The rally was for Lake Highlands' playoff-bound football and volleyball teams, and Smith was evidently in town to promote his latest movie, Seven Pounds. And Romo was there because, Jessica was shopping nearby? Anyway, Smith says something interesting at about the 9:30 mark on the video, saying: "This is the first high school I've visited in about nine years." Considering that his son, Trey, is a sophomore receiver at Oaks Christian High near Los Angeles, that's actually kind of sad.

Besides, fans at Oaks Christian, the night I was there, said that Smith has been to several games. So somebody's lyin'!

As you can see, Smith actually played reporter and asked about Romo's injured finger. I couldn't really make out a lot of what Romo was saying. Who would have thought that a gymnasium pep rally where Tony Romo and Will Smith make an impromptu appearance would be so noisy?

Will Smith, Tony Romo Light Up Lake Highlands Pep Rally [HS GameTime]
Tony Romo And Will Smith At HS Pep Rally [NESW Sports]

Will this Favre show up in the pros one day to eventually confuse us with shifting retirement plans? Hmm, he's only 6-foot, 185 pounds, and has no college offers so far. But he's thrown for more than 6,000 yards with 74 touchdowns the past two seasons, and has also shown toughness, starting at free safety for the Rock-a-chaws. Yes, that's their nickname.

Picayune coach Dodd Lee — whose team is ranked No. 7 in The Clarion-Ledger Super 10 — was impressed by Favre in the Maroon Tide's 56-28 victory three weeks ago. "He's very poised for his age and has a good, competitive spirit about himself," Lee said. "He's got good arm strength and he's hard to hem up. He does a lot of good things — and if St. Stanislaus could run the ball a little more, he could be even more dynamic."

Here's his Myspace page, and some game video. I see him battling one day for the 49ers starting spot with Nick Montana and Trevor Gretzky.

Younger Favre Sets Mississippi State Record [Gator Bait]
Another Favre Legacy Hatches In Mississippi [The Big Lead]

Today, with a K-12 enrollment of 3,760, Punahou is the largest single independent school in the U.S. It is also the oldest in the country west of the Mississippi, and seemingly the most overachieving. Since 1958 the Buff 'n Blue have racked up 368 Hawaii championships — a state-record 16 this school year alone, including eight in the past two weeks.

Obama — who was called Barry O'Bomber in his hoops playing days — has often admitted that he wasn't the best student in high school, calling himself somewhat of a slacker. On the other hand, I'm as sure as sure can be that Hillary in high school would remind us of Tracy Flick in Election.

At any rate, it's a shame that ESPN Rise is not up and active to jump all over this puppy.

Fast Times At Punahou High [Sports Illustrated]
SI Says Obama's School Is Nation's Best In Sports [USA Today]
Punahou Athletics Ranked Best In U.S. [Honolulu Advertister]

ESPN announced it has formally launched a high school sports content initiative that has been named ESPN RISE. ESPN RISE is a multimedia brand dedicated to growing ESPN’s 12- to 17-year-old audience, while providing ESPN fans with compelling high school sports content across all of ESPN’s platforms including programming and events, digital media and publishing.

Not surprising, since ESPN had already acquired SchoolSports Inc., a high school-focused sports and lifestyle media company, in December of last year. SchoolSports publishes several magazines including RISE, Gridiron, Hardwood and GIRL; ventures ESPN will revamp and continue. But there will also be TV programming, and a big web presence. So get ready for that reality show that follows a Pop Warner League football team through the good times and the bad. There's a fat kid, and a kid whose parents just don't understand him. And they're coached by Bill Romanowski and Flava Flav! (Thursdays at 7).

I wish this venture all the best, because I've long thought that prep water polo has been sadly neglected at the national media level. But I also can't help but think that, like Alexander's forays into India, this seems a good example of an empire expanding too far. It's not enough for ESPN to bring us the Little League World Series and cover news like De La Salle of Concord (Calif.)'s national-record football winning streak. Everything needs to be compartmentalized over there, as the WWL acts like that person you know who won't allow different kinds of food to touch each other on their plate.

Hmm, I wonder if I can get this exciting new content on my ESPN Mobile phone?.

ESPN Now Targeting Nations Youth With ESPN Rise [Awful Announcing]
New ESPN High School Sports Initiative To Launch: ESPN RISE [ESPN Corporate Information]

More importantly, before the dance, you better watch out for some over-eager boys dropping their pants in an effort to creatively invite girls to the prom. That's exactly what happened to Huron High School senior Carolyn Campbell— and those boys paid for it.:

Kristoff Wennersten figured his prom proposal had to be one-of-a-kind if it would have any chance of being accepted.

But the Huron High School senior never imagined it would result in a suspension for himself and 12 of his varsity lacrosse teammates, whom he recruited to help spell out the message at a school soccer match via their derrieres.

The players displayed the question, "Will You Go To The Prom With Me? Yes or No?" on their posteriors while mooning Huron senior Carolyn Campbell at a game.

If anything, this should give some would-be grooms a great idea for how to propose to their future brides.

Lacrosse Players Are Romantic [With Leather]

Seriously, we love a good gag, but dude ... probably not the best idea.

A 17-year-old Hopewell High student was apparently acting on a dare when he did a fly-over prank at a Hopewell High football game Friday night, at one point dipping below the stadium lights. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials said Sunday that the teen pilot and two teen passengers flew the length of the field three times around 8 p.m. The plane reportedly came within feet of a flag pole.

On the final pass, a pair of tennis shoes and a football dropped from the single-engine Cessna 172 into the end zone, officials said.

We can't believe they give 17-year-olds pilot licenses in the first place, frankly. We can't believe they let 'em drive, let alone fly planes. But now we're just being cranky: We'd give good money to hear the call from whatever high school student was broadcasting the game on local radio. We expect many voice cracks.

School Pranks? Good Idea. Unauthorized Flyover At Football Game? Bad Idea. [Lion In Oil]

But the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is in the business of protecting feelings, and they feel like your boos are going to make someone cry. They're considering rules for fan conduct that would, among other things, ban the practice of booing.

The offenders would be locked up in a cage and subjected to a punishment even scarier than booing... they would be told that they are "U-G-L-Y, and that they ain't go no ability alibi, the ugly. Their mama said they ugly."

These seems a little overboard. I's true that fan conduct can sometimes be a problem these days, but there's no mention in this article of anything particularly egregious happening in the WIAA. Come on, administrators. Embrace the boo. The kids can handle it, I promise.

Booing at games may be banned [Seattle P-I]

"...the coach told his players that the Jan. 23 game against Mount Ararat "was about who had the biggest (male genitalia) in town," Hartnett said in a statement.

"He then required his players to all stand up and put their hands down their pants and check their manhood," Hartnett said. All but one player followed the coach's instructions.

Really, I don't think there's anything wrong with a high school coach trying to build self esteem through positive enforcement as it pertains to genitalia size. A coach referencing such a thing in regards to athletic performance is nothing new, and I'm sure similar things happen quite frequently ... in fact, the band director and choir instructors probably do this before performances, too. Hell, I was going to have everyone do it before the big Super Bowl liveblog tomorrow.

And you know what? The team won the game. Behold, the power of the knob.

Coach Given the Shake for Genitalia Comment [Sports by Brooks]
Leavitt fires basketball coach [MaineToday]

The most impressive thing about it might be how the whole community seems to be buying into the Devil Walk. A rap song hasn't moved middle-aged white people like this since Will Smith was still kicking it with DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Do the Devil Walk: Tift County High Stays Crunk [EDSBS]

I feel sick thinking about all those Oreos that were broken out prematurely and wasted.

I Done Soiled My Britches! [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

"It's a harmless thing everybody does and the people in school now all do it. It's better than doing drugs in school and that's the truth," said student Phil Blankenship. "At least they're not smoking pot or doing crack on the street corner waiting for the bus. They're just giving harmless wedgies."

Wedgies May End High School Football Season [KDKA.com]

North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, has suspended 17 players and 2 coaches for their roles in some initiation rituals. Freshmen played baseball in their underwear, they drank a lot of alcohol, and they wore women's lingerie. The gentleman pictured above doesn't appear to be that unhappy about his situation, and in fact, it looks as if the soft, silky blue material makes him feel both comfortable and sexy at the same time.

And here's where I get fuzzy on this. The school determined that it was all voluntarily and did not fit under the definition of "hazing," and then put the team on probation and suspended them anyway. For what? Running around looking like women? Eli Manning never gets in trouble for that.

If kids were bullied into it, then fine, suspend the team. But the report here in the Chicago Tribune says that some students opted to either leave the party early, or not drink alcohol. Presumably, there were no consequences for those who left.

Baseball at North Central College Goes South [NCAA Hazing]
Naperville college suspends ball players [Chicago Tribune]

Meet the San Pasqual High School varsity water polo team. It was "Jersey Night" at a school football game; a night where members of other fall sports teams were honored and recognized in front of the crowd. The Water Polo team, understandably, was looking for a little bit of attention. They decided to show up and take their bows in their Speedos. Just their Speedos.

School administrators were very uncomfortable with the display, because it's 1924, I guess, and forced the boys to forfeit an upcoming match against Patrick Henry (who would have loved the defiance) High School. My favorite part of the story is where the administrators confiscated the clothing that they shed on their way into the stadium, and made them sign to get it back.

You know who I think should be punished for this? The two guys in the picture who refused to sport the Speedo. Where's the unity, boys? Where is the team solidarity?

Water polo players land in hot water [San Diego Union-Tribune]

Yes, a Smoothe King. If this guy ever gets to the NFL and ends up on the same team as Randy Moss, there could be trouble.

Anyway, Lazear is accused of providing the gun and driving the getaway car in the incident. But other than that, he won't talk about it, and his teammates, coaches, parents, and interested colleges all want to act like it never happened. His high school coach says he doesn't care, and neither, evidently, do Alabama and Ohio State, who are still recruiting him heavily. Not much of a surprise, I guess, that Ohio State is recruiting a guy who currently wears an electronic monitor around his ankle. I love this paragraph.

Lazear said his ankle monitor is light enough that he hardly notices it when he plays, and it will not encumber him. Even though Maryland high school players are not allowed to wear jewelry on the field, Lazear will be able to play with the monitor. "The umpire will inspect it before the game and make sure it is adequately padded," said Ned Sparks, executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association.

Lazear had two touchdowns last night in a losing effort.

Despite Charges, Prep Football Standout Remains Tackle-Eligible [Washington Post]
Perry Handles the Load for Seneca Valley [Washington Post]
"...And A Banana Cognac, Bitch." [Deadspin]

It just has to be a step up from the After School Special feel of Code Breakers and the southern sappiness of 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story. And I'm still mad about Season on the Brink starring Brian Dennehy. There has not been a casting choice that poor since Sofia Coppola in The Godfather III.

It airs tonight at 8 on ESPN, if you decide that you've had just about enough of Joe Lunardi.

Through the Fire [Official Site]
The Golden Road to a Basketball Dream [New York Times]

...was the star quarterback in a potential state championship 4A high school football team.
...had a cheerleader girlfriend.
...was on his way to college.
...was carrying a solid 2.3 GPA.

But then he got sacked. And now, this individual...

...was dumped for Chad, the backup QB.
...watched his dog Fluffy die.
...was fired from his job because of the depression stemming from Fluffy's death.
...is homeless.
...wants you to give him a Fleshlight.

He's also requesting a laptop, any form of pornography, marijuana, a Wu Tang Clan tape, a box of Capri Suns, a non-Memorex blank CD-RW, viagra, and a copy of the Richard Marx single "Right Here Waiting For You" to help him mourn the death of Fluffy.

I don't have any idea what to say about this, but I thought it should be brought to your attention.

In need of some help guys [craigslist]

A player for Neumann-Goretti hit a three-ball near the buzzer to get the victory over Roman Catholic, and then all hell broke loose. Some fans were taunting, some were throwing bottles... and the next thing anyone knows, a cop is taken out in an ambulance, six people are arrested, and all city police offers are called to the scene.

There's some video here. My favorite part is when a security guard, seeing the floor become overrun with fans, just continues walking around and clapping, celebrating the victory. There's also an interview with this guy identified as "Harp Daddy," which is the coolest name ever. If that's not his actual given name, then I hope he's a rapper who plays the harp.

Melee at High School Basketball Game [6abc.com]

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football All-Star game, where, every so often, they'll turn the attention to a kid on the sideline, who will then reveal which football factory he'll attending. And most of the time, the clever little devils will pick up the wrong hat first, and then switch to the hat of the school that they've decided to choose. It's high-brow entertainment. The dude pictured above eventually went with Cal.

And the entire thing in sponsored by the Army. So what we end up with is a crowd full of Army personnel, sacrificing for their country, looking on as we hang on the every word of high school kids who won the genetic lottery. Strange.

The East and the West are tied at 7 in the 3rd quarter.

Photo Of Ax-Wielding Linemen Sacked [Chicago Sun-Times]