SPORTS
Bowie baseball holds on to win 5-4
In a game the Bowie baseball team controlled four innings, the Jackrabbits were able to hold on just enough to beat Childress at home on Friday to end the first round of district on a high note.
Bowie won another one-run game 5-4, with the Bobcats four runs coming in the final three innings.
Things were slow going as neither team put up any runs in the first inning, though Childress did succeed in getting two runners on base.
Besides a one out double, the Bobcats were again limited to no runs in the second inning while the Jackrabbits were able to take a lead.
Cooper Little led off by getting on second base thanks to an error in the outfield. Two batters later and after advancing to third base on a bunt, a passed ball on a called strike three allowed Little to score and give Bowie a 1-0 lead.
The Jackrabbits defense again sat down Childress with three straight ground outs in the third inning. On offense, Evan Kennedy drove in a run with a double to right field.
It was followed with a RBI triple from Taylor Pigg, a RBI double from Payton Price and Braden Armstrong driving in a run on a sacrifice fly. Bowie was in full control leading 5-0 heading into the fourth inning.
The Bobcats were able to load the bases thanks to a base hit, a fielding error and a drawn walk. Fortunately the Jackrabbit’s Pigg was able to get the third out on a fly ball to center field before any runs could be scored.
Bowie looked to pile on to its lead as the Jackrabbits loaded the bases up with only one out. Unfortunately batters hit into a shallow pop up and a ground out to the shortstop to end the fourth inning.
Childress finally scored with a two-run triple. That batter would later score thanks to a fielding error from Bowie when trying to throw out a runner trying to steal second base. The Bobcats had cut the lead to 5-3 and the Jackrabbits did not answer offensively as the game advanced to the sixth inning.
Neither team had much luck offensively in the inning. Bowie’s Kennedy led off with a walk and was able to advance to third base in an effort to put pressure on the defense. Unfortunately the Jackrabbits could not get him home as the game moved to the seventh and final inning.
With Pigg’s pitch count too high, Luis DeLeon came in to close out the game. Things were not smooth sailing. The leadoff batter was hit and a single two batter later scored the runner and cut the lead to 5-4. A walk with two outs moved the tying run to second base, but thankfully the next runner grounded into a fielder’s choice at second base to end the game.
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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