Normal Lake Level
is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 315.72
Water Temperature:
56 degrees - top
53 degrees - bottom

Sports in Brief

Tri-County soccer signups
The Tri-County Soccer Association will be holding 2012 Spring Signups from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28; Thursday, Feb. 2; and Saturday, Feb. 4 at the McDonald’s in Gun Barrel City. Players must be at least four years old prior to Jan. 1, in order to participate.
The fee is $60 for new players, and $40 for children returning from the Fall 2011 season. For more details and information, call Candi Conner at (903) 887-3138.

Tri-County Area Youth NFL Flag Football
Teams are now forming for youth flag football league. The cost to participate is $85, and includes NFL jersey, flags, city fees and insurance.
Registration will be from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Mabank Junior High School gym.
For more information, or if you have any questions, please call Ron Anderson at (469) 688-0175.

Carp tournament at Purtis Creek
Purtis Creek State Park will host a carp tournament Saturday, March 24. Prizes will be awarded for the largest number of carp caught, not by weight.
Pole and line will be the only method of taking carp. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries, Game Wardens and State Park Staff will be involved during different aspects of the tournament with the hosting entity being the Friends of Purtis Creek. The Friends of Purtis Creek will receive 15 percent of fees collected, and 85 percent will be used to pay out prizes.
For more information, contact Purtis Creek State Park at (903) 425-2332.

Upcoming Events

Basketball (boys)

Jan. 27
• Mabank @ Ferris – 5 p.m.
Crandall @ Kemp – 5 p.m.
• Teague @ Eustace – 5 p.m.

Basketball (girls)

Jan. 27
• Mabank @ Ferris – 5 p.m.
Crandall @ Kemp – 5 p.m.
• Teague @ Eustace – 5 p.m.

Soccer

Jan. 31
• Mabank @ Whitehouse (boys) – 7 p.m.
• Kemp @ Athens – 6 p.m.
• Van @ Eustace – 6 p.m.

Powerlifting

Jan. 28
• Kemp @ Malakoff
• Eustace @ Malakoff
• Mabank @ Malakoff

Lady Panthers defeat North Forney girls
By Sam Epps
Sports Editor
MABANK–The Mabank Lady Panthers overcame weak shooting to defeat the visiting North Forney Lady Falcons, 48-38, Friday.
“We did not shoot the ball very well, but we played very hard and came out on top,” Mabank head coach Ashleigh Weeaks said. “The hustle and the heart that the girls came into the game with, was what we needed to win this game.”
Both defenses were running strong in the first half of the game, leading to a 17-17 halftime score.
Mabank scored 11 in the first period and the Lady Falcons scored six.
The scores flip-flopped in the second period, with Mabank scoring six and North Forney scoring 11.

Monitor Photo/Sam Epps
Mabank Lady Panther Ashton Norman (20) sinks a shot against the visiting North Forney Lady Falcons Friday. The Mabank girls defeated North Forney, 48-38.

The offensive game picked up somewhat in the third period, as Mabank scored 13 points and the Lady Falcons scored eight, giving Mabank a 5-point lead.
The fourth period turned into a shootout, compared to the first half of the game, with the Lady Panthers banging out 18 points and North Forney scoring 13.
Lady Panther Makenna Allen led the Lady Panther scoring drive with 14 points.
Cheyenne Alldredge followed with nine points.
Kourtney Holyfield and Ashton Norman both scored eight points, while Olivia Pannell and Molly Groom each had four points.
Pannell also had eight rebounds, while Norman had seven.
Alldredge and Allen both six rebounds.
Norman and Holyfield both had three assists on the night.
The Lady Panthers hosted Kaufman Tuesday, and will travel to Ferris to face the Yellowjackets Friday.

Fly-fisher class to be held at TFFC
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–Expert fly-fisher Bob Cappallo of Corsicana will teach fly-fishing for beginners from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.
The class is open to adults 18 and older. No fly-fishing experience is required. Equipment will be provided, but students may bring their own.
The $50 fee for the class includes entrance to TFFC for the day of the class, lunch and a season pass to TFFC so students can return for more fishing as often as they like.
Instruction will focus on equipment selection, knot tying, casting and fishing for rainbow trout in TFFC’s 1.5-acre casting pond. Catch-and-release fishing is free, but anglers may pay $5 for the opportunity to catch and keep up to five fish.
Reservations are required, and the class is limited to 20 persons.
Registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 10. Checks should be made payable to “Friends of TFFC.”
For more information or to register for the class, call Craig Brooks at (903) 670-2222.

Leon girls beat Lady Bulldogs
By Sam Epps
Sports Editor
EUSTACE–The visiting Leon Lady Cougars defeated the Eustace Lady Bulldogs, 76-46, Friday.
Eustace scored 11 points in both of the first two periods of the game, but Leon scored 17 in the first, and had a huge, 24-point second period to take a, 41-22, lead at halftime.
The Lady Bulldogs played strong in the third period, outscoring Leon, 19-14.
Leon’s defense, however, clamped down tightly in the fourth period, allowing Eustace just five points in the fourth period.
The Lady Cougar offense racked up another 21 points in the period.
“We played hard and did some things well,” Eustace head coach DaLinda Cassell said. “Leon is just a great team, and they shoot the ball extremely well.”
Katy Brigham had 18 points, all of which were three-pointers.
Kacie Richards scored 14 points, Catania Grant scored seven and Chelsea Oldham added four points to the Lady Bulldog score.
The Eustace girls traveled to Malakoff Tuesday, and will return home to face Teague Friday.