SPORTS
STORM CENTER: Odds aren’t even
In 1984, the Phil Collins’ power ballad and feature film “Against All Odds” were released, and there is a sports connection.
Actor Jeff Bridges plays aging professional football player Terry Brogan, who is cut by the fictional Los Angeles Outlaws and is hard-pressed for money.
In the end, a love triangle forms between Brogan, nightclub owner Jake Wise and his girlfriend Jessie Wyler. Former Detroit Lion Alex Karras, who played on the same team with Saint Jo’s Harley Sewell in the late 1950s and early 1960s, also appears in the film.
“Against All Odds” is one of the most dramatic pieces of music the sports editor has ever listened to, and it helps us cover this week’s theme: Odds.
There is a website called scholarshipstats.com, which features a page called, “Odds of a high school athlete playing college sports.”
It also describes much more than that, covering the chances of you becoming a professional athlete, too.
In Montague County, opportunities have been few and far between for athletes to reach the professional level.
Brandon Workman was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies; but, he bypassed that chance to play for the University of Texas. Eventually, the Boston Red Sox drafted Workman and he signed with them.
Currently, Workman is playing at the Triple-A level and he’s been called up to the major leagues three times this season.
However, seemingly, no matter how well Workman pitches for the Paw Sox, it’s been virtually impossible for him the shatter the glass ceiling and return to MLB permanently.
Before Workman, current Iowa Park assistant baseball coach Heath Taylor showed promise in the Cleveland Indians’ organization. However, an injury derailed his career and he entered the teaching profession.
Back in 1958, Bowie basketball player Temple Tucker was fresh out of Rice University when the Philadelphia Warriors chose him in the National Basketball Association draft.
At a time when the salary of professional athletes was nowhere near exorbitant, Tucker made the decision to enter the working world instead.
Even Nocona great Jack Crain’s chance of playing professional sports was cut short because he joined the military and served the United States in World War II.
So, as you can see so far, the odds of you becoming a pro are not that favorable for you. Read more from this column in the July 8 Bowie News.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Bowie’s Gabe Allen (4) is one of the few high school athletes to make it to the college level. Allen recently joined the baseball program at Ranger College. (News file photo by Dani Blackburn)
The Red River High School Bass Club competed this past weekend, May 31 – June 1, at the State Tournament on Lake Conroe for the two-day tournament.
Two of the teams from Montague County traveled south to try their best at the culmination of the year for the state title. Teams were able to pre-fish on Friday before the Saturday and Sunday competition. On Friday, there was a flipping contest for the youth and Cooper Johnson won third overall and won a $500 scholarship and an Academy gift card.
The club’s two teams who competed were Lane Smith/Colt Henry with boat captain Jimmy Smith. The team placed 63rd with a total of 16.22 pounds. The second team of Cooper Johnson/Corbyn Patton and boat captain Jayson Toerck placed 169th with a total weight of 2.29 pounds.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
The Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl is this week on June 6-7 and graduating athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo are confirmed to be playing.
In total, seven athletes from Bowie, five from Nocona and three from Saint Jo are planning to play in the all-star games this week. Nocona also will have a pair of coaches participating as well.
The girl’s basketball game kicks off events on June 6, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wichita Falls Memorial High School. In the game, the east team will have Nocona players Avery Crutsinger, Meg Meekins and Reagan Phipps playing while Kyler Spitzer and Clayton Brown coach them one last time.
On the west team, Saint Jo’s Payzlie Cervantes is confirmed to be playing.
The boy’s basketball game is scheduled to follow at 7:30 p.m. On the east team, Bowie’s Boston Farris and Nocona’s Jose Gomez Jr. will be playing.
On June 7, the volleyball games are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. with the small school game. On the west team, Nocona’s Kaygan Stone and Saint Jo’s Taylor Patrick are confirmed to play. On the east team, Saint Jo’s Aubrey Morman will get to play her teammate.
There are no local athletes confirmed to be playing in the big school volleyball game.
The final event is the football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It is an all Bowie affair with six players confirmed to be playing for the east team: Justin Clark, Jorge De Leon, Hunter Fluitt and Braden Rhyne, Preacher Chambers and Moh Azouak.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
Nocona Independent School District officials looked inward for a new athletic director/head football coach, selecting Jeff Hill for the position.
Hill, who served last year as Nocona football’s offensive coordinator and also led the softball program to the playoffs for the first time in a while as its head coach, was upgraded to the role.
This came on the heels of former Athletic Director Blake Crutsinger, who served in the role the last four years, resigned in May.
For Hill, the choice to apply for the position was a no brainer. His one year in Nocona had impressed upon him and his wife that it was the place they would like to be long term.
“I’m looking for a town to raise my kids in and Nocona has treated my family really well,” Hill said. “There are some really good people. The kids work hard. Everything I am looking for in a hometown is right here in Nocona and I want to try and make it as best as it can be, especially through athletics.”
Before Nocona, Hill served as the athletic director at S&S Consolidated while also spending time at Hebron and Whitewright in his coaching career.
Hill expresses great respect for the departing Crutsinger and besides changing a few small things in how he personally wants to do things, he is not trying to come in with a sweeping restructuring of the whole athletic department.
The program had five of its six team sports make the playoffs, with volleyball playing in the regional final and the girl’s basketball team winning the state championship.
That along with two athletes competing at the state championship in cross country and track with one earning a gold medal, it was one of the more successful school years in athletic program history.
“Coach Crutsinger was awesome and did a great job so honestly just little tweaks, a little bit of structure and cohesion amongst the coaching staff between boys and girls,” Hill said. “I hope to keep the winning tradition going overall in the athletic department.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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