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)
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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