In most sports students and fans usually pay attention to the varsity teams. However, the Coppell Boys junior varsity team deserves some recognition.

The JV golf team is undefeated, throughout all of the tournaments they have played in this season. One of them being at Oak Hollow golf course in McKinney last Monday. Sumner Little was the lowest scoring player for the Coppell team shooting a 72, Little also received the first place trophy.

Next on the team behind Little, was Travis Underwood who shot an 82 and finished in the top ten.

The Junior Varsity teams next tournament is on Oct. 10 at the Oakmont golf course in Denton.

Staff Writer

As golfers and volunteers arrived on Friday for the second annual Taylor’s Gift golf tournament at Brookhaven Country Club, a poster with all the recipients of Taylor Storch’s organs reminded them why they are supporting such an important cause.

On March 15, 2010, thirteen-year-old Coppell resident Taylor Storch lost her life in a skiing accident while on vacation in Colorado. Her parents, Todd and Tara Storch made the choice to donate her organs as Taylor’s final gift. The Taylor’s Gift Foundation was then created to promote organ donation awareness.

Over the past year, the Taylor’s Gift foundation has grown into a well-known organization across the country. From what started as a segment on WFAA, Taylor’s Gift soon gained media attention from across the country reaching television programs such as “Good Morning America” and “The Ellen Degeneres Show.”

“We hear from the official organ donor registrations in the states that when we do something that is on TV, the state registrations increase,” Taylor’s Gift founder and Taylor’s father Todd Storch said. “The biggest impact would be when Tara [wife and Taylor’s mother] went on Ellen. We got statistics back from about twenty different states showing how the very next day we spiked organ donation registry.”

In one year Taylor’s Gift has reached thousands of people across the country and reached almost 15,000 followers on Facebook. With the organization continuously growing, Taylor’s Gift hosts and attends multiple events a month around the country.

“We have a number of different events that we annually do,” Storch said. “The way our foundation is structured, we either do speaking engagements, corporate sponsorships, or fundraising opportunities. The golf tournament was definitely a major event for us… It raises money for the foundation, helps us sign people up to be organ donors, and raise awareness for the overall foundation.”

In addition to golf, Friday’s activities included a silent auction. Over 130 people participated.

“I really wanted to support Taylor’s Gift,” Coppell First Baptist Church youth minister Charley Hellmuth said. “The Storchs are friends of ours, and I could think of no better way to support them.”

Tara Storch opened the shotgun tournament with the ceremonial first drive. The remainder of the day consisted of the players going around the course to play at different holes sponsored by various companies in the Dallas area.

Coppell parent Jason Runnels, a volunteer for the organization, participated in the golf tournament last year and was excited to do it again this year.

“It is a great event with a great cause, and I like to do anything I can to support the organization,” Runnels said.

This is not the first time for Runnels to help out with the organization. At the Taylor’s Gift Volleyball Tournament in late July, he, his wife, and two daughters volunteered at the event.

“We did check ins and several other things,” Runnels said. “Just about everything they do we try and get involved in some way.”

Though Runnels did not volunteer for the event, there were many other people helping out during the day. From filling gift bags to finding sponsors for the event, the volunteers were a key element of making the day a success such as Taylor’s Gift event director, Linda Medina, who oversaw the planning of the day.

Medina was originally a volunteer for the organization during the very beginning stages of Taylor’s Gift. But as the organization grew, she became the foundation’s full time event director.

“My background is in event planning, and so I started talking to Todd letting him know that I would be willing to help,” Medina said. “Then pretty soon one event lead to all the events. I believe that organ donation is the number one curable cause of death. If people knew and understood that they have to select to be one, but people don’t know that they have to make a choice about it because they don’t like to think about death.”

For one golfer at the tournament, this was very much true when making the decision to donate his kidney to his best friend. Former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls participated in the golf tournament. For him being an organ donor meant saving his best friend.

In December of 2006, Walls announced that he would donate a kidney to best friend and former Dallas Cowboys teammate, Ron Springs who had diabetes. The surgery was successfully completed in the spring of 2007. Walls then created the Ron Springs and Everson Walls Gift for Life Foundation, which is how Walls become connected with the organization.

“I know Todd very well, and we clicked when we first met,” Walls said. “We are going to be doing a couple of things in the near future. They’re a lot busier than our foundation, so I’m going to just try and help them out as much as possible.”

On Friday night, the event came to a close with announcements of who won the auction items and prize drawings. Storch was very pleased with how the day unfolded.

“Overall the day was a success,” Storch said. “When we heard golfers talking about it, they said that it was some of the most fun they have had at a golf tournament. And compared to last year we had more golfers play and raised more money for the foundation than last year.”

Staff Writer

Under the direction of coaches Richardson and Galbraith, the Coppell Golf team has steadily constructed a tradition of excellence. After only their first tournaments, this season’s golf team is already looking to be one of the greatest to don a Cowboy uniform.

The varsity boys ventured to Lubbok for the Red Raider Fall Classic this past Friday, and managed to break a school record with a team score of 1 under par after the first day of competition. Coppell sagged a bit after day one and fell back to third place - before rallying to eclipse Frenship HS in the final strokes to claim 2nd place behind Southlake Carroll.

Eric Ver Duin and Daniel Dickens led the way for the Cowboys with scores of 145 each - and a exceptional day one score of 68 for Ver Duin.

The Cowboys’ success at an exceedingly rigorous tournament in Lubbock will surely bolster their confidence as they prepare for the rest of the season’s tournaments (including a Fort Worth tournament this weekend). However, the Men’s Varsity golf team wasn’t alone in starting the season with a bang!

The JV boys shot a phenomenal score of 326 to win the Hackberry Creek tournament in their debut. Led by high-scoring juniors Travis Underwood, Sumner Little and Frank Gerome, this JV squad appears to be capable of winning all 6 of their autumn tournaments.

But let’s not forget the Women’s Teams! The Varsity girls, led by an extraordinary Freshman and first place finisher in Chaithra Katamneni, also won their Hackberry Creek Tournament ruthlessly. Coppell had 3 girls finish in the top 10, and took two out of the top 3 spots.

Without a doubt this whole week was a colossal victory for the Coppell golf program. Hopefully, the record-breaking performances in Coppell Golf’s debut tournaments are a sign of great things to come for the rest of the season.

Staff Writer

The temperature is finally dropping and the students of CHS are already falling back into the routine of school. Autumn has arrived, and Coppell’s many fall sports are starting up left and right.

While the rest of the school cheers on the Cowboys football team on Friday September 9, the Men’s Golf team will be embarking on a 6 hour trip to Lubbock for their first tournament of the year.

In Lubbock, the 2011-2012 Men’s Golf team will compete with other North Texas schools at The Rawls Course at Texas Tech and the Shadow Hills Golf Course, both in Lubbock. It will be a worthy test for the new Varsity golf team as they finalize preparations for the rigorous fall season.

If history is of any value, the Cowboys should thrive in Lubbock. The last fall season saw CHS Men’s golfers finish in the top 3 in multiple tournaments, including two first place winners.

Former prolific CHS golfer Hunter Robinson has departed for the collegiate level, but there is much talent still on Coppell’s roster ready to step up and take the mantle. This season’s squad consists largely of juniors such as Alex Garcia, while retaining a core of seniors leading the group, such as Wesley Vohs.

It is vital that the team performs to the best of its ability, as they need all the confidence and experience they can get going into their six other tournaments of the fall season.

The JV Men’s team, and the Womens’ Teams, will both debut on Monday September 12 at the Hackberry Country Club.

El 15 de octubre, momentos antes de que los aficionados se dirigió hacia el campo para ver el partido de fútbol americano contra el equipo de Southlake Carroll, el equipo de golf de Coppell fue el anfitrión de su octava cena anual de enchiladas en el común con la esperanza de colectar dinero suficiente para el año entero.

Puntos de venta vino de la venta de tiquetes, boletos de la rifa y una subasta silenciosa, que consistió de una serie de premios. Postores podrían regresar a casa con rondas de golf en los campos de golf, joyas, paquetes de spa, autógrafos de todos los tipos de estrellas y mucho más.

“Esta noche mi trabajo fue la creación de la subasta y la preparación de las hojas de licitación,” madre Janna Horner dijo. “Un montón de trabajo duro, esfuerzo y donaciones van para hacer este evento tan exitoso como los últimos años. En general, es una gran organización. Veo a mis hijos jugar todos los días y se merecen todos los fondos que pueden ganar. ”

Aunque la mayoría de las organizaciones de la escuela tienen la oportunidad de hacer dos eventos para colectar fondos cada año, el equipo de golf típicamente consigue $ 12,000 a $ 14,000 en esta única tarde.

“Continuamos esta cena por la razón que nuestras experiencias pasadas han demostrado ser muy buena,” director atlético de niños Terry Galbraith dijo. “El evento entero es un esfuerzo conjunto con la venta de boletos de la rifa y la subasta. Estamos agradecidos por todo el apoyo de nuestro club de afición, y lo más importante, estamos contentos que una noche para colectar fondos puede conseguir tanto como un año entero del departamento atlético gastando.”
La cena de enchiladas no es su típica venta de pasteles o camisetas, es una noche donde los asistentes están servidos una cena y unas bebidas mientras dando la oportunidad de llevar premios a casa que no se puede encontrar en cualquier lugar. De acuerdo al director atlético de niñas Richardson Kirk, es una situación donde todos ganan algo, incluyendo el equipo de golf.

“Tenemos que trabajar la noche entera, sirviendo bebidas o vendiendo comida, pero no me importa porque lo que colectamos paga por todos los viajes y el equipo necesario para el resto del año,” estudiante mayor Robinson Hunter dijo. “El único viaje que tuve que pagar fue de Lubbock, pero prefiero pagar por uno en vez de todos.”

Aunque hay una gran cantidad de reconocimiento con los voluntarios del club de afición, la comunidad es el elemento más importante de la noche.

“Esta cena gana dinero suficiente para salvar un poco para el año siguiente también porque la comunidad sale y nos apoya,” Richardson dijo. “Con el juego más grande de voleibol y fútbol americano que se celebra esta noche, esperamos conseguir una participación más grande que hemos visto en el pasado.

Staff Writer

The Byron Nelson golf tournament began on Thursday; it featured none of the 16 best players in the game, according to the world rankings.

It is becoming more and more popular for the top golfers to skip the Nelson, but why? Many players don’t like how the course plays; they opt for the Colonial Tournament instead, which is a week later.

Since golfers like to have a week off in between tournaments, especially when playing a major, which would seem to fit where the Nelson is on the schedule, two weeks after the Players Championship and two weeks before the Memorial. Perfect, right?

Even back when Bryon Nelson was alive, he had to recruit golfers to come play at his tournament, now the top guys just are showing up.

That’s why we get names like Cameron Beckman and Blake Adams atop the leader board through two days of action.

            Tomorrow, the CHS golf team competes in district at Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound. Coach Kirk Richardson is optimistic about the team’s future as well as certain individuals.

       “I think we have a pretty good chance of winning district,” Richardson said. “As far as individuals, I expect to see a lot from [senior] Janny Kim, [sophomore] Aja Zarrehparvar, [junior] Lauren Murphy and [freshman] Tiffany Breitenwischer.”

        Zarrehparvar’s thoughts are along the same lines as Richardson’s.

          “As a team, I think we’ll either finish second or third,” Zarrehparvar said. “As an individual, I’m thinking low eighties. The par is usually 72 so low 70s are extremely good and low eighties are pretty good too.”

           The top two teams from district will advance to the regional tournament in Lubbock, April 21-22. Though it doesn’t technically count as an advantage, Coppell teams have had plenty of experience on the Bridlewood course.

      “If you asked any of the CHS players to map out Bridlewood, they probably could,” Zarrehparvar said. “We played there at our district preview and at the Vanessa Close tournament hosted by Marcus. It’s pretty much Marcus and Flower Mound’s home course so mostly everyone in the district knows it.”

            For both Coppell teams, the competition will be steep in regards to Southlake Carroll and Marcus. Southlake Carroll is two-time defending state champions and Marcus typically always advances to regionals.

                “To be honest, the only way we can win is if we manage our game well,” Zarrehparvar said. “It’s not like in football where you can hit the guy really hard and hurt their players. Southlake is focusing on us and we just need to return the focus and hope that they make mistakes.”

         Kim, who will be signing with Arkansas-Little Rock, will be instrumental in achieving one of the regional’s slots.

         “Janny is our senior and we rely on her a lot,” Zarrehparvar said. “If Lauren plays well, she’s dangerous also. She’s kind of like our stabilizer.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FjYMwPirrI

Now regardless of your thoughts on the scandal itself, this is by far one of the best ads I’ve seen in years. While some may think this ad in itself is a risky ploy (possibly alienating Nikes customers by siding with a man who has been scorned by women around the country), I think it’s brilliant. To show Tiger in this vulnerable state, his father’s voice speaking ghostly in the background, shows a man attempting to put himself at right with America. The only way this commercial could’ve been any more effective would’ve been to have a single tear streaking down Tiger’s cheek.

Tiger Woods will come out and face the music today.  In a controlled press conference where he will read a prepared statement to a small audience of the media.  No one besides people in Wood’s camp knows what Woods looks like or how he is doing mentally since the crash that exposed his secondary life.

Woods has been at a sex addiction center trying to rehab himself.  Also Friday he will address his golf future.  The rest of the PGA tour should pay attention to this announcement from the PGA heads that understand Woods is great for the game or the players the realize with Woods in the picture winning majors and tournaments are more difficult.

Whatever the case may be, Woods has been mainly hiding from media and questionnaires trying to get his life back together but this pause hasn’t exactly helped his public image.  This speech will give some closure to the incident but until Woods answers real questions from a randomly assembled audience of reporters, his demons will continue to haunt him.