About Us

The Hilltop ReSporter is a Sports-service, covering the schools of  Canyon Lake High School and Bracken Christian School.

Staff

karenholmsKaren Russell Holmes

Publisher/Owner

Karen Russell Holmes has been in the journalism business for 28 years, either as a journalist, newspaper publisher or a teacher. Writing is one of her passions. She believes that personal opinions or agendas have no place in journalism and that a true newspaper reflects its readership and local.

Holmes has been married for 24 years to Don Holmes and came to Hill Country after living in Dallas for 18 years. She grew up in West Texas near El Paso and in Los Fresnos in South Texas. Don and she have two children.

A graduate of Baylor University, Holmes holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Political Science and Education. She formally owned a weekly newspaper, The Crandall Chronicle, in Crandall, TX, in her 20’s and spent several years teaching journalism.

“Without Jesus Christ, I know I would not be able to do what I do. Running a weekly newspaper is daunting at times, but drawing from His strength gives me the ability to keep up. He is the reason I do what I do” – Karen Russell Holmes

donholmsDon Homes

Sports Editor

Sports Editor Don Holmes is a passionate sports fan. Dating back to early childhood he has kept up with teams like the New York Yankees and Texas Longhorns. A fanatic about statistics, he is a numbers man and wants every story to reflect “the numbers”.

Holmes started the ReSporter because I saw athletes that were not being covered and felt that we could scratch that itch with this website.

He also sees many sports writers in the press box over the past years that cover high school teams are more concerned about their date than the actual game that they are covering.

“My date is my wife and so that is where the ‘passion’ comes from when covering sports.”  Holmes is at the games because he wants the athletes to get some clippings and  getting student interviews is more important than the game report many times.

Holmes has been married to Karen Holmes for 24 years and has two daughters. He grew up in the West Texas town of Van Horn.

Holmes holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Angelo State University.

Aside from writing for The Hilltop Reporter, he is a  travel agent with High Point Travel, Inc., who organizes ski trips and mission trips for churches. He has worked for High Point for 24 years. Prior to that he was a Methodist youth director for 13 years.

“Sports is a passion not a job.” – Don Holmes

philowenPhil Owen

Sports Writer

Phil Owen is a transplant to the Texas Hill Country by way of East Tennessee. A die hard Volunteers fan, Phil has parlayed his passion for college football into an avocation – covering Smithson Valley High School sports for the Hilltop Reporter.

Phil is married to Mandy Owen who is the Director of Admissions at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, TX. Phil graduated from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City Tennessee in 2004 with a degree in Philosophy. He is currently the Project Manager for On Trac, Inc. who installs fiber-to-the-home services for GVTC.

Phil is 2nd Vice-President on the board of directors for the Bulverde-Spring Branch Chamber of Commerce where he serves on the Economic Development Committee. He and Mandy are members of Hillside Fellowship Church in Spring Branch. They live with their three year old Labrador Retriever, Lola, in New Braunfels.

“I believe that my wife’s Mass Communication vicariously qualifies me to be a journalist” – Phil Owen