SPORTS
Panthers go 3-1 last week
The Saint Jo baseball team won some close competitive games at the tournament at Era last week.
The Panthers went 3-1 after it was all over, with many games pretty competitive.
Saint Jo first played Valley View. The Eagles would get out to the early lead, leading 3-0 after two innings. The Panthers would tie the score in the top of the third, but Valley View double its runs in response.
Saint Jo would go on to score four runs in the fourth inning to take a one run lead 7-6, but the Eagles again would answer, scoring two runs in response to take an 8-7 lead. Unfortunately, the game was called after the end of the inning, giving Valley View the win.
Highlights included Logan Moran driving in two runs and three other guys driving in one run apiece. On defense, the Panthers would not commit any errors.
The next game against Sacred Heart saw Saint Jo take a big lead early and ride that to the end of the game after four innings. After scoring one run in the first inning, the Panthers would rally together to score seven runs in the second inning, going up 8-0. The Tigers would score two runs in the fourth, but it was not enough as Saint Jo won 8-2.
Pepe Gam and Morman each drove in two runs. The team had eight steals and on the mound the pitching staff did not allow a single free base.
The good times kept coming as the Panthers next played the tournament host. Saint Jo scored two or more runs in four of the five innings of the game as the Hornets could not keep up. Saint Jo would win 10-3.
Tyler Cook led the team with three RBIs and Jase Johnson was second with two. The Panthers racked up more than 20 steals on the base paths, with Cook leading the team with six.
Saint Jo would end the tournament against Tigoa. The Bulldogs would strike first, but the Panthers led 3-1 after the first inning. Tioga would cut into the lead with one run in the third inning, but Saint Jo matched it that same inning.
The Bulldogs would get within one run again in the fourth inning, cutting the lead to 4-3, but the Panthers held them off to win the game. Chance Bennett, Gam and Johnson each drove in a run apiece during the win. Cook would strike out five batters in three innings of work while walking only one batter.
To read the full story, 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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