SPORTS
NFL re-watch series: The Catch
After a week off, NFL re-watch is back with one of the most memorable moments in league history that unfortunately came at the expense of the Dallas Cowboys.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cowboys 28-27 in the NFC Championship game to punch the franchises first ticket to the Super Bowl. The 49ers scored the final touchdown in the last minute thanks a young quarterback leading the way named Joe Montana.
Throwing off his back foot as defenders bore down on him, he threw up a pass from that looked like he was throwing the ball away only for his receiver Dwight Clark to come out of nowhere to snag it with his fingertips.
The play would simply be known as “The Catch” in NFL lore is still considered one of the leagues most memorable moments. It not just the improbable play in a high pressure situation, but what it would come to represent as the decade wore on.
Dallas was coming out of the 1970s with the moniker America’s Team. Even with quarterback Roger Staubach retired, there were many players from that era that were still mainstays for the franchise.
The team still had Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Randy White to lead the offense and defense while Coach Tom Landry had turned the team into an institution of excellence by that point.
Danny White stepped in at quarterback and the Cowboys kept on winning, getting to the NFC championship game in 1980 before losing to divisional foe Philadelphia. The 1981 season was no different with Dallas going 12-4 and making it to the conference championship game for the fifth straight year.
San Francisco was the young upstart team that the 1970s had not been kind to. The 49ers had not made the playoffs since 1972, where they had lost to the Cowboys as Staubach came off the bench to throw two touchdowns in the final minute and half to come from behind to win that game.
San Francisco had an unproven head coach named Bill Walsh, who employed a short passing attack that became known as the west coast offense.
Emphasizing timing and spreading the ball over the field, it continues to influence offenses to this day as the passing game grew to be more sophisticated.
He drafted Montana in the third round of the draft in 1979 to run the show, despite him not possessing the prototypical size or arm strength the league values at quarterback.
The team made some strides in 1980, but a lackluster defense held the team back and the 49ers posted a 6-10 record.
The team shored up that side of the ball in the draft, with the first five picks being defensive players, with four of them being defensive backs. The biggest name was Ronnie Lott, who would go on to make the Hall of Fame and was versatile enough to play every defensive back spot.
San Francisco was the feel good story of the season, posting a 13-3 record. The defense that had been its Achilles heel the previous year finished as the league’s second best.
Most importantly, the 49ers had crushed the Cowboys in their week six matchup earlier in the season 45-14.
Even with that going for them, many longtime fans felt the longstanding excellence of Dallas and its experience in big games would come through when the teams were slated to face each other in the conference championship game, even at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
The game was a relatively sloppy one. The team’s combined for nine turnovers, with the 49ers contributing six. With the Cowboys not able to take advantage of that many opportunities, you get the feeling that San Francisco was the better team that year. If Dallas was going to beat that team on the road, it needed all of those turnovers to stop scoring drives that kept the game within reach.
While the game would end dramatically, what makes it so memorable would be what it would go on to represent. The 49ers would go on to win their first Super Bowl. The franchise would win three more that decade and would easily be known as the team of the 1980s.
What do you remember most about “The Catch?”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
SPORTS
Girls basketball roundup
Prairie Valley
The Prairie Valley Lady Bulldogs were able to pick up a win on homecoming night on Friday against Christ Academy.
The Lady Bulldogs won 32-27 against the Lady Warriors.
Prairie Valley started off the game on a great note going up 10-1 in the first quarter. The Lady Bulldogs seemed to effortlessly drive to the basket against Christ Academy’s man-to-man defense. On the other side of the court, Prairie Valley’s pressure out its 3-2 zone defense seemed too much for the Lady Warriors.
The second quarter was more even as the Lady Bulldogs small bench meant a slow pace and a lot of energy expended by their lead ball handlers.
Christ Academy adjusted to the physicality and eventually started to use their size advantage to just kind of will points to come in the paint.
Still, Prairie Valley led 18-8 at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Lady Warrior players seem to match up better with the Lady Bulldogs to not allow drives to the basket be so easy. Fatigue also played a factor as Prairie Valley only scored four points.
Thankfully, the Lady Bulldogs were able to hold on to a 22-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The final period saw Christ Academy take its first lead of the game up 24-22 before Prairie Valley tied it back up 24-24. Then it was back and forth down the stretch.
Linzie Priddy scored on a layup to give the Lady Bulldogs back the lead with less than two minutes left to play. The Lady Warriors answered quickly with only their second 3-pointer of the game to answer back and get back the lead.
Prairie Valley then saw Renee Stout’s running floater go in to get back the lead.
After getting a stop, the Lady Bulldogs made one free throw extend their lead to 29-27 with 24 seconds left. Prairie Valley then sealed the game as Stout stole the ball in the backcourt and Priddy scored on a layup. One final free throw made by Natalee Young made the final score 32-27 for Prairie Valley.
Nocona
The Nocona Lady Indians crushed Olney on the road on Friday to pick up its third district win.
The Lady Indians won 84-20 against the Lady Cubs in a game that was never close.
Nocona came in confident after easily winning its first two games in district by one-sided scores, last losing a district game in 2019 when it was competing in 3A.
Olney was 1-1 in district and had a similar season record while playing mostly small schools.
The Lady Indians led 21-6 after the first quarter and 36-14 at halftime.
Nocona seemed to pick it up even more in the second half, limiting the Lady Cubs to only six points total. The Lady Indians scored 29 points in the third quarter before gearing down to 19 points in the fourth quarter even as they sat some of their starters.
Nocona won 84-20.
Saint Jo
The Saint Jo Lady Panthers beat 2A Archer City on Friday night to head into the break on a good note.
The Lady Panthers won a competitive game 54-46 against the Lady Cats.
Payzlie Cervantes led the team with 14 points and seven steals. Aubrey Morman was second with 10 points. Krista Reeves, Jordyn O’Neal and Kamron Skidmore each scored eight points.
Taylor Patrick grabbed a team high 16 rebounds to go with five assists.
Forestburg
The Forestburg Lady Horns won a good game against Community Christian at home on Friday to go into the holiday break on a positive note.
The Lady Horns won 50-30 against the Lady Warriors.
Forestburg started off the game well going up 18-9. The second quarter saw the Lady Horns slow down a little, but their lead grew a little as they led 29-16 at halftime.
The third quarter was Forestburg’s last great push as Brenna Briles scored 10 of the team’s 16 points as it led 45-22. The fourth quarter saw the Lady Horns hold the ball which limited scoring opportunities for both teams as they scored less than double-digits for the first time all game.
Still, the Lady Horns won by 20 points, 50-30.
Missing scores
The Bowie News did not receive scores from Bellevue coaches from Friday’s game.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News. For more pictures from the Prairie Valley game, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6871308&T=1
SPORTS
Boys basketball roundup
Prairie Valley
The Prairie Valley Bulldogs had a good win against Christ Academy on Friday night in which they were celebrating homecoming and its first hall of honor celebration.
The Bulldogs won 54-40, catching fire in the second half after a slow start against the Warriors.
Prairie Valley was trying to shake off its most recent loss against Bryson as the young team and new Coach Kent Caruthers work through early season hiccups.
The start to the game saw the Bulldogs struggle to score against Christ Academy while the Warriors were able to can in a couple of 3-pointers to help them take a 10-4 lead.
The second quarter saw Prairie Valley’s 3-2 zone increase in intensity and pressure, mixing in some full-court presses after made baskets to keep Christ Academy on its toes.
The Bulldogs limited the Warriors to only one made basket while continuing to attack the basket. Prairie Valley tied the score up at 14-14 heading into halftime.
The third quarter saw both team’s offenses explode relative to the first half. After the team made only one 3-pointer in the first half, Trae Campbell caught fire for the Bulldogs as he made three in the quarter.
Prairie Valley more than doubled its first half production as it led 31-26 in what was still a competitive game.
Then the fourth quarter saw the Bulldogs run away with it as Jarrett Horton scored 11 of the team’s 19 points, including making three 3-pointers. Christ Academy could not keep up as Prairie Valley won by double-digits 54-40.
Nocona
The Nocona Indians were able to start off district play right with a win at Olney on Friday.
The Indians beat the Cubs 51-42 in a game with a lot of runs for both teams.
Nocona was coming off a disappointing loss to Holliday in its previous game, but the Indians were hoping to play better against schools its own size.
It did not start well for the Indians. Olney jumped out to a 7-0 lead and it looked like Nocona was not playing engaged.
The Indians answered in the first quarter, coming back to tie the score at 7-7. In the second quarter, Nocona exploded for 20 points as four players made at least one basket each. The Indians limited the Cubs to only seven points again as they led 27-14 at halftime.
Nocona’s offense kept the pressure on in the third quarter even if the defense did not. Olney more than doubled its first half total in the quarter, scoring 17 points. Still, the Indians led by double-digits 42-31 heading into the final period.
Nocona’s offense slowed down in the fourth quarter as the team got sloppy with the ball. The Indians scored only nine points after two explosive quarters. Still, it was enough to beat the Cubs 51-42.
Forestburg
The Forestburg Longhorns dominated Community Christian at home on Friday to head into the holiday break feeling great.
The Longhorns dominated the Warriors 70-31, with most of the damage coming in three quarters as the starters sat out the fourth.
Forestburg jumped out to a 27-4 lead and it never got much better for Community Christian. The Longhorns slowed down a bit in the second quarter as the Warriors equaled them 14-14 during the period.
Forestburg had one more stretch of dominance in the third quarter, growing its lead as it outscored Community Christian 22-8. The Longhorns led 63-26.
The final period saw most of Forestburg’s starters sit to give the inexperienced bench some much needed minutes. While the Longhorns held the Warriors to only five points, the team only scored seven themselves.
Still, Forestburg won big 70-31.
Gold-Burg
The Gold-Burg Bears had a tough final game before district play on Thursday as they lost to Victory Christian Academy in Decatur.
The Patriots won 48-26 against the Bears they got off to a slow start that put them behind the eight-ball.
Gold-Burg was coming off a tough loss against Garner after having an up and down tournament at Saint Jo the previous week.
The first quarter was the lowest point for the Bears.
Victory Christian seemed one step ahead of Gold-Burg’s 3-2 zone, able to find the open player ahead of the defensive rotation and dribble into open spots.
The Patriots made three 3-pointers and seemed to get whatever they wanted.
On the other side, the Bears offense tried to attack Victory Christian off the dribble but could not get an easy or clean shot anywhere.
Every shot was tough and unfortunately none went in during the first eight minutes of the game.
The Patriots led 19-0 after the first quarter.
Thankfully, Gold-Burg had nowhere to go but up and the defense tightened up. The Bears used their size and fight inside to not allow easy shots near the basket as only two 3-pointers from Victory Christian were the only points given up.
On offense, Gold-Burg still was not able to shake the sticky man-to-man defense, though the team did earn three trips to the free throw line and made two baskets.
Still, the Bears were down 25-5 at halftime.
The shots started to go in during the second half for Gold-Burg as the team scored in double-figures in the final two quarters.
Unfortunately, the Patriots had one more successful offensive quarter in the third to make sure the Bears could not make the game close.
Victory Christian won 48-26 in the end.
Missing scores
The Bowie News did not receive scores from Friday’s games from Saint Jo and Bellevue coaches.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
For more photos from the Prairie Valley game, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6871309&T=1
For photos from the Gold-Burg game, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6871307&T=1
SPORTS
Bowie basketball teams play tough district games at Jacksboro
Girls
The Bowie Lady Rabbits head into the holiday break starting 2-0 in district after winning a close game at Jacksboro on Friday.
The Lady Rabbits took the lead when Laney Enlow put an offensive rebound back in with 36 seconds left to secure the win 44-42 against the Lady Tigers.
Bowie came into the game knowing it would be tougher than its district opener where it beat Iowa Park by double-digits. Jacksboro was 1-1 in district, coming off a close win against Henrietta.
The Lady Rabbits started out the game as well, limiting the Lady Tigers to only three points in the first quarter. On offense, Bowie had four different players score make one basket, including Lanie Moore who sunk two 3-pointers as the Lady Rabbits led 13-3.
The second quarter saw Jacksboro get back into the game on offense, with four different players scoring points as the Lady Tigers scored 14 points. Thankfully, Bowie’s offense was not slowing down as the team first approach continued. Six different players scored at least one point as the Lady Rabbits scored 15 points, growing their lead by one point as they led 28-17 at halftime.
Unfortunately, the third quarter was one in which everything seemed to go wrong for Bowie. The Lady Rabbits made only two free throws all quarter. Coach Matthew Miller thought the shots his team were taking were good, but just none went in during this period.
This left the door open for Jacksboro to make up ground and the team did. Leaning on its leading scorer Hayden Walker, who scored 10 of the team’s 18 points during the period, the Lady Tigers took the lead 35-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bowie’s offense got back on track in the final period. Four different players made at least one basket as the Lady Rabbits climbed back. Most importantly, Bowie’s defense limited Jacksboro to only seven points during the quarter.
Still, it came down to the final minute before the Lady Rabbits went ahead for good on Enlow’s offensive put back. Bowie’s defense was able to hold as the team won 44-42.
Boys
The Bowie Jackrabbits lost a close game at Jacksboro on Friday in their district opener right before the holiday break.
The Jackrabbits lost 46-44 to a tough Tigers team full of upperclassmen.
Bowie came into the game on the heels of a good showing at a tournament in Graham the previous week and had extra time to prepare for the game with a bye earlier in the week.
Jacksboro had a lot of recent wins, but almost all of its opponents were smaller 2A or 3A schools. Also, the Tigers three-round playoff run in football meant the team had only been together for a little less than three weeks.
Still, when the teams meet it was Jacksboro that took the lead early, attacking the paint and limiting Bowie’s chances to score as the Tigers led 11-7.
The Jackrabbits started to use that physicality against Jacksboro, shooting 12 free throws in the second quarter alone. The Tigers shot seven themselves in the quarter as both teams scored 11 points.
Bowie trailed 22-18 at halftime.
The third quarter started off poorly by the Jackrabbits. Jacksboro got off to a great start and led by as many as 11 at one point. Thankfully the team rallied and had the best offensive performance of the game. The Tigers lead was cut down to 35-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final period was back and forth throughout as neither team had much luck getting free throws like it had in the second quarter. Every point was tough to score for both Bowie and Jacksboro.
The Jackrabbits rode the hot hand of Bradly Horton who scored eight of the team’s 10 points during the quarter. His 3-pointer down the stretch cut the lead to one basket and a free throw cut it to two points.
Unfortunately, Bowie never got a chance to tie the game as the Tigers were able to keep possession and hold on to win 46-44.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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