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Lake Info
Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet
above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is:
321.70
Water Temperature:
na degrees - top
52 degrees - bottom
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Young Lady Panthers seek loop
success
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Youth and inexperience – one hopes to offset it
with hustle and quickness.
That’s what second-year Mabank girls coach David Brown hopes as he goes
into a fairly strong district with a squad beset by injuries and
illness.
Both returning starters, senior guards Kelsi Reynolds (shoulder) and
Miranda Groom (knee), have been lost to injuries.
It’s likely Reynolds will be back in time to start District 13-3A play,
but Groom’s availability was still very uncertain heading into the
Christmas break.
Freshman Sara Springer was brought up from the junior varsity to step
into the void at shooting guard. Junior Chelsey Dillon has settled into
the point guard spot.
“She (Springer) shoots well and can contribute,” Brown said.
Despite the lack of experience, Brown said the Lady Panthers have made
big strides during the past year.
“We don’t really have any standouts, but they’re all working well
together,” he said. “Every game, we may have a different leading
scorer.”
Through the first 13 games, seven different girls led the team in
scoring, which is all Brown can ask.
“I really preach the team concept, and when they do that, it means they
are distributing the ball to different people and getting everyone
involved,” Brown said.
Brown started out with seven seniors, but with illness and injury had
just three available going into the Christmas break – Lauren Graham,
Ashley Corter and Paige Howard.
“We were young already, and we’re getting younger by the day,” Brown
half-joked.
Brown has three juniors – Dillon, Whitney Cathey and Lauren Hamilton –
along with sophomores Ashley Hammack, Jeanice Mojica and Chelsea
Alldredge.
Dillon and Corter both got quite a bit of playing time last year, and
Mojica made an immediate impact when she was brought up from the junior
varsity late in the season.
Corter has really stepped up her play at the post position, Brown said.
“We’ve had to change our style of play a little (with the injuries),” he
said. “Last year, we played man defense. This year, we’re trying to grow
on that a little bit and do more things out of it.
“The only thing that’s changed, really, is our depth,” he added. “These
young kids are talented. It will take time, but I think we’re still
going to end up being a really good team.”
Most pre-season projections had the usual suspects – Kaufman, Crandall
and Mabank – as the district favorites.
“Kaufman probably has the best post player in the district,” Brown said.
“Crandall has a new coach. He plays pressure man (defense) and has three
really good players.
“I’ve seen Kemp one time, and they looked a lot better than last year,”
he added. “I haven’t seen Eustace, and I don’t know anything about
Ferris.”
The Lady Panthers open District 13-3A play on the road at Crandall
Friday, Jan. 4, and Brown said he expects the Crandall matchup to be a
key contest.
“(The Crandall coach) is playing 10 kids, five in and five out,” Brown
said. “I’m playing 10 or 11 pretty consistently. I can sub out, and
there’s not going to be a dropoff – sometimes, there’s an upgrade,
because the kid coming in is just as good, and they’re fresh.”
Brown said he was encouraged by the Lady Panthers’ come-from-behind win
against visiting Wills Point Dec. 11.
“With the injuries we’ve had, we’re still able to beat people like Wills
Point, who went to the regional quarterfinals last year, and didn’t lose
anybody,” Brown said. “We stepped it up a notch.”
Kemp Lady ’Jackets looking
to make strides
Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–After making huge strides last year, the Kemp Lady
Yellowjackets are looking to break a playoff drought this year, despite
their relative youth and inexperience.
“We’re really young,” first-year head coach Vince Morgan said. “We’re
starting one senior, two juniors, and either one or two sophomores and a
freshman, depending on the lineup that evening.”
As with all young teams, maintaining focus has been a problem for the
Lady ’Jackets.
“We’ll do well for a quarter or two at a time,” Morgan said. “We haven’t
been able to put everything together for an extended period of time this
year.”
Despite being so young, the Lady ’Jackets have four returning starters –
which shows you how young they were last year.
The lone senior is guard Sarah Smith, who is joined by junior Meagan
Lacy and two sophomores, Brandy Simmons and Amanda Lawrence.
Newcomers include juniors Breanna Griffin and Chelsea Mulvaney, along
with sophomores Brittany Simmons and Shelbie Wright.
Freshmen Shannon Shipp and Michelle Ritterbach round out the squad.
“We’re trying to build a team concept on both offense and defense, so
we’re not relying on one person to carry us through a game,” Morgan
said.
“It’s taking time to get that in place, but I see us making tremendous
steps forward,” he added. “I’ve been talking to the girls about playing
our best games in January and February, and I’m hoping we keep making
those strides.”
The Lady ’Jackets have not avoided tough competition, such as in the
Fairfield tournament.
“We’ve been playing some good teams, and hopefully, we’ll see the
results in the next month or so,” Morgan said.
Looking forward to District 13-3A play, Morgan tapped Mabank and
Crandall as the favorites.
“Mabank and Crandall could be 1 and 1-A,” he said. “Kaufman is always
good as well.
“Ferris and Eustace are in a similar mode to us, with new coaches and
new systems,” he added. The Lady ’Jackets open district play at home
against Ferris Friday, Jan. 4.
“At some point in time, somebody has to bust up that stranglehold they
(Mabank, Crandall and Kaufman) have on the playoffs,” Morgan said.
“Hopefully, that will be us.
“I keep telling the girls that on any given night, anyone can win,” he
added. “We’ve got to take it one play at a time and one quarter at a
time.”
Panthers nip Eagles in 2OTs
Monitor Staff Reports
CANTON–In a double-overtime thriller, the Mabank Panthers edged the
hosting Canton Eagles 75-71 Dec. 18.
Following a Christmas break, the Panthers open play Thursday (today) in
the annual Wagstaff Holiday Classic basketball tournament at Tyler
Junior College.
Tuesday, Jan. 8, the Panthers will visit another District 14-3A team,
Brownsboro, in the last pre-district contest.
Mabank will open District 13-3A play on the road at Kaufman Friday, Jan.
11.
At Canton, the hosting Eagles opened a 12-8 lead in the first quarter,
and pushed their margin out to 12 points by halftime, 33-21.
During halftime, the Panthers made some adjustments in their defense,
and outscored the Eagles 22-15 in the third quarter.
Mabank continued that resurgence in the fourth period, tying the contest
at 60 at the end of regulation play.
In the first overtime, both teams scored five points, but the Panthers
posted a 10-6 edge in the second overtime to secure the four-point win.
Kolton Browning (six points) and Haydon Blair (five) led the Panthers
during the two overtimes.
Browning took game-high honors with 26 points, including a 3-point
basket, as Blair finished with 17 (one trey) and Albin Gashi with 13
points, including a trey.
Tray Phillips added six points, Cameron Tucker and Caleb McKee both had
four points, Tyler Fisher, Griffin Marshall and Oliver Wedemeyer all
scored two points each, and Jacob Woodard added a free throw.
Kevon Milton led the Eagles with 23 points, with Grant Franklin adding
14 and Travis Renegar 13 points.
Mabank also took the junior varsity contest, 41-35.
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Upcoming games |
Girls basketball
Dec. 27-29
MHS @ Scurry-Rosser tnm.
KHS @ Scurry-Rosser tnm.
Dec. 28
EHS @ Cross Roads
Jan. 4
MHS @ Crandall*
KHS vs Ferris*
EHS vs Kaufman*
Jan. 8
MHS vs KHS*
EHS @ Ferris*
Jan. 11
MHS @ Kaufman*
KHS vs EHS*
Jan. 15
MHS vs EHS*
KHS @ Crandall*
*District 13-3A contest
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Boys
basketball
Dec. 27-29
MHS @ Wagstaff Classic
(Tyler Junior College)
KHS @ Gatesville tourn.
EHS @ Scurry-Rosser tourn.
Jan. 4
KHS @ Palestine
EHS @ Trinidad
Jan. 11
MHS @ Kaufman*
KHS vs EHS*
Jan. 15
MHS vs EHS*
KHS @ Crandall*
*District 13-3A contest |
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