Polk County Sports

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A.J. Pinkert reaches to keep a ball in play. Keori Rogers eyes the spike. Photos by Brian Besch

By Brian Besch
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The Onalaska Lady Cats started the season off with a victory Tuesday, taking a 25-7, 25-7, 25-12 match over Goodrich.

The match wasn’t in doubt for the hour played, as the Onalaska girls used well-placed serves and spikes to come out on top.

“We have been working pretty hard the last 10 days,” Onalaska coach Danna Mitschke said. “Last week, we had three days-worth of scrimmages. We got some rest on Sunday and were able to bounce back this week. We did a lot of learning, so we have common language, but things are going really well and our coaches are doing good.

“The one thing I asked them to do today was to maintain their level of play the entire time. We did that for the most part, but in the third game of the match, it got a little messy.”

Goodrich trailed 5-4 in the second game and held a 4-2 advantage in the third before a run from the Lady Cats.

“I have an amazing group of young ladies and I actually moved two JV players up tonight,” Mitschke said. “Destiny Lindley and Faith Tyerman came in and worked seamlessly with the varsity, doing a good job for us. Those that are on the bench with me have put in as many hours as the ones on the floor. Their desire to be out here is no less and I respect everything that they have done. I am working to get everybody in every match. So far, we have been able to do that. We are working on our trust, our culture and our communication, but I am really proud of how they have come together.”

This is Mitschke’s first coaching victory in seven years, when she was the coach once before at Onalaska. Working in the math department, she was asked to take over the Lady Cat program as the summer began.

The Onalaska group is said to have leaders in many spots. Keori Rogers is the big hitter on the team. Setter Savanna Benningfield has been a positive influence on the floor and Kalli Saucier is a back row veteran. Those three athletes are the only upperclassmen on the team. The coach also mentioned A.J. Pinkert, the only sophomore. Mitschke sees quickness in Pinkert and says she has earned her spot by leading conditioning and practices.

“All of these kids are leaders in the classroom, they are leaders on the floor, and they are leaders in the community. I think they know what comes with that and what the expectation is. They are invested.”

For Goodrich, Tuesday was a chance for the Class 1A school to play against a 3A program. The young Lady Hornets are learning as the game goes, with some playing out of position.

“We are down three, and both of my setters are out,” Goodrich coach Pinellafie Johnson said. “We were working with one (at setter) and she got sick, and then I trained another one and she got sick. The other day when we scrimmaged Coldspring, they looked really good. It is just a matter of us all staying healthy. We’ve got a good team and they are clicking together really well.”

Johnson said she still had a few out in the Coldspring scrimmage, but having one setter in that match made a large difference in the team’s performance.

Goodrich has scheduled larger schools throughout its non-district slate to prepare the squad for league play.

“That is what I need for them to do – step it up and not feel like you can’t compete,” Johnson said. “I am just used to playing that schedule to try to get them grounded. I told them that they are not going to win them all, because we do have a big schedule. I told them that this was to get them prepared and not scared. They will get it after a couple of games.”
When all return, the team will rely on a freshman setter, Tanyreauna Garrett.

“This is a big step for her, because junior high was nowhere near this. She is just jumping into varsity, but she is doing an awesome job. My hitter and blocker, Breya Passmore, and Aralyn Angel defensively – I am going to rely on also to pick up all those balls. They are going to be motivated, we just have to get them competitive, not just be out there on the court.”

The game Friday will be a rematch between the two teams, but played in Goodrich at 4:30 p.m.

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Pads are popping at the Livingston practice fields, as the Lions begin preparation for the 2022 football season. Practice began Monday afternoon and the first scrimmage will take place Aug 11 in Silsbee. The Lions will host a scrimmage Thursday, Aug. 18, versus Hardin-Jefferson. Photo by Brian Besch

There has been a change in the 2022 football schedule. The second scrimmage versus Hardin-Jefferson to be played on Aug. 18 will now be held in Lion Stadium. Hawk Stadium, the new facility at Hardin-Jefferson cannot be used until after Week 2 of the regular season. There will be three scrimmages that Thursday swith freshmen at 4:30 p.m., junior varsity at 5:30 p.m., and varsity beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Livingston 2022 Lion Football Schedule

Week Day Date Opponent Location
Scr Thurs Aug 11 Silsbee Tiger Stadium
Scr Thurs Aug 18 Hardin-Jefferson Lion Stadium

1 Friday Aug 26 Houston Episcopal (SN1) Lion Stadium
2 Friday Sept 2 Needville Lion Stadium
3 Friday Sept 9 Palestine Wildcat Stadium
4 Friday Sept 16 Spring Legacy (H) Lion Stadium
5 Friday Sept 23 Madisonville Mustang Stadium
6     OPEN WEEK    
7 Friday Oct 7 Huffman Hargrave* Falcon Stadium
8 Friday Oct 14 LC-M *  (P) Lion Stadium
9 Friday Oct 21 Vidor * Pirate Stadium
10 Friday Oct 28 Splendora * Wildcat Stadium
11 Friday Nov 4 Lumberton * (SN2) Lion Stadium
         
* - District 10-4A game
H – Homecoming
SN1 – Senior Night (Football, Cheer, Trainers)
SN2 – Senior Night (Band, Drill Team, NNDCC)
P – Cancer Night / Pink Out

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Livingston’s Damian Ruiz collected all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association, making the second team. The Lion senior was 10-1 with a 0.71 earned run average, with 105 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched for the district champions.

Sinton’s Blake Mitchell and Jaquae Stewart shared player of the year honors on the Texas Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A all-state baseball team.

Mitchell, who played shortstop, batted .465 with seven home runs and 52 RBIs. He also was 6-0 on the mound with a 0.39 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. Stewart, who played first base, batted .414 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs. He also was 8-0 pitching with a 0.17 ERA. The two juniors led Sinton to the state title.
 
FIRST TEAM
Pitchers – Evan Brandt, Argyle, sr.; Wyatt Wiatrek, Sinton, sr.; Easton Ballard, Spring Hill, sr.
Reliever – Noah Bentley, Celina, jr.
Catcher – (tie) Brayden Faulkner, China Spring, sr.; Rylan Galvan, Sinton, sr.
First baseman – Jaquae Stewart, Sinton, jr.
Second baseman – Noah Paddie, Carthage, jr.
Shortstop – (tie) Blake Mitchell, Sinton, jr.; Ace Reese, Canton, jr.
Third baseman – Trace Necessary, China Spring, sr.
Outfielders – Marshall Lipsey, Spring Hill, sr.; Canon Chester, Sinton, sr.; (tie) RJ Ruais, Celina, jr.; Rene Galvan, Sinton, sr.
Designated hitter –  Dylanjer Merion, Stephenville, sr.
Player of the year – (tie) Mitchell, Sinton; Stewart, Sinton
Coach of the year – Adrian Alaniz, Sinton
 
SECOND TEAM
Pitchers – JD Thompson, Rusk, sr.; Damian Ruiz, Livingston, sr.; David Wilson, Bullard, soph.;
Reliever – Jason Bodin, Orangefield, jr.
Catcher – Rashawn Galloway, Boerne, sr. 
First baseman – Cameron Page, Giddings, sr.
Second baseman – Jordan Gibson, Rockport Fulton, jr.
Shortstop – Dee Kennedy, Benbrook, jr.
Third baseman – Griffen Williams, Canyon Lake, jr.
Outfielders – Brenton Clark, Pleasant Grove, soph.; Joel Pena, Levelland, jr.; Kameryn Henderson, Orangefield, sr.
Designated hitter – Cooper Quillin, Vernon, sr.

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Polk County hoops star looks to bring winning outlook to Corrigan-Camden

Khadijah Carter Corrigan-Camden girls head coachBy Brian Besch
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On the court, Khadijah Carter has excelled in an award-winning high school career and played at the top level of college ball. She recently accepted just her second head coaching position at Corrigan-Camden High.

Carter took over a struggling program just a few years ago, helping turn around attitudes and performances. She looks to do the same on the opposite end of Polk County for the Lady Bulldogs.

“They told me that it should be pretty good and that I have some from junior high that are coming up,” Carter said. “Basically, they were saying that they need somebody to push them to not quit. If they will not quit, they can be a success.”

Carter’s job will be to take a group of athletes accustomed to playing at the Class 3A level and provide basketball skills to win in 2A. It has been a while since the Lady ‘Dogs have reached the basketball playoffs, and leadership in Corrigan is counting on a few personnel moves to change fortunes.

Former coach Ryan Hall will move down to the junior high, while serving as the new Dean of Students and vgirls’ athletic coordinator. Hall will help the youth develop a better understanding of the game, setting a foundation for when they reach high school.

This is the third stop for Carter since leaving her own basketball career at the University of Alabama. She was an All-State and All-American performer at Goodrich High, which is also where she began coaching. After a one-year stop in Coldspring, she takes over Corrigan-Camden girls basketball and will assist in volleyball and track.

She is a 2012 graduate of Goodrich, where she was a Parade High School All-American who averaged 34.6 points per game and scored over 1,000 points in her senior year alone. She was a three-time TGCA All-State honoree and was an ESPN Rise Regional Girls Basketball Player of the Week. Her college days started Jacksonville College for her freshman year, where she was named NJCAA First Team All-American. She finished her final three college seasons with the Crimson Tide.

“It is a better environment and a head coaching position,” Carter said of reasons for taking the new challenge. “That is something that really stood out to me. I am going to be pulling kids in and have one-on-one time with them. That is something that I like to do. I won’t have a huge class, and that is something that caught my attention. They can help me finish getting certified. They have a group of girls coming in and they felt like I was the perfect fit.

“That was a big thing that they said. They had a lot of people bring up my name, saying that I would be a good fit. Honestly, I didn’t know that they were looking for a coach until Coach (and athletic director Brett) Ratliff called me. I think (new Corrigan-Camden boys basketball) Coach (Greg) Devers put in a good word for me. At that time, it was perfect.”

The coach will also serve as an interventionist, helping students individually outside of a classroom setting.
Carter said she will need a good look at her team before deciding on a style of play.

“If they are athletic, then yes, we are going to press. We are going to do a little man (man-to-man defense), but if we are not up to that level yet, we will try a zone — probably a 2-3 zone.

“I just want to do a little bit at a time,” she said of installing a new system. “I don’t want to give them too much where they can’t handle it. We want to break it down into little pieces and by the time the season starts, we should be there.By district time, they will be ready, I will make sure of that.”

Meeting the Corrigan-Camden staff and coaches, Carter knew she had made the right choice on her first day at work.
“I honestly felt like I was at home. Everyone was coming up to me, seeing if I had questions and checking up on me. It was just like I knew them. They are very welcoming.”