KILGOROUND
MITCH LUCAS

HAVE YOU HEARD?

We've got breaking sports news from Dallas. The Cowboys have traded quarterback Tony Romo and running back Marion Barber for San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers and tailback LaDanian Tomlinson.

April Fool, of course, although it's been rumored the Cowboys were shopping Barber around the league, and it's also been rumored (even though owner Jerry Jones has denied it) that the Cowboys are interested in moving way up in the draft later this month to pick running back Darren McFadden, a game-breaker out of the University of Arkansas.

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A LOT OF LOCAL sports fans might not realize all that we do have going on locally.

Kilgore High School baseball and softball both are in action tonight and Friday - the softball team is home against Marshall, a 4:30 p.m. junior varsity start, and the baseball

team is playing at Marshall tonight, hoping to beat the Mavericks and force a tie for third in the district standings. That game begins at 6. The KHS golf teams are playing district tournaments both this week and next, and the tennis team plays its district tournament in Jacksonville next week. KHS golfers and tennis players are all hoping to do well enough to qualify for regionals. Kilgore High's track and field team enrolled last-second in a meet today at Mount Pleasant High School, which will be their final competition before the District 12-4A meet at Hallsville next Tuesday. And the Ragin' Red could still have spring football practice. That will depend largely upon how the baseball team is doing. Lots of things happening right now. +++ ONE THING WE'VE BEEN following is the development of the new Texas Collegiate League baseball franchise here in Kilgore, which will announce its team's name on Wednesday. The team has said it will bring quality college baseball players here to put their talents on display at Driller Park this summer, and with the TCL's track record, that will happen. The team will play 24 games here at Driller, and all kinds of activities will surround that. We've got a little bit on that in today's sports section, and will have the announcement of the name in Wednesday's sports. +++ BY THE WAY, the UIL has changed its mind about realignment, and is putting Kilgore High School in the Longview-area school district. See more in Wednesday's sports section. Yes, April Fool again. I couldn't resist. +++ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to Leo McLaughlin, Ann Wylie, Jeanette Holt, Alissa Shafer, Mike Davis, Warren Bradley, Jason Ray Bradley, Nancy Holland, Carrie Spoford, Janie Terrell, Ellen Hale, Larry Clements, Chris Geter, Reggie Roberson, Toby Young, Mrs. Joe Schiner, Jim Haynes, Daylene Wilkes, Douglas Richardson and Jake Myers, Boggie Melton.

Celebrating their own birthdays with you are actress Debbie Reynolds (76), country singer Jim Ed Brown (74), actress Ali MacGraw (70), actress Annette O'Toole (who is doing all those Tyler hospital commercials; she's 56), and rapper/actor Method Man (37). +++ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TODAY to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Decker, Mike and Cindy Hail