Only two out of more than 10,000 Texas high school athletes tested for steroids were caught using unauthorized substances, according to results issued by the state Wednesday.

Illinois High School Association executive director Marty Hickman found that small number encouraging as the IHSA prepares to implement its random drug testing program this fall.

"You might say, 'Well, they spent a lot of money and didn't catch many kids.' On the other hand, the primary purpose of our program, and I'm sure it is in Texas, is for it to be a deterrent. From that standpoint, you could say the program is working," Hickman said.

"I think we'd be naïve to think only two kids in Texas have been taking steroids. I think you have to conclude at some level it worked as a deterrent."

The results were from the first year of a two-year, $6 million program approved by Texas lawmakers last year. Testing at 195 schools involved 6,455 boys and 3,662 girls. Texas officials plan to test 40,000 to 50,000 student athletes in the upcoming school year.

The IHSA's program will randomly test athletes in state postseason series for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. The tests, conducted by an outside firm, will cost about $200 per person, with the IHSA's annual budget for testing up to $150,000.

"I don't expect us to have a lot of positive tests either," Hickman said. "If kids know they have an opportunity to be tested, that hopefully will be a deterrent. I'm hopeful it will prevent them from going down that road.

"I really think we are going to have more issues with stimulants than we are steroids. I think there are some over-the-counter products and high energy drinks that could throw kids over that stimulant threshold."

Athletes testing positive in Illinois could be forced to sit out up to a calendar year before resuming their sport. An appeal for reinstatement can be made after 90 days, and requires the athlete to take part in an educational program and pass additional drug tests.

The two Texas students testing positive were not identified by name, school or sport. Documents obtained by The Associated Press showed that a senior tested positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone, and a sophomore was found using a steroid called methylandrostandiol.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, one of the key figures in pushing the plan through the Texas Legislature, said the program's success should be measured by the number of students who never begin using steroids.

A critic, Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick, said the initiative is a "feel good" program that is not acting as a deterrent and should be abolished. He called it "a colossal waste of taxpayer money."

Testing started in February after the program was stalled while guidelines were created and a company was chosen to implement it. The contract was awarded to the National Center for Drug Free Sport, which also handles testing for the NCAA.

In submitting its results, the company wrote that "we must steer clear of the temptation to use the number of positive cases generated by this short period of testing to draw any conclusions about the success, or lack thereof, of this testing initiative."