Bridge Creek's Blake Henderson carries the ball, carries a tune

Tryouts were in Dallas in January and Henderson passed the test there. He was eliminated in the second round in Las Vegas.

"It was fun, but it was also really weird," Henderson said. "I had a lot of people supporting me, and I did my best."

The television show wasn't Henderson's first time performing, but it was certainly the biggest stage.

Henderson has played at area festivals and concerts. He played for about 300 people at a school fundraiser with his band, and for about 2,500 fans, singing the national anthem at the stock car races at State Fair Park.

Henderson said he's been writing his own songs since he was 9 years old, and it's something that comes naturally to him.

"You just take what happens in your life and put it in a song. It's about your experiences," Henderson said.

Henderson would love to write a song about Bridge Creek winning the 3A state championship this season.

The Bobcats are one of several 2A contenders making the jump up, but with all the talent back, there aren't too many concerns.

"We've come a long way as a team and as a program in the last few years," coach Jerry Wallis said. "This is an extremely special group of seniors, and I'm excited to see what they can do."