SPORTS
STORM CENTER COLUMN: Plenty of sports on Christmas, past and present
Let’s get the fanfare out of the way.
I wish you a Merry Christmas. Or if you are with the rest of us, let me wish you Happy Festivus.
Even though this holiday is a time for family, togetherness, presents, yuletide cheer and Jesus away in a manger, sports are certainly a part of the day’s docket.
When I was growing up in Connecticut, one of the events I looked forward to was the now-defunct Blue-Gray Football Classic – it was an all-star college football game in Montgomery, Ala.
The game – which pitted Grays from Confederate states versus Blues from northern states – was discontinued after 2003.
Jerry Rice was the most valuable player of the 1984 game.
It has been reported Rice’s performance in this game led then San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh to drafting him.
Gray won 33 of the games, while Blue took 29 and two of the games resulted in tie outcomes. Overall, 64 games were played, with the first one dating back to 1939.
The National Football League, like for Thanksgiving, has played games on Christmas Day.
However, in recent years, the NFL schedules games on Christmas only if it falls on a day normally used for games – Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Here are this year’s Christmas TV games: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks, 11 a.m., ESPN; Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 1:30 p.m., ABC; Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, 4 p.m., ABC; Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls, 7 p.m., TNT; Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m., TNT.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Bowie News sports editor Eric Viccaro. (News photo by Ryan Evans)
Saint Jo hosted its own volleyball tournament Sept. 10-12.
In its first match, the Lady Panthers bested Sam Rayburn in a b est-of-three match 2-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-14.) In the opener, senior Tatum Morman staked the Lady Panthers to a 4-0 lead with help from Kamron Skidmore and Olivia Johnson kills. The Lady Rebels would come back and tie the game at seven.
Savannah Hill’s kill broke serve and allowed Abby Carter to string together seven points. An ace and a Hill kill helped keep the drive alive. Hill later rolled off six points in a row, helped by two aces, to go up 23-10. Sam Rayburn broke serve but Saint Jo finished the game with a single Morman point.
Sam Rayburn came right out of the gate firing in the second game leading 4-0. A single Carter point, thrown down by a Hill block, and Hill’s four-point skein put the Lady Panthers up 8-6. Sam Rayburn tied the game at eight.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Forestburg’s volleyball team gave visiting Chico a solid test Sept. 8, but the Lady Dragons rebounded from a third-set loss to pull out the 3-1 win (25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19).
The Lady Longhorns got out to a quick start with aces from freshmen Madi Wadsworth and Lacie Shotwell staking the squad to a 4-1 lead in game one. Wadsworth later broke a 4-all tie with a kill.
Addy Conway rolled off four straight points, helped by a Wadsworth kill to give Forestburg an 11-9 lead. Chico took a 16-14 lead but a Brenna Briles ace and Jocelyn Rich’s two points forced Chico into a timeout down 17-19.
The respite worked as it would be Forestburg’s last lead of game one, the Lady ‘Horns not having another serving point.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
After splitting the first two games with Vernon Northside, Bowie’s volleyball team turned things out and wound with a 3-1 match win (25-17, 15-25, 25-17, 25-17).
Molly Enlow used two aces amidst a four-point string to give the Lady Rabbits a 5-1 lead in game one. Senior KP Rutherford’s pair of points extended the lead to 8-3.
Northside cut the deficit to 10-11 before Rutherford’s kill broke serve.
Bella Culwell’s point, aided by an Ellie Mowery kill, put Bowie up 13-10. Northside tied the game at 13 before Rutherford came through with another pair for a 17-14 lead. Lillie Maddox also had a deuce for a 20-15 lead and force a Lady INdian timeout.
Northside broke serve but a Sophie Maddox block and Lillie Maddox three-point string gave the squad game point at 24-16. The squads exchanged side outs to end the game.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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