SPORTS
Saint Jo boys blowout Forestburg
The Saint Jo Panthers blitzed Forestburg on Tuesday night.
The Panthers won 76-26 in a game where the outcome was in hand by the end of the first quarter.
The opening minutes were a little slow from both teams. The Longhorns, short on bodies with only six players, were playing a tight two-three zone and daring Saint Jo to shoot from outside.
Forestburg actually led 4-2 in the opening two and half minutes with scores from Braxton Osteen and Jackson Raney. Once a couple of shots went in for the Panthers though the game quickly turned into a route.
Saint Jo was able to set up its full-court press defense that forced a lot of turnovers that led directly to points.
The Panthers quickly scored 10 points in the next two minutes and then scored 14 more in the final two and half minutes of the quarter. With Saint Jo up 26-6, it was all but over.
The second quarter was more of the same. The Panthers kept up their relentless assault on defense which led directly into their offense with transition opportunities. They also were hitting 3-pointers as Kile Thurman made four in the quarter alone.
Forestburg tried switching to different ball handlers, hoping to get its best scorer Osteen off the ball and in better position to score and change things up. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the inexperience from some of the other players showed its face.
Osteen did score a basket and make one free throw to keep the Longhorns from going scoreless in the quarter, but they were down 50-9 heading into halftime.
Thankfully, Saint Jo Coach Lyndon Cook had a heart and called off the press in the second half while clearing his bench. The third quarter was the most competitive of the game.
Even with the press called off, the Panthers still found ways to attack the rim while driving and kicking out with great success, scoring 19 points.
With no worries about getting the ball up the floor and setting up its offense, Forestburg got baskets from its two senior frontcourt players James Stokes and Hayden Berry. Osteen scored and continued to get to the free throw line as the Longhorns more than doubled their total from the first half.
The fourth quarter saw neither team’s offenses do much.
Saint Jo removed all of its starters while Forestburg players were tired with such little rest during the game. Neither team broke into the double-digits as the Panthers won 76-26.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
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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