Sports and Outdoors

Thursday, September 23, 2010

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 320.37 Water Temperature:
84  degrees - top
81 degrees - bottom

Improvement could make Kemp a contender
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–A new coach and no returning starters is not usually a recipe for success, and the Kemp Lady Yellowjackets have struggled so far this season.
However, “a major breakthrough” in communication might signal that the Lady ’Jackets have finally pulled together just in time to start District 13-3A volleyball play.
The Lady ’Jackets begin 13-3A play at home Friday night, Sept. 24, against the Kaufman Lady Lions, with 5 p.m. sub-varsity matches opening the evening’s slate.
Former Crandall standout Kelly Grady is in her first year with the Lady ’Jackets. After graduating from Crandall in 1997, Grady played at Sam Houston State University.
Now in her eighth year of coaching, Grady came to Kemp from Scurry-Rosser, and her first Kemp team features four seniors, four juniors and four sophomores, six of them having played on the junior varsity last year.
Seniors Amber Brewer and Heather Henderson both saw some varsity playing time last year. They are joined by multi-sport standout Shannon Shipp and Taylor Machen.
The four juniors include multi-sport standouts Brianna Powell and Kandace Rose, along with Lacey Weisinger and Nicole Autrey.
Sophomores playing on the varsity are Nicole Cox, Angela Madrid, Chancie Sivley and Lacie Henderson.
Fortunately, Grady had enough players turn out to field a 10-player freshman squad and an 11-player junior varsity, enabling a lot of younger kids to get some playing experience.
“The freshman group is really athletic, and have learned a lot in just the past couple of weeks,” Grady said.
Grady said she has been most impressed with the work ethic of the Kemp students.
“They give me everything, every day,” she said. “I could ask them to serve backwards, and I’m pretty sure they would try.”
Role-playing apparently helped spark more communication among her players, Grady said.
She joined them on the floor in practice (she was a standout setter in high school and college), and made sure everyone took a turn at setter.
Most of the girls had never tried setting the ball, and found Autrey’s job was a lot harder than it looked, Grady said.
“Nicole Autrey joined up a week before school started,” Grady said. “She had a lot to catch up on, and she did it on her own time. She assumed the role of setter, and she runs my floor.
“If she’s not talking, we’re not playing,” Grady added.
Brewer and Powell have both stepped up to assume leadership roles on the team, along with Shipp, who was expected to take a leading role after adding volleyball to her senior schedule, along with basketball and track.
Heather Henderson has also stepped up as a defensive specialist in the libero position.
“She’s in the game every rotation,” Grady said. “When she’s on, she’s a very vital part of the team.”
Consistency has been a problem throughout the season, Grady said.
“I see spurts of so much talent, but they haven’t figured out how to put it all together,” she noted.
Grady immediately picks Mabank and North Forney, in that order, as the two favorites in District 13-3A.
“North Forney is very young, but they have talent,” she said. “Mabank is my No. 1 pick. They’ve got some very good players.
“As far as third place, I have no idea,” she added. “It could be Kaufman or Crandall, but honestly, it could be anybody.
“If we continue to improve like we have in the last few days, it could be us,” Grady said.

13-3A favorite Mabank just seeking consistency
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
MABANK–A killer pre-district schedule has left its mark on the Mabank Lady Panthers’ season record so far, but veteran coach Stacy Shelton planned it that way.
The Lady Panthers, who were 12-16 going into Tuesday night’s final pre-district contest against hosting Rains, open District 13-3A volleyball play at home Friday night, Sept. 24, against the North Forney Lady Falcons, with 5 p.m. sub-varsity matches opening the evening’s slate.
For Shelton, now in her 11th year at Mabank and 21st year of coaching, a pre-district schedule full of 5A and 4A competition is pretty normal, as she expects the tough going to help her young players get ready for district play.
That said, “Where we are now is not where we wanted to be at this time of the season,” Shelton noted.
Inconsistency has been the bane of the Lady Panthers so far this season, she said.
“I would say half of our losses have been due to unforced errors,” she said. “We’re just like a big ol’ rollercoaster – we’ve had good offense or good defense, never both.
“We really don’t have a go-to girl,” she added. “Normally, that would be your outside hitters, but we don’t have that right now.”
The Lady Panthers are young outside, starting a freshman and two sophomores, as the team’s returning starters – seniors Torrie Garrett and Meagan Royal – “are best in the middle for me right now,” she explained.
Because the Lady Panthers are so young, they suffer from nerves, and that has cost them a number of games, Shelton said.
“At times, we’ve had one senior, three sophomores, one junior and a freshman on the floor,” she said. “Volleyball is very much a mental game and a game of momentum, and you can gain or lose (momentum) at any time.”
Another returning starter joining Royal and Garrett (who missed much of last year with a broken foot) is sophomore setter Kourtney Holyfield, a multi-sport athlete who doesn’t play like a sophomore.
However, there is only one other letterman back, Jena Penney. Everyone else is new – Shelby Swain, Natalie Torres, Mikayla Adams, Morgan Gaona, Maegan Olivarez, Molly Groom, Sadie Roberts, Brittany Findley, Reagan Thornton, Makenna Allen and Jasmine Richman.
“Sadie has done a good job for us at libero,” Shelton said. “Makenna (the daughter of MHS boys basketball coach Mark Allen) has been a real pleasant surprise, and has become one of our better serve receivers and passers.
“I put a lot of pressure on Makenna, and for a freshman to handle that is very mature,” Shelton added. “I’ve got to have an outside hitter who is consistent hitting into the court.”
Most folks consider Mabank among the 13-3A favorites, and Shelton doesn’t disagree with that.
“I’ve heard that Crandall is pretty good,” she said. “I haven’t heard a lot about Kaufman. North Forney is not winning a lot, but like us, they’ve been playing a lot of tough Metroplex competition.
“You can’t discount Ferris,” she added. “They’ve got good athletes over there.
“Consistency is going to be the only key for us,” Shelton said. “When you have rally scoring, you’ve got to be consistent. I’ve never had a team that’s had so much talent to be so inconsistent.
“My freshmen are really talented, and my sophomores just need confidence,” she said. “I have faith in these girls, and I think we’re going to do just fine in district. I just hope I haven’t frustrated them by my schedule.”