SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Guard your face in softball
Never has the sports editor seen a more polarizing issue than softball players wearing face guards.
As with everything, there are pros and cons, and whether to wear a face guard is currently a hot-button issue.
Nocona High School softball player Jessica Vogel wears a mask at the insistence of her mother, Jennifer.
“It’s not for pitchers,” Vogel said. “Pitchers are just 43 feet from home plate, and batters are hitting the ball as hard as they can.”
One reason why Jessica Vogel wears a face guard is because of dental surgery, she is on her second set of braces.
“She started wearing it when she started pitching junior varsity,” Jennifer Vogel said.
Other Nocona players wear the face guard, including Jordan Dingler and Laci Stone, who will be an incoming freshman on the Lady Indian squad.
“She started (to wear it) during summer league this year,” said Chelsi Stone, Laci’s mother. “Last year, she started having seizures, and we still aren’t sure exactly what is causing them.
“But, anything to help at all to help protect her face and head is a plus for us,” Chelsi continued. “We are also about spend a lot of money on braces, and we don’t want anything happening to those.”
Stone will serve as a back-up pitcher for Vogel this season.
The sports editor isn’t the only member of the media talking about this issue, either.
A select travel ball player named Nanas Limon from Georgetown was recently hit square in the face during a recent game.
“It was the championship game,” Limon reported to Fox 7 based in Austin. “I think it was the third inning. The first batter, she actually hit a line drive right at me. I stopped it with my glove, and got her out.
“You know the next thing I was going to get my mask, that’s too close,” Limon continued. “And the next batter hit it right at me.”
Bowie High School head coach Brant Farris chimed in on the use of face guards.
“I think the days are numbered for pitchers having the choice to wear one or not,” the coach commented. “I think the University Interscholastic League will make it mandatory for pitchers.” Read more from this column in the July 1 Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
One of the dilemmas facing the game of softball today is whether a pitcher should be mandated to wear a face guard or not. Nocona’s Jessica Vogel wears a guard during an Express Summer League game at Bowie on June 22. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
Landry Norwood has agreed to become the new Head Boys Basketball Coach for Bowie High.
Norwood grew up in Paradise, playing a number of sports for the Panthers during his high school career. With a number of family members still in the area and the position coming open, Norwood applied and was hired.
“I know the tradition up here,” Norwood said. “I was glad (Athletic Director and Head Football) Coach Tyler Price felt he could put his trust in me.”
Bowie’s varsity went 2-10 last year, both wins coming against Vernon. Norwood spent five years as an assistant in Lipan before spending the next four years at Llano, three years as head coach. He said his last two years in Llano were rough after graduation of nine seniors his first year and a 26-7 squad.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News
Nocona came into game two of its Class 2A Division I bi-district series with Archer City looking to rebound from a 17-0 loss in game one.
The Lady Indians took a quick lead but the Lady ‘Cats had too much in the tank and knocked Nocona out of the playoffs courtesy of a 13-3, five-inning victory winning the best of three series, 2-0.
Kylea Wallace reached base on a second baseman’s error. With one out, M’leigha Franklin took a pitch over the wall in left field for a home run, igniting the Lady Indian crowd with a 2-0 lead.
Archer City prevented further damage by retiring the next two hitters. The Lady ‘Cats struck in the bottom of the inning for seven runs.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Culture. It’s a beautiful word.
Bowie Softball Coach Griffin Fields has been trying to install a positive, winning culture since taking over the job. For the first time since 2019, the Lady Rabbits qualified for the postseason, facing District 8 top seed Early in the bi-district round.
After beating the Lady ‘Horns 9-8 in game one of the best-of-three series April 23, Early came back and evened the series less than 24 hours later, 15-0. The Lady Rabbits used the aforementioned culture and got out to a quick lead in game three.
Bowie was then forced to come from behind for the second straight night. Kinley Baker, who had the game winning RBI in game one, came through again in game three and broke a 6-all tie with a single to lift the Lady Rabbits to a 9-6 victory in the finale.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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