SPORTS
Bowie baseball loses non-district game to Grandview
The Bowie baseball took a break from district play as it hosted Grandview on Saturday.
The Zebras won 15-6 as they took control with big innings in the second half of the game.
The Jackrabbits fell behind in the first inning as Grandview scored two runs thanks to three straight singles. A double play from second basemen Kynan DeMoss ended the inning before anything else could happen.
The rest of the first and all of the second inning passed with little action as the Zebras lead stayed 2-0 until the third inning. Grandview drove in two more runs with a single and a solo home run to extend its lead to 4-0.
The Jackrabbits bats started to get going. Cade Thompson led off the bottom of the third inning with a double. Jake Fallis hit a single to follow.
Edgar Regalado then had an infield hit that allowed Thompson to score. Carson Sanders was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Following a strike out for out one, Kawlyer Swearingin hit a single to drive in one run. Colton Richey followed with a hit that induced an error at second base that scored another run.
Following a strike out for out two, Devin Melton hit a single that drove in two runs to give Bowie a 5-4 lead.
This momentum was expected to change the game, but it was short lived. The Zebras took back the lead scoring four runs in the fourth inning thanks to four hits, two fielding errors and one walk. Grandview led 8-5.
Bowie hoped it could repeat what it did one inning earlier with the bats, but unfortunately no batter was able to get on base as the game moved to the fifth inning.
The Zebras extended their lead to 9-5 with a sacrifice fly before a double play from pitcher Thompson ended things.
DeMoss led off for the Jackrabbits by getting hit by a pitch. A passed ball allowed him to reach second base. Following a strike out, Richey hit a single to put base runners at the corners.
Logan Hutson then grounded out to the shortstop, driving in DeMoss to cut the lead to 9-6 heading into the sixth inning.
Grandview then blew the game open, scoring six runs thanks to five hits and two walks as its lead was 15-6.
Bowie has engineered some comebacks this season, but nine runs in two innings is asking a lot.
Thompson led off with a single. After a groundout, Regalado was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with one out. Nothing came of it as the next two batters struck out and flew out to center field.
Despite giving up a leadoff single, the Jackrabbits defense shut down the next three batters.
While a win was probably a miracle away, Bowie would at least want to show some fight in its final at bats. Unfortunately, the Jackrabbits failed to get any batter on base as the game ended with little drama. The Zebras won 15-6.
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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