SPORTS
Panthers win first playoff game since 2010
The Saint Jo Panthers played Aquilla on Friday at Scurry-Rosser in the program’s first bi-district playoff game since 2010.
The Panthers took a double digit lead in the first quarter and got better as the game went on, eventually ending the game early due to mercy rule with a little more than two minutes left in the game, winning 66-20.
The game started with the Cougars receiving the opening kickoff and marching down the field in 11 plays to score the first touchdown on a short run to take a 6-0 lead.
While Aquilla took almost five minutes off the clock, Saint Jo wasted little time in its response. On the second play running back Logan Brawner broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown. The good kick put the Panthers in front 8-6.
Saint Jo’s defense then stepped up. Taking advantage of a holding call that moved the ball back, the Panthers defense did a good job containing the Cougar’s shifty playmaker Connor McCurd three straight plays to force a turnover on downs.
Two plays later Brawner was in the end zone again scoring on a 15-yard run making the lead 16-6 still in the first quarter.
Saint Jo put itself in good position to extend the lead as it recovered the onside kick right after. Unfortunately, Aquilla was able to stop the Panthers offense near midfield as the first quarter came to an end.
At the start of the second quarter Saint Jo forced and recovered a fumble on a fourth and short play. After driving down into the Cougar’s territory, quarterback Eli Jones found Logan Morman open for a 23-yard touchdown pass. The kick made the score 24-6.
Aquilla tried to change some things up on offense as McCurdy looked to pass. It did not work on the next drive as Chance Bennett intercepted the pass.
Jones had a big run and dumped a pass off to Brawner to get the ball close. Brawner then scored on a run to up the lead to 30-6.
On the next drive the Cougars went away from McCurdy. They found success and a personal foul call on the defense got the ball within the 10-yard line where Aquilla scored on a short run. The kick was good to cut the lead to 30-14.
Things looked to get interesting as the Panthers fumbled the ball away on their next possession on their own 25 yard line. With a little more than a minute to go, the Cougars could make it a one score game before halftime if they scored.
Aquilla got down to Saint Jo’s one yard line where the Panthers held them as time expired, keeping the score at 30-14.
Saint Jo started the second half on a good note. Receiving the ball first, Jones hit Pepe Gam for a 51-yard touchdown pass, upping the lead to 37-14.
The Cougars would not go away. With the Panthers defense looking like they might force another turnover on downs, on a fourth and seven McCurdy completed a miracle pass over the top for a 42-yard touchdown pass. It made the score 37-20, but from then on it was all Saint Jo.
Brawner scored four more rushing touchdowns as the defense forced two turnovers on downs and Jones intercepted a pass. The final touchdown from Brawner was a 50-yard run that stopped the game due to mercy rule with 2:20 left to play. The Panthers won 66-20.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
Bellevue’s girl’s basketball team led at halftime but a quick 9-0 Jacksboro run in the opening moments of the second half would prove the difference in a 28-25 Lady Eagle loss June 15 in a Nocona Summer League game.
Leading 12-9 at the half, Bellevue continued to shut down the inside game of the Tigerettes. Jacksboro switched tactics and began firing from outside. Three 3-pointers in the span of just under two minutes gave Jacksboro an 18-12 lead.
Bellevue kept things close, however, getting on the second half scoreboard with Mattie Broussard’s basket and free throws cutting the deficit to two, 18-16. A Haven Jones 3-pointer put the Lady Eagles up 19-18 midway through the second half.
The Tigerettes had just one 3 -pointer the rest of the way but got inside for a pair of buckets to take a 25-21 lead with 4:50 to go. Both offenses shut down late.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Most school-age athletes start off playing everything. By the time they graduate, they whittle it down to just one or two.
New Bowie girl’s track and overall cross country coach Shawnda Childers is no exception. While at Iowa Park she competed in volleyball, cross country and track before cutting out volleyball and focusing on track and cross country to close out high school.
Childers did not stay with athletics while moving on to Midwestern State University, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s Degrees. After graduation, shestarted coaching in Electra. She came to Bowie for one year, then went back to her old stomping grounds in Iowa Park where she spent the next four years.
The return home also put her in contact with now-Bowie Coach Griffin Fields, who was a coach there at the time. From Iowa Park, she spent the next three years at City View.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
New Saint Jo Girl’s Basketball Coach Grant Gooch isn’t completely unfamiliar with the area.
“We went to Muenster quite a bit when I was a kid,” Gooch, who will be going into his 20th year as a coach, said. “We’d load up the cooler from the meat markets. It’s good to be back.”
Gooch worked with Saint Jo Athletic Director CJ Hantz when the pair were in Throckmorton. Gooch comes to town from Menard where he spent three years at the West Texas school.
Gooch says coaching and education kind of come naturally to him.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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