SPORTS
STORM CENTER: ‘42’ truly a Texas game
Football isn’t the only game Texans take seriously.
Let me suggest you pay a visit to the Bowie Senior Citizens Center in Pelham Park some morning and watch elder statesmen and stateswomen of this fine community play a game called “42.”
The game of “42,” in my opinion, is one of those games that make living in the state of Texas unique, ranking right up there with Whataburger and driving on the shoulder to allow others to pass.
In August 1985, Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Christopher Evans traced “42” back to its roots in the 1880s.
Reportedly in the town of Garner, today an unincorporated community northwest of Weatherford, two boys named Walter Earl and William A. Thomas invented “42.”
Earl, 14, and Thomas, 12, were the children of devout Baptists, and they were caught playing cards in the hayloft of a barn. In those days, it was considered sinful to play cards. The boys were disciplined for their mischievous activity.
That’s when the boys set out to find a way to play cards through a different medium, and dominoes became the vehicle for this derivation.
By the fall of 1887, the boys devised a four-player game using double-six dominoes that incorporated both the concepts of bidding and trumping.
Dominoes were “an acceptable activity,” and the boys began teaching others how to play. Their families later moved to Windom in Fannin County, and “42” was brought there as well.
Thomas recounted his story during a 1927 interview with the Dallas Journal, he died 19 years later, but the game is living quite well these days – including here in Bowie. Read more from this column in the weekend edition of The Bowie News.
(From left) Izella Boyd, Roe Daughrity, Billie Williams and Jean Hatch play a game of “42” on Wednesday morning at the Bowie Senior Center in Pelham Park. The women are regulars, and it’s one of the most popular games played at the facility according to center assistant director Lynda Medley. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
The Nocona Lady Indians beat Saint Jo at home on Saturday morning.
The Lady Indians won 16-1 after four innings due to run-rule against the smaller school.
Nocona was coming off a competitive loss at Collinsville earlier in the week while the Lady Panthers were hoping to compete after a busy week of their athletes doing everything else besides just softball.
The Lady Indians easily won the first matchup between the teams in March, 19-2 and it was more of the same on Saturday.
Saint Jo struck first to start the game off well. Jordyn O’Neal hit a one out single. Krista Reeves followed with a walk after O’Neal had stolen second base and had advanced to third thanks to an error trying to throw her out. A wild pitch then allowed her to score to put the Lady Panthers up 1-0.
The lead did not last long. Nocona’s first two batters drew walks which set up Abby Hill to drive them both in with a single to right field.
Despite giving up a single and a walk later in the inning, Saint Jo’s defense did not allow another run. A line out and groundout to the shortstop while picking off a runner attempting to steal got the Lady Panthers out of the inning unscarred.
The Lady Indians led 2-1.
That was about as competitive as it got. In the second inning, Nocona’s bats got going. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases up with no outs.
Reagan Phipps drew a walk that drove in a run. Hill hit another two RBI single. Skye Kirby followed with a two RBI double.
After the first out, Allie Sutton drove in one run with a single. There was a fly out for out two, before a runner came in to score after a passed ball. Finally, an error allowed two more runs to score on the base paths.
Nocona had scored nine runs and led 11-1 to break the game open heading into the third inning.
Taylor Patrick hit a double, with O’Neal and Reeves following with singles. Unfortunately for Saint Jo, Patrick was thrown out before the hits attempting to steal a base so the Lady Panthers scored no runs from this.
The Lady Indians kept pouring on the runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases up with no outs. Tinley Cable then hit an RBI single. Shelby Swell was hit by a pitch that drove in another run.
After two strikeouts, Evelyn Marquez drove in two more runs on a double to put Nocona up 15-1, coming up one run short of ending the game early.
The Lady Indians scored that one run in the fourth inning. After Phipps drew a leadoff walk, Hill hit a triple that drove her in to end the game.
Nocona won 16-1.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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