SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOLS: Signing on the line
By ERIC VICCARO
bnewssports@sbcglobal.net
Nocona High School athletes Miriam Diaz and Jaxon Phipps put pen to paper, signing with a pair of regional colleges, on Tuesday at the school.
Diaz will be joining both the cross country and track and field teams at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
“It’s a dream come true,” Diaz said. “I’ve always wanted to run on the college level. I love running. It’s really cool to see this hard work pay off.”
This weekend, Diaz was named to The Bowie News’ All-Montague County track and field team, capping a stellar scholastic career running on tracks and grass.
Phipps is set to play baseball at Murray State, a two-year junior college located in Tishomingo, Okla. A drive from Nocona to Tishomingo is roughly 96 miles according to Google maps.
“It’s always something I wanted to do, play college baseball,” Phipps said. “I’ve been working hard every year to get better.”
Phipps was a starter at Nocona in baseball for all four years. Jaxon said he will focus primarily on being a middle infielder at Murray State.
Murray State was eliminated from the postseason by Western Oklahoma State College, but the Aggies had a successful season with a 38-18 record.
The Aggies finished with a .317 team batting average and .415 on-base percentage.
Under head coach Zach Crabtree, Murray State won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series in 2013.
Murray State plays in the Bi-State Conference along with the likes of Seminole State and Rose State, which is where Bowie’s Dylan Slade, Cooper Cantwell and Coby Bentley will play on at the next level. Read more in the weekend Bowie News.
Jaxon Phipps (left) and Miriam Diaz of Nocona both signed on to play collegiate sports during a special ceremony on Tuesday in the school library. Phipps will play baseball at Murray State in Oklahoma while Diaz will run for nearby Midwestern State. (Courtesy photo by Todd Peterson/Nocona Independent School District)
New Saint Jo Boy’s Basketball Coach Terry McLennan said the school’s family atmosphere is what prompted him to join the Panther family.
“This is an opportunity to be an important program but also part of a great community,” McLennan said. “I’ve been looking to get back to a small town environment like the one I grew up in and played ball and this should do that.”
McLennan played basketball in Hubbard outside of Waco. McLennan comes to town after being the assistant girl’s basketball coach in Grand Prairie.
McLennan contends he’s a defensive style of coach but says his team will focus on intensity.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
New Saint Jo Boy’s Basketball Coach Terry McLennan said the school’s family atmosphere is what prompted him to join the Panther family.
“This is an opportunity to be an important program but also part of a great community,” McLennan said. “I’ve been looking to get back to a small town environment like the one I grew up in and played ball and this should do that.”
McLennan played basketball in Hubbard outside of Waco. McLennan comes to town after being the assistant girl’s basketball coach in Grand Prairie.
McLennan contends he’s a defensive style of coach but says his team will focus on intensity.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
After some coaching time in East Texas, Bret Botard will be the new girl’s basketball coach at Bowie.
Botard said it’s a chance to work with Bowie Athletic Director Tyler Price once again. Price was Botard’s assistant when he coached at Nocona.
“I wanted to get back into the area,” Botard said. “It’s a good community.”
Botard graduated high school in 1995 from Del Valle High School, outside Austin, and went to Texas Tech. He started his coaching career in Lubbock followed by returning to his alma mater where he was an assistant for his high school coach.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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