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The Playbook

From Staff Reports

Published: Friday, December 7, 2012 9:21 PM CST
Planoite wins golf with Mahan

PGA Tour standout Hunter Mahan used to live in Plano.

He recently gave back to the community by playing several holes at the Dallas National Golf Club with Plano resident David West.

West won the opportunity from Sun Life, which partnered with Mahan (the company's first pro golf sponsorship) in February 2011. After the round, West and other winners received autographed golf balls and enjoyed a private lunch with Mahan.

Jones, Noesen on National roster

USA Hockey unveiled its preliminary roster for the 2013 U.S. National Junior Team on Tuesday.

Seth Jones and Stefan Noesen made the cut.

The Planoites are among 27 attending camp Dec. 16-18 at Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, N.Y. Another camp follows in Finland with the final 23-man roster set Dec. 23. The team will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships, which are Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ufa, Russia.

Jones, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman, is one of only three players on the roster yet to be taken in the NHL Draft as the potential No. 1 pick isn't eligible until 2013.

Noesen, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound forward, was selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft (No. 21 overall) by the Ottawa Senators.


"We have a young, but talented group of players," said Jim Johannson, U.S. National Junior Team general manager. "There will be some tough choices, but that's a good problem to have."

Harris signing at Smashburger

Texas Legends general manager Del Harris will be at Smashburger Plano (6100 West Park Blvd., Suite 300) Wednesday to sign copies of his book "On Point: Four Steps to Better Life Teams."

The signing is set for 6:30-8 p.m.

Harris, a former NBA Coach of the Year, will share inspirational stories and memories.

"On Point" is based on a four-step process that helps people learn how to contribute more in their daily roles while also increasing their daily influence. According to Harris, this will help lead people to a better life as well as more meaningful and enduring relationships.

Taylor Webb Classic next weekend

With the season under way, first year-head coach Jay Pryor and the Plano Senior wrestling team continues to look forward to its host tourney, the Taylor Webb Classic.

Named after the Plano ISD wrestling luminary, the tournament is set for Saturday.

This is the seventh edition of the event.

Arlington won the 15-team tournament last season with Plano West in second, Plano placing third and Plano East finishing fifth.

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Winter Games of Texas near

For the eighth year in a row, The Winter Games of Texas (the state's largest multi-sport amateur competition) is coming to Collin County.

The event is set for Jan. 18-20, 2013.

Close to 4,000 athletes and 15,000 spectators, coaches, referees and volunteers are expected to participate in this year's event, which features 13 different sports (basketball, Miracle League Bowling, fencing, figure skating, flag football, gymnastics, ice hockey, martial arts, soccer, swimming, volleyball, table tennis and the 2013 Texas State Weightlifting Championship, which is the latest addition to the annual slate of activities).

While most of the events are taking place in Frisco, the gymnastics portion of the competition will be Jan. 19-20 at ASI Gymnastics-Plano West (4051 Rosemeade Pkwy).

Those who medal in basketball, figure skating, gymnastics, soccer, swimming and table tennis advance to the 2013 State Games of America, which are July 31-Aug. 4.

For more information or to register, go to: taaf.com or call: 1-877-463-7472.

DFW Coaches clinic

High school coaches have a chance to learn from their own.

On Jan. 23-25, Embassy Suites Outdoor World at DFW Airport will be the site of a DFW Coaches Clinic, featuring a litany of high school coaches as speakers.

Sixteen 50-minute lectures will be given by the coaches on hand, with attendees slated to enjoy a Friday night "Chalk Talk" and dinner with one of the state's top offensive or defensive minds.

There will also be a Texas Hold-Em tournament on Friday, an FCA lecture on Saturday, plus a $1,000 cash prize up for grabs after the last lecture on Sunday.

The clinic's registration fee is $70 if mailed in by Jan. 18 and $80 afterwards. To pre-register, visit the clinic website at coachesclinic.net.

Get Golf Ready coming to Plano

Women looking to learn about or hone their golf game are in luck.

Now under way, and running through Dec. 13, the PGA Tour Superstore in Plano will be offering a women's Get Golf Ready program. An alternative means of learning the ins and outs of the game, Get Golf Ready consists of five lessons taught by a PGA professional, starting at $99.

The PGA Tour Superstore is located at 8700 Preston Road.

Scream wins 10U fall title

The third time proved to be the charm for the Plano Youth Soccer Association's Team Scream.

After losing two straight finals, the 10U girls captured the fall title with wins of 4-0, 5-1 and 4-1.

After finishing the regular season at 8-2 (third place), the Scream faced a difficult path to the championship. In the semifinals, the Scream played a team it had not beaten in eight previous attempts, including the past two finals.

But that trend changed and the Scream moved to the championship against the Cheetahs. In the finals, the Scream broke open a 1-1 tie with a hat trick from Lauren Rosas in a four-minute span to take a 4-1 lead and secure the team's first title.

The Scream was started by Duane Newman when the girls were 3 and 4 years old.

"This just goes to show what can happen if you create a fun, family environment while instilling the basics of soccer," Newman said.

The Scream will next be in the North Texas Soccer Association's Tournament of Champions.

"We are always pushing the girls to play their best," said Keith Dlott, Scream assistant coach, "focusing on the foundation and challenging them to improve with every practice and game."

THSBCA Convention and Clinic

The Waco Convention Center will be the site of the 2013 Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Convention and Clinic.

The event is set for Jan. 10-12.

Early registration is available until Dec. 4 at a cost of $65. That price includes membership, clinic fees, liability insurance through THSBCA, a membership card and spot in the 2013 directory.

Regular or on-site registration is $80.

For further information, go to: thsbca.com or contact Mario Barrett at: 210-724-9959.

THSCEF Leadership Summit

The Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation is teaming with Game Changers for its leadership summit on Feb. 18, 2013.

The event will take place at the AAC.

Tickets are $99 for Texas High School Coaches Association members and $250 for non members. Payment can be sent to: THSCEF, P.O. Drawer 1138, San Marcos, Tx. 78667.

For more info, call: 512-392-3741.

Mitchell rising in ranks

Prestonwood Christian Academy senior Mike Mitchell continues to make recruiting waves.

The Lions' standout linebacker is on the Rivals.com list of the top national players at No. 30.

In 11 games this season, Mitchell registered 190 tackles, four sacks and five forced fumbles. The four-star prospect is considering Ohio State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida State and Oregon.

Lawal to debut in January

Plano East alum Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is close to making his mixed martial arts return.

The former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (205 pounds) is slated to make his debut with Bellator Fighting Championships on Jan. 17.

Lawal will compete in the promotion's light-heavyweight tourney against a yet to be determined.

It'll mark the Plano native's first bout since January when he beat Lorenz Larkin via knockout. The decision became a no contest after Lawal tested positive for drostanolone. He was released by Strikeforce after tweeting disparaging remarks about a Nevada State Athletic Commission member.

Lawal signed with Bellator in May.



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