The Bowie Jackrabbits could not get past the evil empire Brock in their bi-district series on Friday and Saturday.
The Eagles won the series 2-0, winning close games with the scores 5-1 and 3-2, with the second game ending on a hit batter with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Bowie came into the series as underdogs despite being used to playoff success. Finishing fourth in the district meant a matchup with another school that is a district champion, but not just any due to district set-ups.
Brock, the school that finishes among the top of the Lone Star Cup standings every year, as it seems there is not one athletic team that is not at the very least destined to have a long playoff run.
The baseball team is no exception, ranking fifth in the state in 3A this year. While the list of teams whose seasons have been cut short is too many to list, the most painful example was the Jackrabbits magical baseball run ending in the regional final two years ago to this same Eagles’ program.
Both teams have wildly different rosters and even have different coaches from then, but every program in the area knows the history of facing a Brock team in the playoffs and the history.
Since 2018, the only Bowie teams to have beaten a Brock team have been the boy’s basketball team in 2018 and the girl’s basketball team in 2021.
The Jackrabbits hosted game one on Friday and started senior Troy Kesey on the mound.
Bowie started the game well. After shutting down the Eagle’s batters, Kesey hit a two out triple. Later in the inning after Hayden Rodriguez drew a walk, courtesy runner Andrew Sandhoff scored after a passed ball to put the Jackrabbits up 1-0.
Brock answered in the second inning.
With the bases loaded and one out after a single and two hit batters, a groundball resulted in an error that allowed not just one run, but for two to come in while no out was made. The Eagles led 2-1.
After another walk loaded the bases it looked like it might get worse, but a double-play was turned to get out of the jam.
The team’s exchanged a scoreless third inning before Brock got a two-out rally going in the fourth inning. After a leadoff double, Kesey retired the next two batters. Two singles followed that drove in two runs to put the Eagles up 4-1.
Brock would get one more run in the sixth inning. With two walks and a sacrifice bunt laid down, the next batter hit a fly ball deep enough to right field that it scored one run to put the Eagles up 5-1.
After a hit batter followed, Sandhoff came in to pitch in relief. He walked the next batter to load the bases, but induced a fly ball to left field for out three.
Bowie tried to get something going when Kesey hit a one out single in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, his pinch runner was caught stealing and the next batter lined out to second base.
The Jackrabbits did not get anything going in the final inning and Brock wrapped up a 5-1 win in the first game.
The second game was played in the early afternoon on Saturday at Brock, with a possible game three being scheduled to follow if needed.
Bowie started its ace pitcher Edmond De Leon in the most important game of the season.
The Jackrabbits threatened to score in the first inning, loading the bases up with one out. Unfortunately, the next two batters could not get them home.
Bowie was able to in the second inning. Cooper Hammer drew a leadoff walk. After a sacrifice bunt, single by Tucker Jones put runners at the corners with two outs. Rayder Mann then came through with a single that drove in Hammer to put the Jackrabbits up 1-0.
Brock threatened to retaliate in the same inning, loading the bases up with no outs thanks to two singles and an error at second base.
The defense held with a fielder’s choice out at home, a pickoff throw at third base and groundout at second base.
The Eagles came back in the third inning. After a one out walk, a later stolen base put the runner in position to score when a later batter hit a two out double to tie the game at 1-1.
The teams exchanged a scoreless fourth inning, with the only highlight being Brock advancing a runner to third base, but failing to score.
With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Kesey drew a walk and Rodriguez followed with a single. Kesey advanced to third base to put runners at the corners.
Executing a steal at second base caused an error by the catcher that allowed Kesey to score and put Bowie up 2-1.
The Eagles were not going to led the Jackrabbits get away with that. In the same inning, Brock batters led off by drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch.
The defense responded by catching a harmless fly out to left field and by getting the fielder’s choice out at third base for out two.
Unfortunately, the next batter singled up the middle to drive in one run to tied the game at 2-2.
The Eagles looked to take the lead in the sixth inning as they led off with a single. Thankfully, Bowie covered the bunt and pulled off a double-play.
It was good because the next batter hit a single that he was able to stretch into a triple thanks to an error in right field. De Leon then came through with a strikeout for out three.
The Jackrabbits had a great opportunity in the seventh inning to retake the lead. Boston Farris led off and got on base thanks to an error by the shortstop.
Jones followed by drawing a walk.
After a change a pitcher from Brock, a sacrifice bunt was laid down that advanced both lead runners in scoring position for Bowie. Kesey was then intentionally walked to load the bases up with one out.
Unfortunately, the next two Jackrabbit batters struck out to end the chance.
The Eagles led off with a single. After the lead batter stole second base, the next batter was retired on an infield fly ball. The third batter drew a walk and De Leon had to be replaced due to pitch count.
The next batter was intentionally walked to load the bases up with one out, hoping the next few batters would be much less threatening.
Before it could get too far, with the count at one ball and one strike, the next batter was hit by a pitch. The runner on third base scored to end the game.
Brock won the game 3-2 and the series 2-0.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.

The state track meet wrapped up on Saturday and Montague County has three athletes bringing back hardware.
Forestburg’s freshman Brenna Briles is coming back with a gold medal while Nocona junior Graci Brown and Saint Jo freshman Damon Byrd are bringing home bronze medals.
Briles won the 1A girl’s high jump with a jump of 5-2 to give the freshman the state championship.

For Brown from Nocona competing in the 2A classification, she was feeling the pressure of trying to defend her two state titles she got in the 400 and 800 meters last year. In a tough field she finished fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 59.42, which was less than a second off from first place. It was not all disappointment though as she earned a bronze medal earlier in the 800 meters with a time of 2:19.
Brown later joined Ava Johnson, Ayden Patton and Meg Meekins as the 4×400 relay team competed at state for the second straight year as well. The team finished fifth with a time of 4:06.

From Saint Jo competing in the 1A classification, Damon Byrd also competed in three events. Byrd earned a bronze medal in the triple jump with a length of 43-7½. In the long jump, he came up just short of winning another medal as he finished in fourth place with a jump of 20-9¼ which was five inches short of third place.
Finally, he also was a part of a relay team. He joined Blaine Penaluna, Devin Stewart and Lee Yeley in the 4×200 relay. The Panthers placed seventh with a time of 1:33.
That was it for the medals, but that is not what all state track is about. Sometimes the journey there is just as important.

Bowie senior Tucker Jones made it to state in the 3A boy’s 110 meter hurdles for the second straight year. Jones had won the wildcard spot, getting the last qualification despite getting third with his career best time at regionals.
Even if Jones could repeat the feat, a medal was probably out of reach with the field he was racing against.
Jones ran well, but not his best as he finished 14.99 seconds and got eighth place. Both were better results than last year at state, where he was just happy to make it to the big dance.
It was a similar story last year, where Jones ran the best time he had ever run at regionals to qualify, getting second that time.
Despite not earning a medal in two tries at state, just getting there for Jones was a trip. His sophomore year he fell on the first hurdle in the regional final.
To come back the next two years and run his best races shows what type of athlete he is.

Gold-Burg junior Isaac Renteria also was returning to state for the second straight year, but had plenty of experience on the big stage having competed at state in cross country three times as well.
Competing in the 1A boy’s 3200 meter race, Renteria just missed out on medaling for the second straight year as he finished in fourth place again, despite his time being nearly 10 seconds faster as he ran 10:06.
Some other athletes were soaking in their first times at the state track meet.

Forestburg senior Reagan Ladewig competed for the Lady Horns for the last time, competing in 1A girl’s shot put. She finished in ninth place with her best throw being 31-2¾.
It finishes a career for Ladewig who started high school competing in five different events before honing in on certain ones which paid off as she got to state in her final attempt this year.

From Prairie Valley, junior Linzie Priddy was competing at the state track meet for the first time. However, it was her third time to represent the Lady Bulldogs at the state level, having qualified for state in cross country her freshman and junior years.
Competing in the 1A girl’s 800 meters, Priddy finished in ninth place with a time of 2:39.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.

Baseball
The Saint Jo Panther baseball team lost their playoff series double-header against Electra on Thursday night.
The Tigers won 13-5 and 9-0 against the Panthers to end their season.
Saint Jo had a tough season up to that point. The Panthers last win came against Chico in early April. While the team usually struggles against their mostly 2A district schedule, the results were especially one-sided this season.
Still, Saint Jo was hopeful playing another 1A team like Electra would give the team a chance to win and continue its streak of winning its bi-district series that dates back to at least 2018.
Saint Jo started off the first game strong. Logan Hoover hit a sacrifice fly ball that drove in a run. Charlie Barclay followed with an RBI double. Trent Gaston then hit a two RBI single to put the Panthers up 4-0.
The Tigers answered with two runs in the same inning to make it 4-2.
Saint Jo failed to score in the second and third innings while Electra took the lead with three runs and then four runs to go up 9-4.
In the fourth inning, the Panthers scored one run when Jayden Curry successfully scored on the base paths from third base to make it 9-5.
That was the final run for Saint Jo in the game. Electra added three runs in the fifth inning and one more in the sixth inning.
It made the final score 13-5 for the Tigers.
Saint Jo was hoping it could play better in the second game.
In one sense the team did, allowing only eight hits and keeping the hot hitting Tigers from scoring in the double-digits.
Unfortunately, the Panther bats were kept tamed the entire game. Barclay got the teams only hit in the game and the team drew four walks. Unfortunately this was not enough to get any runs for Saint Jo.
The Tigers won 9-0.

Softball
The Saint Jo Lady Panthers softball team had their season come to an end in the area round of the playoffs against Jonesboro on Thursday night.
The Lady Eagles won the one-game playoff series 39-9 after five innings due to run-rule.
Saint Jo was coming into the game following a dominant 16-1 win against Perrin-Whitt in the bi-district playoff series. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers were without their starting pitcher due to injury and their other pitchers struggled to throw strikes.
That was the case as Jonesboro piled on the runs in the first three innings. Trailing 26-0, Saint Jo’s batters put some good things together.
Taylor Patrick drove in one run with a triple. After drawing three straight walks, one runner scored thanks to a wild pitch. K Skidmore then drove in two runs with a double. Two more runs thanks to wild pitches following a single and two drawn walks.
The Lady Panthers had cut the lead to 26-6.
The Lady Eagles added seven runs in the fourth inning where Saint Jo found some more offensive success. With the bases loaded and two outs, one run scored on a passed ball.
Later an error when trying to throw a runner out at third base allowed the other two runners to score as the Lady Panthers scored three runs.
Jonesboro added six more runs in the fifth inning to make the final score 39-9.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.