HERE  AND THERE,  plus   gossip and  rumors:  …..COMPETITION  is everything. 
Train  like  a champion and  play  like  a  champion.  The Livingston 7-on-7 football team was in Lufkin’s Abe Martin Stadium  Monday  night. Livingston finished the evening going against  the mighty  Lufkin  Panthers  of   Coach  John  Outlaw. The Panthers are in District 15-AAAAA and posted a 11-1  season  record  last football season.  Other schools in  the league are  Conroe  College  Park,  Conroe High, Magnolia,  Conroe Oak  Ridge  and The Woodlands. The Panthers Monday  night  were mighty impressive. The Panthers are going  to  be  very  good  at most all   positions and  the team  has great  depth.  A few parents of  the  Lufkin  players  were in  charge of   team  as several members of  the  Lufkin staff helped with the game (timers, scorer and  game officials)  Coach  Outlaw---one of the best in Texas---was seated  with  several  visiting  coaches  on   the   track. Livingston quarterbacks Dustin Harris and Josh Henderson,  both  juniors to  be,  are  making  progress. Both will see lots of action come August. The Lion  receivers  played  well.  Dustin Harris caught a few  pretty catches from q-back  Henderson.  Kevin  Nettles is  going to make the Lions an  excellent receiver.  Many, many  thanks to the Lion athletes that made  the trip to  Lufkin.  Lions will close out the 7-on-7 season on Monday, June  25  at Diboll starting  at  5:30 p.m.

Fishing  around in the big pond  
     ON SATURDAY,  June 23  in Palestine will  be  Adrian  Peterson  Day.   Peterson, a  Palestine High School graduate  and soon-to-be NFL player, will be honored with a  parade   starting  at  10 a.m. at the  Anderson   County  Courthouse and ending in the Old Town Palestine. Following  the  parade,  the city  will  make  a   presentation  to Peterson  at  Wildcat  Stadium. Peterson was  an All-American running back  at  the University of Oklahoma. He was  drafted  No. 7 overall  by  the  Minnesota  Vikings   in  April  during  the  NFL  draft.  ……….TERRY LeBlanc, a  former Livingston High School  assistant,  is  the  new  head  football  coach at  UIL Class 3A  Carrollton  Ranchview  High  School.  LeBlanc,  46,  has a career record of  20-31-1 in seven years as a head coach, with  previous  stops at  1A  San Isidro, 3A  Anahuac, 2A Danbury  and 1A  Riesel.. He served  as the defensive  backs coach at Carrollton  Newman  Smith last  year and  was  a  finalist  for its recent  head  coaching  vacancy.  LeBlanc is entering his 25th  year  as a football coach. He began his career in 1983  as a part-time coach at  Oregon  State  under then-head  coach Joe Avezzano, who went on to become the Cowboys’ special  teams  coach.  LeBlanc  is a native of  Nederland. He and  his  wife,  Lydia,  are the parents  of three  sons, Jan,  23  (a senior at  UT-Arlington);  Chris, 18 (recently graduated from  Lake Dallas),  and  Jason, 14  (will be a  freshman  at Lake Dallas in the fall). ……

Nelson attends Nike Camp
DALLAS---- Think you  have  what   it   takes  to  punt,  kick a  field  goal,  kick  an  extra   point  and   kick off  for a  major  NCAA  Division I  university  football  team?
   Blue chip punters and kickers  across the country were invited to a  Nike   Camp  Friday and  Saturday,  June 22-23, by  kicking  instructor  Chris Sailer  of California.
   The  two-day  camp was held  at  Jesuit  College  Prep, 12345 Inwood Road,  in  Dallas.  
   Drew Nelson, 6-foot-1,185-pound senior to be,  of  Livingston  High  School  was among  the 20-plus  kickers and  punters  selected for the camp by  Sailer,  a  former   UCLA  All-American  kicker.
   This was  Nelson’s  third camp hosted  by  Nike  and  Sailer  this year. .
   Nelson  attended  the  Nike Camp  last  January  in  Las Vegas and  was  invited  back for the   late  May  camp  in  Las Vegas.
  “I have learned so much from the camps,’’  Nelson said. “They   filmed  my  punting  and  kicking.  They  work  with  me  to help correct  the little things I’m doing wrong.
   “I  study  the film over and over to be sure I’m punting and  kicking the way they want it done.  It has  really  helped  many  ways.
   “My  Dad  (Randy  Nelson) makes most of the camps and he has really been a big help to  me,’’  Nelson said.  “Mr. Sailer  tells us to be   careful  about  taking coaching  from  people  who  no so little  about   punting  and  kicking.
    “My Dad looks and looks at all the  film made at camps,’’ he said. “He  wanted  for me  to be sure I’m  punting and  kicking  the way Mr. Sailer   is  coaching   me.
    “I  pick up  some fine points in watching the other punters,’’ he said. “A number  of  the  punters  at the camps have  become  good   friends. We all  have l one goal and   that  is  to  play  for   a  major  university.’’

Continental  pilot
   Mr. Nelson  is  a  pilot  for Continental Airlines. He travels around the world. He was  unable  to  make the Nike Camp in Dallas  Friday and Saturday. However.  Mrs. Janet Nelson made the  trip to  Big D with  her  son,  Drew.

Rice University
   Nelson attended  a  one day visiting camp at Rice University (Houston) on Monday,  June 18.  “I did not know  Rice  Stadium  was that large,’’ he  said with a grin. “I would love to punt there  some  day,’’ he noted. “I think there were around 15 (seniors to be) punters visiting  Rice.  All were  impressive.’’

Honor  student
   Nelson is a honor student at Livingston High School. Come August 27 when school begins, Nelson will enter the 12th grade ranked   No. 12  in  his  class  academics.
    Nelson’s  father  is a graduate of  the University of  Arkansas.
    Nelson  said college  coaches  are looking for  punters that can punt far  and  a  good  hang  time. He had punting range of 40 plus yards at Rice University and a hang  time  of   4.6  seconds.
   Nelson trains each day at his home or at  the training field at  Livingston High School.  “My best  hang time this summer has been 5.4 seconds. This will give my teammates time to get down field  before  the receiver can get  away.’’

Texas  Boys  State
    Nelson and two of  his Lion  football teammates, Isaac Crawford and Andrew  Boyce,  attended the Texas American Legion  Boys  State at  The University of  Texas  in  early  June.
    During 7-on-7 football  games at Boys State,  Nelson   was selected  Most Valuable  player  as  a  kicker.
    “We all had  lots of  fun  at Boys  State and  met a  lot  of   students,’’ he  said. “It  was our first  trip  to  Boys  State.’’
    Nelson, 17,   was  invited  to a  attend a  Kicking and Punting Camp in  Austin  in  April. He  had  a  chance  to meet and  visit with  Justin Tucker of Austin Westlake  High School.
   “I  learned  so  much  just watching  him punt,’’  said Nelson.
   Tucker, 6-foot-1,  172-pound  senior  to be,   is planning  to sign with The University of  Texas next Feb.
   Tucker  is  rated  the  No. 1 punter  in the nation and  No. 1  in  his  senior  class  to  be.

Kicking  Challenge
    Nelson  will  be  entering the  2007  Lone  Star  Kicking  Challenge  on  Friday  and  Saturday,  July  6-7,  in San Marcos on the  campus of  Texas  State  University .
    This will be Nelson’s  third  straight  trip  to the Kicking  Challenge.  Punters and  Kickers from across the state will enter the two day events.  Football  scouts from   35 to 50 universities will  be  there  watching  and  taking  notes.
    Kickoff  competition  will  be held  on Friday morning, July  6  starting   at  8:30 a.m.   and  field  goal   competition  will  start at  12:30 p.m. on   Friday  afternoon  Finals in both  events  will  be held  immediately  after  completion  of  the  preliminary   round.
    The  punting  and snapping  competition  will  both start at 9 a.m.  Saturday morning, July  9. 
    Yes,  Nelson  is planning  to attend  a one-day camp at Baylor University on  Friday,  July  20.
    The  Nelson  family     attend Central Baptist Church in Livingston.  Mr. Nelson’s father is a retired  Baptist minister  at  Huntsville, Ark.
    Baylor  University  is  in need of  punter/kicker  since All-American ---two-time  Ray Guy  Award  winner  Daniel  Sepulveda  was  drafted  in  April  during  the NFL in  New York City.
    Sepulveda was  drafted  in the  fourth  round with  the  112th  pick overall  by the Pittsburg  Steelers.
    He has signed with the Steelers.
    Sepulveda  became Baylor’s  highest  draftee since Gary  Baxter  was  tabbed  in  the second  round  of  the  2001  draft.
    The  only  two-time  Ray Guy  award winner  in college  football  history,  Sepulveda  led  the  nation in punting  as a senior (2006) with  his  46.5  yards  average.
    Sepulveda  was  the  only  Division 1-A  player to  earn unanimous  All-American  honors  on the  field  and first-team  Academic All-America  honors  in the  classroom.