Guard play keys Fillies' win over LMC, 79-71 - February 24, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Panola all but assured of spot in postseason tourney

Panola College head coach Tracey Stellato was a standout point guard at Tatum High School and LeTourneau University, and she demands a high level of play from her backcourt, especially her point guards.

She got that Wednesday. Panola's tandem of point guard Oditte Odisho and shooting guard Chastity Taylor combined for 42 points to lead the Fillies to a 79-71 win against Lon Morris here in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium, that all but secures a Region XIV Conference tournament berth.

Odisho had 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals as she ran Panola's offense and hit 7-of-15 shots and 6-of-7 free-throw attempts. Panola staged a 9-0 run with less than six minutes left to give the Fillies a 73-61 advantage with 3:52 remaining. Lon Morris cut Panola's lead to 73-68 with 1:10 remaining, but got no closer.

Panola (9-14, 4-12) is likely safe in the conference tournament race barring unexpected tiebreaker scenarios, Stellato said.

"Oditte's good," said Stellato of her point guard. "She takes a lot of heat from me at practice and on game day. ... Players make plays and I thought we had kids step up and make plays."

Taylor got hot after missing her first seven shots. She finished with 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting with five rebounds. Rebecca Kolawole added 12 points and four rebounds. Catarina Jones had five points and 10 rebounds to help the Fillies win the glass 50-43.

Point guard Demetria Foreman led Lon Morris (15-12, 7-8) with 20 points, five assists, five steals and three rebounds. Panola limited LMC post Byronesha Santiago, who entered the game averaging about 16 points and eight rebounds. Santiago finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Panola held her to eight shot attempts.

"We did some things in the halfcourt where our guards stepped down to help out our post players so that we could play behind their posts and be in a position to block out," Stellato said. "We had a couple of places where we didn't execute it very well. About the last three minutes my kids got really nervous. They started drifting a little bit and I told them, 'You've got to stick to what got us here.' It was a good win for us.'"

Panola is off Saturday before hosting San Jacinto on Wednesday. A Panola win guarantees a conference tournament berth if the Fillies have not already clinched one by default.

Panola College sophomore Oditte Odisho puts up a shot while being fouled during Wednesday night's game against Lon Morris College in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

Panola College freshman Rebecca Kolawole (with ball) drives to the basket on Lon Morris' Allanah Austin (34) during Wednesday night's Region XIV game. (Photo by John Krueger)

Panola College's Chastity Taylor (3) drives inside the three-point arc during Wednesday Region XIV action in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

Bearcats top Ponies in double OT, 71-69 - February 24, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

CARTHAGE — Panola closed regulation with an 8-0 run to send the game to overtime, but Issac Mack's left-wing three-point attempt at the buzzer hit back iron to give Lon Morris a 71-69 win in double overtime.

Zieyik Estime hit a three-pointer with 3:51 left in the second overtime for Panola's first lead since the first half. Robert Lee's one-handed, highlight-reel tomahawk jam to finish a fastbreak put Panola ahead 68-63 with 2:12 remaining, but Kyle Preston's three-pointer tied the game 68-68 with 1:11 left. Nate Velasco's short fallaway off the glass gave Lon Morris a 71-69 lead with 4.8 seconds remaining.

Panola (7-19, 1-15) had no timeouts remaining, but Lee found Mack, the Ponies' go-to shooter, for a wide open look from about 22 feet on the left wing. Mack's shot was a bit long.

The loss means Panola's chances at qualifying for the conference tournament are slim. The top 12 teams in the 14-team conference qualify for the Region XIV tournament at Tyler Junior College during the second weekend of March, regardless of division. Panola is 13th entering Saturday's 4 p.m. game at Navarro.

All 13 points and four assists Velasco accounted for came after halftime. Preston led Lon Morris with 21 points, and Kyle Francis had 13 points and five rebounds. Forwards Terrance Wilson (17 rebounds) and Vernell Blackman (12 rebounds) dominated the glass for the Bearcats (14-13, 7-9), who won the rebounding battle 45-30.

That wasn't Alonzo Murphy's fault. The 6-9 Panola freshman had 13 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and four assists before fouling out in the second overtime. Mack had 14 points on 6-for-23 shooting, while Estime had 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting. Lee had 13 points after halftime, including two huge dunks — the double OT tomahawk and a two-handed tip jam in the first overtime. The 6-1 guard also blocked three shots.

Panola College freshman Breion Beaver (5) makes contact in traffic with a pair of Lon Morris defenders during action Wednesday night in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. The Bearcats won, 71-69, in double overtime. (Photo by John Krueger)

Panola College freshman Lonnie McElwain (42) is fouled as he goes up for a shot by Lon Morris' Reed Burke 31) during Wednesday night's Region XIV contest in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

Panola College freshman JaRon Denmark skies toward the basket during Wednesday night's game against Lon Morris. The Bearcats topped the Ponies, 71-69, in double overtime. (Photo by John Krueger)

'Riders drop close games at Shelbyville tourney - February 24, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Pitching excels in Center losses to Garrison, Tatum

SHELBYVILLE - As the Center Roughriders wait for their bats to come around, they have to rely on their pitching and defense during the early portion of the 2012 season. Head coach Joey Brown likes what he sees from both his pitching and defense thus far despite falling twice during Thursday's first round of the Shelbyville Classic.

The 'Riders generated only three runs in their two games, but also were in both contests until the final inning before falling to Garrison, 4-1, and Tatum, 4-2, here at Dragon Field.

"Our pitching is good and everyone is throwing the ball well; that's very much improved from last year," said Center head coach Joey Brown. "Our defense is also a lot better.

"Our bats are slow, but they're always going to be slow early in the season. I told the guys to keep working and we're going to be okay.

"Right now we're focused on doing everything fast, staying focused on one pitch at a time. We just played two good teams today. We know where we're at and we know what we've got to do to get better. I think everybody's excited about what's ahead."

Center (1-2) freshman hurler Dalton Horton started Thursday's second game against the Eagles. He took the loss despite pitching 3.2 solid innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on one hit, with four strikeouts and five walks.

Raleigh Wilkins came out of the bullpen and finished the game - which was shorted to five innings because of tournament rules. Wilkins allowed one unearned run on one hit, while fanning one and not giving up a walk.

Sam Toon was the winning hurler for Tatum. He started the contest on the mound, working three innings. He pitched three scoreless innings, despite walking four batters. He also struck out four.

Wilkins accounted for Center's only hit in the game, which came in the bottom of the forth when the 'Riders pushed a pair of runs across the plate.

Trailing 3-0 after the Eagles scored in the top of the frame, Jonathan Hennigan walked and was forced out when Luke Burns reached on a fielder's choice. Wilkins singled to short rightfield and both players moved up on a passed ball.

Burns found the plate when Luis Morales reached base on an error by the Tatum shortstop and Wilkins plated on an error by the Eagle third baseman when he let a ground ball get past him.

Morales advanced to third base, but was stranded when the third out was called.

Leading 3-2, Tatum added an insurance run in the top of the fifth and then held Center without a hit in the bottom of the frame.

Brown said he is trying to get his players to focus on the next play, instead of dwelling on the past.

"Our motto is, 'So what, next pitch,'" Brown emphasized. "We want to forget about the last pitch because you can't change it or do anything about it. We just want to concentrate on the next pitch and do the best we can with that."

The Center coach also said he's using early season action to find out what kind of talent he has.

"We're trying to figure out what we've got," he said. "We lost two scrimmages [due to weather], so we're behind where we'd normally be at this time of the year. We're trying to see who can do what for us, pitching-wise and in the field."

Garrison 4, Center 1 -- In Center's first game of the tourney on Thursday morning, Hennigan drove in the lone run and Gaije Ranes took the loss on the hill as Garrison topped the 'Riders, 4-1.

Center took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Ranes doubled to center and later scored when Hennigan reached base on an error.

Garrison then came back to tie the score in the third inning and the Bulldogs scored three times in the fifth to take the win.

Center will continued action in the tournament on Friday, battling Shelbyville at 7 p.m. The 'Riders will take on Overton Saturday morning on 10 a.m. in their final game of the tourney.

Rams place fourth at Diboll power meet - February 24, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Zach Wildes placed first in the 242-lb. weight class and Austin Underbrink was second in the 275-lb. weight class to propel the Joaquin Rams powerlifting team to a fourth place finish at the Diboll Meet recently.

Underbrink currently is ranked No.3 in Region III and No.10 in the state in his weight class.

Wildes lifted 465 pounds in the squat, 250 pounds in the bench press and 425 pounds in the dead lift en route to a total of 1,140 pounds and first place in his class.

Underbrink was second in his class, lifting 575 pounds in the squat, 370 pounds in the bench press and 455 pounds in the dead lift, to tally 1,400 total pounds.

Rhett Golden placed fourth in the 275-lb. class. He lifted 525 pounds in the squat, 300 pounds in the bench and 450 pounds in the dead lift, to total 1,275 pounds. Rhett is currently sitting in ninth place in the region.

Tra Rogers placed third in the 220-lb. class. He maxed at 435 pounds in the squat, 225 pounds in the bench press and 405 pounds in the dead lift to tally 1,065 pounds for the day.

Nathan Boyter placed fourth in the 220-lb. class. He lifted 315 pounds in the squat, 215 pounds in the bench press and 285 pounds in the dead lift, to finish with 815 pounds.

Dalton Wheless placed fifth in the 220-lb. class. He lifted 315 pounds in the squat, 170 pounds in the bench press and 305 pounds in the dead lift, to tally 785 total pounds.

Zach Mason placed fourth in the 198-lb. class. He lifted 470 pounds in the squat, 245 pounds in the bench press and 435 pounds in the dead lift, finishing with 1,150 total pounds.

Andrew Dean placed fourth in the 165-lb. class. He lifted 395 pounds in the squat, 210 pounds in the bench press and 385 pounds in the dead lift, to finish with a 990 total pounds.

Armando Robles placed third in the 132-lb. class. He lifted 325 pounds in the squat, 175 pounds in the bench press and 350 pounds in the dead lift to finish with a 850 total pounds.

SFA defense stifles Lamar in 61-51 win - February 24, 2012

NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks used a stifling defense and balanced scoring effort to run their winning streak to four straight with a 61-51 victory over the Lamar Lady Cardinals Wednesday evening at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

SFA (19-7, 9-4) limited Lamar (15-12, 7-6) to just 28 percent shooting, which included 2-of-10 from three-point territory. Offensively, senior guard Tammara Marion led the Ladyjacks with 11 points while five others scored six points or more.

The win for SFA also marked their first in six years against the Lady Cardinals, having not beaten Lamar since the 2006-07 campaign.

The Lady Cardinals were led in scoring by the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week, Kalis Loyd, who scored a game-high 17 points but shot just 6-of-16 from the floor. Loyd was joined in double-digit scoring by Carenn Baylor, who put in 14 points.

SFA's depth once again proved to be too much for their opponent, winning the bench scoring battle 25-15. Courtney Conwright had one of her better games since returning from injury with eight points as did Ashlee Mells (8 points). Amina Sawyer flirted with back-to-back double-doubles, finishing with seven points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes of action.

Neither team pulled away in the first half but SFA held the lead for the final six and a half minutes of action following back-to-back three-pointers from Marion and Mells. Marion scored eight of her 11 points in the first half, which included a running jumper with 16 seconds remaining to give the Ladyjacks a 30-25 lead going into halftime.

The Ladyjacks outscored Lamar 31-26 in the second half and never saw their lead slip below seven points in the final 18 minutes of play, extending it out all the way to 50-35 with seven minutes left to play.

SFA managed to win despite being outscored 28-16 in the paint and allowing 20 offensive rebounds.

The Ladyjacks, who have three games left in the conference season, will next travel to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday for a battle with the Islanders at 2 p.m. That game can be heard on Q107.7 FM with the pregame show starting at 1:45 p.m.

They will then return home for the final time this season on Wednesday, Feb. 29 for a showdown with rival Sam Houston State on Senior Night.

'Jacks take down Cardinals on road, 62-52 - February 24, 2012

BEAUMONT - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks held Lamar to just 28.8 percent shooting on the night and got 20 points from Antonio Bostic in taking hold of sole possession of third place in the Southland Conference with a 62-52 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday at the Montagne Center.

SFA (16-11, 9-4 SLC) did not make a three-point bucket for the second time this season, but did not need one, outscoring the Cardinals (17-11, 7-5SLC) 34-24 in the paint while putting three players in double figures, led by Bostic's 20. In all, SFA shot 54.5 percent from the field, including 59.1 percent in the second half.

With the win SFA takes sole possession of third place in the Southland Conference with just three games left to play.

The `Jacks managed to hand the Cardinals to just their second loss of the season on their home floor despite getting outrebounded 42-35, including 21-11 on the offensive glass. Mike James led the Cardinals with 15 points, while Devon Lamb became the first player this year to finish with double-figure rebounds against SFA, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds.

Jereal Scott finished with 14 points and a career-high five blocks, while Taylor Smith joined him in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Lamar cut the SFA lead to six early in the second half before the Lumberjacks were able to push the lead back to double figures and keep the Cardinals at arm's length for the majority of the game.

The Lumberjacks held the Cardinals to just 7-for-33 (21.2 percent) from the field in the first half, missing 17 consecutive shots before a jumper from Anthony Miles' transition jumper with just 5:25 to play as the `Jacks opened up a 29-20 lead at the game's midpoint. Meanwhile, SFA was doing its part in dominating the paint, getting eight points apiece from Scott and Smith while outscoring Lamar 18-8 in the lane and hitting half of its 24 field goals.

SFA used a 10-0 run to open up a 16-7 lead less than nine minutes into the game. Lamar, who entered the game as the third-highest scoring team in the Southland Conference, did not manage to get into double figures until Charlie Harper's free throw with 7:46 to play in the half.

SFA will look to pick up its 10th win of league play on Saturday when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Chrsiti at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

No.4 Aggies escape scare from SFA, 4-3 - February 24, 2012

COLLEGE STATION, Tx - The No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth and shut down the Stephen F. Austin bats in the final three innings to take a 4-3 win on Tuesday at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Justin Choateprovided the best pitching performance of the year for SFA (0-3), taking the loss despite throwing 6.0 innings and fanning five while walking one and allowing four runs, just two of which were earned. Aggie right-hander Jason Freeman earned his first win of the year by tossing a pair of perfect innings of relief before freshman Daniel Mengden picked up the save with a shutdown ninth.

The `Jacks, who had fallen behind 2-0 after Texas A&M wasted no time in spotting itself a lead, did not take long to come back itself by pushing across a pair of runs in the third and then taking the lead on Max Lamantia'sfirst homer of the year to lead off the fourth; however, an SFA error with one out in the sixth inning broke a string of 11 straight hitters retired by Choate and set the table for freshman Cory Lankford who delivered a two-out, two-run single to give the Aggies all the runs they would need.

From there the Aggie bullpen managed to allow just two base runners in the final three innings, not letting a Lumberjack reach second base in closing out the win.

Zach Benson was the lone `Jack with multiple hits, reaching twice on a pair of singles, while Cody Priestprovided a pair of shutout innings with two strikeouts in relief of Choate.

Texas A&M used a sacrifice fly from Brandon Wood and a balk from Choate to push across each of its first two runs in the opening frame, but SFA put each of its first three runners on in the top of the third and cashed in on a two-out single by Bobby Lovelessoff of starter Derrick Hadley to knot the game.

SFA then staked itself to its first lead of the game on the first pitch of the fourth when Lamantia connected on a solo shot, and Choate responded by tossing a pair of shutdown innings in the fourth and fifth frames.

He managed to get the first out of the sixth before Matt Juengel reached on an error on Bryce Cummingsat third and Jacob House followed with a hard double off of Lamantia's glove at first base to give the Aggies life with a pair of runners on and just one out. Choate managed to punch out Wood, but could not get past Lankford, who pulled a two-strike pitch through the hole in the right side of the infield for what proved to be the winning runs.

The `Jacks will look to scratch the win column for the first time on Wednesday at home when it hosts Grambling at 3:00 p.m. Brett Higginbothamis scheduled to get the start for the `Jacks.

Dragons Open with 5-2 Win over Eagles - February 24, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Shelbyville's Ryon Vaughn (3) beats out a throw to first base during action this week at the Shelbyville Classic. The Dragons won their season opener on Tuesday, a 5-2 win over Tatum on the road. (Photo by John Krueger)

In Tatum, Shelbyville Dillon Brown tagged a double and a single in a 2-for-3 outing, with two runs batted in Tuesday afternoon to lead seven Dragon players with at least one hit apiece in a season-opening 5-2 win over Tatum.

Blane Deal also had a hot bat for the Dragons, posting a 3-for-4 effort with three singles and a RBI. Caleb Stracener was 2-for-3, while driving in a run.

Four Shelbyville players recorded singles in the contest. James Bradford was 1-for-3 with a RBI and three stolen bases, while Brandon Shilder and Chris Vaughn were each 1-for-3 and Sawyer Wilburn posted a 1-for-4 outing.

Brandon Shilder started the game on the hill for Shelbyville and recorded the win. He pitched four shutout innings, allowing just one hit, while fanning four and walking one.

Ryon Vaughn picked up the save. He worked 1.2 frames, allowing no runs on one hit with a pair of strikeouts.

Kyle Colbert doubled, and Casey Roberts nad two hits and a run scored in the loss for Tatum.

While Shilder was closing down the Eagles in the first four frames, the Dragons took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third and added two more in the fifth for a 5-0 advantage.

Tatum managed a run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the second to close the gap to three.

GAME AT A GLANCE

Shelbyville 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 = 5 11 3
Tatum 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 = 2 4 5

WP: Brandon Shilder 4 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 4 K's, 1 BB
Save: Ryon Vaughn 1.2 IP 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 2 K's

2B: Dillon Brown, Shelbyville.
3B: None.
HR: None.

'Riders Stay within Striking Distance in 18-3A, 53-34 - January 20, 2012
By Stephen Ewing, Sports Correspondent

Center Roughrider Darron Bolton (left) goes up hard to block a shot of a Kirbyville player during action Tuesday night in Roughrider Gymnasium. The 'riders won the game, 53-34. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The Center Roughriders took the court here in Roughrider Gymnasium Tuesday night looking to ounce back from Friday night's defeat at the hands of the Jasper Bulldogs, the team's second District 18-3A loss of the season.

Mission accomplished.

Center junior guard Jakiel Johnson (15) passes the ball off to a teammate during action Tuesday night against Kirbyville in a game played in Roughrider Gymnasium. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The 'Riders (8-16) used a tenacious man-to-man defense against irbyville and shut out the Wildcats in the first period, and then held them scoreless until the 5:45 mark in the second period en route to an impressive 53-34 victory.

With things under control on the defensive end of the court after the first 10 minutes of the contest, Cameron Cloudy and Jamarcus Suell warmed up their long-range shooting to bury five 3-pointers in the first half to help the 'Riders to a 27-11 halftime lead.

Cloudy had 13 points on his own in the first half, compared to 11 for the Kirbyville team. After the break, the 'Riders were content to coast, matching their guests basket-for-basket to take a 37-22 lead at the end of the third period.

They then outscored the 'Cats 16-12 in the final quarter.

The victory kept the 'Riders 1.5 games behind league front-runner Jasper, which is now 5-1 on the season. Huntington is one-half game back at 4-1, while Hudson, Central and the 'Riders are all tied for third place with identical 3-2 marks. Kirbyville and Diboll both sit at 0-5 in 18-3A action.

In other District 18-3A results Tuesday include Jasper topping Diboll, 66-43, and Huntington outscoring Hudson, 66-54.

Friday's schedule has the Roughriders traveling to Hudson, Central hosting Huntington and Kirbyville going to Jasper.

Roughrider head coach Hiram Harrison had a lot to be happy about after his team's performance against Kirbyville.

"We came out playing really good, aggressive defense and shut them out in the first quarter," Harrison said after the game. "Then we buried some threes to stretch things out and force them out of their zone defense. That allowed us to get the ball inside and score some easy baskets.

"Then we were able to kind of put it on 'cruise control' in the second half."

Harrison added that he was happy about the complete team effort by his ballclub.

"We really moved the ball around well," the coach stated. "We only had one kid (Cloudy) in double figures, but we had five others get at least six. That shows we're a complete team. You have to defense all of us."

Cloudy led all scorers with seventeen points, followed by Jamarcus Jones with eight. Tony McCollister, Jamarcus Suell, Jakiel Johnson, and Darron Bolton all scored six apiece.

The tip-off Friday at Hudson will begin with the junior varsity boys at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity girls at 6:15 p.m. and the varsity boys after the girls' game.

Center 8th ties Wildcats, 22-22 - November 7, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Center 8th grade Roughrider TaKory McGee (25) brings down a Kirbyville runner during action Thursday night at Roughrider Stadium. Center and Kirbyville battled to a 22-22 standoff in their season finale. (Photo by John Krueger)

The Center 8th grade battled Kirbyville even in a shootout early on Thursday evening, but then the contest turned into a defensive battle in the second half as the teams fought to a 22-22 standoff at Roughrider Stadium in the season finale for both squads.

TaKory McGee was the workhorse of the Center offense, carrying the ball 12 times for 84 yards and a touchdown, while hauling in two passes for 55 yards.

The Roughrider used a balanced attack to roll up 221 yards. Of the total, 99 came on the ground, while 122 came through three completions by quarterback Julian Jimenez. Cameron Parks hauled in two passes - both of which were for touchdowns - for 67 yards.

All of the Wildcats' 262 yards came on the ground.

Center struck first on the third play of the game when Jimenez faded back to pass and found Parks behind the secondary for a 48-yard touchdown pass. McGee added the two-point conversion and with only 1:40 gone Center led 8-0.

Kirbyville also struck quickly when Duane Diggles ended a 4-play, 63-yard drive with a 33-yard run. Darian Ballard broke the plane of the goalline on the 2-point conversion and the contest was tied 8-8 with 3:18 left in the opening period.

Jimenez then combined with McGee for a 35-yard completion on the Roughriders' first play after the kickoff. McGee then sprinted in from 18 yards out on the next play. McGee was then stopped short on the 2-point conversion, but Center led 14-8 with 2:24 left in the period.

Center runner Brett Clark (with ball) breaks free on a kick return during Thursday night's 8th grade contest at Roughrider Stadium. Center and Kirbyville tied the game, 22-22. (Photo by John Krueger)

It only took the Wildcats three plays to tie the score on a 20-yard run. Darian Ballard was stopped short on the conversion, but with 1:29 showing on the first-quarter clock the game was tied 14-14.

McGee then came up with a big play on defense to stop a long Kirbyville drive. He recovered a fumble on the Center 26. It took eight plays for the Roughriders to march the 74 yards and take a 22-14 lead with 18 seconds left in the half. Jimenez hit Parks for their second scoring connection of the game, this one from 19 yards out.

But it didn't take long for Kirbyville to tie the game in the third quarter. A 65-yard run by Diggles tied the game at 22-22 with 6:38 left in the third.

It appeared later in the period that Center had regained the lead once again when Parks picked up a fumble and sprinted 78 yards for an apparent score. But a penalty on an illegal block on the return nullified it and he was only credited with a 34-yard run back.

That proved to be a big penalty as Center couldn't score on the drive.

Kirbyville also had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, but a drive was stalled at the Center 13-yard line. On a 4th-and-7 play, a runner was held to a three-yard gain.

Neither team seriously threatened after that and the game ended in a tie.

GAME AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

Lady Riders play for Consolation Trophy - September 12, 2011
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

After capturing a pair of wins and a tie in four matches to place second in pool play at the Woodville Tournament, the Center Lady Rider volleyball team played for the Consolation trophy on Saturday before falling to Buna.

Center improved to 4-13-1 on the year after the successful play in the first day of action at the two day tourney. CHS stands at 5-15-1 after the tourney, with District 18-3A play just around the corner. The Lady Riders will now host Jefferson Tuesday night (9th,JV,V) at 5 p.m. and Tatum (9th,JV,V) on Friday night at 5 p.m.

CHS began play on Thursday with a convincing 2-0 whipping of Hull-Daisetta. The Lady Riders won the set by scores of 25-17, 25-10.

Center then posted its second consecutive straight-set win when the Lady Riders recorded a 2-0 win over Coldspring. The scores of the match were 26-24, 25-13.

Matches in pool play were only allowed to go a maximum of two games. Center picked up a Game 1 win over Colmesneil, 25-12, before falling 17-25 in Game 2 to settle for a tie.

Host-team Woodville then handed Center its only loss of pool play as the Lady Eagles won, 25-12, 25-15 late in the day on Thursday.

"I saw some good things on Thursday as the girls faced challenges and overcame some of them," said Center head coach Christie Benton. "We are really starting to grow as a team and I'm proud of the girls.

"It was a long day for the girls and you could see they were really working on improving every time they stepped on the floor."

Cassie Bush was one of the outstanding performers during pool play, posting 24 digs, to go along with 14 kills, eight blocks and eight service aces, Benton noted. Lacie Evans also performed well with 11 blocks, eight kills, seven digs and six aces.

Maria Valtierra recorded 25 digs for Center, to go along with a kill and eight aces. Elena Gonzalez produced 11 digs and eight aces, while Stephanie Rodriguez finished with 28 digs, four kills and three aces. Chakera Ingram produced 29 digs, to go along with two kills.

Center's Ashlyn Johnson picked up seven digs on Thursday, to go along with two kills and a block. Sykera Berry added 15 digs, while finishing with eight kills, a block and one ace. Michaela Schulz finished with six digs and a pair of aces, Requanna Patton came through with five digs, a kill and one ace and Kemi Cleveland tallied seven digs and a kill.

The Lady Riders lost in their first match of bracket play on Saturday, falling to Kirbyville, 9-25, 13-25. Center bounced back to knock off Diboll, 25-16, 13-25, 15-11 to move on to the Consolation round.

Buna then topped Center, 25-15, 25-20, in the Lady Riders' final game of the tourney.

Dragons outlast Bearcats, 20-12 - September 12, 2011
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Shelbyville wide receiver Blane Deal (5) leaps high for a catch against Beckville's Colton Searcy (2) during Friday night's game at R.C. Beauchamp Stadium. Deal caught four catches for 49 yards as the Dragons won their first game of the season. (Photo by Scott Stone)

After playing to a scoreless tie at the end of one quarter of play, Shelbyville running back Dillon Brown crossed the goalline three times in the final three quarters to lead the Dragons past the Beckville Bearcats, 20-12, at R.C. Beauchamp Stadium Friday night.

The loss drops Beckville back to 1-2 on the season, while the Dragons (1-2) picked up their first victory of the year heading into an open week. Beckville will be on the road this week to visit Simms Bowie on Friday (7:30 p.m.).

Shelbyville led the ground battle (186-86) in this contest, while Beckville held the edge in the passing game (146-110). The Dragons led in total yards, 296-232.

Rain Rieke, who was coming off a school record-setting performance a week ago in which he threw for 387 yards and ran for 120 more for 507 total yards, had another strong passing performance against the Dragons. He completed 14-of-25 (56%) for 146 yards and a score.

Rieke completed passes to five different receivers. Dalton Etheredge caught six for 56 yards, Colton Allen pulled in four for 55 and a score, Jarvis Walls caught two for 20, Colton Searcy hauled in 13-yarder and Matt Brown caught a pass for two yards.

James Bradford completed 8-of-20 for 110 yards and an interception for Shelbyville. Trevor Henkel pulled in four of the throws for 61 yards and Blane Deal tallied four catches for 49 yards.

Dillon Brown led the Shelbyville ground attack, picking up 97 yards and all three Dragon touchdowns on 24 carries. Bradford added 89 yards on 18 attempts.

Rieke led the Bearcats with 45 yards rushing on 10 carries. Jarvis Walls ran for 35 yards on six carries and James Jinks picked up six yards and a score on two attempts.

Brown put the Dragons on top midway through the second quarter when he culminated a 16-play, 95-yard Shelbyville drive with a one-yard run. Brown also tacked on the point after for a 7-0 lead with 6:05 left in the half.

Just before intermission James Jinks put the Bearcats on the board. He ended a 12-play, 56-yard drive with a one-yard scoring jaunt with one second on the clock. The PAT was no good, leaving Shelbyville with a 7-6 lead at the break.

It appeared that neither team was going to score in the third quarter until Brown hit paydirt with 39 seconds on the clock. He finished an 8-play, 72-yard Dragon march with a nine-yard scoring run. He also kicked the point after and Shelbyville entered the final period of play with a 14-6 lead.

The Dragons only had to move 41 yards for their next score, a six-yard touchdown run by Brown at the end of a seven-play drive. That came with 3:59 left on the clock. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but the Dragons led 20-6.

But the Bearcats didn't quit, moving 63 yards in 11 plays to pull within eight points with 0:41 left. Rieke hit Allen for the 12-yard scoring connection. BHS elected to go for the two-point conversion, which failed, and that was as close as Beckville would come.

Rieke intercepted a pass for Beckville, while Jesse Sipes posted 14 tackles, including two for losses. Joey Wharmby, John Kyle Kirkland, Rieke and Etheredge each tallied 10 stops. Kirkland also recorded three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Brown paced the Shelbyville defensive attack with eight tackles, with five of those being solo stops. He also caused a fumble. Bradford and James Cartwright each added seven tackles, while Bradford caused a pair of fumbles.

Henkel posted five tackles and a pass breakup and Ryon Vaughn and Jagerrick Moore each added four stops. Deal had an interception and Symyron Cartwright and C.J. Watson each recovered fumbles for the Dragons.

GAME AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Rushing
Shelbyville: James Bradford 18-89; Dillon Brown 24-97 3TD. Beckville: Rain Rieke 10-45; Jarvis Walls 6-35; James Jinks 2-6 TD.
Passing
Shelbyville: James Bradford 8-20-1; 110 yards. Beckville: Rain Rieke 14-25-1 146 yards TD.
Receiving
Shelbyville: Trevor Henkle 4-61; Blane Deal 4-49. Beckville: Dalton Etheredge 6-56; Colton Allen 4-55 TD; Jarvis Wells 2-20; Colton Searcy 1-13; Matt Brown 1-2.
Records
Shelbyville 1-2. Beckville 1-2.

Tigers raid Yellowjackets, 54-7 - September 12, 2011
By Stephen Ewing, Sports Correspondent

No.1-ranked Tenaha rolls to third win

Tenaha's Shaquille Mitchell (8) sprints around the end for a gain against Alto Friday night at The Pit. The No.1-ranked Tigers jumped on the Yellowjackets early and often for a 54-7 win to stay unbeaten. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Friday's matchup between the Tenaha Tigers, ranked No.1 (TheOldCoach.com) in Class 1A D-II, and the Class 1A D-I's No. 5-ranked Alto Yellowjackets appeared on paper to be nothing short of a classic. The two schools have three state football titles between them since 1998.

Both are well known for putting lots of great athletes on the field. Both came into the contest with identical 2-0 records, neither having been seriously challenged in their first two games.

On top of all that, the early-season top 5 matchup was to be played at The Pit, Tenaha's one-of-a-kind stadium that has seen many great games over the past 50 years.

This was the third meeting in three years between the two teams, with last year's game in Alto being a one-sided affair in favor of the Jackets thanks in part to an excess of Tiger turnovers. Most fans were expecting a game similar to the 2009 playoff meeting, which saw the Tigers come from behind in the final seconds to win a 20-17 thriller and send the Yellowjackets to the basketball gym weeks earlier than they had planned.

But this year's game never really lived up to its billing from the opening kickoff as Tenaha's Reginald Davis ran for 130 yards and four touchdowns and completed 6-of-13 passes for 138 more and a pair of scores in a 54-7 whipping of the 'Jackets.

Chavis Gregory added 99 yards on the ground, while Shaquille Mitchell finished with 22 yards and Cobe Caraway ran for 17.

Mitchell, Octavius Griffith and J.R. Hill each caught three passes in the contest for the Tigers, accounting for 125 yards and a score. Hill led the way with 69 yards.

Tenaha running back Chavis Gregory (12) to bring away from an Alto defender during Friday night's game at The Pit. Gregory rushed for 99 yards in the 54-7 Tiger win. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The Tigers dominated all facets of the game, rolling up 271 yards on the ground and 147 more passing for 418 yards. The THS defense limited Alto to just 168 total yards and forced five turnovers. The Yellowjackets managed just 82 yards on the ground.

Jose Campos, DeAaron Roland and LaDarren Cooks paced the THS defense as each posted seven stops, while Demon Horton, Carraway and Gregory each added six. Davis and Griffith each picked off a pass.

Tenaha took control from the opening kick as Griffith picked up the football at his own 30-yard line on the opening kick and didn't stop running until he hit paydirt 70 yards later. Edgar Flores tacked on the PAT and the Tigers led 7-0.

After a defensive stand forced an Alto punt, Davis dashed 52 yards for another score. Flores again nailed the point after, making the score 14-0 with 9:17 left in the first quarter.

The Tiger 'D' then came up with its first turnover of the night, recovering a 'Jacket fumble. Davis hooked up with Mitchell for an 8-yard touchdown at the 7:15 mark. The PAT failed, but the Tigers led 20-0.

The Tigers then picked off a Jacobi Whitaker pass for their second takeaway and Davis went in from nine yards out. Flores booted another extra point, stretching the score to 27-0.

After another Yellowjacket punt, Davis connected with Keontas Davis for a 4-yard touchdown pass. Flores's PAT created a 34-0 score with 1:11 still left in the first quarter.

The Yellowjackets finally got on the board at the 11:51 mark in the second on Whitaker's 18-yard touchdown run. Nicolas Leon tacked on the PAT, making the score 34-7.

Alto would not see the endzone again. Mitchell and Davis each added touchdown runs for Tenaha before halftime to put the game out of reach, 47-7, before the teams went to the locker rooms.

Davis then added one more touchdown in the third quarter on a two-yard run, making the final score 54-7. After that, Tenaha head coach Terry Ward seemed content to chew up the rest of the clock and finish the game with all of his players healthy.

The Tigers will be on the road next week, taking on another highly regarded Class A Division I opponent when they travel to Garrison to meet Bulldogs, ranked No.1 in Class 1A D-I by TheOldCoach.com. The kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

STATS AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Rushing
Alto: Datrin Moore 9-37; Trey Carter 2-14; Anfernee Black 3-10; Bodrick Gasaway 3-6; Adam Davis 1-5; Michael Taylor 1-3; Jacolby Whitaker 14-7 TD. Tenaha: Reginald Davis 18-130 4TD; Chavis Gregory 10-99; Shaquille Mitchell 3-22 TD; Cobe Carraway 7-17; J.R. Hill 5-3.
Passing
Alto: Jacolby Whitaker 6-13-2 86 yards. Tenaha: Reginald Davis 10-16-0 138 yards 2TD; J.R. Hill 1-2-0 9 yards.
Receiving
Alto: Chris Warren 4-64; Michael Taylor 1-13; Datrin Moore 1-9. Tenaha: J.R. Hill 3-69; Octavius Griffith 3-30; Shaquille Mitchell 3-26 TD; Assuntay Cleaver 1-9; Keontas Davis 1-4 TD.
Records
Alto 2-1. Tenaha 3-0.