Marcus -- the No. 1 team in the state -- didn’t practice during last year’s postseason.

Head coach Danny Henderson, who led his team to a 39-1 mark and its first 5A state title a year ago, said he purposely cut out intense contact practices in favor of standard walk thru drills, light shooting, film study and weightlifting once they reached the playoffs. He said they’ll do it again this year.

“I’ve cut way back in the past, but I’ve never gone to this extreme until last year,” Henderson said. “By this point in the season, the kids have got it down ... so it’s all mental now. I remember John Wooden once said it’s far more harmful to over-coach than under-coach. That holds true this time of year.”

Kim Cloud hasn’t built her business and charitable organization by spinning her wheels. Nonetheless, motorcycles are something she adores and riding her Harley Davidson with others who find peace on the open highways is not only a pastime, it’s another way to network with good people.

A well-respected member of the Highland Village city council is seeing another term in office.Deputy Mayor Louise Robichaux IV has announced that he will seek another term at Place 4 on the Highland Village City Council. The city charter allows candidates to serve four full terms before term limits force at least a temporary absence from the council.

After a time of political tranquility, Highland Village is opening an election season that will have a contested mayoral race between well-known contenders and will likely result in at least two new faces on the seven-member council.

Two Councilmen, Bill Irwin, Place 2, and Patrick Davis, Place 5, have announced they are running for mayor to replace Scott McDearmont, who has said he is not seeking another term.

After a long and sometimes contentious discussion, the Highland Village City Council passed on first draft an ordinance that will update the process for implementing a zoning change and for the first time allow city staff to initiate procedures to change zoning for areas without requiring property owners to first petition for the change. The ordinance will put into effect some common-sense changes reflecting the fact that the five square miles of Highland Village are nearing build-out and requiring the Commission to meet every 30 days might require meetings when they really have no business to conduct.

The major disagreement on the council was on whether the Planning and Zoning Commission should be required to enumerate reasons for denying a requested zone change before recommending such a denial to the council. Deputy Mayor Louis Robichaux IV contended that if petitioners went to the trouble to do formal studies and present plans, they should be entitled to know the reasons a request was denied. Kevin Laughlin, interim city attorney, told the council that neither the council nor the planning and zoning commission has to provide a reason under state law.