| Sports
Highlights Yellowjackets shock
Panthers, 7-6
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–In yet another example of why fans should discount records
any time Mabank and Kemp play, the hosting Yellowjackets upset
the Panthers 7-6 Monday night for their first district win.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Kemp Yellowjacket shortstop Braxton Allison (4) flips the ball
to second baseman Kyle Kimberling (3) to force out Mabank
Panther baserunner Ryan Walker (5). Kimberling was able to throw
to first to turn a double play and end the top of the fourth
inning in Kemp's come-from-behind 7-6 upset of visiting Mabank
Monday.
The loss dropped the Panthers to 8-15 on the season and into a
tie with Ferris at 4-4 in District 13-3A baseball play, while
the ’Jackets also moved to 8-15 on the season and 1-7 in loop
competition.
All district teams were scheduled to have a bye Friday night,
but Mabank’s scheduled Tuesday, April 19, contest at Crandall
was moved to Friday night.
Panther pitcher Stephen Caillet is a member of the MHS golf
team, which is playing the regional tournament at Pottsboro
Monday and Tuesday (see related story below), so the baseball
game was moved to avoid that conflict.
Kemp’s athletic schedule had a non-district matchup against
Cross Roads set for Friday night. The ’Jackets are scheduled to
visit North Forney Tuesday.
Friday, April 22, both the Panthers and the ’Jackets will wrap
up the second round of district play and the regular season with
“senior night” home games, the Panthers against North Forney and
the ’Jackets against Kaufman.
Assuming both Ferris and Mabank remained tied through the final
games – they split home-and-home, with the visiting team winning
each game – they will hold a third-game playoff to determine
second place.
Crandall looks to have a lock on the district championship at
7-0 with just two games to play.
In their first-round meeting at Mabank, the Panthers run-ruled
the error-prone ’Jackets, 10-0, but in Monday’s game at Kemp, it
was the Panthers who suffered from a critical error.
After a scoreless first inning, the Panthers scored two runs in
the top of the second and two more in the top of the third to
take a 4-0 lead.
However, the ’Jackets took advantage of a Panther error (both
teams had three in the game) to score three runs and pull close
at 4-3 going into the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Panthers scored one run to take a
5-3 lead, but Mabank’s key error came in the bottom of the
fourth.
With two men on, the Panthers had a dropped third strike. As the
Kemp batter hustled to first, the pick-off throw sailed way over
Panther first baseman Garrett Holcomb’s leap and rolled almost
to the wall in deep right field.
All three Kemp runners scored to give the ’Jackets a 6-5 lead.
Mabank tied the score at 6-6 with a run in the fifth inning, and
that’s where things stood until the bottom of the seventh, when
the ’Jackets pushed across a run to win and break their
seven-game losing streak.
Both teams had their bats going – the Panthers got 13 hits off
Kemp senior Cody Benavidez, while the ’Jackets got to Panther
junior Austin Craig for nine hits.
Benavidez had five strikeouts and issued one walk, while Craig
had eight strikeouts and issued three walks. Each hit one batter
and each gave up four earned runs.
Jacob Ortiz led the Panthers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an
RBI and scoring once, while Ryan Walker went 2-for-3 and scored
once, Craig went 2-for-3 and scored twice, Cameron Cantrell went
2-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice.
Hunter Carrico went 2-for-3 and had the Panthers’ only
extra-base hit, a double, while Zeke Gonzalez had an RBI single
and Jake Raney also had a single.
Jeff Gandera led the ’Jackets at the plate, going 3-for-4 with
two RBIs and scoring twice, while Benavidez went 2-for-4 with an
RBI and scored once, Dalton Irby had an RBI single and scored
once, and Kyle Kimberling went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored
once.
Also scoring for the ’Jackets were Riley Lazard, Corey Watkins
and Bradley Steward.
MHS golf teams win District
13-3A tourney
Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–With their performances in the second round of the District
13-3A tournament Monday, the Mabank High School boys and girls
golf teams won their respective district championships.
Both teams will advance to the Region II tournament, to be held
at the Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro Monday and Tuesday, April
18-19.
The district tournament opened at the Creekview Golf Course in
Crandall April 4, with the second round played Monday at the
Cedar Creek Country Club.
Courtesy Photo/Cris Cary
Mabank High School girls and boys golf teams both finished first
during the two-round District 13-3A tournament that concluded
Monday, qualifying them for the regional tournament. Pictured
are (from left, front row) Hannah Kellar, Caitlyn Jones, Lindsay
Mesa, Liz Wolfe and Vanessa Harvey; (back row) Adam Cary, Chans
Hall, Stephen Caillet and Brandon Hatfield. Not pictured is
Jordan Jump.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Panther team of Hannah Kellar,
Caitlyn Jones, Lindsay Mesa, Liz Wolfe and Vanessa Harvey took a
26-shot win, finishing with a two-round tournament score of 901.
Ferris took second place (and a regional berth) with team score
of 927, while Kaufman finished third at 972.
Jones finished third overall with a tournament score of 218,
while Harvey’s 222 put her in fourth place and Mesa’s 230
finished sixth overall.
On the boys’ side, the Panther team of Adam Cary, Chans Hall,
Stephen Caillet, Brandon Hatfield and Jordan Jump finished at
704, a whopping 54 shots better than second-place Kaufman (758)
and 87 shots better than third-place Crandall (791).
Hatfield captured first place overall, leading the Panther boys
and the entire field with a tournament score of 165, while
Caillet finished third overall at 171 and Hall finished sixth
overall with a score of 180.
Jeff Lee coaches the MHS boys, while Adrienne Gautreaux-McDonald
coaches the girls.
Team members offered thanks to M&M Exxon convenience store and
Mike Cathey for donating Gatorade and breakfast during the
district tournament, and also thanked Brookshire’s and Dean
Fannin for donating beverages and breakfast for the upcoming
regional tournament.
Kemp, Mabank players named
31-4A all-district
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–In its first year of varsity soccer
competition, Kemp placed two players on the District 31-4A
all-district first team.
Two Mabank players were also named to the first team by district
soccer coaches, who released the selections Friday.
Kemp juniors Matt Kinney and Dolton Chambers were picked to the
21-man first team, along with Mabank seniors Clint Cowan and
Martin Ledezma.
John Tyler, in its first year of 4A competition, and traditional
powerhouse Lindale dominated the all-district selections, each
placing four players on the first team.
John Tyler junior Abner Barrera was named the district’s Most
Valuable Player, and sophomore teammate Porfirio Benitez was
named the Newcomer of the Year.
Athens had two players named to superlatives, with junior Arturo
Alvarado named the Goalkeeper of the Year, and junior forward
Jose Romero named the Offensive Player of the Year.
Whitehouse senior Jonathan Parker was the Defensive Player of
the Year, while Lindale’s Riley Alvey was named the Sophomore of
the Year.
Athens had three players named to the first team, Chapel Hill
had two and Whitehouse had three players named.
Kemp sophomore goalkeeper Derek Whiteley was named to the 17-man
second team, joining Mabank seniors Jeremy McCoy and Nathan
Floyd.
Lindale had four players named to the second team, with John
Tyler, Whitehouse and Athens each placing three players on the
squad. |
