10/30/09: I just got back home from the Southlake Carroll Dragons' last home game of the season - Senior Night. It ended on a good note after we nearly tried to give it away at the end of the game. Dragons win 24-17, but the game was never much in doubt until a late TD by the Hawks of Hebron High made it interesting.
Interestingly enough, Southlake games are the place to be this season. Tonight, the place was packed with tons of green and white. The stadium is 1st class all the way. As a matter of fact, I have never seen as nice a high school stadium than Dragon Stadium in Southlake. That place was awesome! The Carroll Band also did a great job during halftime. Being in the Million Dollar Band at Alabama, I have to give them props....great show.
Anyway, Cade Foster had a perfect night again with 1 short-ranged FG and 3 PATs which will be added to his current state record. So far he is perfect on the year in FG attempts/makes. Great job there, Cade.
In closing, one other interesting character was at the game tonight... a guy that went to Southlake just a few short years ago - and is Alabama's current starting QB. Yeah, Greg McElroy. I met him and his dad tonight while at the game - nice guy. I told him good luck when we play LSU next weekend. Later that night as I was leaving, I actually saw him walking out to the parking lot, so gave him (ha ha) a photo opportunity with the Bamadog... so it's now posted on my Bamadog Pics page. He's definitely a lot bigger in person than on TV - maybe that's from him standing next to all those giant OL guys...
When I got home, I got to thinking about what he said last weekend - about sleeping in the athletic complex to make sure he was ready for the next game. Well, apparently he's out of the film room and in Dallas, TX, so all must be well, right? :) ROLL TIDE!
Anyway, one more away game left for the Carroll Dragons, and then they head to Texas Stadium for the playoffs the following week.
10/23/09: I just got back from the back-wood woodshed beating that Carroll HS just put on cross-town rival Flower Mound HS. With 7:00 remaining in ONLY the 1st QUARTER, the score was already 28-0, Carroll.
The first play from scrimmage was a 70-yard bomb that went for 6... 3 and out for FM, then 3 plays later, it was 14-0... and the rout was on. It was INSANE how quickly this game was put away. By the end of the game, the score was 70-21, and Southlake wasn't even trying to run up the score. They did about 21 of those points when the 2nd/3rd teamers were in the game. By that point, Flower Mound had just given up.
Anyway, it was a great game for Alabama's Kicker recruit Cade Foster. He not only broke the Texas state record for most PATs in a career - he shattered it with 6-7 of them tonight. He only needed one to break the record. They were able to retrieve the kicked record ball during the game as well... so he'll always have something from his high school days. The record has stood since 1993. Now the only person that will break the record is ..... Cade himself as he continues to add to his totals for the remainder of the year. It's a record he should keep for a very long time. Another positive note is that he continues to boom the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs (10 yards closer in for HS).
Congrats to Cade Foster!! Your mom and dad are really proud of you. :)
Anyway, great game - we can't wait to have you next Spring in Spring camp. ROLL TIDE!
Bamadog w/Cade Foster & Game ball the night he broke the Texas state High School PAT record.
8/21/09:I had the pleasure of seeing firsthand one of Alabama's 2010 recruits this past Friday night in a scrimmage here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. He plays for Carroll High School in Southlake, TX. His name: Cade Foster, and he wears #32 (#30 in the picture was only for the scrimmage). He plays 2 positions - Kicker and Linebacker - and he plays both well. He's 6'2", 220 lbs, and runs a 4.6 in the 40.
As I entered the stadium the other night, they had just started with special teams workouts. Cade was up to kick a few FGs before the scrimmage began. You read the stats and see that he's 6'2" and 220 - well, he's THAT and more. He's got a cannon of a leg and pretty good accuracy as well. He gets the ball up quickly which is most important yet still gets distance on his kicks. I was quite impressed with the work I was able to see that night.
I managed to meet Cade's parents in the stands, and they were very nice people - kind of like Alabama folk. Anyway, they gave me some insight on some of Cade's recruitment by Alabama and I thought I would share them here... here were some responses by Mr. & Mrs. Foster:
When was Cade offered the scholarship by Alabama?
Cade was offered a scholarship by Alabama in February 2009 and accepted the scholarship in April 2009.
What schools offered Cade a scholarship?
He had 3 schools offer him besides Alabama. They were Washington, Stanford, and Miami. There was a chance that he was going to get offered a scholarship from Colorado (as LB), UCLA, and Oklahoma as well.
Tell me about the visits that Cade took during the recruiting process.
He took a visit to OU and loved it. "Dad, this is it." Two weeks later, they took a visit to LSU and Cade said, "This makes OU look like a Junior College." Then he went to ALABAMA about a month later after the LSU trip and said "That's it. It's Alabama for me."
Describe your visit to LSU.
We all loved it and thought that was where Cade would end up after the visit. Cade really liked it; the coaches were really nice; the facilities were unbelievable; Miles was real nice and impressive as well. The problem was that LSU didn't really need a kicker.
What impressed you the most about Coach Saban & Alabama in general?
He was real up-front, personable, down-to-earth, and so nice. We talked with [Saban] for about 45 minutes, and only about 10 minutes were about football. The other time was spent talking about life, the big picture, the job you get out of college, character, what [Alabama] expects out of their kids, and academics. [Saban] did talk about playing time, and that's what sold us because of the other kicker (Corey Smith) leaving the team earlier in the year. Coach said it was his job to lose since he was the only kicker they would have after Tiffin left, and that he wanted Cade to be Alabama's kicker for the next 4 years as he did at Southlake High School. The school itself was nicely set up for athletes. The living/dining arrangements were close together along with the academic center. We also really liked the weight room and Bryant-Denny Stadium. Everything was just really nice. Alabama fans are (good) crazy. He has gotten all kinds of texts and messages after he committed. It's just a great fit.
Tell me an interesting experience that happened while on the Alabama official visit.
They came up to Coach Cochran and he kept telling Cade that they were going to make him fast and faster and get him some speed. Later in the day, Cochran saw Cade in the hall and said, "KICKER?!?! KICKER??? I thought you were a LINEBACKER!"
Any other stories?
One more: We were with Coach Williams and he was showing us videos. One of the videos had Tiffin getting knocked down and hurt by one of the guys on the other team. He looked at Cade and said, "I don't expect that to happen to you."
On playing LB or K position:
We all saw the LB's at LSU and Alabama. We looked at Cade and said, "Cade, you better kick."
Other points of interest:
Cade was selected to be a TEAM CAPTAIN for the 2009 season by his teammates. You can't deny leadership and character of this guy.
Cade plans on enrolling at Bama in the Spring of 2010 and should participate in A-Day.
Cade has always wanted to play in the SEC; it was a dream of his, and now it's coming true.
Cade uses a black rubber "tee" that is approximately 6" x 2" and is only about 5mm thick to simulate more of a kicking-off-the-grass feel in his senior season. The tee is used mainly for the holder so he (the holder) will know where to put the ball after the snap.
Cade will be on the cover and feature of the September 18 edition of Southlake Style Magazine (SouthLakeStyle.com) for the Dragon Pride issue.
Cade's sister plays field hockey at the University of North Carolina.
Cade has been a 4-year starter at Southlake HS. He hit a 45-yarder as a freshman. His career long FG is from 48 yards.
TX high schools kickoff from the 40 yard line. The majority of his kicks are kicked out of the end zone or not returned.
Cade and his family will attend the homecoming game this fall (South Carolina) for another visit.
Cade was in 8th grade when McElroy was the starting QB at Southlake, so the two have never played together...yet.
Cade wears #32 at Southlake HS. He hopes to keep that number when he comes to Alabama.
I met Cade after the game and he was a TOTAL CLASS ACT. We even got his mom to take a picture with the camera that's on my phone.... and just in time. Just as the picture was taken (above), the battery died. Good timing.
I plan on making a few more trips out to see Cade play this season, and I hope to get another interview with Cade later in the season on how his homecoming visit goes in October. As for this scrimmage, he played well at LB too but never had the chance to lay the wood to anybody. They never really threw in his area. I can't wait to see him crush someone though...
Until then, know that we're getting a QUALITY kicker and a class act kind of guy. This is the type of guy Alabama can and will be proud of for years to come. ROLL TIDE... and welcome to the Crimson Tide, Cade Foster!
HERE IS HIS HIGHLIGHT VIDEO Watch out for the "kicker" @ 2:00 mark! ROLL TIDE!
