Broken Arrow Tigers Baseball Coach on Sunday's NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Broken Arrow (Oklahoma) head baseball coach Shannon Dobson will join Trish Hoffman and me on the June 5th NHCSA Sports Hour.

In mid-May Dobson's Tigers (36-2) won their second state baseball championship by beating Owasso 4-0.  Coming into the game, Owasso was ranked #1 in the country by Baseball America and riding a 33-game win streak.  The Rams were also going after their 9th title in 14 years.

Broken Arrow captured the title behind the strong right-arm of Archie Bradley, who is considered a possible first-round pick in next month's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.  The 6-4 Bradley, who throws in the mid-90's threw a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts.

Click here to read the game summary from May 15th from Tulsa World Sports Reporter Mike Brown.

Here's a look at the latest Baseball America Top 10 through May 24th.

Baseball America Top 10

1. Edison (CA) 24-3
2. Spanish Fork (UT) 24-2
3. Archbishop McCarthy (FL) 27-3
4. Broken Arrow (OK) 37-2
5. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 22-0
6. JSerra Catholic (CA) 24-4
7. Carroll (TX) 31-6
8. Marist (GA) 29-3
9. Clements (TX) 33-3
10. Buchanan (CA) 28-2

Click here for the entire Top 25.

Keeping-up with previous NHSCA Sports Hour guests/teams....

Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas) Lee Yeager (February 27th show) - The Tigers are still alive in the Texas high school baseball playoffs.  Carroll, ranked #6 by Baseball America and the defending Texas 5A champs, will play Laredo in the Region IV-5A best of three series starting Thursday.

Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas) Bubba Starling (April 3rd show) - The kid who many believe is the best athlete in Kansas history closed out his high school career with a loss in the Class 5A regionals.  Many expect Starling, who's accepted a football scholarship to Nebraska to be picked in the Top 5 in baseball's amateur draft.


Maxwell (California), Eric Lay (May 1st show) - Won the CIF Northern Section Division V championship with a perfect 30-0 record.  Pitchers Steven Perry and Tyler Wells continued their incredible performance ending the season with a combined 11 no-hitters.  Both pitchers finished the season with perfect 0.00 ERAs.  Maxwell will take a 46-game win streak into next season.

Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Tim Hopley (April 17th show) - The Clippers have pushed their national record win streak to 79 straight.  The three-time defending Division II champs will begin the journey for a four-peat when they open the post-season on June 2nd.


St. Francis (Mountain View, California) Mike Oakland (March 20th show) - The former #1 team in the nation and top-seed in the Central Coast Section playoffs lost in the opening round.  St. Francis' season ended with a loss to 16th seed Carlmont.

Click here for a list of past shows

"Best of" NHSCA Sports Hour Today

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Happy Memorial Day everyone!!

We're taking the holiday weekend off, so they'll be a Best of NHSCA Sports Hour show today at 6 PM EST.

Trish and I will be back live next Sunday on the Artist First Radio Network.  We're still booking the June 5th show, but we do know that we'll be joined by Long Beach Poly head football coach Raul Lara.

Poly is known as the school that has produced the most NFL players.

Coach Lara will join us to talk about the nine-part television series call 4th and Forever that documents Poly's 2010 season on Current TV.  The series premiered on Thursday night.

NHSCA/GTM Sportswear Athlete of the Month

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

April's GTM Sportswear Athlete of the Month is actually Athletes of the Month.

The incredible wrestling trio of Chris Phillips, Hunter Steiber and Cam Tessari of Monroeville High School in Ohio were the top vote getters in April.  the trio made United States wrestling history by becoming four-time state champs in the same year.

Phillips, who won all four of his state titles at 171 pounds, finished his career with an incredible 193-1 record.  Steiber was right behind Phillips with a 193-2 mark, while Tessari ended his career with a 187-6 record.

Steiber and Tessari will both attend Ohio State, while Phillips will wrestle in college at NC State.

To learn more about the NHSCA/GTM Sportswear Athlete of the Month or to nominate someone, go to www.nhsca.com.

Below is the list of this year's winners...click here to learn about their accomplishments.

September  2010 - Evan Kreger, Hodgeman County HS (Kansas) - Football
October 2010 - Abbey Leonardi, Kennebunk HS (Maine) - Cross Country
November 2010 - Rainey Gaffin, Legacy HS (Colorado) - Softball
December 2010 - Courtney Van Groningen, Sterling HS (Nebraska) - Volleyball
January 2011 - Ben Whitford, Marmion Academy (Illinois) - Wrestling
March 2011 - Jasmine Hines, Central Lake HS (Michigan) - Girls Basketball

Portsmouth (NH) High School Baseball Team Breaks National Record for Consecutive Wins

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Congratulations to Tim Hopley and the Portsmouth High School baseball team.



Last week, the Clippers beat Pembroke to establish a new national record for consecutive victories.  The 10-2 win gave the New Hampshire school 76 straight wins, surpassing Homer (Michigan) High's record of 75 straight.

Click here to read about the record-setting win in the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Click here to listen to our April 17th interview with Coach Hopley on the NHSCA Sports Hour.

Shannon Dean Talks About Vero Beach's 6th Straight Florida Girls Lacrosse State Title

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

When it comes to girls lacrosse in Florida, Vero Beach High is head-and-shoulder above everyone else.

On today's NHSCA Sports Hour, head coach Shannon Dean will talk about the dedication of his kids, who have led the school to six straight Florida state championships.  Along the way, the Fighting Indians have also put together a 60-game win streak with back-to-back undefeated seasons.

Dean credits his players for always looking for ways to improve upon perfection.

Here's highlights from this year's state championship game on May 7th. Vero Beach beat Winter Springs 20-3 for the Florida High School Athletic Association title. In six, dominating post-season games, Vero Beach outscored its opponents 122-14.



Currently the Fighting Indians are ranked #6 in the latest ESPNRise.com Fab 50. Below is a look at the Top 10. Click here to see the entire rankings.

ESPNRise.com Fab 50

1. McDonough (MD) 19-0
2. Garden City (NY) 15-0
3. Fox Lane (NY) 16-0
4. West Genesee (NY) 14-0
5. St. Anthony's (NY) 13-2
6. Vero Beach (FL) 22-0
7. Farmingdale (NY) 13-1
8. Pittsford (NY) 15-0
9. Hauppauge (NY) 15-0
10. Westminster (MD) 13-0

Lowell HS Teaches Schools "How to Play for a Cause"

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

If you listened to Lowell (Michigan) head football coach Noel Dean on today's NHSCA Sports Hour talk about Friday's (May 20th) seminar that will teach schools how to "Play for a Cause", and want to get information about the event, please email coach at ndean@lowell.k12.mi.us.

The day will begin with Paqui Kelly, wife of Notre Dame University head football coach Brian Kelly, addressing the attendees with her personal story of her battle with breast cancer.  Coach Kelly and his wife have given back to their community through the Kelly Cares Foundation.

It will end with former Detroit Lion Chris Spielman talking about his wife Stephanie, who has survived four bouts with breast cancer, but ultimately died during her fifth battle with the disease in 2009.  During her fight, Stephanie founded the Spielman Fund that has raised nearly $8 million for breast cancer patients and research at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center at James Cancer Hospital.

The cost of the seminar is $50 per district and includes lunch.

Wall-to-Wall High School Football on Today's NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

I've lined-up an interesting show today centered on high school football that will range from the NFL Draft to how schools can raise money to help their communities.

Rick Bray, head football coach at Colton High School, will join me to talk about his school's distinction of having the most players drafted by the NFL last month.  Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith was taken in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens; USC running back Allen Bradford went to Tampa Bay in the sixth round; and USC safety Shareece Wright was selected in the third round by San Diego.

In the past six years, only De La Salle (Concord, CA) and Long Beach Poly (California) in 2006, and St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) in 2010 have had three players selected in one NFL draft.

Making a return visit to the show will be Noel Dean, head football coach at Lowell High School in Michigan.  Dean is the man with the idea that started the Pink Arrow Pride game three years ago that has raised nearly a million dollars for members of the community that are dealing with cancer at different levels.

Trish Hoffman and I visited Lowell last September with our High School Football America cameras to witness an incredible outpouring of love and dedication to this cause, which sees the football team turn from the traditional Red Arrows into the Pink Arrows with pink jerseys to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.  They've raised so much money that they've been able to bring a Gilda's Club to Lowell.

Today, Coach Dean will talk about a seminar that the Pink Arrow Pride organizers will give at the school on Friday.  The seminar will teach others schools from around Michigan how to "play for a cause".



My third guest will be Ron Massey, who has retired as the head football coach at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, North Carolina.  Massey will talk about how his school was able to attract Mike Newsome to be its new head coach.  Newsome left Butler High earlier this week after winning back-to-back state championships.

Click here to listen to the show LIVE at 6PM EST

May 8th NHSCA Sports Hour Now Available FREE On-Demand

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

If you missed Sunday's show, you can now listen to it FREE On-Demand by clicking here.

Our guests were Michael Beck, head baseball coach at Holt High School in Alabama talking about the devastating tornadoes from a couple of weeks ago; Channa Norman, owner of the blog Life As a Coaches Wife; and Bill Bruno, athletic director at Brick Township Schools, and Marcus Borden, head football coach at East Brunswick, who talked about the push to bring a new football playoff system to New Jersey.

BTW...the Alabama High School Athletic Association has set-up a Relief Fund to help those affected by the tornadoes.  Click here to go to the AHSAA's website to donate.

What's It Like to Be the Wife of a Texas High School Football Coach?

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Happy Mother's Day to all today!!

When thinking about topics for today's show, I thought it would be great to have on the wife of a coach to get her perspective what it's like to be married to someone, who also has a second love...in today's case a love of football.

A quick Google search turned-up Channa Norman, who has been blogging about the subject for several years.  Here blog "Life As a Coaches Wife" chronicles her journey with her husband JR Norman, who is an offensive line coach at Nimitz High School outside of Dallas.

Click here to listen to my chat with Channa LIVE at 6 PM EST

"True" High School Football Champs in New Jersey?

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

By December, New Jersey high school football fans will know whether the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association will begin crowning overall state champs. Currently, the NJSIAA only awards sectional championships.

On today's NHSCA Sports Hour we'll talk with Bill Bruno, athletic director at Brick Memorial, and Marcus Borden, head football coach at East Brunswick, who are working together on a proposal to extend the playoffs beyond the present set-up that crowns 19 sectional and non-public champs.  The new system, if approved, will result in seven champions.

Earlier this week, the NJSIAA executive committee approved a proposal to allow its member schools to vote on an amendment to the state athletic constitution that would extend the playoffs that would allow for state group championships. If the amendment is approved by a two-third majority, New Jersey could begin playing for overall state titles in 2013.

Click here to listen to the show LIVE at 6 PM EST

Alabama High School Baseball Coach on Tomorrow's NHSCA Sports Hour to Talk About Baseball and Life After Last Week's Tornadoes

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

I remember sitting in LaGuardia Airport last Thursday during delay-after-delay for my flight to Charleston, South Carolina.  The delays were caused by severe storms that stretched up-and-down the east coast.

While most times I would have been angry at the 13-hour delay that landed me in Charleston at 1 AM Friday morning, instead of noon on Thursday, this time I was okay with the situation.  The reason...I spent a lot of time in the airport watching CNN coverage of the tornadoes that ripped through Alabama and Mississippi on Wednesday.  Whatever words I would write right now, wouldn't do justice to the destruction I watched over-and-over while waiting for my flight.

One of the main focuses of the coverage was in the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which was one of the hardest hit areas.  The clean-up continues as I write this piece, and will for quite some time.

While it pales in comparison, the storms caused a lot of damage to the Alabama high school sports scene, with the Alabama High School Athletic Association delaying post-season action in baseball, golf, soccer, softball and track and field for about five days.

One of the teams affected with Holt High School's baseball team.  The Ironmen had advanced to the second round of the AHSAA Class 4A playoffs against Oak Grove, however, with Holt's schools serving as a emergency shelters for families displayed by the storms, the team was knocked-out of the tournament with 12-2 and 9-4 losses on Monday in the best-of-three series.

Tomorrow, I'll talk with Holt head baseball coach Michael Beck, who'll talk about his team and his community that is trying to get back to what he calls "the new normal".

Click here to read the Oak Grove game story from the Birmingham News.

Click here to listen to the show live tomorrow at 6 PM EST.

Alabama Senior Break's U.S. Softball Home Run Record

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Congratulations to Pisgah High School's Shelby Holley for breaking the national high school record for career home runs.

Holley hit her 62nd career homer today in a game against Sylvania.  The surprising thing is that Holley passed another former Pisgah Eagle, Holly Currie, who clubbed 61 round-trippers during her career.

Currie, who went on to play at Auburn, set the previous record between 2000 and 2003.

Holley also set the national record for homers in a season with 25.

May 1st NHSCA Sports Hour is Now Posted in the Archives

If you missed last Sunday's NHSCA Sports Hour, it's now posted free in our archives so you can listen to it on-demand.

The show features Eric Lay, head baseball coach at Maxwell High School (CA); Rocco Casullo, head football coach at St. Thomas Aquinas (FL); and Joe Moreau, head girls soccer coach at Neaqua Valley High in Illinois.

Click here to listen to the show

No-Hitters...Spring Football & Girls Soccer on May 1st NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Looking forward to today's show that will feature some of the country's top coaches and programs.

Headlining the show will be Maxwell High School (Maxwell, CA) head baseball coach Eric Lay will to talk about his team’s incredible eight no-hitters so far this season.

Maxwell’s been led by pitcher Steven Perry, who tied a California state record earlier this year by tossing four straight no-hitters. Perry’s teammate Tyler Wells has thrown three no-hitters. The team’s eighth no-hitter was a joint effort by Perry and Tyler.

With spring football practice beginning tomorrow in Florida, I'll chat with Rocco Casullo, the new head football coach at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. Casullo has the tough job of taking over for the legendary George Smith, who resigned after leading the Raiders to six state championships and two “mythical” national titles.



My third guest today show will be Joe Moreau, the head coach of the Neuqua Valley High School girls’ soccer team that is ranked #1 in America by ESPNRise.com. Moreaue is just one of five Illinois girls soccer coaches to win over 300 matches.

Click here to listen to the show LIVE at 6 PM EST