Three Flower Mound Marcus Sophomores become team leaders

By most standards, the boy’s basketball team at Flower Mound Marcus is considered a young team.

"We start three sophomores a majority of the time," says head coach Danny Henderson.

Henderson is used to winning. After all he became just the 19th high school coaching Texas to win 600 games.

He took four teams to the state tournament and won two state championships at Peaster High School near Weatherford but not with three sophomores. His team this year has already won 33 games while losing only two.

"I can't say that these three sophomores have played like sophomores," Henderson says. "They played like veterans from the beginning of the season."

"We get a lot of respect from the seniors which you don't see often for the younger kids," says sophomore forward Marcus Smart. "But at the same time, we give that respect back to them."

Senior Tom Netsch, a forward likes the combination. "We have a ton of players that could be playing division one. I'm just happy to go on the ride with them," he says.

It's not often that you find a high school team where the leaders of the team are all sophomores, but that’s the case at Flower Mound Marcus and the players have names that you won't soon forget.

"They're blessed with sports center names, I guess as a group, Smart Lucky and Forte," says Henderson.

Marcus Smart is the unequaled leader at Forward. Henderson says he can play ever position on the floor. His no look passes are a site to behold and speaks volumes for his future in the sports. Phil Forte is a shooting guard who has hit 96-three pointers and A.J. Luckey is more than just a lucky guard.

"Forte is lucky to be smart," says guard A.J. Luckey as he strings the names together. "So that's what we go by sometimes."

Forte lines the names up this way. "Forte is being smart and lucky!"

"I don't know what that's about," says senior post Cory Needs with a big smile. "Obviously it's got some meaning because we're doing pretty well."

So of the three sophomores, who's considered the best looking?

"I'm going to have to go with that one," says Luckey raising his hands. Of course Smart and Forte disagree with that statement, but maybe Luckey is just a lucky guy.

With Luckey, Forte and Smart, Flower Mound Marcus has a great chance to reach the state tournament in Austin. Their next big test comes Friday night at Birdville Coliseum against Duncanville.

Nine Straight Isn't enough for Highland Park Swim Team

The girls swimming and diving team at Highland Park High School has been on a roll since 2001. They won a state championship that year and have successfully defended their title ever since.

"We're a school with tradition and once we get a tradition started, no one wants to break it," says head coach Jess Cole. "I think that's really what makes it happen. They always have a good attitude and always trying to to the best and they're always talking about how can I get better."

When it comes to high school teams of the decade, it's hard not to put the highland swimming and diving team at the top. Afterall, they've won a state record nine straight state championships. This weekend, they're going for ten in a row.

"Its a tradition that you want to hold on to as you can and even though, our tradition is of excellence," says Katie Streepey. "It's not necessarily about being the best all the time, but it's about giving the best."

"It's always about we have to win we have to do this because we've done it for so long, why stop now," says Allison Arnold.

Arnold was recruited by as many as 30 division I colleges before deciding on Stanford. She holds the state records in both the 200 and 500 meter free style. In her four years, she has never lost a race in district, regional or state competition.

Says Arnold, "The girl who had the 500 record before me, she was on the team my freshman year and I look up to her so much and now I have her records, it's kind of weird because now i'm kind of that figure to the younger swimmers out there and I just, these four years have gone by so fast."

And so has the decade which has belonged to this program. "It is one for the decades if we can go ten, nine was great to set the UIL record but ten would be a nice round number," says Cole.

Dallas Gets Ready to Host NBA All-Star game

The huge billboards going up in downtown Dallas is starting to make Dallas look more like a city about to host the NBA All-Star game. Mavericks players are starting to get more and more excited as well about having the event come to their home town.

"First of all, if you see this shirt I'm holding, I am the official Jam Session spokesperson so I’ll be very involved," says Mavericks guard Jason Terry. "There are community events going around like the NBA Cares program to help improve our community, I'll be involved in the rookie sophomore game Friday night, and then I've gotten a suite for my family for Saturday and Sunday, so I’m very involved. The topper for me is a special party at Love Field with Dirk Nowitzki, Mary J. Blige and the rapper Common. That's big. It's open to the public."

Dirk Nowitzki will be the only Mavericks player to actually play in the game, so that leaves a lot of players around to just enjoy the event. A majority of the players in the NBA never get a chance participate in the All-Star game; much less even see the game. So naturally, when it comes to their home town, they want to see what the week is all about.

"I'm going to stay here. It's my first one. I have to see that, yeah. I will be there," says Mavericks guard Rodrigue Beaubois.

"Oh it’s perfect!" says guard J.J.Barea. "I stay in my house, stay in my town and I know where to go. I don't need anyone to take me around. It's going to be awesome,"

Cities that have hosted the NBA All star game rarely see their team win an NBA championship that same year. In the last 60-years, only four teams have been that lucky. The Lakers were the last team to do it 38 years ago in 1972. The Boston Celtics did it in 1964.
The St Louis Hawks did it in 1958 before moving to Atlanta. The first team to do it was Boston in 1957.

"Well, I guess that's a new challenge for us," forward Eduardo Najera says laughingly. But we don't worry about any of that stuff. Right now, we've got bigger problems."

"That's flawed negative thinking that only a television reporter would come up for a question," says head coach Rick Carlisle.

Good point, but it is a rare fact and the Mavericks are the only team with a chance to change that this year.