Another year has come and gone and there was plenty to talk about. So based on the rankings people e-mailed me, here are the top sports stories of 2009 as they were tabulated by me.

1. Badger strongmen win state

After numerous season of coming oh so close, Bishop High School’s boys power lifting team captured the 2A state title in March. Leading the way was Senior Albert Guajardo who dead-lifted 415 pounds, bench pressed 235 and set a state record by squatting 440; for a total of 1,090 pounds which earned Guajardo the individual state title in the 123 lb. division.

Senior Victor Caldera won the state title in the 165 lb. division by squatting 545, dead-lifting 545 and bench pressing 310; for a total of 1,400 pounds. Placing second in the 165 lb. division was Senior Manny Mechell who dead-lifted 525, squatted 520 and bench pressed 315; totaling 1,360 pounds.

Freshman Travis Charles placed sixth - following five seniors - in the 114 lb. division where he dead-lifted 350, squatted 325 and bench pressed 155; for a total of 830 pounds. Coach George Luna was honored as the state’s outstanding coach.

2. Homer Fonseca wins Texas boxing title.

Kingsville boxer Homer Fonseca traded wallops with Austin Fighter Fred Gatica for eight rounds eventually winning by unanimous decision and placing the Texas State Heavyweight title over his shoulder during the main event rematch of ‘South Texas Young Guns’; hosted by Lone Star Promotions at J.K. Northway in September. Fonseca previously defeated Gatica in a four round match in May 2008.

The event packed in plenty of hometown fans and was the inaugural bash orchestrated by newbie Promoter Jaime Cantu and Event Coordinator Eddie Aguilera. Cantu and Aguilera showed off the state title all over town when it arrived a week prior to the event while Fonseca refused to touch it.

Also victorious were local pugilists Jon David Charles, Oscar Gonzalez and San Diego fighter Isaac Guzman.

Cantu - who runs the Twelfth Street Gym and heads Team Solid Knockout - said his next promotion would possibly be in the spring of 2010.

3. Pan-Am wins third consecutive state soccer title.

Presbyterian Pan-American School’s boys soccer team seized the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools fall state title for the third year in a row during a tournament held November 13-14 at Baylor University.

Suiting up for the Eagles were seniors Roberto Garza, Hugo Aguilar, Advento Trevino, Fernando Montemayor, Israel Gomez, Saddam Bello, Edmundo Castrellon, juniors Erick Luna, Arturo Zapatero, Anuar Vargas, Antonio Santos, Christian Ortiz, Arnaldo Rodriguez, Daniel Gonzalez, Raul Zavala, Hector Villegas, sophomore Jesus Alcocer and freshmen Kim Nam and Josue Rodriguez. Eduardo Garcia and Jean Pierzo manage the team.

To win the state title Pan- Am defeated Spring of The Woodlands Preparatory School in an area playoff, bested Arlington Burton Adventist at the regional tier, edged Sherman Texoma Christian School in the semifinals and then obliterated Brownsville Livingway (6- 1) to win the state title.

4. HMK powerlifter returns to state.

H.M. King High School’s Mark Cortez finished sixteenth at the state power lifting meet held in Abilene in March; the second year in a row Cortez reached the finale. At state Cortez squatted 500 pounds, dead-lifted 470 and bench pressed 340 (his personal best). Cortez punched his ticket to state by placing fourth at a region meet held in Weslaco in early March. At region Cortez squatted 500 pounds, dead lifted 465 and bench pressed 335.

5. Lady Brahmas softball team ALMOST reaches state.

Minus a couple of slip-ups, H.M. King’s varsity softball team steamrolled over most of their opponents on their way to a 30-5 overall record and qualified for the playoffs finishing second in District 31-4A with a league mark of 12-2.

In the postseason the Lady Brahmas bested Edcouch- Elsa in the bi-district round, conquered Corpus Christi Moody at area, eliminated Gregory Portland in the regional quarterfinals and showed Dripping Springs the door in the regional semifinals. H.M. King’s march toward state ended one round short after the Lady Brahmas committed too many errors and were swept in two games by New Braunfels Canyon in the Regional IV-4A finale.

Ranked number one in the state early in the season, the 2009 Lady Brahmas advanced further in the playoffs than any other team in school history.

6. Seahawks football team advances into the playoffs.

A team which was predicted to come nowhere close to making the playoffs DID just that as Riviera-Kaufer High School’s varsity football squad - forecasted to finish fifth out of six teams in District 32-2A - secured the third postseason berth after finishing with a league record of 2-4. The Seahawks proved they were not just any also-ran by giving favorite Three Rivers a hard time though Kaufer eventually lost 14-7 to the Bulldogs in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

7. Brahma mixed doubles tennis duo forced to wait.

H.M. King High School’s Alyssa Gonzales and Aaron Gerragauch qualified as alternates for the University Interscholastic League state tournament but had to wait out a fracas - earlier in the spring season - over eligibility issues involving Flour Bluff.

Flour Bluff was accused by Calallen - whose mixed doubles team had already lost to the Hornets - of using an ineligible player during the District 31-4A tournament held in April and the sector’s superintendents met to discuss the matter.

Gonzales and Gerragauch waited more than a week to play for the 31-4A crown while the District Executive Committee first pronounced Flour Bluff’s team ineligible, during an online vote, and then overturned their decision when they later met in person.

Flour Bluff defeated H.M. King for the district title one day before Region IV-4A tournament contestants were to be certified. At region, Gonzales and Gerragauch acquired some revenge by defeating Flour Bluff to win the state alternate spot.

8. Lady Brahmas basketball team breaks jinx.

After about eight years of losing every single District 31-4A game, H.M. King High School’s varsity girls basketball team ended the curse by defeating Laredo Cigarroa 36-28 in December.

Scoring for the Lady Brahmas were Freshman Jasmine Richardson, Sophomore Kaylie Hahn, Senior Leila Barrera, Junior Tayla Holliday, Senior Ashley Martinez, Senior Hannah Peterson. The Lady Brahmas took a lead in the opening period they would not abdicate. Head Coach Ann Callis - who is currently in her third year as head coach - said the victory was a huge relief.

9. Little League’s big problem.

A huge wrench was thrown into one of the local youth baseball organization’s machine on May 1 when former Kingsville American Little League President James Davis annulled his relationship with Little League International and joined the Babe Ruth-Cal Ripken organization; taking hundreds of players with him.

While with Little League International, KALL was a member of District 22 with affiliates in Falfurrias, Premont, Bishop-Driscoll, Riviera-Ricardo, Ben Bolt, Alice, Freer, Benavides, San Diego and Hebbronville.

Days later, the late District 22 Administrator Ray Mooney notified over a dozen former KALL parents that their children could rejoin little league, but would now be under Riviera-Ricardo’s boundaries. Little League International’s home office, in Williamsport Pennsylvania, authorized Riviera-Ricardo’s

board to extend their jurisdiction

into Kingsville. This did not sit well with some Kingsville parents who consistently asked when they would be allowed to form another KALL board.

Two weeks later, a handful of parents met with Riviera- Ricardo National League organization trustees and Assistant District 22 Administrator David Valadez to ask, through teleconference, Little League Southwest Regional Director Mike Witherwax (of Waco) about the possibility of resurrecting a Kingsville American Little League board. The meeting went into executive session for about 20 minutes before a temporary KALL board was announced to local supporters.

10. Mighty Muted Brahma Marching band.

Things were going badly for H.M. King High School’s varsity football team during an early district football game when one player’s parent walked over to a Brahma band director and loudly expressed his displeasure because the ensemble was playing during the game. Depending on whose version you hear, the parent’s complaint was either obscenely light incorporating only a ‘b-s’ explicative or a soliloquy heavily salted with F-words. Kingsville Independent School District brass spoke with the parent who ‘sincerely’ apologized to the band director and everyone moved on.

That is until weeks later. In another game later that season, a referee called a time out on the very first play of the second quarter and asked H.M. King Head Coach Andrew Hrncir to request that the Brahma Band lower their volume while the opposing team’s offense held the ball directly in front of the ensemble’s bleachers. Word of mouth had it that the referee and the foul-mouthed father are co-workers at a plant in Bishop, but an official’s organization in Corpus Christi declined releasing the names of the referee in question to the Kingsville Record.

11. Yellowjackets football team wins district.

After losing their season opener, Ricardo Middle School’s eighth grade football team went on an eight game winning streak and took the District 32-2A championship after beating San Diego 32-23.

Quarterback James Davis threw a touchdown pass to Matt Waddingham and ran for another score.

Running back AJ de la Rosa scored on runs of 22, 19 and two yards. The Yellowjackets finished with an 8-1 overall season record and 5-0 in district.

12. Academy wins first varsity football game

Santa Gertrudis Kingsville Academy’s varsity football team won its first game in school history without even having to show up. The Pride got to rest during Week Nine of the season after opponent Santa Maria forfeited because they were unable to field an adequate number of players.

Academy went 1-8 in its third season of existence, second in varsity after playing an abbreviated junior varsity schedule in 2007.

13. Soda Pop all-stars

One of the local youth baseball organizations sent a letter out to parents informing them that they had to sell or buy a certain number of cases of soda or else their children would not be eligible to make the all-star team.

All about family quality time and the love of the game huh?