Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/30/2026

College Football started in earnest with what many call "Week Zero".  And there was much rejoicing.  There will be meaningful football on for the next I don't care to count how many weeks just rest assured the 2027 Valentine's Day and Daytona 500 will be around that time. While the first weekend offered not so much in terms of national matchups, one upset resonates true from the Football Championship Subdivision.  William and Mary were unranked and near two touchdown underdogs going into Philadelphia to face the usual basketball powers but Top 10 rated Wildcats of Villanova.  Unflinched.  Led by their nerves of steel quarterback Winston Watkins, the Tribe from Williamsburg went toe to toe with Villanova until finding themselves 10 points down with under 3 minutes left.  Their fate seemed sealed until Watkins got his act together and led a 52 yard FG drive, then after an onside kick, 3 play, 39 yard drivc for the tying touchdown.  An interception and FG later, the Wildcats had been had giving up 13 points in the last two plus minutes.  Overall, Winston Watkins was the man of the match, going for 254 yards and 2 TDs in the air, and 72 yards and another TD on the ground.  The steady hand wins and upsets are fun.  Winston Watkins is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsgirl of the Week Ending 8/23/2026

We've had 67 Sportswomen of the Week, but never a Sportsgirl of the Week.  There's a first time for everything.  The Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania (may it never move) has seen 25 girls compete at the top of the game, and outside of Monae Davis, Kinley Rasmus has been the most elite.  The young hurler and slugger has taken Williamsport by storm.  To get them there, she threw a complete game shutout to take Phenix City, AL, to Little League Title town.  She followed that up with a one hitter (through six innings) in her team's LLWS opener, only losing due to pitch limits and a relief pitcher who could not follow up.  No worries, after surviving an elimination game, the phenom was brought on again to shut down West Chester, PA, including escaping extra innings with a dazzling play on a bunt and shut down inning.  Oh, she also hits.  She was 2-2 with a triple in their elimination game (which she could not pitch) and has tied a record for hits by a girl and strikeouts in a game by a girl.  She's fun to watch.  She wears a Bow.  Signs about are "Fear the Bow" and "Girl Power".  Deserved.  Kinley Rasmus is the Longhorndave Sportsgirl of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/16/2026

The greatest debut in the history of Major League Baseball happened at Wrigley Field on a Saturday.  St. Louis Cardinals next phenom Joshua Baez hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues against 2025 All Star and 10-year Chicago Cubs Veteran Matthew Boyd.  But it didn't stop there.  Wearing the classic powder blue uniforms, Baez squared up Boyd again in the fourth inning.  And then the sixth.  Three home runs in his first three MLB at bats.  The hulking 23-year-old born in Boston but with parents from the Dominican Republic has surged this year after a noteworthy youth prospect career and second round selection by the cardinals.  Checks notes, that's pretty good.  Comps to Albert Pujols are coming too soon but fun.  Is this the savior to take the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time since 2022?  They're on the cusp this year but if they fall short, they are looking better for the second half of the decade.  Joshua Baez is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 8/9/2026

The "in-between" summer sports season (post basketball/hockey, pre football) continues, and the WNBA is capitalizing with headline after headline.  Some not so good.  But some good.  This is a blog celebrating sports, so let's look at a WNBA record set for three pointers in a game.  Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride broke the WNBA single-game record with ten (10) 3-pointers in a win vs. the Dallas Wings.  Overall 43 points in an eye popping 16-21 field goal effort.  The 5'11" Guard has had a working-woman's career now in her 13th season at age 34.  A decent scorer, good for 15 PPG scorer is enjoying a late career boom up at 18.4 PPG, good for 10th in the WNBA in scoring (no player higher than her is older) and 9th in 3PT FG% (42.4%).  For pop culture reference, Caitlin Clark is at a pedestrian 35.5% 3PT FG%.  The WNBA needs to celebrate those who are setting records and Kayla McBride is that player.  the Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/2/2026

As we hit the dog days of summer, baseball enters the home stretch for playoff pushes.  And no team has made a bigger push than the Boston Red Sox.  Given up for dead, fired their coach, but now they are storming up the American League East standings and look poised for a playoff run.  No player has been more in the center of it than Ceddanne Rafaela.  The centerfielder at the top of the lineup has been a spark plug since the All-Star Break and especially this week.  Rafaela torched the Los Angeles Dodgers and Athletics for a Ted Williams like .419 average while clubbing 5 HR, 2 2B, 11 RBI and scoring 7 times for the week.  The Red Sox went 6-1.  Since the All-Star break, the Sox have gone 14-3 sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays (best team in the AL), Los Angeles Dodgers (best team in the NL), and, just before the break, swept the Chicago White Sox (first in AL Central) and New York Yankees (second best AL team).  The native of Curacao is mimicking his best recent Hall of Fame inductee and countryman Andruw Jones in his star play, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!