Rams overtake Frankston in dramatic fashion - October 25, 2011
By Stephen Ewing
Sports Correspondent

Joaquin in position to grab playoff spot

Joaquin defenders Andrew Dean (39) and Zach Mason (55) lead the charge as the Rams swarm around a Frankston and bring him down for a short game during Friday's game in Frankston. (Photo by Rusty Wilson)

FRANKSTON -- In the words of Winston Churchill, "Don't ever, ever, ever give up!" The Joaquin Rams lived that creed to its fullest Friday night, taking a 58-56 victory over the traditional Class 2A stalwart Frankston Indians here at Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium.

In a back and forth affair that saw the Rams trail 36-22 at halftime, Joaquin took advantage of key turnovers and good field position to score eight touchdowns and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, despite being outgained 578 yards to 450.

The win moves the Rams (4-4, 2-1 dist.) into a second place tie with West Rusk (3-5, 2-1 dist.) in the District 9-2A D-II race. The Raiders knocked off Winona (1-7, 0-3 dist.), 28-14, on Friday. Joaquin will square off with West Rusk in another key game this Friday (7:30 p.m.) at Eagle Stadium in Tatum. The game can't be played at West Rusk High School because of stadium problems.

Arp (6-2), a 53-0 winner over Union Grove (3-5, 1-2), leads the league race with a 3-0 mark. The Tigers will be at Winona this week. Frankston (2-6, 1-2) is tied with Union Grove (3-5, 1-2) for the fourth spot. Frankston will visit Union Grove this week.

The Indians got on the board first in the contest on a 14-yard touchdown run by quarterback Michael Warren. Victor Pasona added the PAT, and the Indians led 7-0 with 5:05 to play in the first quarter.

The Rams answered with a 31-yard run by quarterback Will Vaughn with 4:02 to play in the period. Tra Rogers dove in for the 2-point conversion, putting the Rams on top 8-7.

With 2:38 remaining, Frankston scored on 30-yard pass from Warren to Andrew Dausby. Treston Coleman tacked on the conversion, putting the Indians back up 15-8.

As time ran out in the period, Vaughn found his favorite receiver, Wyatt Hairgrove, on 20-yard touchdown pass. Vaughn then hooked up with Lance Lawson for the conversion, giving the Rams a 16-15 lead starting the second quarter.

With 5:51 to play in the second, Vaughn drilled another scoring strike to Hairgrove. The conversion failed, leaving the score at 22-15 in favor of Joaquin.

The Indians then got on a roll as Coleman scored on runs of 32 and 57 yards, respectively. Caleb Williams found the endzone for the conversion after the second score, putting Frankston on top 29-22.

With 1:10 remaining in the half, Warren found Stetson Haskins on a 55-yard scoring strike. Pasona's PAT was good, and the Indians led 36-22 at the halftime break.

Joaquin opened the second half with an impressive drive, capped off by a 32-yard touchdown run by Kain Yates with 6:32 to play in the quarter. Vaughn tacked on the conversion, bringing the score to 36-30.

Joaquin quarterback Will Vaughn (9) steps off a big gain despite being grabbed from behind by a Frankston defender during Friday's road game against the Indians. The Rams came from behind for an exciting 58-56 win. (Photo by Rusty Wilson)

The Indians moved back down the field quickly and Coleman bounced in from five yards out at the 4:37 mark. Warren added the two-pointer, stretching the Indians lead to 44-30.

The Rams came right back down the field and Yates finished off another drive, this time from 11 yards out. The conversion was stopped, but the lead was cut to one possession, 44-36, with 1:07 left in the third.

The Indians fumbled on the opening play of the fourth period and Joaquin defensive tackle Zach Wildes picked up the pigskin and rumbled 50 yards before being stopped at the Frankston 5-yard line. Yates made his teammate's effort pay off, sprinting in with 10:58 to play in the game. Vaughn tied the score with the conversion run.

Coleman wasn't finished, as he polished off another Frankston drive with a 25-yard scoring run with 6:55 left on the clock. The Ram defense stuffed the conversion and the Indians had a 50-44 lead.

The Rams came right back and knotted it up at 50-50 on a 56-yard run by Wyatt Hairgrove. Vaughn's conversion run put the Rams back on top, 52-50, with 5:54 remaining.

The Indians struck back quickly on a 17-yard run by Coleman. The two-point try was stopped again, leaving Frankston with a 56-52 lead and 4:28 to play.

The Rams took the ensuing kickoff and drove 74 yards in six plays before turning the ball over on downs with less than two minutes on the clock. The Rams caught the break of the year, however, when a bad snap went through quarterback Warren's legs. Will Vaughn pounced on the loose ball at the 1-yard line.

Vaughn then punched into the endzone on the next play, giving the Rams a 58-56 lead with 1:18 to play. The conversion failed.

On the ensuing possession, Warren's desperation pass was intercepted by Hairgrove and the celebration began.

Yates was the offensive workhorse for the Rams, carrying the ball 26 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Hairgrove added 14 carries for 116 yards and a score, in addition to catching all five of Will Vaughn's passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

Vaughn also ran the ball seven times for 40 yards and two scores. Rogers picked up 19 yards on five carries and Nick Cheatwood added 12 yards on two carries.

Treston Coleman had a huge night for the Indians, picking up 361 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries. Warren added 88 yards and a score on 11 carries, while completing 7-of-10 passes for 128 yards and two scores. He was intercepted once.

The Indians also turned the ball over three times on fumbles, and all were all converted into Joaquin touchdowns.

GAME AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Joaquin: Kain Yates 26-170 3TD; Wyatt Hairgrove 14-116 TD; Will Vaughn 7-40 2TD; Tra Rogers 5-19; Nick Cheatwood 2-12. Frankston: Triston Coleman 24-361 5TD; Michael Warner 11-88 TD; Caleb Williams 1-1.
Passes
Joaquin: Will Vaughn 5-8-0 93 yards 2TD. Frankston: Michael Warner 7-10-1 128 yards 2TD.
Receiving
Joaquin: Wyatt Hairgrove 5-93 2TD. Frankston: Steton Haskins 3-93 TD; Andrew Dausby 2-34 TD; Caleb Williams 1-(-9); Other 1-7.
Records
Joaquin: 4-4, 2-1 district. Frankston: 2-6, 1-2 district.

Bears stumble late to Cushing, 27-20 - October 25, 2011
By Allen Ramsey
Contributing Writer

Timpson's Tyler Jackson (51) goes in for a tackle on a Cushing runner during Friday's District 10-1A D-I contest in Cushing. The Bearkats picked up their first league win of the year, 27-20. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

CUSHING -- The Cushing Bearkats got their first district win of the year, keeping playoff hopes alive with a 27-20 victory over the winless Timpson Bears here at J.F. Whitaker Stadium Friday night.

Timpson actually got off the mark first. After Cushing’s first drive stalled, the Bears took their first drive of the game and marched 74 yards on five plays. The drive was capped off by a 4-yard touchdown run from John Jacobs to give Timpson an early 6-0 lead.

Cushing answered on its next drive, with Kelon Fitzgerald capping off an 8-play 70-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown. The extra point gave the Bearkats their first lead of the night, 7-6.

Cushing would go up 14-7 in the second quarter when quarterback Brooks Robey popped in a 5-yard run, but Timpson would answer before the break with Jacobs pounding in another touchdown from eight yards out.

The Bears still went to halftime down 14-12, but a 42-yard touchdown pass from Lorenzo Young to DeKendrick Hooper had Timpson back in the lead just after the break, with the 2-point conversion making it a 20-14 game.

Cushing couldn’t find an answer in the third quarter, but the fourth would belong to Fitzgerald and Robey.

An 8-play, 78-yard drive, led by the Bearkat’s backfield duo, culminated in Robey’s second touchdown of the night. Cushing missed the extra point, leaving the score tied at 20-20 with just over three minutes left to play.

The Bearkats took a risk on the ensuing kickoff, but it paid off in a big way. An onside kick was recovered by freshman Michael Robey, and on the second play of the drive Fitzgerald broke a 20-yard touchdown run to cap a big win for Cushing.

On the night Fitzgerald ran for 200 yards on 26 carries and Robey tacked on 106 on 18 carries. In total, Cushing’s offensive line paved the way for the Bearkats to roll up 334 yards on the ground.

Timpson receiver Jay Bussey (11) makes a grab during Friday night's district contest at J.F. Whitaker Stadium. The Bears remained winless on the season with a 27-20 setback to the Bearkats. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Timpson was led by Jacobs, who put up 117 yards on 16 carries, but Cushing’s defense managed to limit the big plays from Timpson.

Jacob Smelley and Jack Duffin led the Bearkats on defense with nine tackles each, but the play of Ross Link, Jessie Williamson and Colby Spencer on the defensive line opened plenty of lanes for Cushing’s linebackers to make plays.

With the victory Cushing (2-6), moves into a fourth-place tie with Shelbyville (4-4) at 1-2 in District 10-1A D-I action, trailing Garrison (7-1), which is at 3-0 and in first place, and Grapeland (2-5) and Alto (5-3), who are tied for second at 2-1. Timpson (0-8) is still winless in league play at 0-3.

In other District 10-1A D-I results on Friday, Alto roared by Shelbyville, 52-12, and Garrison dumped Grapeland, 55-12.

This week's action includes Timpson hosting Alto, Cushing visiting Grapeland and Shelbyville traveling to Garrison. All games kick off at 7:30 p.m.

GAME AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

Fillies set to host annual 'Dig Pink' match - October 14, 2011
Submitted by John Krueger

Panola College's Emily Adams (6) and Marcela Alves (10) try to block a kill attempt during action earlier this week in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. The Fillies' Third Annual Dig Pink match is set for Thursday, Oct. 27. (Photo by John Krueger)

The 18th-ranked Panola College Volleyball team will be hosting its 3rd Annual Dig Pink match on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6 pm at Arthur M. Johnson Gymnasium on the Panola campus.

This year’s breast cancer awareness match features a highly-anticipated showdown against conference rival and No.2-ranked Blinn College. This is a special time of year when the Fillies, along with their coaching staff and fans, set aside their green and white pride and unite in pink to join a cause rooted in hope and strength to find a cure to a devastating disease that claims nearly 40,000 lives each year in the United States alone.

In addition to promoting breast cancer awareness, this match is also 'Sophomore Night', a game used to recognize the team’s sophomores playing in their final home game of their Panola College volleyball career.

This year’s sophomore class includes key returners from a memorable group of players who battled adversity last season to go on to post a 24-5 record, a No.7 national ranking and a trip to the conference Regional Finals.

"We hope the whole community will come out to join us in honoring a special group of Fillies sophomores while taking a stand in the fight against breast cancer," said Panola College assistant coach Amber McCray.

Admission is free, but there will be a donation table available to raise funds for the Dig Pink Foundation, a support and advocacy organization dedicated to making a significant and identifiable difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families by supporting clinical trials, increasing compassionate support services and educating communities.

Everyone is urged come out to support a great cause and 'paint the gym pink' and cheer on Panola College.

No.5 Wildcats shut down Timpson, 27-0 - September 19, 2011
By Stephen Ewing
Sports Correspondent

A host of Timpson defenders, led by John Jacobs (31), DeKendrick Hooper (4), Jaylin Rhodes (10) and Tanner Murdock (5) make the stop on Mount Enterprise runner Hunter Ammons (7) during Friday night's game in Mount Enterprise. The 'Cats won the game, 27-0. (Wyndi Vaught)

The Timpson Bears traveled up the road to Mount Enterprise Friday night in search of their first win of the season against the No.5-ranked (TheOldCoach.com) Wildcats. It was not in the cards this week though, as a well prepared Wildcat team took advantage of two Bear turnovers and used them wisely en route to a 27-0 shutout here at the new John Webb Stadium.

The Wildcats actually turned the ball over four times to the Bears' three miscues, but the Bears were unable to capitalize on any of the gifts, thanks in large part to a stingy 'Cat defense which held Timpson to 148 yards total offense on the night.

The Wildcats gained 288 total yards, getting all but four of it coming on the ground.

The Wildcats took control early as Blake Chapman scored on 56-yard touchdown run at the 10:52 mark in the first quarter. Hunter Ammons hit paydirt on the two-point conversion, making the score 8-0 in favor of the Cats.

That would be the only score of the first quarter, as both defenses stiffened.

The Cats broke it open in the second when Josh Leason pounced on a Bear fumble deep in Timpson territory. Hunter Ammons cashed in with a 2-yard touchdown run with 6:02 left in the half. The extra point attempt failed, leaving the score at 14-0.

The Wildcats weren't finished, however, as Anthony Frazier found the endzone on a 10-yard run with just 30 seconds left on the clock. The extra point attempt failed again, and the Wildcats went to the locker room at the break leading 20-0.

The Bears made some defensive adjustments at halftime and were able to keep the Wildcats' offense out of the endzone for the rest of the game. The Cats' defense came up with some points though, as Chance Young recovered another Bear turnover in the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point kick was good, making the final score 27-0 in favor of the Wildcats.

Timpson running back John Jacobs (31) stretches for extra yardage against Mount Enterprise Friday night at John Webb Stadium. The Bears were shut out, 27-0. (Photo by Wyndi Vaught)

Ammons and Chapman both hit the century mark in rushing on the night for MEHS, as Ammons carried the ball 17 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Chapman added 100 yards and a score on 9 carries. Josh Leadon tacked on 44 yards on just three carries, and Frazier added 23 yards on three carries.

The Bears offense was led by John Jacobs, who ran the ball 24 times for 84 yards. Lance Richard added 35 yards on 8 carries. Jaylin Rhodes completed 1-of-5 passes for 30 yards.

The Wildcats improved their record to 4-0 on the year, while the Bears fell to 0-4.

GAME AT A GLANCE

SCORING BY QUARTERS

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Rushing
Timpson: John Jacobs 24-84; Lance Richard 8-35; Jaylin Rhodes 6-(-1). Mt.Enterprise: Hunter Ammons 17-106 TD; Blake Chapman 9-100 TD; Josh Leadon 3-44; Anthony Frazier 3-23 TD; Zach Pollett 3-3.
Passing
Timpson: Jaylin Rhodes 1-5-0 30 yards. Mt. Enterprise: Josh Leadon 1-9-2 4 yards.
Receiving
Timpson: Unknown player 1-30. Mt. Enterprise: Jeffery Gongwer 1-4.
Records
Timpson 0-4. Mt. Enterprise 4-0.

Center Teams Raising Funds for World Series Trips - July 13, 2011
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Squads raising money for 2 week-long excursions to South Carolina

It's not often that a community is blessed with a team that will represent it at the Dixie Baseball World Series. But Center will have not just one, but two squads heading to South Carolina later this month to compete for elite bragging rights as they compete at two of its national tournaments.

The Dixie Boys (13-14 YO) baseball team from Center has qualified for the Dixie
World Series on July 30-Aug. 3 in Beaufort, South Carolina. Members of the team
include: Alec Lucas, Tanner Murdock, Colton McSwain, Taylor Tomlin, Dalton Horton,
Adam Reeves, Josh Burns, Caiden Rainbolt, Eric Vaughn, Jack Ford, C.J. Garner
and Kam Owens. The team is coached by Roscoe McSwain (HC),
Paul Horton and Bob Reeves)

For the second consecutive year Center will be the representative Texas town in the Dixie Junior Boys (13U) world Series, while the squad that went to Alabama last summer will almost be identical when it battles in the Dixie Boys (13-14 YO) World Series.

The Dixie Junior Boys (13 YO) baseball team from Center has qualified for the Dixie
World Series on July 30-Aug. 3 in Seneca, South Carolina. Members of the team
include: Jared Wiggins, Brett Clark, Julian Jimenez, Keaton Bush, Jesus Flores, Jacob
Mitchell, Tyler Muckelroy, Brent Barrarez, Blaine Tomlin, Marco Gutierrez and Juan
Morales. The team is coached by Ken Muckelroy (HC), Scooter Clark and
Bobby Barrarez. (Photo by John Krueger)

Both teams will battle against the best the United States has to offer in South Carolina from July 30 through Aug. 3. The Junior Boys All-Stars will be playing in western side of the state, at the Shaver Complex in Seneca, SC, while the Center Boys All-Stars battle at Burton Wells Park in Beaufort, SC.

The two sites are 271 miles, or 4.5 hours, apart.

The teams will are currently attempting to raise funds for their trips, as Dixie will only pay for five rooms at the event and a $12 per diem per day for each player and coach. Last year a large group of supporters, including family members and friends supported the team. Both squads would like to help pay for travel expenses to and from the sites, in addition to helping with costs of family members would can't afford to make the trip.

A couple of fundraisers are currently being planned to help the teams. They include a 'road block' on the Center squad on Friday, July 15, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Team members will be asking for donations from area citizens who wish to contribute to the cause.

A hamburger lunch is also be planned for Friday, July 22, on the Center square. A lunch consisting of a hamburger, chips and desert will be available for $7.

"This money is going to offset the costs of travel expenses to and from both sides in South Carolina and to help to off-set the hotel rooms for the parents at the tournament," Tara Horton, wife of Center Boys All-Stars' assistant coach Paul Horton said. "Both teams are going to these tournaments determined to win, and if they do we're talking about an 8-night stay, including travel."

The distance from Center to Seneca, SC is 775 miles, or 12.5 hours, while the drive to Beaufort is 898 miles, or a 15-hour drive.

"We get some compensation from Dixie, but once again this year we're asking area business and individuals if they could help us with some of our costs," Horton added. "We're very blessed to have two teams representing our city and both teams are going to win these things. And none of the travel is included in the costs that Dixie will compensate us for."

Members of the Texas Boys All-Stars includes: Alec Lucas, Tanner Murdock, Colton McSwain, Taylor Tomlin, Dalton Horton, Adam Reeves, Josh Burns, Caiden Rainbolt, Eric Vaughn, Jack Ford, C.J. Garner and Kam Owens. The team's head coach is Roscoe McSwain, and the assistants are Paul Horton and Bob Reeves.

The Texas Junior Boys All-Star team includes Jared Wiggins, Brett Clark, Julian Jimenez, Keaton Bush, Jesus Flores, Jacob Mitchell, Tyler Muckelroy, Brent Barrarez, Blaine Tomlin, Marco Gutierrez and Juan Morales. The squad is directed by head coach Ken Muckelroy and assistants are Scott Clark and Bobby Barrarez.

Representatives of both teams will be visiting businesses in the coming weeks, asking for donations. All the money raised will be split between the two squads.

The teams will be leaving Center on July 27 or 28 for their respective journeys to South Carolina and will return when they have played as far as they can in the double-elimination 12-team tournaments. The tourneys are scheduled to run through Aug. 3.

Anyone who wishes to donate can contact Center Youth Baseball President Jason Mitchell at (936) 488-2863, Roscoe McSwain at (936) 591-4090 or Paul Horton at (936) 590-0183.

Checks can also be sent to Paul Horton at 1742 U.S. Highway 96 North, Center, TX 75935 or to Center Youth Baseball, P.O. Box 991, Center, TX 75935.

Anyone with questions can call one of the numbers above or email Tara Horton at tlhorton35@yahoo.com.