By Mike Reeder
Contributing Writer

For the first time in three years, the Dan Cook Cup, awarded annually by the San Antonio Express-News to the top high school athletic program in the greater San Antonio area, will not be going to the Boerne Greyhounds.

Instead, Class 5A San Antonio Reagan will claim the coveted award, with Boerne High School finishing runner-up.

“We’ve already given it up,” Boerne Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Coach Stan Leech said. “Reagan had nine second-place finishes at regionals, so they beat us, but we are going to finish second.”

Even though Boerne is handing over the Cook Cup, the Greyhound athletic program remained the top-ranked 4A team in the competition, with nine district championships of its own in 2007-2008. Boerne also tied for tenth among all 4A schools in Texas in the most recent Lone Star Cup standings kept by the UIL and was the only San Antonio area school to make the top ten in its classification. Unlike the Cook Cup, which considers only sports in its calculations, the Lone Star Cup also factors in marching band, one-act play and academic competition.

Despite giving up the Cook Cup, Leech said students, parents and fans have a lot to be proud of this year.

“Grant Gandy and Cameron Davis winning the state tennis championship in men’s doubles was a highlight, especially when you consider all the individual state champions who were back to compete,” Leech said. “The men’s basketball team winning regionals and going to the state tournament, and then playing so well in the state semifinals against South Oak Cliff, and the men’s swimming team winning regionals were the other high points.”

Power lifter Earnest Jones also qualified for the state meet with a second-place finish at regionals, and the men’s baseball team reached the third round of the playoffs after finishing second in district. The defending state champion softball team reached the second round of the playoffs, and both the men’s and women’s soccer teams made it to the third round.

The Hounds’ chances to keep the Cook Cup were hurt by the football team’s inability to make the playoffs and by an injury to distance runner Lorin Wilson that kept him from defending his state title in the mile run.

If Boerne is to reclaim the Cook Cup next year, it will be as the Champion Chargers.

The existing school is being shut down one year for renovations, and will re-open as a Class 3A school in 2009.

Meantime, Leech said work on sports facilities at the new Boerne Sam Champion High School remains on schedule, including construction of a new gym with a much larger seating capacity.

“It’s going to be above par,” Leech said. “It’s still going to be a shooters’ gym. There’s a good background and the goals will be close to the wall. We’ll still play our football and soccer games at Boerne ISD Stadium, but we’ll be playing baseball, softball and all the gym sports at Champion.”

Leech said any wistfulness about leaving the Greyhound tradition behind is mitigated both by the challenge of launching a new program, and by the knowledge that the purple and white will rise again.

“We’ve known about it so long we’re really more excited about going to the new school and being Chargers,” Leech said. “If Greyhound sports were over for good it would be different, but it’s only for one year, so it’s definitely okay.”