SPORTS
Jackrabbits grind out Bulls in first win of the season
The Bowie Jackrabbits picked up their first win of the season on Friday night against Bridgeport.
The Jackrabbits used smash mouth football to run the Bulls into the turf as they won 23-9 in a grind it out type of way.
Both teams came into the game looking for their first win after losing in week one in one-sided contests against teams from bigger schools.
Last year’s game was a high-scoring shootout that lasted until nearly midnight and combined for 125 points with Bridgeport coming out with the win by one point. This year’s game was much different.
Neither team threw the ball much at all, with only 15 passes being attempted all game. This meant the clock was almost always moving and more often than not, it was Bowie that had the ball.
The Jackrabbits had the first chance to score in the game about midway through the first quarter. Unfortunately, despite its success running the ball on the drive, Bowie could not punch the ball into the end zone from the one-yard line.
The Bulls defense got the goal line stand and the ball on their own one-yard line. It was not all bad for the Jackrabbits though.
On the first play of the next series, Bowie linebacker Will Cross shot into the backfield and tackled Bridgeport’s quarterback for a safety as he was trying to run a sweep to his side.
The Jackrabbits were up 2-0.
After the teams exchanged punts on the next possessions, the Bulls punter downed the ball inside of Bowie’s own 10-yard line.
Following a run that lost yards and a penalty that moved the Jackrabbits back more, a rollout to the left never had a chance as Bridgeport’s defensive tackle came through unblocked to sack the quarterback for a safety.
The score was tied with the unusual score 2-2 heading into the second quarter.
After both teams exchanged possessions all quarter, Bowie was able to march down the field and score right before halftime as running back Seth Mann punched the ball in from three yards out. The Jackrabbits led 9-2 at halftime, with the score getting them momentum they would use in the second half.
Bowie’s defense got the stop on Bridgeport’s opening drive. The Jackrabbits then got the ball and methodically drove the ball on a long, time consuming drive.
With only one pass being attempted all drive, Bowie ran the ball down the Bulls throats and ended with Mann scoring from the one-yard line to put the Jackrabbits up 16-2.
Bridgeport was not just going to lie down. The Bulls responded with their own drive, converting at least one fourth down on the way to scoring on a 14-yard run early in the fourth quarter to cut Bowie’s lead to 16-9.
Bridgeport tried to get the ball back immediately with a surprise onside kick, but the Jackrabbits recovered and had good field position.
Again Bowie ran it right at the Bulls and until Mann again ended up capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
The Jackrabbits led 23-9 with a little less than half the fourth quarter to play.
A bad kickoff return set up Bridgeport with the ball inside its own 10-yard line. Eventually, despite being down two double-digits, the Bulls were forced to punt the ball away from inside their own 20-yard line with a little more than three minutes remaining.
From there, the Jackrabbits were able to run out the clock and win the game 23-9.
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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