• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 2, 2011

High school football engenders a passion in Texas perhaps unlike anywhere else, and Verizon is looking to feed fans' quest for information with a new widget.

Tabbed the "FiOS1 High School Sports Widget," it offers on-demand news, stats, video highlights and more covering 38 schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Verizon serves an estimated 500,000-plus homes in the Metroplex region with its FiOS TV service. MaxPreps.com is working with Verizon on the widget, which is accessible via the "Widgets" button on the remote control.

The service has also added the Longhorn Network (LHN), covering University of Texas sports, meaning that UT's opening football game against Rice will be available. LHN is in both standard definition and HD. (The network is available to FiOS customers across the country with a top-tier package.)

LHN will also be made available to FiOS customers online and on tablets and smartphones soon, Verizon said.

Verizon's football offerings extend to the pros with the NFL Network and NFL RedZone Channel.

Other widgets provide access to NFL news and player information, and allows a focus on up to 15 players. Part and parcel is an "ESPN Fantasy" widget, providing personalized updates on a fantasy team's performance in real-time.

A "Twitter Widget" allows one to offer on-screen commentary about a game and check differing opinions.