Episode transcript
Julia Copas: Welcome to Friday Knight Lights. we’re your hosts Julia Copas,
V Overstreet: and V Overstreet. Here with the scoop on your McCallum Knights.
Last season we focused a lot on player interviews, but this season we’re going to be switching to a more creative, fun format, bringing in new segments while also maintaining the fact-based approach to create a better experience for listeners and hosts alike. To start off the very first episode of season two, we have a segment we like to call No Context Trivia.
You know that banner hanging in Don Caldwell Gymnasium retiring some guy named Jay Arnette, his number 12 jersey. Have you ever wondered who the hell Jay Arnette is? Well..
Julia Copas: Arnette was on the varsity basketball team for three years, from 1953 to 1956, and was the first McCallum basketball player to be named to the all state team, when McCallum was in the 3A division. He also played baseball and as a kid played in the Little League, Little Bigger League and the Babe Ruth League, making it to the World Series in each. As a senior, he averaged 25 points per game. His highest scoring night was 47 points against Corsicana.
V Overstreet: And obviously with that kind of scoring power, he must have been shooting from beyond the arc constantly, right?
JC: Well, actually, the three point line was not introduced to high school basketball until 1987, so he was averaging 25 points per game on mid-range shots and layups alone. Arnette was coached in high school by Jimmy Viramontes, who left McCallum in 1956 to become the assistant basketball coach at the University of Texas and brought Arnette with him. While at UT, Arnette played both basketball and baseball, finding success in both sports and leading the basketball team to a Southwest Conference championship and a Sweet 16 appearance in 1960, while also being named an All Southwest Conference player himself. In the summer of 1960, he won gold with the US men’s basketball team in Rome. In 2010, he and the rest of the Olympic team were elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit.
VO: So it’s safe to say that jersey retirement is well deserved.
JC: In our next segment called The Rundown, we will do a rapid-fire breakdown of notable sports events in the past two weeks. V, your three minute timer starts now.
VO: Starting off with the HTeaO Hoops Classic, the McCallum men’s basketball team went 1- 2, lost to Cornerstone Christian and Copperas Cove, but beat Manly Warringah, an Australian team. Next Tuesday, the McCallum Knights lost to Liberty Hill 89-60. It was a good game, but the Knights just got out defended and way out rebounded. On December 12th, we lost to Hays 56-30. This was a heartbreaker of a game and it was really capitalized and kind of foreshadowed by Ethan Plummer being out and the McCallum Knights not really having a great backup option for that.
Moving over to girls basketball, the week before, around the same time as the boys basketball were at a tournament, they went 1-2 and kind of just saw some of the similarities we’ve seen all season with the girls basketball, just maybe needing a more reliable scorer, needing a little bit more rebounding. But all in all, I think it was a good showing for that tournament. Tuesday, December 9th they lost to Wimberley 58-31. Now Wimberley is a good team, so I would say that again, kind of what is expected, but it’s always heartbreaking to see a loss like this. More heartbreaking is Friday’s game against Pflugerville, 58-51. Now the Knights hung in this heavy all the way till the end. And just a seven point deficit being all that stood between them in a win and is really sad to see.
Also Friday the men’s soccer team beat Austin Achieve 2-0. Now Austin Achieve is the defending state champs for their division, so this was a really big win for the Knights.
JC: That’s all for the past two weeks. In our next segment, called Panic Meter, we will assess how worried fans should be about the state of our teams.
Starting off with boys basketball, I would say the panic meter is at about a 7 or 8, which is way too high for this time of year in my opinion. The boys team has started off 3-9, which is pretty bad compared to being 10-5 this same time last year.
VO: Now, Julia, I would definitely agree with you. I’m having the men’s basketball around a seven or an eight, and a lot of it is just I mean, it’s an easier district and last year. So you’re coming in and I think we’re going to pick up now that the non-conference games are over. But we’re really just struggling on defense, rebounding and especially turnovers. Now, I like the basketball team. I love all the players on it, but the turnovers are a real problem and I just feel like sometimes players are throwing away the ball without really considering where that pass is going.
JC: I agree, I think we also need to focus on how can we adapt what our key players are out. The loss against Hays on Friday was the worst loss against them in recent history. Previously when we’ve played them, the games have been pretty close. One even went to overtime a couple of years ago. But this year, Ethan Plummer, who is arguably, in my opinion, star player of the McCallum basketball team, was out. So I think this loss, 56-30, clearly shows how the team is lacking when he is out. And I think that that’s another thing that has honestly been something the team could have been working on for a long time. We saw this last year when key players were out, things would kind of take a downturn, and I think that that’s another thing that they really need to work on.
VO: And I would agree with you. I think that one of the most reliable backup options for Plummer being out is junior Miller Stephens. He’s been a really good player all year. He’s been coming off the bench a lot and getting a lot of really solid points and has been a really reliable scorer for us. But I think one of our issues is that we need to have him and Plummer on the court at the same time, and I think that even when Plummer is healthy, that can’t happen very often. I mean, as good of a scorer as Miller and Plummer both are. I would like to see Miller facilitate a little bit more. I think that that would be a way to where, you know, we can get both of them on the court and have our two best scorers on the court at the same time. And I think that that would really bring more of a high powered punch to our offense.
JC: I totally agree. I think having our best scorers on the court at the same time really just seems like the key to winning here. I think also, I could see a little bit more, you know, melding of team chemistry, getting things together. Obviously last year we had some great players George McCoy, George Brode, Felix Kahlor, Tommy Ammerman, who were top scorers we would all see on the court at once. And I think that that is partially what led to the success of last year. And all of that has, of course, been lost because many of the players graduated. So I think really, we need to start seeing these, obviously, the seniors who have more experience can step up as leaders, but the juniors who it’s maybe their first year on varsity, can also step up in scoring. And I think getting as many guys who are the best on the court at once could really be the key to success here.
VO: And I would agree about the juniors. I mean, just to, you know, call out a few names. I think Cole Truong and Joe Alvarez in particular, both first years on varsity, both were major impact junior varsity players. But they have really brought a lot of really good effort to this team. I mean, Joe when he’s on the court, amazing handles and he’s just, you know, he’s uncatchable.He’s a great scorer and Cole, amazing effort player. Every time I see him out there, I’m thinking, this dude is working the hardest that he can and he’s outworking everyone on the court. Now that comes with some downsides. I remember in a recent game there was one moment where Cole had a really good fastbreak layup, but I think that he got his whole head a little bit and he didn’t slow it down. He ended up missing the layup. I just think that, you know, when you play with that much energy and you play with that much effort, you sometimes lose track of the certain finesse that you have when you’re a little more calm.
JC: Yeah, I totally agree. Looking ahead, the Knights only have two more non-district games against Buda Johnson and Manor, who are both 6A teams. So I would say regardless of what happens, those games shouldn’t be too much of a basis to judge the whole season on. The district outlook is a little more lopsided because, you know, we have teams that could potentially put up a fight like Anderson, LASA, Cedar Creek. But then on the other end, there’s Navarro, Crockett, you know, the teams that we should be beating. And I feel really confident that this team has a lot of potential to do really great things similar to or even better than previous years. I think there’s just things that need to be improved on. But of course, that’s what preseason is for, and it’s hard to make too many judgments until we actually get into the depth of district play.
VO: I couldn’t agree more. I mean, you’re starting off 3-9, and that alone is definitely going to be enough to bum out a locker room. But you’re looking forward and you’re looking ahead and you’re seeing, hey, you know, we have a really solid district ahead of us. We are still in it for a district championship. Now, what needs to change to be able to be a contender for that? Well, I’d say in my opinion, our biggest thing is some of our big man play. I mean, all year it’s been a little inconsistent. You have your really, you know, your strong guys, you have your Darby Roldans, then you know, you have your Tristens. But it’s been inconsistent all year. And I think the rebounding and the defense really needs to get better. I mean you saw it in the Liberty Hill game. We just got out defended. And Liberty Hill as a school I did not think was super athletically impressive. But what they were good at was team chemistry, cohesion and acting like a unit. I think that we lost that game because they had a better defensive play than us, and they were more committed to executing, which I mean is not uncommon at Liberty Hill. You know, if anyone here watches their football team or watched McCallum play them, you know, Liberty Hill runs a very strict, you know, almost military like offense that they all commit to and do wholeheartedly and they don’t question it. I just think our defense and our cohesion working as a unit needs to get better. And I mean, I cannot stress this enough, the turnovers are killing us. I think that ball security, along with bad passing, is just a recipe for disaster. And I think that that is our biggest flaw. I think if we can get that under control, we’re going to be a really good team. We have a lot of really good players and a lot of really good talent on our team. I mean, you have Jack Wood. He’s been playing great defense all season. You have Ethan Plummer. Do I need to say anything else about Ethan Plummer? Like, you have all these guys, they’re doing their jobs to the fullest, but they’re just getting killed by these tiny mistakes that I think is just something that is definitely fixable and is not a personnel issue at all.
JC: I totally agree. Moving into girls basketball, for me, I would say the panic meter is about a 5 or 6. They haven’t done super well in preseason, but they are 5-11, which you know, it’s not great, but it’s not that bad. For me, it’s hard to tell whether these are just preseason blues or real issues that are going to continuously show up throughout the season. I think that they have some things that they need to clean up. They do start district on Friday, so they will have a little more time to prepare as there’s no game on Tuesday. But frankly, most of the players are probably going to be focused on finals. So we’ll see.
VO: I mean, I, I 100% agree. I would say it’s around a five as well. You see we have not too hard of a district, but at the same time we have some really heavy hitters in that district, Crockett and LASA, teams that have both gotten at least ten wins this season is just a really daunting opponent, and it’s something that you really don’t want to see coming up on your schedule. But I don’t think that’s something we need to be afraid of because we can still finish high in that district. I’m not gonna lie. We’ve lost to some pretty bad teams, but we’ve also held our own against some really good teams, and our wins have looked dominant. We just got to get some good game playing down, and you got to get the ball to your key players. You know, Ruby Airhart in particular. She’s a great shooter, has great range. But also she hustles and is hard on defense. She’s one of our best players and I’d really like to see her get some more action.
JC: I totally agree on that front. I think there’s a lot of players on this team that have hustle, are willing to put into the work. There’s just things that need to be cleaned up. I will say the past two years there have been some of our best players probably have graduated and gone, and I think that there’s big gaps that need to be filled here. But on the bright side, there are six underclassmen on this varsity team right now, which is a testament to the fact that, you know, there’s a good core group of potential stars that are putting in the work now, and we just have to wait to sort of see them start to flourish. And unfortunately, that will only improve with time.
VO: I mean, I totally agree, you have a huge talent pool coming in with a really big freshman class and a lot of good freshman basketball players. I mean, talking with some of the players and just getting their opinions on it, they seem to be really excited and they seem to see, you know, some diamonds in the rough down there.
JC: I would say my main notes, just from watching the film of the St. Stephen’s game, I will note that I haven’t seen them play in person yet, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I think the game planning is going to need to take a step up. The main issues I saw from the St. Stephen’s game were way too many three point attempts when I felt like they could have been going for more easy layups, which is frankly how St. Stephen’s outscored and also preventing turnovers. I mean, I know that that’s like a blanket statement for all basketball is no turnovers, but those are really that’s really the main issue that I feel like is plaguing both girls and boys basketball at McCallum.
VO: I mean, we have some really good players on the women’s basketball team. Don’t get me wrong. I think last year, you know, it was the Emy Chen show and everyone was watching her. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great player and I think we all totally appreciate wholeheartedly what she has done for our team. But I mean, you know, it’s future is now. We have Ruby Airhart dominating. We have [Amira] killing it on the fast breaks and the finishing. We got to get Amara and Meredith to control the paint. I think we are a really good team.
JC: I totally agree, I feel like the girls basketball team has so much potential and again, hard to judge just based off the preseason. We really have to see how things go once we get into the depth of district play. So for me, panic meter 5/6.
VO: I would totally agree. Now moving on to men’s soccer. Now their season just kicked off with a really good win against a really good team last night. 2-0 against Austin Achieve who if you recall, are the reigning 4A D2 state champions. Now that was a gritty game. I mean it was a really hard win. I would say McCallum’s offense was struggling a lot during the first half, but I would say Austin Achieve’s was too. Our defense is rock solid, though. Jackson and Alan both are locking it down back there. Summit making some really good plays last night. It showed a lot of resolve and a lot of grit, and I was really happy with a lot of what I saw, what I wasn’t super happy about was I would say the scoring attack. Now, I thought we were having a lot of trouble breaking through and just getting some really good opportunities to score. And, you know, maybe that’s just because it’s our first game. I don’t think I can judge our entire scoring offense or our entire team based on that one game. But from what I saw, we were really struggling. Now in the first half, it was rough. In the second half, that’s when things started to pick up. We had a really nice goal by Brandon, you know, off a great corner and then later in the game almost immediately, not immediately, it was a couple minutes after, but very soon after a great header goal from a corner by Ethan Roberts. Honestly that was kind of what I needed to see. The scoring was kind of abysmal in the first half, but those two goals in the second half, man, they made that game worth it. The passing all around was really good. I was really content with the crosses. I thought our set pieces looked nice. I thought the subs were good, no one looked too tired and I think everyone was able to play that game at their full.
JC: I totally agree here. Again, hard to judge just off one game, but so far they’re looking great. If we can beat the 4A Division 2 champions, I mean, who knows what’s next? This week on Tuesday, the boys soccer team will face Northeast, who are another 4A powerhouse, so I will be curious to see how that shakes out. You know, Northeast used to be in our district and put up a good fight. I, you know, those games used to be good matchups. And I think this year it will be too, even though we’re facing them in preseason.
VO: You know, I think that’s going to be a great game. And I’m really excited to see what boys soccer has got cooked up. I think we got a lot of really good players and we have a lot of good talent. Even though you’re missing so many players from last year, which I think is a common theme that we’ve been seeing across every single team, is we’ve just been missing these past seniors so poorly. But I think men’s soccer has adjusted perfectly and they are killing it out there. I’m really excited to see what they do next, and I’m really excited for the Northeast game.
JC: Me too. I mean, hey, shout out class of 2025. I would say that was probably one of our best athletic classes in past couple years, if not ever. So many people went on to play at the next level and so many amazing athletes left. So I think that that’s really a common theme, like you said, throughout all of our teams, is we’re trying to fill in the gaps from some of our best players.
VO: It’s and it’s not easy. Believe me, I play football. I understand how hard it is to miss your best players. I mean, we’re missing Luke Dunham, you know, Mitchell Butler a lot of really, really solid guys. Mark Sanchez, and a lot of guys I went to play on the next level. Filling in the gaps is going to be hard, but I think that it’s definitely possible. We have the tools for men and women’s basketball, and I want to commend boys soccer for doing an amazing job already getting that done.
JC: Okay, that’s all for the Panic Meter. We’re now going to move on to our next segment called Draft Something Ridiculous. This week we are going to get our top five picks for the best places to get food before a home basketball game.
So many amazing restaurant options around McCallum and you got plenty of time from 4:35 to 8:00, tipoff a varsity basketball game, to do what you want and get some good food. So V, if you want to start us off with your honorable mention.
VO: In the honorable mention category, I’m going to take [Tikka] House. It is a brand new Indian restaurant just opened up very close to McCallum. It’s a nice sit down spot, delicious food. If you’re looking for a nice dinner with friends. I think it’s really good. It’ll get you full, nice, really energized to go yell at some opposing players.
JC: Okay. For my honorable mention, I’m going to take P. Terry’s. As much as I love, and as much as I’m a P. Terry’s truther, I think unfortunately, they’re just better places to get food before a game. P. Terry’s, you know, it’s consistent. It’s good. It’s great. But those lines right after school… I mean you might be there until 8:00 and frankly that’s too much time to be wasting. I personally want to sit down, eat my meal and then have plenty of time to get ready to head back to DCG.
VO: Wow. I would say that’s a very hot take. At my number five spot I’m going to go Home Slice. Now this is a little bit of a trek if you’re walking, but if you got a car it’s not a big deal. The pizza speaks for itself and the just ability of grab and go and maybe eat it close to the school that way you don’t miss tip off. It’s really convenient, really quick and just really delicious pizza. And I think that, you know, it’s one of my favorite pizza spots. And I’m really glad that we have the opportunity to get to go there and before game. But that’s what I’m taking at the five.
JC: OK for me, my number five is perhaps an unconventional take, but I’m taking Central Market. On foot would be a little bit of a trek, but if you got a car, it’s right there. I mean, honestly, you could even take the city bus, [the] number five take you right there. Central Market, I just love so much in my heart. There’s so many different options, especially if you’re looking to be healthy. As much as we’re about to be hyping up all the fast food, I think we gotta have at least one healthy option in there. Central Market has something for everyone. Especially if you have allergies, because I don’t personally, but I know many people do and that can be hard, especially for fast food. So unconventional take. But Central Market, number five for me.
VO: Moving on to number four I’m going to go ahead and take Dalia’s. Now this is a McCallum staple. If you go to McCallum you’ve heard of Dalia’s. You’ve probably eaten at Dalia’s. It is quick. It is fast. It is cheap. It is delicious. It is everything that you want a taco truck to be. And they are open way later than you think they are. Trust me. I mean, I think I know a million people that go there for lunch, but after that it’s still open. It’s amazing. It’s great to get, you know, you get to-go boxes. And it is definitely something that I think you could get before a game and just make that quick and easy.
JC: Funny coincidence. My number four is also a taco spot, El Tacorrido. Perfect if you got a car and need to make a quick stop. Now they do specialize a little bit more in breakfast tacos, but they’re open late too. They’re open till 9 or 10 I think. And in my opinion they have the best tacos. El Tacorrido is great. It’s cheap, it’s close. And for me there too, I have never had a bad taco from El Tacorrido.
VO: At the number three spot. So we’re getting to top three. This is going to be where you know, I have been or I would definitely go before a game because I usually stick to a couple spots. But my number three, I’m going to go with the Chili’s on 45h and Lamar. Now this Chili’s is storied. You ask anyone in Austin and they’ve heard of it. I don’t exactly know why it has such a cult following, but it’s a good Chili’s. I like Chili’s, you get a triple dipper, you eat it with your friends, you know you have a good time, and then you go to a basketball game, and it’s, it’s a great combination. And I think it’s something that is vastly overlooked.
JC: Chili’s on 45th has a special place in my heart. I had my 17th birthday dinner there so. Unfortunately made my short list, but my number three is going to have to be Top Notch. Austin classic, McCallum classic. I mean, hey, in my opinion, Dazed and Confused is about McCallum High School. You can talk to the wall. Top Notch is a neighborhood staple. And did you know it’s owned by a McCallum family? How awesome is it that you could go spend your money at a McCallum business and then go watch our McCallum basketball teams dominate? I mean, they’ve got something for everybody. The charcoal grill burgers, I mean, their fried shrimp is amazing. And their French fries are awesome. And of course, you can’t forget their lemonade and their classic cups. I mean, easy way to have aura as you’re walking into the student section is having that Top Notch cup in your hand. So for me, Top Notch number three.
VO: You know, I don’t think I could have said it better myself. That’s a great pick at three. Moving on to number two, I think I’m going to go with Cheko’s. Now, this is a little, you know, Mexican restaurant right down by the Valero station. Definitely walkable. And it’s delicious. I love Cheko’s, the staff there is super nice, the food is delicious. You know, it’s in walking distance and it’s open pretty late. So if you want to go get a couple friends, go down there. I think it’d be a great thing to get before a game.
JC: Okay. My number two is perhaps a deep cut. It is a little far. So sorry to those who can’t drive, but I’m going to have to go the Dairy Queen on Burnet. Now, I know what you’re thinking, I know what you’re thinking. What on earth is she saying? But the Dairy Queen on Burnet holds a special place in my heart. If you’re going to drive through, it’s quick. If you go sit inside, there are so many places to sit. It’s honestly the cleanest Dairy Queen I’ve ever been in my life. And the staff are so amazing. And you can get a lot of food for not that much money. So if you’re on a budget, it is worth the trip. And how more classic can it get than going to a Dairy Queen before a Texas high school basketball game? I mean, come on, if you want a taste of what that small town Texas life is like, you got to take a stop at Dairy Queen because it really feels like that. It’s no city Dairy Queen, you walk in there, you feel like you are in a town of 3,000 people. And for that, it’s my number two.
VO: Now moving on to the big Kahuna, the top dog, the don, number one. Now, this was a really hard one for me. I there’s so many good restaurants around. McCallum I think one of the reasons I love this school is because I can go anywhere within five minutes and find something that I like. It’s not hard to find something that I like, but I like everything. So for my number one, I’m going to have to go with the Texas staple, the classic. I’m going to go with Whataburger. Now. In my opinion, there are few things better in life than a patty melt combo with a large Dr. Pepper, and getting that before a game honestly sets the tone for the night. I think that the games where I’ve had the most fun, I’ve gotten a Whataburger, and I think that, you know, even if you’re still hungry, oh, it’s open 24 hours. You can go after a game too. It’s great for players. Basketball players, see them all the time. Maybe you want to go catch up with one of them, talk to them about the game. You go to Whataburger. Before the game, you know you get all the fans, they’re rowdy, they’re hungry. I think that’s a great experience.
JC: Not sure how I can beat that. I mean, my number one, I will admit, does not compare to the Whataburger. I didn’t even think of that. So I’m going to say right now I think V, you take the win. For me, my number one is a classic, Cabo Bob’s. I mean, you can’t really get that much better than that, if we’re excluding Whataburger. I mean, you can get a lot of food for not very much money. As a broke high schooler, I gotta say, it does the job. And it’s not that far. Again, sorry to people who can’t drive. I mean, Whataburger definitely could walk. We’ll have to drive to Cabo Bob’s, but honestly, I think I could leave it at that. I mean, hopefully, you know Cabo Bob’s and you should be agreeing with me on this. And if you haven’t been to Cabo Bob’s for whatever reason, you need to go right now because, I mean, their queso, their chips. They’ve got Mexican Coke straight from the glass bottle. And you can get a bowl, a burrito that honestly could be two meals. Eat half it before the game, eat the second half after. It’s just perfect. So that’s all I got to say.
VO: I mean, I totally agree, the 949 Big as Your Face chicken burrito speaks for itself.
JC: That’s all for this episode and thank you for listening. This podcast is produced as part of multimedia content for The Shield, McCallum High School’s student newspaper. The Shield is advised by Evan Solís. Friday Knight Lights is produced by Julia Copas and V Overstreet. The music used in this episode was created by Julia Copas. To listen to more MacJournalism podcasts, click the link in the description or visit macshieldonline.com.