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  • A STORYBOOK CAREER

    IMG 20201116 132120COURTESY PHOTO Coldspring-Oakhurst running back Contavious Parker-Harden (20) set his school’s all-time rushing record with 4,578 yards in four seasons. Parker-Harden is the only player in school history to have more than 4,000 yards throughout his career.

    Coldspring senior boasts school rushing record

    By Jason Chlapek

    COLDSPRING — Throughout the Coldspring-Oakhurst football team’s history, many great running backs have come and gone.

    There was Ray Fisher, who ran for 3,542 yards throughout his career (1990-92), including a single-season record 2,791 yards in 1992 when the Trojans lost to Southlake Carroll in the Class 3Å state championship game. A few years later, Isaac White broke the school’s all-time rushing record with 3,615 yards in three years (1996-98).

    More than two decades later, the C-O all-time rushing record has been broken again. Contavious Parker-Harden now has that distinction with a grand total of 4,578 yards in four years.

    “When I first came in here, it was looking at the whole picture and I saw some big kids,” C-O coach Ken Stanley said. “When you make a transition into the double-wing, you know you’re going to have to have some guys up front. We had a young man in Liberty that was a lot like Tay and we did very well with him when we put that offense in. I thought Tay had everything that kid had, only Tay was bigger and stronger. Tay was the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. He’s a big kid that has some speed and he made it very easy for me to pull the trigger on this whole double-wing. That made me very excited knowing what I know about the offense. I knew with a kid like Tay that sooner than later we were going to have success. He was a big part of that.”

    In Parker-Harden’s four seasons, he ran for more than 1,000 yards three times, including a 1,635 in 2020 — his final in a Trojan uniform. He also rushed for 1,049 yards as a freshman in 2017 and 1,031 yards in 2018 his sophomore year.

    In the year prior to Stanley’s arrival, Coldspring-Oakhurst was 3-8 in its only campaign under previous coach Jim Bird. Once the coach arrived from Liberty, where he served as the offensive coordinator, he thought he was going to have something special.

    “Tay and his fellow seniors were the group that put their cleats in the ground and said they weren’t going to settle for 3-8,” Stanley said. “In two years, they won a district championship.”

    For Parker-Harden and his teammates, Stanley was the third coach the team played under going into his junior season. Mark Byrd was the coach Parker-Harden’s freshman year and Bird coached him as a sophomore.

    Both Byrd and Bird had one thing in common — the spread offense. But Stanley proved to be an answered prayer for the school running back.

    “I felt more calm in the double-wing,” Parker-Harden said. “In the spread, I wasn’t able to read as much as I could before the snap. In the double-wing, I was able to read the defense and see who I have to beat on the play. It calmed me down a lot.”

    Parker-Harden recently committed to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He also talked a little bit about his running style.

    “I ask for the ball on the first play of the game because on that first play I’m going to give them everything that I’ve got,” Parker-Harden said. “Pretty much every team that we play, I’ll look at them and I’ll start laughing because if I want it I can get it. I don’t let one guy tackle me. I want all 11 guys tackling me. Coach Stanley and I talked all year about how I’ll never let just one guy tackle me. If I allow just one guy to tackle me, then I don’t deserve to be in my spot.”

    Stanley talked about a particular play when the Trojans met Diboll in the regular season finale. The play was pivotal in C-O’s 20-12 victory that clinched the district championship.

    “We had a critical moment in our season against Diboll where we were on our own 30-yard line and it was fourth-and-two,” Stanley said. “It would’ve been real easy to punt right there, but we went for it. If they can stop us, I’ll tip my hat to them and put our defense back on the field. The Diboll coach called a timeout before that play and tells his team, ‘you know No. 20 is going to get the ball.’ They knew it, we knew it, and everybody in the stands knew it that Tay was going to get the ball on that play, and we still got the first down.”

    When Parker-Harden was in seventh grade, Bryan Barbay was the Trojans’ head football coach and athletic director. Barbay employed another run-oriented offense — the wing-T.

    “The double-wing is actually a lot different than the wing-T except for the misdirection,” Stanley said. “In the wing-T, you have a lot of double teams up front and a lot of buck sweep with pulling guards and trap. The double-wing is more of a gap-control offense and it kind of lends to all offenses now where you have a power/counter scheme. The beauty of the double-wing for us is we feel like you have to balance on us, and we can always put one more man on you. Our quarterbacks have to be blockers. By having that extra blocker, running that tunnel sweep gets us over the top. We also emphasize the weight room and we get guys who can get good technique and move on people. We want two-and-a-half yards a play. When we get to fourth-and-two, we’re going to go for it. The fullback in our offense is primarily a blocker. They block on our tunnel sweep and counter play. We get a kid who’s gritty and tough hat fullback.”

    One thing that helped the Trojans — and Parker-Harden — during the last two seasons was fellow senior Greg Terry. With Parker-Harden’s power style and Terry’s finesse, C-O gave opposing defenses headaches.

    “I like to get a kid like Tay on one side and a quick, slasher type runner on the other side,” Stanley said. “It gets down to if we’re getting 6, 7 or 8 yards on our tunnel sweep play, I’m going to keep running that play. When a defense does something to adjust, then we hit them out the backdoor with our slasher. It was a lot of fun with these guys. They made it easier to call the offense. A lot of teams tried to make us beat them with someone other than Tay. Greg Terry in his own right had great seasons. Defenses had to respect him on the counter and it kept Tay honest. It was a good combination.”

    Just another group of great Coldspring-Oakhurst running backs.

  • Playoff contenders (VIDEO)

    IMG 3597BRIAN BESCH | PCE Chris Washington leans in for the dunk attempt.

    By Brian Besch

    The Lions established an early lead with its defense versus Liberty Tuesday, winning a 61-35 contest over the Panthers.

    A 20-2 lead early in the second quarter was enough to allow Livingston to coast for a while. They did coast, and Liberty closed the advantage to 10 points at 25-15 early on in the third quarter. 

    "The first half, we played OK, but we still didn't play with a lot of energy," Livingston coach Calvin Phillips said. "Then, we came back in the second half and I thought we were going too slow. We talked about putting more man-to-man full court pressure on in the second half so we could get ourselves going. That kind of helped us out."

    The man-to-man defense indeed helped, as Livingston scored 23 points in the period to quell any chance of a Panther comeback. 

    Chris Washington led the way with a dozen points, while Izzy Enard had 11 and Julian Gardner added nine.

    "I will take a win any way that it goes," Phillips said. "We are back tied for fourth now and we've got Hamshire-Fannett. If we can get them, that would be a big win for us right there."

    Livingston fell to Hamshire-Fannett in the first round by seven points. The hope is they can take a week to prepare with an open date Friday and get a win that would propel the team into playoff contention. The Longhorns are currently tied for fourth place with the Lions. 

    Phillips said his first year as head coach at Livingston is not going how he planned.

    "I don't like where I am at, I will be upfront with you on that. When I stepped in the gym at the beginning of the year, I saw the size and athleticism of those guys. I thought we would probably be in the running. We started off 5-0 and dropped off and started playing very erratic. It's kind of been disappointing, but I will still take what we have. I am hoping that we will finish up strong and peak out in the second half and get some more wins."

    The coach said that he wonders if all of his athletes are committed to him or if they are still trying to figure him out the same way he is trying to figure them out.

    "They don't know how to take me. I get on them hard sometimes and in this time and age, some kids don't take that kind of coaching anymore. You have to be more positive and not run them so much in a negative mode. I'm learning them and they are learning me, and if we can get in that fourth spot (playoff seed), that would be a blessing."

    The coach said in order to reach the postseason, his team's shooting would need to improve so the half-court offense can be more productive. The team now relies heavily on its defense to create offense.

    After the road trip to Hamshire-Fannett Tuesday, the Lions will host district leaders Huffman Hargrave next Friday.

  • 2020-21 Hunting Season

    Scott Vaughn and grandsonCOURTESY PHOTO Scott Vaughn and grandson posing with a hog shot in Northern Tyler County October 30, 2020.

    By Caleb Fortenberry

    Covid-19 has had people recreating more this past year than in the last several years and with White-tailed deer muzzleloader season being over, there have been plenty of eager East Texan sportsmen wanting to show off a few bagged game animals.

    For years, newspapers have been publishing sportsmen and their game. Here recently, showcasing has been less than normal. Maybe it’s time to start showing off those game that hunters haven’t been able to brag on for some time.

    Here’s a list of a few of the harvests from East Texas, or people from the area:

    Tyler County

    1. Tina Barnes

    Tina BarnesTina Barnes - 9 point, with crossbow in Chester, TX on October 24, 2020.

    2. Dusty Sturrock

    Dusty SturrockDusty Sturrock - 9 point in Chester, TX on November 15th, 2020

    3. KimSturrock

    Kim SturrockKim Sturrock – 8 point in Chester, TX on November 8th, 2020

    4. Mark Keller

    Mark KellerMark Keller - 9 point 14.5”, spread in Colmesneil, Tx on November 27, 2020

    5. Buck Odom

    Buck Odom 2Buck Odom – Hog shot between Woodville and Chester on December 17, 2020.

    6. Nathan Vaughn

    Nathan VaughnNathan Vaughn - 8 point buck at the Diamond T Ranch in Warren, Texas on January 3, 2021.

    7. Scott Vaughn

    Scott VaughnScott Vaughn - 10 point buck in Northern Tyler County November 8, 2020.

    Polk County 

    8. Ashton Davis

    Ashton DavisAshton Davis - Doe, harvested in Texas hunters club in Soda, TX.

    9. Paul Oliver

    Paul OliverPaul Oliver - 10 Point with a 19 Inch Spread at the Texas Hunter Club in Soda, TX.

    Houston County 

     10. Hunter Burris

    Hunter BurrisHunter Burris, 9 years old from Danbury, TX holding his first deer, 7-point, on January 2, 2021 in Crockett, TX.

  • Beene wins 24-2A crown, Lady Cats qualify

                                   JASON CHLAPEK | PCE Big Sandy senior Bali Mitchell finishes fifth in the District 24-2A cross country meet last week. The Lady Cats finished second as a team and will compete in the Region III-2A Meet on Tuesday in Huntsville.

    By Jason Chlapek

    BROADDUS — Big Sandy junior Seth Beene Williams won the varsity boys race at the District 24-2A cross country meet on Oct. 28 at Jackson Hill Marina in Broaddus.

    Beene finished the race with a time of 17 minutes, 23 seconds in frigid, rainy conditions and beat runner-up Jose Jimenez of Spurger by 26 seconds (17:49). This season also is the first time Beene participated in cross country.

    “Never ran in weather like this,” Beene said. “A lot of people told me I’d be good at it and I tried it out. It’s pretty nice. I’m very competitive and I like anything that I can try to win.”

    The top two teams and top 10 individuals qualified for the Region III-2A Meet on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Kate Barr Ross Park in Huntsville. Despite Beene’s first-place finish and a fifth-place finish from Jordan Martinez, the Wildcats finished third and will miss out on competing as a team.

    Broaddus won the boys crown with 47 points, while Spurger took second with 48. Big Sandy had 49 points — two shy of first and one shy of second.

    Beene and Martinez will compete in the region meet as individuals. Despite winning the individual title, Beene believes his best is yet to come.

    “I could’ve run better,” he said. “I’m coming off of a cramp injury, but I think I did well overall. I stretched, iced it and and rested as much as I could.”

    Although this is Beene’s first season to run cross country, he has been a member of the Big Sandy basketball program. While basketball is his first love, he is open to participate in college cross country or track and field.

    “Basketball is my first love, but I could see myself running in college,” Beene said.

    While the Wildcats missed out on a region team berth, the Lady Cats did not. They finished second to Tyler County rival Colmesneil.

    Big Sandy had top-10 finishes from Lauryn Hoffman (second), Bali Mitchell (fifth) and Lauren Hulin (eighth). Rounding out the Lady Cats’ score of 43 points was Lillian Fultz (16th) and Corynn Kaleh (22nd).

    Colmesneil won the district crown with 38 points. The Lady Bulldogs are coached by Big Sandy alumnus Trey Bullock.

    “I’m not sure if this is our first team title or not,” Bullock said. “We have very hard-working girls here at Colmesneil and I knew that they had good effort. Every coach would like for their athletes to give their best effort. I feel that’s what the boys and girls at Colmesneil do — give their best effort. A lot of these kids do volleyball or football as well. It’s a challenge dealing with injuries or running the day after a volleyball match or a football game, but through hard work they were still able to practice early in the morning. I think that’s all a coach can ask for is the best effort.”

    In addition to being the head boys and girls cross country coach, Bullock also is the head boys basketball coach and a football assistant at Colmesneil.

  • Big Sandy ends season in regional tournament

    IMG 5256BRIAN BESCH | PCE Elias Bullock shoots from 15 feet out.

    By Brian Besch

    One of the state’s top teams needed every minute Tuesday to defeat Big Sandy, as LaPoynor escaped Central Heights High School with a 53-50 win in the regional semifinals.

    With just 15 seconds to play and a tie score at 50 each, LaPoynor worked the ball into the post, where the bucket was made with a foul. The free throw was good and the Wildcats had one last chance.

    Inbounding at half court with 12 seconds to go, a Flyer steal sealed the contest.

    “I'm really proud of the kids and how we competed tonight,” Big Sandy coach Kevin Foster said. “You know that you're playing the fourth ranked team in the state and the kids came out and played really hard. I think that probably the biggest factor in the game was we defended well, but the thing that hurt us the entire game was turnovers.

    We had some very uncharacteristic turnovers and I give them credit for that.

    “Our decision-making was poor and it is tough to win games like that when you turn the ball over and we still had a chance. I told them in the locker room that the first three playoff games could have gone either way for the most part. We were able to make plays down the stretch and tonight they made plays. That's what those close games come down to.” 

    The Wildcats led after one quarter and were down just a field goal at halftime. They held leads in the fourth quarter, when momentum shifted often.

    A big factor keeping the ‘Cats in the game was excellent free throw shooting. They were 17-for-20 at the charity stripe. Adrian Thompson led Big Sandy with 14 points, Kaden Foster had 10 and Dante Williams had nine in his final high school game.

    Williams, Josiah Celestine and Weston Mayer will move on after finishing their senior year of high school.

    “(They are) just a tremendous group of kids, first of all. Not even talking about basketball,” Foster said of his seniors.

    “They are just a good group of kids that are very dependable. They are going to go on and do good things in life. At the end of the day, I think that is the most important thing. I'm very proud of the seniors and I am going to miss them. They were just a lot of fun to be around.” 

    IMG 5250BRIAN BESCH | PCE Seth Beene-Williams shoots over and around defenders.

    A team that did not have all of its players until the final seven games of the season, the Wildcats peaked at the right time to become one of the better 2A teams in Texas. They were able to defeat the No. 10 team in the state and were a bucket away from the state’s No. 4 team.

    “If you would have told me that this team would be in the regional semifinals and not only make it here, but play the fourth-ranked team in the state and have a chance to win in under a minute, I would have said you were crazy. But these kids keep battling and fighting and they played together. They are just the true definition of a team. If you can do that, you can accomplish a lot.”

  • Big Sandy moves to third round (VIDEO)

    IMG 5025BRIAN BESCH | PCE Big Sandy takes on Woden.

    By Brain Besch

    Big Sandy is now area champions after defeating Woden 59-53 Thursday at Hudson High School.

    The Eagles posed many problems, with an athletic group that shoots well. The game would come down to a battle of free throws. The Wildcats were up to the challenge, hitting 19-of-25 from the charity stripe.

    "Honestly, I thought the game was going to be a little more up and down than it was," Big Sandy coach Kevin Foster said. "Woden really presses a lot and likes to get out and run. They did that early, then they got out of it and really didn't go back to it until they had to.

    "It really turned into kind of a half-court type of game. Those types of games can go either way. We just had one run where we were able to get the lead and hold on to it a little bit."

    Leading the way for Big Sandy was Adrian Thompson with 14 points and Kaden Foster with 13. Also scoring 13 was Josiah Celestine, who came off the bench to provide a deep shooting threat with four 3-pointers.

    "We need Josiah because he can really shoot the ball," Foster said. "Last game, it was a man and full-court pressure type of game. I had to have my better ball handlers out there, so he didn't really see a lot of action. I knew tonight that he was going to get more minutes. He made some big shots for us."

    The Eagles spread their points amongst eight players, with Chance Lawson scoring 15 on five 3-pointers and Chandler Britton had 13 points.

    "It is kind of a different guy for them every night," Foster said of preparing for Woden. "You really couldn't focus on one. They can shoot the ball really well and we knew that coming in."

    Outscoring Woden 15-5 in the second quarter would have an impact on the outcome. With each squad in the bonus during the fourth period, free throw shooting was also key. The 'Cats were 12-for-16 at the line in the fourth. Woden was 7-for-11 in that same span, to keep the contest close.

    "We've had times this year where we have struggled and we have lost games because we would go 7-for-21 from the line. Then we would have games where we were 16-for-19," the coach said. "I feel like lately our free throw shooting has gotten more consistent, which this is the time of year that you want it to be. I knew it was going to be a very physical game and both teams got in the double bonus in the second half."

    The Wildcats will move on to play Garrison in the regional quarterfinal round. The Bulldogs are champions of District 22-2A and nabbed a win over Tenaha Thursday.

  • Big Sandy season ends in area round

    Big Sandy vs ShrinerBRIAN BESCH | PCE Pre-game festivities in Navasota, as Big Sandy and Shiner prepare to play. 

    By Brian Besch

    The Big Sandy baseball season came to a close Saturday, as the Shiner Comanches were 10-0 winners of the game and 2-0 winners of the series.

    Scoring a run in each of the first three innings, the Comanches had a lead before an error allowed for three more runs in the fourth.

    After a promising first inning to the series opener when the Wildcats scored a run and had multiple baserunners, they were shut out over the final 11 frames of play.

    "We played hard, but made an error that cost us three runs," Big Sandy coach Blake Brown said. "We didn't hit really well (Saturday). They hit the ball well and they just beat us today. They played good defense and pitched well. In the first three innings, we walked the leadoff batter and he scored every inning. They are very talented and I expect them to make a pretty good run."
    This is the first full season under Brown and the coach said he would remember it for a few reasons. 

    "This season was one for the books for us," the coach said. "We were coming off of covid and a lot of my kids didn't get to play much last year. We had a lot of growing to do and had some growing pains early, then we got into the district and really turned it on and played good baseball.

    "Postseason, we scratched it out against Iola and I was proud of the way we played. Coming into the series with Shiner, we knew they were good, but we really didn't take care of our end. We didn't throw a lot of strikes and we didn't play great defense and didn't hit very well. Overall, I am very proud of the way my kids competed all year. We are returning a lot for next year."

    Big Sandy will graduate seven seniors and two that are regular starters. Isias Walker, Trevor Quinones, "Rooster" Clay Laird, Robert Stamey, Alonzo Bullock, Patrick Mosely and Michael Hamilton have all finished their baseball careers in Dallardsville.

    "This group of seniors had a crazy couple of years. I will remember that for sure," Brown said. "They are hard workers, every single one of them. Overall, I know that every one of them is going to have a bright future ahead, whether it is going to college or onto their career path."

  • Big Sandy stings Hornets

    IMG 2267PHOTO BY BRIAN BESCH I PCE Weston Mayer puts up two of his game-leading 17 points for the Big Sandy Wildcats.

    By Brian Besch

    The Big Sandy Wildcats had no trouble disposing of Goodrich Tuesday with a 79-4 win.

    The ‘Cats were dominant from the beginning, establishing a 40-0 advantage before Goodrich could get on the board late in the second quarter. It was the Hornets’ first game of the year and a tough draw against a team that has a running start and has played a few large schools.

    “I told our kids it was going to be like this,” Goodrich coach Lester King said. “You have to play hard and I just wanted to see some hustle. They are young and they are freshmen.”

    King's lone senior went down in the first half with an apparent ankle injury, leaving five inexperienced Hornets on the floor to fend for themselves. With Garzon down, Goodrich had four freshmen and a sophomore that did not play last year on the floor without a bench.

    “Garzon is the only senior and we have to get ready for January,” King said. “Some kids have to learn the hard way and they think they are ready to play and really good, but it is all about defense and hustle. We didn't have any defense out there tonight and we didn't have any hustle. We are going to get better at that. This is just embarrassing, but we are going to get better at defense and hustle. You got to work at this game. This is good for them. Now they see.”

    For Big Sandy, they have played up in classification versus southeast Texas schools in Orangefield and, most recently, Bridge City.

    “It was our first game back since a loss on Tuesday and coming off of Thanksgiving, so it was good to knock off the rust a little bit,” Big Sandy coach Kevin Foster said. “With Covid, I've kind of broken everything into small seasons. We had five games before Thanksgiving, this is our first of seven before christmas, so we are trying to break everything down into small seasons.”

    All nine Wildcats put up points Tuesday, led by Weston Mayer with 17, Dante Williams with 14 and Kaden Foster with 10. For Goodrich, Exavier Henderson had both buckets.

    Big Sandy as a group looked polished after a more uneven performance in Onalaska a few weeks before. Jumpers were falling, passes were crisp and the defense fought hard to keep the Hornets off the scoreboard.

    “In the second half, we really try to focus on the execution side of things. I thought we did some of that,” Foster said. “We will keep practicing and getting better and we’ve got a lot of improvement to make.”

  • Boyce completes goal of winning state

                                   JASON CHLAPEK I PCE Onalaska senior William Boyce was the first runner to cross the finish line in the Class 3A boys state cross country Meet on Monday, Nov. 23, in Round Rock. The new state champion finished the race with a season-best time of 15 minutes, 38 seconds.

    By Jason Chlapek

    ROUND ROCK – William Boyce had a trio of goals in mind going into the 2020 cross country season.

    The first goal was to win a district championship – check. The second goal was to win a region championship – check.

    The third goal was to win a state championship. Check.

    Boyce ran a personal-best time of 15 minutes, 38.72 seconds to win the Class 3A boys state championship Monday afternoon at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock. The Onalaska senior completed his cross country career with four trips to the region meet, four trips to the state meet, three district championships, a district runner-up, two region championships, a third-place finish in state and a state championship.

    “During the whole race, everyone was staying in a pack and I was a little scared to be honest because I know the guys here are just as fast as I am,” Boyce said. “But on that last corner, I was digging deep and I had all of these people here supporting me so I wanted to bring home a gold medal for them. I thought about my family during that last portion of the race and I didn’t want to disappoint them so I gave it my all. My legs were burning at the end, but it was worth it.”

    Boyce defeated race runner-up Marco Rey of Presidio by 13 seconds (15:51.78). Despite missing gold by 13 seconds, Rey and his Presidio teammates claimed the team state championship.

    Now that Boyce completed the triple crown of cross country – district, regional and state championships – he'll be gunning for a quadruple crown in track and field. He competes in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in track.

    “I have to go do the same thing in track – win district, area, regionals and state in the mile and two-mile,” Boyce said. “I think it’s an amazing goal that I set this year and the fact that I accomplished it means a lot to me. I’ve been here four years and decided this was the year I could do something and win the gold.”

    Boyce was not the only Onalaska runner who participated in Monday’s state meet. Fellow senior Brady Neuman completed the race with a personal-best time of 17:15.78.

    “I was hoping to run a sub-17, but it didn’t quite happen,” Neuman said. “I’ll take what I can get. I felt good and this is a beautiful course. This was a lot of fun. This gives me good motivation going into track and field season.”

    Like Boyce, Neuman also competes in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in track and field. He broke down how his times would be beneficial in track.

    “My first mile was 5:10, which is close to my PR in the mile,” Neuman said. “I was about an 11-flat in the two-mile mark, which would be a PR. If I PR on a cross country course, I should do well on a flat track surface. My goal for every meet is to PR, but this was my last cross country meet so I was definitely swinging for the fences. I’m satisfied with what I did.”

    In addition to qualifying for state, Boyce and Neuman led the Onalaska boys cross country team to its seventh consecutive district championship on Oct. 29 in Anderson. Neuman also participated in his second straight state meet on Monday.

    Goodrich senior Joacxi Garzon competed in the Class A boys meet Monday morning and finished 23rd with a personal-best time of 17:23.32. He competed in his third consecutive state meet.

    “I felt like I ran my best,” Garzon said. “I had a pretty good race and left it all out there.”

    Garzon also had some motivation Monday morning. His older brother, Isaiah Garzon, was there to cheer him on.

    “Isaiah told me that it wasn’t my first time running out here and I know what to expect, so focus and give it all I have,” Garzon said. “My main focus was to stay up with the pack when I ran and keep a good pace.”

  • Boyce follows family footsteps, signs with Sam

    Boyce FamilyJASON CHLAPEK I PCE Onalaska senior William Boyce (seated) signs a National Letter of Intent with Sam Houston State University to run cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field Wednesday afternoon at Onalaska High School. Joining Boyce is (standing from left) sisters Ginny and Katie Boyce, mother Terri Boyce and father Charles Boyce.

    By Jason Chlapek

    ONALASKA – It could be said that the Blue and Orange of Sam Houston State University runs through William Boyce’s veins.

    His parents, Charles and Terri Boyce, met at the school. His paternal grandparents attended there as well.

    On Wednesday, William signed a National Letter of Intent to run cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field at SHSU, making him a third-generation Bearkat. He also hinted that although other schools were in contact with him, SHSU was always the front-runner.

    “Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to go to Sam,” Boyce said. “My parents graduated from there and my dad’s parents graduated from there. It’s always been close to home and close to my heart.”

    Not only is Boyce going to be a third-generation student at SHSU, but he’ll also be a second-generation athlete at the school. His mother, Onalaska cross country and girls track and field coach Terri (Sheppard) Boyce, played basketball for the Lady Kats from 1996-2000.

    While Boyce still has his senior track and field season coming up, in which he’ll participate in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs, he had a decorated cross country career at Onalaska, which included a Class 3A state championship, a Region III-3A championship and a District 23-3A championship this past season. Throughout his four-year tenure, Boyce had four trips to the region meet, four trips to the state meet, three district championships, a district runner-up, two region championships, a third-place finish in state and a state championship.

    “Onalaska has a great legacy in cross country,” Boyce said. “It’s the most successful sport and it helps that we don’t have football. We also have good academics and I’d rather be more sound academically than athletically.”

    Following the family footsteps seems to be a trend for Boyce. He plans to major in education and become a teacher and coach.

    While Boyce is familiar with cross country in the fall and (outdoor) track and field in the spring, he’s adding indoor track and field to the mix. Indoor track and field season takes place in the winter.

    Boyce will continue to run the 1,600 and 3,200 in outdoor track and field, and will run the 1,500 and 3,000 in indoor season. He’ll also run a little more in cross country – 6.2 miles instead of 3.1.

    “I’ll have my hands tied with three sports and I won’t have much time to relax,” Boyce said.

    While Boyce has career aspirations of being a teacher and coach, he’s keeping his options open if something else happens.

    “I might decide to be a professional runner,” Boyce said. “I think that would be fun. I’d always have that degree to fall back on (if it doesn’t work out). Running professionally has never been a big dream of mine so if it doesn’t happen, no big deal. If it does happen, I’ll take advantage of it. If I run in the Olympics, that would be pretty cool, too.”

  • Bulldogs chomp Warriors, 28-14

    PSX 20201030 233925PHOTO BY ALBERT TREVINO A Corrigan-Camden wide receiver hauls in a pass as a Warren defender hangs on for dear life to try and bring him down Friday night.

    By Albert Trevino

    The Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs defeated the Warren Warriors 28-14 on Friday.

    It was the first district win for new head coach Brett Ratliff, who finally witnessed real-game progress under his offensive system.

    "We have gotten better every week. I think we are finding weaknesses in different defenses. Sometimes, we have to run a little more or throw. Since we can play multiple, we are able to exploit those things." said Ratliff after the game.

    The Bulldog defense had another strong performance, making crucial third- and fourth-down stops throughout the game.

    "We definitely played a full team game tonight. When our offense stumbled, getting inside the red zone and not putting one in, our defense picked us up." Ratliff said.

    It was also a breakout game for Bulldog sophomore quarterback Christian Hood, who ran for three of Corrigan's four touchdowns.

    "[Hood] is a great athlete and has a heart on him." said Ratliff. "He never gets rattled and plays even keeled like a quarterback should. But he also plays physical like a running back."

    The Warriors scored first with an early touchdown by senior running back Kevin Kirk.

    Corrigan responded with Hood scoring his first rushing touchdown to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter.

    A turnover on downs by Warren in the second quarter gave the Bulldog offense a short field and a chance to take the lead. Hood finished that drive with 11-yard touchdown run to go up 14-7 at halftime.

    The Bulldogs stretched their lead in the third quarter, as sophomore running back Anthony Harrell broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. That score gave Corrigan a 21-7 lead going into the fourth.

    Warren's offense would keep fighting, with help from a personal foul call that kept a late possession alive. The penalty was immediately followed by a 43-yard touchdown run by Warrior sophomore back Jeremy Smith to make it a one-score game.

    Corrigan answered on its next possession, with Hood scoring his third rushing touchdown to help seal the win.

    Corrigan's final game of the season will be this Friday at home against the Newton Eagles.

  • Centerville enjoys successful season

    041521 baseball 2TONY FARKAS | TCNS Groveton right fielder Reese White beats the pickoff back to first base during the Indians’ 19-1 win over Apple Springs on April 6.

    Special to the News-Standard

    CENTERVILLE — On March 23, Centerville pulled off a 14-1 win against the Apple Springs Eagles.

    Starting pitcher for the Bulldogs was Aydn Self, squaring off against the Eagles’ Dakota Campbell. Self went five innings with five strikeouts, and giving up one run; while Campbell pitched four and picked up seven strikeouts, while allowing 11 runs.

    Closing pitcher for the Eagles was Daniel Johnson, who gave up three runs with one strikeout.

    For the Bulldogs, Self went 3-for-3 with a double and two singles and five stolen bases; Logan Villanueva went 2-for-3 and three stolen bases; and Weston Dial, Ty Havard, Anthony Commiato, Ethan Rutledge and Logan Whittlesey each contributed hits as well.

    The win put Centerville’s record at 4-1 on the season.

    On March 16, Centerville downed the North Zulch Bulldogs 13-12.

    On March 12, Centerville downed the Richards Panthers 13-11 in extra innings.

    The Bulldogs and Panthers were tied 11-11 at the bottom of the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh; in the eighth, Travis Thorne was on base after a walk, and lead-off batter Aydn Self clobbered a homer to bring the Bulldogs score up to 13.

    Starting pitcher Self went five innings and recorded five strikeouts.

    Logan Villanueva, Weston Dial, Travis Thorne and Logan Whittlesey each contributed hits in the win.

     

    Scores roundup

    Apple Springs

    April 12 vs. Wells, 3-2 win

    April 9 vs. Centerville, 20-0 loss

    April 6 vs. Groveton, 19-1 loss

    April 1 vs. Douglass, 29-0 loss

    Centerville

    April 9 vs. Apple Springs, 20-0 win

    Groveton

    April 9 vs. Douglass, 10-9 win

    April 6 vs. Apple Springs, 19-1 win

    Trinity

    April 9 vs. Tarkington, 16-1 loss.

  • COHS sending 14 entries to region meet

                                   JASON CHLAPEK I SJNT Coldspring-Oakhurst athlete Crystal Ramos finished fourth in the pole vault during last week’s area meet.

    By Jason Chlapek

    COLDSPRING — The Coldspring-Oakhurst boys and girls track and field programs each qualified seven entries for the Region III-Class 3A Meet this weekend in Waco.

    The Trojans finished third in the team standings of last week’s Districts 23/24-3A Area Meet, while the Lady Trojans finished fifth. The meet took place on April 12 at Trojan Stadium in Coldspring.

    The top four finishers in each event qualified for the region meet, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Midway High School’s Panther Stadium in Waco. The top two finishers and top third-place finish statewide in each event qualify for the Class 3A state meet, which takes place May 6 in Austin.

    TROJANS

    A trio of first-place finishes kept C-O in the hunt for the area championship. Edward Brown and Curtis Parker, Jr., won the 100 and 400-meter runs, respectively, and the quarter of Parker, Reagan Roberts, Gavin Trejo and Jared Curry won the 1,600-meter relay.

    Dante Eldridge took second in the shot put, while Carter Currie was the runner-up in the pole vault. Troy Fortenberry finished third in the pole vault and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles.

    C-O had 79 points in the standings to finish third. East Bernard (96.5) and Boling (94) finished 1-2.

    LADY TROJANS

    Five of the seven regional-qualifying entries for C-O took place in the field events, including a pair of first-place finishes. Alexis Moore and Amanda Ready won the shot put and high jump, respectively, to lead the Lady Trojans’ charge.

    Shanaya Gilbert finished second in the shot put, while Alexis Chandler was third in the triple jump, and Crystal Ramos took fourth in the pole vault. Miya Ellis qualified in two events as she finished third in the 100 and fourth in the 200.

  • Coldspring downs rival Trinity

    040121 baseball 1TONY FARKAS | SJNT Coldspring-Oakhurst hurler Easton Dean delivers a pitch to a Trinity batter during the team’s 18-1 win over the Tigers on Friday.

    News-Times staff

    TRINITY — Hot bats gave the Coldspring-Oakhurst Trojans a commanding win over the Trinity Tigers on Friday.

    Trojan Head Coach Austin Riddell said it was a great overall team win, defeating the Tigers 18-1 in five innings.

    Easton Dean, who also carried pitching duties, went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle, including his first high school-career home run. He also put up three strikeouts while allowing only two hits.

    Trinity managed to put up a few hits, but couldn’t string together enough to counter Coldspring-Oakhurst.

    Tiger head coach Chad Kinney said senior Sam Allen gave up a total of 4 earned runs and 1 RBI at the plate, and junior Cole Caldwell went 2-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Freshmen Remi Lassman and Cole Hortman each went 1-for-2 with a double, and freshman David McKendree walked twice.

    Riddell said this week is going to be a tough test, as they were to play New Waverly on Tuesday at home, and then travel to Anderson-Shiro on Thursday.

    “This will be a great measuring tool to see where we truly stand in our district and we are excited for the opportunity,” he said.

    Kinney said that due to having players out, the next game — Onalaska on Thursday — they will be starting five or six freshmen.

  • Coldspring runs past Shepherd, 73-51

                                   JASON CHLAPEK I PCE Coldspring-Oakhurst guard Duke Lawniczak (with ball) puts up a shot in traffic against a host of Shepherd defenders.

    By JASON CHLAPEK

    COLDSPRING — It was nothing new for the Coldspring-Oakhurst and Shepherd boys basketball teams when they faced each other last week in Coldspring.

    The Pirates operated out of a half-court set and got the ball inside to 6-foot-11 post Bradley Davis, while the Trojans ran and pressed. In the end, Coldspring’s full-court press proved to be too much for Shepherd as the Trojans forced 42 turnovers, including 33 steals, to run past the Pirates, 73-51, on Dec. 1.

    “We always press,” Coldspring coach Greg Devers said. “That’s our thing since we’ve always been here. Two years ago, we averaged about 99 points a game in district. Last year in the state semifinal, we pressed the No. 1 team in the state (Dallas Madison). That’s our bread and butter. We don’t like to get in a half-court game. We like to play up-tempo and take as many shots as we can.”

    Shepherd coach Jeremy Bennett knew what to expect as well. He also said last week’s game wasn’t the first time his team saw the full-court press.

    “They’ve been pressing since forever and it’s nothing we haven’t seen,” Bennett said. “Every team we’ve seen has pressed us.”

    The presence of Davis is one of the main reasons why teams press the Pirates. Nonetheless, the senior post still recorded a triple-double — 24 points, 13 rebounds, 10 blocks.

    The main culprit for Shepherd’s turnovers may not have been Coldspring’s full-court press, however. It may have been the absence of point guard Trey Stacey.

    “One thing that hurt us is we didn’t have our starting point guard,” Bennett said. “That hurt us with turnovers. He was in close contact with someone who tested positive. Trase Thiessen has handled the ball for us. It hurt a lot not having him. We got after them, but not having our full roster hurt us. I’d love to play them again with my full roster. It might be a different story.”

    The Pirates led once in the contest, 13-12, late in the first quarter. But the Trojans closed out the quarter on a 6-2 run, which included a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Luke Monroe, to take an 18-15 lead after one frame of play.

    Monroe’s 3-pointer was the start of a 13-0 run for Coldspring (4-0), who built a 28-15 lead that would not be relinquished. The Trojans led 34-23 at the half and 54-41 after three quarters.

    Duke Lawniczak led all scorers with 37 points for Coldspring. Cameron Shaw-Rucker had a double-double with 11 points and 10 steals to go with seven assists, while Dante Eldridge chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.

    “Practice makes perfect and I watch Trae Young a lot and the way he flicks his wrist,” Lawniczak said. “Just pray that it goes in. I like to go in the paint, but I like to take the shot when I feel like I have it. We need to play with the same energy. We’ve won district every year since I was a freshman. We haven’t lost a game in district and I pray that we can do it again.”

    Shepherd (5-2) also received 8 points and 10 rebounds from Dillen Johnson. Carlos Renovato and Christian Castillo also contributed with 8 and 7 points, respectively.

    The Pirates bounced back from their loss at Coldspring with a 56-40 victory at Madisonville last Saturday. Davis led the way with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Johnson and Renovato had 13 and 10 points, respectively.

    Prior to last week’s loss, Shepherd’s only other defeat was a 64-53 setback at the hands of Class 5A Kingwood Park. The Pirates also have victories against defending 2A state champion Shelbyville; 5A teams Montgomery and Cleveland; and fellow 4A West Orange-Stark.

    Coldspring followed up its double-digit win with a pair of nail biting victories against 4A programs Bridge City and Orangefield last week. The Trojans defeated BC, 65-59, last Thursday and edged Orangefield, 64-62, last Saturday.

    In the win against BC, Lawniczak led with 28 points, while Eldridge recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Statistics were not available from the win at Orangefield.

    “This is my sixth year at Coldspring,” Devers said. “I like to press — 32 minutes of full-court pressing. We pressed when I was at Manvel and Stafford. I learned it from Earl Berry at Channelview. There was a year where we scored 100 points 14 times in a season.”

    After qualifying for the state tournament a year ago, the Trojans seem to be in reloading mode as opposed to rebuilding.

    “Our record the last two years is 71-9 and my junior varsity’s record is 40-3,” Devers said. “I have four returnees — all four of them start. I also have three move-ins that have helped us out as well. I have 11 guys who I can put on the court and they’re going to give 120 percent.”

    The biggest obstacle isn’t an opponent on Coldspring’s schedule, according to Devers, who’s team hosts 2A No. 1 Martins Mill at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. It’s Covid-19.

    “Our schedule changes every day and every time I receive a phone call from a coach, I think he’s going to cancel,” Devers said. “Anytime an administrator comes into my classroom, I think one of my players has Covid. We’re playing it day-by-day right now.”

  • Coming back to win

    IMG 4067BRIAN BESCH | PCE

    By Brian Besch

    The Goodrich Lady Hornets staged a fourth-quarter comeback to pull off a 49-41 upset over rival Leggett Tuesday night. 

    Leggett had an impressive shooting performance in the third quarter. The visiting Lady Pirates hit five shots from behind the arc to take a 34-25 advantage going into the final period. 

    "We had to go man because we were letting them shoot too many threes," Goodrich coach Khadijah Carter said. "I told them that we have to play tight defense. Once we get the ball on offense, get the ball inside and just go."

    They Lady Hornets did just that. The defense never let up, and the team used a size advantage to rebound and collect points near the rim.

    "Size made a huge difference," Carter said. "I told them if we could get the ball inside, they cannot stop us. No team can really stop us inside, but we've got to get the ball inside first."

    Goodrich went on a 12-1 run to open the fourth quarter and take their first lead of the contest at 37-35 with 3:55 remaining. 



    "In the second half, we got too relaxed and there was a big swing," Lady Pirate coach Terri Barlow said. "Goodrich wanted it more than us. We had too many turnovers and we really weren't in it.

    "Rebounding killed us, it gets us every time with the inside game. We really can't stop the inside game."

    Goodrich was led by Brionna Passmore, who was tops in the game with 24 points. Latrina Morgan had 11. Erika Hansen was the high point for Leggett, scoring 20. Kylie Valderez had nine points on three long-range jumpers.

    This marks the third district win for Goodrich, with the first two coming over Burkeville. The first-year coach said it is the biggest win of her young career to this point.

    The loss knocks Leggett down to fourth place in district. The Lady pirates we'll need to win their in their final three games over Chester, Burkeville and High Island to have a shot at the postseason.

    "When we got down going into the fourth, that kind of made me nervous," Carter said. "Even though we missed a lot of free throws and a few careless passes, I feel like this may be our best game."

  • Completing series sweep (VIDEO)

    IMG 4148BRIAN BESCH | PCE

    By Brian Besch

    The Leggett Pirates scratched out an early lead and maintained an advantage in their annual road game at Goodrich, winning 53-39 Tuesday. 

    Behind a 29-point performance from Chase Parrish, the Pirates played well on both ends of the court. The Hornets struggled to consistently score, ultimately failing to keep pace with the defending district champs.

    "We played good, I am proud of our team and we played good team ball," Leggett coach Sean Edwards said. "We played fundamentally sound and we are blocking out a little more to get rebounds. We kind of let up a little bit and gave up some cheap fouls later.

    "We are playing more team ball and limiting our turnovers a little bit more. We're going inside and drawing some more fouls. It is the second half of district, so we will be alright."

    Pirate Garrett Francois had 10 first-half points and 11 for the game, while Varian Flournoy added six. For Goodrich, Joacxi Garzon had 19 points and Isaiah Sapio had eight.



    After a lone 3-pointer in the first period, Parrish filled the stat book over the next three frames.

    For Goodrich, the year has been a struggle. There has been inconsistencies in team chemistry and a lack of experience. 

    They did improve as the game progressed. Totaling just 13 points in the first half, they scored 10 and 16 points in the third and fourth quarter, respectively.

    "You've got to rebound and play defense," Goodrich coach Lester King said. "We have had a hard time all year long scoring. The game was kind of good at the beginning, but they just out-hustled us and they wanted it more than we did. We didn't want it.

    "The only difference between them and us tonight was they played defense and hustled when we didn't play any. You can't win like that."

    If the Pirates win their remaining games, it could cause a three-way tie with Chirino and Zavala.

    Edwards said he believes his team can run through the rest of the district schedule unscathed.

    "I think we can. I believe in my guys and they are helping me out. I always get feedback from the kids and they always know what's going on when they are on the court. They tell me what we need to do. I think we can win the next five games. We are finally improving and we are peaking. We are getting better and better."

  • CORKY COCHRAN RELAYS

    Corky Cochran Relays 4BRIAN BESCH | PCE The Livingston boys won the Corky Cochran Relays on Thursday, while the Lady Lions finished second.

    By Brian Besch

    Varsity Boys Points By School

    1st Livingston HS 97

    2nd Huntington HS 95

    3rd Tarkington 94

    4th Woodville HS 93

    5th Liberty HS 72

    6th Jasper 71

    7th Diboll HS 54

    8th Northland Christian HS 21

    100 M Dash

    1st Nic Ray Northland Chri... 11.85

    2nd KALEB SELLS Jasper 11.94

    3rd Tank Johnson Livingston HS 12.08

    200 M Dash

    1st Justin Legg Livingston HS 23.66

    2nd Nic Ray Northland Chri... 24.37

    3rd Ajani Bell Tarkington 24.48

    400 M Dash

    1st Riley Johnson Tarkington 54.17

    2nd Nick Paxon Huntington HS 55.10

    3rd Elijah Mansfield Huntington HS 56.93

    800 M Run

    1st CONNOR MONROE Jasper 2:08.07

    2nd Romero Rene Liberty HS 2:09.06

    3rd Moran Matthew Liberty HS 2:14.41

    1600 M Run

    1st Flowers Patrick Liberty HS 4:53.86

    2nd Moran Matthew Liberty HS 5:06.45

    3rd Romero Rene Liberty HS 5:10.51

    3200 M Run

    1st Flowers Patrick Liberty HS 10:35.65

    2nd Justin Hales Livingston HS 11:44.77

    3rd Jason Williams Tarkington 11:45.86

    110 M Hurdles

    1st Ronald Washington Woodville HS 15.90

    2nd Ayden Colbert Huntington HS 15.99

    3rd Kevon Paire Woodville HS 16.00

    300 M Hurdles

    1st Ayden Colbert Huntington HS 44.30

    2nd Quincy Humphries Huntington HS 46.28

    3rd Tanner Johnson Tarkington 48.29

    4x100 M Relay

    1st Diboll HS 46.22

    2nd Tarkington 46.39

    3rd Woodville HS 46.88

    4x200 M Relay

    1st Woodville HS 1:37.44

    2nd Livingston HS 1:39.01

    3rd Huntington HS 1:39.22

    4x400 M Relay

    1st Jasper 3:45.20

    2nd Tarkington 3:47.21

    3rd Huntington HS 3:51.69

    Long Jump

    1st ron washington Woodville HS 19’-7"

    2nd Ajani Bell Tarkington 19’-0 1/2"

    3rd Linus Maninno Woodville HS 18’-9"

    Shot Put

    1st SHUNMARKUS A... Jasper 48’-7 1/2"

    2nd Gums, Jeremiah Diboll HS 41’-2 1/2"

    3rd Ladanian Walker Livingston HS 41’-1 1/2"

    Discus

    1st Gavin Edwards Tarkington 128’-2"

    2nd Ladanian Walker Livingston HS 112’-1"

    3rd Brynten White Livingston HS 101’-0"

    Triple Jump

    1st Teal, Chris Diboll HS 41’-9"

    2nd Ayden Colbert Huntington HS 39’-9 1/2"

    3rd Lloyd Evans Woodville HS 39’-7"

    High Jump

    1st Linus Maninno Woodville HS 6’-4"

    2nd Brandon Lyons Livingston HS 6’-0"

    3rd Ayden Colbert Huntington HS 5’-10"

    Pole Vault

    1st Heifner Trace Liberty HS 9’-0"

    Varsity Girls Points By School

    1st Woodville HS 140

    2nd Livingston HS 112

    3rd Liberty HS 82

    4th Northland Christian HS 71

    5th Tarkington 47

    6th Huntington HS 42

    7th Jasper 23

    8th Diboll HS 10

    100 M Dash

    1st Knepper, Abbie Liberty HS 13.38

    2nd Bolton, Helene Diboll HS 13.64

    3rd Azairiah Harrell Livingston HS 13.76

    200 M Dash

    1st Knepper, Abbie Liberty HS 28.55

    2nd Brianna Boddie Tarkington 29.26

    3rd Robinson, Cherish Liberty HS 29.46

    400 M Dash

    1st Julia Hearn Northland Chri... 1:06.00

    2nd Maddie Hearn Northland Chri... 1:08.11

    3rd Brooklynn Baker Tarkington 1:12.47

    800 M Run

    1st Anyhia Duncan Livingston HS 2:35.49

    2nd Abigail Wietstruck Northland Chri... 2:35.79

    3rd Shivers, Julianne Liberty HS 2:40.33

    1600 M Run

    1st Abigail Wietstruck Northland Chri... 6:06.42

    2nd Shivers, Julianne Liberty HS 6:16.93

    3rd Trinity Polk Northland Chri... 6:22.26

    3200 M Run

    1st Ryleigh Stewart Woodville HS 16:05.22

    2nd Ashley Davis Woodville HS 16:10.51

    100 M Hurdles

    1st Kaaliyah Youngblo... Livingston HS 19.54

    2nd Ava Hartsell Livingston HS 20.38

    3rd Mia Poncho Livingston HS 20.43

    300 M Hurdles

    1st J. McDougal Jasper 53.93

    2nd Bree Davis Huntington HS 57.56

    3rd Quiana Castle Woodville HS 1:00.38

    4x100 M Relay

    1st Liberty HS 52.15

    2nd Livingston HS 52.78

    3rd Woodville HS 54.00

    4x200 M Relay

    1st Woodville HS 1:57.55

    2nd Livingston HS 1:57.59

    3rd Liberty HS 1:58.13

    4x400 M Relay

    1st Woodville HS 4:51.91

    2nd Livingston HS 5:01.37

    3rd Huntington HS 5:11.67

    Long Jump

    1st Brianna Boddie Tarkington 15’-2"

    2nd Brooklynn Baker Tarkington 14’-7 3/4"

    3rd Azairiah Harrell Livingston HS 14’-5 1/4"

    Shot Put

    1st Nattali Vonessen Woodville HS 31’-8"

    2nd Kamryn Grammer Woodville HS 29’-10"

    3rd Jewell Capps Huntington HS 28’-9"

    Discus

    1st AALIYAH ROBINS... Jasper 113’-8"

    2nd Meredith Langdon Northland Chri... 93’-1"

    3rd Paxton Joslin Tarkington 85’-5"

    Triple Jump

    1st Madeline Wietstruck Northland Chri... 31’-8"

    2nd Brittany Lilley Woodville HS 29’-10"

    3rd Janyrah Kibble Woodville HS 29’-3"

    High Jump

    1st Tamara Martin Woodville HS 4’-8"

    2nd Anyhia Duncan Livingston HS 4’-6"

    3rd Kamryn Grammer Woodville HS 4’-6"

  • CORRIGAN-CAMDEN FALLS TO ELKHART (VIDEO)

    IMG 2722BRIAN BESCH | PCE The Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs playing Elkhart on Friday December 11, 2020 on the north end of Polk County.

    COSTLY MISTAKES

    BY BRIAN BESCH

    CORRIGAN — The Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs lost a fourth-quarter lead to Elkhart and eventually the game 46-41 Friday on the north end of Polk County.

    Trailing for much of the contest, the ‘Dogs slowly narrowed the gap in each quarter after the first.

    “I thought we played well enough to win. We just didn't execute late in the game, which caused us to lose,” Corrigan-Camden coach Andrew Kirkindoff said. “I think it is kind of the same story. We play well enough, but in crunch time, we end up turning the ball over, making mistakes that cost us. I tell them all the time that it is our mistakes that is causing us to lose games. We are playing well enough, we just have to fix us.”

    Corrigan-Camden versus Elkhart video

    The Bulldogs looked a bit hurried on possessions early on, falling behind on the scoreboard.

    Corrigan-Camden then seemed to run its offense well in the fourth quarter, patiently passing the ball and looking for open attempts. They took the lead and held it for nearly half the period. A quick run by Elkhart frustrated the Bulldogs, causing them to again settle for outside shots.

    “I think that is just that we are young and starting a freshman. Most of the other ones are sophomores and a junior. Most of them are young and played JV last year, so it is just experience. I knew that there were going to be some Growing Pains early, but hopefully we can get this out of the way now and when we get to District we will be able to overcome them.

    Tony Cooper led the Bulldogs with 15 points, Braylan Harrell had nine and Tra Thomas had eight. For Elkhart, R.J. Moore was tops on the night with 21 points, Cale Starr had nine and Josh Davis added eight.

    The Bulldogs now sit at 2-4, with both wins coming in the last week. They defeated the Oilers of West Hardin (57-47) and Chireno (53-51).

    The next game for Corrigan-Camden will come on the road Tuesday, as they face Alpha Omega Academy in Huntsville.

  • Corrigan-Camden volleyball ends 2020 season as area finalists (VIDEO & GALLERY)

    corrigan camdenBRIAN BESCH | PCE Lady Dogs end season as area finalists

     
    By Brian Besch

    TOMBALL- Corrigan-Camden saw its season come to an end in the area round of the playoffs Monday, dropping a 25-17, 25-20, 25-10 match to East Bernard at Tomball High School.

    The Lady Dogs started the first set in a 4-0 hole, but closed to within one point on a handful of occasions. Up 11-10 on Corrigan-Camden, the Brahmarettes scored eight of the next nine, leading to a 1-0 advantage.

    In the second set, the Lady Dogs held a lead as large as four points before losing by five.

    “We came out and played,” Corrigan-Camden coach Sage Gardner said. “We saw East Bernard two years ago, so I was worried about us being a little tentative, but they came out and played their butts off. My group has all of the heart and hustle, and that’s why we’ve gotten this far.”

    The Lady Bulldogs have had some rough draws in the past few years, with East Bernard also the opponent two years ago, Hardin last year, and the Brahmarettes in 2020. Both schools are volleyball powers in the state.

    This particular group of seniors has been with Gardner since the seventh grade, the first to do so since that level.

    The seniors include Kallie Kelm, Essense Sanders, Micah Hughes, Aundrea Cuevas and Jennifer Vazquez.

    “I’m losing five good ones. Each one of these kids are special to me,” Gardner said. “We have been through it all together. They put their hearts into it with blood and injuries and I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids. The group I have coming back next year, they’ll put in the work and they’ll be there too.”

    Corrigan-Camden VolleyballShow Gallery