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Taking a look inside Texas Football
If you’re a Texas high school football fan, you’ve probably already picked up a copy of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, which hit newsstands this week.
Football season is still two months away, but it’s not too early to start breaking down the districts. Here’s whom TF sees taking down the area’s league titles:
12-5A: Copperas Cove (ranked 25th in state)
16-4A: Midway (8th in state)
7-3A: China Spring (10th in state)
19-3A: Mexia (19th in state)
20-3A: Athens
24-3A: Rockdale (15th in state)
16-2A: Troy (16th in state)
20-2A: Franklin
21-1A: Dawson
22-1A: Lovelady (13th in state)
25-1A: Goldthwaite (12th in state)
6-man Div. 1 District 13: Abbott (5th in state)
6-man Div. 1 District 14: Trinidad
6-man Div. 2 District 14: Star (4th in state)
6-man Div. 2 District 15: Walnut Springs (7th in state)
No district predictions were made for private schools.
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SUPER CENTEX VICTORY BOWL: Live blog
Game story: Click here to read our full report from the game
9:20 p.m. — The Blue team’s comeback falls short as QB Xavier Shaw is tackled at the Red 35-yard line to end the game.
FINAL SCORE: Red 29, Blue 24
8:58 p.m. — Chilton’s Xavier Shaw threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Coker of Salado for the Blue team touchdown. Red 29, Blue 24 with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter.
8:54 p.m. — We’ve got a ball game now. Jordan Richardson from Marlin just broke loose for a 46-yard run to move the Blue team to the Red team’s 13-yard line. A Blue team touchdown and extra point could cut the Red team’s lead to five.
8:46 p.m. — The Blue team pulled a little close as QB Brimer led a drive and finished it himself with a QB dive for the touchdown. Newberry added the extra point. Red 29, Blue 17 with 9:08 left in the fourth quarter.
8:30 p.m. — It’s good to see Terrence Holloman from Midway having a great game out there for the Blue team’s defense.
The Panthers defensive end was injured in Midway’s regional semifinal loss to Highland Park and played sparingly in the Panthers’ final game of the season, the 4A Region II final against Longview.
Holloman has four sacks tonight and a couple of stops in the line on top of that.
In a sense, that’s what this game is about. There aren’t a lot of D-I signees out there, but there are a ton of guys who we loved to see playing high school football and that, it’s obvious loved to play. So they get at least one more game and we all get a chance to see them one more time.
8:15 p.m. — The Red team opens the second half with another score as Popham, quickly working his way toward MVP honors in this writer’s opinion, threw a touchdown pass to Rashad Hardy of Copperas Cove. The play went 26 yards and gave the Red team a 29-10 lead.
7:47 p.m. — Here at the half of the first-ever Super Centex Victory Bowl, Red leads Blue, 23-10, thanks to 23 unanswered points in the second quarter. The entire rosters and the cheerleaders for both teams are being introduced to the crowd on the field. So, if you didn’t get your fill of names being called out at graduation, enjoy it now. Interestingly, it appears neither team will retreat to the locker room.
7:34 p.m. — The Red team ascent continues. After a turnover on a third-straight possession by the Blue team, Red’s Weston Popham threw a 22-yard touchdown to Jeremy Conrad of Troy. Red missed the extra point. Red 23, Blue 10.
7:29 p.m. — The Red team takes a touchdown lead as Temple’s Chris Winkler boots a 40-yard field goal. Red 17, Blue 10 with 1:23 left in the first half.
7:20 p.m. — Oops! Blue team quarterback Blake Brimer from Florence lost the handle on the ball and Ramon Allen Jr. recovered for the Red team in the end zone. That’s our first lead change as Red boosts ahead, 10-7.
7:09 p.m. — De’Veon Mayberry of Itasca sprung loose up the middle for a 24-yard touchdown run for the Red team to cut into the Blue Team’s lead. That drive went 92 yards, driven by the pass-catch combination of Weston Popham of Axtell to Larry Smith of McGregor.
It’s 10-7, Blue team still leading.
Incidentally, that was a great drive especially for Smith, who played WR as a junior for McGregor before moving to QB as a senior. Once upon a time, Smith told me his favorite player was Michael Crabtree and he was Crabtree-esque making a pair of grabs for 41 yards on the march.
6:51 p.m. — Midway kicker Scott Newberry just set a Super Centex Victory Bowl record that probably won’t be broken soon. He kicked a 50-yard field goal — on a line drive — to boost the Blue team’s lead to 10-0 with 1:12 left in the first quarter.
6:40 p.m. — Teague’s James Green starts the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run up the gut.
I won’t lie, we sportswriters see this first and foremost as Blue coach Johnny Tusa vs. Red coach Mark Bell and the contrast of styles that presents.
So far, Tusa is winning the way Waco High has for so many years. Bottle up the opposition on defense, then run over them on offense.
6:30 p.m. — It’s a warm but beautiful evening here at Floyd Casey Stadium for the Super Centex Victory Bowl as the respective red and blue teams have just taken the field.
And maybe, judging from a conversation I had in the parking lot, smart guys don’t play in this heat.
It just so happens that I, your friendly neighborhood blogger Chad Conine, bumped into Super Centex All-Academic Player of the Year Tyler Stewart of Lorena on the way into the game. Stewart, a definite smart guy, was on his way into the stadium in street clothes, holding a bag of Chick-fil-A.
Just kidding. It’s hot, but it should be fun to see some mid-June football.
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UIL STATE TRACK AND FIELD MEET: Friday
5:15 p.m. — It’s a beautiful day here at the state track and field meet and a few lucky senior athletes just had the unique experience of graduating by crossing the finish line at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Now, I realize that these students would maybe have preferred to graduate with their classmates, but graduating at the state track and field meet would be pretty cool too. Kudos to the UIL for accommodating these athletes in this way.
On a related note, I’ve heard of several outstanding student athletes recently who were every bit as accomplished in their studies as on the playing field.
Mart’s Ryan Montgomery, who will compete in the 1,600-meter run on Saturday, is his school’s valedictorian.
Marlin senior Tamariah Manigo, who finished fifth in the 2A girls’ discus this morning, will deliver the salutatorian address at Marlin graduation this evening.
Bosqueville’s Morgan Elkins is her school’s salutatorian. She’ll run the 1A girls’ 100 hurdles on Saturday.
And Robinson senior Ashley James, who barely missed making it here — by .1 of a second — for the state track meet in the 800, can’t be left off of a list like this due to her hoops heroics earlier this school year. She will deliver an insightful salutatorian speech about memories at the Robinson graduation on Saturday. It’s good. I know because she let me read it.
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UIL SOFTBALL STATE TOURNEY: Gatesville vs. Needville
AUSTIN — Needville Bluejays designated player Shauni Prihoda scooted around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the sixth to push Needville into the UIL Class 3A state championship game. Prihoda scored the go-ahead run on a ball that ricocheted off Gatesville shortstop Kylie Nichols’ glove and into the left-field foul corner, lifting the Bluejays to a 2-1 victory in the 3A semifinals at McCombs Field. Nichols posted the Hornets only hit, a line drive to right in the top of the fifth and she later scored on a Needville error. Gatesville’s season comes to an end at 32-10. The Hornets ascended from finishing in third place in District 7-3A to reach the state tournament.
8:51 p.m. — Falls and Needville retired Gatesville in order in the top of the seventh as Leib, Smith and Nichols all flew out. Needville wins, 2-1.
8:39 p.m. — Well, as soon as I wr0te that we might be headed to extra innings tied at 1, Needville came up with a huge play. Shauna Prihoda hit a sharp grounder deep in the hole at shortstop. It ricocheted off of Nichols glove and all the way into the left-field foul corner. That makes it a unique home run for Prihoda. Gatesville got out of the rest of the inning unscathed. Needville 2, Gatesville 1 after six.
8:35 p.m. — Gatesville goes down in order in the top of the sixth. I get the feeling we’re headed for extra innings.
8:30 p.m. — Smith came close to turning her third double-play of the game. She caught a pop-up by Julie Kalmus and nearly picked off Cierra Wieghat at first. Leib struck out Courtney Cox for the third out. Gatesville 1, Needville 1 after five.
8:22 p.m. — A nice bunt by Cassie Morphet helped tie the game for Gatesville. Morphet was thrown out at first, but Nichols turned second with authority and slid in safely at third when the ball got away from Needville third baseman Jenny Stack. The ball bounced into the photographers area, which equaled a free pass home for Nichols. That’s all the Hornets were able to get out of the mini-rally, but we’re tied at 1 going to the bottom of the fifth.
8:19 p.m. — Gatesville’s Kylie Nichols singled to right for the Hornets’ first official hit.
8:16 p.m. — Nothing doing in the top of the fourth for the Hornets. But ooohh! There’s a nice throw by Colson to pick off, guess who, Rodriguez at second. Aslin caught a foul fly ball right by the bag at first for the second out and Augeri ran in to snag a fly ball in center for the third out. Jason Orts points out that for the second straight inning Needville had a leadoff runner reach base, but still got out 1-2-3. Needville 1, Gatesville 0 after four.
8:05 p.m. — Gatesville came up with another couple of sharp defensive plays to get out of the third inning. Leib went sprawling for a pop up in front of the plate. She couldn’t catch it, but she plucked it, whirled and threw to second to force out Amy Briscoe. Then Smith caught the next pop up, by Becca Rademacher and caught Shauni Prihoda way off of first base.
8:03 p.m. — The official scorer called Chartier’s hit a three-base error, meaning Gatesville is still hitless. That’s a bad ruling in my opinion as Chartier seemed poised to beat the throw even if it had been on the mark.
7:58 p.m. — Gatesville’s Megan Chartier went running wild, a little too wild. Chartier reached base on a bunt single, then took off for second when the throw to first went flying into right field. Chartier rounded second and easily made it to third, but she should’ve stopped there. Chartier got caught between third and home and Needville catcher Julie Stack tagged her out to end the top of the third.
7:52 p.m. — We’re flying by here at McCombs Field. I had some technical difficulties that kept me from blogging in the last 10 minutes and in that time, an inning passed by. Needless to say, not much happened. Leib struck out Julie Kalmus for the third out in the bottom of the second. Needville 1, Gatesville 0 after two.
7:42 p.m. — Gatesville got out of the first inning with a nice defensive play. After Leib struck out Shelby Parham for the first out, Randi Smith scooped a grounder, checked Needville runner Alyssa Rodriguez at third, and threw to Allison Aslin for out No. 2. Rodriguez tried to test Aslin’s arm and go home, but Aslin threw a strike to catcher Amber Colson for the third out. Needville 1, Gatesville 0 after an inning.
7:39 p.m. — Gatesville is off to a bumpy start in the bottom of the first inning, a hit by Becca Rademacher and two Hornet errors have yielded a run with no outs yet.
7:35 p.m. — Falls retired Gatesville’s Chartier, Rebecca Augeri and Emily Leib in order in the first, going strikeout, fly-out to left, strikeout.
7:30 p.m — Needville pitcher Cally Falls fires the first pitch to Gatesville leadoff hitter Megan Chartier, it’s a strike as Chartier attempted to slap bunt and we’re underway.
7:25 p.m. — All right, we’re ready to go here for the 3A semifinal as Gatesville attempts to go through Needville into the 3A state championship game. The shadows are starting to stretch across McCombs Field as the game announcer is calling out the rosters.
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Updated baseball and softball playoff schedule
We’ve just about got the baseball and softball playoff schedule set for this weekend. Here are the scores from the previous round, plus the pairings for the next round:
SOFTBALL
CLASS 5A
Regional quarterfinals
Mesquite Horn 2, Belton 1
CLASS 4A
Regional quarterfinals
Mesquite Poteet 2, Midway 0
CLASS 3A
Regional quarterfinals
Fredericksburg 2, China Spring 1 (8)
Gatesville 4, West 1
Regional semifinals
Gatesville (28-8) vs. Levelland, Game 1: 7 p.m. Friday at Graham; Game 2: 3 p.m. Saturday at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
CLASS 2A
Regional quarterfinals
Rosebud-Lott 2, Big Sandy Harmony 0 (8)
Regional semifinals
Rosebud-Lott (20-6) vs. Corrigan-Camden, 4 p.m. Saturday at Madisonville
CLASS 1A
Regional quarterfinals
Valley Mills 7, Hubbard 4
Meridian 8, Italy 7
Mart (22-2) vs. Thorndale (19-8), Wednesday
Regional semifinals
Valley Mills (15-10-1) vs. Sulphur Springs North Hopkins (16-5), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday at Ennis; Game 2: Noon Saturday at Ennis; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
Meridian vs. Lindsay (23-7-2), Game 1: 6 p.m. Thursday at Fort Worth Brewer; Game 2: 1 p.m. Saturday at Fort Worth Brewer; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
BASEBALL
CLASS 5A
Area
Belton 9, Dallas White 2
Regional quarterfinals
Belton (23-7) vs. Tyler Lee (23-2-2), best-of-3 series TBA
CLASS 4A
Area
Hallsville 2, Midway 1 (9)
CLASS 3A
Area
West, bye
Carthage 5, Lorena 1
Robinson 11, Lufkin Hudson 4
Longview Spring Hill 4, Mexia 0
Bridge City 13, Cameron 3 (5)
Regional quarterfinals
West (18-11) vs. Liberty Hill (15-7), 7 p.m. Thursday at Leander Rouse (one-game playoff)
Robinson (23-2) vs. Longview Spring Hill (26-2), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday at Ennis; Game 2: 1 p.m. Saturday at Canton; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
CLASS 2A
Area
Troy 14, Blooming Grove 4
Edgewood 3, Clifton 1
Crawford 3, Winnsboro 2
Rosebud-Lott 3, Big Sandy Harmony 1
Regional quarterfinals
Troy (19-4) vs. Edgewood, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Waxahachie (one-game playoff)
Crawford (21-2) vs. Corsicana Mildred (21-6), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday at Corsicana; Game 2: 7 p.m. Friday at McGregor; Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. Saturday at Duncanville.
Rosebud-Lott (18-6) vs. Harleton (21-3), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday at Athens; Game 2: 1 p.m. Saturday at Athens; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
CLASS 1A
Area
Trenton 10, Frost 6
DeLeon 10, Dawson 9
Goldthwaite 10, Axtell 5
Windthorst 9, Italy 2
Meridian 11, Clyde Eula 0 (5)
Bosqueville 13, Albany 3 (5)
Flatonia 7, Mart 3
Bremond vs. Ganado, Wednesday
Regional quarterfinals
Meridian (22-5-2) vs. Bosqueville (20-4), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday at Fort Worth Brewer; Game 2: 3 p.m. Saturday at Fort Worth Brewer; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
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Former Mart coach Cron retiring
Former Mart coach Terry Cron, who led the Panthers to the 1999 Class 2A Division I state championship, has resigned at Mansfield Timberview and plans to retire, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
In 2001 Cron became the second coach to lead three teams to state championships when Commerce won the Class 3A Division II title. He also led Barlett to a 1A championship.
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Baseball playoff schedule
There’s a lot more to be decided in baseball, because there are still some regular-season games to be played.
But here’s what we have so far:
CLASS 3A
Warm-up game
Salado at Gatesville, 1 p.m. Saturday
Bi-district
West vs. Fredericksburg, Game 1: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Baylor Ballpark; Game 2: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Fredericksburg; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
Gatesville (13-11) vs. Burnet (15-8), Game 1: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Gatesville; Game 2: 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Burnet; Game 3 (if necessary): TBA Saturday, May 16.
Lorena vs. Brownsboro, one-game playoff TBA
Cameron, bye
Area
Cameron vs. Bridge City, 7 p.m. Monday, May 18, at Baseball USA in Houston
CLASS 1A
Warm-up game
Mart at Axtell, 6 p.m. Friday
TAPPS
Class 3A
Quarterfinals
Reicher vs. Tyler All Saints, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Corsicana
Vanguard vs. Arlington Pantego, 6 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark
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Updated high school softball playoff schedule
There’s been a lot of upheaval in the high school baseball and softball playoff schedules because of the moves made by the University Interscholastic League in response to the swine flu outbreak.
Here is the up-to-date schedule, as far as we know, for softball:
CLASS 5A
Bi-district
Belton (20-12) vs. North Mesquite (11-11-2), 7 p.m. Tuesday at Waco ISD Complex
CLASS 4A
Bi-district
Midway (23-8) vs. Terrell, 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mansfield Timberview (one-game playoff)
CLASS 3A
Bi-district
China Spring (26-7) vs. Liberty Hill, Game 1: 7 p.m. today at Liberty Hill; Game 2: 6:15 p.m. Friday at China Spring; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
West (21-4), bye
Gatesville (23-7) vs. Wimberley, Game 1: 6 p.m. Friday at Marble Falls; Game 2: 8 p.m. Friday at Marble Falls; Game 3 (if necessary): 2 p.m. Saturday at Marble Falls.
Robinson vs. Palestine Westwood, 7 p.m. Monday at Corsicana (one-game playoff)
Lorena (20-8), bye
Fairfield vs. Groesbeck, 7 p.m. Friday at Corsicana (one-game playoff)
Area
West (21-4) vs. Bridgeport, TBA
Lorena (20-8) vs. Huntington/Tatum, TBA
Fairfield/Groesbeck vs. Bullard, TBA
CLASS 2A
Bi-district
Bruceville-Eddy (16-4), bye
Crawford (17-8) vs. Maypearl, Game 1: 5:30 p.m. Friday at Crawford; Game 2: 1 p.m. Saturday at Maypearl; Game 3 (if necessary): Following Game 2.
Troy (18-7) vs. Godley, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Glen Rose (one-game playoff)
Rosebud-Lott (17-6), bye
Area
Bruceville-Eddy (16-4) vs. Grand Saline/Sunnyvale, TBA
Rosebud-Lott (17-6) vs. Harleton/Queen City, TBA
CLASS 1A
Bi-district
Hubbard, bye
Dawson vs. Valley Mills, 7 p.m. Monday at Grandview (one-game playoff)
Frost, bye
Meridian, bye
Italy vs. Goldthwaite, 7 p.m. Monday at McGregor (one-game playoff)
Bosqueville vs. Bremond, 7 p.m. Friday at Lorena (one-game playoff)
Riesel vs. Burton, TBA
Mart, bye
Area
Hubbard vs. Graford/Waxahachie Faith Family, TBA
Frost vs. Dawson/Valley Mills, TBA
Meridian vs. Perrin-Whitt/Waxahachie Advantage Academy, TBA
Bosqueville/Bremond vs. Shiner, TBA
Mart vs. Ganado/Milano, TBA
TAPPS
Class 3A
Quarterfinals
Reicher (18-9) vs. Bullard Brook Hill, 6 p.m. today at Malakoff
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Area state golf and tennis qualifiers
Here’s the complete list of qualifiers from Central Texas for the state golf and tennis tournaments later this month. You can see who they’re up against, including the draws for the tennis touranment, on the UIL Web site.
GOLF
GIRLS
CLASS 3A
Team: Cameron (Kelsey Hornung, Emily Fuchs, Emily Dohnalik, Haley Vrazel and Lauren Elchinger)
CLASS 1A
Individual: Gabriella Dominguez, Chilton
BOYS
CLASS 3A
Teams: Gatesville (Aaron Massey, Jake Truss, Hunter Abbott, Chance Cathey and Preston Timmons)
Robinson (Ryan Hixson, Chase Chapman, Cody Kocian, Taylor Holleyman and Matt Houk)
CLASS 2A
Individual: Jake Blenden, Crawford
CLASS 1A
Individual: Kyle Crawford, Abbott
Team: Riesel (Cory Becker, Cody Wilson, Corey Schroeder, Cody Sandhoff and Corey Pavelka)
TENNIS
CLASS 4A
Mixed doubles: Kolby Kilgo/Kenna Kilgo, Midway
CLASS 3A
Boys’ singles: Tucker Mueck, Robinson
Girls’ singles: Brittni Fausett, Cameron
Boys’ doubles: Tim Brewer/Ethan McWhorter, Groesbeck
Mixed doubles: Jordan Hamilton/Kylie Glass, Groesbeck
CLASS 1A
Boys’ singles: Travis Cassady, Frost; Logan Mynar, Kopperl
Boys’ doubles: Kyle Montgomery/Josh Vela, Frost
Girls’ doubles: Hayley Burns/Josey Broumely, Iredell
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Meridian softball player signs
Meridian senior Megan Nieuwenhuis has signed a national letter of intent to play softball for Oklahoma Panhandle State University, an NCAA Division II school located in Goodwell, Okla.
Nieuwenhuis is the first Meridian player to be recruited to play college softball.
As a junior in 2008, Nieuwenhuis hit .581 with 33 runs, five home runs, 36 RBIs and 20 stolen bases for the Yellowjackets, splitting time between catcher, third base and shortstop. This season, she is hitting .625 with 16 RBIs and 40 steals, and has an ERA of 2.25 as a pitcher.
Nieuwenhuis played six years for the Fire and Ice select squad in China Spring, and for the past two years has played for the Texas Glory ASA team out of McKinney.
She is the daughter of Dan and Denise Nieuwenhuis and granddaughter of Leo and Vicki Young, all of Meridian. Her great-uncle is Jack Aaron, past president of the American Softball Association and a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame.
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Midway tennis players headed to regionals
The spring sports rush is in full swing now, with district golf and tennis tournaments and track meets happening seemingly every day.
Midway tennis is sending a healthy contingent to the Class 4A Region II tournament.
Pictured are: (front row) Jennifer Sawyer, Mary Beth Green, Kenna Kilgo, Carina Mooslechner and Jessica Sawyer; (back row) Kolby Kilgo, coach Troy Simonek and Frankie Allinson.
Mooslechner and Sawyer were the district girls’ doubles champions, and Green and Jennifer Sawyer were the runners-up.
Kilgo and Kilgo won the mixed doubles title, and Allison claimed the boys’ singles championship.
The Class 4A Region II tournament will begin April 21 in Denton.
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SOCCER PLAYOFF PREVIEWS
BOYS
Midway (22-1-1) vs. Nacogdoches (13-5)
7 p.m. tonight at Pritchett Field in Huntsville
Notable: If Midway can score on the Dragons it will likely slay them. Nacogdoches has 11 shutouts among its 13 victories this season. On Tuesday, Nacogdoches got an early goal against Waco High when Lions goalkeeper David Araujo went to the turf after collision with a Dragon forward. After that, Nacogdoches continually turned back Waco High’s attack and ended up winning 3-0. … The Panthers reached the sectional round with a 3-0 win over Palestine.
University (22-3-1) vs. Jacksonville
8 p.m. Friday in Forney
Notable: After stumbling in the second half of district with losses against Waco High and Midway, the Trojans rolled through the first round of the playoffs with a 6-0 win over Center. … Trojans coach Mike Chapman said University’s objective in the first round was to jump on its opponent early, which it did. That will probably be a good habit to keep up against Jacksonville.
GIRLS
Midway (19-3) vs. Nacogdoches (14-7-3)
6 p.m. tonight at Tiger Stadium in Corsicana
Notable: Given Midway’s domination of District 33-4A, this is a game the Pantherettes should control. Nacogdoches edged out Midway’s district foe Robinoson, 1-0, on Monday night.
Waco High vs. Palestine
6 p.m. Friday in Forney
Notable: Waco High ended more than 79 minutes of frustration when Megan Vlam scored with 11 seconds left to defeat Diboll on Tuesday night. The Lady Lions had spent all night firing shots at the Diboll goal before Vlam’s goal finally gave Waco High a 1-0 win. … This is a matchup of district runners-up. Waco High finished second in 33-4A while Palestine took second in 35-4A.
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UIL Class 4A state championship game: MIDWAY vs. TIMBERVIEW
AUSTIN — The Midway Pantherettes are the Class 4A state champions. Midway’s Cokie Reed finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds and the Pantherettes clamped down on the Wolves on defense to claim a 50-27 victory at the Frank Erwin Center. Midway has now won seven girls’ basketball state championships. This is the Pantherettes’ first since 1994.
5:28 p.m. — For the record, Mulkey stayed for the whole game. It looks like she wants to give Makenzie a huge before hurrying off to the Ferrell Center.
5:27 p.m. — Reed, Spoon and Gross came off the floor for the last time to a huge cheer.
5:26 p.m. — What will probably be Spoon’s last assist at Midway was a nice one. She made a bounce pass down the lane to Robertson, who put in a reverse layup.
5:25 p.m. — This one’s pretty much in the books. Midway is running clock and Timberview isn’t really doing anything to stop it.
5:21 p.m. — There seems to be a large contingent of Kermitria Ward fans. I’ve seen a sign and heard a chant pleading to see Ward in the game.
5:20 p.m. — Reed takes a breather with 3:30 left in the game. Oh, but here she comes back in. It’s about time to start bringing the seniors off for standing ovations. Midway 46, Timberview 23 with 2:52 left.
5:17 p.m. — Kim Mulkey is still in the building with 2 hours and 13 minutes left until the Lady Bears tip against Texas A&M at the Ferrell Center.
5:16 p.m. — Reed rattled home another jumper to up Midway’s lead to 46-21 with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter.
5:14 p.m. — MVP ballots have been passed out. Reed has a game-high 15 points, 8 rebounds and a whole bunch of blocks. She gets my vote.
5:10 p.m. — It should be a waltz to the title for Midway with a 25-point edge going to the final period. The Wolves need to rain in some 3’s and they haven’t shown much if a tendency to fill it up from range.
5:10 p.m. — Jessica Sparrow just scored Timberview’s first points of the quarter with 49 seconds left, cutting the Midway lead to 42-17.
5:05 p.m. — Reed into the lane and up strong for a basket and the foul. She made the and-one. Midway 40-15. Timberview still hasn’t scored in the quarter.
5:02 p.m. — Reed is back in after Timberview just grabbed about 14 offensive rebounds on one trip. No points for the Wolves on that trip though.
5:00 p.m. — Midway takes a timeout to set things up as Reed prepares to take a breather. That’s probably a smart move because you can ensure Reed doesn’t pick up foul number three for a while and nurse a 22-point lead in the meantime. Plus Gober’s going in for Reed and she’s been great so far.
4:58 p.m. — Reed with a fast-break layup — on a dish from Spoon — and the foul. Reed makes the and-one for a 37-15 lead.
4:55 p.m. — There’s Makenzie Robertson. After missing her first four attempts from 3-point range, she nailed one to boost Midway’s lead to 29-15 with 6:30 to go in the third quarter. After a Reed jumper from 15 feet, there’s Robertson again draining a 3 from the right wing. Midway 34, Timberview 15 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.
4:45 p.m. — It happens this way in a championship game a lot, but Toi Gober has stepped up to have a great game so far. She came off the bench to score a game-leading nine points in the first half.
4:35 p.m. — A tough end to the half for Midway was avoided. Gross got caught up with a scramble for the ball and called for her second foul with two seconds left in the second quarter. But Timberview missed the front end of a one-and-one and Midway maintained an 11-point lead.
4:35 p.m. — Diana Jones with a steal and a fast-break layup. Midway leads 26-13 with 46 ticks to go in the half.
4:32 p.m. — Spoon to the line for a one-and-one. She made the first, missed the second. Midway’s up 24-13 with 1:16 left in the half.
4:29 p.m. — After going more than six minutes without scoring, Timberview has back-to-back inside buckets now that Reed has taken a seat with her second foul. Midway 23, Timberview 13.
Also, it appears the Midway fans and Brock fans have made friends as the Brock fans are actively cheering for the Pantherettes.
4:27 p.m. — DeLisa Gross nails a jumper in the key and Midway’s lead is up to 14 points. By the way, Gober has nine points this quarter and leads the Pantherettes in scoring.
4:26 p.m. — Reed grabs a rebound and leads Gober down the court. Gober caught up to it and did a good job adjusting to make the basket.
4:25 p.m. — Reed with a dish to — guess who? Gober. She’s doing a good job of cutting to the basket. This time she put in another easy layup. Midway 19, Timberview 9 and Timberview called a timeout with 5:56 left in the first half.
4:24 p.m. — Gober’s having a good championship game so far. She’s at the line where she made one to up the lead to 17-9.
4:20 p.m. — Spoon drives and then shoots a nice dime to Gober for an easy layup. Midway leads, 16-9 a minute into quarter 2.
4:15 p.m — Toi Gober made a fast-break layup on a dish from Spoon with eight seconds left in the quarter. Midway leads 14-9 after a period.
4:14 p.m. — Krissica Harper, who will henceforth be referred to as Spoon, her nickname, nails a 3 to put Midway ahead, 12-9 with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
4:12 p.m. — Reed picks up her first foul on a bad sequence for Midway. The Wolves got about 3 offensive rebounds before Reed finally sent Chenale Smith to the line. Smith hit both shots, 9-9.
4:08 p.m. — Reed’s at the line to try to give Midway its first lead. She made both. Midway leads 9-7.
4:05 p.m. — Cokie Reed goes into the lane for a basket but can’t finish the three-point play, then DeLisa Gross nailed a 3. 5-5.
4:04 p.m. — Chanice Smith gets the Wolves on the board with a jumper then a 3, 5-0.
4:02 p.m. — No score in the first minute as both teams are feeling each other out.
3:59 p.m. — They’re announcing the starting lineups. This could be an amazing basketball game.
3:45 p.m. — We’re still about six minutes until tip off, a fact that I’m guessing doesn’t make Baylor coach Kim Mulkey too happy.
Mulkey, whose daughter Makenzie Robertson starts for Midway, is seated about 10 rows behind the Midway bench. She’ll go from here to the Ferrell Center for the Lady Bears game at 7:30 tonight against Texas A&M.
3:32 p.m. — The Midway Pantherettes and the Mansfield Timberview Wolves are getting ready to take the court for warm ups.
Brock won the 2A championship game, which wrapped up about five minutes ago.
I had a chance to talk to former Midway coach Reggie Davis just a few minutes ago. Davis guided the 1994 Pantherettes to the 4A state championship, the school’s last of its six state titles in girls’ basketball.
Davis said that season was kind of like a fairy tale that ended with a championship game victory over Dallas Lincoln, 52-40.
He paid the current Midway team a huge compliment, saying it’s the most talented Pantherettes team he’s seen.
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Rockets blast Argyle for crown
AUSTIN — The Robinson Rockets are the queens of Class 3A girls’ basketball.
Championship game MVP Rachel Hargis scored 20 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked two shots to help Robinson defeat Argyle, 49-33, in the 3A title game Saturday at the Frank Erwin Center.
The victory gives the Rockets (34-5) the second girls’ basketball state championship in program history and first since 1970.
Robinson-Argyle live blog
12:15 p.m. Coach Brenda Gomez, who won five state championships in New Mexico, “finally feels like a Texan,” after winning her first title in Texas today. “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” she said, “so this one is a little bigger.
The final numbers just underscore Robinson’s dominance in this game. The Rockets limited Argyle to 28.6 percent shooting, 17.6 percent in the first half as they built a 30-15 lead.
Robinson outrebounded Argyle, 35-24, and forced 18 turnovers.
Championship game MVP Rachel Hargis finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Her ability to dominate inside led to a 20-2 edge in points in the paint and 18-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Point guard Ashley James filled the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Mackenzie Roach scored 13 points. Argyle’s Claire Pettibon scored 17 points, and the Lady Eagles were led in rebounds by Jessica Bonfield’s nine.
11:54 a.m. That’s all from me for now. I’ll be back in a few minutes with some final stats and postgame reaction from Coach Gomez and maybe a player or two.
Also a reminder to come back at 3:30 this afternoon, when the Midway Pantherettes try to join Robinson as Centex state champions. They will take on top-ranked Mansfield Timberview in the Class 4A final.
11:52 a.m. Now for the trophy presentation, as the Rockets receive their state championship hardware. It’s really hard to see the players through the mass of media, but there is absolute elation on each of their faces.
11:46 a.m. And it’s official. Rachel Hargis is the game’s MVP. She’s receiving the award at center court and has gone back and received congratulations from her teammates.
11:45 a.m. I’ll be back in a little bit with some final stats, but for now, I can only say this is no big surprise to me.
The Rockets appeared on paper to be the team to beat after reaching state by surviving the toughest region.
Anyway, Hargis was my choice as MVP because she scored a game-high 20 points, I don’t have the final rebounding totals, but I’m pretty sure she had the most of anybody there, too. But possibly the biggest thing was the way she controlled the interior on defense and never let Argyle get anything done there.
11:43 a.m. Rachel Hargis leaves to a standing ovation from the Rockets’ fans, who chanted MVP as she left the court. I don’t know if I’m supposed to do this, but I’ll go ahead and tell you that Hargis was the choice on my ballot.
Meanwhile, senior point guard Ashley James just left the court and shared a long, emotional hug with coach Brenda Gomez.
The clock winds down, Alexander throws the ball high in the air and the celebration begins. Robinson 49, Argyle 33 — final.
11:42 a.m. Robinson’s content to run some clock right now, as there’s less than 2 minutes left. It’s still 49-33 Rockets. We’re in a timeout and the Rocket fans behind me are letting their team hear it. There doesn’t seem to be too much suspense left in this one.
11:36 a.m. Argyle is picking up the defensive intensity, but it can’t seem to get any turnovers. The teams just traded baskets, with Alexander driving and giving off a nice pass to Roach for a layup. Hargis adds two free throws. She’s got 20, and Robinson’s up 49-33 with 3:21 left.
11:33 a.m. Hargis isn’t allowing the Lady Eagles to get any closer, knocking down a pair of free throws. It’s 45-31 Robinson with 4:43 to go. Hannah Abbe now has four fouls for the Rockets.
11:32 a.m. Pettibon scores a layup, jumper and 3-pointer for Argyle, giving her 17 points. She’s the only Lady Eagle in double figures and might be the only one with more than three. It’s down to a 12-point Robinson, 43-31, lead with just less than 5 minutes to go.
11:28 a.m. Robinson moves 8 minutes from the state championship with a 41-21 lead after three quarters.
The Rockets are shooting 16-for-40, while Argyle is just 5-for-26. The Rockets also hold a 27-16 rebounding edge. We just got sheets to vote for the championship game MVP. I’ll give you my choice with an explanation at the end of the game.
11:26 a.m. I mentioned earlier that Argyle had more turnovers than shot attempts. That’s no longer the case, but the Lady Eagles do have 14 turnovers and only five made field goals. They’re 5-for-25 shooting. It’s hard to win like that. In game action, Hargis finishes a layup on an assist from James, and it’s 39-21 Rockets with 1:13 on the third-quarter clock.
11:21 a.m. Ashley James knocks down a 3-pointer for Robinson, slowing Argyle’s momentum. Hargis appears to be rushing her shot a little right now, as she’s missed her last two layup attempts, but the Rockets still have a comfortable lead, 35-21, 3:13 left in the third quarter.
11:20 a.m. Argyle is scratching and clawing, trying its best to get back in this thing. Claire Pettibon makes a pair of 3’s early in the third quarter. She now has nine points, and it’s 32-21 Robinson.
11:14 a.m. There’s about five minutes left in the break, so here’s my 2 cents about the first half. Robinson’s defense completely dominated, especially on the defensive end. Rachel Hargis has only blocked one shot, but she’s altered several others and indimidated anyone who dares to drive.
Argyle finally started to dent Robinson’s defense late in the first half. The biggest difference was simple. The Lady Eagles started taking care of the ball, attacking and actually getting shot attempts instead of turning it over.
Mackenzie Roach opened up the middle offensively for Robinson by burying three 3-pointers in the first half. She has a game-high 11 points, while Hargis has added 10. Four Argyle players each have three points each, which is its high.
11:02 a.m. First-half stats: Robinson is 11-for-26, 4-for-10 on 3’s, 4-for-8 from the free-throw line, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 9 turnovers, 1 blocked shot and five steals. Argyle is 3-for-16, 2-for-8 on 3’s, 7-for-9 free throws, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 10 turnovers, 4 steals.
11:00 a.m. Ashley James drills a 3-pointer, and Argyle adds a free throw to make it 30-15 Robinson at halftime.
10:53 a.m. Rachel Hargis is giving Argyle fits on both ends of the floor. She’s patrolling the back line on defense and not allowing anything easy. On offense, she just cracked double figures with 10 points. It’s 27-14 Robinson with 2:07 left in the first half.
10:50 a.m. Argyle has finally started to attack as the Rockets have had a recent rash of turnovers. Argyle has scored the last six points, but Robinson still leads, 23-9, with 4:06 left in the first half.
By the way, I’m a little tardy in telling you this, but Hannah Abbe just returned to the game with two fouls for Robinson.
10:45 a.m. Alexander is back in the game with two fouls and just knocked down a short jumper. I’m guessing Robinson coach Brenda Gomez senses her team could put this away soon and doesn’t want to mess around with leaving her best players on the bench. Hargis adds a layup, misses the chance to finish off a three-point play but Kayla Hines sneaks in for the rebound and putback. Robinson is absolutely demolishing Argyle, 23-3. The Lady Eagles now have 10 turnovers and nine shot attempts.
Chad Conine just told me that he believes Robinson’s biggest lead since the area round was 18 against Navasota. The Rockets have that beat right now.
10:42 a.m. Roach hits double digits with another 3 less than a minute into the second. She’s got 11. On the other end, Argyle has taken eight shots and just turned it over for the seventh time. Robinson could be on the verge of putting this one away early, 17-3.
10:37 a.m. Roach has come to play today. She’s made a pair or 3-pointers and a midrange jumper for a game-high eight points in the first quarter, as Robinson leads 14-3.
Shooting stats: Robinson 4-for-14, 2-for-7 on 3’s, 4-for-4 free throws; Argyle 1-for-8, 1-for-6 on 3’s, no free-throw attempts. Robinson has a 10-3 rebounding edge. Robinson center Rachel Hargis, who picked up two fouls in the first quarter of Thursday’s semifinal win, has none so far today. She’s the main reason Argyle has achieved nothing on the inside so far.
10:35 a.m. First sign of trouble for Robinson as Alex Alexander picks up her second foul with 1:15 left in the first. Meanwhile, Roach steps into another 3 and knocks it down. It’s 12-3 with less than a minute to go in the first.
10:34 a.m. Argyle finally gets on the board with a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Molly Hennesy with 1:40 left in the first. It’s 9-3 Robinson.
10:30 a.m. Robinson’s Hannah Abbe hits a pair of free throw and Mackenzie Roach adds a 3-pointer. The Lady Eagles finally have a shot hit the rim, but that’s it, as it’s 9-0 Rockets. 3:13 1st quarter.
10:29 a.m. This game has begun much the same as Robinson’s semifinal against Lubbock Estacado. The Rockets’ defense has forced three turnovers and only allowed one shot attempt in the first 3 minutes, but the offense hasn’t hit its stride yet. Hargis knocks down a pair of free throws, and it’s 4-0 Robinson at the 4:50 mark of the first quarter. Neither of Argyle’s two shot attempts has hit the rim, and the Rockets have an early 5-2 rebounding edge.
10:27 a.m. The first basket of the game goes to Robinson, on a putback by Rachel Hargis with 6:28 left in the first quarter. 2-0 Rockets. Argyle hasn’t gotten much done on offense, with an airball on a 3-pointer and two turnovers on its last three possessions.
10:24 a.m. There’s the tip, controlled by Robinson, and we’re under way.
10:20 a.m. OK, we’re getting the starting lineups for both teams right now. Argyle is in the home white, with red numbers outlined in black. Robinson is in its road blue, with black numbers outlined in white.
We’re moments away from tipoff now, and the excitement is beginning to build.
10:14 a.m. Just looking around at the crowd, it appears Robinson has a huge fan-support edge. In fact, I think the entire town may have received an early wake-up call and made the trip down here.
9:53 a.m. Welcome to a special early-morning live blog as the Robinson Rockets get set to take on the Argyle Lady Eagles for the Class 3A state championship. This is Jason Orts here on press corner to give live updates on the game.
The Class 1A Division I game just ended, with Sudan claiming the title in a rout over Roscoe, 71-38. Nice show of sportsmanship as the teams have come together at center court to pray together.
The Rockets and Lady Eagles should take the floor any second, and the game should tip off at about 10:20 or so.
Midway-Hays live blog
10:10 p.m. — Midway rolls into the Class 4A state championship game with a 67-46 victory over Hays.
It was a successful day for Central Texas teams as both Midway and Robinson won their semifinals. It should be an exciting day Saturday with Robinson facing Argyle at 10 a.m. and Midway vs. Mansfield Timberview at 3:30 p.m.
10:01 p.m. — Midway got it going from 3-point range. Robertson and Gross nailed 3s in the last couple of minutes. After hitting just one of their first 12, the Pantherettes have hit five straight. Midway leads 62-36 with 3:36 left in the fourth.
9:59 p.m. — Toi Gober goes baseline for a basket, giving Midway six players who have scored, then Gross put a nasty post move on someone for an easy lay-in. Midway 56, Hays 34 with 5:30 to go in the fourth quarter.
9:50 p.m. — Indeed, Diana Jones scored on a down-court fast-break pass from Harper and Gross nailed a 3 to put Midway up 18. I don’t think Hays can climb back in this one. Oh, there’s another 3 from Robertson, Midway 48-28 with 5 seconds to go in the third.
9:48 p.m. — Harper answered with a 3 and a beautiful pass to Gross for a bucket. Midway goes up 40-27 and seems like its winding up to throw a knockout punch.
9:46 p.m. — Hays’ Ashley Rankin hit a 3 and then stole a pass. She’s keeping the Rebels in the game right now. Midway’s up 35-27 with 2:45 left in the third.
9:42 p.m. — Harper hit a jumper for her first points, then Gross went to the line and sunk a pair. Midway leads, 33-22.
9:39 p.m. — Midway would be running away from this game if it weren’t cold as ice from 3-point range. Gross, Harper and Robertson have all missed 3s this quarter, making the Pantherettes one for 12 for the game. Still, Midway leads 29-22 with 6:04 left in the third quarter.
9:30 p.m. — Just went over for a brief chat with Coach Mulkey. She said the Pantherettes look like they’re experiencing a slight case of state-tournament butterflies.
That’s a common bug today. We saw Robinson suffer slightly from jitters or butterflies or whatever for a lot of its game. But like Robinson, Midway has done enough to overcome the nerves and lead at halftime.
9:27 p.m. — Hays’ Shelby Calabrese goes down the lane for a basket with five seconds left in the first half. That cuts Midway’s lead to 27-21 at intermission.
9:26 p.m. — Nice spin move by Hays’ E.J. Joyner cut the lead back to five. But then Harper found Reed with a nice no-look and Reed got the basket, the foul and the three-point play. Midway 27-19 with 30 seconds left in the half.
9:21 p.m. — The Pantherettes’ inside game is working, though. Robertson went to the basket for a layup and Reed fed Gross for another interior bucket.
9:20 p.m. — Hays’ Brooke Borreson hits a jumper from the elbow to cut Midway’s lead to 20-15 with 3:44 to go in the first half. Midway’s shooting a little cold at the moment.
9:14 p.m. — Reed goes strong to the basket with a nifty post move, but Hays answers on the other end. We’re getting a little back and forth now as the Pantherettes lead has shrunk to 16-9.
I mentioned Mulkey’s attire earlier. Speaking of coach’s dress, Midway coach Teri Morrison is sporting a flashy red suit.
9:11 p.m. — Midway leads 14-5 at the end of the first quarter. The Pantherettes are playing loose, like they’re enjoying being on the state-tournament stage.
9:09 p.m. — Nice transition ball movement from Diana Jones to Harper to Gross. Then Gross stole a pass and turned it into a fast-break layup on Hays’ next trip down. Midway bumps ahead, 14-5 with 1:17 left in the first quarter.
9:05 p.m. — Buda Hays gets on the board with a jumper in the lane by Ashley Megallanez, but the Lady Rebels are having trouble even getting a shot off. Makenzie Robertson has four straight points to put Midway ahead, 10-2.
9:02 p.m. — MIdway’s offense is hit or miss so far, but the Pantherettes are playing D. Midway has forced five turnovers over Buda Hays’ first five possessions.
9:00 p.m. — DeLisa Gross gets thing started with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then a steal and an outlet to Krissica Harper who dishes to Cokie Reed for another bucket. Already Midway’s up 5-0.
8:55 p.m. — We’ve spotted Kim Mulkey. She’s sitting about eight rows behind the Midway bench. Looks like Mulkey went with gameday-casual dress sporting jeans and what looks to be a leather jacket.
Intros then tip.
8:41 p.m. — Mansfield Timberview cruised into the final, 67-46 over Cibolo Steele. The Pantherettes and Lady Rebels are on the court now warming up for Late Night at The Drum.
My tip-time guess is going to be a few minutes off. Looks like we’ll tip right about 9.
I saw the Midway team having their picture made back stage earlier. For what it’s worth, they seemed loose.
8:08 p.m. — After a walk down Red River and dinner at Stubbs BBQ, Jason and I are back in The Drum, ready to watch Midway’s semifinal against Buda Hays.
At the moment, Mansfield Timberview is running Cibolo Steele out of the building, 51-30 after three quarters.
Estimated start time for the Midway game (according to me) is 8:47 p.m.
Robinson-Estacado live blog
6:02 OK, that’s pretty much going to do it for this afternoon’s live blog. A reminder to come back at 8:30 tonight, when Midway tries to join Robinson in the state championship game against Buda Hays. Chad Conine will be your live blogger for that one.
5:54 Robinson coach Brenda Gomez wasn’t thrilled with the confidence her team played with today, saying she couldn’t understand it because it’s been a confident team all season. Maybe it was just the nerves of playing at The Drum in a state tournament. She was happy with the defense and early rebounding, as she should have been.
Estacado shot just 22.6 percent for the game — 18.5 percent (5-for-27) in the second half. Its leading scorer was Brittany Johnson, who put in 14, but she was 4-for-22 and was harrassed constantly by Robinson’s inside players. Rachel Hargis did most of it, blocking six shots in her 19 minutes of action.
The Rockets were much more efficient, shooting 36.7 percent for the game and had three players in double figures. Alex Alexander finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Ashley James also scored 15 points. Hannah Abbe chipped in with 10 and was 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
Robinson had a 24-12 edge in points in the paint and finished with a 51-35 rebounding advantage.
5:30 And that will do it. Robinson moves into the state championship game against Argyle with a 51-35 victory over Lubbock Estacado. That game will be played at 10 a.m. Saturday, here at the Frank Erwin Center. I’ll be back in a few minutes to give you some final totals from today’s game.
5:27 The Robinson fans are on their feet with a rousing edition of “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.” There’s less than a minute left, and it’s 48-35 Rockets.
5:23 The Rockets move the ball around for about 40 seconds, until James is fouled. We’re in a timeout with 1:23 left and James about to shoot 1 and 1. The Rockets’ defense has been outstanding, limiting Estacado to 12-for-53 shooting.
5:22 Abbe now has 10 second-half points, the third Rocket with double figures. Alexander has 15 and James has 12. Robinson’s 2 minutes from the title game, 47-35.
5:19 Robinson pulls away again on a driving layup by James and Abbe 3-pointer that rattles in. It’s 45-35 with 3:25 left.
5:17 As the game gets closer to the end and could become somewhat of a free-throw-shooting contest, I’m letting you know neither team has been good there. Robinson is 6 of 16, Estacado is 6 of 15.
5:14 Things are getting rough under the basket and Kayla Hines just got popped in the mouth just outside the 3-point arc. By the way, the Rockets have 6 team fouls, and Estacado has 3. 5:11 left, 39-33 Robinson.
5:12 And there’s the fourth on Hargis. Johnson drives in, makes a nice move to her left and Hargis gets to the defensive spot a half-second late. It’s 39-33 Robinson 5:50 to go and Hargis heading back to the bench.
5:09 Hargis is living dangerously, reaching over Johnson to knock the ball away. Robinson’s center needs to play smart, as the Rockets are dominating with her in the game, struggling at times without. Still 39-32.
5:06 Estacado’s Johnson, who has 13 points, scores with only a second left in the third quarter, and the Matadors are hanging around. It’s 39-32 Robinson with a quarter to go.
5:04 The next minute and a half could be crucial. Robinson has a small lineup in outside of Kayla Hines. With Hargis on the bench, the Rockets would love to maintain their lead.
5:02 Hargis picks up third foul with 1:34 left in third. Johnson makes 1 of 2 free throws for Estacado and it’s 39-27 Robinson.
5:00 Estacado finally scored its first points of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Twyla Ards, but Hargis answers with a layup on the other end. 37-23 Robinson, 2:45 3rd quarter.
4:58 Robinson’s rolling now. Another Alexander layup off a nice drive from the top of the key and another Abbe 3 make it a 35-20 Rocket lead, 4:12 3rd quarter.
4:56 Abbe makes a free throw, and the Rockets’ lead hits double digits again, 30-20 with 5:44 left in the third. Estacado’s Nikendra Sylvester picked up her third foul seconds after.
4:53 Alexander’s back, scoring about 15 seconds into the second half, becoming the first player for either team to crack double figures. And there’s a 3 for Hannah Abbe, who was way off the mark in the first half. That’s a big start for the Rockets, as it’s now 29-20 with 55 seconds gone by in the 3rd.
4:47 With about 5 minutes left in halftime, I’ll give you some first-half numbers. Robinson 9-for-26 shooting, 2-for-8 on 3’s, 4-for-10 on free throws, 23 rebounds, 10 turnovers. Estacado 7-for-26 shooting, 3-for-10 on 3’s and free throws, 17 rebounds, 6 turnovers, six steals, most of which came in the second quarter and keyed the fast break, which allowed the Matadors back into the game.
4:39 It’s glass half full and half glass empty for Robinson. The Rockets could’ve delivered a knockout blow with a good second quarter and instead let Estacado back in the game. But they played the entire second quarter without Hargis, who was absolutely dominating on the boards, meaning she still has only two fouls to start the second half. Alexander, who is tied with James with a game-high eight points, also missed a lot of the second quarter.
Something tells me they’ll both be back to start the second half and Estacado had to have used a lot of energy trying to just stay in the game in that second quarter. We’ll see if the Rockets can start to wear the Matadors down.
4:34 James is keeping Robinson afloat right now. Her layup gave the Rockets the lead back, then she dished off to Haley Weaver, who was fouled and made 1 of 2 and then made a free throw of her own. It’s 24-20 Robinson at halftime.
4:30 And we’re tied at 20. TiYanna Thompson drills a 3 from the left corner. Robinson struggling to find anywhere to go offensively with Hargis and Alexander on the bench. 2:10 left in the first half.
4:27 Quick shooting stats: Robinson 8-for-21, 2-for-6 on 3’s. Estacado 6-for-19, 2-for-6 on 3’s. Alexander has a game-high 8 points, while Estacado’s Brittany Johnson has 7.
4:24 James penetrates, dishes off to Alexander. Bucket. It’s amazing what you can do when you get a defensive rebound and can push the ball back down the floor before the defense gets set. But Estacado is finding the range offensively and just missed a 3 that would’ve tied it. 20-17 Robinson, 3:52 left 2nd quarter. Timeout Robinson.
4:22 With Hargis out of the game, Robinson’s size advantage has been neutralized and Estacado has taken advantage, getting the last six rebounds. Its running game is also getting cranked up. It’s 18-12 Robinson, but Estacado is now in the bonus after the second foul on Kayla Hines with 6:47 left in the first half.
4:19 Leading scorers for Robinson are Alexander with 6 and James with 5.
4:17 Alexander makes a short jumper and a layup. Estacado can’t get any second chances, and Ashley James is starting to penetrate and get to the basket and distributing to her teammates. James’ layup with about 20 seconds left makes it 18-7 Robinson after 1 quarter. Hargis picked up a cheap second foul with .8 on the clock. She’s a key figure for Robinson, which leads the rebounding battle, 15-3.
4:13 Robinson is dominating the boards, 14-3, and Ariel Wilson for Estacado already has three fouls. It’s 12-7 Robinson with 1:39 left in the first quarter.
4:09 Robinson is looking to pound the ball in to Hargis on almost every possession. She’s got to be able to finish, having missed two easy ones already. The second one, though, she got her own rebound and finished. The Rockets’ ball movement has picked up as Mackenzie Roach and Ashley James drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. It’s 10-3 Robinson with 3:14 left in the first quarter, and Estacado has called a 30-second timeout.
4:05 Estacado on the board as Brittany Johnson makes a free throw. Foul on Robinson’s 6-4 center Rachel Hargis. 2-1 4:45 1st quarter.
4:03 Both teams look ragged on offense early, and both are being held to one-and-done. Hannah Abbe picks up her first foul for the Rockets, but Estacado misses both free throws. Still 2-0, 5:30 1st quarter.
4:01 Robinson controls the tip and gets a layup from Alex Alexander on its first possession. 2-0 Rockets 7:45 1st quarter.
4 p.m. Starting lineups have been announced and it’s time to get started.
3:50 p.m. Just a few thoughts before we get going, which we’re about 5 minutes from doing. Based on records and what I saw from the early game, Robinson should be considered the favorite to win it all. The Rockets are 32-5 and beat Diboll and Bullard, which were ranked No. 1 and 2 in the state, respectively, to get here. Estacado is 23-13, and Argyle, with its win earlier, is 20-14.
It’s also been nice to see the area support Robinson is getting. The Midway Pantherettes, who will play here later and are sitting not far away from Chad and me here in “press corner” as Chad calls it, gave the Rockets a nice ovation when they came out to begin warmups.
3:39 p.m. Robinson and Lubbock Estacado are now on the floor and just beginning their warmups. We’re about 15 minutes away from tipoff. The winner of this game will face Argyle, a 58-43 winner over Hidalgo earlier today, for the state championship Saturday.
2:16 p.m. — Well, I’m inside The Drum and ready for a fun day of basketball.
The Class 3A semifinal is on the court right now with Argyle leading Hidalgo, 15-12 at the moment. Robinson is up next and then Midway takes the floor at 8:30 tonight.
Stay tuned as Jason Orts and I will be live blogging throughout the day.
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Is blood truly thicker than water?
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey will probably be one conflicted basketball spectator tonight when Midway plays Dallas Lincoln at Garland Special Events Center.
I got a call from Mulkey on Friday morning, telling me that her daughter, Midway guard Mackenzie Robertson, has been assigned to guard Dallas Lincoln star and Baylor signee Kimetria Hayden.
Mulkey also told me she wishes she could just go sit in the stands and be nothing but a parent. But the coach of a high-profile women’s college basketball program forfeits certain privileges.
Two things I bet the Midway and Lincoln fans don’t see tonight: 1) Mulkey hollering out tips to Mackenzie, pointing out where Hayden is vulnerable and 2) Hayden delivering a forearm shiver to Mackenzie’s noggin on the way to the basket.
But who knows? It’s just one more juicy subplot in what promises to be an amazing game.
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GIRLS’ HOOPS REGIONAL CAPSULES
Class 4A Region II
Garland Special Events Center
No. 4 Midway (31-4) vs. No. 5 Lincoln (24-6), 6 p.m.
The other semifinal: #6 Frisco vs. Waxahachie
Midway’s playoff road: defeated Mesquie Poteet, 68-29; defeated Mount Pleasant, 66-40; defeated Forney, 88-29.
Lincoln’s playoff road: defeated Dallas Smith, 73-38; defeated Frisco Wakeland, 49-32; defeated Rockwall, 53-35.
Recent history: Lincoln eliminated Midway from the playoffs last season, 59-49, in the regional final, then went on to win the Class 4A state championship.
Class 3A Region III
Sam Houston State’s Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville No. 4 Robinson (29-4) vs. No. 20 Navasota (31-7), 8 p.m.
The other semifinal: No. 1 Diboll vs. Madisonville
Robinson’s playoff road: defeated Tatum, 58-34; defeated #2 Bullard, 44-36.
Navasota’s playoff road: defeated Orangefield, 59-39; defeated Hamshire-Fannett, 62-49. Recent history: Navasota defeated Robinson in this same round, 42-35, last season on its way to the state tournament.
Class 2A Region II
Tarleton State University’ Wisdom Gym in Stephenville
Hico (27-5) vs. No. 8 Brock, 4 p.m.
The other semifinal: No. 1 Winnsboro vs. No. 9 Peaster, 6 p.m.
Hico’s playoff road: defeated Lone Oak, 59-45; defeated Edgewood, 59-47.
Brock’s playoff road: defeated Ponder, 57-48; defeated Clarksville, 52-21; defeated Melissa, 50-27.
Class 1A Division I Region II
Abilene Christian University Moody Coliseum
Valley Mills (26-10) vs. No. 14 Roscoe (26-4), 3 p.m.
The other semifinal: Muenster vs. #10 Goldthwaite, 1:30 p.m.
Valley Mills’ playoff road: defeated Italy, 63-32; defeated Irion County, 54-49; defeated Meridian, 60-51.
Roscoe’s playoff road: defeated Archer City, 45-35; defeated Haskell, 35-34.
Class 1A Division II Region III
Stephen F. Austin Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches
Aquilla (22-11) vs. No. 2 Neches (32-3), 3 p.m.
Walnut Springs (26-7) vs. No. 3 Oakwood, 5 p.m.
Aquilla’s playoff road: defeated Milford 49-9; defeated Irving, 55-30; defeated Byers, 45-43.
Neches’ playoff road: defeated Savoy, 52-20; defeated Slocum, 56-25.
Walnut Springs’ playoff road: defeated Coolidge, 53-32; defeated Saint Jo, 29-21; defeated Trinidad, 54-39.
Oakwood’s playoff road: defeated Gilmer Union-Hill, 102-25; defeated Ector 73-48; defeated Roxton, 68-42.
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National Signing Day roundup
The Trib sports staff rounds up all the ins and outs of National Signing Day in today’s batch of stories:
- China Spring standout Mike Hicks, other local players find homes on signing day
- Chad Conine column: Results of hard work evident at Midway, other schools on signing day
- Central Texas signings list for all sports
- Final Centex Top 25 recruiting list
- Final Trib Top 100 recruiting list
Multimedia
- Slide show: Signing day ceremonies around Central Texas
- Video: Midway’s signees
- Briles, Baylor football produce deep, versatile recruiting class
- Capsule bios for the new Baylor football recruits
- Baylor track, soccer programs build for near future on signing day
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VIDEO: Midway signs 3 Division I football players
COVERAGE
- link: Slide show: Signing day photos
- link: Centex Top 25 recruits
- link: Trib Top 100
- link: Baylor's 2009 class
- link: Recruiting primer: Q&A
Check out the scenes from Midway High School this afternoon as star running back John Hubert, tight end Trey Graham and Ty Horn all signed football letters of intent to go to Division I schools.
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University signs 5 to football letters; other area standouts go to Big 12
COVERAGE
- link: Slide show: Signing day photos
- link: Centex Top 25 recruits
- link: Trib Top 100
- link: Baylor's 2009 class
- link: Recruiting primer: Q&A
The University Trojans signed five today to play football at the next level today: WR Vencent Finley to SFA, athlete DeMarcus Hicks to Tyler JC, first-team Super Centex selection DB Rikko Harris-Williams to Tyler JC, RB Norris Alexander to UMHB and DE Tyrell Hackworth to Hardin-Simmons.
Down south, Killeen O-lineman Rhontae Scales signed with Texas A&M while Ellison safety Daniel Cobb inked with Texas Tech.
Off our Top 25 recruiting list, a few names have yet to sign: Connally’s D’Andre Simmons and Jerry Johnson; China Spring kicker James French; Danzel Wilson and Daryl Curl from La Vega; and Temple’s Brett Gunn.
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Art Briles signs 1st class as Baylor’s head football coach, 29 strong
COVERAGE
- link: Slide show: Signing day photos
- link: Centex Top 25 recruits
- link: Trib Top 100
- link: Baylor's 2009 class
- link: Recruiting primer: Q&A
Baylor University formally announced its 2009 signing class this afternoon, which some are calling “one of the best they’ve had in a long time.”
Art Briles placed a big emphasis on rebuilding the offensive line with the departure of senior leadership like NFL first-round prospect Jason Smith and Dan Gay.
Local star Mike Hicks from China Spring, the second-leading receiver in Texas high school football history, tops a deep receiving class. In the skill positions, the Bears got a late commitment from Midlothian QB Bryce Petty and will also receive a transfer from RB Terrance Ganaway in June. Ganaway was a former letterman under Art Briles at Houston, but sat out last season.
The majority of the class hails from Texas, where Briles is known to recruit well. The Bears received three 4-star Rivals.com recruits (Glasco Martin, who rushed for over 1,600 yards at Round Rock Stony Point last year; Ivory Wade, a 300-pound offensive lineman from Dickinson who switched his commitment from Texas A&M; and OL Danny Watkins, a California juco transfer) as well as six selections from the Tribune-Herald Top 100 list.
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Midway’s top Centex trio signs with Division I schools
COVERAGE
- link: Slide show: Signing day photos
- link: Centex Top 25 recruits
- link: Trib Top 100
- link: Baylor's 2009 class
- link: Recruiting primer: Q&A
Led by record-setting running back John Hubert, the trio of Midway Panthers atop the Trib’s Centex Top 25 recruiting list signed on the dotted line this afternoon.
Tight end Trey Graham (6-5, 230) will head to Austin to compete for a starting job at one of the nation’s premier college football programs under Mack Brown, while offensive tackle Ty Horn (6-5, 295) joins perennial Mountain West power TCU. Hubert (5-9, 185) will play in the Big 12, having accepted an offer from Kansas State.
Also signing from Midway High are softball players Caitlynn Gummelt (Western Texas College) and Sienna Miller (Navarro JC), plus SFA signees Jordan Clements (track) and Monica Lee Gladney (soccer).
We’ll have photos from the ceremony shortly. Keep checking our signing day slide show.
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А как на вашу рсс-ленту подписаться? что то не пойму
... read the full comment by ProbHoftere | Comment on Not a Bunch of No-Names Read Not a Bunch of No-Names
А как на вашу рсс-ленту подписаться? что то не пойму
... read the full comment by ProbHoftere | Comment on Not a Bunch of No-Names Read Not a Bunch of No-Names
Занимательно написано, но как говорится, для полноты информации нужно минимум хотя бы три источника :)
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А как на вашу рсс-ленту подписаться? что то не пойму
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