In the News_05.28.2018 - Lake Travis ISD

LONGHORNS RECRUITING

Hudson Card, quarterback for the Lake Travis Cavaliers, warms up last week before the spring varsity game. On Friday, he pledged to play for Tom Herman at UT . .ICHIC:UTIERQEZ/ fOQ AMERICAN-STATESMAN

With [alte rrr~ QB Card, UT gets 2020 class going By Mike Craven

HDDK'EM~ Texas, which started its 2019

recruiting class with an early commitment rrom a four-star quanerback, got Its 2020 class going Friday with a pledge from Hudson Card, a four-star, dual­threat quanerback prospect from ~jf'"..c ' ,~s.

Longllorns coach Tom Herman is following a familiar recruit· ingrecipe.

Card - ranked as the state's top quarterback on Lhe Ameri-

Mll<e Craven helps you keep up with the latest recruiting developments on hookem.com, our home for LonghOrns news and analysis.

can·Statesman·s Next 25 list of top prospects for 2020 and the nation's No. 2 dual-threat quar­terback in 247Sports' compos-

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ite ratings - chose Texas over 22 other schools that had offered scholarships, including Alabama, Ohio State and Auburn.

·crowing up a Longhorn there'S no belier place to call home," card tweered.

He was District 25·6A's newcomer of the year last fall when he starred as a wide receiver for rhe Cav• aliers. He had 69 catches for l,137yardsand 13 touch·

downs and added six passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns.

The versatile 6·f00l·2, 167· pound all-around athlete is expected to start at quar· rerback for Lake Travis this fall, where he'll be throwing to five-star receiver Garrett Wilson, an Ohio Stile pledge who's 1he No. 7 player on the initial 2019 Fabulous 55 list.

Texas offered him a schol· arship after the0ran3'-White scrimmage. He's the second Austin-area quanerback cor• railed by Herman, joining Westlake's Sam Ehlinger,

who signed in 2017. u ·s hard 10 scout card as

a quarterback based on his high school tape. He com· pleted 57 or 82 attempts last year for 604 yards and six 1ouchdowns, wi1h three imerceptions.

He played quarterback sparingly, either in blow• outs or when Ohio State signee Matthew Baldwin was injured.

He was thrust into the spot• llgh1 during last year's Class 6A, Division I championship game when Baldwin washun on the Cavaliers· first series.

Cardnearlyledtheteamtoa comeback victory, complet· ing 66 percem of his passes for 224 yards and leading !he team in rushing.

Lake Travis is adjusting its offense to beuer fi t Card's skill set; Cavaliers play­ers describe it as the one Herman ran at Houston -one 1hat was led by a dual• threat quarterback who can threaten a defense with bis ability to run.

card is likely 10 redshln in 2020; in rheory, Texas would still have Ehlinger as well as 2018 signees Casey

Thompson and cameron Ris­ing. UT also stlll is expected 10 sign Port Neches-Groves· Roschon Johnson for 2019.

It's too early to kn ow whether the Longhorns will pursue a second quarrer· back for 2020. That proba· bly will depend on whether there is attrition. But lock• Ing In a quar1erback to lead a recruiting class is always a goal, and Herman has man· aged 10 do that in two COD·

secutlve classes.

Contact Mike Craven at

LONGHORNS RECRUITING

JuniorQB's choice never cast in doubt UT is ·my dream school my whole life,' says • r 1 • Hudson Card.

ByM lkeCrawn [email protected]

There was never a doubt Hudson Card would end up at Texas once an ,olfer was extended 10 1 he four-star sophomore quarterback at lbe Orange· White game. Gard grew up a Longhorn. He doesn't remember a time in his life when burnt orange wasn't the color of his favorite team. Gard pledged 10 Tom I lcrman•s program on Friday, becoming 1he Longhorns' first commim1ent of lbe 2020 cycle.

The school wasn't a shock. The timing was ear· lier lban most prospec15 pick a scllool. card still has two seasons at"'""' 1,.,,.s before enrolling at Texas. Mis offer list was continuing to grow as lbe former wide receiver proved in spring practice that he's fully capable of playing college quanerback. card didn't wam the hoopla to start.

"It's been my dream :school my whole life, so that was a big reason,• Card said Saturday at a 7-on-7 tournament at Westwood High School. " I might as well focus on iligh school and winning a state cllampionship since I knew where I wanted 10 end up. It feels good to get 11 ouI of the way and off my chest."

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•we're going to run something similar to Texas and that wlll give me a head start,• says tll(eT..o,111SJunlor quarterback Hudson Card. CONTRIBUTEDBV JOl-l'fGUTIERQEZ

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The 6·2, 167-pound dual• threat quanerbacx is the sec· ond 1ocal signal-caller to com· mil 10 Texas since the 2017 cycle,joining Westlake ·s Sam Ehlln~. I lennan signed IWO out-of-state quanerbadcs in the 2018 class and holds a commitment from four-star quarterback Roschon John· son of Port Neches-Groves in the 2019 class.

Card is the No. 16-ranked player on the Next 25 and the No. 2dual-threatquarter· back in the 2020 cycle, per 247Sports. He spent most of his sophomore season as a wide receiver while Matthew Baldwin, who l~ now al Ohio State, led the offense. That athleticism provides him an edge and makes him an ideal quarterbadc for the Herman offense.

"Athleticism and keeping plays alive are two of my top strengths,· Card said. •our offense is changing this se.N:m and ii should help me move around more than what Lake 'O';tvls used 10 run offensively."

That's because Lake Travis hired Will Stein as Its olfen• sive coordinator in the olT· season. The former quality control coach under Charlie

Strong and Herman plans 10 bring the Texas offense to Lake n-avis.

"We're going to run some­thingsimilarto Texas and thal will give me a head start," card said.

Taking over the leade rsh ip role

card mllSl make the transi· lion to being jXlrt of the team 10 its leader as a junior. He starred al wide receiver for the cavaliers In 2017, record• ing 69 catches: for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns. Hea<kled 459 yards rushing and six touchdowns, as well as three Interceptions. In limited time as a quartert>ack, card com· pie Led S7 of &2 attempts for 604 yards and six truchdowns 10 three inierceptions.

Card was named the Dis· trict 25-6A newcomer of the year and was prepared to help Lake Travis in its Class 6A Division I stale tille game against Allen as a receiver. That changed when Baldwin collapsed on the first series and Card was thrust into the quarterbadc position. Lake Travis fell shon, but it was the day card beg;m to become the next leader of the Lake n-a­vis program.

''My team pmmeinagood position to succeed in that state championship game,"

Card said. " IL translated smoolllly Into the spring. Tuns of motlvallon LO gt'I back to that game.•

In the loss to Allen, Card passed for 224 yards and completed 66 percent of his passes. He threw for a touch• down and added one on the ground, but he also threw three interceptions. He led the team in rushing with 82 yards on 14 carries. It was the definition of trial by fire. His teammates took notice.

•we knew Hudson was the real dea l and he proved It in the Allen game. We lost, but he showed his potential and menial toughness in that game. We're excited about what he brings to the team,• said five-star wide receiver Garrell Wilson. · 11e·s going to put up Heisman muubers.•

The head coach agrees. • Hudson wasn't put in an

easy position and he never lost faith or gave up In that game. He's a real leader and a great football player,· Lake n-avis bead coach Hank car­ter said during spring b.111. "That game likely does him a lot of good. It's provided moti­vation and he knows what 10 expecrat quarterback in the biggest game.•

ContactMikeCr.M!nat

VIEW'S PICKS 2017-18

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Ga1·rett Wilson does it all Whether catchingTDs or throwing down dunks, he's at his best.

ByThomuJonu [email protected]

Whether it's Hying down lhe middle of the field to haul in a pass or driving down the lane for a dunk, junior Garrett Wii· son competes with that rare mix• ture of alhleticism and intensity that makes him a coveted recruit In both football and basketball.

Wilson, a first-team member of bolh the Statesman's Ail-<:en• tral 'lexas basketball and football teams and the Lake Travis View's male athlete of the year, has com· mined to play footbaTI for Ohio State beginning with the 2019 season. The 6-foot, tSO·pound receiver hauled In 98 receptions for L,773 yards and 26 touchdowns while helping Lake Travis reach its third consecutive Class 6A championship g;i.me.

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PAST MALE ATHLETES OFTHEYEAR 20T7: Charlie Brewer, football 2016:Austln HIier, football/ track and field 2015: Chris ROiier, football/ basebal 2014: Luk.e Hutton, football/ basketball

Lake Travis Cavaliers guard Garrett WIison (5) dribbles the ball against the Alexander Bulldogs during the second period at the boys basketball 6A regional semifinal playoff between the Lake Travis Cavaliers and J.B. Alexander Bulldogs at Blossom Athletic Center on March 2. - N GVTIERREZ/ FOR LAKE TRAVIS 1/lEW

. ••• C;imeron Dicker (l8) d4fencnSa n Antonio MKArthur', TO\filr o,valdo {13) durtna a hllhschool bl-dlstr1Gt ~off aame- ;it -""3 ...._ 5 Hla.h School on March 29. ~~H1-iENY1U.MAH 'ON ..\Yk.._.

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ln that IDM to Allen, \\ril son showed what I.alee Tra­"ls roach 11.1nk carrer has called •extreme competl· tivcnes5 • by also lining up ar oomerlnck ~illSl Alien's SIM f('('t'l\'H, Theo We.iw, an Oklahoma pledge who didn't ha,·e a catch against Wilson.

1'1e pl:1ym;i ldng rontln· ucd during ~etbaJI ~a· :son. when Wilson rurncd in various highligl1'-reel plays while ~ring 3 team-high 21 points a gilttle. The al I· 5tatC guard played in 20 of 38 games and helped the Cl\'S pc>Sr ;i 30-8 record on the hardcoon and advanct to a Class 6A rc,!ion.al final

Honorable mention cameroo oleker, root­

ba 11/soccu: f'or a third consecuti\'I? season, Dicke!" excelled In two ~()()J1S. Dur­ing th~ footllaU snson, the senioc conocacd on 12 of 16 lield goals with a long of 53 ).trcl~- I Its big leJ! • Did.er a~eragt!d 63.1 yard:, on his kickoffs. with almost half ol hi~ l..iclcs reaching the end ione for II ronchbadt • 11:lS ~tn~ him a ~holarshlp from Texas, Oid.l"J' might be an even be11erSOCCl!I' 1:Jbyer: heeclmedalwrel100or.. far the sec-ond l'Ofi:,e('Uth't sea­son asa defender for the Dis trier 2S-6A champion 1

, boy,, <()('(er ,quad. Brendan Hcben, c:ross

countr y/ track: The dis llll1<:e runner blossomed as .i senior while semng per· :.onal record,, thrO\lllh0Ut

Third baseman Brett Baty throws to first base during the 2•1 wtn by the C;av• ll•($ over the Homea of Soll Eut Centrilllon~ 10 atl..~ .. ~ • .s Hlah- ""-l,rF10<F-0t"CN

me cross cowiuy and Lrack seasons. In the fall, Hebert :idvanced to the stale cross rountr}' meet as an indlvld· ual for tht: lirsl llm~ after clocking a time of 15 min· ures, 53.30 seconds on the rhre('-fflile rourse. 'l'ha1 per­sonal record ga,-e Hebert a surge ol momentum iruo the fall, when he finished sec­ond In 1he 8'>0-mt'fH rare at the Stale ruttt.

Brett Bal)'.basd>all: \\rllh m college baseball commit­mem fmm Tex.as alre!!d)' In hand, tht 6· 2, 210-pound

junior no lunger plays bas· ket ball for his father, 1 ~ , • ~• .s b:iskedx:!O oo:ich Olnt R.11y. Lttn his -'I'd rom­uiiunmt to b.Nball sl!O\',~ in die spring. "1,m die third baseman hit .443 with 12 home nrMand Z1 KRIS while helpin3 the ~ reach the third round ol the pla)'Offs, In the process. Baty earned a !lt"C()nd co~·un,~ m06l v-Jluable pla)>er award from lhc District 25 6A coochcs.

Cont.11Ct Thom,n Jone$ at !>12 ,.,.~-~7

-"'e T,.,,,~SKtunM,s. frornleft,All!Jandro Uris ta. Bradywant.Jar1'od Ho,an.coach Pet1>r Mortin. Brendan Hebert, Oustyn lewis . B<andon Oliver and Ch4lley Eagle at the 2017 UIL'-'055'®ntrystne mHt attheOldSettler5P;ar1llnRoundRockonNov, 4, ,:;,,.,; GUlEPAt.Z I FO't ~ 'IIEW

GOLF

Cavs lose state championship battle Chaparrals win first title in seven years.

!i ByRlckCantu [email protected]

GEORGETOWN - Before the sea­son, the Westlakegolfteam deter· mined tha1 anything less than a state championship would be a dlsappointmenL

After coming in second place Lhc pas1 two years, the Cllapar· rals were hungry. And loaded. So whentheywalkedawaywithgold medals and an impressive plaque at the Class GA UIL state girls tournament Tuesday at Legacy Hills Golf Club, me players were relieved but hardly surprised.

"We knew we had a big shot of winning (state) but we still had 10 play our best," said sopho­more Bentley Cotton, who shol a I-over-par 73.

Westlake finished with a two­daysroreof589, tSstrokcsllM!d of Lake Travis and The Wood­lands. Lake Travis won a one-hole playoff 10 finish second.

After the playoff, Westlake and Lake Travis golfers gathered In a circle on the 18th green and offered this chant: ·1-2-3 Aus• tin, Texas!"

In lhe previous two years, Lake Travis finished as the state cham· pion and Westlake was runner-up.

This Is westlake's third state championship, its first since 2011. The girls were victorious JUSI one

week after the boys team won their own GA championship on the same course.

For the second straight day, sophomore Sadie Englemann had the team's best score, fin­ishing with a 71. Junior Madelyn Jones shOI an, senior Elena cas­tanon a 78 and freshman Jackie Feldman an 80.

Plano East senior Libby W-mans shot a 66, the day's best score, and fi nished as Lhe individual champion. Signed by Oklahoma, her two-day totall of t35 was nine strokes under par. Her 66 was one stroke off the-blue tee course record for women set by Allen's Ellie Szeryk last year.

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Westlake golf team members embrace In celebration of the tournament w in durtng t he Class6A Ullgirlsgolf championship at Legacy HIiis Golf Club. JOHNC:UTl~/FOIILAKE TRAVISVIEW

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Viesl.i.(;I, which had a slim rour-sho1 lead over Houston Memorial after Monday's round, pulled away rrom the pack early on Tuesday.

"There are some years where coming In second is a great accomplishment,• Westw-e coach Oluck Now· land said. ·But this year, we all knew what we wanted. No one had to say II. Any• lhing less than a state cham· pionship was going 10 be a letdown."

Vandegrirt rreshman Hallie Kuhns had one or the best individual perfor­mances or 1he day with a 2-under 70, nine strokes bet· 1er 1han her Monday score. As a team, the Vipers shot 295, a 14-stroke improve­ment from Monday.

"My attitude was a lot more poslll\'(' loday," Kuhns said. "(On Monday) I was really nervous and would be hard on myself when I hit a bad shot."

As for I! ,s• play-off against The Woodlands, a 60•foo1 birdie pull on the 18th hole by junior Hanna Liu helped the Cavaliers seal second. And sopho­more Macy Fox comple­mented Kuhns' score with an even-par 72. Llu carded

CLASS 6A GIRLS LEADERBOARD

He<e·s a IOok at tl'le top teams and Individuals from Tuesday's flnalround: Tum 1.WeS'~...,., T2. l.aNI T1.1V6

T2. TheWOOdlands 4. Houston Memorial 5. Soutt.....i ca,,011 6. Montgomery 7. Katy Seven ...,;.es 8.McKlnney9<¥l 9.King\WOd JO.Allen 11. Fort Bend Clements 12. San Antonio Reagan

INDIVIDUALS Player,school I. Libby Winans, Plano East

Rl R2 TObll 290 299 589 309 295 604 303 301 604 294 314 608 303 307 610 312 310 622

308 318 626 310 320 630 317 314 631 3 13 319 632

320 318 638 322 319 641

Rl R2 Total 69 66 135

2. Annie et,en, Fort Bend Clemens 69 69 138 3. Jennie Park, Lewisville Hebron 72 68 140 T 4. Sadie Englemann. Wes:....,.o 70 n 141 T4. EllnaSinz,KatyTompklns T4.AmeDaMcKee,KleinQak

a 75, senior Estelle Beck a 78 and rreshman Averi Coecks an 82.

Hendrickson junior Madi­son Silva, playing as an Inell· victual qualifier, shot her second consecul.ive round or76. Vandegrift junior Hai· fey Derrickson, also a qual· uer, shot 76 one day arter carding a 77.

In what might be bad news for their competil.ion, West-

n 69 141 69 n 141

t:.e returns almost ilsentire team next season.

"I know we're going to work even harder," Engle­mann said. ·we•reonly los­ing one senior (Castanon). 1rwe work like we did I his year, we'll have a chance to be back."

Contact Rick canto at 512-445-3953. lw!tter: @Rickyprep

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Cavaliers' Kristen Kleymeyer shines in 2 sports this year Junior was a fi rst-team all-district perfom1er in volleyball, basketball.

ByThomasJones [email protected]

1be girls arhletk department at Lake Travis underwent a rebirth of sores this season, and junior Kristen Kleymeyer played a piv­otal role fortwo of the most prom­inent girls programs.

A nm-1eam, all·dls1rlc1 per­former in both volleyball and basketball, Kleymeyer added a heavy dose of athleticism co both teams. In the fall, the 5-foot-8· inch outside hiller with hops Lo spare hammered a team-high 347 kills for a volleyball squad that reached the state playoffs. She also had41 aces and a 1eam-high 491 digs while rarely leaving the Ooor for Coach Brandace Boren.

"She's Just such an explosive player,· Boren said in the fall. "And she's just as good on defense

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PAST FEMALE ATHLETES OFTHEYEAR 2017: Kaltfyn Papp.golf 2016: KristenGlllman,golf 2015: Aspen Howie, basketball/softball 2014: Kristen GHlman, golf

The Lake Travis cavaliers' Kristen Kleymeyer (5) takes a Jump shot against the Hays Rebels defenders during theglrls varsity basketball game at Lake Travis High School on Jan. 23. JOHr<WllB>RU/FORLAKETRAvts

VIEW

The lake Travis cavaliers' Emerald Pina pltc!hesagalnst the Reagan Rattlers during the nrst Inning of a bl-district 6Asoftballgame at lake Travis High School on Aprll26.JOHN GUTIERREZ/ FOR LAKE TRAVl:S VIEW

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as she is on olfense." Thal description could also

apply 10 Kleymeyer durlng basked>all season, when she helped the cavs reach the postseason under first-year coach Kevin Bussinger. She averaged 12.2 poinrs a game - almost doubling her scor­ing average from her soph· omore season - and pulled down 3.4 rebounds a game. She also led the cavs with 23 steals a game while playing lock-down defense against opponents' top perimeter threats.

Ho norable m en tion Emerald Pina. softball:

The senior softball player earned mOSl valuable player honors after leading the cavs on an unexJ)(X'.led run 10 the District 25-6A champion­ship. A dominant pi1cher, Pina compiled a record of 16-5 with a sparkling earned run average of 1.69 and 205 strikeouts.

Macy Fo.x. golf: The Lake Travis girls golf team may not have had the elile-level players that led the pro­gram to three consecutive stale championships Crom 2015-17, but it still boasted enough talent 10 finish sec•

Lake Travis' Macy Fox tees off the No. 1 box during the Class6AUlbglrlsgolfchamplonshlpatLegacyHIIISGolf Club. JOHNGUTlB>REZ/FOR LAKE TIIAVIS VIEW

ond at the stale tow-namem behind rival Westlake. No cav played better lhan Fox, a sophomore who carded a 36-hole score of 147.

Stephanie Pins. tennis: Astalwanon the mp line for the Lake Travis tennis team for four years, Pitts IOSl just two matches while helping the cavs to the regional finals during the fall's team ten­nis season. She has signed to play collegiate tennis at Abilene Christian University.

Contact Thomas.Jones at 512-445-3521

Lake Travis' Stephanie Pitts enjoyed a strong senior season for the Cavs• tennis team. FILE PHOTO

COACH OF THE YEAR

The Lake Travis Cavaners' Jessica Day gets congratulated by hllad coadl BIiiy Coleman for the home run against the Vista Ridge Rangers for the 6A district softball game at Vista Ridge High School on April 18. JOHNCUmRQE7 /f"<)Rl.AKt lRAYISVII-W

Coleman makes big impression in first year Veteran softbaU coach led Cavs to their first district championship.

ByThomasJones tjones@acnnewspape,s.com

Veteran softba 11 coach Billy Coleman, who won a Class 3A state championship at Celina in 2011, took over a solid Lake Tra• vis program lhat annually makes forays into the playoffs.

But lhis past spring, lhe Cavs took thenextstep, winning their first district championship In six seasons and their first as a Class GAsquad. 1--akeTravlscnded the season with a 25·10-3 record and a spot in the second round or the playoffs, where the team lost to San Antonio Warren.

COieman entrusted pllch<'r Eliz· abelh Pina with the ball through­out the season, and she handled the workload with confidence while compiling· a 16-5 record.

With a career record of34 I wins and just 137 losses, Coleman has proven his abillty Lo conslstcnlly field competitive teams. Expect more or the same as Coleman continues to develop depth in the cavs' program.

Honorable mention Kevin Bussinger. girls basket·

ball: The cavs lost nine seniors and roursianers from last season's 17·16 squad that missed lhe play-

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PAST COACHES OFTHEVEAR 2017:Hank carter,football 2016: David Bamme~ boys soccer 2015:Boys - DavidBammel, soccer; Gtrls-ChrisBeck, softball 2014; Boys-Clint Baty, basketbal~ Girts - Jemtfer Kazmierski, volleyball

The Lake Travis Cavaliers' Kristen Kleymeyer and head coach Kevin Bussinger exchange high-fives during a timeout In a girls conference varsity basketball game between the Cavs and Leander L.lons at Leander High School on Feb. 6. JOHNCUTIEOREZIFOl>LAKETRAVIS

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ofrs, and this year's varsity team featured three move­ins and four sophomores.

But that didn't stop Bus­singer, lhe former coach at Hays and Bastrop, from leading the Cavs to a 15·20 record and a postseason berth.

· we definitely have a plan,· he said about the future. " When you look at what we have coming up, we have some good players. There's dcfmitcly an upside to what we're doing."

Clint Baty. boys basket­ball: The Cavs· boys bas· ketball coach seamlessly incorporated two-sport s tandout Garrett Wilson into the rotation midway through the season and had Lake Travis playing its best basketball of the sea· son in the playoffs.

The Cavs went 30·8 and reached the regional finals for the first time as a Class 6A squad.

Hank carter. football: Despite the graduation of arguably the most talented class in Central Texas foot· ball history In 2017, lhe Cavs

Lake Travis Cavaliers head coach Clint Baty talks to the team durtnaa timeout at the boys varsity basketball game between the Cavs and the Westlake Chaparrals at Lake Travis High School on Jan. 30. JOHNCUTIERREZ/FOQlAKE

TR:AVISVIEW

camewilhlnoneplayofwln· ning a second consecutive Class 6A stale championship.

The team s h ook off a rod,')' start to the season - the Cavs gave up an aver­age of 47 points through the first three games and reeled otf another stirring playoff run, induclinga win over top-ranked Katy in the state semifinals. Lake Travis head football

coach Hank Carter Contact Thomas Jones at celebrates during a playoff 512-445-3527. game on Dec. 9. FLE PHOTO

Pipe down bacl< there: Taldng a school bus for a test spin Ken Herman Commentary

The wheels on Lhe bus, as gencrallons of gleeful children have told us in song, go round and rot1Dcl. round and round. rowid and round.

But those school bus wheels don't go anywhere unless Lhere's somebody behind 1he wheel at the driver's seaL

On a recent Sarurday, I was that somebody. Oh, don't worry. There were no kids on the bus and I was not allowed 10 leave the bus parking lot or exceeds mph. But, lured by a dever announcement. I was !hat somebody.

·Want to drive a school bus??" said the nollce from the 1~,l..• . • school district. wDon't be afraid to try!! Let's go for a ride. Test drive one!!.

So there I was, at the Lake ; i J, is disrrk:t's transportation center on Texas 71. We started with a classroom session, as district personoel touted the benefits and joys of drh~ng a school bus. Like many dis-1rlcts, L...i! ... is recruiting bus drivers.

"Lots of people say, 'Oh, I could never drive a school bus (and) I certainly couldn't do it with bunches of students on board,'" veteran L .e i · ,s driver Ben Mewis told us. He's a fomier career airplane pilot. ·vou can do it. It's quite easy, and we're going to give you all the help you need to get ready

Statesman column 1st Ken Herman checks his mirror May 19 whDe driving other potent ial bus drivers around the~- s d istrict transport ation center parking lot. RICAJIOOe BRAlZIW.t AMEl>ICAK-STATESMAN

to do this and ha\'e fun doing it.~

Fun? Qm there be fun involved in an activity that includes a prominently dis­played "Bodily Fluid Cleanup Kir'"? We'll get back ro that, because Mewis later said a bus driver always does.

Rhonda Davis is the district's transportation direc1or and lead evangelist for school bus driving.

WVou have to be able to mul­titask. I will say that," she told

my $tatt$11lan See video with thls column at mystatesm;in.com

the small corps of potential drivers. •rm not going to can­dy-coat It: It's tough. You get out there and you've got 10 deal with all the o ther maniacs on the road and tbeir driving and the craziness. Then you've got these SO to 60 kids behind

you.· "'Precious cargo" is what she

called those kids. And please be assured that the whimsi-cal narure of my self-assigned assignment 10 see what ii 's like to drive a school bus was tem­pered by the fact that two days earlier there was a horrific school bus crash in New Jer­sey in which a student and a teacher were killed. Precious cargo, indeed.

Davis said safely delivering that cargo becomes a passion.

•we always say we bleed yel­low. We love it that much.·

"When you've had a tough day and you think, 'I don't think I can do this,' and they have just worn you out. And you come In and Lhe following day somebody gives you a little note that says, 'You're the best bus driver' or 'I love you' or 'thank you' or 'I picked a little Oower friend for you; It's just like, oh my gosh, It's so worth it," Davis said.

An d then it was bus time. We split into small groups and climbed aboard tl1e 40-foot vehicles.

•so who's ready to drive?" Mewls asked.

Allana Riesenberger was. She's got two kids in Lake Tra· vis schools.

• It feels like driving my min· ivan," she said as she dro\'e. "But bigger.·

Riesenberger did great, including parallel parking the behemoth bet ween cones set up for pracLlce.

"How long you been driving a bus?" Mewis, impressed with her abilities, asked Riesen­berger. The correct answer was about 10 mlnures.

Mc did, however, have one bit of criticism.

wAre you a hooker?" he asked in what seemed a ques­tionable question until he explained that "hooking" is bus-driver lingo for holding the wheel from its underneath side. a practice that can cause

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problems in an emer• gcncy.

"You're supposed to keep your hands on top of the wheel," he told her.

Riesenberger told me the $18•per-hour, six-hour• per-day j ob is attrac1ive 10 her, because she'd "be able to be home with my kids more and sull have a job."

Next up In the alr-cush• ioned driver's seat was Barbara Fagan. who is a Lake Travis 1-figh School mom.

She also did great and had the one-liner oft he day. ll was in response LO Mewis' question about something you never should do while driving a school bus.

"Put makeup on?" Fagan joked.

Yes, but the answer Mewis was looking for, as he continued to make a point about how the mul­tiple mirrors are a driv· er's best friend, was never turn your bead away from the road.

I asked Mewis what it's like driving a bus full of kids. He said the noise level varies dramatically depending on time of day, time of year and caloric intake.

" In the mornings, it's generally always quiet because they're still asleep," he said. " In the allernoon, it varies. Frankly, ii depends on what they have eaten in school. If they're full of chocolate al Easter Lime, we've got a prob I.em on the bus because they're hyper. And Fridays are generally always louder than any other day of the week."

Halloween also can be challenging. It's all a mat• ter of earning the kids' respect, something Mewis says he does by always referring to hls passengers as " ladles and gentlemen.·

"If I yell at the kids, as the driver, all I'm doing is making the problem worse," he said.

So I probably didn't score any points when, aller a few minutes behind the wheel, I yelled, "Hey you kids, quiet back

Bus driver Instructor Ben Mewls helps Allana Rlesenberger, who has two kids In the Lake Travlsscilools, With her turns In the parl<lng lot.RtCAROOB Bl!AZZIEU/AMERICAN-S1ATESMAN

there.• The bus was surpris­

ingly easy to drive. The power steering is great, and I can sec how you'd get the hang of scanning the mirrors to see what's going on around you. I, too, successfully paral­lel-parked the bus. (But 96 percent of the credit goes to Mewis for telling me exactly what to do. I can't parallel-park my Honda

ElemenL) And just when I was

pretty impressed with myself, my confidence was shauered when Amer• lean-Statesman photogra­pher Ricardo B. BrazzieU took the wheel and did well enough to earn this question from Mewis: • You want to take it our on the road, see what it's like on the road?"

"Sure,· said Brazziell.

"Lers go to Schliner­bahn."

Mewis bit some magic buttons and the gate opened, freeing us for an impromptu field trip. Brazziell did great behind the wheel and we all enjoyed a pleasant after· noon at the New Braunfels water park. No, we didn't. We just drove around a nearby neighborhood for about 10 minutes and

returned to the bus park­ing lot.

"See this lady that's walking up here. Honk your horn and wave at her," Mewls told Brazziell. "That's my wife:"

Now, let's talk about the readily accessible "Bodily Fluid Cleanup Kit."

" It's sure to happen about once a year," Mewis said. "The driver calls in and says, 'Oh, rve got a mess all over my bus.' "

No big deal, he says. The kit features a kluy lit• ter-like absorbent sub­stance and a spatula.

"You take that spatula and mash it all around," he said.

Still Interested? Contact the Lake Travis school dis­trict transportation folks at 512 533-6070. Look for­ward to ex1ensive train­ing and testing, including getting the s1a1e license needed to drive a school bus.

Maybe you'U get lucky and not be driving the one day a year when the cleanup kl! is needed

[email protected]: 512-445-3907

BEE CAVE

The city Is working to connect the trail from Lake Travis High Schoot to the Bee Cave Central Park. The project ls slated for completion by the end of the summer. Luz MORENO-LOZANO/LAKE TRAvtSVIEW

Pedestrian trails expected to be ready in summer Trails to include access to Galleria, Lake Travis HighSd10ol.

ByL.uzMoreno-Lozano [email protected]

The city of Bee cave contin­ues to make progress to connect­ing its park trails to the Bee cave central Park, something Monty Parker said was one of his pn­orities in his new role as mayor.

At a meeting May 8, the City Council approved a bid fo r $551,682 that would construct pedestrian trails on RM 620 and Bee cave Parkway to Bee cave Central Park.

The SO-acre parlc, localed SOUlh­wesl of the Intersection of South RM 620 and Bee cave Parkway, Includes pavlllons, playscapes and restroom facilities. The .75-mile trail from Falconhead Bou­levard LO Bee cave Central Park will run parallel to RM 620 and will be the final segment in con­necting Lake Travis High School 10 Bee cave Central Park.

"The connecdon to the high

Traits continued on AS

Tralls continued from Al

school gets us close to Lake­way and possibly connect­ing to their parks system," Parker said "Then we could connect the two systems for all residents.·

The crail conscruccion is pan of a la rger plan to increase trail connectivity throughout the city, Parker said In November 2016, the city approved a hike and bike connectivity plan com• prised of bicycle and pedes­trian oriented corridors.

According to plan doc­uments, the city's goals are 10:

■ Provide a loop system for recreations purposes around the cen1ral hub of the city. ■ Provide connections

to all neighborhoods in Bee cave. ■ Reduce traffic conges­

tion by providing an alter­na1ive 10 driving. ■ Improve safecy for

pedestrians and cyclists. ■ Provide connections to

retail, restaurants, school and offices. ■ Provide connections to

Bee Cave Central Park and other parks within the city. ■ Establish standards for

each facility type depend­ing on the condition.

The tr all wl ii be abom to

fc-et wide, adjusting for site conditions. Parker said it will be cons1 ruc1ed of a com bi• nation of concrete and sta­bili1.ed crushed granite. The trail will run near the Galle­ria and other major attrac­tions for residents.

"Residents were looking forways1oge1101heparkor the Galleria without driving and being in jeopardy of traf· fie,• Parker sald "!The trail] will go a couple of places that people wam to go.·

Parker said the hope is to have the project complete by the end of the summer.

Contact Luz Moreno-Lozano at 512-445-3809. Twitter.@ LuzMorenot.ozano

Through June 4 Libby Smith art exhibit:

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m.-5 p,m_ Fridays at the Wall Street Gallery in Pros­perity Bank, 1415 RM 620 S., in l......eway. This free exhlbit feamrcs watercolors by the longtime :eway resident and , 'f e s school dis-trict teacher.