KILGOROUND

IT HIT ME over the weekend just how close football season is - and football preview season is, if you will - when I was speaking to area newspaper sports reporters and editors about our annual meeting to select the District 12-4A all-district team and do our prognosticating for the upcoming season.

We have this meeting in early August, then begin preparing in earnest for each of our football previews.

This year, the Kilgore News Herald's football preview will hit the stands as a part of the Thursday, Aug. 24 newspaper. The Kilgore College Rangers open their season at home against Butler (Kan.) Community College two days later, and Kilgore High School and our other area high schools open the 2006 season the following week on Sept. 1. KHS opens the season at Crockett.

The football preview really is hard work, but it's a labor of love for me. This will be the fifth football preview edition I've done here at Kilgore, and my 11th overall. Each year, I try to do something different than the year before. I've still got this year's edition on the drawing board, but I really hope that if you're a serious high school, college and pro football fan, you'll pick this up. We'll have our annual coverage of KHS, KC, Sabine, Overton, West Rusk and Leverett's Chapel football programs, as well as coverage (as much as I can fit in) of the Big 12, the national collegiate scene, and the NFL.

IN A RELATED MATTER, you might be interested to know that the University Interscholastic League is going to make an announcement regarding the site of this year's Class 5A Division I and Division II state championship games tomorrow at a press conference in Austin at 11 a.m.

The state title games are normally played in separate sites, but this is likely the beginning of the UIL producing some sort of super high school football weekend.

If the experiment works with the 5A schools for the next two seasons, I won't be a bit surprised if the UIL decides to do the same with the 4A schools.

I haven't been here in Texas that long, but I kind of like the tradition of the coaches being able to negotiate and pick their own sites, rather than have a site forced on them by the UIL.

IF YOU TURN to the sports section today, you'll see that the final Kilgore Boys Baseball Association (KBBA) all-star team was eliminated from state tournament competition over the weekend.

Congratulations to all KBBA players on a great season, and congratulations on all of these all-star teams, who gave up a part of their summer break to participate in the tournaments. Thanks, too, to coaches who helped me by keeping me informed of what was happening with each of their tournaments.

IF YOU'VE BEEN MEANING to check out a movie, what better way to do it this time of year than sitting in a pool?

The City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department will host a "Dive-In Movie" Saturday at the Longview Swim Center located at 1001 W. Fairmont St. The pool will open at 8:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at dark.

Pack a blanket or some lawn chairs and enjoy the movie "Batman Begins" (a good movie, in the opinion of yours truly) on the big screen at the pool, or better yet in it. Floats,

rafts and tubes will be permitted. The cost will be $5 per person and includes one soft drink and a bag of popcorn. For the crowd's safety, capacity is limited to 200 people inside the pool area.

The recommended age for this event is 11 and older, although children age 10 and under will be admitted if accompanied by a parent or guardian in a swimsuit.

For more information, contact the Longview Parks and Recreation Department at (903) 237-1270.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to Christine Jackson, Erby Muckelroy, Jaina Williams, Christopher (Bubba T) Terry, Dean Bingham, Kyle Shipp, Troy Boyd, Wendell Tucker, Clarice Christian, Danny Ray Bozarth, Jordan Patrick Miles, Anne Waller, John Bryant, Kay Dorsey, Tammy Kennedy, Laurie Gilchrist, Steven Chester, Lacy Albritton, Jessica Szymarek, Brandon Nance, Bubba T. Terry.

Also celebrating with you: actor Matt LeBlanc (late of "Friends;" he's 39), former "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty (83), model/actress Iman (51), country singer Marty Brown (41), actor Brad Renfro (24), and Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire (55).

CELEBRATING WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES are Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie V. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Kaimann Conlee, Phillip and Kimberly Williams.