AREA SPORTS WARMS UP AS AREA WEATHER (HOPEFULLY?) COOLS DOWN

LOCAL ASTROS fans will (hopefully) bask in the glow of moving one step closer to the World Series on a weekend that will start the race to the state cross country championships and another wild Friday of high school football and volleyball. Saturday will also provide college football as the weather is expected to make it feel like mid-October rather than mid-June. WEDNESDAY: Unless the Astros dropped both Games Three and Four of the American League Divisional Series, the day will be likely defined as down time for the World Series champions rather than preparing for a Game Five on Thursday. The Astros, up 2-0 entering Monday’s game at the Indians, will await the winners of the Yankees-Red Sox ALCS, which would begin this weekend. THURSDAY: The road to next month’s state cross country championships start with district meets that include the District 22-5A event, which will be held at Friendswood’s Centennial Park beginning at 8:00am. FRIDAY: Week Seven of the high school football regular season will have Alvin at Clear Creek, Clear Brook at Clear Springs, Richmond Foster at Friendswood, Texas City at Fort Bend Hightower, Galveston Ball at Shadow Creek, La Marque at Sweeny and Santa Fe at Vidor all starting at 7:00pm, with Hitchcock at Columbus kicking off at 7:30pm. In high school volleyball play, Hitchcock at Palacios starts at 5:00pm. Clear Lake at Clear Creek, Alvin at Clear Falls and La Marque at Sweeney begin their matches at 6:00pm, while Galveston Ball at Friendswood, Santa Fe at Goose Creek Memorial and Crosby at Texas City each start at 6:30pm. The Rockets close out the preseason with a trip to the Grizzlies beginning of 7:00pm. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will begin its coverage at 6:30pm with the pregame show. The Dynamo conclude a two-match swing on the west coast as they face the Los Angeles Football Club beginning at 9:00pm. KUBE-57 will have the match live. SATURDAY: There will be high school action, as Dickinson visits Clear Springs in volleyball beginning at noon, while Challenger-Columbia Stadium will be the site for the Dickinson at Clear Springs football game that kicks off at 1:00pm. La Marque youth football will have a full day of action at the La Marque auxillary stadium at the high school. The first game starts at 9:00am and will continue through 6:00pm. The local college football schedule begins at noon when Alabama-Birmingham plays at Rice. Houston Baptist is at Southeastern Louisiana for a 4:00pm kickoff, while Houston at East Carolina, Sam Houston State at Northwestern State, Southern at Prairie View and Grambling at Texas Southern each begin at 6:00pm. Don’t forget to change your clocks!!