WEEKEND OFFERS FULL SLATE OF FOOTBALL AND HOOPS FOR AREA FANS

IF IT LOOKS like football ‘round the clock, that’s because all but Wednesday will see at least one game on the gridiron. It’s not all pigskin and goal posts, as high school basketball is in full swing with the girls playing their first scrimmages and the boys beginning their first practices. WEDNESDAY: Boys high school basketball teams will be able to start their first practices. While most teams will have to wait on talent to return from the football field sometime in the next few weeks, those doing the full time hoops thing will start on the potential road to San Antonio and the state championships in mid-March. Following a less than warm reception in Los Angeles, the Rockets return home to face the Jazz beginning at 7:00pm. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will have the game live starting with the pregame show at 6:30pm. THURSDAY: A suddenly-hot Texans team will look for a fifth straight win as they get the national spotlight with a visit from the Dolphins at 7:20pm. The AFC South leaders at 4-3, Houston has won seven of the eight previous meetings against Miami, but the Dolphins gained a 44- 26 win in the most recent tilt between the teams in October 2015. The game will be aired live on NFL Network. FRIDAY: Week Nine of the high school football regular season will have Texas City at Angleton, Dickinson at Clear Brook, Clear Falls at Clear Lake, Houston Washington at La Marque and Galveston Ball at Rosenberg Terry each kicking off at 7:00pm. Santa Fe at Port Neches-Groves and Hitchcock at Rice Consolidated will kick off at 7:30pm. The Rockets take on the Clippers for the second time this week as Los Angeles visits Toyota Center for a 7:00pm tip. Despite 31 points and 14 assists from James Harden, the Rockets fell at Staples Center as Clips held on to a 115-112 win on Sunday night. AT&T Sportsnet Southwest will have the game live, with the pregame show starting at 6:30pm. SATURDAY: The high school football slate for Week Nine comes to a close when Alvin visits Clear Springs for a 1:00pm kickoff. The first girls basketball scrimmages will be played throughout the greater Houston area. Friendswood is at Dawson to participate in a tri-scrimmage that also includes state-ranked Clear Springs. The three teams will start at 8:00am, the same time Hitchcock is at Pasadena Memorial and Texas City is at Spring Westfield. Santa Fe is at Wharton beginning at 10:00am while La Marque visits North Forest starting at noon. Among area college football teams, Alcorn State at Prairie View and Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern each kick off at 2:00pm, followed by nationally-ranked South Florida at Houston beginning at 2:30pm. Rice at North Texas and Lamar at Stephen F. Austin begin at 3:00pm, with Houston Baptist at Northwestern State playing under the lights beginning at 6:00pm.