SPORTS
Nocona loses district game to Jacksboro
The Nocona baseball team lost to Jacksboro on Friday in a game that got away from the Indians real quick.
The Tigers won 23-5 in five innings due to the run rule as Nocona struggled to stop the hot bats from Jacksboro.
The Indians led off in the game with Trey Pepper drawing a walk. A balk allowed him to reach second base. Kooper Hansard then hit a single to right field. Pepper advanced to third base.
Somehow, Hansard was thrown out at first base when the ball was thrown back into the infield.
Ty Presley and Wesley Murphey followed with drawn walks, but not before passed ball allowed Pepper to score the game’s first run.
Colton Russell hit into a fielder’s choice with Murphey out at second base. Russell then attempted to steal second. A fielding error trying to throw him out allowed Presley to score to make the Indians lead 2-0.
Jacksboro did not take long to answer. The Tigers scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to two hits, two walks, two hit batters and two fielding errors.
Nocona tried to answer back. Johnny Stone led off and was able to get on third base thanks to a fielding error. Matthew Page then drew a walk with one out to further the pressure put on the Tigers defense.
Unfortunately, that is where both base runners would stay. The next batter struck out and then a pop out ended the scoring chance.
Jacksboro continued to pour in the runs. Four hits and a dropped third strike led to the Tigers scoring four more runs to up their lead to 11-2 heading into the third inning.
It did not get any better for the Indians. They failed to get any base runner on base while Jacksboro scored six more runs thanks to four fielding errors, four walks and one hit batter.
The Tigers lead was 17-2 heading into the fourth inning.
Nocona showed some life on offense. Miguel Olivares led by getting hit b a pitch. Stone followed with a single that allowed Olivares to advance to third base.
Stone successfully stole second base as an error from Jacksboro trying to throw him out allowed Olivares to score. It also allowed Stone to reach third base.
Pepper was then hit by a pitch to get on base. The Tigers attempted to pick him off at first base, but an error allowed Stone to score and Pepper to advance to second base before a groundout was hit for out three.
Still the Indians had doubled their runs with the score 17-4 and hoped it could build momentum to try and cut into the big lead.
To do that they would need to shut down Jacksboro’s offense which they just could not do on Friday night.
The Tigers scored six runs on seven hits and one dropped third strike to up their lead to 23-4 heading into the fifth inning.
Nocona would need to score at least 10 runs to avoid being run ruled. Charley Hilton led off by drawing a walk. Murphey followed up with a single.
A ground out moved both runners to second and third base.
After a strike out, a balk allowed pinch runner Jackson Nunneley to come in to score and make it 23-5 before a groundout for out three ended 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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