SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Brown controls running dynasty at Boys Ranch
Cal Farley founded the residential children’s facility known as Boys Ranch, located in the Texas Panhandle, back in 1939.
Since 1994, former Bowie Junior High School coach and teacher Kenneth Brown has worked for Boys Ranch Independent School District – and he’s been part of one of Texas’ most storied traditions – Roughrider boys’ cross country.
“While coaching at Boys Ranch, he’s been very successful in cross country,” said former Bowie athletic director Gayno Shelton in a note written to me.
That might be an understatement.
Boys Ranch has won a district title in boys’ cross country EVERY year since 1981.
Since Brown took over the controls of the program from Buddy Sparks in 2002, the Roughriders have garnered six regional championships and two state titles.
This year, Josh Bush will represent Boys Ranch at the University Interscholastic League state meet – scheduled for today. The 2A boys’ race is set for 3:10 p.m. at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
In 1987, Brown had just graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State University with a degree in natural science. He drove from his hometown of Spearman for an interview with Shelton.
“I had put out more than 100 applications,” Brown remembered.
After the process, Brown had to know if he had the job or not. Then Bowie Junior High principal Clyde McMurray green-lighted hiring Brown, and Shelton was elated.
“Gayno sort of adopted me when I worked in Bowie,” Brown said. This weekend, Brown was expected to visit with Shelton here in town.
After three years in Bowie, Brown worked at independent school districts in San Antonio and Sanford-Fritch before landing at Boys Ranch.
When Brown started, he was a teacher, coach and house parent, which he considered “tough.” Read more in the weekend Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Kenneth Brown. (Courtesy photo, used with permission)
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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