SPORTS
Nocona loses 11-1 on road
The Nocona baseball team traveled the long way to Childress on Friday to take on the Bobcats in the Indians search of their first district win.
Nocona was left to keep searching as Childress won 11-1 after five innings that included a fifth inning the Indians would like to forget.
Nocona did not have much luck at the plate the first time up. All three batters ended up grounding out as the Bobcats were able to make the routine play.
A leadoff walk from Childress came back to bite the Indians later. After retiring the next two batters, a two out double scored the Bobcats first run of the game. That was followed with a two run home run before Nocona could get the third out, trailing 3-0 heading into the second inning.
The Indians had a little luck offensively. The leadoff batter was able to draw a walk. A ground out moved him into scoring position. Another drawn walk put two runners on base, but a ground out for the third out put an end to any scoring opportunities.
Besides a two out single from Childress, Nocona was able to keep the Bobcats from threatening much to end the second inning. Neither team had any luck getting any base runner on in the third inning.
The Indians were able to get some momentum in the fourth inning. The leadoff batter drew a walk. After a line out Trenten Womack hit a single. The runner at second was picked off for the second out. After a hit batter, Duece Glasker was able to drive in a run with a single up the middle to cut the lead to 3-1.
Childress answered immediately as its leadoff batter hit a solo home run to make the score 4-1. The Bobcats added another hit and a drawn walk with two outs to threaten to score more, but Nocona was able to force a ground out at third for the third out.
The Indians had no luck offensively in the fifth inning as two of the three batters struck out. What followed was an inning that would never end for Nocona.
Childress racked up nine hits in the inning alone, including three doubles, which added up to seven runs for the walk-off runs to win 11-1 by run rule.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.
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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