SPORTS
STORM CENTER: What’s in a field?
The word facility comes from the Latin word “facilis,” which essentially means the word “easy.”
The noun has several definitions ranging from “space or equipment necessary for doing something” to “an establishment set up to fulfill a particular function or provide a particular service.”
There’s one lesson the sports editor has learned throughout the Conference 3A Region 2 playoffs this spring.
And that lesson is based on perception. A school district is viewed as good simply based on its facilities.
During the opening week of the playoffs, Bowie played at Argyle.
Argyle’s baseball field was superior with a high wall in left field, and the largest net I’ve ever seen to protect the fans from foul balls.
Bowie advanced to play games at several other school districts during its playoff run, Glen Rose, Eaton and Kennedale.
Glen Rose has a turf field, which features a patch of red by the dugouts and in foul territory. However, there was no warning track.
Why couldn’t there be a warning track? Glen Rose could have painted it red, too. I wouldn’t mind.
The mere fact there was no track is a safety issue in my mind, and it ultimately played a role in Bowie defeating Palmer in the area round of the playoffs.
During the regional quarterfinals, Bowie played at one of the newest high schools in the state: Eaton in Haslet.
This facility was exemplary, except for the fact field dimensions weren’t listed on the outfield wall. This was the safest of all the ballparks I visited. Read more of this column in the June 4 Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
The Bowie High School baseball team gathers in the distance during the opening round of the Conference 3A Region 2 playoffs at Argyle. The facility at Argyle had a high wall in left and center field, reminiscent of the one seen here in Bowie. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
Bowie had six players play in the Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl football all-star game. For pictures from not just the football game, but the basketball and volleyball games as well that feature athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6875584&T=1
Nocona is welcoming back Coach Sandy Langford, former coach and alumnus for the Lady Indians, as its new volleyball head coach.
Langford comes back to Nocona after spending the past 11 years leading the Glen Rose volleyball program.
Her circumstances with her family allowed her to jump at the opportunity once she became aware the position at Nocona was available.
“My youngest graduated and is playing football at Midwestern (State University),” Langford said. “All of our family is here and I knew that Coach Kara (Lucherk) was leaving. We were eventually going to retire here. Our oldest son plays college football at West Texas A&M and we’ll be two hours closer to him as well.”
She again will lead the Lady Indians volleyball program, one that she led all the way to the state title game in 2011, which is the farthest the volleyball program has ever gone in its prestigious history.
Langford kept up that level of success during her 11 years at the bigger 4A Glen Rose. She won less than 20 games only twice during her time, winning her 500th career game back in 2023. Her teams were ranked among the top 10 in the state five times and Langford led Glen Rose to the state tournament in 2017, the best finish in program history.
With the Lady Indians also having its own string of success, appearing in back-to-back regional finals while finishing atop the district standings both years, Langford is excited to not just keep the success going, but shoot for the stars.
“We are not expecting anything less than a state championship,” Langford said.
She has stacked the non-district schedule with strong, state-ranked 3A and 4A teams as well as big tournaments that will test Nocona’s mettle early next season in the hopes it will prepare them for a long playoff run.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
The Red River High School Bass Club competed this past weekend, May 31 – June 1, at the State Tournament on Lake Conroe for the two-day tournament.
Two of the teams from Montague County traveled south to try their best at the culmination of the year for the state title. Teams were able to pre-fish on Friday before the Saturday and Sunday competition. On Friday, there was a flipping contest for the youth and Cooper Johnson won third overall and won a $500 scholarship and an Academy gift card.
The club’s two teams who competed were Lane Smith/Colt Henry with boat captain Jimmy Smith. The team placed 63rd with a total of 16.22 pounds. The second team of Cooper Johnson/Corbyn Patton and boat captain Jayson Toerck placed 169th with a total weight of 2.29 pounds.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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