SPORTS
All-district football teams announced
With the state championships wrapping up last week, all of Montague County’s football teams all-district selections are in.
For Bowie, the Jackrabbits went 0-10 and had five players named to the all-district list led by Alan Miranda being named to the first team as a punter and to the second team as a kicker. Devin Melton, Boo Oakley, Colten Price and Hunter Pullen were all named to the second team, with Price being named to both offense and defense.
Nocona went 4-6 and had six players named to the all-district teams with tight end Jason Sparkman being named to the first team. Carter Horn, Willie Salsman, Jase Davis, Juan Rico and Sayler Fenoglio were all named to the second team at their positions. The Indians also had seven players named honorable mention.
Saint Jo was heavily rewarded for winning the district title after going 11-2. The Panthers had Hunter Garrett win defensive most valuable player award and Logan Brawner win newcomer of the year. Mark Stevens and his coaching staff were awarded coaches of the year as well.
Jarrod Reeves, Chance Bennett, Eli Jones, Pepe Gam, Braydon Bell and Tyler Cook were named to the first team. Bennett, Logan Morman and Conner Thompson were named to the district’s second team.
Forestburg also was rewarded for the 4-7 Longhorns winning the district title. Zach Bradley and James Stokes were named the district’s offensive and defensive most valuable players. Trey Cumby and his coaching staff were also rewarded with coach of the year.
On the first team Forestburg had Braxton Osteen, Levi Balthrop, Zach Bradley, Tony Smith and Hayden Berry. On the second team were Alex Gates, Noah Clure, Caleb Bradley and Osteen.
Gold-Burg had six players be named to the all-district team after going 0-9. Will Hodges, Kani Grace and Kolton Whitaker was named to the district’s first team. Waylyn Whitaker, Matthew Fatheree and Jack Henry were on the district’s second team.
To see the full list, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
With the baseball and softball seasons over for the area 1A schools, district awards have been released.
Listed below are those earned honors on the field and in the classroom for Saint Jo and Bellevue.
Softball
Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Utility player: Taylor Patrick; Catcher: Jordyn O’Neal
Baseball
Superlatives
Offensive MVP: Devin Stewart, Saint Jo
Newcomer of the Year: Bryce Ramsey, Bellevue
Pitcher: Trent Gaston, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Jayden Curry, Saint Jo
Second team
Pitcher: Charlie Barclay, Saint Jo
Infielder: Brycen Bancroft, Bellevue; Sam Martin, Saint Jo
Outfielder: Rylan Forrester, Saint Jo
Catcher: Charlie Evans, Saint Jo
Utility: Logan Hoover, Saint Jo
DH: Amzy Barclay, Saint Jo
Honorable mention
Cody Gaston, Saint Jo; Xander Joyner, Saint Jo
To see academic awards from Saint Jo players, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
Eldon Van Hooser is leaving Forestburg better than he found it.
The head boy’s basketball coach is retiring after more than 30 years, spending the last five at Forestburg.
Van Hooser did not come to this decision because of a lack of fire or feeling tired after decades in the profession. He had to for family reasons.
“My wife has MS (multiple sclerosis) and it’s a disease where you have trouble standing and walking and she needs help,” Van Hooser said. “I am able to so I am going to step away from teaching and coaching to be there for her.”
Van Hooser was hired in 2019. Along with being the boy’s basketball coach, he also was the football team’s defensive coordinator.
There were some lean years for Forestburg on the boy’s athletic side, with numbers being low and the available athletes being mostly underclassmen.
For two years, the Longhorns’ boy’s basketball team won few games and one of those seasons saw the team field five players on the high school team.
“One of those years we had COVID-19 and the other we had five kids,” Van Hooser said. “It was very rough. After that we worked with the kids and we had a good freshman group coming up. Next year they are going to be seniors.”
That group has helped to turn the program around. Last year the young Longhorns team contested for a playoff spot and just barely missed it finishing fifth in the district.
This season, that same group took a leap and finished second in district with a record of 7-5.
Despite losing its last two regular season games in dramatic fashion heading into the playoffs, the team stepped up in the bi-district game.
Playing against an athletic Newcastle team, Forestburg led for most of the game.
Unfortunately, the previous game against Bellevue saw the Longhorn team blow the lead late in the fourth quarter against a hard pressing style team and they were suffering the same fate against the Bobcats down the stretch.
Fortunately, Forestburg held on just enough to win 53-46. It was the first boy’s basketball playoff win in nine years for Forestburg.
“It was huge for our program,” Van Hooser said. “This new year we will have new goals. The new coach will have some goals of his own, but I set some for the team and think that we have come a long way.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
The Bowie sports banquets was on Monday night. Olivia Gill and Tucker Jones were named Jackrabbit and Lady Rabbit of the year. Pick up the mid-week paper for all of the sports team awards and pictures.
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