SPORTS
STORM CENTER COLUMN: Winning stays with McKinley
Bob McKinley grew up playing basketball here in Bowie back in the 1950s, and he was part of that tradition-rich decade of success.
McKinley said his coach Bobby Brashear helped him develop his love of basketball, and that has translated into a long fruitful career as the athletic director and head women’s hoop coach at Weatherford College.
This summer, McKinley will be inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He will be feted at a banquet on July 24 in Niceville, Fla.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected after 38 years here at Weatherford College,” McKinley said in a telephone interview with me on Wednesday afternoon.
McKinley will be joined in the Hall by fellow inductees Ricky Gene Ford from Northeast Mississippi and Denny Jerome from former NJCAA member Waldorf (Iowa).
Bob’s record speaks for itself.
McKinley has amassed more than 870 victories and entered the 2014-15 campaign as the winningest active coach in the entire NJCAA. He’s third on the all-time wins list.
While a schoolboy at Bowie, he helped the Jackrabbits make state as a junior before falling to Buna. That team featured the likes of James Thompson, Jerry Cantwell, Tommy Powers and Orville Welch.
Brashear’s Bowie teams had a “culture of winning,” and that precedent has followed McKinley wherever he’s been as a coach.
“Coach Brashear did a lot of things other coaches weren’t doing (at the time),” McKinley said.
Bowie was known for its stifling press defense, and that’s one of the cornerstones of how Weatherford College has played since McKinley arrived on campus in 1977.
What else did McKinley learn from Brashear?
“Discipline,” he said. “It’s very important to let the players know how you feel about them and believe in them. Then you can get just about anything out of them.”
Once he graduated from Bowie, McKinley played for three seasons at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he met his wife, Delores. He served as Horned Frogs’ team captain. Read more of this column in the weekend News.
Weatherford College head women’s basketball coach and athletic director Bob McKinley, a Bowie native. (Courtesy photo from Weatherford College)
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Nocona got its new press box into place this week at Jack Crane Stadium. The old press box, which was in place for more than 60 years, was taken out in early June and moved to Indian Valley Raceway. The new press box was by the Southern Bleacher Company out of Graham. Athletic Director Black Crutsinger said they looked at a lot of press boxes and decided they liked the one at Lindsay High School and went with that model. Sean Hutson operated the crane from the Hurd Crane Service that put the press box up for Nocona.
Sunset native Cason Richey (right) and his team roping partner Beldon Cox from Weatherford repeated as the International Finals Youth Rodeo champions last weekend at Shawnee, OK. Richey and Cox won the previous year and were able to complete the repeat by catching three steers in a combined time of 16.6 seconds. Richey is expected to compete attend Texas Tech University this fall and compete on the rodeo team.
The Chisholm Trail Youth Rodeo had its awards ceremony this week, giving out plaques and buckles to the top competitors throughout the summer season.
There were four age categories with five events to compete in for the young athletes.
Along with the best results in each event, at the end the overall best cowboy and cowgirl in each age division was awarded as well.
The lead line division, in which an adult helps the young competitors, saw Rylee Stewart win the first in poles, barrel racing and mystery event on her way to win top cowgirl.
Hattie Snow got the fastest time in the flags event and Lany Shupak got the fastest goat time. Riggin Bishop got named the top cowboy in the division.
In the eight-and-under division, Whitley Goins won the top cowgirl and Trell Carpenter won top cowboy. Goins got the fastest times in barrel racing, flags and mystery event. Carpenter got the fastest time in poles and goats.
In the 9-12 age division, Sage Keck won the top cowgirl while Chisum Carpenter won the top cowboy. Keck got the fastest times in four of the five divisions. Only Layna Taylor getting the fastest goat time prevented her from winning in a clean sweep.
In the 13-18 age division, Tess Egenbacher won the top overall cowgirl award.
Kiley McCracken won both the barrel racing and flags event. Emma Strahan won the poles and mystery event. Hadlee Bryan won the goats event.
There was no top overall cowboy in the age division.
To see the times for the winners of each event in all four age categories along with pictures of all of the top cowboys and cowgirls, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
-
NEWS2 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS8 months agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS1 year agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS2 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS12 months agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS1 year ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS2 years agoBowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS2 years ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint