SPORTS
Saint Jo tabs Blank as coach
By ERIC VICCARO
bnewssports@sbcglobal.net
New Saint Jo head boys basketball coach Brian Blank, pronounced “Blunk,” is part of a family coaching tree here in the state of Texas.
Blank’s father, Donald, won nearly 800 games in 42 seasons at Needville and Yoakum. Blank’s brother, Michael, coaches with both the football and basketball programs at Strait Jesuit, a Conference 6A school in Houston.
Uncle Kelvin Blank is an assistant football and pitching coach at Ennis.
“I hope kids enjoy being taught the way I was taught,” Blank said.
Blank said playing team basketball – especially on offense – is like artwork.
“I was an assistant coach under my dad for the past six years, and my brother is an assistant, so I got to coach with them,” Blank said. “There were some changes made (at Needville). I was ready to start my own program.”
Blank saw the opening for a boys’ basketball coach at Saint Jo on the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ website.
He interviewed in late May, and the Saint Jo Independent School District officially hired Blank in June.
Blank will be an assistant football coach, working with the running backs and secondary, and he will also be assisting with the Panthers’ track and field program. He replaces former coach Russell Endress.
In the classroom, Blank will teach seventh-grade Texas history, eighth-grade United States history and seventh-grade health. Read more on this story in the weekend edition of The Bowie News.
Saint Jo Panthers logo. (Logo provided by the Saint Jo Independent School District)
Nocona and Saint Jo opened their respective district play with convincing road wins.
The Lady Indians needed four games but outlasted Archer City, 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 25-16). Paige Davis and Sy Parker each had 12 kills to pace Nocona with Davis adding 12 digs defensively. Maddyn Bowles led the way with 17 digs, 11 assists and served up three aces.
Setter Kasi Castro had 24 assists and 13 digs with Sophia Gaytan adding 12 assists and eight digs. Saint Jo went into Bellevue and posted a 25-15, 25-14, 25-22 sweep over the Lady Eagles.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
After a tough loss to open District 10-A volleyball play, Bellevue’s squad used the two-day break to refocus its efforts. The break worked as the Lady Eagles evened its record at 1-1 with a 3-0 win over visiting Midway Sept. 24 (25-17, 25-22, 25-20).
Bellevue Coach Jamie Hickey said working on game scenarios in practice has begun to pay off. Keeping focus was key to the victory as well.
“I think our key tonight was our mindset and just staying together,” Hickey said. “Letting mistakes go and focusing on the next play. We’ve been working on scenarios in practice and being intentional with each possession and attacking the ball more. I think we did tonight.” The Falcons played gutsy all night long, staying in each game after Bellevue had taken a good lead but the Lady Eagles, playing before a large crowd, held their own.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Forestburg opened District 10-A action with a road win at Gold-Burg Sept. 22, beating the Lady Bears in a three-game sweep (25-8, 25-9, 25-6.)
Forestburg’s Madi Wadsworth started game one with a five-point run, including two aces. Brenna Briles kept the drive alive with a kill. Gold-Burg broke serve and Zara Andrade’s serving point cut the deficit to three.
Yareli Aguirre cut the lead to 5-7 with another single point. Jocelyn Rich later countered for Forestburg with another five-point string to extend the lead to 13-5Back-to-back aces by Rich forced Gold-Burg Coach Cheryl Cromleigh into a timeout.
Sophomore Addy Conway rolled off four aces amidst a six-point run for the Lady ‘Horns to give the squad a 20-6 lead. Jocelyn Rich’s kill kept things moving along for Forestburg.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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