The Write Team Podcast

From The Press Box: UIL Realignment | Super Bowl XL | NCAA Basketball

Texas high school sports just hit the shuffle button! UIL realignment is here, and it’s reshaping Friday nights across East Texas — new districts, revived rivalries, and a couple Districts of Doom! On this week’s From The Press Box, Matt and David break down what it all means, who got tougher roads ahead, and how far some schools will be traveling. Plus: Super Bowl thoughts and a look at NCAA hoops on both sides.
Listen in and get caught up before the kickoff!
Thank you to our sponsors: East Texas Baptist University, Stiles Electric, and Write Team Services!

Janae Shirley | Head Softball Coach, East Texas Baptist University

Host David Weaver welcomes Janae Shirley, two-time national champion head softball coach of the East Texas Baptist University Tigers, to The Write Team Podcast to preview the 2026 season—starting with the home opener vs Austin College on Saturday, Feb. 7. Also in this episode:
Ihe impact of January weather on February success;
Scheduling challenges with a shrinking conference slate and NPI;
NIL and transfer portal "trickle-down" effects across college sports;
The "magic" of a national title run;
Plus a few legendary controversies and...scoring debates!
All of that and more on a new episode of The Write Team Podcast!
#ETBU #Softball #CollegeSoftball #NCAADIII #EastTexas #TheWriteTeamPodcast #SportsPodcast #ETBUTigerSoftball

Cari Johnson, Executive Director | Marshall Pregnancy Resource Center

What happens when faith meets real life—real life that is messy, complex, and deeply human? On this episode of The Write Team Podcast, David Weaver sits down with Cari Johnson, Executive Director of the Marshall Pregnancy Resource Center, for a powerful conversation about motherhood, adoption, unplanned pregnancies, faith, grace, and what it really means to have those conversations. Cari shares her personal journey as a mom of seven, an adoptive parent, and a ministry leader stepping into a space where there are no neat-and-tidy answers—only compassion, truth, and hope. This is not a debate. This is not a sound bite. This is not about politics. This is a real-life conversation about loving moms, valuing life, and walking with people through hard decisions at Marshall Pregnancy Resource Center. 🎧 Listen. Like. Reflect. Share. Subscribe.
For more information on the services offered at MPRC, send them an email at info@marshallprc.org.

From The Press Box: NFL | Super Bowl LX | NBA | Dallas Mavericks | MLB | Texas Rangers

And then there were TWO! On this episode of From The Press Box, we break down the AFC and NFC Championship Games, debate coaching legacies, question the Pro Bowl, and take a hard look at the Cowboys’ latest direction. Plus: Luka’s latest return to Dallas, NBA power rankings, draft buzz, and what the Rangers’ latest move means as baseball season approaches. Thoughtful, opinionated, and unfiltered sports talk from the pineywoods of East Texas — available now on the Write Team Podcast!
Thank you to our sponsors! East Texas Baptist University, Stiles Electric, and Write Team Services!
#NFL #SuperBowl #NBA #DallasMavericks #MLB #TexasRangers #WriteTeamPodcast #EastTexas

From The Press Box: UIL | East Texas High School Basketball | High School Soccer | NCAA Men's Basketball | NCAA Women's Basketball

High school hoops are heating up, soccer races are taking shape, and March is starting to peek around the corner. On this episode of From The Press Box, we break down the biggest storylines across East Texas sports, dive into college basketball trends, and look at who’s rising, who’s slipping, and what it all means as the postseason approaches. Insight, analysis, and conversation you won’t get anywhere else — it’s all ahead on From The Press Box on the Write Team Podcast!
Thank you to our sponsors: East Texas Baptist University | Stiles Electric | Write Team Services

From The Press Box: NFL Playoffs | Josh Allen | Caleb Williams | C.J. Stroud | Dallas Mavericks | NBA | MLB

From Ornelas Stadium at ETBU, From The Press Box delivers a jam-packed episode covering NFL Divisional Round fallout, legacy questions for Josh Allen, CJ Stroud’s future in Houston, Caleb Williams’ star rise, and championship weekend previews. Plus: coaching chaos across the league, sharp takes on NFL media, NBA contenders and concerns, and big-picture MLB money problems. Insightful, opinionated, and local—this is sports talk done right, right here in East Texas! #FromThePressBox #WriteTeamPodcast #NFLPlayoffs #NFLDivisionalRound#CollegeFootball #SportsPodcast #EastTexasSports#NBA #MLB #NFLMedia #ETBU #TexasSports
Brought to you by: East Texas Baptist University | Stiles Electric | Write Team Services

From The Press Box: CFP Takeaways | Fernando Mendoza | How To Fix The Transfer Portal | NCAA Basketball | East Texas Hoops

From Ornelas Stadium at ETBU, David Weaver and Matt Paul dive into CFP takeaways, draft buzz, transfer-portal chaos, and bold ideas to fix the system. Plus, crystal-ball playoff predictions, men’s and women’s bracketology, ETBU hoops updates, and a full rundown of East Texas high school basketball. It’s opinionated, local, and packed with insight—another full slate From The Press Box on the Write Team Podcast! 🎙️
#CollegeFootball #NCAABasketball #TransferPortal #LocalHoops
This episode is brought to you by: #EastTexasBaptistUniversity, #StilesElectric, #WriteTeam Services.
 

FROM THE PRESS BOX: College Football Playoff | NCAA Men's Basketball | NCAA Women's Basketball | ESPN Bracketology | High Schools

In this episode of From The Press Box on The Write Team Podcast, David and Matt discuss:
CFP Championship: Is the Indiana hype a bit too much, too soon? | Will the Hoosiers actually have more fans in Miami's home stadium Monday?
Sports Media: Is Pat McAfee a good or bad thing for College Gameday | Who's the best college football broadcaster today?
Transfer Portal: Texas goes all-in on 2027 | Can DeBoer ever do enough at Alabama?
NCAA Men's Basketball: The Matt Paul jinx strikes Michigan | ESPN Bracketology: Big 10, SEC depth vs. Big 12 behemoths
NCAA Women's Basketball: ESPN Bracketology: SEC dominates while UConn cruises
East Texas High Schools: UIL Realignment | District Basketball | Spring vs. Fall?
Thanks for listening to The Write Team Podcast! We are grateful for our sponsors:
East Texas Baptist University
Stiles Electric
Write Team Services

FROM THE PRESS BOX: NFL Wild Card Wildness | Divisional Round | Coaching Carousel | NBA

Matt and David are back in the press box at ETBU's Ornelas Stadium to review the past weekend's NFL first round games and look ahead to the divisional round this weekend. It's been a wild week on the NFL coaching carousel, and the guys will break all of that down as well as discuss some hot topics around the NBA. Check us out here on The Write Team Podcast for From The Press Box!
This episode of The Write Team Podcast is brought to you by:
East Texas Baptist University
Stiles Electric
Write Team Services

bEASTtexas CONVERSATIONS: Cody Farrell | Hallsville ISD Athletic Director

Today's guest on The Write Team Podcast is Hallsville ISD Athletic Director Cody Farrell! Coach Farrell discusses Bobcat Athletics, the upcoming spring season, and some nuances that makes Hallsville a unique place to be in East Texas. We will also talk over some UIL issues that are on the front burner here in 2026. Join us today for another great #bEASTtexas Conversation with Cody Farrell!
This episode is brought to you by:
Write Team Services
Stiles Electric
East Texas Baptist University