News & Events

ALEDO RUNNING BACK JOHNATHAN GRAY NAMED GRIDIRON LEGENDS HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Award presented by Wrangler Jeans and Cavender’s Boot City

HOUSTON – Aledo running back Johnathan Gray was named the Gridiron Legends High School Player of the Year by the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, the bowl committee announced today. The award was presented by Wrangler Jeans and Cavender’s Boot City. Formerly known as Mr. Texas Football, the award was given out by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and was voted on by fans, players and coaches throughout the state.

Gray capped his record-setting prep career by leading Aledo to its third consecutive state title on December 17 in Arlington. Gray rushed for 241 yards on 30 carries and scored one touchdown in the Bearcats’ 49-28 win over Manvel at Cowboys Stadium. The touchdown, a 37-yard run in the fourth quarter, was Gray’s 65th of the season and the 205th of his career, breaking the national high school record set by Michael Hart of Nedrow Onondaga, N.Y.

Gray, who was also named the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year, finished his career with 10,908 rushing yards, which ranked third on the all-time national list. Gray’s 70 overall touchdowns this season were one shy of the national single-season record set by T.A. McLendon of Albemarle, GA in 2001. Gray has verbally committed to play at the University of Texas next season.

This was the fourth consecutive year in which the award has been presented. Previous winners were Kerrville Tivy QB Johnny Manziel last year, Gilmer QB Darian Godfrey in 2009, Lake Travis QB Garrett Gilbert in 2008 and Lamar Consolidated RB Jacquizz Rodgers in 2007.

Fans, coaches and players voted for the state’s player of the week each week during the high school season by going to Cavenders.com, WranglerWestern.com, TexasFootball.com and MeinekeCarCareBowlofTexas.com. Each weekly winner was announced online on each of the voting sites; and all of the weekly winners were invited to attend the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas and were nominated for the Player of the Year award.

The Player of the Year was selected at the conclusion of the season, based on in-store votes at Cavender’s Boot City locations throughout Texas. The votes were tabulated by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.

The 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas pitted Texas A&M and Northwestern in a matchup between Big 12 and Big Ten schools. The Aggies won 33-22 behind QB Ryan Tannehill, who threw for 329 yards with one touchdown and one interception, earning Most Valuable Player honors. The win was Texas A&M’s first in a bowl game since 2001 in what was their last game as members of the Big 12 Conference. The announced attendance of 68,395 was the second-largest in Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas history.

For more information, please contact Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas media relations director Zac Emmons at 832-667-2220.

ABC News aired a truly touching story last night on our friends at Wrangler and their efforts to help Hackleburg, AL, rebuild after the devastating tornadoes back in April. A Wrangler facility was destroyed during the storms and the company made the decision to construct a new facility to show their commitment to the community and their employees. Click the link below to check out the full story.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing-america-back-wrangler-rebuilds-tornado/story?id=14826097

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS TO HONOR GRIDIRON LEGENDS TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Award presented by Wrangler Retro and Cavender’s Boot City

HOUSTON–For the second year in a row, the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas will honor the Gridiron Legends Texas High School Player of the Year,the Bowl announced today. The award is presented by Wrangler Retro and Cavender’s Boot City.

The Bowl will work with Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine to determine the winner.The award,formerly known as the Mr. Texas Football award,has been given out by Dave Campbell’sTexas Football for the previous four years.

Under the partnership with the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, fans, coaches and players can vote for the state’s player of the week at any Cavender’s store in Texas or by going to Cavenders.com, WranglerWestern.com, TexasFootball.com and MCCBoT.com. Each weekly winner will be announced online on each of the voting sites, will be invited to attend the 2011Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas and will be nominated for the Player of the Year award.

The Player of the Year will be selected at the conclusion of the season, based on in-store votes at Cavender’s locations throughout Texas. The votes will be tabulated by Dave Campbell’sTexas Football. The Player of the Year will be introduced on the field at the 2011Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas on Saturday, Dec.31, and will receive an invitation to the Gridiron Legends Dinner, where he’ll have the opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the greatest coaches and players in Texas football history.

Last year’s winner was Kerrville Tivy quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel had a dazzling senior season at Tivy, finishing the year with 3,609 passing yards, 1,674 rushing yards and 75 combined touchdowns. Manziel threw just five interceptions in 347 pass attempts this season as he led the Antlers to a 10-2 record and the 4A District 28 title.

Each person who casts a vote has an opportunity to win as well. One lucky voter will be selected in a drawing at the conclusion of the high school football season. The winner will be announced at the Gridiron Legends Dinner and will receive the “Live Like a Legend” prize pack featuring a trip for four to the 2011Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, including hotel and airfare, luxury suite tickets, pregame sideline passes and Bowl gift bags, as well as Wrangler/Cavender’s Boot City gift certificates and a Dave Campbell’sTexas Football cover with his or her photo on it.

The 2011Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas will feature teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences and will kick off at 11:00a.m. CST Saturday, Dec.31and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Bowl holds the fifth choice among non-BCS bowls in each conference.

For more information, please contact Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas media relations director Zac Emmons at 832-667-2220.

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jennifer Nettles—also known as one-half of multi-platinum country duo Sugarland—will perform a rare, intimate solo show at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton, Texas on January 15, 2011, to benefit Attic Community Playground, a non-profit organization supporting the performing arts.
“Attic Community Playground is one of my dearest charities,” Nettles says. “Art programs within schools continue to be cut. To me this is a very sad fact. I not only enjoy a career in the arts, but I also enjoyed and benefited from the performing arts as a kid. Music, band, chorus, drama—each of them provided me with outlets of emotional exploration and self expression, and offered me an avenue to develop self confidence.”
Proceeds from the show will go to the Ponder High School Band and Choir Program in Ponder, Texas, and the music program at The Museum School of Avondale Estates, Georgia—a suburb of Nettles’s adopted hometown of Atlanta.
2008 ACM Best New Male Vocalist (and native Texan) Jack Ingram will open the show, which Nettles promises “should be a night of banter, music and, of course, fun for a good cause.”
To read more from Ms. Nettles on this very special benefit performance, please visit www.Sugarlandmusic.com.
For more information on Attic Community Playground and the organizations it supports, please visit their website at www.atticcommunityplayground.org.
Event Details
The Attic Community Playground’s Special Fundraising Event
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
7:30 pm
Murchison Performing Arts Center
University of North Texas
1200 North Texas Blvd
Denton, TX
For ticket info, please visit https://mpactickets.entausa.com, or call the box office at (940) 369-7802.

Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Jennifer Nettles—also known as one-half of multi-platinum country duo Sugarland—will perform a rare, intimate solo show at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton, Texas on January 15, 2011, to benefit Attic Community Playground, a non-profit organization supporting the performing arts.

“Attic Community Playground is one of my dearest charities,” Nettles says. “Art programs within schools continue to be cut. To me this is a very sad fact. I not only enjoy a career in the arts, but I also enjoyed and benefited from the performing arts as a kid. Music, band, chorus, drama—each of them provided me with outlets of emotional exploration and self expression, and offered me an avenue to develop self confidence.”

Proceeds from the show will go to the Ponder High School Band and Choir Program in Ponder, Texas, and the music program at The Museum School of Avondale Estates, Georgia—a suburb of Nettles’s adopted hometown of Atlanta.

2008 ACM Best New Male Vocalist (and native Texan) Jack Ingram will open the show, which Nettles promises “should be a night of banter, music and, of course, fun for a good cause.”

To read more from Ms. Nettles on this very special benefit performance, please visit www.Sugarlandmusic.com.

For more information on Attic Community Playground and the organizations it supports, please visit their website at www.atticcommunityplayground.org.

Event Details
The Attic Community Playground’s Special Fundraising Event
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
7:30 pm
Murchison Performing Arts Center
University of North Texas
1200 North Texas Blvd
Denton, TX

For ticket info, please visit https://mpactickets.entausa.com, or call the box office at (940) 369-7802.