SPORTS
Saint Jo wins area round match
The Saint Jo Lady Panthers got themselves a little challenge playing in their area round playoff match on Thursday against Perrin-Whitt.
The Lady Panthers won 3-1 against the Lady Pirates as they started the match on not the best note.
Saint Jo came into the match hoping it could recapture its form during its bi-district schedule. The Lady Panthers breezed through district play, never losing a set and rarely were challenged by anyone but their own high expectations.
Saint Jo had gotten a little on track playing a warm-up match against state-ranked Benjamin earlier in the week and winning 3-1. Still, Perrin-Whitt came in and seemed to surprise the Lady Panthers.
It was rematch since the teams opened the season against the other way back on Aug. 12. That match was a one-sided straight sets win from Saint Jo and the team was used to it being that way against the Lady Pirates.
Since then Perrin-Whitt won 22 matches and only lost to state-ranked Garner in its district. This time around four months later, things were different.
The first set was competitive until the Lady Panthers opened up a 14-11 lead. Instead of taking control, it was the Lady Pirates that came back and went on an 8-2 run. Perrin-Whitt led 19-16.
Even with Saint Jo closing the gap to two points 21-19 heading into the end of the set, it was the Lady Pirates that made the plays and feasted on uncharacteristic Lady Panther mistakes. Perrin-Whitt won 25-22 to take set one and the early lead.
While it was a close set, it was not Saint Jo’s best as more than once communication errors that are long ironed out at this point of the season resulted in points as well as hitting errors around the net.
The loss seemed to serve as a wakeup call for the Lady Panthers heading into set two.
Saint Jo took control of the set early thanks to some aggressive serving, good defensive net play and solid ball control. The Lady Panthers went on an 8-2 run to lead 14-6 and led by double-digits at one point 20-10.
Perrin-Whitt played better down the stretch to make the final score respectable, but Saint Jo won with little drama 25-17 to tie the match at 1-1.
That confidence from how it had won set two led into the set three for Saint Jo. The Lady Panthers were up 5-0 early.
The Lady Pirates cut the lead to as close to three points down 9-6, but from there it was all Saint Jo.
The Lady Panthers at one point opened up a double-digit lead 23-12 before eventually winning the set 25-17 again to take the lead in the match 2-1.
Any of the confidence or fire Perrin-Whitt had at the start of the match seemed to be gone heading into set four and Saint Jo was not letting up.
From the start again, the Lady Panthers took a quick 5-0 lead and never looked back.
It was a quick procession to the end of the match as Saint Jo’s lead grey to 17-8 to 21-9 to eventually 25-12.
The Lady Panthers won the match 3-1 to move on to the regional quarterfinals.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News. For more pictures from the match click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6870377&T=1
Bowie had six players play in the Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl football all-star game. For pictures from not just the football game, but the basketball and volleyball games as well that feature athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6875584&T=1
Nocona is welcoming back Coach Sandy Langford, former coach and alumnus for the Lady Indians, as its new volleyball head coach.
Langford comes back to Nocona after spending the past 11 years leading the Glen Rose volleyball program.
Her circumstances with her family allowed her to jump at the opportunity once she became aware the position at Nocona was available.
“My youngest graduated and is playing football at Midwestern (State University),” Langford said. “All of our family is here and I knew that Coach Kara (Lucherk) was leaving. We were eventually going to retire here. Our oldest son plays college football at West Texas A&M and we’ll be two hours closer to him as well.”
She again will lead the Lady Indians volleyball program, one that she led all the way to the state title game in 2011, which is the farthest the volleyball program has ever gone in its prestigious history.
Langford kept up that level of success during her 11 years at the bigger 4A Glen Rose. She won less than 20 games only twice during her time, winning her 500th career game back in 2023. Her teams were ranked among the top 10 in the state five times and Langford led Glen Rose to the state tournament in 2017, the best finish in program history.
With the Lady Indians also having its own string of success, appearing in back-to-back regional finals while finishing atop the district standings both years, Langford is excited to not just keep the success going, but shoot for the stars.
“We are not expecting anything less than a state championship,” Langford said.
She has stacked the non-district schedule with strong, state-ranked 3A and 4A teams as well as big tournaments that will test Nocona’s mettle early next season in the hopes it will prepare them for a long playoff run.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
The Red River High School Bass Club competed this past weekend, May 31 – June 1, at the State Tournament on Lake Conroe for the two-day tournament.
Two of the teams from Montague County traveled south to try their best at the culmination of the year for the state title. Teams were able to pre-fish on Friday before the Saturday and Sunday competition. On Friday, there was a flipping contest for the youth and Cooper Johnson won third overall and won a $500 scholarship and an Academy gift card.
The club’s two teams who competed were Lane Smith/Colt Henry with boat captain Jimmy Smith. The team placed 63rd with a total of 16.22 pounds. The second team of Cooper Johnson/Corbyn Patton and boat captain Jayson Toerck placed 169th with a total weight of 2.29 pounds.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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