Austin - The Radisson Hotel & Suites-Town Lake was the venue for the 2007-08 James R. Wilson Athletics Banquet, honoring HT's letter winners and team achievement awards for all sports.
Director of Athletics Ric Granryd began the night's festivities with a tribute to his coaching staff and teams which have faced a rare spate of personal obstacles this past year, but through sheer perseverance overcame it all, culminating in one of the most successful athletics years in recent history.
Assistant track coach Harvey Ware suffered a stroke over the Christmas holidays and was back on the track by the end of January.
The men's basketball team met a new coach in August, had many new players, and by the end of the first semester had endured the deaths of immediate family members of four players. They went on to post the best conference record since 2001.
Women's basketball coach Kerrie Patterson-Brown delivered her second child in early August, took on a full-time position as a teacher-coach at Johnston HS, and found the energy to lead the team to the second round of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Tournament for the first time.
Head Track Coach Howard Ware cared for not only his ailing twin brother Harvey, but also his wife, several close relatives who suffered health problems, and was bedside at the death of a close friend. He still managed to produce twenty national qualifiers, eight conference champions, and set five school records.
Men's and women's soccer coach Arick Lassiter overcame the challenge of coaching two teams simultaneously and teaching two classes, by leading the women's team to a RRAC conference berth in their debut season and producing the RRAC offensive and defensive players of the year.
Part-time basketball media relations representative Alan Wiederhold, was a full-time student at Texas State, covered games and reported for two newspapers, and found the time to be at every basketball home game and many away games. His work was recognized as he was asked to serve in an official statistics reporting capacity for the RRAC Tournament.
Highlights of the HT 2007-08 athletics season:
* Added a part-time basketball media relations representative.
* Added head men's basketball coach/admissions recruiter role.
* 1st men's soccer All-American and All-Region player.
* Men's soccer had the RRAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
* Men's soccer had a 3-time RRAC player of the week, 6 all together. Team finished tied for 2nd in RRAC with 4-2-1 record and 11-5-2 overall. 4 players 1st team all-conference, 3 2nd team all-conference.
* Women's soccer qualified for RRAC Tournament in its 1st year with a 2-4-1 record, 2-7-1 overall. Had two 2nd team all-conference selections.
* Cross Country was 2nd in RRAC Meet.
* Volleyball had 1 player make RRAC Libero of the Week twice. 1 player was 2nd team all-conference, and 1 player honorable mention.
* Men's basketball finished 8-8 in RRAC play and qualified for the RRAC tournament for the 2nd year in a row. Had two 2nd team all-conference picks and 1 honorable mention.
* Men's basketball had a 3-time RRAC player of the week, 4 all together.
* Women's basketball advanced to the 2nd round of the RRAC Tournament for the 1st time. Had a 10-6 RRAC record. Had 1 RRAC player of the week. 1 1st team all-conference, 1 2nd team, and 3 honorable mention.
* Women's golf competed in 4 tournaments this year and held a successful fundraiser tournament in December
* Baseball won RRAC South Division with a 9-3 record. Senior class has won 109 games.
* Baseball coach won his 550th game.
* Women's indoor 4x400 meter relay was 5th fastest in the nation.
* Track set school records in men’s javelin, men’s discus, women’s indoor and outdoor triple jump, men’s 4x800 relay. Were conference champions in men’s discus, men’s javelin, men’s 4x800m, women’s triple jump, women’s discus.
* Track national indoor qualifiers: men’s & women’s 4x400, women’s triple jump, men’s and women’s 400m, and women’s 200m.
* Track national outdoor qualifiers: men’s 4x400, women’s triple jump, men’s 400m, men’s 100m, women’s 200m.
* Weekly host of the AISD GO! program for young adults with disabilities