SPORTS
Jackrabbits beat Boyd in bi-district playoff series
The Bowie Jackrabbits came through after three days of playing former district opponent Boyd in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
After a disastrous first game in which the Jackrabbits lost 13-7, Bowie won a lightning delayed home game that finished Saturday morning 8-5 and turned around to beat the Yellowjackets 14 hours later, 8-3 on the road.
The first game was played on Thursday at Boyd. The Yellowjackets took the lead in the first inning. A two out double and an error in the outfield with the next batter led to Boyd taking a 1-0 lead.
The Jackrabbits tied the score in the top of the third inning as Kash Stockard led off with a double. Singles from Evan Kennedy and Taylor Pigg followed to drive Stockard home, but a double play and a pop out to the pitcher kept the game tied 1-1.
The Yellowjackets took advantage of three free bases, a base hit and two errors to score three runs and take a 4-1 lead after three innings. While the third inning was rough, the fourth inning was excruciating.
Bowie’s pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone, walking six batters in the inning and hitting a batter. Add it a couple of hits and sacrifice flys and Boyd scored six runs to break the game open and go up 10-1.
Fearing a run rule outcome, the Jackrabbits offense started to put some things together. Facing a new pitcher, a leadoff walk and single was followed by Payton Price double to right field to drive in a run. Braden Armstrong drove in a run with a single followed by Weston Partridge, who grounded out to the shortstop but not before cutting the lead to 10-4.
Boyd made up those runs next time up to bat. Three base hits and walk scored three runs, but Bowie avoided giving up one more run that would have ended the game early, trailing 13-4.
In the sixth inning after the first two batters got on base, Kennedy hit a triple that drove in a run. Pigg followed with a groundout to drive in another run to cut the lead to 13-7 where it stayed as Boyd won.
With 11 free bases given up and seven errors in the field, the Jackrabbits could only play better as they hosted the Yellowjackets the next night. With crowds from both teams coming out for support on Friday, the atmosphere was sure to be electric.
The beginning of the game was a bit of déjà vu for everyone as three walks, a base hit and an error allowed Boyd to go up 2-0 immediately. Bowie kept pace as a triple from Price and a sacrifice fly from Armstrong tied the game at 2-2 after the first inning.
The second and third innings did not have a lot of things happen on the field, but off the field there was plenty. The first lightning delay cleared the stands at 8:50 p.m. sometime in the second inning.
The rules say games can only be started again after the last lighting strike in a 10-mile radius was struck 30 minutes ago. After about 40 minutes, the game started.
The Yellowjackets scored on a passed ball strike three to go up 3-2, but the second lightning delay came about in the bottom of the third inning about an hour after the first one.
If spectators had not left from the first delay, this one convinced some the game was not finishing that night as constant rain came with it. After an hour and half delay the lightning cleared out for the game to continue thanks to the turf field and the rain staying light. Some hardcore fans stuck it out, but it was a far cry from the packed stands at the beginning of the game.
After the game resumed, Armstrong drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the long third inning.
Pitcher Pigg struck out three batters in the fourth inning to keep Boyd at bay while Bowie’s offense came alive. After the first two batters got out, Stockard started things off by getting hit with a pitch. Kennedy followed with a drawn walk. Pigg loaded the bases with an infield single.
Still only one out away from squandering a bases loaded opportunity, Price came through with a single that drove in a run, giving the Jackrabbits their first lead not only of the game, but in the series.
Cooper Little followed with a huge bases clearing triple that broke the game open. Armstrong followed with a single to drive in Little, giving Bowie an 8-3 lead.
The Yellowjackets responded with a run in the fifth inning, but Pigg struck out his eighth and ninth batters of the game to keep the Jackrabbits lead breathable at 8-4. Bowie’s batters failed to get on base for the first time in the game.
Luis DeLeon came in to get the save. A leadoff walk is erased when the defense pulled its second double play of the game, both thanks to slide infractions from Boyd’s lead runners in those situations.
The Yellowjackets had one more chance in the seventh inning and scored a run thanks to a triple and a sacrifice fly, but that was all as Bowie won 8-5 as the clock struck 12:36 a.m. Saturday morning.
The third and deciding game was played later that day at Boyd.
The Jackrabbits struck first as Kennedy led off and got on second base thanks to an error. After a Pigg base hit moved him to third base, a passed ball allowed him to score as Bowie took a 1-0 lead from right off the bat.
A leadoff walk and a fielding error started things off ominously on defense for the Jackrabbits. The Yellowjackets got both runners home by the end of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
The teams exchanged scoreless second innings before Bowie’s offense got things going again for an explosive third inning. Price and Armstrong drove in runs with back-to-back hits to retake the lead.
An error in left field allowed another run to score on a Partridge hit. With the bases loaded and two outs, DeLeon drew a walk for another run to give the Jackrabbits a 5-2 lead.
Boyd cut the lead to 5-3 with three base hits to end the third inning. The teams exchanged scoreless fourth and fifth innings. In the sixth inning, Pigg and Little each knocked in runs to increase Bowie’s lead to 7-3.
Boo Oakley came in to get the save for the Jackrabbits and only gave up a two out single to move the game into the final inning. With two outs, Kennedy hit a groundball to shortstop that was mishandled for an error that allowed another run to get by and increase Bowie’s lead to 8-3.
Despite giving up a one out walk and single, Oakley fielded a ball to get an out at third base and then struck out the final batter swinging to secure the save and the series.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
Prairie Valley
The Prairie Valley Bulldogs had a good final non-district warm-up on Friday at home against Ector.
The Eagles beat the Bulldogs 69-63 in a game where Prairie Valley was trying to play catch up all the way through.
The Bulldogs were coming off a tough tournament at Electra the previous week to try and knock the holiday rust off. Prairie Valley was familiar with Ector, having played the team to start its season back in early November and was hoping to compete better than it did in that first game.
The Eagles came out firing, splashing five 3-pointers, including several deep ones, to go out to a 21-8 lead in the first quarter. Even with the Bulldogs changing out of their preferred zone defense, the 3-pointers continued a bit and opened things up inside the arc.
Thankfully, Prairie Valley’s offense came alive in the second quarter, scoring 18 points and cutting the lead down to 38-26 at halftime.
The third quarter was more of the same, though a different player for Ector started to get hot from beyond the arc. Even as the Bulldogs were able to keep up their offensive production from the second quarter, they could not break through and cut the game to single-digits, trailing 54-42 heading into the final period.
The fourth quarter saw Prairie Valley break through to cut it the lead to single-digits, but just not close enough. Every time the Bulldogs were on the cusp of making it a one or two basket game, the Eagles would make a shot to keep that distance.
In the end, the final score was the closest Prairie Valley got as Ector won 69-63.
Nocona
The Nocona Indians bounced back with a competitive district win at Petrolia on Friday.
The Indians won 60-53 against the Pirates in a game where the middle quarters took drastic swings in momentum.
Nocona was coming off its first district loss against Windthorst as the team sat a 1-1 district record.
Petrolia came into the game at 0-1, but had a bit more time to prepare for the game.
The first quarter was competitive, but the Indians were able to get to the free throw line at will and led 16-11.
Then Nocona’s pressure defense turned up its intensity in the second quarter.
“Our pressure seemed to disrupt them and we were able to get out in transition after forcing turnovers,” Coach Brody Wilson said.
Nocona scored 25 points and led 41-25 at halftime.
Unfortunately, that intensity did not keep up at the start of the third quarter for Nocona.
The Indians took their foot off the gas a little bit which allowed Petrolia’s offense to get back into the game and make up some of the deficit.
The Pirates outscored Nocona 15-7 and trailed only 48-40 heading into the final period.
Thankfully, the Indians bounced back and competed a bit better in the fourth quarter. Nocona was able to keep offensive pace to keep Petrolia at a bit of a distance instead of making it a one score game.
The Indians held on to win 60-53.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly Bowie News.
For more pictures from the Prairie Valley game, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6871971&T=1
Saint Jo vs Prairie Valley
The Saint Jo Lady Panthers opened up district play on Friday at Prairie Valley in their bid to repeat as district champs.
The Lady Panthers got off on the right start, beating an undermanned Lady Bulldogs team 60-6.
Saint Jo came into the game confident after a good run at the Caprock Classic tournament in Lubbock after the holiday break. With four starters back from last year’s team that went 11-1 on its way to a district title, nothing has deterred the Lady Panthers from being favorites to repeat this season.
For Prairie Valley, there was worry it might not have enough players to field a team following a successful volleyball season. Thankfully, the Lady Bulldogs have fielded seven players most of this season, but it has been tough during their pre-district schedule.
Prairie Valley was coming into the game off a win in its previous game against Christ Academy, but that was all the way back on Dec. 20 before the holidays.
Saint Jo came out in its full-court press and harassed the Lady Bulldogs from the jump. Every time Prairie Valley advanced the ball past halfcourt and got a shot up was a win with how voracious the Lady Panthers defense was.
It fed directly into Saint Jo’s offense, with the Lady Panthers trying quick hitting drives or post ups near the rim or jacking up 3-point shots.
The first quarter was the most competitive of the game with Saint Jo up 16-4. Even as Saint Jo eventually pulled its press defense back to halfcourt and eventually no press defense, the team is used to playing one way which is hard and physical on defense which leads to turnovers and pushing the ball in transition.
That wore on the Prairie Valley team as the game went on as few players got any rest besides during timeouts and quarter breaks.
That put an end to the Lady Bulldogs scoring after making two free throws in the second quarter. Even as Saint Jo emptied its bench, Prairie Valley players were just trying to survive by the end of the game.
The Lady Panthers won 60-6.
Nocona
The Nocona Lady Indians won another district game on Friday in blowout fashion against Petrolia.
The Lady Indians scored a season high, breaking the century mark as they won 104-26 against the Lady Pirates.
Nocona came into the game confident, having last lost a district game back in 2019 and having won its first four district games by an average of 53 points. This game proved to be the most one-sided so far.
The Lady Indians scored 33 points in both the first and second quarters. The second half saw Nocona cool down only to scoring 20 and 18 points in the third and fourth quarters.
Few teams could have kept up, let alone Petrolia as the Lady Indians won 104-26.
Bellevue
The Bellevue Lady Eagles started district on a good note with a win at Midway on Friday.
The Lady Eagles won 68-40 against the Lady Falcons thanks to a strong first quarter.
Bellevue comes into district play hoping to improve on last year’s fourth place finish. While a few expected starters are out, the team has had a full pre-district schedule playing with a stable lineup to get ready for it as well as getting used to new Coach Celsey Hoffman.
The first quarter saw the Lady Eagles come out swinging offensively. Mostly just from attacking the basket and using a team first approach, Bellevue put up 29 points in the first quarter, with seven different players contributing.
The Lady Eagles led 29-12.
Playing with a huge lead allowed Bellevue to survive some of the eventual lulls that came as few high school teams can continually score at a pace like that. Midway actually outscored the Lady Eagles in the second quarter, but only by one point as Bellevue led 42-26 at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Lady Eagles play their most complete stretch of the game, limiting the Lady Falcons to only five points while scoring 17 points to extend their lead.
The fourth quarter was low-scoring and even as Bellevue won 68-40.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
For more pictures from the Saint Jo versus Prairie Valley game, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6871972&T=1
Bowie boys
The Bowie Jackrabbits can’t catch a break in district as they lost another close game, this time at Holliday on Friday.
The Eagles won 59-57 in overtime against the Jackrabbits as Bowie made a second half push that gave it a chance.
The Jackrabbits were coming into the game 0-2 in district, losing earlier in the week to City View by three points and to Jacksboro before the holiday break by two points.
The first half saw Bowie’s offense struggle, scoring six points in the first quarter and eight in the second quarter. Holliday scored in the double-digits in both quarters led 27-14 at halftime as the team looked in control of the game.
The Jackrabbits came alive offensively in the second half. Bowie scored 18 points in the third quarter, with six different players scoring and the team making three 3-pointers after only making one in the first half.
While defensively the Jackrabbits did not shut down the Eagles, the team cut the lead to single-digits, trailing 39-32 heading into the fourth quarter.
From there, Bowie grinded away at the lead, with Rayder Mann and Bradly Horton combining to score 15 of the team’s 17 points in the quarter.
It was just enough to tie the score up at the end of regulation 49-49 and send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the Jackrabbits scored at a good pace in the shortened time, with three players scoring eight points. Unfortunately, Holliday saw Jayden Whitley, who had scored only six points during regulation, explode to score nine of his team’s 10 points during overtime.
It was just enough to give the Eagles the win 59-57.
Bowie girls
The Bowie Lady Rabbits lost a low-scoring, closely contested game at Holliday on Friday.
The Eagles won the game by one basket 31-28 in a game where every point mattered in the defensive struggle.
Bowie came into the game following its first district loss of the season against City View in which the team had struggled to score and lost by 11 points against the Lady Mustangs. Before that the Lady Rabbits had picked up solid wins against Iowa Park and Jacksboro.
Bowie did not start the game great on a good note. The Lady Rabbits continued to struggle to score, making only one basket in the first quarter. Thankfully, the defense had not allowed Holliday to run away with it as Bowie trailed 10-2.
The Lady Rabbits offense found some things that worked in the second quarter, with four different players scoring two points as they scored 10 points. Bowie trailed only 18-12 at halftime.
Neither team were able to find offensive answers in the third quarter. The Lady Rabbits again only scored on one made basket. Thankfully, their defense did not allow Holliday to grow its lead much. The Lady Eagles outscored Bowie only 6-3 as the score was 24-15 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Rabbits easily had their best offensive quarter of the game, nearly outscoring their three quarter total with 13 points from four players scoring.
Bowie got some luck from Holliday not shooting well from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. The Lady Eagles went 3-12 from the free throw line which allowed the Lady Rabbits a chance.
Unfortunately, those three free throw makes proved to be all the difference as Holliday held on to win 31-28.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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