SPORTS
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: All out ballin’
By ERIC VICCARO
sports@bowienewsonline.com
The Bowie High School boys’ basketball team will be opening its season on one of the grandest stages of them all.
The Jackrabbits will play Krum at 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the American Airlines Center, the second time these teams have played each other there in the past three seasons.
Nocona opens the season on Tuesday at Petrolia, which features the talented Dane Williams.
Saint Jo embarks on its journey with a rare Monday tip-off versus Grayson County Christian, as part of a girls-boys doubleheader.
Forestburg finally played its first game of the season on Friday at Perrin-Whitt.
Gold-Burg, Bellevue and Prairie Valley all captured their first victories of the season on Tuesday with the Bears topping Bryson, Bellevue eclipsing Poolville and Prairie Valley knocking off Christ Academy of Wichita Falls.
Both the Gold-Burg and Prairie Valley teams are under youthful first-year head coaches with Michael Ball leading the Bears and Zac Tabor piloting the Bulldogs.
Ball came to Gold-Burg from Conference 2A basketball powerhouse Martin’s Mill, where he was an assistant. Tabor was a student assistant at Midwestern State University last season.
Four of The Bowie News coverage area schools made the playoffs a year ago, with the Jackrabbits advancing the farthest – falling to Dallas Faith 39-32 at Justin Northwest High.
Bowie
Bowie needs to find scoring in the absence of graduates Chase Hall, Ezekiel Vaughan and Trace Hardee – plus the loss of Jeffery Howard due to injury.
It’s still unclear if Howard will be available for any portion of the season, and the Jackrabbit faithful are still holding out a chance.
Nocona
Like Bowie, Nocona must also compensate for the loss of a co-district most valuable player as Kameron Hill has graduated and now plays for Austin College.
Nocona (22-11) will field a talented lineup nevertheless with Brenton Vineyard, Marcus Carter, Riley McCasland, Jose Ogeda and Cade Breeze. The Indians are guard heavy.
Bellevue
Bellevue will replace the scoring touch of Jakob Watkins, but judging by a Nov. 15 victory over Poolville, the Eagles will have plenty of options.
The starting lineup features athletic post Layne Morris, power forward Michael Hanson and guards Gabriel Garza and Dalton DeBose.
Saint Jo
Brian Blank enters his third season guiding Saint Jo, coming off a tough year with a 5-21 overall record.
But there’s plenty of reason for hope in “The Jo” thanks to athletic players such as Blake Anderson, Preston Lyons and Bret Haney – all of whom are familiar with the coach’s up-tempo offense.
Prairie Valley
Lane Roof has developed into Prairie Valley’s primary scoring punch, and new coach Tabor is expected to lean on him heavily.
Tabor hopes to play an up-tempo style, attacking the basket, and employ a press defense.
Forestburg
The dean of boys’ basketball coaches in Montague County is 12-year veteran Steve Sandusky at Forestburg.
And he has another strong playoff contending group this season.
Gold-Burg
Anthony Rios is Gold-Burg’s version of Lane Roof, a player with definitive scoring abilities.
Rios will guide a Bears’ squad with a new coach in Ball and returning player Matthew Gilbert. Read more of this preview in the Nov. 19 Bowie News.
Bowie High School’s Keck Jones (22) dribbles upcourt during a Nov. 15 intrasquad scrimmage in the auxiliary gymnasium. The Jackrabbits open the season on Nov. 23 versus Krum at the American Airlines Center. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
In its first match since last year’s state semifinal appearance, Saint Jo hosted Bryson Aug. 11 and took a 25-13, 25-12, 25-21 win over the Cowgirls.
The Lady Panthers lost some talent to graduation but have five seniors ready to have a successful season. Savannah Hil, one of the five, got Saint Jo rolling offensively with a four-point serving string, including a pair of aces. Abby Carter’s kill and Kamron Skidmore’s block helped put the Lady Panthers up 5-2 in game one.
Hadleigh Moore added a four-point string of her own to extend the lead to 10-3. Tatum Morman’s pair, helped by a Hill kill, gave Saint Jo a 14-5 lead. Bryson got within five before a Hill 3-pointer, with help by a Carter kill, put the lead back at 18-10.
After an Olivia Johnson kill broke serve, Jordyn O’Neal served up the final five points, with Johnson providing a kill to move things along.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Despite being the smallest school in the Brock varsity classic volleyball tournament, the Lady Indians finished 4th out of the eight teams there.
After losing to the host team in its first pool play match Aug. 14 18-25, 14-25 and also to Class 3A Wall 12-25, 8-25, Nocona rebounded to close out pool play with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Christoval. Sy Parker had 16 kills and 7 blocks in the three matches. Raylea Bowles had 12 kills, 17 digs and served up three aces. Maddyn Bowles had seven kills and 14 digs while Paige Davis had seven kills and 15 digs. Baylee Thomas added 11 digs.
From the setter spot, Kasi Castro had 20 assists, served up five aces and contributed 14 digs. Leah Meekins added 18 assists and six digs during the three matches.
To open Saturday’s bracket play, the Lady Indians posted a 25-18, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19 win over Fort Worth Christian. Castro staked Nocona to a 2-0 lead in game one. Kills by Parker set up pairs of points from Raylea Bowles and Leah Meekins helped Nocona negate an early deficit and take a 10-9 lead.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
County football teams had their first scrimmage of the season Aug. 14 with mixed results.
Forestburg hosted Azle Christian and Victory Christian. Under a new system with new head coach Cori Hayes, the Longhorns looked pretty good in the coach’s eye.
“The first team looked good,” Hayes explained. “Overall we need to work on our pace and blocking assignments and blocking assignments. Overall we looked good for the new regime.”
Forestburg hits the road to scrimmage Newcastle Aug. 21.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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