Bears claim 22-1A opener over Dragons, 56-49 - January 17, 2012
Stephen Ewing
Sports Correspondent

Timpson grabs early share of league lead

Timpson guard Lorenzo Young (11) goes up for a shot in traffic during Friday night's game in Herbert Eakin Gymnasium in Timpson. Young scored 21 points. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

TIMPSON -- Neither the Shelbyville Dragons nor the Timpson Bears have been particularly happy over the start to their basketball seasons. Both squads have struggled to find consistency as they stumbled to 3-11 and 5-13 starts, respectively.

However, they both came into Friday night's district opener with a clean slate, looking to start off District 22-1A play on the right foot by knocking off their cross-county rival. The contest could prove to be a key to a playoff berth, as both teams know they have two dates with No.2-ranked Tenaha looming in the coming weeks. When the dust settled, the Bears came away with a hard-fought 56-49 win as their backcourt tandem of Jalyn Rhodes and Lorenzo Young combined for 39 points.

The Dragons appeared to have the upper hand in the early going, as they used a 7-1 scoring run to start the game and jump out to an 11-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

They padded the advantage in the second, at one time leading by 12, before the Bears started clawing their way back into contention. Using a full-court press, Timpson narrowed the lead back to six points and went to the locker room trailing 26-20.

The Bears actually cut the lead to 23-20 before Shelbyville's JaMichael Jenkins drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the half.

Timpson senior Jalyn Rhodes (10) gets past Shelbyville's James Bradford (1) for a layup attempt during Friday night's District 22-1A game in Timpson. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The Dragons struggled figuring out how to break Timpson's press, as they alternated between full-court pressure and a very effective half-court trap. Time and again the Bear guards turned up the heat, forcing the Dragons to hurry their passes as they moved the ball up the court.

Turnovers were quickly pushed back down the court for 2-on-1 scoring opportunities. When the Dragons did get a chance to set up their half-court offense, they got some timely threes by guards James Bradford and C.J. Watson to keep the score from getting out of hand.

The Dragons had difficulty applying their own version of the press, as Jenkins and Watson, along with freshman center Trevor Henkel, all started the second half with three fouls each. As the Bears continued to keep the pressure on, they outscored the Dragons, 18-7, to lead 38-33 at the end of the third period.

Timpson continued to press throughout the fourth quarter, and at times the Dragons appeared ready to make a run to close the gap. Shelbyville struggled finding the bottom of the basket, though, and the Bears held on for the win.

Shelbyville's James Bradford (left) pressures a Timpson player during Friday night's District 22-1A matchup in Herbert Eakin Gymnasium in Timpson. The Bears won the game, 56-49. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Bears' head coach Cody Anthony was excited about getting district play started on a winning note.

"We've had difficulty dealing with adversity this year," Anthony admitted. "When we've gotten behind, we haven't been able to turn things around to get back in games. To be able to fight back like that is very positive."

He went on to comment on what he felt were the keys to the win.

"We live and die by the press," he admitted. "When we can keep the press on, we can force turnovers and convert them into points. When someone does get the ball up the court and score, we turn it around quickly and run the floor on them. We don't have a lot of size, but we have some really quick guards, and we use that to our advantage."

The Bears were led by Young (junior), who scored 21 points. Rhodes, a senior who added 18 while dishing out five assists. Terrance Brown hit the Bears' only three pointer to finish with nine, and Dimric Caraway scored three while pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Dragons were led by Bradford, who finished with 13 points, including 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Watson hit three treys to score 11, and led the Dragons in rebounding with nine boards. Trevor Henkel added nine points, followed by Jenkins and Symyron Robertson with six apiece.

The Bears improved to 5-13 on the year, but more importantly, they are 1-0 in district play. They will travel nine miles east to face arch-rival Tenaha Tuesday night. Tip off for the junior varsity boys is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Tenaha ISD Special Events Center.

The Dragons fell to 3-11 overall, and drop to 0-1 in league play. They will travel to Beckville Tuesday night to take on the Bearcats. Tipoff for the junior varsity boys is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. there as well.

Lady Tigers take over first in 22-1A, 53-44 - January 17, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Tenaha senior guard Whitney Jackson (10) makes a move to the basket during Friday night's game against the Garrison Lady Bulldogs in Garrison. Jackson scored six points as THS took over sole possession of first place in 22-1A. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

In a battle of the two early District 22-1A heavyweights Friday night, the Tenaha Lady Tigers built a 32-18 halftime lead and then went on to hold off the Garrison Lady Bulldogs, 53-44, in Bulldog Gymnasium to take over sole possession of first place in the league standings.

The loss was the first in district play for Garrison (5-10), which fell to 2-1 in 22-1A action. The Lady Bulldogs are now tied with Beckville (10-12) for second place, one game behind Tenaha (11-11, 3-0 district).

In other District 22-1A results from Friday, Beckville's Ladycats knocked off Gary, 52-28, and Timpson bumped Shelbyville, 37-31.

Tenaha junior Courtney Edwards (with ball) gets inside Garrison's Shamika Nickols for a rebound and prepares to put a shot back up at the basket during Friday night's District 22-1A game in Bulldog Gymnasium. Tenaha won, 53-44. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Shelbyville (13-7) falls back into a fourth-place tie with Timpson (5-10) at 1-2. Gary (3-8) sits at 0-3 in league play.

In upcoming league games on Tuesday night, Shelbyville will visit Beckville, Garrison will travel to Gary and Tenaha will host Timpson.

Ashlee Ray led the Lady Tigers in the win over Garrison as she pumped in 19 points. Jalysa Steadman was also in double figures, scoring 13 points, while Whitney Jackson and Eboni Moore each dumped in six points.

Tia Thomas scored three points for the Lady Tigers, with Shantivia Gray, Courtney Edwards and Taylor Killey chipping in two points apiece.

The Lady Bulldogs hit 41% (13-of-32) of their shots from the field as six players scored for GHS. Garrison also converted 17-of-29 (59%) from the free throw line.

Jasia Berry and Jaemee Lilley led the balanced Lady Bulldog scoring with 11 points apiece, with Lilley hitting 5-of-9 from the field. Rexanna Powers threw in nine points, hitting 3-of-5 from the floor. Tatum Greer chipped in six, Shamika Nickols scored five and Hannah Kimbrough contributed two.

Tenaha's Tia Thomas (12) tries to steal the ball away from Garrison's Hannah Kimbrough (5) during Friday night's District 22-1A matchup in Bulldog Gymnasium. The Lady Tigers won, 53-44. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The Lady Bulldogs finished with 23 rebounds, led by Lilley and Powers, who tallied seven apiece. Berry pulled down five rebounds, Nickols snared two and Greer and Megan Garcia posted one each.

Lilley and Nickols picked up three steals apiece, while Nickols had two assists.

Tenaha built a 15-9 lead after the first quarter and extended it to a 14-point lead at the half. Garrison then began making a comeback in the final two periods. The Lady Dogs outscored Tenaha 12-7 in the third quarter. Both teams then scored 14 points in the final eight minutes as Tenaha held off the GHS rally.

Tigers lead All-District 12-1A selections - January 17, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Tenaha lands 16 superlative, first team members

Tenaha senior quarterback Reginald Davis (2) shown here against Munday in the Class 1A D-II State Championship game, was named the District 12-1A D-II Most Valuable Player. (Photo by John Krueger)

As expected, Class 1A D-II State champion Tenaha landed the most players on the All-District 12-1A football team which was announced recently. But the Beckville Bearcats and Mount Enterprise Wildcats weren't far behind in the all-league choices by the coaches in the district.

Reginald Davis, Tenaha's senior quarterback who will be taking his talents to Texas Tech University next fall, was named the league's Most Valuable Player by the coaches, while the Offensive Most Valuable Player award went to junior running back Hunter Ammons of Mount Enterprise and the Defensive MVP honor went to the Tiger senior linebacker Jose Campos.

Davis finished the 2011 season with 2,015 yards passing on 59.8% completions (101-of-169), with 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for 1,915 yards on 172 carries, averaging 11.1-yards per carry, while scoring 35 touchdowns.

Ammons set the Mount Enterprise school record for yards rushing in a career and a season.

Campos was third on the Tenaha squad in tackles, finishing the year with 90, for an average of 8.2 per game.

Tenaha's Jose Campos (25) was named the District 12-1A Defensive Most Valuable Player this season, finishing with 90 on the season. (Photo by John Krueger)

Beckville sophomore Colton Searcy was named the Offensive Newcomer of the Year, while Mount Enterprise sophomore Shane Stanley was selected as the Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Searcy rushed for a team-leading 511 yards and two touchdowns for the Bearcats in 2011. He averaged 7.7-yards per rush. He also caught four passes for 74 yards.

Tenaha head coach Terry Ward was named the Coach of the Year after not only leading his Tigers to the District 12-1A championship, but the state title as well in only his third year as a head coach.

Tenaha boasted 24 players and coaches honored, with 16 being named to the superlative and first team and eight on the second team. Mount Enterprise had 13 players named to superlative and first-team honors and six to the second team for a total of 19. Beckville placed third in the number of players honored, with 10 superlative and first team players and seven second team players, finishing with 17. Union Hill had two players on first teams and 13 second teamers, for 15 total.

In just his third year as a head coach, Tenaha head coach Terry Ward not only led his team to its third straight District 12-1A title, but the Class 1A D-II state championship as well. (Photo by John Krueger)

Some of the players who highlighted the first-team offensive included Tenaha sophomore running back Chavis Gregory (155-1,407, 17 TDs) and Mount Enterprise senior runner Blake Chapman, along with Beckville senior quarterback Rain Rieke (94-of-184, 51.1%, 1,438 yards, 14 TDs, 13 Ints) and Mount Enterprise senior signal caller Zach Moore.

The Tenaha senior wide receiver tandem of Octavius Griffith and Shaquille Mitchell were both selected to the top squad, along with Beckville junior Colten Allen.

Griffith was the leading receiver for the state champion Tigers with 32 catches for 611 yards and four scores, while Mitchell was right behind with 27 receptions for 592 yards and a team-high 13 scores. Allen was on the receiving end of 36 passes for 720 yards and nine TDs.

Mount Enterprise sophomore Josh Leadon was named to the first squad as a tight end, while offensive lineman honored included Beckville's Jesse Sipes (junior) and Josh Smiley (senior), along with Tenaha's LaDarren Cooks (senior) and DeAaron Roland (sophomore), and Mount Enterprise seniors Davis Young and Aaron Tucker.

Tenaha senior kicker Victor Flores kicked 72 point after touchdowns and a pair of field goals on the year, finishing with 78 points.

All-First-Team Defensive players included seven from Tenaha, along with six from Mount Enterprise, five from Beckville and a pair from Union Hill.

Defensive linemen honored on the first team included Tenaha seniors Cooks (77 tackles) and Jakelvin Cooper (58), along with Mount Enterprise seniors David Young and Timmy Oswald, Beckville junior James Jinks (25) and Union Hill senior Xavier Johnson.

First-team linebackers are Beckville sophomore Joey Wharmby (72 tackles), Ammons of Mount Enterprise, along with Tenaha's Roland (159) and Gregory (110).

Outside linebacker/defensive ends named included Tenaha's Griffith (85), Beckville's John Kyle Kirkland (57) and Aaron Tucker of Mount Enterprise, all seniors.

Defensive backs named to the first team were Beckville juniors Allen (23) and Dalton Etheredge (30), along with sophomore Keontas Davis (48) and junior Assuntay Cleaver (64) of Tenaha and Mount Enterprise seniors Chapman and Zach Pollett.

ALL-DISTRICT 12-1A D-II FOOTBALL
SUPERLATIVES
Most Valuable Player Reginald Davis, Tenaha, Sr
Offensive MVP Hunter Ammons, Mount Enterprise, Jr
Defensive MVP Jose Campos, Tenaha, Sr
Offensive Newcomer of the Year Colton Searcy, Beckville, So
Defensive Newcomer of the Year Shane Stanley, Mount Enterprise, So
Coach of the Year Terry Ward, Tenaha

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback
Rain Ricke, Beckville, Sr
Zach Moore, Mount Enterprise, Jr

Running Back
Chavis Gregory, Tenaha, So
Blake Chapman, Mount Enterprise, Sr

Wide Receiver
Octavius Griffith, Tenaha, Sr
Shaquille Mitchell, Tenaha, Sr
Colton Allen, Beckville, Jr

Tight End
Josh Leadon, Mount Enterprise, So

Offensive Line
Jesse Sipes, Beckville, Jr
Josh Smiley, Beckville, Sr
Davis Young, Mount Enterprise, Sr
Aaron Tucker, Mount Enterprise, Sr
LaDarren Cooks, Tenaha, Sr
DeAaron Roland, Tenaha, So

Place Kicker
Edgar Flores, Tenaha, Sr

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
Quarterback
Jake Johnson, Union Hill, Sr

Running Back
Cobe Carraway, Tenaha, Fr
Darin Lewis, Union Hill, So
Marcus Lawton, Union Hill, Jr

Wide Receiver
Dalton Etheredge, Beckville, Jr
Zach Pollett, Mount Enterprise, Sr
J.R. Hill, Tenaha, So
Nick Moses, Union Hill, Sr

Tight End
Demon Horton, Tenaha, Sr

Offensive Line
Victor Angeles, Beckville, So
James Jinks, Beckville, Jr
Dakota Porter, Mount Enterprise, Jr
Timmy Oswald, Mount Enterprise, Sr
Dustin Davis, Tenaha, Sr
Jakelvin Cooper, Tenaha, Sr
Tim Taylor, Union Hill, Sr
Abraham, Berrosphe, Union Hill, Sr

Place Kicker
Abraham Berrosphe, Union Hill, Sr

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line
LaDarren Cooks, Tenaha, Sr
Jakelvin Cooper, Tenaha, Sr
David Young, Mount Enterprise, Sr
Timmy Oswald, Mount Enterprise, Sr
James Jinks, Beckville, Jr
Xavier Johnson, Union Hill, Sr

Linebacker
Joey Wharmby, Beckville, So
Hunter Ammons, Mount Enterprise, Jr
De’Aaron Roland, Tenaha, Jr
Chavis Gregory, Tenaha, So

Defensive Line/Outside Linebacker
Octavius Griffith, Tenaha, Sr
Aaron Tucker, Mount Enterprise, Sr
John Kyle Kirkland, Beckville, Sr

Defensive Back
Colton Allen, Beckville, Jr
Dalton Ethredge, Beckville, Jr
Blake Chapman, Mount Enterprise, Sr
Zach Pollett, Mount Enterprise, Sr
Keontas Davis, Tenaha, So
Assuntay Cleaver, Tenaha, Jr

Punter
Jak Johnston, Union Hill, Sr

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Dakota Porter, Mount Enterprise, Jr
Dustin Davis, Tenaha, Sr
Brad Mitchell, Union Hill, Sr
Victor Angeles, Beckville, So
Josh Smiley, Beckville, Sr

Linebacker
Darin Lewis, Union Hill, So
Jesse Sipes, Beckville, Jr

Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
Chance Young, Mount Enterprise, Jr
Demon Horton, Tenaha, Sr
Datravion Duffey, Union Hill, Fr
James Hendley, Union Hill, Sr

Defensive Back
Gage Stokes, Union Hill, Sr
Nick Moses, Union Hill, Sr
Rain Rieke, Beckville, SR
Josh Leadon, Mount Enterprise, So
Cobe Carraway, Tenaha, Fr

Lady Bears capture emotional win, 37-31 - January 17, 2012
By Stephen Ewing
Sports Correspondent

TIMPSON - The Timpson Lady Bears were all set to go after their first District 22-1A win of the season here at John Herbert Eakin Athletic Complex Friday night, but they were unaware of the tragic news they would get moments before game time.

As they gathered in the locker room to go over final game plans for their matchup with the heavily favored Shelbyville Lady Dragons, they received word that their head coach, Keith Prather, would have to leave before tipoff. Prather had just found out that his 1-year old granddaughter, who had been battling leukemia for months, had passed away.

The news was heartbreaking for the entire Timpson ISD family, as many students and faculty members had been praying for the young child and his family throughout their ordeal. Determined to make their coach proud, the Timpson girls pulled together and willed themselves to a scrappy 37-31 win over their cross-county rival.

The Lady Dragons jumped on top early, and throughout the game seemed to have the advantage over the Lady Bears. Shelbyville led 10-7 after one period, and stretched it to 22-17 by the halftime break. Led by guard Summer Williams, the Lady Dragons outshot the Lady Bears the entire first half.

The second half was a different story, however, as the Lady Dragon shooters went cold, hampered in part by Timpson's non-stop man-to-man defense. As Shelbyville missed shot after shot, it seemed that Timpson's Latoya Cartwright always knew which way the ball would come off the rim, as she pulled down 21 rebounds (13 defensive) for the game. The rest of the Lady Bears totaled 13.

As a result, the Lady Dragons only managed one basket in the third period and were outscored 20-9 in the second half.

Jakelia Caraway led the charge for the Lady Bears, posting six steals, while going 6-of-9 from the free throw line, to finish with 19 points. She also blocked two shots. Cartwright scored five points to go with her stellar performance on the boards. Tammi Harris added six points, all on free throws, while Harley Martin contributed five.

Bears' coach Cody Anthony, who was the third girls' coach two years ago and stepped in for Prather to direct the Lady Bears, was impressed with how the Lady Bears rallied around their leader.

"They just came together and said, 'We need to do this for Coach Prather,'" Anthony stated. "They know it's just a game, but they wanted to give him something to be happy about.

"I felt like our man-to-man defense and our rebounding in the second half won the game. We also won the battle at the free throw line. That's very important in a tight game."

For the night, Timpson shot 13-of-25 from the charity stripe, compared to 4-of-19 for the Lady Dragons.

Summer Williams led the way for Shelbyville, scoring 12 points while snatching six rebounds. Kiera Montgomery added seven points to go with nine boards, while Shameria Lathan put in five points while pulling down six rebounds. Jakera Land added four points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Bears improve to 5-10 overall, 1-2 in district play. They will be on the road Tuesday night, when they travel to Tenaha to take on the Lady Tigers. Varsity girls action will begin immediately after the junior varsity boys game, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. in the Tenaha Special Events Center.

The Lady Dragons will try to bounce back Tuesday when they travel to Beckville to take on the Lady Bearcats. They will also be playing after a junior varsity boys contest that starts at 5:30 p.m..

UT-San Antonio halts 'Jacks' win streak - January 17, 2012

NACOGDOCHES - Jereal Scott finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, but UTSA had just enough fuel in the tank to hold off a late Lumberjack run and snap Stephen F. Austin's four-game win streak with a 59-52 win on Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

The `Jacks (9-8, 3-1 SLC) were down by as much as 15 points in the second half, but managed to cut the lead to just four points when Hal Bateman picked the pocket of UTSA's (10-7, 3-1 SLC) Sei Paye twice in a 10-second span, finishing at the rim each time. But Paye got his revenge on the very next possession with a desperation dagger that seemingly iced the game, a three-point bank shot from 35 feet away with no time on the shot clock with under two minutes to play that put the Roadrunners up 56-49.

UTSA held a 29-21 lead at the half and went on a 7-0 run to open the second half, never trailing for the final 35 minutes of the game on their way to running their record to 3-1 in league play.

Taylor Smith was the only other Lumberjack than Scott in double figures, finishing with 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting and eight rebounds. Desmond Haymon and Jonathan King were next in the scoring column with eight points apiece with Haymon canning SFA's only two three-point buckets of the night, each in the second half as the `Jacks finished just 2-for-13 from beyond the arc.

The `Jacks won the war in the paint (26-18), points off of turnovers (14-4) and second-chance points (14-4) after outrebounding the `Runners 33-20 with 13 offensive boards; however, UTSA connected on 7-of-13 triples, including 3-of-4 for sophomore Jeromie Hill who led the `Runners with 16 points of his own.

Scott had 12 of his 16 points in the first half with no other Lumberjack chipping in with more than King's three points in the opening period as the Roadrunners jumped out to an eight-point lead at the break on the strength of a 9-2 run that ended with on a jumper from Melvin Johnson III that stretched the lead to 25-15.

Still, it looked as though SFA would go into the locker room down just six points nine of its 17 turnovers for the game coming in the first half; however, Igor Nujic hit a 15-foot baseline jumper at the buzzer that was upheld after review and pushed the lead

The second half had the `Jacks fighting an uphill battle throughout, falling behind 36-21 less than two minutes into the second period. But SFA continued to battle, trimming the lead to just seven on a triple from Haymon at the 13:28 mark, and eventually to six at 50-44 with just over eight minutes to play on a short jumper from Scott.

But SFA was not able to capitalize on its good defense for a six-minute span of the half, holding UTSA off the scoreboard from the 9:00 mark to the 3:38 point of the period but scoring just four points itself during that same span.

Bostic put an end to the SFA scoring drought with a free throw to cut the lead to 50-45 with 4:18 to go, but on the very next possession Stephen Franklin finally found the range for the `Runners with a three-pointer late in the shot clock that instantly ballooned the UTSA lead back to eight points.

The `Jacks weren't through as Bateman made it close with a pair of frontcourt swipes, all to set up Paye's desperation heave that seemed to salt away the game for the `Runners.

SFA will get extra rest this week without a midweek contest before traveling to Texas Hall to battle the only undefeated team left in the SLC, UT-Arlington on Saturday.

Ladyjacks fall to Roadrunners, 50-46 - January 17, 2012

SAN ANTONIO - In a game of missed opportunities, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks dropped their first Southland Conference game of the season Saturday afternoon, falling 50-46 at the Convocation Center.

Porsha Roberts led SFA in scoring with 11 points but no other Ladyjack scored in double figures and as a team shot just 32 percent.

The Ladyjacks (12-4, 2-1), who fell behind by as much as 10 points, rallied several times to cut the deficit to one or even tie the game but could never get over the hump to take the lead.

Ashlee Mells had an opportunity to tie the contest at the charity stripe with 14 seconds remaining and SFA trailing 47-45 but the junior transfer split the free throws. Mells was able to corral the miss though and kicked it out to a wide-open Tierany Henderson in the corner but her three-pointer was off the mark and Simone Young gathered the defensive rebound and was flagrantly fouled by Henderson.

UTSA (6-10, 2-1) would proceed to hit three of four free throws to stretch their lead to 50-46 with only four seconds remaining and all but end any chance of a Ladyjack comeback.

SFA's leading scorer Tammara Marion was limited to just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. The Ladyjacks turned the ball over 24 times and went just 13-of-24 at the free throw line.

The Roadrunners were led in scoring by Kamra King, who put in 17 points and did most of her damage at the free throw line (9-of-10).

SFA struggled mightily in the first half, not scoring their first basket until the 7:03 mark on a Sha Turner jumper.

The Ladyjacks entered halftime trailing 27-19 following perhaps their least efficient offensive performance this season. The Ladyjacks shot well from the field (47 percent), but committed a staggering 19 turnovers of which UTSA converted into 19 points.

Roberts, turning the ball over four times, led SFA with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting. Perhaps the story of the first half though may have been the defensive job the Roadrunners on Marion. Entering the game as SFA's leading scorer at 14 points per contest, Marion attempted just one shot, which she missed, in 29 minutes of action.

The Ladyjacks will now have nearly a week off before returning to the court to host UT-Arlington on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.

K.J. Garrett - October 21, 2011
By Ryan Goodwin
Sports Correspondent

Move-in paying big divdends for 'Riders

Center running back K.J. Garrett (14) has been a steady leader for the Center offense all season long, rushing for 608 yards thus far on the season. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The defending state champion Henderson Lions were up 7-0 in the first quarter. Junior Cody Carleton received the snap from his center and handed the ball off to junior running back K.J. Garrett. Garrett took the ball, ran over a defender at the line of scrimmage and a few yards later was met by a whole crowd of Lions. Garrett refused to go down, disappeared into the pile of red and blue jerseys and then drove the pile forward, literally carrying several of the defenders for another four or five yards. On the next play Garrett broke down the side line for a 70-yard gain.

This is just one of the many examples of what defines Garrett’s importance to the Center Roughriders: his explosiveness. Garrett has been the ‘Riders' leading rusher, picking up 608 yards on 92 carries. Center Head Coach Goodwin said that Garrett is the type of player every coach loves to work with, because they don’t have to worry and check to see if he is working hard or doing the right thing.

“K.J. is one of the biggest leaders we have,” Goodwin began. “When he moved back from South Dakota last year we were all curious to see how he could help us, and out of the guys we have had move in from other places or other programs, he has probably helped us out the most. You just can’t say anything bad about the kid.”

Garrett started on the ‘Rider varsity team last season as a sophomore at one of the cornerback positions. This year Garrett has been moved to a different role on the defense that is a hybrid between a linebacker and a defensive end and has earned the starting role at running back.

Center junior K.J. Garrett has the ability to run over or past defenders, which ever is needed at the moment. He has ran for over 600 yards this season and wants to lead the Roughriders to a third straight postseason bid. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

“We knew last year that he could run, but we needed him more on defense,” Goodwin explained. “This year we need him on both sides of the ball. You might look up next year and see him out there playing a completely different position, but one thing is certain, we are going to use him where he helps us the most.”

Garrett spent most of his early football career as a junior high Roughrider playing running back, and the position seems to run in his family.

“I moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after my 8th grade year in Center,” Garrett said. “I was living with my dad in Sioux Falls; and he was a running back so he knew a lot of things to do to help me get better. He was always giving me drills to do and working with me to get better. I wanted to be just as good as him, so I always listened to what he said and worked as hard as I could.”

Although Garrett enjoyed his time spent in South Dakota, he couldn’t help but miss being a part of the Roughrider football program.

“When I left Center I didn’t know I would be coming back,” Garrett said. “I always wanted to play high school football in Center. When I was in South Dakota I missed playing with all my teammates and couldn’t wait to play as a ‘Rider again.”

Lucky for both Garrett and the ‘Riders that he got that chance after only one year away.

“I moved back the summer before my 8th grade year and I got to know all the coaches,” Garrett explained. “I didn’t really expect to have a starting position my first year, but I worked as hard as I could and ended up with one as a defensive back.”

During the spring of his sophomore year, after the 2010 season, Garrett found out that he would be competing for a position as a running back for the following season.

“This summer I really started to work on running back drills again and focused mainly on catching,” Garrett said. “Our running backs have to be able to run and catch and I knew I needed to improve on that area of my game.”

Garrett said he had very strong expectations for himself for his junior football season.

“I really wanted to end the season with at least a thousand yards. I don’t really care about touchdowns, but I really wanted to get a lot of yards because that means I was able to pick up some first downs for us and put us in a position to score.”

Garrett is a four-sport athlete for the ‘Riders, playing football, basketball, powerlifting and track. After high school Garrett hopes to take his athletic career to the next level.

“I really want to get a scholarship to a Division I college to play football, maybe even run track,” Garrett said. “After college I want to become a physical therapist. I’m not really worried about all of that right now though. I know I have to focus on each game and perform well before any of that will even matter.”

As the ‘Riders have lost their last six games, two against district opponents, they must now win both of their remaining games to make it into the playoffs.

“It’s not fun to lose, but we all look at a loss as motivation to work harder. We all want to be playing when Thanksgiving comes around, and we aren’t going to give up just because we have lost a few games.”

Center has a bye week this week, and will travel to Huntington next week to face the Red Devils in a must-win game. Garrett, Coach Goodwin, and the rest of the ‘Riders plan to use their extra week to work on what they need to do to get better and clinch a playoff spot.

“When you have a bye week you just focus on getting yourself better,” Coach Goodwin said. “You have more time to focus on the little things. You oil all the parts that need to be oiled and grease what needs to be greased. Other than that, it’s really simple. If we win these next two games we will be in the playoffs. If we don’t, then we won’t.”

The ‘Riders will look for Garrett to continue his explosive play for the rest of district play and into the playoffs in what would be Center’s third straight playoff appearance.

Lady Indians dump Timpson, 3-0 - October 21, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Timpson Lady Bear Caitlyn Smith has to go to her knees to return a serve during action Tuesday night in John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Bears struggled with Carlisle, dropping a straight-set match, 3-0. (Photo by John Krueger)

The Timpson Lady Bears have struggled this season. When they have lost matches many times it has been because they struggled making the routine plays and committing unforced errors. Carlisle came into John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium Tuesday night and didn't beat themselves and dropped Timpson, 25-10, 25-9, 25-13.

The loss was the Lady Bears' fifth straight and sixth in their last seven matches. They dropped to 9-24 on the season, 2-8 in District 20-1A action with two matches remaining.

Timpson will travel to Karnack tonight and then host Beckville on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. for Senior Night to end the year.

The Lady Bears struggled to get their rhythm against Carlisle and the Lady Indians took advantage of it by running off a string of points on several occasions, which allowed CHS to seize command of each set.

Timpson Lady Bear middle blocker Tammi Harris keeps the ball alive, while teammate Amber Parks (9) looks on during action Tuesday night in John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium in Timpson. The Lady Bears lost, 3-0. (Photo by John Krueger)

In the opening set it was Carlisle that took command early, opening up a 10-3 lead and then scoring 15 of the first 18 points of the set for a commanding 15-3 advantage.

Timpson did manage an excellent dig by Madison Pierce, a well placed ball by Tammi Harris and an ace by Haleigh Solice as it appeared as if there might be life in the Timpson attack. A 4-0 run cut the Carlisle lead to 19-9, but three aces in the final five points allowed CHS to claim a 25-10 victory in Set 1.

Like they did in the first match, the Lady Bears dug a hole in the second match as the Lady Indians scored eight of the first nine points. The teams then traded points, but a pair of service errors gave Timpson opportunities to get back into the set.

But once again a late flurry by Carlisle enabled the Lady Indians to pull away as one CHS player posted seven straight aces, enabling the Lady Indians to push ahead to a 23-6 lead en route to a 25-9 final.

Timpson's Harley Martin (12) sets up the ball up for a teammate during Tuesday night's District 20-1A match against Carlisle. The Lady Bears dropped their fifth straight league match, 3-0, to Carlisle. (Photo by John Krueger)

The third set was the most even of the three. Timpson kept grabbing the lead and challenging the Carlisle. The Lady Bears cut down on their service errors and did a better job of returning serves and led 6-5 at one point.

But Carlisle began to slowly pull out to a lead, taking a 14-8 lead on a pair of aces.

Timpson cut the lead to 15-13 when Harley Martin posted a pair of aces from the line and Harris cashed in on a kill. But after the Lady Bears had trimmed the lead to two, Carlisle scored the final 10 points of the set to close out the match.

Fillies remain at No.18 in NJCAA poll - October 21, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Panola College's Marcela Alves (left) and Hali Turner (1) block a kill attempt Hill College's Cayleigh Drake (3) player during action last weekend in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. Panola won the match and are still in prime position for a post-season tournament berth. (Photo by John Krueger)

Thursday night's Region XIV volleyball match between 18th-ranked Panola College and No.15 Paris was postponed until Friday because of some off-the-court issues with the Fillies' coaching staff as both head coach Nicole Thorn and her sister and assistant coach, Amber McCray had some unavoidable personal issues come up.

The match has been rescheduled for Friday night in Paris at 6 p.m. It is one of three Region XIV regular season matches left on the schedule. Following Friday's contest, Panola will travel to Navarro College on Monday (6 p.m.) and host No.1-ranked Blinn College next Thursday night in Johnson Gymnasium. That contest (6 p.m.) has been designated as 'Dig Pink' night as the Fillies host their third annual event to bring awareness to breast cancer.

Panola Collee's Vanessa Gomes (9) has been very active at the net in the past several matches and have helped the Fillies roll out to a 6-3 Region XIV record thus far this season. (Photo by John Krueger)

Thursday's match was postponed because Thorn's baby, which was born just prior to the season beginning, had to spend some time in the hospital. Also, the sisters' grandfather passed away, which meant more difficulties for the family.

Panola College remains at No.18 this week in the weekly NJCAA Division I volleyball poll, which was released Wednesday. There are several other member so the Region XIV that continue to be ranked as well.

Blinn, the only unbeaten team in the ranking, finally took over the No.1 spot from Western Nebraska Community College, which dropped to No.2 with 31-1 record.

San Jacinto College remains solid at the No.4 spot with a 24-3 overall record, while Tyler Junior College crawled up one spot to No.6 with a 21-2 mark.

Paris fell from the No.12 spot in the poll to No.15 this week, marking five teams in the league ranked in the Top 20, the most by any region.

Sudds No Longer Playing in Big Brother's Shadow - October 14, 2011
By Ryan Goodwin, Sports Correspondent

'Riders host Diboll in 2011 Homecoming tonight

Center defensive back Johnny Sudds (8) works with teammate Myles Netherly (5) to bring down a Jasper runner during last Friday's District 18-3A opener. Sudds is no longer following in the footsteps of his brother, Trey Sudds. (Photo by John Krueger)

If you were to attend a Center Roughrider football game it would be nearly impossible not to notice the efforts of Johhny Sudds during the contest. If you haven’t before, don’t panic, because he is easy to spot. Look for the No. 8 jersey; you will see it all over the field; on offense, defense, and special teams. If that doesn’t help, look for the 'baby dreadlocks' that seem to be a family tradition for the Sudds.

It is clear watching Sudds in action that he loves the game and loves to compete. Sudds attributes his intense competitiveness to growing up with his older brother, Trey Sudds, who was the starting running back for the ‘Riders during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, before graduating and going on to play football for East Texas Baptist University.

“Having an older brother like Trey, we were always competing growing up. And him being a year older than me, he was always one step ahead of me. He always won at everything, but it just made me want to beat him even more.

During the 2010 season ‘Rider fans were able to see both Sudds brothers in action on the varsity team, and Johhny says he cherished the time spent playing with his sibling.

“It was really fun playing on varsity with him last year and getting to compete with him for a starting position at running back," Johnny explained. "Like always, he beat me, but I got to play defense and now I really love it.”

The younger Sudds in no way played second fiddle to his older brother during the 2010 season. Despite missing a considerable amount of the season due to a knee injury, Johhny Sudds quickly became one of the leaders of the very young Center defense. After the end of the season Johhny knew he would have to step up his game and become an even bigger leader during his senior season.

“This summer I really wanted to focus on getting bigger," he stated. "I wanted to beef up so I could take more hits this year and not have to worry about getting hurt. You never want to hesitate on the field because of an injury, and that was kind of how I was last year.”

Center defensive back Johnny Sudds (8) shares a laugh with Roughrider defensive coordinator Mickey Smith (right) during last week's game against Jasper. The Sudds is trying to lead Center to its third consecutive playoff berth. (Photo by John Krueger)

Sudds believes he has put his injuries behind him and has hit the field at full speed during the first seven games of the year. During the season Johnny has dedicated his time to focusing on getting better at his new position as a defensive back.

“I love doing one-on–one drills with the receivers. That really keeps everybody sharp and there is a lot of competition between the DB's and receivers. That makes us all work hard to be the best and makes everybody better.”

Sudds says he loves playing with the younger varsity ‘Rider players this year and likes helping them improve from week to week.

“I really love having the younger guys like Augustine Johnson and Tony McCollister on the field. I’m a senior so I enjoy being able to help them out if they need it; and push them to work harder in practice. We all try to keep each other pumped up during the games, and when one of them makes a big play it makes me want to get one of my own.”

Johhny also enjoys being around Augustine and Tony during pregame warm-ups.

“On game days I can’t wait until we get out on the field for pregame. I can’t help but get pumped up when we are out there and we break up into different groups. Going through drills with the DB’s gets me ready to get out on the field and play defense. It makes me really want to get a 'pick' and take it back 'to the house.'”

Johhny has tried to improve on reading the opposing quarterback’s eyes this season. His favorite thing about football is being able to make good reads and bat down passes or intercept them.

“I love dropping back deep in a 'cover three' scheme. The point of the coverage is to never let anybody behind you, so all the receivers are in front of me. That means I can read the QB’s eyes and break on the ball. That’s when I get my picks.”

Sudds says he believes the interceptions he is able to get are the most important thing he can do to help his team win games.

“Getting INT’s really gives your offense momentum, and I love being able to help the offense out by getting them on the field. I’m not big on numbers or stats. As long as I help the team I don’t really keep up with them, but I think it would be cool to come out of district with the most interceptions out of any DB.”

Sudds, who, before his days on varsity, saw most of his action at the running back position, would really love to be more involved with the offensive side of the game.

“I had to play slot receiver a little last year and I really liked it. I think it would be fun to play next to Tony on offense too, and I think we would be really good. I think we would have a real double threat going - not to say we don’t already - but I’d like to be a part of that.”

Johhny said he learned a lot about the recruiting process after last season when his brother was recruited by ETBU to play running back.

“I really want to follow in Trey’s footsteps next year and play college football. Hopefully the scholarship (offers) will start coming in later this year. I’m not ruling anywhere out, but I think it would be cool to play at a place like SFA, that is close to home.”

‘Rider fans have enjoyed watching both of the Sudds brothers over the last few years and they will certainly be looking Johhny’s way during the last few games of the season. It is clear that Center will need Sudds to continue to play as well as he has all year if the team is going to make it to the playoffs for the third time in as many seasons. As for Sudds’ future, every ‘Rider fan will be hoping and praying he finds the right school to continue his career.

Fillies Hold Spot in Polls, Pick Up Huge Win - October 14, 2011
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Panola College outside hitter Vanessa Gomes (white shirt) spikes the ball in traffic during the Fillies game Monday night against Wharton College. Gomes recorded six kills and three blocks Thursday against TVCC. (Photo by John Krueger)

CARTHAGE -- With a league as tough as the District XIV Texas Eastern Conference, every win is a huge win for the Panola College volleyball team. With five of the squads ranked in the NJCAA Top 20, there's no such thing as a day off.

The Fillies, who maintained their hold on the No.18 spot in this week's national rankings, were in a key matchup Thursday night in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. Holding a 1.5-game lead over Trinity Valley Community College, a victory would go a long way as Panola College heads down the home stretch with only four conference matches remaining and the Fillies try to secure one of the top four spots.

Panola used strong net play and received balanced quarterbacking from setters Samantha Nieman and Emily Adams as they swept past the Lady Cardinals, 3-0.

The first set went a long way toward deciding who would claim the victory as the Fillies claimed a 27-25 extended-play win. Panola then grabbed the next two sets, 25-21, 25-18, to send the Lady Cardinals home on a short night.

Panola College improved to 14-7 on the year with the win, but more importantly 5-3 in conference play. Trinity Valley dropped to 13-14 on the season, but 3-6 in league play and three losses behind Panola on the loss side.

The Fillies are currently in third place behind unbeaten and No.2-ranked Blinn College and No.7-ranked Tyler Junior College, which has defeated the Fillies twice this season. Panola College still has one match with Blinn remaining, on Oct. 27, in the match that has been designated as "Dig Pink Night" at the Carthage campus.

Panola College has a non-conference match Saturday at home against Hill College at 2 p.m., and then will host Lon Morris on Monday at 6 p.m. The Fillies will then travel to Paris on Oct. 20 (6 p.m.), visit Navarro on Oct. 24 (6 p.m.) and host Blinn in the final regular season conference matchup. The Fillies will travel to Temple College on Nov. 1 for a conference tournament tune-up.

The Region XIV tourney is set for Nov. 4-5.

In Thursday's match against the Lady Cardinals, Josie Santos, Marcela Alves and Hali Turner paced the Panola attack at the net as they combined for 29 kills.

Santos recorded 12 kills, 13 digs, a pair of blocks and served three aces on the night. Alves added 10 kills, a block and an ace and Turner produced seven kills and eight digs as her numbers continue to rise as the season goes on.

Vanessa Gomes picked up six kills and three blocks, Nausheen Merchant added 18 digs and Samantha Peterson produced four kills and five blocks in the solid team effort.

Nieman picked up 21 assists and five digs, splitting time with Adams at the 'quarterback' position. Adams added 14 assists for the Fillies.

National Rankings

When this week's national rankings came out on Wednesday, Blinn College remained in the No.2 spot, while San Jacinto inched up from No.5 to No.4.

Tyler Junior College dropped four spots to No.7 this week. After falling in the rankings, the Apache Women fell to Blinn College Thursday night, 1-3. Paris held firm at No.12.

Beyond the midpoint of the season, Western Nebraska CC and Blinn College continue to go unbeaten in 2011. Along with #17 ranked Wallace State CC/Hanceville (Ala.) they are the only programs in the Top 20 to claim that distinction.

WNCC faced down three more inter-regional opponents this week when they met up with Trinidad State JC, Otero JC and Lamar CC. Continuing to lead the Cougars towards their quest for a national championship repeat is Fernanda Goncalves (ranked #6 in the nation with 10.53 assists/set) and Debora Araujo (ranked #12 nationally with 3.77 kills/set). WNCC faces ranked opponents three more times (Iowa Western CC and Northeastern JC (2x))before closing out the regular season.

Blinn College extended their 2011 unbeaten streak to 25 with wins over #18 ranked Panola College, Lon Morris College and #13 ranked Paris JC. Ranked 3rd in the nation in assists/set (10.89), BC will rely on the leadership of setter Jackie Gerig as they look to finish the season strong.

With huge victories over last week's #4 and #6 nationally ranked teams (Salt Lake CC and the College of Southern Idaho), Western Wyoming Community College is building momentum heading into the final stages of the regular season.

The 1-2 punch of setter Makayla Keck (ranked #4 nationally with 10.82 assists/set) and outside hitter Olivera Medic (3.74 kills/set), combined with the defensive prowess of Cori Perrault (4.09 digs/set) make the Mustangs a team to be reckoned with through the remainder of their 2011 campaign.

Timpson, Garrison rivalry renewed Friday - October 4, 2011
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Timpson quarterback Lorenzo Young (2) pitches the ball during earlier season action for the Bears. Despite their 0-5 season start the Bears hope to turn their season around beginning with Friday's game against Garrison. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Rivalries have a way about bringing out the best - and worst - in teams. But that does make those games so much more exciting for those involved.

For instance, take the Garrison-Timpson rivalry - the 'Battle of the Attoyac' as it is referred to by most in the towns involved. Last year's game had all the makings of a mismatch. But somebody forgot to tell the Timpson Bears.

In 2010 the Garrison Bulldogs were on the top of the world, rolling toward what would turn out to be a berth in the Class 1A Division I state semifinals before the year would end. The 'Dogs were 5-0 and ranked 22nd heading into District 10-1A D-I play. Although they had struggled with a pair of one-point wins, they were the odds-on favorite to be at or near the top of the league chase.

The Timpson Bears were 2-3 on the season, having just won a pair of games over Mount Enterprise and Hemphill. But the Bears were unproven and would finish the year up 3-7.

Nevertheless, despite being outgained 405-242, the Bears hung with Garrison and outscored the Bulldogs 14-6 in a crucial fourth quarter, before dropping a heart-breaking 22-21 setback at Bulldog Stadium.

The good for Timpson was the fact that the Bears turned two Garrison turnovers - the bad for the 'Dogs - into 14 points in the game.

The bad for the Bears was the fact that they were stopped twice inside the Garrison 10-yard line - which was good for Garrison - and the Bulldogs' Nathan Burkhalter intercepted a pass, which was turned into eight points for GHS.

Did that game go a long way toward the strong finish by Garrison and the demise of the Timpson in the season? Could be.

This year both teams are on similar paths. Garrison is ranked No.7 in the state by the Associated Press Class 1A poll and No.3 by TheOldCoach.com poll as the Bulldogs are 4-1 on the season and picked to end the year among the state's best in Class 1A Div. I. The Bulldogs' only loss was a 21-20 loss to No.2-ranked Tenaha.

Timpson is struggling again this season. The Bears are winless at 0-5, having lost their first five games by an average of 29.4-points per game.

But just how much could an upset over the Bulldogs change the Bears' season around. Timpson is, after all 0-0 in district play as the rest of the teams in the league and a win this week could 'turn the tables' for them - and the Bulldogs - in the district chase.

The key in the game will be the Bears ability to move the football with quarterback Lorenzo Young now back in the lineup as he returned two weeks ago in the 38-13 setback to Hemphill.

Another key will be how well will Timpson slow down Garrison's "Pound the Rock" offensive mentality. Four different Bulldogs runners have gained at least 100 yards this year. Nathan Burkhalter, who ran for 31 yards last season against THS, is the leading ground gainer with 721 yards and six touchdowns on the year. Quarterback Dustin Strahan is second with 213 yards and eight scores, while Chad Henderson has picked up 186 yards and a score.

Strahan has completed 59.6% (34-of-57) of his passes for 506 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Bulldogs are picking up 297.6-yards per game on the ground and 101.2-yards in the air, making them a dual threat when they have the ball on offense.

But, as in years past, those stats could be thrown out the window when these two teams meet.

Timpson will be looking for its first win in the series since 2006, when the Bears recorded a 46-12 whipping in the same Bear Stadium where the teams will square off Friday night.

Last 7 years of Garrison-Timpson Rivalry
2010 - Garrison 22, Timpson 21
2009 - Garrison 34, Timpson 6
2008 - Garrison 41, Timpson 40
2007 - Garrison 21, Timpson 12
2006 - Timpson 46, Garrison 12
2005 - Garrison 41, Timpson 24
2004 - Garrison 35, Timpson 13