Welcome!

Thank you for reading "On The Grid." Here's what to expect.

Covering high school sports all over Texas, from Laredo to McAllen to Katy to Houston, has been nothing short of a dream for someone who grew up with a passion for writing and sports. (Photo credit: Jason Fochtman)

Welcome to “On The Grid,” my sports site covering athletics in Katy ISD and some surrounding areas. I am Dennis Silva II, and I am so excited about this new venture and latest step in my career.

I really hope you come to enjoy what I have in store.

First, a little bit about my background.

I have been a sportswriter since 2006, covering high school, college and professional sports at daily and weekly newspapers, and magazines, all over Texas.

My primary stops have been as sports editor for Laredo Morning Times in Laredo (2007-2011), deputy sports editor at The Monitor in McAllen (2012-2016), sports editor at Katy Times (2017-2018, 2019-2021) and sportswriter at the Houston Chronicle (2022-2024).

I am fortunate for my work to have been recognized on a state-wide level. In 2023, I was named the Texas High School Coaches Association Sportswriter of the Year. In 2018, I won first place in sports coverage for the Texas Press Association, and second place in 2011. In 2014, I won third place for sports feature writing for the Associated Press Managing Editors.

I am from Katy. I attended Mayde Creek High School, class of 2001, and was honored to be named to the inaugural Wall of Fame in 2023. I graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 2005.

Being part of recent layoffs at the Chronicle in June prompted me to seriously consider starting my own site. Any sports journalist—heck, any journalist, period—will attest that it is a rough go in legacy media these days, and has been for quite some time now, truthfully. While starting my own site has proven to be a daunting and, at times, overwhelming task, I am thrilled to be doing something on my own. I would have to err disastrously to be laid off or furloughed.

This site will focus primarily on Katy ISD athletics coverage. Coverage of games, of course, will be prominent, but my specialty is feature stories of athletes and coaches and trend stories of what’s going on in high school athletics. Storytelling is near and dear to my heart, and I have an admiration for the purest stage of athletics. High school sports coverage has been the bread and butter of my career.

This site will also feature video interviews of athletes and coaches, and I intend to introduce a podcast in the near future.

Subscription to the site is free of charge. The number of subscribers and readers matter if I wish to pursue sponsorships or donors in the future, so please subscribe and tell your friends and family.

I am not yet sure if this is a viable long-term option, but it certainly is what I am most excited about while in between jobs awaiting the next right opportunity. Who knows? This may very well be it.

If you have a story idea, thought, and/or news tip, you can reach out to me by email at densilva2@gmail.com, or online at “X” @densilva02, or Instagram @densilva2. You can also find all my coverage on those social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!

>> Dennis