OUT WITH THE PROS IN WITH THE PREPS

THE TEXANS and Rockets close out 2017, while the return of district play in boys
and girls basketball ushers in 2018 along with a sampling of boys and girls soccer.
TODAY, SUNDAY: The final chapter of a long, disappointing season will be written
as the Texans visit the Colts in their 2017 finale beginning at noon on KHOU-11. The
steady flow of injuries has been a key reason why Houston is 4-11, yet no injury was
as altering as that of rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson. The team is 1-8 since
Watson went down that includes five straight losses leading into today. Indianapolis
is 3-12 in what has been a rough first season for Colts general manager Chris Ballard,
the native of Texas City.
What has become a New Year’s Eve tradition continues as the Rockets play host
on the final night of the year, with the Lakers playing the role of guests beginning
at 6:00pm. The game marks the third time the teams have played this month, with
Houston winning 118-95 at Los Angeles on December 3 before the Lakers snapped
the Rockets’ 14-game win streak with a 122-116 victory at Toyota Center on December
20. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will air the game beginning with the pregame
show at 5:30pm.
TOMORROW, MONDAY: Texans news could carry into the new year as the first
Monday after the end of the regular season usually leads to a flow of coaching
dismissals. Although he has one year remaining on a five-year contract, Houston
coach Bill O’Brien’s name has been a strongly linked as one of the coaches who
could be fired. While Watson has made it clear he’d like to have O’Brien back, don’t
be too surprised if 2018 begins with O’Brien paying dearly for the failures of the notso-
long-past year.
TUESDAY: High school basketball resumes with District 23-5A and District 24-3A
action. Boys play begins in 23-5A as Manvel is at Galveston Ball and Shadow Creek
at Texas City beginning at 2:00pm, while Fort Bend Willowridge at Santa Fe tips off
at 7:00pm. In 24-3A, Hitchcock is at Brazos and state-ranked La Marque at Danbury,
with each beginning at 7:30pm.
In girls 23-5A play, Galveston Ball at Manvel and Texas City at Shadow Creek each
start at 1:00pm, while Santa Fe at Fort Bend Willowridge tips off at 7:00pm. District
24-3A action will have state-ranked Hitchcock at Brazos and Danbury at La Marque
starting at 6:15pm.
The weather won’t stop soccer scrimmages as Texas City’s boys visit Clear Brook,
while the Wolverines’ girls visit the Stingarees. Each start at 7:00pm.