SPORTS
Lady Indians fall in the bi-district to Windthorst
The Nocona Lady Indians trip to the playoffs ended on Friday after losing their bi-district series to Windthorst.
The Lady Trojans won 9-1 and 10-4 against the Lady Indians as they played a series at Wichita Falls Legacy High School.
Nocona came into the series basking in the light of making the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but was also hoping the journey would not end despite entering uncharted waters. The Lady Indians had not just scraped into the postseason though, finishing third overall in the district.
Windthorst came into the postseason having only lost two one-run games against Petrolia in its district and had playoff experience on its side.
Game one started with both teams getting out of early inning jams until the Lady Trojans struck first in the third inning.
Windthorst got on board with an RBI single to take the lead and never looked back.
In the fourth inning, the Lady Trojans added four runs on a solo home run, two RBI double and an RBI triple to go up 5-0. In the fifth inning Windthorst scored four more runs, scoring on a walk with the bases loaded and a three RBI double.
Nocona got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kaitlyn Tiffner led off with a walk, stole second and third base before later scoring on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 9-1.
Unfortunately, the Lady Indians could not get any more runs across the board even while its defense recovered to shut down the Lady Trojans in the last two innings.
Windthorst won game one 9-1.
Nocona bats were not able to get any hits during the game, though the Lady Indians drew six walks.
Unfortunately, that was not good enough to keep up with the loud bats of the Lady Trojans, who finished with 14 hits. Nocona’s defense committed no fielding errors.
The Lady Indians needed their bats to come alive and started game two on the right note.
After drawing two walks to start the game, Skye Kirby drove one run in with a double. After another drawn walk with the bases loaded, Ma’leigha Franklin was then hit by a pitch to drive in another run as Nocona went up 2-0.
Unfortunately, the Lady Indians could not get any more runs across with the bases loaded and one out. The next two batters struck out to end the scoring chance.
Nocona added to its lead in the second inning. A leadoff walk later led to Kirby driving that base runner in with a line drive single as the Lady Indians were up 3-0. Unfortunately, the streaky offense of Windthorst came alive in the bottom of the second inning.
The Lady Trojans loaded the bases before a single drove in one run, two walks drove in two runs and two fielding errors allowed three more runs. Windthorst took the lead 6-3 and most importantly the momentum.
In the third inning, the Lady Trojans leadoff batter got on third base thanks to an error in the outfield. A sacrifice fly ball drove in the run to improve Windthorst’s lead to 7-3.
The fourth inning saw the Lady Trojans score one run again, this time on an RBI single to make the score 8-3.
In the fifth inning, back-to-back RBI doubles from Windthorst improve its lead to 10-3 heading into the final two innings.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Nocona needed to reel off seven runs to try and save its season entering the seventh inning.
The Lady Indians started with back-to-back singles to get on. Both runners advanced to second and third base following a groundout. A wild pitch allowed one run to score and the other to get on third base. A walk put runners at the corners with only one out.
Unfortunately, the end came in the next at-bat. A line drive was impressively caught by Windthorst’s first basemen who then was able to quickly tag the runner trying to get back on base out for the game and series ending double-play.
Windthorst won 10-4.
Kirby led the team with two RBIs and two hits while Franklin also drive in one run. The team finished with five hits and drew six walks.
Defensively, Nocona’s six errors resulted five runs coming unearned though the Lady Trojans ended up with eight hits and five earned runs.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
For more pictures from game two in the series, click here https://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=bnews1&AID=6874730&T=1
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.
The Maskat Shrine Oil Bowl is this week on June 6-7 and graduating athletes from Bowie, Nocona and Saint Jo are confirmed to be playing.
In total, seven athletes from Bowie, five from Nocona and three from Saint Jo are planning to play in the all-star games this week. Nocona also will have a pair of coaches participating as well.
The girl’s basketball game kicks off events on June 6, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wichita Falls Memorial High School. In the game, the east team will have Nocona players Avery Crutsinger, Meg Meekins and Reagan Phipps playing while Kyler Spitzer and Clayton Brown coach them one last time.
On the west team, Saint Jo’s Payzlie Cervantes is confirmed to be playing.
The boy’s basketball game is scheduled to follow at 7:30 p.m. On the east team, Bowie’s Boston Farris and Nocona’s Jose Gomez Jr. will be playing.
On June 7, the volleyball games are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. with the small school game. On the west team, Nocona’s Kaygan Stone and Saint Jo’s Taylor Patrick are confirmed to play. On the east team, Saint Jo’s Aubrey Morman will get to play her teammate.
There are no local athletes confirmed to be playing in the big school volleyball game.
The final event is the football game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It is an all Bowie affair with six players confirmed to be playing for the east team: Justin Clark, Jorge De Leon, Hunter Fluitt and Braden Rhyne, Preacher Chambers and Moh Azouak.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
Nocona Independent School District officials looked inward for a new athletic director/head football coach, selecting Jeff Hill for the position.
Hill, who served last year as Nocona football’s offensive coordinator and also led the softball program to the playoffs for the first time in a while as its head coach, was upgraded to the role.
This came on the heels of former Athletic Director Blake Crutsinger, who served in the role the last four years, resigned in May.
For Hill, the choice to apply for the position was a no brainer. His one year in Nocona had impressed upon him and his wife that it was the place they would like to be long term.
“I’m looking for a town to raise my kids in and Nocona has treated my family really well,” Hill said. “There are some really good people. The kids work hard. Everything I am looking for in a hometown is right here in Nocona and I want to try and make it as best as it can be, especially through athletics.”
Before Nocona, Hill served as the athletic director at S&S Consolidated while also spending time at Hebron and Whitewright in his coaching career.
Hill expresses great respect for the departing Crutsinger and besides changing a few small things in how he personally wants to do things, he is not trying to come in with a sweeping restructuring of the whole athletic department.
The program had five of its six team sports make the playoffs, with volleyball playing in the regional final and the girl’s basketball team winning the state championship.
That along with two athletes competing at the state championship in cross country and track with one earning a gold medal, it was one of the more successful school years in athletic program history.
“Coach Crutsinger was awesome and did a great job so honestly just little tweaks, a little bit of structure and cohesion amongst the coaching staff between boys and girls,” Hill said. “I hope to keep the winning tradition going overall in the athletic department.”
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekly edition of the Bowie News.
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