Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 322.19
Water Temperature:
na degrees - top
63 degrees - bottom

Mabank comeback nips Kemp, 6-5
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Mabank Lady Panther senior Krista Jennings (15) reaches first safely before the cutoff throw can arrive to Kemp Lady Yellowjacket first baseman Paige Moore (6) Friday. Jennings later scored on a passed ball to give the hosting Lady Panthers a come-from-behind 6-5 District 13-3A softball win over the Lady ’Jackets.

Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Kemp’s Lady Yellowjackets forged an early lead, forcing the hosting Mabank Lady Panthers to come from behind to notch a narrow 6-5 victory Friday.
A District 13-3A softball playoff berth was likely riding on the outcome of Friday’s lengthy contest, the next-to-last regular season game for both squads.
Following an open date Tuesday, Kemp will wind up the regular season at home against the Eustace Lady Bulldogs at 5 p.m. Friday, April 20, while the Lady Panthers will end the season on the road as they travel to Ferris to face the unbeaten Lady Yellowjackets.
Friday’s forecast predicted serious thunderstorms, so the game started early under threatening skies, and no one lingered at the stadium afterward.
The Kemp girls forged a 5-2 lead over the Lady Panthers, scoring twice in the first inning, one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth inning, but Mabank fought back to tie the score at 5-5 going into the seventh inning.
Kemp’s Keleigh Collinsworth gave up six hits, issued nine walks and had three strikeouts, but got a strong defensive performance from the rest of the Lady Yellowjackets, who committed just one error in seven innings.
Mabank countered with an equally strong pitching performance by freshman Brandie Lander, who shut down the Lady ’Jackets in the top of the seventh to set up the dramatic finish.
Kemp’s Sarah Smith and catcher Bre Griffin both scored in the second inning while stealing home.
Griffin also scored in the fourth inning on a passed ball, and Smith had an RBI single in the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Lady Panthers took advantage of a walk and one hit to get baserunners in position.
Mabank senior Krista Jennings dashed home on a passed ball to end the game with Mabank on top, 6-5.

Panthers claw Bulldogs, 10-4
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Eustace Bulldog Lucas Cope (left) was called out on this very close play at first when the cutoff throw from Mabank pitcher David Taylor (mostly hidden) to Panther first baseman Brandon Carrico (22) was in time during Mabank’s 10-4 win over the visiting Bulldogs Friday.

Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–The hosting Mabank Panthers scored in four different innings to take a 10-4 District 13-3A baseball victory over the Eustace Bulldogs Friday.
The second-round win kept the Panthers in the district playoff hunt, and pretty much eliminated the Bulldogs from playoff consideration.
After an open date Tuesday, both teams were scheduled to resume loop play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, as Mabank will visit Ferris and Eustace will host Crandall.
Tuesday, April 24, the Panthers will host Crandall, while the Bulldogs will visit Kaufman for 6:30 p.m. contests.
Both teams wrap up the second round and the regular season Friday, April 27, when Mabank visits Kemp for a 4 p.m. showdown, and Eustace hosts Ferris in a 6:30 p.m. game.
With severe thunderstorms forecast Friday, the game started early under threatening skies and wrapped up quickly.
The Panthers opened a 2-1 lead in the first inning.
Eustace got on the scoreboard first when Aaron Coffey and Lucas Cope both singled, but the inning ended when Clint Hawkins hit into a fielder’s choice.
Mabank’s leadoff man Mikey Shelton walked, Chancz Sullivan reached on an error and Mark Groom cleared the bases with a RBI single.
The Panthers made it 4-1 in the second inning when Eustace starter Cameron Coffey hit Shelton, who advanced on a balk, and gave up singles to Sullivan and Chris Trejo.
Mabank blew open the game with a three-run third inning. Coffey gave way to Ryan Compton after giving up a single and back-to-back walks to R.P. Smith and David Taylor.
Coffey allowed six runs on three hits, struck out two and walked four.
Compton allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits, struck out three and walked two.
Taylor went the distance for the Panthers, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out one and walking three.
Down 7-1, the Bulldogs began battling back with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, taking advantage of three Panther errors.
Mabank added three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 10-3 lead, highlighted by an RBI double from Groom and two Bulldog errors.
Eustace scored in the top of the seventh on a single by Chris Compton and an RBI double by Ryan Compton.
Cope led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 2-for-4, while Groom also went 2-for-4 and Trejo went 2-for-3.

Kemp crushes Crandall
Monitor Staff Reports
CRANDALL–Kemp’s Yellowjackets took a big step toward a playoff berth by crushing the hosting Crandall Pirates 13-3 last weekend.
The teams’ first-round game in Kemp March 27 was halted in the sixth inning by lightning, and Friday’s matchup also was halted by thunderstorms. The squads resumed play Saturday evening.
Following an open date Tuesday, the ’Jackets resume District 13-3A baseball play Friday, April 20, when they host the Kaufman Lions in a 4:30 p.m. contest.
Kemp also will host the final two games of the regular season, both at 4:30 p.m., as they welcome the Ferris Yellowjackets for a key matchup Tuesday, April 24, followed by a season-finale showdown against the Mabank Panthers Tuesday, April 27.
At Crandall Friday, the teams played for about an hour before the game was halted.
Kemp opened an early 2-0 lead before the Pirates tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, the ’Jackets exploded for four runs in the fifth, three more in the sixth and four more in the seventh to win going away.
Kemp pounded out 13 hits against Pirate starter Bryce Borkland, who issued seven walks and struck out 14 ’Jacket batters.
Nick Sallings went the distance to get the win for the ’Jackets allowing six hits, two earned runs, and striking out eight while walking seven.
Kemp opened a 1-0 lead in the first when Bret Kennedy drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI double by Sallings.
The ’Jackets made it 2-0 in the third when Matt Carr singled home Kennedy (who had singled).
Crandall came back in the bottom of the third when Dalton Good posted a leadoff double and Sallings issued back-to-back walks to Cary McSwain and Zach Ragsdale.
Adam Werner singled home Good and Borkland brought in McSwain on a ground out.
Kemp took charge in the fifth inning when Tim Fuller had a leadoff single, followed by a double from Kennedy.
Matt Carr cleared the bases with a double, and Sallings singled in Carr.
Dalton Fugitt singled in Sallings, but was stranded when Mikie Scruggs and Josh Carr both struck out swinging.
Crandall scored one run in the bottom of the fifth when Werner singled and later scored on one of three ’Jacket errors, but the Pirates left two runners on base when Josh Barton struck out swinging.
The ’Jackets made it 9-3 with three runs in the sixth inning.
After Fuller walked, Kennedy and Leif Skierski both singled before Matt Carr also walked to force Fuller home.
Sallings then hit into a fielder’s choice, but scored both Kennedy and Skierski.
Crandall got one baserunner on in the bottom of the sixth on an error, but Werner lined out to end the threat.
In the top of the seventh, the ’Jackets added four more runs when Cody Kuehn, Fuller and Kennedy all walked to load the bases.
Skierski doubled to score Kuehn and Fuller, and Matt Carr cleared the bases with a single, although he was tagged out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Sallings and the Kemp defense took care of the Pirates in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.

Second Courtney Howard golf tournament draws 132 golfers
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Auctioneer Tracy Carpenter points at a bidder while assistant Kirk Bonner (background) looks for other bidders during the auction following the golf tournament.

Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–The second annual Courtney Howard Foundation scholarship golf tournament drew 33 four-man teams to the Cedar Creek Country Club Monday.
The tournament and accompanying auction raised about $30,000 before expenses, co-organizer Wayne Groom reported.
Money raised by the tournament will go toward scholarships for deserving Cedar Creek Lake area students in the name of Courtney Howard, a 2004 Mabank High School graduate who lost her lengthy battle against cancer in November, 2005.
Following the conclusion of the 18-hole tournament, auctioneer Tracy Carpenter helped raise funds by auctioning off items such as four American Airlines Center suite tickets for any Dallas Mavericks or Dallas Stars playoff game, which drew the auction’s highest bid, $2,500.
The team of Wade Coker, Billy Hickson, Boyse Wood and Gene Hickson, with a handicap of 16.4, won the tournament with an adjusted score of 42.6.
Wood took an additional prize for nailing the longest drive on Hole No. 18.
The group of David Collins, Jeff Lee, Jason Lindsey and Marty Lindsey took second place with an adjusted score of 45.0.
Third place went to the team of John McFadden, Jim English, Mike Russell and Ralph Imrecke, who posted an adjusted score of 46.0.
Fourth place went to the team of Laura and Jack Ward, Rob Rac and Mark Bless, followed by the team of Tyson Johnson, Tim Johnson, Dennis Thomas and Coy Anderson.
Three closest-to-the-pin prizes were handed out to Cody Frazier (on Hole No. 5), Robert Spain (No. 14) and David Leos (No. 17).


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