SPORTS
Nocona baseball breaks 20-year playoff win drought
The Nocona Indians won their bi-district series against Archer City on Thursday night in a double-header at Bowie, the first playoff series win for the program since 2005.
The Indians won both games convincingly 6-2 and then by run-rule 14-2 after five innings played.
Nocona came into the playoffs this season with a one-seed since the team’s that finished in front of it in district play were slotted into the smaller school bracket. This meant the Indians were favored playing a two-seed like Archer City, but that still meant they had to play like it.
Early on in game one, the Wildcats let it be known they were not just going to lay down for Nocona. A leadoff triple to start the game set the tone early. The Indians got out of the jam when the next batter lined out to left fielder Colten Anglin for an out. Anglin quickly threw the ball to third base and was quick enough to get the runner out for the rare outfielder double-play.
The Indians’ first two batters got on base with a walk and a single, but Nocona failed to get them home despite them advancing to second and third base and in prime scoring position.
The second inning saw no runs again while both teams were only able to get one base runner on.
The third inning saw Archer City get on the board first. With one out, a catcher’s interference and a walk allowed two runners to get on base. After a strikeout, a double hit down the third base line allowed both runners to score. The batter tried to stretch for a triple, but was called out for the third out, but the runs counted at the Wildcats were up 2-0.
Despite a two out single in the third inning from Nocona, the Indians would not respond until the fourth inning.
Kutter Cabrera led off and his hit ball to third base induced a fielding error that allowed him to get on base. Miller Jentry then drew a walk to get two runners on base with no outs.
Following a pop out and a groundout which advanced Cabrera to third base but put runners at the corners with two outs, Jayce Lehde came through with a single to drive in a run. Walker Murphey loaded the bases with a walk and Brody Langford delivered with a bases clearing double that put Nocona up 4-2.
The Wildcats were not giving up though. A leadoff single and later a balk, or illegal pitch, allowed the runner to advance to third base and threaten to score, but pitcher RJ Walker, following an intentional walk to get to the next batter, came through with a clutch strikeout for out three to get out of the jam unscathed.
He led off the next inning with a single, but nothing got going for the Indians as the game moved to the sixth inning.
When Nocona next came up to bat, Zyrus Moreno led off with a single. Lehde followed with a drawn walk. With the top of the lineup coming around and no outs, the Indians were primed to score again.
The next two batters flew out, the second one deep enough to advance both runners, but it looked like Nocona might have been too eager to make something happen. Next batter Landon Fatheree came through, hitting a double that drove in both base runners and added to the Indians lead to make it 6-2.
Archer City was eager to try and make something happen with its bats, leading to a fly out to right field, and line outs to shortstop and at first base to end the game.
Nocona won 6-2.
Langford and Fatheree led the team with three and two RBIs each on doubles they hit while Lehde drove in the other run. Nocona finished with seven hits and drew five walks.
On the mound, Walker pitched all seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out seven batters. The defense committed two fielding errors.
The Indians did not have long to relish the win because they had to turn right around and play game two shortly afterwards.
To read how game two went and see the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
For photos from game one, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6874865&T=1
It was announced last week Nocona Athletic director/football coach Blake Crutsinger is resigning from his position at the school after serving four years.
Crutsinger said now is the time for his family to make the move, with his daughter Avery graduating after spending four years at Nocona and with his son Kellar about to enter high school and wanting the same for him at another school.
“With her going off to college, she had a really good four years here and just looking at Keller heading into high school and exploring some opportunities that might be better for him, it is just time,” Crutsinger said.
Crutsinger went 19-22 overall, helping the Indians to two playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023. The team’s best season was 2023, when it went 8-2 and won the district title, the first one in 11 years for the program.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
Saint Jo senior Payzlie Cervantes signed her letter of intent to play college basketball last week at Highland College in Kansas. She also played volleyball, softball and ran track at Saint Jo. “After talking with Coach Tana Coleman, I really connected with her and loved the campus vibe and direction she wants for the team,” Cervantes said. “I’m looking forward to continuing my basketball career while getting my associates degree in nursing to become a registered nurse.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
Last week Montague County had five girls from Bowie and Saint Jo compete at the state tennis tournament, and one team brought back some hardware.
Sisters from Bowie, junior Heidi and freshman Willow Siebert brought back a bronze medal competing in the 3A girl’s doubles bracket.
The pair were the first people from the program to make it back to state since their half sisters, Meagan and Myah Russell, advanced nine years previously.
The Sieberts came into state as a two-seed, having finished second at the regional tournament the previous week.
The duo was ready as they blew through their first two matches. They beat a team from Hondo in the first round with the scores being 6-1, 6-1 and dominated even more in the second round against a team from Tatum, winning 6-0, 6-1.
That got them through to the second day of the tournament, but Coach Dayna Boothe was worried they had had it too easy on day one.
Playing in the semifinals, the Lady Rabbits faced a familiar foe, a team from Peaster they had beaten in the regional tournament the previous week. Unfortunately, near the end of the first set, with the Sieberts fighting to stay alive, Heidi went after a high lob and slammed into the fence. She hurt her right arm and had to play through it for the rest of the match.
They lost the match with the scores being 6-3, 6-3.
It was an all Peaster final, with the other side of the bracket producing the team that both beat the Sieberts at the regional tournament and won their second straight state title.
Still, despite the disappointment, Bowie is bringing back a bronze medal. According to Boothe, after contacting people who would know dating back to the late 1970s, it could possibly be the program’s first medals from the state tournament in tennis.
Of course, Bowie was not the only school represented. Saint Jo had Taylor Patrick competing in girl’s singles and the team of Bailie Nobile and Maxey Johnson competing in girl’s doubles in the 1A classification.
Senior Patrick was making her third appearance at the state tournament, but her first in the singles competition.
She finished third at the regional meet which meant she had a tough first round matchup against a second seed from Fort Davis.
It took everything from Patrick in a match that lasted two and a half hours. She went down in the first set 6-2, but rebounded in a tight second set to win 6-4 to force a third and final set. She had the momentum and won 6-2 to move on.
She had to summon the energy to play later that day against a fresh one-seed player from Utopia. Patrick lost 6-1, 6-1 to end her Saint Jo career. Her opponent would go on to finish second.
Juniors Johnson and Nobile were making their first appearances at the state meet after finishing second at the regional tournament. In the first round they played a tough match against a team from Marathon. It seemed evenly matched throughout, but small mistakes at inopportune times cost them throughout the match. In the end, the team lost by the scores of 6-3, 6-3.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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