SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Walker legacy remains
Last weekend in Nocona, the Ray Walker Coed Memorial Softball Tournament took place at the American Legion Sports Complex.
This marked the sixth annual Walker tournament, and it was a celebration of Ray’s life.
“The tournament started with friends in 2010, and we helped out,” Walker said.
Sherry Brown, Ray’s daughter, has continually been impressed with the outpouring of support for the event – and the Walker family.
“The community support means a lot,” Brown said. “We’ve come together to support dad, and that means the world to us.”
Walker grew up in Montague, and he valued hard work at such an early age.
Brown said Ray Walker shined shoes at the Montague County Courthouse, and that served as the start of his business savvy.
Walker also valued education, and he graduated from Nocona High School in 1965 where he concentrated on vocational and agricultural classes.
In 2001, Nocona surprised Ray with induction into the prestigious NHS Hall of Honor for his worldwide business success and military heroism – we’ll get into all that later in this writing.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit scholarships for Nocona and Prairie Valley High School seniors.
Brown estimated the tournament has raised about $50,000 in scholarships.
“It’s humbling,” she said. “We have a lot of sponsors who help out and give us donations.”
The money raised comes through tournament fees, T-shirt sales and a full concession stand.
Kenneth D. Jones won the home run hitting contest. Batters gave $10 for 10 swings.
Crown Royal took top honors and the Dino-Mites were second. Overall, Brown reported there were 11 teams in action. Read more in the weekend Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Nocona’s Ray Walker, who died in 2010 while vacationing with his wife, Mary, in Oregon. Walker’s legacy is still felt in the community today. (Courtesy photo)
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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