Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 321.96
Water Temperature:
na degrees - top
67 degrees - bottom

Hawks sweep ’Jackets
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Reports
HALLSVILLE–One really terrible inning and too many mistakes led to an early exit from the baseball playoffs for the Kemp Yellowjackets last weekend.
The Texarkana Pleasant Grove Hawks advanced to the regional quarterfinals round with a 16-4, 7-4 best-of-three sweep of the ’Jackets Thursday and Friday at Hallsville High School’s Bobcat Field.

Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Kemp pinch runner Justin Gordon (16) is tagged out at home by Pleasant Grove Hawk catcher Michael Morriss in the first inning of Game 2 Friday at Hallsville’s Bobcat Field. Pleasant Grove swept Kemp in a best-of-three series to secure the area baseball championship.

Kemp finished the season at 14-10-1, going 9-1 in District 13-3A play to capture the loop championship.
In the first game, the District 16-3A runner-up Hawks scored 13 runs in a lightning-interrupted eighth inning that stretched into Friday evening.
The teams had battled to a 3-3 draw after seven innings Thursday.
Pleasant Grove opened the game with two runs in the top of the first, taking advantage of two Kemp errors, but the ’Jackets came back to score three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead.
Kemp’s rally opened with a leadoff double by Bret Kennedy, followed by an RBI single from Leif Skierski.
Matt Carr grounded out, but Nick Sallings’ sacrifice grounder scored Skierski.
Dalton Fugitt then tripled, and Mikie Scruggs’ double scored Fugitt.
The Hawks scored one run (on a Kemp error) in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3, and that’s where things stood until the fateful eighth inning.
Back-to-back singles by Rylan Stephens and Andrew McElhaney set up back-to-back RBI bunts by Kaleb Brown and Logan Ashby.
After Beau Gay struck out swinging, the ’Jackets intentionally walked Jake Rogers to load the bases with one out.
Michael Morriss was hit by a pitch to bring in one run, and Hunter Goodman hit a two-RBI single.
Goodman advanced to third on an error and later stole home, while Casey O’Banion reached base on an error.
Stephens (making his second appearance of the inning) walked and later scored on an error.
Kaleb Brown popped out, bringing up Ashby, who reached base on an error, as did Gay. That’s when the heavens opened up.
The officials suspended the game until Friday afternoon, reopening with the Hawks having runners at first and third, with two outs.
Rogers singled in Ashby. Gay scored and Rogers advanced to second on an error.
Morris reached base on the ’Jackets fourth error of the inning, but was later forced out at third base.
Goodman singled in the Hawks’ 13th run of the inning before O’Banion hit into a fielder’s choice to end the onslaught.
Down 16-3, the ’Jackets scored one run in the bottom of the eighth when Tim Fuller singled in Fugitt, who had led off with a walk.
Following a 20-minute recess, the teams opened the second game, this time featuring Kemp as the visitors.
The ’Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Skierski walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Matt Carr’s single put Skierski at third, and the Hawks committed an error that allowed Sallings to reach base and Skierski to score.
Fugitt doubled in Carr, but was stranded.
Pleasant Grove came back with one run in the bottom of the first, as Morriss (who had singled) scored on a Kemp error.
Following two scoreless innings, the ’Jackets opened a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI bunt by Kennedy, which scored Cody Kuehn.
What momentum the ’Jackets might have had evaporated when the Hawks scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 lead.
For a change, none of the Hawk runs came as a result of Kemp errors, as they put together five hits off Sallings, including a bunt by Brown, singles from McElhaney, Clayton Reese (RBI) and Ashby (RBI), and a two-RBI double by Rogers.
The Hawks added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the first coming on a bases-loaded walk.
Morriss added a sacrifice grounder to give the Hawks a 7-3 lead.
Down to their last three outs, the ’Jackets got a leadoff single from Matt Carr, who later scored on a single by Fugitt, but two routine outs by Scruggs and Josh Carr ended the game and Kemp’s season.
 

Nixon, Harlan, Garrett named top EHS athletes
Monitor Staff Reports
EUSTACE–To no one’s surprise, seniors Jordan Nixon, Alyson Harlan and Traci Garrett were named the top athletes of the year at the annual Eustace High School Athletic Awards ceremonies Monday.
All three are multi-sport standouts, a near-capacity crowd jammed into the EHS gym heard.

Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Top Eustace High School athletes Jordan Nixon (left), Alyson Harlan and Traci Garrett hold the awards presented them during ceremonies Monday.

Nixon currently holds, either individually or jointly, five school running records, and lettered in four different sports his senior year – football (a first-team all-district pick), cross-country (finishing 14th at the state meet), basketball and track (finishing third at the regional meet in two different events).
For the first time since 1999, coaches chose co-female athletes of the year, veteran coach Chuck Powers told the gathering.
Between them, Harlan and Garrett have represented the school on 30 different teams, collected four district MVP awards, been a part of 18 different playoff appearances and have competed at the state level three different times, Powers said.
Outgoing Athletic Booster Club president James Cox was recognized for his efforts in supporting the overall athletic program during the three-hour-plus ceremonies.
During the past school year, Eustace athletes captured district championships in cross country (girls for the fifth straight year, along with a third straight regional title), and track (girls for the first time since 1996, boys for the second straight year).
Team awards presented are listed below.
Cheerleaders – Most Spirited Heather Bailey, 3D Award Molly Stanley and Ariel Gilbert, Cheerleader of the Year Melanie Scott.
Volleyball – Coaches Award Casey Hampton and Vanessa Maltos, Fighting Heart Award Kayla Stacks, Newcomer of the Year Caitlin DiBari, MVP Alyson Harlan.
Cross Country Boys – Newcomer of the Year Zachary Bennett, Coaches Award Travis Cox, MVP Jordan Nixon.
Cross Country Girls – Newcomer of the Year Laura DiBari, Coaches Award Kayla Stacks and Tanita Durnell, MVP Tanita Durnell.
Football – Offensive Player Mike Cook, Defensive Player Jaymes Maple, Special Teams Player Garrett Rhodes, Fighting Heart Award Carson Handlin.
Girls Basketball – Fighting Heart Award Shelby Knight, Defensive Player Traci Garrett, MVP Alyson Harlan.
Boys Basketball – Offensive Player Ryan Schwanbeck, Defensive Player Blake Townley, MVP David Graves.
Boys Powerlifting – Newcomer of the Year Cody Roberts, MVP Jaymes Maple.
Girls Powerlifting – Newcomer of the Year Heather Bailey, MVP Vanessa Maltos.
Soccer – No awards given in first year of program.
Golf – No awards given.
Softball – Newcomer of the Year Nicole McNeill, Offensive Player Megan Otts, Defensive Player Vanessa Maltos, Fighting Heart Award Kayla Stacks.
Baseball – Offensive Player Aaron Coffey, Fighting Heart Award Mike Cook, MVP Lucas Cope.
Girls Track – Fighting Heart Award Laura DiBari, Most Inspirational Jessica Parker and Kayla Stacks, Outstanding Runner Caitlin DiBari, Outstanding Field Events Chelsea Truitt, MVP Tanita Durnell.
Boys Track – Newcomer of the Year Trevan Johnson, Outstanding Runner Cameron Coffey, Outstanding Field Events Zach Keeling, Coaches Award Josh Watson, MVP Jordan Nixon.
 

Xtreme crushes Outlawz again, 41-0
Monitor Staff Reports
BROWNSBORO–The host Texas Xtreme semi-professional football team racked up a 41-0 shellacking of the East Texas Outlawz for the second time in the regular season finale Saturday at Brownsboro High School Stadium.
Now at 9-2, the Xtreme will travel to Greenville Saturday, May 19, to take on the long-time rival Greenville Oilers in the first round of the Texas United Football League playoffs.
If anything, Saturday’s win over the Outlawz was even more one-sided than the Xtreme’s first 41-0 pasting in the season opener Feb. 24. With eight minutes left to play, the Outlawz told the officials they had seen enough and refused to complete the game.
Despite missing four starters on offense (including no regular quarterbacks and both starting wide receivers) and five defensive starters, the Xtreme racked up a season high 403 yards offensively, and surrendered a season low minus 78 total yards on defense.
Coach Larry Anding was very pleased with the offensive performance, as running back Brandon Thompson and defensive back Clint Condo split the quarterback duties.
They combined to complete 14-of-25 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Xtreme also gained 205 rushing yards on 28 carries.
Thompson completed 7-of-13 passes for 102 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Larry Scott, and added 40 rushing yards on five carries after resuming his position at running back.
Condo completed 6-of-11 passes for 60 yards and played extensively at defensive back.
Kicker Michael Clay completed his only pass for a 14-yard touchdown to Thompson.
Defensive back Dontay Richardson played a dual role on offense and defense, adding 32 yards on two pass receptions and returning one of his two defensive pass interceptions for a 33-yard score.
Scott led all receivers with four receptions for 79 yards.
Linebacker Lontario Osborne also played a dual role, contributing 42 rushing yards on six carries, including a four-yard touchdown run.
Eric Wren chipped in 53 rushing yards on eight carries, including a two-yard touchdown run.
Eric Williams totaled 33 receiving yards on four catches and added a two-point conversion catch.
Other offensive standouts were Willy Bristow, Billy Bigger, Marvin Lyons and James Melton. Bristow and Bigger also split playing time at defensive tackle.
The Outlawz offense completed 3-of-15 passes for minus six yards, including five interceptions, and rushed the ball 13 times for minus 72 yards.
Defensive standouts were Jason Anding (two sacks and five solo tackles), Lontario Osborn (two sacks, one interception, three solo tackles), Allen Beasley (one sack), Billy Small (one sack), and Kailan Vinson (two interceptions).
Other defensive standouts were Montez Wade, Kerry Yarbrough, Chris Jacinto and Brandon Lyons.

 

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