SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Perez fills key role for Harrold
The Gold-Burg and Harrold High School football teams are dealing with a serious numbers crunch.
And it all unfolded in Friday night’s game between the Bears and Hornets at Harrold.
Harrold needed a sixth football player, so in stepped Olivia Perez – with the most selfless act of the 2016 season.
“Hands down, she would win that award,” said Harrold head football coach Craig Templeton, who also serves as the high school principal in the district.
“I know if she doesn’t play, we don’t have a season,” Templeton added. “That’s the ultimate teammate right there.”
Many six-man football programs are battling with declining participation in football, and it’s becoming a hot-button issue on message boards about this great game.
“For Gold-Burg, it’s definitely the first time we’ve played against a female,” said Gold-Burg head football coach and athletic director Jay Johnson.
Johnson said he’s impressed with Olivia Perez, who doesn’t play just special teams.
Perez is a wide receiver on offense, and she plays cornerback on defense.
“She’s athletic,” Johnson said. “We’ll treat her like we are playing against anybody else. But, yes, she’s a great athlete.”
Johnson said the game put six-man football in the spotlight, and it will speak to equity in sports.
“It’s a great thing, and a great opportunity for our team to be involved in a game like this,” Johnson said. It’s going to be a great experience for our kids.”
Harrold is in a rural location between Oklaunion and Electra, located in the eastern half of Wilbarger County.
Johnson is concerned a lack of numbers may force some high schools to not offer football.
Because of declining participation in football, some districts in other states form cooperatives. Read more in the Sept. 17 Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Harrold’s Olivia Perez (11) decided to help out her friend Brady Blakely and join the Hornet football team. Perez is the sixth player on the squad. She plays wide receiver on offense and cornerback on defense. (Courtesy photo by Patrick Johnston/Times Record News)
Bowie, playing on a short rest, held with host Jacksboro for most of the volleyball match Oct. 1, but the Tigerettes pulled away late and defeated the Lady Rabbits 3-1 (26-24, 12-25, 25-14, 22-25).
The match was scheduled for Oct. 2 but was moved. Both teams are now 2-2 in District 6-3A.
Jacksboro got out to a quick lead in game one before Olivia Stewart’s kill and a three-point Olivia Richey serving run put the visitors up 8-7. Junior Abby Reneau broke things open with a six-point string to give Bowie a 15-8 cushion and force Jacksboro into a timeout.
The Tigerettes came back and took an 18-16 lead. KP Rutherford’s kill broke the serve and allowed Molly Enlow to tie the game at 18.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Gold-Burg Football Coach Austin Norman called his Bears’ 35-32 loss to host Perrin a “barn burner”.
It most definitely was as Gold-Burg, now 1-5 for the year gave the 5-1 Pirates everything they wanted for four quarters. Gold-Burg scored on the last play of the first half on a Peyton Epperson run with the two point conversion cutting the deficit to 20-16.
The Bears were their own worst enemy to open the third quarter with face mask and offside penalties moving the Pirates downfield setting up a first-and-goal at the Bear three. Defense by Epperson, Keelyn Case and Barrett Allen and a pair of Perrin penalties helped stop the drive and force a turnover on downs.
Gold-Burg was slapped with an intentional grounding penalty on the first play, giving Perrin a safety and extending the Pirate lead to 22-16. Defense by Epperson and JoJuan Grace after a first down run closed out the third quarter.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Nocona and Prairie Valley cross country teams took part in the Prairie Valley Invitational Sept. 20 while Bowie varsity runners competed in the Lubbock Invitational.
Lubbock
Leading the Rabbits was Kellen Rater who finished 10th among 162 runners with a time of 17:24.50. Finishing behind Rater was Shawn Willett with a time of 19:33.20. Hayden Sutton ran a 20:27.10 followed by Taven Melton in 20:39.20, Coleman Holloway in 20:53.80 and Jaxon Castro with a time of 21:31.60.
Laney Segura led the Lady Rabbits with a time of 14:41.30. She was followed by Kylee Waldrep in 15:56.80, Bella Lozano in 16:04.80, Angeles Alvarez with a time of 16:15.40, AnDee Miller in 16:23.70 and Isabella Caswell in 16:51 flat.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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