Top North Texas teams to watch in '08

[dallasfungo]

The Bombers tournament will be fun, with the top Texas 14U and 12U teams (except for 95 Glory, so far) mixing it up. 3bsnag, you could be right about 94 BB getting upset. They've had a couple of players leave (to Glory Elliott, I think) recently due to some serious conflicts in the dugout, although they still have a lot of horses.

The 95 teams are showing up because there really isn't any meaningful competition at the 12U level. The 12U Bomber Shootout is mostly 96 teams and only a couple of good 95 teams (RR Blaze and Austin Storm look to be the best of the lot, although I hear 95 Groove is back in business). Better to play to a higher standard and not place than blast through a 12U tournament and collect an easy trophy. Glory (Gray) will be interesting to watch. I think this group is an aggregation of players from what's left of Glory Red and Glory Heins (both folded)...don't know how competitive they will be. The new 95 Elite (formerly 95 Texas Rage) has little experience playing in A tournaments so I haven't seen them in a while.

Fusion is a pretty new organization and has put some strong teams together in a hurry. They seem well organized with all their teams heading in the same direction. Maybe the up & coming competitor to Glory since Texas Elite has faded and FW Batbusters is suddenly saddled with all those B teams (why are they doing that?).

[Flash4]

Texas should definately have a great showing in Midland this year in 14U.

If all the good 12U teams go ASA instead of taking the high road to USSSA,USFA, AFA, or NSA then they should have a great showing as well in Alabama.

[Lori]

I AGREE THE 14U IS LOADED WITH TALENT, EXCEPT FOR ONE TEAM LISTED...THE TX RAPID FIRE...THIS IS THE OLD 93 FLOWER MOUND RAGE TEAM..THEY WERE NOT REALLY SUCCESSFULL LAST YEAR AT ALL...THEY HAD A FEW PLACINGS IN WEAKER TOURNAMENTS, BUT NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.

[Lori]

ALSO, A FEW OTHER OPINIONS:

14U--94 BATBUSTERS(MONTOYA) WILL BE AS STRONG AS EVER I THINK, YA THEY LOST A COUPLE, BUT THEY WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM REPLACING THEM WITH THEIR TRACK RECORD.

18U--BATBUSTERS (EDWARDS)??? THEY PLACED IN 3 TOURNAMENTS ALL YEAR(2ND IN A 16U BY COIN TOSS(YES THEY WERE UNDEFEATED, BUT STILL, SO WAS 92 TX XTREME(1ST PLACE), AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT GAME--THOSE TWO WERE GUARANTEED TOP 3, BUT THERE HONESTLY WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF COMPETITION BEHIND THEM..MAYBE THE 16U/18U LADY LONGHORNS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO OFFER EITHER)) : A 3RD PLACE IN McKINNEY--BUT SCROLL THROUGH THE BRACKET(SINGLE ELIMINATION) AND SEE THE WEAK TEAMS THEY HAD TO PLAY--NOT IMPRESSED : AND A 1ST PLACE IN 18U, WHICH WAS GREAT, BUT TO LABEL THEM ONE OF THE BEST 18U IS VERY PREMATURE.

[3Bsnag]

Lori, thanks for the clarification.

I honestly struggled with the 18 and 18G divisions. Partly because my DD isn't that age yet and partly because other than the Glory and TT teams, I don't see any dominant older teams around here. It seems that South TX seems to dominate at that age. Brittany Barnhill (UT) played for Impact Gold and lives in the Justin area and Houston Power has a girl from Paris, TX. Look at the college commitments from the big Gold teams down there and then follow the commitments up here (other than Glory). Big difference in schools. I don't want to take anything away from ANY girl who has worked her butt off for the past 10 years and is taking it to the next level, but I'm just saying...

[Lori]

I would have to agree 100% with you. I think a big part of the problem is the watering down thing..look at Tx. Glory alone--how many 18u teams do they have..10 or so? Ok maybe not that many, but the same thing is happening to them that has happened to the Batbusters..too many teams in the organization, stealing players from one team to the next and the end result is a watered down organization. Everyone wants to play for Glory, so they keep making new (weaker) teams. Just this last fall, Tx Chill out of Denton changed to Glory(Simmons)--whose daughter doesn't even play for this team--she plays for an older (better) Glory team..why? Becasue of the name...they are no better as Glory than they were as Chill, but the big concept of playing for Glory is giving false hope to many young ladies..and parents. Yes they sign a lot of girls to college now..but give them 5 yrs and they will be the same as Batbusters and noone will be scared of the name anymore.

I like what AXE is doing with the older teams, namely the 92 AXE you listed..they were for a long time known as being a weak organization, but here in the last year, they have developed some good talent and will be competitive in the next yr or two..starting at 16u. Same goes for the 92 TX Xtreme you listed..again a weaker organization, but they have also developed some good talent. Look for these two teams to make noise next year like you predicted----as young 16u teams, and they may take a few lumps early, but they need it for experience and will continue their forward progress. Tx Sting and Elite (YG)--very solid teams...very solid with proven track records.

[BRUNO]

Commenting on 12u talent from a dad in the midwest who's daughters team the KC Xplosion who has either played or has seen the talent from texas. I would say the Texas Glory is by far the #1 team in Texas, followed by Deer park TPS, who we lost to in 2006 ASA Nationals 3-2. How the Texas Fusion is even mentioned is beyond belief, at the USSSA Nationals in 2007 the Xplosion spanked 12-0 Run ruled, and a Arkansas team called Showtime beat 19-8.

[Lori]

I agree the 12u Texas Fusion doesn't have a lot to offer. The organization as a whole is strong, so maybe with their recent tryouts, they may pick up some real talent..we will have to see.

[Lori]

To DallasFungo--you asked earlier why the batbusters are watering down their organization....MONEY...each team pays to use the name batbusters, and someone(founder) is banking off of this, not to mention all teams HAVE to buy uniforms through him, and must wear team warmup jerseys to practice--like I said, I used to be part of this organization when it really meant something.

I recently went through their teams and here is what I found among active teams:
8u--1 team..B talent
10u--2 teams--both B talent
12u--8 teams--1 A talent, 7 B talent(how sad!!)
14u--4 teams--2 A talent, 2 B talent
16u--2 teams--Both classified as A, but no real showings for either one in 2007(Wright added MIZUNO to his name..maybe that will help him win a game or two)
18u--9 teams--All classified as A, but only 2 or 3 real dominant ones out of those 9)

Summary---26 active teams---maybe, MAYBE 8 or 9 true A teams.

[Flash4]

WOW to the Batbusters!!!!!!!! I just went to the Glory website and saw 17 teams. At least they are all "A". Well, the 10U teams are listed as "B" but seem to be playing "A". The 8U is listed as "B" but you really can't rely on classification at that level around here.

Interesting!!!!!!!