SPORTS
Panthers beat Ector in playoffs
The Saint Jo Panthers’ baseball team gets to move on as they beat Ector twice on Friday in the area round of the playoffs.
The Panthers controlled both games, winning 12-3 and 13-2 two weeks since their last regular season game.
Saint Jo’s bi-district one game playoff series against Vernon Northside the previous week was forfeited by the Indians due to disciplinary reasons.
It did not take long to knock off the rust. Leadoff batter Collin Thomas was able to score on the base paths thanks to an error from the pitcher. Two batters later Payton Harris drove in a run with a single to put the Panthers up 2-0 after the first inning.
The second inning Saint Jo took advantage of some errant pitching as three hit batters loaded the bases with one out. Jace Johnson came through as he a hit a bases-clearing triple. Harris then drove him in with a single.
Later in the inning the bases were loaded up again and Jordan Reeves drew a walk to score another run to put the Panthers up 7-0 before a pop up ended the second inning.
Harris got the start on the mound for Saint Jo and was clean through the first two innings, but the Eagles found some success in the third inning. Two walks and two doubles drove in three runs to cut the lead to 7-3.
The Panthers tried to answer back and gain back momentum with their bats. The first two batters tried to attack pitches early in the count and popped up for easy outs on only three pitches. Johnson then drew a walk to try and spark a two out rally. He stole second base, but was thrown out at third base to end the third inning.
Ector looked like it was getting back into the game. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases. With two outs, Harris forced a ground out to short stop to get out of the jam.
In the fifth inning the Panthers added to their lead. Collin Thomas scored on the base paths thanks to an error by the pitcher. Johnson later drove in a run. With the bases loaded Chance Bennett laid down a sacrificed bunt for another run, making the score 10-3.
Trevor Conner came to pitch in the sixth inning. The Eagles again loaded the bases, but again Saint Jo got out of the situation as Conner fielded a ground ball for out three.
Conner led off the next inning and was hit by a pitch. Thomas would later drive him in on a single. Cook then drove him in with a single to make the score 12-3.
Despite Ector getting a one out single to try and spark a desperate comeback in the final inning, catcher Bennett threw him out for out two before Conner struck out the final batter.
Johnson led the team with four RBIs while Harris had two. On the mound Harris gave up three runs on five hits while striking out six and walking six batters in five innings. Conner got the save and allowed only two hits and no runs while striking out two batters and walking one.
To read what happened in game two, 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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