SPORTS
Interim coach in for MSU soccer
Michael Meachum, who served as the associate head coach and assistant coach for the last seven seasons under the legendary Doug Elder, will lead Midwestern State University of Texas into the 2018 season as interim head soccer coach.
Elder announced his retirement effective at the end of August earlier this week.
“I thank (MSU Texas) President (Dr. Suzanne) Shipley and (Athletic Director) Kyle Williams for not only trusting in coach Elder in his recommendation for me, but having their own trust in what I can bring not only to the soccer program but to the university as a whole,” Meachum said.
The Mustangs have been nothing short of exception during Meachum’s tenure on campus. MSU Texas is a combined 103-19-13 (.811) since the start of the 2011 season which includes six NCAA Division II postseason appearances and a pair of unbeaten regular seasons.
“Michael has proven he is ready to be a head coach,” MSU Texas Athletic Director Kyle Williams said. “He has been here at MSU for seven years and each year Michael continues to grow. He has become a great listener and a great student of the game. Michael deserves a shot at the position and we look forward to him continuing the great MSU soccer tradition. Congratulations to Michael, Meagan, Hadley and Hayden.”
Meachum has shown a penchant for recruiting mixing talent from across Texas adding the diversity with international flavor resulting in 15 United Soccer Coaches’ All-Americans, eight D2CCA All-Americans, 28 USC all-region selections, 27 D2CCA all-region performers and 18 all-conference picks.
“I am thankful coach Elder put me in a position to take over a program at a university that has meant so much to him and many others,” Meachum said. “Not only has he been a big part of men’s soccer, but the university as well. For him to think that I can help carry the program forward is humbling and exciting at the same time. This means so much to me and my family.”
The coaching staff of Elder, Meachum and student assistant Noah Fazekas earned the United Soccer Coaches’ South Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year honor in 2017 leading the Mustangs to their first unbeaten season in program history at 20-0-1 ending the season in the national quarterfinals.
“My staff and I will work hard each day to make sure you can continue to be proud of our student-athletes and team both on and off the field.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week 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.
The Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl is this week on June 6-7 and graduating athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo are confirmed to be playing.
In total, seven athletes from Bowie, five from Nocona and three from Saint Jo are planning to play in the all-star games this week. Nocona also will have a pair of coaches participating as well.
The girl’s basketball game kicks off events on June 6, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wichita Falls Memorial High School. In the game, the east team will have Nocona players Avery Crutsinger, Meg Meekins and Reagan Phipps playing while Kyler Spitzer and Clayton Brown coach them one last time.
On the west team, Saint Jo’s Payzlie Cervantes is confirmed to be playing.
The boy’s basketball game is scheduled to follow at 7:30 p.m. On the east team, Bowie’s Boston Farris and Nocona’s Jose Gomez Jr. will be playing.
On June 7, the volleyball games are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. with the small school game. On the west team, Nocona’s Kaygan Stone and Saint Jo’s Taylor Patrick are confirmed to play. On the east team, Saint Jo’s Aubrey Morman will get to play her teammate.
There are no local athletes confirmed to be playing in the big school volleyball game.
The final event is the football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It is an all Bowie affair with six players confirmed to be playing for the east team: Justin Clark, Jorge De Leon, Hunter Fluitt and Braden Rhyne, Preacher Chambers and Moh Azouak.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
Nocona Independent School District officials looked inward for a new athletic director/head football coach, selecting Jeff Hill for the position.
Hill, who served last year as Nocona football’s offensive coordinator and also led the softball program to the playoffs for the first time in a while as its head coach, was upgraded to the role.
This came on the heels of former Athletic Director Blake Crutsinger, who served in the role the last four years, resigned in May.
For Hill, the choice to apply for the position was a no brainer. His one year in Nocona had impressed upon him and his wife that it was the place they would like to be long term.
“I’m looking for a town to raise my kids in and Nocona has treated my family really well,” Hill said. “There are some really good people. The kids work hard. Everything I am looking for in a hometown is right here in Nocona and I want to try and make it as best as it can be, especially through athletics.”
Before Nocona, Hill served as the athletic director at S&S Consolidated while also spending time at Hebron and Whitewright in his coaching career.
Hill expresses great respect for the departing Crutsinger and besides changing a few small things in how he personally wants to do things, he is not trying to come in with a sweeping restructuring of the whole athletic department.
The program had five of its six team sports make the playoffs, with volleyball playing in the regional final and the girl’s basketball team winning the state championship.
That along with two athletes competing at the state championship in cross country and track with one earning a gold medal, it was one of the more successful school years in athletic program history.
“Coach Crutsinger was awesome and did a great job so honestly just little tweaks, a little bit of structure and cohesion amongst the coaching staff between boys and girls,” Hill said. “I hope to keep the winning tradition going overall in the athletic department.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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