SPORTS
Bowie, Nocona softball teams look to bounce back this season with new coaches
Softball season has started for both Bowie and Nocona this week.
Both have their first actual games this week as well as first tournament in Jacksboro.
Both teams also are trying to bounce back after tough seasons missing the playoffs in a district that featured two teams making it far in the playoffs.
For Bowie, the program is not used to missing the playoffs, but last year’s team was young overall and lacking numbers following the shortened COVID season.
A lack of numbers for a JV team and missing a year of development cost them in a district that took no prisoners.
Coach Jordon Roth takes over the program and the former Bowie graduate hopes to build it back up from the beginning.
“I am expecting the girls to work hard every day and to be willing to do what it takes to help the team,” Roth said. We have good team chemistry, so I don’t see any issues with them being willing to sacrifice for their teammates.”
The good for the team is it lost only one senior starter from last year. That familiarity and growth for the young team should mean the team should be getting better together as a group.
With more than two seasons gone from the program’s last playoff berth, that does mean the team’s overall swagger and expectations from the players needs to be rediscovered again.
“The biggest area for improvement is going to be their confidence.” Roth said. “They have to trust me and be willing to be coachable for us to thrive this season.”
For the Lady Indians, Nolan Lanham gets his try to coach the softball team. The new coach has been at Liberty, Jarrell and Hamilton and is a graduate from Prosper High School and Tarleton University.
Lanham hopes to bring an “attack first” philosophy to this team.
“I believe for our team to be successful this year we have to learn to attack in every phase of the game,” Lanham said. “Our pitchers have to attack the strike zone and opposing batters, and when balls are put in play our defense has to attack the ball. Offensively we have to attack pitches early and often, then use our aggressiveness on the bases to put pressure on the opposing team.”
The Nocona softball program’s best recent seasons have been where they compete well, but wins have come few and far between. Their worst have been when most games finish early.
In best years the team is usually filled with upper classmen with experience and this team returns some.
Makenna Nobile, Sydnee Mowry, Tobie Cable and Maddi Ezzell all have experience in the infield and will try to lead the Lady Indians in making the fundamental plays on defense and making plays with their bats.
The team also will be incorporating some younger players that do not have a lot of innings playing at the varsity level.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
Saint Jo hosted its own volleyball tournament Sept. 10-12.
In its first match, the Lady Panthers bested Sam Rayburn in a b est-of-three match 2-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-14.) In the opener, senior Tatum Morman staked the Lady Panthers to a 4-0 lead with help from Kamron Skidmore and Olivia Johnson kills. The Lady Rebels would come back and tie the game at seven.
Savannah Hill’s kill broke serve and allowed Abby Carter to string together seven points. An ace and a Hill kill helped keep the drive alive. Hill later rolled off six points in a row, helped by two aces, to go up 23-10. Sam Rayburn broke serve but Saint Jo finished the game with a single Morman point.
Sam Rayburn came right out of the gate firing in the second game leading 4-0. A single Carter point, thrown down by a Hill block, and Hill’s four-point skein put the Lady Panthers up 8-6. Sam Rayburn tied the game at eight.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Forestburg’s volleyball team gave visiting Chico a solid test Sept. 8, but the Lady Dragons rebounded from a third-set loss to pull out the 3-1 win (25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19).
The Lady Longhorns got out to a quick start with aces from freshmen Madi Wadsworth and Lacie Shotwell staking the squad to a 4-1 lead in game one. Wadsworth later broke a 4-all tie with a kill.
Addy Conway rolled off four straight points, helped by a Wadsworth kill to give Forestburg an 11-9 lead. Chico took a 16-14 lead but a Brenna Briles ace and Jocelyn Rich’s two points forced Chico into a timeout down 17-19.
The respite worked as it would be Forestburg’s last lead of game one, the Lady ‘Horns not having another serving point.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
After splitting the first two games with Vernon Northside, Bowie’s volleyball team turned things out and wound with a 3-1 match win (25-17, 15-25, 25-17, 25-17).
Molly Enlow used two aces amidst a four-point string to give the Lady Rabbits a 5-1 lead in game one. Senior KP Rutherford’s pair of points extended the lead to 8-3.
Northside cut the deficit to 10-11 before Rutherford’s kill broke serve.
Bella Culwell’s point, aided by an Ellie Mowery kill, put Bowie up 13-10. Northside tied the game at 13 before Rutherford came through with another pair for a 17-14 lead. Lillie Maddox also had a deuce for a 20-15 lead and force a Lady INdian timeout.
Northside broke serve but a Sophie Maddox block and Lillie Maddox three-point string gave the squad game point at 24-16. The squads exchanged side outs to end the game.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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