Polk County Sports

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Brandon Lyons (middle) is the son of Sheriff Byron and Sylvia Lyons. He has signed with Lamar University to participate in track & field, with plans to study marketing. Lyons also played two years of varsity basketball. He ran the 200 and 400 meters in track. At Lamar, he will compete in the the long jump and high jump, where he advanced to the regional meet his junior and senior year. Ja’Nayah Pickens, (left) the daughter of Brandon and Le’Shauna Pickens, has signed to further her tennis career at Delaware State University. She is the district’s girls singles champion for the past two years and advanced to the regional tournament this year. The Lady Lions were district champions in 2021 and 2022. Away from the court, Pickens is in the top 10% of her class, a co-captain and All-American on the cheerleading squad, a member of the National Honor Society, and was runner-up in the 2022 Miss Polk County Pageant. Marlinda Dunham (right) has signed to participate in soccer at Dallas College. Dunham played goalie for two years, named first team all-district her senior year. She played volleyball for the Lady Lions in three seasons. During her freshman and sophomore years, she played basketball, and advanced to the regional meet in powerlifting. She plans to major in criminal justice and forensic science. 

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The Lions will advance to the regional quarterfinals. Photo by Brian Besch

By Brian Besch
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Lion baseball is giving fans their money’s worth in the playoffs, coming out on top of a 1-0 nailbiter Friday over the Tigers from Sealy in the area round.

The Livingston bats could not get going until the fourth inning, when Jordan Huson and Damian Ruiz started with a pair of singles and no one out. However, Sealy escaped from the inning unscathed, ending it on a double play.

“It is the small things. We made a few mistakes on the bases, but that was a great team over there,” Lion coach Jarrad Maddox said. “They got second place in their district. It is going to be tough like that all the way through, so we have to be prepared. I knew they would fight. They know how to compete; they are tough as nails and a blue-collar town.”

In the fifth, Livingston again threatened, as J.T. Smith singled and advanced a base when a pickoff bounced beyond the bag at first. Tay McNeal then slugged a single that was enough to bring in Smith ahead of a throw home, giving the Lions the only run of the game.

Ruiz was brilliant on the mound, allowing just a few baserunners. The only threat occurred when Sealy had a runner go from first to third on a ball hit to the wall in left. Smith made a good throw from the warning track to keep the Tigers scoreless.

“I knew they were very fundamental and they could hit the ball,” Ruiz said. “I trust my team enough to throw in the strike zone. I trust them to make plays like they did tonight. Coach told me to fill up the zone and force them to get hits.”

Ruiz said he felt more relaxed on the mound this week. Part of that, he said, was a more comfortable pair of shoes that he was able to wear on the playing surface at Cypress Woods High School.

In the top of the seventh with one out, a throw from an infielder got past first baseman Cody Patranella and the baserunner made the turn for second. Lion catcher Huson was backing up the play and threw the runner out at second from just in front of the visiting dugout.

The final out came on a pop fly to left field that Smith squeezed for a Livingston victory.

“That is too close for comfort right there,” Maddox said. “Every time you get in the playoffs, it is going to be tough. You’ve got to scrap all the way through. Hopefully, it is not like that next round.”

It is the second week in a row that the Lions have won a low-scoring, one-run contest. They had a come-from-behind triumph last week versus Vidor in a 3-2 game.

As of press time, the next round’s opponent was yet to be decided, but Orangefield run-ruled Navasota in the opening game of a best-of-three series.

“Orangefield has pitching and they are sound like them (Sealy), so it is going to be tough,” Maddox said.

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Lion pitcher Damian Ruiz tossed seven innings of two-run baseball to pick up the win.

By  Brian Besch

The final inning provided drama and a game-winning hit in Livingston’s Friday night bi-district matchup, as the Lions escaped with a 3-2 victory over Vidor.

With the contest tied 1-1 in the top of the seventh, Vidor took the lead and momentum, starting with a walk and sacrifice bunt. A double brought in the go-ahead run for a 2-1 advantage.

With the bottom of the lineup due in the Lions’ final opportunity, Livingston coach Jarrad Maddox opted for a pinch-hitter. Sophomore Copeland Bush got the call and reached base with an infield single.

Copeland Bush would soon advance on a wild pitch. Jordan Bush took a base on balls and another wild pitch would put both into scoring position with no one out. Tay McNeal was hit by a pitch to load the bases and bring up Gage Morris.

The junior had a good night at the plate, getting Livingston started in the first inning, but his final at-bat will be the one he remembers.

“I was up there and the umpire called the first one high and I didn’t like it,” Morris said. “On the second one, I was kind of chancing it. I had seen curveballs and was looking for a fastball. He threw me that curveball again and I just had to put it in play – just hit it somewhere in play and we have got to score just one. It was right over the second baseman’s head and I knew right then the game was over. I was like, ‘This is it; we are going to the next round.’

The shortstop described the celebration with his teammates at second base.

“I got jumped on, but man, it was great. It felt good. There is a first time for everything and that is my first walk-off hit. That is probably the biggest hit of my life. I was up there excited and nervous at the same time and was like, ‘Just hit it in play,’ and I got it done.”

The Texas Leaguer was a few feet out of the reach of the Pirate second baseman, allowing two to score and setting off the Livingston festivities.

“I knew Vidor had a couple of really good arms. I was very confident in Damian and his ability,” Maddox said. “I just had a hunch and went with Copeland Bush to pinch hit to get on base and use his athletic ability to lead off. It only takes one and we got it.

“Vidor has been hot in the second half of the season; they were the hottest team in their district. They won the most games in their district in the second half of the season. They snuck in and played hot and I knew it was going to be a tough series.”

Those who reached Crosby after the game started likely missed most of the offense until the end of the game. The Pirates put a run on the board in the first frame with a runner on, as a double that bounced to the wall made it 1-0.

Livingston answered in the bottom half of the inning, as the leadoff hitter Morris doubled. A sacrifice grounder by Jordan Huson pushed the runner to third and a single from Josh Smith made it a tie game.

Barring an upset, the next opponent will be the Sealy Tigers. They were second-place finishers of District 24-4A, two games behind champion Bellville.

“We will move on and we are probably playing Sealy,” the coach said.

“We will see where it goes from there. I know that they are very athletic. They don’t have the arms that Vidor does, but they are athletic and it’s going to be another tough matchup.”

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Lauryn Hoffman awaits the relay from right field.

By Brian Besch
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The Big Sandy softball season ended Friday in the bi-district round of the UIL playoffs, on the wrong end of a 17-0 final versus Woden.

The Lady Eagles wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, putting up two runs in the first. Walks were an early problem for Big Sandy, as four in the inning loaded the bags. A bunt single brought in the first run, while a sacrifice fly scored the next.

Wild pitches, passed balls and a few errors allowed for six more runs in the second, effectively ending the competition.

“We knew coming into it that this team was the real deal,” Big Sandy coach Mark Young said. “They were tied for first in district up until the last game and wound up getting second (to West Sabine), losing 2-1. We knew their pitching was really good and that was proven here today. They are one of those teams that capitalizes on every opportunity. We lost a couple of players to this, that and the other, which really hurt us. I hope that those players see that and see what it did to this team. I hope we can come back stronger.”

The Lady Cats had their best stretch near the end of the contest, holding Woden to just one run in the bottom of the fourth. In the top of the fifth, Lauryn Hoffman reached with an infield single and Madison Gardner pushed her over with a fielder’s choice. Hoffman then stole third and Anastasia Chitty walked.

This year’s seniors include Dallas Holder, Chloe Cox, Michaela McGallion, Olivia Laird, Taylor Weatherford and Madison Gardner.

“We had a really good group of seniors, with not a whole lot of experience in that group,” Young said. “It is just one of those groups that responds to coaching and is willing teach the younger kids and help them out. They have good attitudes and will do anything that I say. That is just fun to coach. I have a few younger ones that are coming up, but those are going to be tough spots to fill. In the outfield, I’m losing three. It was a struggle just to make it here. We had to beat out Evadale the second time we played them. We wound up doing that and playing well, and that is a testament to them.”