SPORTS
Nocona’s football slate certainly has challenges

By ERIC VICCARO
bnewssports@sbcglobal.net
Editor’s Note: This is the start of a five-part series on high school football schedules, beginning with Nocona. All other football teams will have stories on their 2014 season slate.
Every two years, the University Interscholastic League realigns districts in the sport of football.
This time around, the process certainly didn’t do any favors for Nocona High School as the Indians were placed in an eight-team district.
“We didn’t get a good draw,” Nocona head coach Brad Keck acknowledged. “They added two more teams to what was a six-team district. It’s going to be a whole lot tougher.”
Nocona will play as a member of Conference 3A Division II District 2. The district features a near murderer’s row with the likes of Cisco, Eastland, Henrietta and City View (Wichita Falls). Cisco, Eastland and Millsap are new district foes.
Jacksboro and Holliday also comprise this formidable district.
Keep in mind, all former Conference 2A schools are now 3A, as designated by the UIL.
The Indians lost non-district games with Archer City and Valley View. Keck said Nocona has played both towns for several years.
Nocona will open the regular season slate at Alvord on Aug. 29, and follow that up with another road game at Muenster on Sept. 5.
The home opener is set for Sept. 12 versus Ponder, and the district opener will also be the Indians’ homecoming against Henrietta.
Cisco is a defending state champion, defeating Refugio 56-36. The Loboes feature two preseason all-state players in offensive lineman Baily Edwards and defensive back Kotie Hoover. For more and a complete Nocona schedule, read the mid-week edition of The Bowie News.
SPORTS
Two teams compete at state tourney

The Red River High School Bass Club competed this past weekend, May 31 – June 1, at the State Tournament on Lake Conroe for the two-day tournament.
Two of the teams from Montague County traveled south to try their best at the culmination of the year for the state title. Teams were able to pre-fish on Friday before the Saturday and Sunday competition. On Friday, there was a flipping contest for the youth and Cooper Johnson won third overall and won a $500 scholarship and an Academy gift card.
The club’s two teams who competed were Lane Smith/Colt Henry with boat captain Jimmy Smith. The team placed 63rd with a total of 16.22 pounds. The second team of Cooper Johnson/Corbyn Patton and boat captain Jayson Toerck placed 169th with a total weight of 2.29 pounds.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
SPORTS
15 athletes playing in Oil Bowl

The Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl is this week on June 6-7 and graduating athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo are confirmed to be playing.
In total, seven athletes from Bowie, five from Nocona and three from Saint Jo are planning to play in the all-star games this week. Nocona also will have a pair of coaches participating as well.
The girl’s basketball game kicks off events on June 6, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wichita Falls Memorial High School. In the game, the east team will have Nocona players Avery Crutsinger, Meg Meekins and Reagan Phipps playing while Kyler Spitzer and Clayton Brown coach them one last time.
On the west team, Saint Jo’s Payzlie Cervantes is confirmed to be playing.
The boy’s basketball game is scheduled to follow at 7:30 p.m. On the east team, Bowie’s Boston Farris and Nocona’s Jose Gomez Jr. will be playing.
On June 7, the volleyball games are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. with the small school game. On the west team, Nocona’s Kaygan Stone and Saint Jo’s Taylor Patrick are confirmed to play. On the east team, Saint Jo’s Aubrey Morman will get to play her teammate.
There are no local athletes confirmed to be playing in the big school volleyball game.
The final event is the football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It is an all Bowie affair with six players confirmed to be playing for the east team: Justin Clark, Jorge De Leon, Hunter Fluitt and Braden Rhyne, Preacher Chambers and Moh Azouak.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
SPORTS
Hill upgraded to Nocona AD

Nocona Independent School District officials looked inward for a new athletic director/head football coach, selecting Jeff Hill for the position.
Hill, who served last year as Nocona football’s offensive coordinator and also led the softball program to the playoffs for the first time in a while as its head coach, was upgraded to the role.
This came on the heels of former Athletic Director Blake Crutsinger, who served in the role the last four years, resigned in May.
For Hill, the choice to apply for the position was a no brainer. His one year in Nocona had impressed upon him and his wife that it was the place they would like to be long term.
“I’m looking for a town to raise my kids in and Nocona has treated my family really well,” Hill said. “There are some really good people. The kids work hard. Everything I am looking for in a hometown is right here in Nocona and I want to try and make it as best as it can be, especially through athletics.”
Before Nocona, Hill served as the athletic director at S&S Consolidated while also spending time at Hebron and Whitewright in his coaching career.
Hill expresses great respect for the departing Crutsinger and besides changing a few small things in how he personally wants to do things, he is not trying to come in with a sweeping restructuring of the whole athletic department.
The program had five of its six team sports make the playoffs, with volleyball playing in the regional final and the girl’s basketball team winning the state championship.
That along with two athletes competing at the state championship in cross country and track with one earning a gold medal, it was one of the more successful school years in athletic program history.
“Coach Crutsinger was awesome and did a great job so honestly just little tweaks, a little bit of structure and cohesion amongst the coaching staff between boys and girls,” Hill said. “I hope to keep the winning tradition going overall in the athletic department.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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