SPORTS
STORM CENTER COLUMN: A memorable basketball year

Last year, the sports editor of The Bowie News found himself on the street without a job after he was the victim of layoffs at the Times Record in Fort Smith, Ark.
It’s never fun for anyone to face an uncertain future.
So, there I was sending my resume around the Midwestern United States, but I primarily focused on Missouri and north Texas.
Last year at this time I was a free agent while scores of professional football players were looking to secure gainful employment as well.
However, there are only 32 National Football League teams. There are plenty more newspapers to work for.
In the end, it came down to two newspapers in the Texoma region – The Bowie News and the Graham Leader.
Back in early June, I wrote in my introductory column I decided to return to Texas because of the sport of football, and the allure of those “Friday Night Lights.”
Looking back at my decision to join the Bowie News, my decision was based more on a different sport – basketball.
Last fall, I looked forlornly while Graham advanced all the way to the Conference 4A Division I semifinals before falling to Argyle 23-20.
I wondered what it would have been like to enjoy the deep playoff run the Steers had.
Especially in light of the fact only one high school in Montague County qualified for the postseason, and that was 6-Man Division II Forestburg.
Chillicothe came back from a huge deficit to defeat the Longhorns on a woefully chilly November night by a count of 58-41 in Archer City. My football season evaporated in one two-hour stretch.
Basketball season was thrust upon me.
And, in the end, the sports editor’s decision to join The Bowie News has appeared more about 3-point field goals rather than kicked field goals; fouls more than penalties and painted lines over chalked lines. Read more in the weekend News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
The sports editor was astounded to see so many Bowie fans in attendance for this Conference 3A regional quarterfinal. The game started at 4 p.m., in order fans could get home to avoid Wednesday night’s wintry weather. Bowie lost to Ponder by 14 points. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
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.
SPORTS
Prairie Valley Sports Awards

Prairie Valley hosted its high school awards banquet on May 9. The O.C. Mann Award went to Josh Stout and Linzie Priddy.
To see more award pictures, both sports and academic, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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