SPORTS
Jackrabbits run over Vernon 13-2
The Bowie Jackrabbits got a big pick-me-up win at home against Vernon on Friday night.
The Jackrabbits won 13-2 after five innings due to run-rule against the Lions.
Bowie was coming off tough losses against Jacksboro and Iowa Park and needed a game to get its confidence back. The Jackrabbits had beaten Vernon the first time pretty easily 8-2, but really needed to bounce back after losing by run-rule to Iowa Park.
Bowie started off fast in the first inning. Seth Mann drove in Tucker Jones with a single. Two singles later with the bases loaded, Edmon DeLeon drove in a run with a single up the middle.
After a shallow fly out, Rayder Mann hit a two RBI single. Will Cross then came up to bat and hit a groundball to the shortstop that resulted in an error and another run came in to score.
The Jackrabbits were up 6-0 after the first inning.
Bowie kept it up in the second inning. With two hit batters and a single loading the bases up with no outs, De Leon drew a walk that scored one run. Cy Egenbacher followed with a two RBI single.
A balk allowed another run to come in and score. Two batters later, Cross grounded out to third base, but it drove in another run to put the Jackrabbits up 11-0.
Strangely, the teams exchanged scoreless third and fourth innings before Vernon batters finally got on the board.
After a leadoff single, a double scored the runner from first base. The Lions then executed a sacrifice bunt that allowed the base runner, who had advanced to third base, to score and make it 11-2.
Bowie needed to score at least one run to end the game early due to run-rule. The bats had stalled with the team being a bit too over aggressive after the hot start, but were locked in and focused after facing a bit of adversity on defense.
Tucker Jones hit a one out single and Mann followed by drawing a walk. After a strikeout for out two, Hayden Rodriguez came through with a hit into the gap for a double that scored both runs before his teammate mauled him during the celebration at second base.
Bowie won 13-2.
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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