Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 320.68
Water Temperature:
na degrees - top
82 degrees - bottom

KEMP WINS
By Richard Sutton
Special to The Monitor
CARROLLTON–Making the most of their first playoff opportunity in 11 years, the Kemp Yellowjackets handed the Farmersville Farmers a 24-21 defeat Friday in a football bidistrict championship game.
Now 6-5 on the season, the Yellowjackets advance to the area round of the playoffs, while the Farmers finished their first season back in 3A at 5-6.
Kemp will face the Texarkana Pleasant Grove Hawks at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in Marshall. The Hawks had a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
Two groups of seniors stepped onto the artificial turf of Standridge Stadium in Carrollton Friday night, but it would be the last game for the Farmersville seniors.
From the start of the game it was obvious that the ’Jackets not only came to play, but win, as Kemp’s running game dominated the first 24 minutes.
Farmersville’s spread didn’t have any success moving against either the ’Jacket defense, or the strong north winds that kept both teams concentrating on the run.
Kemp’s running game, keyed by seniors Korey Henderson (173 yards on 12 carries, two touchdowns) and Josh Carr (102 yards on 23 carries), paid off in the first five minutes when Henderson dashed in for Kemp’s first TD.
Henderson’s TD capped a long sustained march, as the ’Jackets moved 81 yards in 10 plays.
It was clear the Farmers were gearing up to stop Carr up the middle, but when they did, Henderson was able to get to the outside for long gains and all three Kemp touchdowns.
When a team is able to run the ball effectively, that makes play-action passing effective, too, and junior quarterback Jeremy Quick’s play-action toss to Henderson capped the drive from 13 yards out.
Bryan Fivecoat added the PAT kick to give Kemp a 7-0 lead.
“We played well in the first half, and a lot of that is due to the running game,” Kemp second-year head coach Greg Anderson noted afterward.
Six minutes into the game, the Farmers took control of the ball for the first time.
A 34-yard run by Nickevian Taylor looked promising for the Farmers, who moved downfield 53 yards, only to fumble the ball on the Kemp 8, with Wesley Kerr recovering.
The ’Jackets continued to control the clock, taking the rest of the first quarter to drive 92 yards in 11 plays.
Henderson capped the march with a 13-yard scoring run 40 seconds into the second quarter, and Fivecoat’s kick gave the ’Jackets a 14-0 lead.
Kemp’s defense again forced Farmersville to punt within one minute, but this time, the ’Jacket offense misfired with two penalties, and they were forced to punt.
The punt started with a bad snap and a rushed kick, but thanks to the wind, rolled to the Farmers’ 11.
Farmersville tried to rally behind a 13-yard run by John Cates, but Kemp’s defense clamped down, and forced the Farmers to punt into the wind after four plays.
Starting with great field position at midfield, Quick tried some passes, only to find no receivers capable of holding onto the ball.
After the 13-play drive stalled, Fivecoat came on to boot a 40-yard field goal to give the ’Jackets a 17-0 halftime lead.
The second half proved to be a totally different game, as the Farmers reemerged as a confident, ready-to-play team.
“We expected that,” Anderson said. “We told the guys in the lockerroom that they (the Farmers) weren’t the defending state (Class 2A) champions for nothing. Fortunately, we were able to respond.”
With their first possession, the Farmers drove for their first touchdown, taking eight plays and 5:30 in game time.
Taylor capped the march with a two-yard run, and Marcos Delafuente added the point-after kick to cut the Kemp lead to 10 points, 17-7.
Kemp used their first possession to drive nearly the length of the field against the wind, but stalled at the Farmersville 6.
On fourth-and-one, the ’Jackets decided not to try for a field goal against the wind, but came up short.
Farmersville got out of the hole with a 39-yard run by Austin Brooks, and the fourth quarter opened with the Farmers set up on the Kemp 5.
Two runs later, Taylor plunged over for the touchdown, and Delafuente’s kick made it a three-point game, 17-14.
Kemp’s offense needed to stop the Farmers’ momentum, and they did.
On the fifth play of the next Kemp possession, Henderson got free to the left side and dashed 51 yards untouched for the clinching touchdown.
Fivecoat’s PAT kick made it 24-14 with 8:58 left.
“That (Henderson run) was huge,” Anderson said.
The Farmers got a break when the Kemp kickoff went out of bounds at the Farmer 39, and they proceeded to put together another lengthy march.
Taylor capped the drive with a 13-yard scoring run, and Delafuente’s kick made it a three-point game again with 2:26 left.
Kemp was again forced to punt, and the Farmers took control with time running out.
After three running plays, Brooks threw a beautiful, long pass against the wind.
The wind forced the ball short, and Kemp senior James Trim went up to intercept the ball, giving Kemp possession with just over a minute to play.
Two Carr runs and Quick kneel-down ran out the rest of the game clock, and the ’Jackets began celebrating their first playoff win in 11 years.


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Kemp High School students show their support by going shirtless in near-freezing
wind chill Friday during Kemp's 24-21 bidistrict football championship win over
the Farmersville Farmers in Carrollton.

Bulldogs fall to Braves, 60-48
By Ricky Tharp
Special to The Monitor
RICHARDSON–In an expected bidistrict shoot-out, the Eustace Bulldogs lost to the Nevada Community Braves 60-48 Friday.
The two teams combined for 108 points and almost 900 yards of offense, with neither team committing a turnover.
“I said going in the winning team would be the defense that had three stops,” Eustace head coach Doug Wendel said afterward.
“We were stopped four times. Two of those were in the second quarter (going into the wind) and we stopped ourselves in the third quarter,” he said.
The loss ended the Bulldogs’ season at 5-6, while the Braves improved to 6-5 and advanced to the area round of the Division II playoffs. Community will face 9-1 New Boston at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Gilmer.
Both teams stepped onto the artificial turf of Eagle-Mustang Stadium facing a howling north wind that dropped the chill factor into the low 20s.
“The weather played a large role, particularly in some of our decision-making,” Wendel said. “We went for it on fourth down, when we normally wouldn’t, and we also had a fake punt.
“We tried it during warm-ups, and we knew we couldn’t punt against that wind. The ball wouldn’t have gotten to the line of scrimmage,” he added.
Early on, it looked like the Bulldogs wouldn’t need to punt, scoring on their first three possessions and holding Community to almost nothing on their first two possessions.
Eustace’s opening drive was impressive, as they worked quickly down the field behind the running of quarterback Chris Compton, fullback Justin Calhoun and tailback Trevan Johnson.
Johnson capped the march by taking a pitchout right up the Community sideline for a touchdown from 28 yards out with 9:54 left in the first quarter. Kasey Hudgens added the extra point.
Going against the wind, the Braves tried to pull off a fake put on fourth-and-four, but the Bulldogs weren’t buying.
Taking advantage of the short field, the Bulldogs moved down for a second touchdown behind Compton, who energized the Bulldog fans with a driving 18-yard run, carrying three Braves defenders the final 10 yards.
“I thought offensively we executed well,” Wendel said. “Compton had a fantastic game.”
Compton (who finished with 123 yards on 21 carries) capped the march with a nine-yard keeper over right guard, and Hudgens’ PAT kick gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead with 5:17 left in the first quarter.
But the Braves started showing their offensive firepower, moving down to the Bulldog 23.
Braves sophomore Collin Strahan (who rotated with senior B.J. Dale) called his own number and dashed in, but the following extra point kick was blocked by Zach Keeling, making the score 14-6, Eustace.
Eustace grabbed the momentum back and spend the rest of the quarter driving to the Community 6.
On the first play of the second quarter, Compton scored his second touchdown, but Hudgens’ PAT kick into the wind went wide right, leaving the Bulldogs ahead 20-6 with 11:18 left in the first half.
Moving with the wind for a change, the Braves’ spread offense began clicking behind the running of Tim Underwood (25 carries, 252 yards).
Underwood capped the march with a zippy open-field touchdown run from 21 yards out.
The extra point kick went wide left, leaving the Bulldogs ahead 20-12 with 9:03 left in the first half.
Community’s defense made their first stop on the Bulldogs’ ensuing possession, forcing Eustace into a fourth-and-five situation on the Eustace side of midfield.
A pitchout to Johnson wound up a yard short, and the Braves took over with another short field.
Community would take advantage of the good field position, as Strahan dashed in from 25 yards out. Strahan ran for two, and suddenly the score was tied, 20-20, with 5:44 left in the first half.
“They proved why they’re the No. 1 Class 3A offense in the area,” Wendel said. “I think their offensive line beat our offensive line.
“Their blockers were able to get to our linebackers, and that forced us into a lot of one-on-one situations in the open field,” he added. “That’s what the spread does, it spreads you out to set up those one-on-one matchups.”
Community came up with its second straight defensive stop, again forcing the Bulldogs into a fourth-down situation near midfield.
The Bulldogs tried their own fake punt, but Compton was dragged down short of the first down, giving the Braves possession.
Community was again able to take advantage of the short field, with Underwood dashing in from 16 yards out. Dale added a two-point conversion run to put the Braves up by eight at halftime, 28-20.
Working with the wind, the Bulldogs opened the second half with a successful onside kick.
After the Bulldogs worked to the Brave’s 11, Compton took it over from there for his third touchdown of the evening. Compton added a two-point conversion run to tie the score at 28-all with 9:29 left in the third quarter.
The Braves kept to their gameplan, using Underwood, Dale (eight carries, 101 yards, two TDs) and Strahan (eight carries, 176 yards, three TDs) to gash the Bulldog defense.
Dale capped the Brave drive with an 11-yard keeper, and then added the two-point conversion run to give Community a 36-28 lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs had a self-inflicted stop on their next possession and punted – the only punt in the contest.
Community put another drive together, with Strahan capping the march with a nifty 29-yard run. Dale added a two-point conversion run, and the Braves were up by 16 points, 44-28, with 5:14 left in the third quarter.
Eustace put another scoring march together, this one capped with a one-yard scoring plunge by Calhoun. Compton ran in the two-point conversion try, and the Bulldogs were within a touchdown and conversion, 44-36, with 1:47 left in the third.
The Bulldogs again tried an onside kick – they tried three, but only recovered the first – and Community started working the ball with great field position, but against the wind.
Running the ball was the only way to move, as Dale’s ill-advised throw into the wind was intercepted by Johnson, who returned the theft 73 yards for a touchdown.
A run for two failed, leaving the Braves clinging to a 44-42 lead.
Community turned again to the run, and Dale pulled off a big play, dashing 40 yards for a touchdown. He added a two-point run to give the Braves a 10-point lead, 52-42, with 9:55 left to play.
Community’s defense then put up its fourth stop of the game, forcing the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs at the Braves 27.
Moving back downfield behind Underwood (and the wind), Dale threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Paul Blasingame. Dale added a two-point conversion run, and the Braves took a 60-42 lead with 6:09 left.
The Bulldogs came right back, working the ball down to the Brave’s 32, where Johnson (who finished with 98 yards on 32 carries) got free for what would be the final points of the evening with 2:38 left.


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Eustace Bulldog senior Zach Keeling (3) blocks a Nevada Community extra
point kick – the ball hits a Community offensive lineman and Bulldog rusher
Tony Alfaro (68) at right – during the first quarter of Eustace's 60-48 bidistrict
playoff loss to Community Friday. The blocked kick allowed the Bulldogs to
maintain a 14-6 lead.

Freeman named District 14-3A
volleyball MVP
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–As expected, loop champion Eustace dominated the District 14-3A all-district volleyball team announced late last week.
Four-year Eustace starter Cassie Freeman, who routinely led the Lady Bulldogs in almost every offensive and defensive category each match, was named the district’s Most Valuable Player.
Another Lady Bulldog senior, Nicole McNeel, was named as the Most Valuable Setter by district coaches.
Eustace sophomore Allison Cass was named as the co-Newcomer of the Year, sharing the honor with Wills Point sophomore Precious Spencer.
District runner-up Van and third-place Wills Point were also strongly represented on the all-district superlatives.
Van senior Caitlyn Galloway and Wills Point senior Lauren Manning were named as the co-Most Valuable Hitters.
Wills Point senior Brittany Wood was named the Defensive Player of the Year, while Van senior Sarah Milewski was named the Most Valuable Blocker.
Van senior Revae Rivera was named the Most Valuable Server, while veteran Eustace coach Chuck Powers was named the Coach of the Year.
Loop coaches named a 12-player first team, an 11-player second team and a 13-member honorable mention list.
Kemp senior Meagan Lacy, who came back this season after not playing volleyball last season, was the lone Lady Yellowjacket named to the first team.
Eustace placed both junior Jenny McConathy and senior Jessica McConathy on the first team, along with senior Camille Rogers, who became a defensive force at the net late in the season.
Also named to the first team were Van seniors Randi McClanahan and Chasity Smith, along with Wills Point’s Shelby Cunningham and Calli Zmolek.
Canton’s Jessika Allen and Amanda Allen, along with Mineola’s Sara Rose and Lindey Neal were named to the first team.
Second Team
Eustace: Arin Rhodes.
Kemp: Amanda Lawrence and Shelbie Wright.
Van: Brianna Wilkanson and Jordan Kuntzman.
Wills Point: Berklie Pierce, Heather Harbaugh and Sammi Freeman.
Mineola: Morgan Gaylean and Hope Crenshaw.
Canton: Blair Pierce.
Honorable Mention
Eustace: Krysta Lowry, Chelsea Truitt and Kimberly Austin.
Kemp: Kimmie Gorka and Breanna Griffin.
Van: Carly King and Montana Cunningham.
Canton: Brittany Arnold and Kandice Everitt.
Wills Point: Jimmysha Spencer, Brooke Jones and Darcie Hamro.
Mineola: Brittany Tuck.