard to tell if this is a sign of the times or that there just aren't enough people living in the community to justify either the school or the program.

Skyline High School is situated in the foothills of the Appalachians. Deep in Northeast Alabama, the towns, Scottsboro is in an area that runs close to extreme north Georgia and extreme south Tennessee. The school has somewhere around 160 students, the town, more people...but not by much.

They tried to play. They were 0-3 and had roughly 12 players on the roster. While honorable to compete, they just couldn't. They forfeited the rest of their games.

Read about the end of the program from al.com RIGHT HERE

While we never like to report on a school losing a sports program, in this case we understand. If you read further, it isn't the 1st time Skyline tried to get football going, it failed every time.

We mention this story because we know there are quite a few schools who have budget problems these days. We know that some have talked about dropping some sports. Sports, football in particular, are expensive. There are a lot of good things that come out of having kids play organized sports, but we also understand they are in school to get an education first.

That education is getting harder and harder to fund. Cities and counties are cutting back educational budgets. They don't have a choice. Heck, Brother J-Dub is a teacher and knows what teachers are facing these days.

We wish the kids from Skyline...and the coaches nothing but the best. We hope the kids finish school and go on to great things. It's unfortunate that football won't be a part of it, but all is well. We understand.

For more on this, check out the TV Story from NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga:

It looks like Eric Bledsoe's grade issue may be resolved...or not

Eric Bledsoe/Courtesy: Chris Trotman-Getty Images

We've reported a couple of times about the ongoing issues surrounding former University of Kentucky and Alabama high school star Eric Bledsoe.

Accusations are running rampant that Bledsoe had one of his high school grades changed and that would have made him ineligible to play for Kentucky in 2009. Alabama's ruling high school association hasn't commented on the issue.Kentucky for their part says that the NCAA approved everything involved with Bledsoe's record and that if there is or was a problem, there is no way they could have known about it.

Now comes word that the ruling association in Birmingham has upheld Bledsoe's grade and potentially eliminated any question on the issue. Or did they?

The 4-letter word's Andy Katz has more RIGHT HERE

We have no reason really to believe anyone at this point. A thorough examination of the records on Bledsoe left quite a few questions out there. And those questions really haven't been answered yet. It is pretty clear some grades were changed...but by who? And when? We don't know the answer to those questions...and we may never know. It still sounds a little--no...a lot fishy.

((Also note in the Katz story that there is a link to the document in question))

Alabama HS Football Coach Indicted For Vandalizing

((HT: al.com))

At your own school...???
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot???!!!

Russell County High School head football coach Rico White has been charged with criminal mischief third-degree for allegedly spray-painting graffiti at the school, the Opelika-Auburn News reports.

Sgt. Harold Smith of the Russell County Sheriff's Department told the News that the misdemeanor charge stems from a June 8 incident in which a sheriff's deputy patrolling Russell County High School and Middle School noticed graffiti spray-painted on the road in what appeared to be white paint, according to a sheriff's report.

The deputy later noticed a vehicle making a U-turn in the area of the graffiti. The deputy stopped the car, a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant. The driver identified himself as White, the report said. The deputy noted that White's hands had white paint on them, the report said.

Bond has been set at $1,000.

Swine Flu Outbreak Sickening High School Sports

The swine flu epidemic is serious enough that some high school athletic associations are cancelling events including state championships.

The state of Texas has suspended all high school athletic activities until May 11th because of the swine flu outbreak. Now the state of Alabama is following up.

the Alabama High School Athletic Association has postponed all athletic events because of probable swine flu cases in the Huntsville, Alabama area.

AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese told the Birmingham News, "Right now, we are being advised by our medical advisory committee to shut down all activities until further notice."

This move affects the Alabama state track and field championships which were scheduled to begin Friday. That event will be rescheduled.

"This is not something we want to do," Savarese said. "Right now, we want to be cautious."

On the college scene, the University of Delaware baseball team had to cancel it's trip to UNC-Wilmington for a 3 game weekend series because one of the Blue Hen players was ill. UD already has 10 reported cases of swine flu.

Coverage from our friends at NBC15 in Mobile with Lindsay Bramson is in black...
Robert Reeves coverage from WHNT-TV/CBS 19 in Huntsville is below...


KEYE-TV's coverage from Austin, Texas is available by clicking the black as well.
Gregg Watson has the story from Georgetown, Texas for CBS42