ESPN

ESPN.com Big 12 blogger David Ubben says Baylor QB Nick Florence of South Garland, Oklahoma State WR Josh Stewart of Denton Guyer and Texas RB Joe Bergeron of North Mesquite are three players to watch in the Big 12 this year.

Ron Brooks was drafted Saturday as the 124th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills as a cornerback, a position he has played for only three seasons.

Brooks was recruited by LSU out of Irving MacArthur as a wide receiver after spending the majority of his snaps at quarterback in high school.

“He was just a step quicker than anyone else on the field,” MacArthur coach Brian Basil said. “He played quarterback for us his senior year because we wanted the ball touching his hands every snap, but the main thing that separated him at the high school level was his speed and his level of toughness.”

Brooks made the shift over to cornerback his sophomore year at LSU, which Basil believes is proof of his devotion to the game -- one of his many intangibles.

“He understood that whatever it took to get him on the field he would do it,” Basil said. “That’s why when he went to LSU, he was receptive to play defense and on special teams. Those intangibles are what allowed him to make it to this level.”

Brooks played in 53 games at LSU, finishing with 90 tackles and 5.5 sacks. All three interceptions Brooks pulled in were returned for touchdowns.

“For him, I think wherever he had an opportunity to play would be a great fit.” Basil said. “To play at that level is a dream come true and I bet he’s thrilled to death and we’re thrilled for him.”

Redskins pick Plano East/UT linebacker

The Redskins picked up the athlete that “could do it all” for Plano East coach Johnny Ringo.

Keenan Robinson was selected as the 119th overall pick as a linebacker out of Texas, the fourth player to make it to the pro level out of Plano East.

“He was a tremendous leader for us and played both ways,” Ringo said. “He’s just a kid that could do it all. He was a great track athlete and had to give up basketball. He was a tremendous player for us and will be a tremendous representative of Plano East in the NFL.”

Robinson hit Twitter immediately after his selection, affirming his excitement with the team that selected him.

“God is Good… Im right where I needa be,” Robinson tweeted, followed by, “Oo whats up Washington… Im glad to be a Redskin #NoQuestion.”

Robinson started in 39 games for the Longhorns, tallying 317 tackles and 4.4 sacks.

He joins other standouts from the state of Texas in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III and Richardson Berkner/SMU lineman Josh LeRibeus as a part of the Redskins' draft class.

Other area draftees:

Josh LeRibeus (OG, Richardson Berkner/SMU): Selected 71st overall by the Redskins.

Jamell Fleming (CB, Arlington Seguin/Oklahoma): Selected 80th overall by the Cardinals. First player drafted from Arlington Seguin to be drafted.

Chris Givens (WR, Wylie/Wake Forest): Selected as the first pick of the fourth round, 96th overall, by the Rams.

Taylor Thompson (DE/TE, Prosper/SMU): Selected 145th overall by the Titans.

Cyrus Gray (RB, DeSoto/Texas A&M): Selected 182^nd overall by the Chiefs.

James Hanna (TE, Flower Mound/Oklahoma): Selected 186th overall by the Cowboys.

Robert T. Griffin (OG, Euless Trinity/Baylor): Selected 203rd overall by the Jets.

Emmanuel Acho (LB, Dallas St. Mark’s/Texas): Selected 204th overall by the Browns.

Greg McCoy (DB/KR, Dallas Woodrow Wilson/TCU): Selected 220th overall by the Bears.

DALLAS -- Dallas Kimball guard Keith Frazier was under enough pressure Tuesday, playing in one of the toughest bi-district pairings against Dallas Hillcrest.

Piling on top of that basic pressure was the fact that University of Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes was sitting at the top of the bleachers scouting Frazier’s play.

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In the same way the No. 14 recruit for the class of 2013 nonchalantly handled that pressure in Kimball’s 82-70 bi-district win, he confirmed that Barnes was there to see him.

No big deal.

“I get used to it,” Frazier said. “I played on a big stage in the AAU so I’m used to coaches watching.”

As a junior, Frazier has yet to publicly name any schools on his radar, but he did show interest in Barnes’ program.

“I like UT a lot,” Frazier said. “I appreciate him for coming.”

Frazier transferred to Kimball this season from Irving and leads the Knights in scoring, averaging over 21 points per game.

Here is a breakdown of Frazier’s skill from ESPN Recruiting Nation Basketball:

At this stage Frazier is probably the No. 1 shooting guard in the country for his class. He has all the physical intangibles (length, bounce, and evolving skills) needed for the position and he is a prolific shooter out to 22 feet. With added strength and continued development in the areas of skill and savvy, he should be an elite recruit by the time he enters college.

DALLAS -- Hidden behind the fanfare that surrounded Dallas Skyline receiver Thomas Johnson’s signing day selection of Texas A&M was one of the largest signing groups in North Texas.

Skyline football had 14 student/athletes sign national letters of intent Wednesday in front of friends and family at the high school.

The Raiders' other ESPNU 150 athlete, No. 57 Peter Jinkens, inked his pledge to play for the Texas Longhorns next year. It is the seal to a commitment Jinkens made well before the beginning of his senior season.

“I’ve been dreaming about going to Texas since I was little. It’s like a dream come true. Words can’t describe how happy I am right now.”

Jinkens will be joining a group at Texas that includes some of the area’s best talent, including No. 2 Johnathan Gray from Aledo.

Alongside Jinkens and Johnson at Skyline’s signing table was one other D1 signee, David Green, who will attend UNLV in the fall.

The remaining athletes signed with a variety of other schools, including Grambling State, Cisco Junior College, Southwestern College and Tarleton State Universtiy.

DALLAS – Nick Rose knew so little about the sport of football just over two years ago, he couldn’t define a hash mark.

Yet in two years time, the Highland Park senior is in the running to be the next starting kicker at the University of Texas.

Wednesday, Rose gave his commitment to the Longhorns during the school’s national signing day ceremony inside Highlander Stadium.

Rose grew up a soccer player in Copperas Cove. When he moved with his family to Highland Park before his junior year, Rose thought he’d try football, which became a vehicle to college athletics.

“I was just trying to meet people and I figured I could kick a football well, so I walked out on the field and didn’t know what to do – didn’t even know what a hash mark was or any of that,” Rose said. “Time went on and the coaches liked how I could kick. My first kickoff went out of the end zone and I realized I had a knack for kickoffs. I don’t know how or why.”

Technically, Rose did not sign a letter of intent, as was the procedure of most recruits across the country Wednesday. He made a public commitment to follow a plan Texas laid out for Rose, beginning as a preferred walk-on for the Longhorns.

Rose will have his tuition paid for by the football team throughout a summer semester, which will cover fall two-a-days in Austin, but he will assume walk-on status for his first season, which means his family will cover tuition.

Rose’s next step in preseason practices will be to earn a starting job and a scholarship to carry him throughout the remainder of his eligibility.

Competing for the same positions will be Coppell's Nick Jordan, who faxed his signature Wednesday to accept a scholarship from the Longhorns.

“Texas has a kicker that they have all the confidence in the world in,” Rose said of Jordan. “They came up here to scout another player and ended up noticing my kickoffs and from there everything took off, and I can’t be grateful enough how everything happened.”

Rose and Jordan have kicked together in offseason kicking contests, and that familiarity and friendship is as important to Rose as the competition he will face for playing time.

Preliminary indications from the Texas coaching staff, relayed to Rose, are favoring Rose as a starting kickoff specialist and punter and Jordan as the starting place kicker.

Rose spent his senior year booting kickoffs consistently out of the back of the end zone for the Scots, impressing Highland Park coach Randy Allen from the moment he set foot on the school’s campus and eventually sparking the same interest of Texas co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite.

“Nick Rose has lots of potential,” Allen said. “He’s the best kickoff guy I’ve ever coached. I know he’s going to compete for that starting position at Texas.”

Rose was key in securing Highland Park’s District 10-4A title this season, drilling a game-winning extra point in overtime to give the Scots a 31-30 victory over Rockwall-Heath, clinching the district No. 1 seed.

“I was just thinking keep my head down and follow through,” Rose said after the game. “Stick with my basics and hopefully it would go in. My heart was going crazy before I kicked it and then it was all relief that I could pull my team through.”

Trying to earn a starting job and a scholarship puts extraordinary pressure on a freshman kicker, but high-pressure situations are nothing new to Rose.

“I’ll be good for Nick to have competition, but I can’t imagine anyone kicking it further than he does on kickoffs,” Allen said.

Other Highland Park notes:

* Long-time Duke commit Tanner Stone signed with the Blue Devils. He said a summer trip to take part in a football camp sold him on Duke.

* Backup quarterback Tyler Rentfro signed with McMurry University. Rentfro attempted only one pass for the Scots in his senior season for 4 yards.

* All three parts of Highland Park’s top offensive trio from 2012 held out on national signing day. Quarterback Brady Burgin hopes to snag a late offer from a school that possibly lost a quarterback recruit on signing day, Allen said. Receiver Dalton Stogner, who is still recovering from a season-ending knee injury, recently returned from a “good” trip to the University of North Carolina, Allen said. Stogner and running back Preston Miller both visited SMU as well and liked their experience with the Mustangs' coaching staff, Allen said.

Aledo star running back Johnathan Gray left the third quarter of Thursday's Under Armour All-American game with what appeared to be an injury to his right leg.

Gray confirmed the injury as a high ankle sprain via twitter shortly after the game.

@JGray32: Yes high ankle sprang. Well could be worse. $itiswhatitis$

Gray was his Highlight (Black) team's only offensive spark in the first half of a game that would end in a rout by the Blur (White) team, 49-16.

Gray was a common check-down target for the Highlight team quarterbacks, picking up 24 yards receiving in the first half.

The highlight of Gray's night was a 33-yard catch just inside the sideline that was brought back because of a holding penalty on DeSoto's Curtis Riser. Gray spun around and pulled in the underthrown ball just over a defender's head, dragging his heels inbounds as he fell out of play.

Gray will have several months through the remainder of his last semester in high school to heal his injured ankle before moving to Austin to play for Texas.

Game 8: Little Rock Parkview 73, Hurst L.D. Bell 51.

The ESPNHS No. 42 team, Little Rock Parkview, turned out to be quite the unlucky draw for Hurst L.D. Bell in the opening round of the tournament.

Parkview's Anton Beard dropped 17 on the Raiders while Imara Ready and Emmanuel Adoyi both tallied 14 points of their own in the blowout effort.

Bell's Garrett Hammonds managed a team-high 15, hitting Bell's only two 3's of the game.

Bell moves into the consolation bracket to face Houston Klein Forest at 3:30 p.m. Thursday while Parkview will take on North Crowley Thursday at 2 p.m.

Game 7: Flower Mound Marcus 45, Justin Northwest 38.

Game 6: Milwaukee King 67, Duncanville 54.

Rufus King out of Milwaukee proved to be more than Duncanville could handle, holding a lead throughout the course of the game.

King hit six from behind the arch, aiding four players to hit the double digit point mark. Dominique Borom led King's scoring with 16 points.

Duncanville's shot selection was less than optimum and it failed to make the adjustment of penetrating for a higher percentage shot. Duncanville hit six 3-pointers, but two came when the game had been relinquished late in the fourth quarter.

Omar Sherman led Duncanville in points with 14, followed by Brian Hampton with 11. Nine Duncanville players found the scoresheet, but only three contributed more than four points.

Game 5: North Crowley 63, Houston Klein Forest 53.

North Crowley relied on its depth to outlast Klein Forest in its first-round matchup -- a trait not normally common of a Panther team.

Instead of relying on one superstar to carry the team as it has in the past, North Crowley spread its points out between eight players on it's 15 man roster.

Leading the charge was guard Calvin Ward with a game-high 18 points, followed by Taylor Luster with 10. Four other players scored more than five points in the game.

North Crowley built its lead in the first half, outscoring Klein Forest 34-22, which included an 18-point first quarter. Ward was responsible for 10 of those points in the opening frame.

Klein Forest won the battle of the second half by two points, but it wasn't nearly enough to challenge North Crowley for the lead.

Game 4: No. 33 DeSoto 77, Coppell 39.

Game 3: Richland 64, Garland Naaman Forest 58.

Junior wing Leyton Hammonds tore through the Naaman Forest defense to score 22 points and lead his team into the winners bracket of the Whataburger Tournament.

Hammonds hot hand drew the attention of the Naaman Forest defense, making him a useful decoy in Richand's press break in the second half. The majority of Richland's fourth quarter points came on fast break layups out of the break.

The game was won in the third quarter when Richland was able to double up on Naaman Forest 19-8.

Naaman Forest's Demarcus Holland led his squad in scoring with 21 points. Texas commit Price Ibeh was held in check with just 7 points in the game, the final two on a huge dunk in the fourth quarter.

Game 2: Richardson Berkner 73, Arlington Martin 60

After a hot Berkner start in the first half, including several basket-shaking dunks, Martin made a strong push in the second half, but couldn't overcome a very talented Berkner squad.

Berkner junior forward Kendal Harris led his team in scoring with 21-points, tying Martin's Myles Johnson for the game high.

Berkner dominated the glass, with the vast majority of its points coming inside the paint.

Martin football All-American Devonte Fields was the basketball team's force inside, tallying 13 points of his own.

Game 1: Plano West 70, Fort Worth Arlington Heights 60 (3OT)

It took two desperation 3's from Fort Worth Arlington Heights to push the game into overtime and then a second overtime, but Plano West capitalized on turnovers in the third extra frame to put away the Yellowjackets.

Height's Travis Williams received a dish off a rebound with seconds remaining in regulation and drilled a 3-pointer to give his team extra life in overtime. The game then seemed out of reach a gain as the clock ticked away in the first overtime period, but Hight's Marshall Calvin swished a circus shot from behind the arch to force a third overtime.

In the end, West's defense was too much for Heights to handle after three extra periods of basketball, especially when Heights only had five players put up points in the game.

West struggled through regulation to contain Heights small but elusive point guard Harrison Wagner who slashed through the lane for a game-high 31 points.

Plano West's point production was split between forwards T.J. Cline and Holt Harmon, who dominated the post game for 19 points a piece.

LEWISVILLE, Texas -- Imagine a basketball team that combined Marcus Smart, Phil Forte and ... Johnathan Gray?

Well, it happened ... for the past 10 years.

These three North Texas and national athletic standouts grew up playing AAU basketball together every summer since they were in the third grade.

It formed a tight enough friendship that Gray, ranked No. 5 on the ESPNU 150 for football, made the long trek to Lewisville from Aledo on Thursday to watch his buddies take on Montrose Christian in front of ESPN cameras just two days before Gray’s final high school game in the 4A Division I state championship.

“I came out to watch my brothers play,” said Gray, a Texas commit. “I was lucky enough to play AAU basketball with these guys.”

Smart is the No. 11 national basketball recruit for the Class of 2012 and has committed to Oklahoma State. Forte will join him at OSU.

The love will be returned Saturday, not only Forte and Smart, but by the whole Marcus basketball team.

Marcus coach Danny Henderson canceled the team’s weekly Saturday morning practice so the whole squad can travel to Cowboys Stadium for Gray and Aledo’s big game, even though Marcus has its first district game next week.

“I know that’s crazy because we have Plano West coming, but it’s invaluable for my kids to be around that state championship atmosphere, especially when they know Johnathan and some other Aledo players,” Henderson said.

Gray, who broke the Texas single-season touchdown record in last season’s state final and is looking to break several national records Saturday, has an even deeper connection with the Marcus basketball team than just his friendship with Forte and Smart. He filled the role as the team’s motivation speaker last season.

“Last year, before our biggest regular season game, Johnathan came into the locker room and talked to the guys and got them jacked up,” Henderson said. “It was really cool. He’s a great kid.”

So can arguably the greatest high school football player in Texas history also play basketball?

“You ought to see him lock down somebody on defense,” Henderson said. “It’s amazing. He might be the best deny defender I’ve ever seen. His man can’t catch it. It is amazing to watch him deny someone. You can’t screen him because he’s so strong and quick and whoever he’s guarding can’t catch the ball.”

“I’ve never seen a kid play as hard as he does,” Forte said. “He just goes, goes, goes. We call him the Energizer Bunny. He just has a motor that I’ve never seen another player have.”

Gray is so respected by his basketball-playing friends that even Smart said a one-on-one game between the two would be a close battle.

“You know how built Johnathan is, and him using that muscle that he has and that athleticism ... It would be a challenge,” Smart said. “I think I would come out of that with my basketball skills, but it would be a good match.”

Smart and Forte also claim to have predicted Gray’s rise to greatness on the gridiron.

“We always knew coming out when we were younger, just to see this dude out here playing,” Smart said. “We knew he was going to do great things in the future with his football school.”

A few state records and two state championships later, Gray has fulfilled Smart’s prophecy.

Gray is a touchdown away from holding the national record for career touchdowns and 21 points shy of the national point record, both held by Michael Hart of University of Michigan and Indianapolis Colts fame.

Gray banged up his knee in Aledo’s semifinal game against Corsicana last week, but he said despite some swelling, the injury hasn’t kept him from practicing.

“It’s a little swollen, and we don’t really know what’s wrong with it because the swelling keeps coming back," Gray said. "We'll just drain it and see what happens."

After Gray moves on to play for the Texas Longhorns, he'll look forward to the playful banter to come from his then-Big 12 rivals – Forte and Smart.

“Next year, I think [the Longhorns] play in Stillwater, so it will be fun,” Forte said. “I’ll get to go check Johnathan play.”

MESQUITE, Texas -- Aledo’s Johnathan Gray is so elusive, even his coach lost track of him.

In the third quarter of Friday night's 4A Division II state semifinal against Corsicana, Gray -- having already scored four touchdowns -- was sitting on the sideline.

While a four-touchdown night might be a career outing for any other running back, Gray needed one more to tie the national career touchdown record set by former Michigan star Mike Hart, who scored 204 touchdowns while at Onondaga Central High School, just outside of Syracuse, N.Y.

Gray had gotten banged up on a play at the end of the third quarter and limped off the field. Aledo coach Tim Buchanan told Gray he was keeping him on the bench for the time being, but that he would eventually put him back in the game.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, with Aledo up 61-28, Buchanan looked up from talking with his defensive coordinator to find Gray in the game and scoring his record-tying fifth touchdown.

“I told him, ‘Your not done. You may go back in in the fourth quarter,’ " Buchanan said of his earlier conversation with Gray. "I guess he thought that meant go back in in the fourth quarter.”

Gray had his own version of the conversation.

“Coach said, 'Hey you’re not done, I’m going to give [Caleb] Frysinger a few plays,' " Gray said with a laugh. "I thought in my head that I don’t want him to yell at me, so in a couple of plays I’ll go in. I didn’t know.”

Whatever the case, both were happy that Gray was able to nab his 204^th career touchdown on a night where he was held to just 218 yards. Yes, just 218 yards.

But more important, Aledo beat Corsicana 68-28 to advance to the 4A Division II state championship.

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Gray notched the first three touchdowns of the game, scoring from 16, one and 23 yards out, respectively.

Corsicana mounted a small second-quarter rush and put up 14 points, but Aledo had the last laugh.

After a flag gave Aledo an untimed down before the half, quarterback Matthew Bishop threw up a Hail Mary prayer to the back of the end zone. The pass was tipped by Aledo’s Willie Gibson and fell right into the open arms of wide receiver Michael Mann for the score, sending Aledo to the locker room with a 28-14 lead.

“We didn’t think it was going to work, but it worked and Mike came down with it,” Gray said. “Anything is possible -- that’s why they call it a Hail Mary.”

The Bearcats began the second half exactly how they ended the first -- with a score.

Aledo’s Jonny Carter took the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown.

But Aledo wasn't finished coming up with spectacular plays.

In the third, Bishop connected with Mann on a 44-yard touchdown pass on a throw off his back foot as a Corsicana defender pounded him. Mann made one slick move and found the goal line.

Aledo’s defense shut down Corsicana's 3,000-yard rusher, Cameron Washington, allowing him only 91 yards on 16 carries. But that did not come as much of a surprise to Corsicana head coach Phil Castles.

“They just played good defense against everyone they’ve played lately and they’re getting better and better," Castles said. "For us, that meant we had to throw it. We threw it some successfully, but not enough.”

And Gray backed up the hype that surrounded him coming into the semifinal match, Castles said.

In his typical humble nature, Gray had little to say about the record he is on the verge of breaking, but echoed the sentiment of his coach -- who said there is still more for his team to achieve than records.

“We’ll worry about records later," Buchanan said. "We just want to go win another state championship. We really don’t keep up with it, to be honest with you. That’s for you guys. We just go with the flow and Johnathan can look back on that when he’s my age, but right now it really doesn’t mean much to him.”

What matters most is Aledo's date Saturday at noon with the winner of the Manvel and Corpus Christi Calallen semifinal.

“We have to win it now," Gray said of the state title game. "We’re not satisfied with just getting there again. We have to win it, and after that we’ll be satisfied with that for high school and move on to college football.”

Three straight 4A state titles would have to be satisfying.

DALLAS – The nation’s top recruit said his commitment to Florida State may not be a closed case Thursday.

Denton Ryan defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. sent that message to the audience at the 2011 Tom Landry Award presentation, as well as a local TV audience.

“Right now I am verbally committed to Florida State, but I am keeping my options open,” Edwards said on stage.

Edwards says he still has LSU and Oklahoma under consideration and is also taking a recruiting trip to Texas this weekend. After traveling to Austin, Edwards will take trips to LSU and Oklahoma and said he may even travel west to check out USC.

Edwards says he’s taking time to envision himself in the game plans of schools other than Florida State.

“I’m seeing how I could fit into the scheme of a defense and just the atmosphere of the whole campus,” Edwards said.

Edwards committed to Florida State in March of this year, but was in attendance at Oklahoma’s Big 12 opener against Missouri, according to ESPN HornsNation.

Edwards then told ESPN National Recruiting that after watching OU dismantle Texas in the Red River Rivalry, he saw the Sooners as a good fit.

He went on to say that he wants to escape the shadow of his father, former Florida State and Dallas Cowboys player Mario Edwards Sr., and “start his own trend.”

Edwards also said he had bumped up his weight from 270 pounds to 290 pounds, Thursday.

Edwards was a finalist for the Landry Award, given each year to Dallas-Fort Worth’s top football player, which went to Aledo running back Johnathan Gray.

DALLAS – The awards just keep running toward Aledo.

Just days after being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Aledo running back Johnathan Gray won his second straight Tom Landry Award on Thursday as the top football player in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The other finalists were Allen’s Alec Morris, Denton Ryan’s Mario Edwards Jr., McKinney Boyd’s Bryan Driskell and Dallas Jesuit’s Jake Oliver.

“Going up against this great group of guys, it’s been a great ride,” Gray said. “To win this twice is a really great honor and I’m blessed. It’s something I can share with my team because it’s a team effort.”

Edwards, who is friends with Gray, agreed with the media voters on their selection.

“He’s a great player,” Edwards said. “He’s humble and he works hard and he does whatever it takes to win. He definitely deserves this award.”

Gray’s name remains the only one on the trophy other than that of the award’s namesake. The Landry Award debuted last year.

“Last year I was in shock because he was a junior going against four seniors,” Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said. “I was really surprised again this year because it’s hard to win anything back-to-back, whether it’s a football game or an award. It just shows the character of Johnathan Gray. He’s a great kid and a great football player.”

Thursday night’s ceremony was a nice break for Gray and Buchanan, who have spent the week rigorously preparing for Friday's Class 4A Division II state semifinal against Corsicana.

But it’s a quick turnaround. The Bearcats will hit the field house in Aledo at 8:30 a.m. sharp Friday for a quick team meeting and to pack uniforms. After a day of classes they’ll head out of Aledo at 2 p.m. to get food and head for Mesquite Memorial Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

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Once the Bearcats hit the field, it’s time for Gray to put on another show.

“Offensively, we have to get the ball in Johnathan Gray’s hands, whether it be hand it to him, pitch it to him or throw it to him, and get him in the end zone,” Buchanan said.

Aledo will be facing a player that Buchanan calls "their own version of Johnathan Gray" in Cameron Washington, Corsicana's 3,000-yard rusher.

“He’s a real big back, a power back," Gray said. "When he hits the hole, he hits the hole hard, and when he gets a breaking, you’re probably not going to catch him.”

Gray hopes to keep the party going after the Bearcats' battle with Corsicana, but he allowed himself to cut loose and celebrate a historic career at Thursday's ceremony.

“I’m celebrating tonight, but tomorrow I’m staying focused on Corsicana and hopefully go out there and beat those guys,” Gray said.

William Wilkerson of HornsNation caught up with Dallas Lake Highlands offensive tackle Kent Perkins after Friday's game against Dallas Sunset and talked recruiting as well as how wrestling has helped him become a standout on the football field.

Perkins -- all 6-foot-5, 300-pounds of athlete -- has offers from several Texas schools and is expecting one from UT.

For those with insider access, check out Wilkerson's story here at Horns Nation.

Fifteen players formerly of Metroplex colleges and high schools were drafted this weekend in the 2011 NFL Draft.

TCU led the area colleges in players picked with five, including the Cincinatti Bengals’ 35th overall pick of quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round. Dalton, a Katy, Texas, native, hold’s TCU’s record for most wins, going 42-7 in his four years as the Horned Frogs' starting QB.

Odessa native Marcus Cannon went in the fifth round to New England as the 138th pick in the draft. Just before the draft, Cannon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but he told ESPN Dallas’ Richard Durrett he was thankful to be selected. Cannon, an offensive lineman, was a two-time first team All-Mountain West selection at TCU.

Following Cannon for the Frogs was wide receiver Jeremy Kerley at pick No. 153 to the New York Jets, where he will join former Frogs LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Colman. Kerley was a first-team All-American return specialist and ranks ninth all time at TCU in career receptions. Kerley played his high school career for the Hutto Hippos.

Safety Colin Jones went to the San Fransico 49ers in the sixth round as the 190th pick overall. Jones was second on TCU during his senior season in tackles with 80 and tackles for loss with 11.5. He was a standout running back and four-year letterman at Bridgeport High School.

The Patriots dipped into the Fort Worth talent pool again in the seventh round, taking cornerback Malcom Williams No. 219 overall. Williams was a two-year letterman for the Frogs and played in high school at South Grand Prairie.

SMU sent a receiver to the NFL through the draft for the second straight year with Aldrick Robinson going to the Washington Redskins as the 178th pick overall, in the sixth round. He follows Emmanuel Sanders who went 82nd overall to the Pittsburg Stealers in the 2010 draft. Robinson, a Waxahachie native, set a school record at SMU with 14 touchdowns and finished second with 1,301 receiving yards in 2010.

Linebacker Von Miller formally of DeSoto went second overall to the Denver Broncos after recording 59 tackles and 1 INT in his 2010 season at Texas A&M.

Following Miller in the first round was Colleyville Heritage’s Christian Ponder as the 12th pick overall to the Minnesota Vikings. Ponder threw for 2,044 yards and 20 TDs in 2010 at Florida State.

In the fourth round, former Dallas St. Mark’s and Texas defensive end Sam Acho went to the Arizona Cardinals as the 103rd pick overall. In 2010, Acho made 60 tackles and forced two fumbles.

The Cowboys selected former Cedar Hill cornerback Josh Thomas in the fifth round, 143rd overall. Cedar Hill head coach Joey McGuire told ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon that Thomas will be a very hard worker for the Cowboys.

Ten picks before Waxahachie’s Robinson was selected, offensive lineman Demarcus Love of Dallas Carter was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round.

Former Metroplex players flew off the board in a flurry in the seventh round, beginning with former Southlake Carroll quarterback Greg McElroy, 208th overall to the Jets. Along with winning a national championship at Alabama in 2009, McElroy threw for 2,987 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010.

At pick 216, defensive back Mikail Baker, formally of Dallas Skyline and Baylor, went to the St. Louis Rams, three picks before South Grand Pairie’s Williams.

Bringing up the end of the draft were two players from the University of Oklahoma who had come from the Metroplex, Jonathan Nelson and Jeremy Beal. Nelson, a cornerback from Mansfield Summit, went to the Rams as the 229th pick. Beal, a defensive end from Carrollton Creekview, went to the Broncos as the 247th pick.

AUSTIN -- Lucas Lovejoy’s state title dreams were dashed by a record-breaking performance as they fell to Abilene Wylie, 66-58, Saturday in the girls 3A state title game at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

Wylie’s Peyton Little set a UIL state tournament record for points, scoring 43 in route to Wylie’s third girls basketball state championship in school history.

“It’s a great feeling,” Little said. “Me and my team have worked extremely hard to get to this point. To come out and play good and hit shots -- it’s been my dream.”

The junior Texas commit was more than excited to find her shot in her future collegiate home.

Lovejoy had a 12-9 lead after the first period, but a 20-point second quarter from Wylie would give the Lady Bulldogs a lead they would keep until the trophy presentation.

Lovejoy’s aggressive style of defense got it into foul trouble early and forced a few key players to the bench in the second half.

Leopards post Courtney Smith finished with a team-high 13 points, followed by Mikaehla Connor with 12 and senior Millie Rivera with 11.

Lovejoy won’t be bringing gold medals back to Lucas, but head coach Kelly Connor said the Leopards can take pride in their season.

“They’ve just done so much this year -- being undefeated in district and getting to the state tournament. I know it hurts right now, but every time they walk back in that gym there will be a banner that says they are state finalists.”

Before the Leopards' trip to Austin this year, Lovejoy had never made it past the regional semifinal.

Even with tears still in her eyes, Rivera said the experience of the state tournament was satisfying.

“It’s definitely been a great experience,” Rivera said. “I know we wanted to win, but still, the memories will last with us forever, especially the seniors who’ve been here so long and been working for this for so long.”

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Two collegiate players who have played games in the Rose Bowl Stadium over the past two years came from a single area high school.

No, it’s not Euless Trinity or Southlake Carroll. It’s none other than little Woodrow Wilson in the heart of East Dallas who supplied TCU with defensive back Greg McCoy and Texas with linebacker Sergio Kindle.

Woodrow head coach Bobby Estes went to both of his former player’s games in Pasadena, last year when Kindle and Texas played in the national championship game and TCU's New Year's Day Rose Bowl victory.

“It was an electric atmosphere,” Estes said. “It’s historical. ... And to see Greg perform so well. He made some outstanding plays. It was great stuff.”

Estes said he talked to McCoy before the Horned Frogs’ first Rose Bowl game and gave him advice on returning kicks. He said McCoy was elated after the game and was very happy on his decision four years prior to go to TCU.

McCoy joined TCU four years ago when the Frogs were happy to make it to the Texas Bowl. In the four years McCoy has been at TCU, the team has become a national power with two BCS berths and a Rose Bowl victory.

Estes said he will use McCoy’s story to help motivate his players back at Woodrow, showing them that anything is possible in four years' time.

“TCU was very competitive and a good football team when Greg entered TCU, but aspirations of being undefeated and a national championship, that wasn’t on the agenda,” Estes said. “These kids understand that it’s not where you go to school, it’s the difference you make when you go to school, and we apply that to Woodrow Wilson.”

Woodrow’s campus sits just a few blocks away from Juliette Fowler Homes, historically a home for orphans and widows when it was established 119 years ago and now serving as a retirement community. As, perhaps, a new mantra for the Wildcats this upcoming season, Estes drew a connection between TCU’s rallying cry of “Little Sisters of the Poor” and Woodrow’s place in the East Dallas community.

“Being down the street from an orphanage, we might be the little orphans of North Texas, but we want to play like the mighty mites of the area,” he said.