Prep sports reporter Katy (Texas) Sun

The Katy Sun is hiring a hybrid reporter to cover sports and news. The editor (Wes Swift) would rather have someone with a sports background than a news background because the majority of the work for this reporter will be in sports.

The paper is a weekly, but the reporter will be expected to update the Web site daily. It is part of the Houston Community Newspapers company that operates 32 papers in the Houston area.

The reporter would cover sports in Katy ISD, which is comprised of six high schools. Those of you in Texas are quite familiar with the powerhouse that is Katy High School football. For those of you who are unfamiliar, we're not talking about relative powerhouse. We're talking one of the top five programs in the entire state. Katy played for the state title last year, and Cinco Ranch (Katy's archrival) advanced to the state semifinals.

Teams in all sports throughout Katy ISD routinely are challenging for regional titles.

The goal is to have someone in by the end of the month since football season is upon us. If interested, send resume and clips to Wes Swift at wswift@hcnonline.com

 

Nice outlet mall there. Katy's facilities are so nice, they host a Division I conference basketball tournament (granted, it's just the Southland, but still) at its arena.

Katy also puts you on the more desirable West side of Houston, which makes trips to San Antonio, Austin and College Station easier.

 

By virtue of history, Katy's sun has to be setting some time soon. But you have to look pretty damn hard - in the entire country, really - to find a program with the kind of support this one gets.

 

If you want to cover a good football team this is a good gig (assuming you do get to cover Katy High).
Katy has won four state titles the last ten years, and hasn't missed the playoffs since 1990. Always solid.
Cinco Ranch, a much younger school in the district, is looking like it may be heading toward that kind of success as well (a 24-4 combined record the last two seasons).

Basically, there will always be a pretty decent team come out of this area in football and are pretty competitive in other sports as well...but of course, football is king.
And like BrianGriffin said, it is on a desirable part of Houston.
Wait, why am I typing this and not applying?

 

Though I've never worked for Wes (I have met him a handful of times), I've heard others sing his praises. He's a no BS kind of guy.

 

Does Katy still have an indoor football team?

 

I don't think so, but I'm not 100 percent certain on that.

Wes is a good guy. Worked under him while with HCN a few years back. No-nonsense dude, but easy to get along with.

Katy is a great community. High school sports there are top notch and it's a great place to call home (which I did for about 10 years).

I also enjoyed my time working for HCN as well, for whatever that's worth.

 

The team moved to Abilene in 2009, which brings up a fun little fact. Katy High School won state championships in 2007 and 2008 when the team was there. Abilene High School beat Katy in the state finals last year. I could see some towns trying to get the team to move again if the trend holds this fall.

 

Count me as another to vouch for Wes Swift. The man is no-nonsense and is a great guy to work for. He has a very good sense for the importance of sports in the community and would clear the lane for you to do your thing.

Save for perhaps Southlake Carroll, no team in Texas gets the kind of support that Katy gets, although Cinco Ranch is set to give that district two heavy hitters in the state playoff chase over the next few years. Don't have the numbers in front of me, but it could be possible 19-5A could have both 5A state title teams.

La Marque and Texas City (23-4A) did it back in 1997 when LM won Division II and TC grabbed DI.