SPORTS
Nocona football loses to De Leon in the playoffs
The Nocona Indians’ season ended Friday night in the bi-district round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
De Leon won a high-scoring game 70-41 against the Indians at Weatherford.
Nocona was coming into the game after suffering its first loss of the season in the regular season finale against Alvord. While it did not affect the Indians seeding or their district title, more importantly they lost several starters for Friday’s game.
Still, Nocona was a first seed playing a fourth seed in De Leon with a 6-4 record and a 3-3 record in district that was coming off three straight losses.
While most bi-district match-ups between a first and fourth seed are one-sided towards the first seed, the Indians knew that would not be the case.
Last year’s one-sided playoff loss to Bangs along with every other team in the district losing its bi-district games showed the teams from district five were a lot tougher from front to back than district six.
The Bearcats showed that to start the game. Featuring a balanced running attack with a big bruising running back or a quick quarterback who also liked to throw the ball down the field to his speedy receivers all while running an up-tempo offense, it was a tough group to stop all night.
After De Leon opened the game with a quick touchdown march, Nocona answered on its second play when Brady McCasland rescued a low snap and found Charlie Fuller wide open near the sideline where he ran the rest of the way for a 67-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7-7.
It would be as close as the game would stay.
After the Bearcats took the lead, the Indians drew up a trick play where Jose Gomez threw a pass down the field. Unfortunately, the open receiver behind the defense dropped the pass.
Later after Nocona threw an interception De Leon connected on a long touchdown pass to lead 21-7 heading into the second quarter.
The Indians cut the score back to one touchdown as McCasland scored on an 11-yard run on fourth down to make it 21-14.
The Bearcats scored fast after a long pass completion set up a short run. Nocona faced a fourth down and turned the ball over again on an interception that more or less served as a punt. De Leon scored again to make it 35-14 with less than a minute before halftime.
Nocona still moved the ball within scoring range thanks to some personal foul calls on defense. Unfortunately, what would have been McCasland’s second touchdown pass to Fuller was called back due to holding and the Indians went into halftime frustrated and behind by three touchdowns.
The Indians answered the call to start the second half as they drove down the field and scored on a Johnny Stone nine-yard run to make it 35-21.
Unfortunately, the Bearcats answered fast. Another long pass set up another short touchdown run to make it 42-21.
To make matters worse, Nocona fumbled the ball away during the kick-off return and De Leon went down to score and go up 49-21.
The Indians special teams got the touchdown back as Caden Gaston took the kick-off back for a 78-yard touchdown.
Still, Nocona could not keep the Bearcats off the board as they scored on a 30-yard run up the middle.
The Indians did not give up though as the offense answered with a successful drive that ended with McCasland scoring on a short run. Nocona trailed 56-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Indian offense faltered for the rest of the game as they tried desperately to score fast, but the players were wearing down with many also playing on defense.
De Leon also limited the chances by slowing down the tempo and scoring on two more time-consuming touchdown drives.
Nocona’s final score came on special teams again as the Bearcats decided to kick deep after avoiding Gaston since his last return. He took advantage and scored in almost the exact same way on an 85-yard kick-off return.
The Indians tried to score one more in the final minutes on a deep pass following a fleaflicker that was intercepted to ice the game.
De Leon won 70-41.
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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