Pasadena Citizen - Sports
Year ends with cheers for individuals, teams
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| Bo Snelson wound up in all kinds of positions during his exciting high school career as defenders tried to slow down the elusive back. The 2008 football season was Snelson's swan song in which he garnered MVP honors from the 22-5A coaches. |
By ROBERT AVERY
The final months of 2008 saw the curtain come down on a tremendous high school football career by Memorial High School’s Bo Snelson, a near national championship by the San Jacinto College women’s volleyball team and another three-day basketball extravaganza called the McDonald’s Texas Invitational.
Snelson was named District 22-5A’s MVP this month after rushing for a district-best 1,724 yards over 239 attempts, good for the healthy average of 7.21 yards per carry. All of that came on a Maverick team that finished with a losing record, but still managed to find the district’s final state playoff berth.
Despite a typical Snelson performance at the quarterback slot, Memorial fell to Beaumont West Brook in the Division II state playoffs for the second time in three years. The 2008 season was also punctuated by Snelson earning a nomination for the prestigious Touchdown Club of Houston Offensive Player of the Year Award, a rare, rare feat for a PISD player.
In the Pasadena Pride Bowl, Sam Rayburn knocked off Pasadena 21-7, returning the trophy to a Texans trophy case.
Deer Park added to its string of postseason football appearances in 2008, using a near-perfect 6-1 district ledger to get the team to the Division I playoffs. But waiting for the Deer was a North Shore club that eliminated the maroon and gold in the first round of the state playoffs.
The high school cross country season saw Sam Rayburn High School capture its fifth consecutive District 22-5A boys' crown. Starting slow because of Hurricane Ike and other factors, Rayburn peeked at the right time, putting it all together to hold off district newcomer Pearland for the title at La Porte’s Northwest Park.
But it was at district where Rayburn’s Jose Ortega went down with an injury, preventing the defending Class 5A state qualifier from possibly returning to state.
The Deer Park girls captured the 2008 cross country district crown, a feat that had come close until this season.
In high school volleyball, Dobie and Memorial carried the PISD flag to the playoffs, but found it tough going after the first round. Memorial was ousted by Clear Creek, the eventual Region III champions, in the second round. Deer Park captured second place with an 11-3 record as that program kept a long-running streak going.
The San Jacinto College volleyball team turned in an outstanding season. Losing only three matches all season long, the Lady Ravens came within a single game of snaring the Division I national crown. The club lost to Blinn in a five-game thriller at the national tournament in Iowa, preventing the team from its quest.
For the high school tennis squads, it was a memorable fall as Dobie and Memorial’s team tennis squads earned regional trips. Memorial, seeded fifth for the postseason tournament, upset La Porte, Deer Park and Dobie on the road to gain entry to the regional field.
The McDonald’s Texas Invitational in November saw another 80-team field invade town that culminated with a record-setting attendance figure and a San Antonio school knocking off nationally-ranked Duncanville for the Gold Division prize. College Park claimed the girls’ Division I crown.
Snelson was named District 22-5A’s MVP this month after rushing for a district-best 1,724 yards over 239 attempts, good for the healthy average of 7.21 yards per carry. All of that came on a Maverick team that finished with a losing record, but still managed to find the district’s final state playoff berth.
Despite a typical Snelson performance at the quarterback slot, Memorial fell to Beaumont West Brook in the Division II state playoffs for the second time in three years. The 2008 season was also punctuated by Snelson earning a nomination for the prestigious Touchdown Club of Houston Offensive Player of the Year Award, a rare, rare feat for a PISD player.
In the Pasadena Pride Bowl, Sam Rayburn knocked off Pasadena 21-7, returning the trophy to a Texans trophy case.
Deer Park added to its string of postseason football appearances in 2008, using a near-perfect 6-1 district ledger to get the team to the Division I playoffs. But waiting for the Deer was a North Shore club that eliminated the maroon and gold in the first round of the state playoffs.
The high school cross country season saw Sam Rayburn High School capture its fifth consecutive District 22-5A boys' crown. Starting slow because of Hurricane Ike and other factors, Rayburn peeked at the right time, putting it all together to hold off district newcomer Pearland for the title at La Porte’s Northwest Park.
But it was at district where Rayburn’s Jose Ortega went down with an injury, preventing the defending Class 5A state qualifier from possibly returning to state.
The Deer Park girls captured the 2008 cross country district crown, a feat that had come close until this season.
In high school volleyball, Dobie and Memorial carried the PISD flag to the playoffs, but found it tough going after the first round. Memorial was ousted by Clear Creek, the eventual Region III champions, in the second round. Deer Park captured second place with an 11-3 record as that program kept a long-running streak going.
The San Jacinto College volleyball team turned in an outstanding season. Losing only three matches all season long, the Lady Ravens came within a single game of snaring the Division I national crown. The club lost to Blinn in a five-game thriller at the national tournament in Iowa, preventing the team from its quest.
For the high school tennis squads, it was a memorable fall as Dobie and Memorial’s team tennis squads earned regional trips. Memorial, seeded fifth for the postseason tournament, upset La Porte, Deer Park and Dobie on the road to gain entry to the regional field.
The McDonald’s Texas Invitational in November saw another 80-team field invade town that culminated with a record-setting attendance figure and a San Antonio school knocking off nationally-ranked Duncanville for the Gold Division prize. College Park claimed the girls’ Division I crown.
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