Sports and Outdoors

Thursday, December 30, 2010

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 318.87 Water Temperature:
54  degrees - top
51 degrees - bottom

Mabank man qualifies for Boston marathon
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Mabank resident Brent McDonald qualified for the annual Boston Marathon Dec. 5 with his finish at the Dallas White Rock Lake Marathon.
The White Rock Lake run was McDonald’s first marathon, with the 34-year-old finishing in 3:09:55.
At his age, McDonald needed to run a 3:10:00 or better to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
His wife, Mabank Junior High teacher/coach Adrienne Gautreaux-McDonald, said he admitted finishing the run was by far the toughest thing he had ever done.
“He has inspired me to run one, as well,” she said.
McDonald had run one half-marathon before tackling the White Rock Lake run.
His desire to run had always been sidelined by a bad knee, but surgery in August, 2009, allowed him to start serious training, and he lost 55 pounds during the past year.
McDonald owns A+ Plumbing in Mabank.
He will not be able to run in the 2011 Boston Marathon, as the field has already been filled (about 30 minutes after registration opened), but he will be waiting by the computer to register for the 2012 race.
“The good thing is that I achieved my goal (of running a marathon), but on the other hand, now I have to run another one,” he said.

Athletes make history in 2010
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–Student athletes from Mabank, Kemp and Eustace all made history with their performances during 2010.
Kemp fielded its first soccer team this year, and the Mabank boys soccer team made history by notching their first playoff berth.
The biggest event of the year, however, was the biennial UIL realignment in early February. As a result of the realignment, Mabank dropped from 4A to 3A, and Eustace dropped from 3A to 2A.
January
Kemp’s inaugural soccer team won its first-ever match, knocking off hosting Eustace 3-1.
The Yellowjacket soccer team went on to play essentially a junior varsity schedule – all on the road.
On the girls’ side, the Kemp Lady Yellowjackets started posting win after win in District 14-3A play, opening with a 15-point win against visiting Van.
Kemp’s girls turned out to be very good at home, going unbeaten until the final game of district against loop champion Canton.
At Mabank, however, both the Panther boys and girls basketball teams found the going very tough against the much larger schools in District 15-4A.
Four Kemp volleyball players were named academic all-state – Hannah Carpenter, Kimmie Gorka, Kylie Goswick and Kayleigh Morton – while three Eustace players also were named – Kimberly Austin, Tori Bynum and Erica Sanchez.
Austin and teammate Jenny McConathy, both seniors, were later named to the All-East Texas volleyball team by the Tyler Morning Telegraph later in the month.
While Kemp’s girls continued to be the strongest basketball team in the lake area, the Kemp boys (who struggled in pre-district play) began serving notice they would be a factor in the district race.
February
The biennial UIL realignment did what everyone expected – dropped Mabank back down into 3A and Eustace into 2A, to the great (mostly unexpressed) relief of coaches at both schools.
One by-product of the drop to 2A was that Eustace’s successful soccer program could no longer play regulation contests, due to a pesky UIL rule that says 2A schools can’t play soccer.
Eustace soccer coach Cody Taylor said the Bulldogs would play an “outlaw” schedule in the 2010-11 season, since they can’t compete in the 4A league they had been in since forming teams.
Kemp’s girls continued their run through the District 14-3A also-rans, heading for a final-game showdown against Canton in Kemp.
Canton’s Eaglettes proved themselves to be equal to the task, however, as they handed the Lady ’Jackets their only home loss of the season. 51-38, to remain unbeaten at 10-0, while the Lady Yellowjackets took second place at 8-2.
One of the few bright spots for the Mabank Panthers in 15-4A competition came in the next-to-last contest.
In a game delayed until Saturday – thanks to a record snowfall that closed everything Friday – the Panthers threw a major scare into the second-ranked Lancaster Tigers behind nine 3-point baskets from senior Jacob Woodard before eventually falling 71-69.
Kemp’s boys used an upset of Van to help cement the district’s third-place playoff berth, entering the playoffs with a 12-18 record.
Trinity Valley Community College women’s basketball coach Bill Damuth was arrested following a post-game confrontation with officials at Blinn College in Brenham.
Damuth was suspended and later fired by TVCC.
Mabank’s boys notched their first-ever soccer playoff berth, and hosted Kilgore for a bidistrict match, won by Kilgore 5-1.
The Kemp girls’ second straight trip to the basketball playoffs was brief, as they ran into the Rains Lady Wildcats’ strong inside game and fell 62-52 in a bidistrict contest played in Wills Point.
The Kemp boys, however, edged the Quinlan Panthers 42-40 in their bidistrict contest at Forney, vaulting them into an area championship contest at Longview High School.
However, the ’Jackets found themselves on the other end of a smothering defense for a change, as the Liberty-Eylau Leopards used their edge in quickness to open a big early lead and eventually claim a 76-51 win.
The Leopards went on to the regional finals before bowing out of the playoffs.
March
Mabank High School junior Sean Ryan, who has made up the school’s entire swimming team since his freshman year, was named to the All-State Swim Team by the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association, making him one of just 24 team members state-wide.
Mabank seniors Dillon Bramblitt and Nolan Duncan both qualified for the state powerlifting meet with their performances at the regional meet.
Competing in the 220-pound class, Bramblitt broke two of his own regional records (squat, 650, and bench press, 405) en route to a total lift of 1,575 pounds.
Duncan won the 242-pound class with a total lift of 1,545 pounds, including a 610-pound squat.
Kemp’s Macey Olivarez qualified for the state powerlifting meet with a seventh-place finish at the girls regional meet.
On the boys’ side, Kemp seniors Ray Hodges and Cris Murray both notched second-place finishes at the regional meet to qualify them for the state powerlifting meet, and the KHS boys team finished third overall with 15 team points.
Murray later took third at the state meet with a total lift of 1,310 pounds.
Midlothian’s boys and girls dominated the annual Cedar Creek Relays at Mabank’s Panther Stadium.
Kemp’s girls and Mabank’s boys both finished a distant third in the standings.
At Brownsboro, Chapel Hill edged Eustace by just one point to win the boys division at the annual Bear Invitational track meet.
Eustace pulled off an unusual softball/baseball sweep, as the hosting Bulldog boys and girls defeated their Kemp counterparts by identical 8-3 scores.
April
The Rains girls and Eustace boys topped the field at the annual Al Williamson Relays at Kemp’s Yellowjacket Stadium.
Strong performers included Kemp’s Sharda Bettis, who won the 100 and 300 hurdles and finished second in both the long jump and triple jump, along with Eustace’s JoJo Bradburn, who finished second in the boys pole vault and won both the long jump and the 200-meter dash.
Mabank’s season-long baseball road trip – caused by a deeply rutted outfield – came to a close when the Gun Barrel City street department’s asphalt roller was able to smooth out the Panthers’ field, enabling the Panthers to finish the rest of the season at home.
Canton’s girls and Eustace’s boys won team titles at the District 14-3A track meet held in Eustace.
Eustace senior Trevan Johnson qualified for the regional meet in four events – winning the 400 and 200 runs, anchoring the Bulldogs’ undefeated 1600 relay team and winning the long jump.
Bettis, who had such a dominate performance at the Al Williamson Relays, qualified for the regional meet in four events, winning the 100 and 300 hurdles, taking third in the long jump and anchoring the Kemp 400 meter relay team.
Mabank’s Lady Panther softball team captured the district’s fourth-place playoff berth, and the Eustace Bulldogs clinched a playoff berth with their fifth straight win, a 5-1 home triumph over Wills Point.
Mabank’s baseball Panthers did their job, run-ruling Lancaster, 16-0, in their final road game, but missed the playoffs when Terrell upset Forney, 7-6, to claim the fourth-place playoff berth.
A regional qualifiers track meet in Eustace drew 45 teams and more than 600 runners to Bulldog Stadium, where they braved threatening weather.
The Eustace 1600-meter relay team continued their season-long unbeaten streak at the warm-up meet.
May
Canton, Eustace and Wills Point all tied for first place in the 14-3A baseball race, forcing a playoff. Wills Point defeated Eustace, but then lost to Canton, giving the Eagles first place, the Tigers second and the Bulldogs third.
Seniors Nolan Duncan, Alison Castle and Tyler Fisher were named the “Athletes of the Year” at the annual Mabank High School All-Sports Banquet.
Mabank’s boys golf team finished second at the district tournament to qualify for the regional tournament at Robison Ranch in Denton.
Kemp’s Bettis secured her fourth straight trip to a state track meet (she won state in Mississippi as a freshman) by winning the 100-meter hurdles, and just missed a second berth when she finished third in the 300 hurdles.
She was the area’s only state qualifier, and later finished second at the state meet, finishing 0.25 second behind Spring Hill’s Shelby Young. Bettis was later named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association’s all-state track and field team.
The Mabank Lady Panther softball team’s playoff run was a short one, as Waco Midway nipped the Lady Panthers, 1-0, in a bidistrict playoff.
A classic pitcher’s duel matched Mabank senior Brandie Lander, who tossed a two-hitter in her final game, but Midway’s Ward tossed a one-hitter.
The game’s only run came on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Farmersville’s Farmers knocked the Eustace Bulldogs out of the playoffs for the second time in the school year (they also beat them in the football playoffs) with a 2-1 edge in a best-of-three series at Mesquite’s Tillery Field.
Kemp seniors Zach Allison and Amanda Lawrence were named the “Athletes of the Year” at the KHS Spring Sports Banquet.
Citing the sheer quality of this year’s senior class, Eustace coaches gave up trying to pick just two and named five multi-sport standouts as the “Athletes of the Year” at the school’s annual sports banquet.
Named were Trevan Johnson, Victoria “Tori” Bynum, Chris Compton, Jenny McConathy and Joseph Bradburn.
Eleven Cedar Creek Lake area soccer players were named to All-East Texas teams by the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Eustace junior Lindsey Pate was the highest-ranked of the 11, as she was named to the second team.
Girls honorable mention went to Eustace players Chelsea Grimes and Shelby Stegent, along with Mabank’s Natalie Torres, Jesse Toms and Ashton Norman.
On the boys’ side, Eustace’s Zach Bennett and Evan Arambula were named, along with Mabank’s Thomas Heller, Ricardo Robles and Ryan Floyd.
June
The Cedar Creek Yacht Club held its seven annual “Round the Lake” regatta, drawing 14 sailboats, but not much wind, unfortunately.
Two Kemp High School graduates, Amanda Lawrence and Kimmie Gorka, were named academic all-state track and field team by the Texas Girls Coaches Association.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine’s 51st annual mid-summer preview taps Mabank, Eustace, Malakoff and Trinidad as playoff contenders in their respective districts.
Mabank’s 55th annual Western Week rodeo drew dozens of performers to the Andrew Gibbs Rodeo Arena for hot (and sweaty) competition.
Narrow margins and tough conditions marked the rodeo, as the competitors had to battle the heat and humidity as well as the Hat Band Rodeo Company’s stock.
Malakoff teen Justus Whitcher dominated the Texas High School Rodeo Association finals in Abilene, taking first place in both calf roping and steer wrestling to win the State Champion All-Around Cowboy title.
July
Eustace incoming senior Braden Strickland and Lady Bulldog incoming junior Josie Collie were given honorable mention on the Tyler Morning Telegraph’s All-East Texas baseball and softball teams, respectively.
Strickland and new EHS graduate Chris Compton were both named to the Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 3A All-State baseball team, gaining honorable mention.
A four-year starter, Compton was the 14-3A Utility Player of the Year as a senior, while Strickland was the district’s Pitcher of the Year.
TVCC named Ranger Junior College’s Ashley Palma as the new assistant softball coach.
The team of Brad Lawrence, Steve Whitfield, David Farhat and Doug Humble claimed the low gross honors at the annual Red Hot “18” golf tournament sponsored by the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
Editor’s note: Area sports action during the second half of the year will be examined in Sunday’s issue.