SPORTS 

(ROCKDALE)--THE ROCKDALE TIGER 7 ON 7 FOOTBALL TEAM 

MADE A GOOD SHOWING IN THE 7 ON 7 STATE TOURNAMENT AT 

COLLEGE STATION OVER THE WEEKEND. THE TIGERS BEAT LAVILLA 

IN POOL PLAY, AND LOST TO CELINA BY A SINGLE POINT AND TO 

CRANE, FINISHING 3RD IN POOL PLAY. THE TIGERS THEN ENTERED THE 

TOURNAMENT BRACKET, WHERE THEY DEFEATED GLEN ROSE IN THE 

ROUND OF 32, BUT THEN THEY FELL HARD TO BROWNWOOD IN THE ROUND 

OF 16. ROCKDALE DISTRICT RIVAL NAVASOTA FELL IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP 

ROUND OF THE DIVISION 2 TOURNAMENT BRACKET. CRANE, WHO 

CAME OUT OF ROCKDALE'S BRACKET, WON THE TOURNAMENT WITH 

A 38 TO 27 VICTORY OVER NAVASOTA. 

THE U-I-L SANCTIONED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING 

WORKOUTS CONTINUE FOR ATHLETES THROUGH THE 4TH THURSDAY 

IN JULY, WHICH FALLS ON JULY 24TH OF THIS YEAR. THE TIGER 

FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS WILL HAVE A COUPLE OF 

WEEKS TO REST AND RECUPERATE BEFORE OFFICIAL SUMMER 

PRE-SEASON WORKOUTS GET UNDERWAY ON AUGUST 4TH. 

TIGER HEAD COACH JEFF MILLER SAYS THE WORKOUTS ARE 

IMPORTANT, BUT THE COACHES REALIZE THAT SUMMER GENERAL 

WORKOUTS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM SPORTS PRACTICE 

ITSELF... 

"WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE IT MANDATORY. WE STRONGLY 

ENCOURAGE IT. AND WE PUSH THEM TO BE HERE. BUT, AT THE SAME 

TIME, THEY'RE GIVING UP 2 HOURS A DAY OF THEIR SUMMER, AND 

SO WE WANT TO MAKE IT FUN. WE KEEP THE MUSIC GOING, AND 

A LOT OF HIGH-FIVING AND SMILING AND THINGS OF LIKE THAT, 

JUST SO THAT THE KIDS WANT TO BE HERE." 

PRO FOOTBALL--THE DALLAS COWBOYS ARE LESS THAN 

2 WEEKS AWAY FROM OPENING TRAINING CAMP ON JULY 25TH. 

THE TEAM TIED THE BEST RECORD IN FRANCHISE HISTORY AT 

13 AND 3 IN 2007, BUT CAME UP SHORT IN THE POSTSEASON. 

COWBOYS DEFENSIVE END MARCUS SPEARS SAYS ANYTHING 

LESS THAN A SUPER BOWL WILL BE A DISAPPOINTMENT... 

"SOME PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER THAT WE WENT 13 AND 3. 

BUT AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER, YOU REMEMBER THE SUPER BOWL 

A WHOLE LOT MORE. AND THAT'S OUR GOAL, WE STARTED OUT 

LAST YEAR AS OUR GOAL. IT NEVER WAS TO GO 13 AND 3. IT NEVER 

WAS TO WIN THE DIVISION. IT WAS TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL. 

SO, HOWEVER YOU GET THERE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN 

YOU WIN IT, ALL THAT STUFF IS ERASED." 

PRO BASEBALL, THE ROUND ROCK EXPRESS ARE NOW OFF 

FOR THE ALL STAR BREAK. THEY RESUME THE SEASON ON FRIDAY 

WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO OMAHA FOR A 4 GAME SERIES. THEIR NEXT 

HOME GAME IS TUESDAY JULY 22ND AGAINST FRESNO. 

A PAIR OF ROUND ROCK EXPRESS PLAYERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED 

TO THE 2008 PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM. PITCHER JOSH 

MUECKE (MICKEY) WAS SELECTED RECENTLY. EXPRESS INFIELDER 

MARK SACCAMANNO WAS NAMED TO THE TEAM AS AN INJURY 

REPLACEMENT AND WILL JOIN MUECKE (MICKEY) IN REPRESENTING 

ROUND ROCK IN THE TRIPLE "A" ALL STAR GAME IN LOUISVILLE, 

KENTUCKY ON WEDNESDAY. SACCAMANNO HAS SWITCHED BETWEEN 

FIRST AND 3RD BASE THIS SEASON, HITTING .298 WITH 21 HOME RUNS 

AND 66 R-B-I. 

ASTROS ACE AND FORMER EXPRESS STANDOUT ROY OSWALT 

LEFT FRIDAY'S START AGAINST WASHINGTON AFTER ONE INNING 

WITH THE RECURRING PROBLEM WITH HIS HIP. HE WAS FORCED OUT 

OF THE ROTATION AFTER LEAVING HIS LAST START JUNE 30TH WITH 

A HIP PROBLEM. AFTER THAT GAME HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A 

PROBLEM IN THE SCIATIC NERVE IN HIS LOWER BACK, WHICH 

CAUSED THE PAIN IN THE HIP. HE RECEIVED A SHOT FOR THE PROBLEM, 

BUT THE INJURY FLARED BACK UP BEFORE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN 

THE WASHINGTON GAME. OSWALT IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN FROM 

THE BREAK AS THE 5TH PITCHER IN THE ROTATION, WHICH WILL GIVE 

HIM AN EXTRA 11 DAYS TO REST FROM THE INJURY. 

ASTROS GENERAL MANAGER ED WADE SAYS THE ASTROS WANT 

TO BE SMART ABOUT THE WAY THEY BRING OSWALT BACK FROM THE 

INJURY... 

"TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ALL STAR BREAK, AND GIVE HIM ALL 

THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE A SITUATION WHICH COULD 

BE A ONE OR 2 START, MISSING ONE OR 2 STARTS, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN 

ENDS UP BEING MISSING A MONTH OR SO. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET INTO 

THAT POSITION. YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO PUT ROY IN A POSITION 

OF FEELING LIKE HE'S GOT TO GO OUT THERE AND BE HEROIC FOR US."