Polk County Sports

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By Brian Besch
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Livingston showed off an offense that scored in bunches for Tuesday’s district opener, finishing Hardin-Jefferson 19-3 in just four innings. Not only were the Lady Lions productive throughout the lineup with all nine contributing, they drove the ball consistently all night against three different Hardin-Jefferson pitchers.

The Lady Hawks actually took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first with runs on an RBI-triple and a fielder’s choice.

The home Lady Lions wasted no time answering, as Jaycee Knighton singled and Brianna Nelson brought her in with a double. Allison Lytle walked, Shelby Dickerson smacked a two-RBI double and Corinne Henderson reached on error. Bailey Goodson plated one with a sacrifice fly, and Jacie David collected an RBI on a base hit to go up 5-2 after an inning.

A walk and errors allowed what would be the final H-J run of the game in the third. Again, Livingston answered in the bottom half, starting with a Dickerson infield single and Henderson two-run homer. After a pitching change, the Lady Lions went back to work. Goodson walked, David singled and Breonna Niederhofer brought in a run on a fielder’s choice. Knighton then drove in a run on a double and Nelson reached by error, allowing another to cross home. The Lady Lions held a comfortable 10-3 advantage after three frames.

“We have a few pieces in the lineup where we can string them together,” Livingston coach Heather Mosser said. “My top six or seven, I am pretty confident in. (Hardin-Jefferson) lost two or three very impactful players for them last year. They still have one in the outfield that is going to Baylor and she is a stud. She was running down balls all the way in left field (from center). This is a rebuilding year for them.

“We play a tough schedule and have some relatively easy wins too, but we have to make sure that anytime we step on this field that we can do that to a team. Sometimes, you play down, but that was not the case tonight. I am really proud of my kids for stepping up and playing, because we are staying in ball games, but it is nice to crush some teams too.”

The floodgates opened wide in the fourth for Livingston. Dickerson doubled, Henderson walked, and Goodson grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring one in. David got another across with a single, and Ariyanah Cuellar singled. Niederhofer walked to load the bags. A wild pitch brought in the runner from third, and Knighton did the rest with a two-RBI double. Nelson doubled with an RBI and Lytle did the same. Dickerson sacrificed herself on a fly ball, setting up Henderson. A freshman third baseman, Henderson swatted her second home run of the night, this one for two runs to end it at 19-3.
The Lady Lions are now 8-8, with most of the losses coming from schools in larger classifications like Kingwood Park, College Station and Clear Springs from Class 5A and 6A. Livingston will still have to challenge some of the stiffer competition in the state, with Huffman Hargrave and Liberty at the top of the district. 

“We have played competitive games with very good teams and playoff teams in larger districts,” Mosser said. “The kids want this, they want a playoff run and they are bought in. I’ve got four seniors who are kind of leading the charge on that, two of which will play in college after this.

“We definitely have the potential to be (the best group since Mosser arrived). Had we not had a few injuries, we would be that much better. At the end of the day, I have had some freshmen, for example, Corinne Henderson with two bombs tonight. If you get her going, I don’t know that you can stop her. I have a freshman behind the plate and Corinne at third base. They are filling positions and doing a job for us, so that is huge.”

Livingston travels south down Highway 59 to West Fork Friday for their second district match.

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By Brian Besch
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Softball season is here and the Livingston Lady Lions have challenged a few larger schools on the schedule. However, it is what they are doing off the field or before the game Tuesday that may be more important

“Athletically, we aren’t necessarily a part of the Best Buddies program,” Livingston softball coach Heather Mosser said. “It is a program that pairs students with students that have special needs. Those students sign up to be a part of that program, but I have quite a few athletes that participate.”

Each month, the Best Buddies hold an event that include things like bowling, fun runs, or – like Tuesday – a softball game.

“On every Friday, we do what I call our ‘Best Day,’” Mosser explained. “We bring our students with special needs into our athletic period and they work out with us. They do a warmup with us, actual exercises and trainings with us, and we put them through some body-weight movements or calisthenics, some exercising or jogging. We end with an activity or game. Today (Friday) is kind of a light day, but we are bowling, and I have six lanes in the gym. How that leads into our event is we invite them to come to our game. I did it for volleyball (where Mosser is also the head coach) and I did it for softball last year, and it was a big deal. I knew this one was going to be an even bigger deal. I actually invited the Polk County Go-Getters as well, because I just recently directed their Special Olympics tournament at the junior high.”

A total of 17 Best Buddies and Go-Getters were in attendance Tuesday, participating in pregame activities.

Some of the more experienced students take a Buddy in the program, while beginners can be part of a group that works with special-needs students without taking as much responsibility.

“Because we work with them so closely throughout the year, we develop great relationships with these kids,” the coach said. “We see them in the halls, and they run up and hug us. They are a part of us. It is starting to shed light on a group where there is a great need in our community. The more we do with them, the Buddy group itself is growing. They are trying to stay with a schedule of having an event every month.”

Amy Cherry is an occupational therapist at LISD over the program. She said the number of events has been consistent over the past three years since the Livingston High School chapter of Best Buddies has been in existence. However, student participation has increased significantly.

“We have over 100 active student members and host monthly activities or functions to give our members opportunities to know each other better and strengthen their friendships,” Cherry said. “This year we have hosted a Back to Best Buddies mixer, our annual Match Party (where members find out who their Buddies are), Go-Getters scrimmage, Friendsgiving, and a bowling night. Other school organizations have also hosted joint events. Student Council has hosted dances for both homecoming and Valentine’s Day. The Lady Lions have hosted nights for Best Buddies at a volleyball game and a softball game.”

There are several events planned for the remainder of the year, including the annual Color Run, which will take place Saturday, April 13. Registration for the event will begin March 18 and they are hoping for continued community support and attendance.

“Every day brings a new smile and every day is a new adventure with them,” Mosser said. “There is so much joy and pure positivity, because these kids are working with students in a different way and treating them as their peers. It is just a cool mesh for what they can do for us, but also what we can do for them.

“It gives them their moment. It is their night to shine. We all get our moment on stage, our platform, or our game we play. I just want to provide their platform for them as well. At lunch, there are waves and hugs and hollers. You see them and know them by name, and it is fun to have that interaction.”

Mosser said she has had coaches reach out to her, including the Kingwood Park coach, who was Tuesday’s opposition on the field.

“She was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I am stealing this idea from you.’ I said, ‘You don’t have to steal it, take it and run with it and do it. It is such a great thing.’

“It is bringing light to an area that we need to share with the world. We need more of this in a world filled with so much hate. This is just a moment of joy that everyone should be a part of.”  n

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Nicholas Ortiz shoots for three.

By Brian Besch
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The 2023-24 season came to an end Tuesday in Madisonville for Big Sandy basketball, dropping the regional quarterfinal playoff contest to Thrall 62-58.

After a nervous start from both teams, both showed an ability to put the ball in the hoop consistently in the first quarter. Big Sandy gave up a few inches in height, and Thrall took advantage by winning the rebounding battle.

“First of all, I thought that Thrall played great,” Big Sandy coach Kevin Foster said. “They made more shots than we did and we couldn’t get stops and rebounds throughout the game. We turned the ball over some in the first half. It comes down to making shots and they out-shot us. For the most part they out-rebounded us tonight. I was proud of the kids the way we battled back, but it just seems like we never could catch a break or get any momentum. They were just a little better than us tonight. I credit their defense too. They really made Javen (Criswell) work for everything. He had some threes late when I moved him to the three spot, where he was able to get some clean looks.”

A full-court press in the second quarter gave Big Sandy more trouble than they wanted to handle. Turnovers began and so did the gap on the scoreboard. Thrall led by as much as 15 in the period, but the ‘Cats slimmed that to a 36-26 mark at the half. There was a lot of work to do, but they withstood the Tigers’ best shot through a two quarters. Thrall missed very little from long range, connecting on six 3-pointers. It would have been difficult to continue that hot start.

“We knew going in that was something they did,” Foster said of the press. “Usually, they are a half-court team, but I thought we were careless. Instead of attacking them and getting by them, we had a few lazy passes and just kind of nonchalant with the ball. We talked about it at halftime, and we really only gave up three offensive rebounds in the first half, but every time we did it led to six points for them. I know on our turnovers that it led to at least four points for them, so that was our deficit right there. It wasn’t one thing during this game.”

Thrall’s offense kept Big Sandy from going on any kind of run in the third. Needing to cut into the lead, the Wildcats could not get consecutive baskets, and the Tiger offense showed an ability to score from all over the court.

Down by double digits with just a few minutes remaining, Big Sandy began a furious comeback. Challenging every pass in every dribble, the Wildcats got turnovers and the buckets they needed to bring it within one, but that would be as close as they would get.

“We had the momentum there at the end, we just needed a little bit more time I think,” the coach said. “The only thing we really did different was go full-court man. We got turnover after turnover, but too many times, we weren’t able to capitalize on them. We had just said in the time out that if we score (when the game was a one-point difference), we are getting back. We didn’t transition defense good enough and (Thrall’s Payton Gillmore) slipped back. That is on all of us, really. We knew that he liked to leak out a lot. I think after that shot, he was already leaking out. That is just one play of many throughout the course of the game.”

For Thrall, Gillmore led with 19 points, Dawson Meiske had 16 and Breken Proctor 11. Big Sandy’s Tavian Battise was the top scorer with 22, Criswell had 15 and Nick Ortiz 12.

The Wildcats will have a much different look in the 2024-25 season. Seniors graduating this year include Ortiz, Battise, Jackson Trevino and Criswell.

“You look at accomplishments and some of those guys were on our regional semifinal team their freshman year,” Foster said of his seniors. “There were three years in the regional quarterfinals. A lot of kids would love to have that just one year. We are so fortunate and blessed how we have been able to have those kind of teams and make these kind of runs. It hurts when it ends. I told the kids that it should hurt, that means that it means something to you. The kids were upset, but I told them that the thing I will remember about this group is that it kind of looked like it was over for us. We battled back like we have all year. We didn’t win it and I know it hurts, but we can look back and say that we had a chance to make a game out of it.”

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Collecting more tournament championships, Livingston golf took first place at Hardin-Jefferson. First overall was Brayden Akers, second overall was Brandon Munson, and Jack New brought home third. The varsity squad includes (l-r) Akers, Munson, Drew Davidson, New and Carson Pipes.

Colecting more tournament championships, Livingston golf took first place at Hardin-Jefferson. First overall was Brayden Akers, second overall was Brandon Munson, and Jack New brought home third. The varsity squad includes (l-r) Akers, Munson, Drew Davidson, New and Carson Pipes.