Along with the Hornets, Bulldogs and Bearkats, the Alpha Omega Academy Lions will strap on their pads and helmets and hit the football field in a couple of months.
With head coach Craig Hooper, who was hired recently, the Lions will begin their inaugural six-man football season this fall. Alpha Omega will field a junior high team this year, then play its first varsity season in 2010. AOA’s first practice will be on Aug. 19.
“We’ll have some growing pains, but any first-year program has those,” Hooper said Saturday. “We’ve had some 7-on-7 games just to try and let the kids have a feel on what it’ll be like. It’s basically the same game with one less person.
“I’m hoping to see the kids grow this year as we begin. They’ll have a lot of conditioning, both mentally and physically.”
With only six players, the playing style is much different than in 11-man football.
“We’ll have three players on the line of scrimmage. The QB can’t run, but the running back can receive the snap and toss it to the quarterback, who can either run or pass,” Hooper said. “It kind of forces you to run a spread offense like Missouri does. There’s a lot of passing in the game.
“It’s a very exciting and it’s a real high-scoring game.”
Hooper hopes to have 14-15 players in the first year and have that number grow to about 20 in the future.
“I think having football will help us retain students at Alpha Omega. It also gives us an opportunity to grow,” Hooper said.
Before coming to Alpha Omega, Hooper was associated with the Montgomery County Bulls, a semi-professional team based out of The Woodlands. Hooper coached the Bulls to the championship game in the North American Football League in 2004. Hooper also coached in 2005, but has served as president and general manager of the team since then.
“Competing in 7-on-7 will give us a big jump on what we need to accomplish this season,” Hooper said. “We’re excited. It’s like basketball, but on a football field. We think it can do a lot for the school. It can also give Huntsville residents something to watch on Friday nights when the Hornets are out of town or have a week off.”
Sports
AOA adding six-man football program in fall
Lions are going to field junior varsity team this year, add varsity in 2010
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OUTGUNNED: First-place Mavericks shoot down Sam Houston, run winning streak to 14
Texas-Arlington had an answer for every Sam Houston run Wednesday night on the way to a 75-63 victory over the Bearkats. It was the Mavericks’ 14th consecutive win and improved their Southland Conference record to 10-0.
The last team to start league action with such perfection was Sam Houston in 2010, a team which won the conference’s regular season as well as the postseason tournament championship. -
Championship salute
The Southland Conference champs from Sam Houston State received special recognition on Wednesday night for the most successful football season in school history.
Huntsville Mayor Mac Woodward, SHSU President Dana Gibson and Walker County Judge Danny Pierce were among those who honored the Bearkats during halftime of the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlington.
Woodward declared Feb. 8 Bearkat Pride Day. -
Bearkat women win again, 61-45
Britni Martin scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Sam Houston State to a 61-45 Southland Conference women’s basketball victory over UT-Arlington on Wednesday at the new UTA College Park Center in Arlington.
All four of Martin’s field goals were 3-pointers and the junior forward from Conroe went 6-of-6 from the foul line to post her 17th double-figure scoring performance of the season. -
Alive and kicking
For the third consecutive game, the Hornets played like a team that does not want basketball season to end anytime soon.
Desperate to notch another victory over Willis, the Huntsville boys jumped on the Wildkats early. The Hornets used their muscle and started pulling away in the second half, then when Willis made a late rally, Huntsville’s hungry bunch had enough energy left to hold off the Wildkats in a wild 76-63 victory at the Paul Bohan Hornet Gym. -
Lady Hornets roll through district undefeated again
The Lady Hornets did it again. For the second consecutive season, the Huntsville girls basketball team rolled through District 18-4A play without a loss.
On Tuesday night in Willis, the Lady Hornets closed out another perfect 14-0 district campaign with an 86-33 win over the LadyKats. -
New Waverly seniors close out regular season in style
In their final game of the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs just enjoyed themselves in a 60-46 win over Anderson-Shiro.
This was a team New Waverly beat on the road earlier in the season and a win in “Bulldog Country” would be the appropriate way to send out seniors Myeisha Williams, Morgan Eastland, Whitney McCullough and Alex Abbott. -
Streak stoppers?
The hottest team in the Southland Conference visits Johnson Coliseum tonight, riding a 13-game winning streak and sporting a perfect 9-0 league record.
Sam Houston State has a difficult task on its hands facing Texas-Arlington, a team which had its way with the Bearkats on Jan. 11 at Texas Hall. The Mavericks rolled to a 66-40 that night in what was Sam Houston’s worst loss in conference action all season. -
Bearkats to hold celebration befitting a championship team
A championship celebration unlike any in Bearkat history will take place tonight at Johnson Coliseum as part of the festivities for the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlingon.
Walker County, the city of Huntsville and university officials will join with SHSU alumni, students, faculty-staff and fans in saluting the 2011 Southland Conference champion and NCAA Division I football national finalist Bearkat football team. -
Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.
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Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.
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