No.2 Tigers blast Garrison, 62-22 - January 19, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Tenaha guard Octavius Griffith (left) puts up a shot in the lane during earlier season action. Griffith scored 10 points Friday night as the Tigers opened District 22-1A play with a 62-22 win over Garrison. (Photo by John Krueger)

Without their leader Reginald Davis, the No.4-ranked Tenaha Tigers went on the road for their District 22-1A opener Friday night and started slow, before pulling away from the Garrison Bulldogs in the second half, winning 62-22 in Bulldog Gymnasium.

The Tigers improved to 8-3 on the year with the victory, 1-0 in district play, while Garrison fell to 1-5, 0-1 in league action.

In other District 22-1A openers on Friday, Gary topped Beckville, 78-29, and Timpson eased past Shelbyville, 56-49.

Chavis Gregory and DeAaron Roland took up the scoring slack in Davis' absence, scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively, while Octavius Griffith was also in double figures with 10 points.

Demon Horton dropped in six points for the Tigers, with Jacoby Ivy and Keontas Davis each chipping in five, Shaquille Mitchell and Jakelvin Cooper each pitched in three and LaDarren Cooks managed two points.

The Tigers' pressure defense caused problems for Garrison as the Bulldogs connected on only 9-of-48 (19%) from the field. Hunter Key led the 'Dogs with nine points, while Chris Chandler chipped in six, William Rogers added four and Jake Christian scored three points.

Garrison was held to just 17 rebounds. Chandler was the leading player on the boards, pulling in eight, while Rogers chipped in four, Key posted three and Markeese Hall and Khiran Arrington both had one rebound.

Key led the Bulldogs defensively with five steals, while Chandler added three.

The Tigers had trouble early on without their leader as Garrison fought them to an 11-11 tie at the end of the first quarter.

But the Tigers picked up the pace defensively in the second quarter, holding Garrison to just five points to generate a 30-16 lead at the break.

The Tenaha defense continued to cause major problems for the 'Dogs in the second half, limiting them to just four points in the third quarter and two in the fourth, while Tenaha scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, over the final two quarters to pull away for the 40-point win.

In District 22-1A games coming up this Friday, Tenaha will visit Shelbyville, while Garrison is at home to host Beckville. Gary will visit Timpson in a key matchup.

Bulldogs knock off Center, 47-40 - January 19, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Center junior Myles Netherly (2 showing) has his shot challenged during Tuesday night's game against Kirbyville. Netherly and the 'Riders suffered through a tough shooting night in a 47-40 loss to Jasper on Friday. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

'Riders can't overcome poor shooting

The Center Roughriders suffered through their worst shooting performances Friday night and it cost them in this District 18-3A matchup as they hit only 20% (14-of-70) from the field in a 47-40 setback in Roughrider Gymnasium to the front-running Jasper Bulldogs.

The loss dropped the 'Riders to 7-16 on the season and evened the squad's league mark at 2-2. Jasper sat in first place in the district after the decision, improved to 4-1 in the league. Other results Friday night included Hudson hanging on to defeat Central, 66-61, in overtime and Huntington outlasting Kirbyville, 49-31.

Only one Center player was able to reach double-digit scoring in the contest, with Johnny Sudds converting 3-of-8 from the field for 10 points. Jercarius Berry hit only 3-of-14 shots, scoring eight points, DeJalen Preston threw in seven and Tony McCollister and Myles Netherly had four points each.

Miguel Johnson III scored three points for CHS, with Jakiel Johnson and Darron Bolton dumping in two points apiece.

Center took care of the ball, turning it over only 16 times on the night, while forcing 22 turnovers by the Bulldogs. Both teams totaled 38 rebounds.

McCollister was the leading rebounder for Center with eight, while Sudds added seven, Johnson pulled down six, and Augustine Johnson, Bolton and Preston each grabbing three rebounds.

The 'Riders also struggled at the line, converting only 10-of-20 (50%) from the charity stripe.

The contest was low scoring throughout, with Jasper grabbing a slim 8-7 lead after the opening period and extending it slightly to 22-19 at the break.

The 'Riders made a short run in the third quarter forcing a 31-31 tie entering the fourth. But Center scored just nine points in the final period and came up short as the Bulldogs threw in 12.

In District 18-3A games coming up on Friday, the Roughriders will travel to Hudson to face the Hornets in what is always a key league matchup. Central will host Huntington and Diboll will visit Kirbyville. Diboll has the open date in league play.

Lady Riders stay in postseason hunt, 42-37 - January 19, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Center guard Kemi Cleveland (10) penetrates the Kirbyville defense during action Tuesday night in Roughrider Gymnasium. Cleveland scored four points Friday vs. Jasper. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Lady Rider Lacie Evans produced a double-double Friday night, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 boards as she helped the Center Lady Riders keep their postseason hopes alive with a 42-37 victory over Jasper in Roughrider Gymnasium.

Lakia Shepherd was also a key player for Center, which improved to 11-9 on the year and 2-4 against District 18-3A competition. The senior guard led all scorers with 18 points, pulling down five rebounds and picking up three steals.

"It was a really great effort tonight," said CHS head coach Tracy Kincade said after the win. "It was so good to get a win and stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The girls showed tons of heart with their defense and desire.

"We also helped ourselves by shooting 75% (12-of-16) from the free throw line.

"Kia (Shepherd) continues to be a solid scorer for us all year long and Lacie (Evans)is going to be a special player if she continues to grow and develop."

In addition to her scoring and board work, Evans picked up three steals and blocked one shot. Ashley Sigler scored five points, three boards and a pair of steals. She was also 5-of-6 from the line and led the defensive effort for CHS.

Kemi Cleveland scored four points and recorded a pair of steals, and Requanna Patton scored two points and grabbed a rebound.

The game was tied 14-14 at the end of the first period, but it was the Lady Riders that grabbed a slim 22-20 lead at the halftime break.

The Lady Riders kept the momentum in the third quarter, inching out to a 29-26 lead and they held off the Lady Bulldogs in the fourth quarter for the five-point win.

In District 18-3A games scheduled for Friday, Center will travel to Hudson, while Central hosts Huntington and Diboll is at Kirbyville.

Indians snap Joaquin win streak to end year - January 4, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Joaquin senior guard Kain Yates (4) dribbles the ball up court during recent action for the Rams. Joaquin dropped a nondistrict matchup on the road Tuesday, falling to Logansport, 67-65, in overtime. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

The Joaquin Rams continue to be one of the hottest boys basketball teams in the area, despite suffering a pair of setbacks in the past week.

With District 20-2A action set to begin at the end of last week, the Rams are currently 14-5 on the year. They entered the Christmas holiday break by winning their last four, knocking off Cushing (64-42), Martinsville (62-42), Timpson (76-38) and Mount Enterprise (57-40). Joaquin then fell to Douglass last week, 57-34, before taking a tough 67-65 overtime loss on Tuesday night at Logansport, La.

The Rams are set to host cross-county rival Shelbyville (JV,V) on Friday at 5 p.m. and then host Alto (JV,V) next Tuesday at 5 p.m. before beginning 20-2A action on Jan. 13 at home against Jefferson.

In the Rams' 57-40 win over Mount Enterprise, Wyatt Hairgrove led JHS with 24 points, hitting 9-of-24 from the field. As a team, the Rams converted 24-of-70 (34%), and won the game going away despite making just 4-of-21 (19%) from 3-point range.

Will Vaughn converted 5-of-10 field goals, scoring 12 points for the Rams, P.J. Peterson made 4-of-8 from the field to knock down eight points, while Za Cooper was 4-of-11, also scoring eight. Tristan Hairgrove scored three points and Tra Rogers scored two.

Joaquin finished with 39 rebounds, with Vaughn and Cooper both in double-figures. Vaughn completed his double-double with 12 boards, pulling down five on the offensive end, while Cooper had four offensive rebounds and 10 total.

Rogers and Peterson both corralled four rebounds and Wyatt Hairgrove and Cody Runnels each hauled in three.

Peterson and Vaughn both blocked three shots, Wyatt Hairgrove totaled six steals and Cooper dished out six assists. Wyatt Hairgrove handed out three.

SFA lands three gridders on Steele's team - January 4, 2012

Senior offensive lineman George Bias, and juniors Gralyn Crawford and Willie Jefferson have been named to the 2011 Phil Steele's Magazine All-America squad announced publication officials. All three athletes garnered third-team honors.

Bias, who was also named to the 2011 College Sports Madness and AP All-America squads, worked his way into the starting lineup during his freshman year, and never looked back helping produce one of the nation's most prolific passing attacks in school history. Bias battled through injuries during his final season to help SFA lead the nation in pass protection despite putting the ball in the air close to 600 times.

Crawford was honored as one of the nation's top punt returners. He finished sixth in the nation averaging 167.6 all-purpose yards per game in 2011. A two-time All-America selection as a kick returner, Crawford was again one of the nation's biggest return threats in the country. He averaged 28.1 yards per kick, and returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown to set a new school record this past season. It was the fourth return for a touchdown in his career. Crawford also averaged eight yards per punt return during his junior campaign.

Jefferson had a huge impact during his first season in Nacogdoches. The 2011 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, Jefferson led the conference, and finished tied for fourth in the nation averaging 1.36 sacks per game. SFA as a team finished tops in the country averaging nearly 4.5 sacks per contest. Jefferson also finished the year with 29 tackles and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.

Jefferson recorded two record-setting performances during the 2011 season. He wrote his name in the SFA record books when he posted 4.5 sacks against McNeese State to set a new school single-game record. He followed that up with a five-sack performance against Northwestern State in the season-finale to tie a new SLC record. He was received national defensive player of the week honors following both performances.

The Lumberjacks closed out the 2011 campaign winning their final five games to record their third consecutive winning season.

Devilettes slow down Lady Riders, 54-34 - January 4, 2012
By Stephen Ewing
Sports Correspondent

Center junior guard Ashley Sigler (left) looks for an open teammate as she is covered closely in the backcourt by a Huntington player during Tuesday night's game in Roughrider Gymnasium. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Looking to snap their two-game District 18-3A losing skid, the Center Lady Riders hosted the Huntington Devilettes here in Roughrider Gymnasium on Tuesday night. But despite a hard fought effort, they came out on the short end of the district matchup, 54-34.

The Lady Riders (10-7) had a hard time getting their shots to drop all night, while at times it seemed like the visiting Devilettes just couldn't miss. Huntington jumped out front early with a 7-0 run to start the game, and never looked back.

Center trailed 10-4 after the first quarter, then the Devilettes drilled five three-point shots in the second period to pull out to a 27-13 halftime lead. By contrast, the Center girls only made 1-of-9 three-point attempts on the entire night.

The Lady Riders made a run late in the third period, led by Kia Shepherd and Kemi Cleveland, outscoring Huntington 7-0 in the final three minutes. They then scored the first five points of the final period to draw within 11.

That was as close as they would get, however, as Huntington seemed to "flip the switch" with five minutes left in the contest, besting the home team 10-3 over the final stretch.

Center sophomore post Cassie Bush puts up a shot during action Tuesday night in Roughrider Gymnasium. The Lady Riders dropped the league matchup, 54-34. (Photo by John Krueger)

A major factor in the game was rebounding. With the Lady Riders having trouble with their shooting, they left a lot of loose balls up for grabs. The Devilettes were there to pull them down, grabbing twelve defensive boards. Post player Shontavia Houston also pulled down six offensive rebounds and put back four of them to account for eight of her 13 points.

Huntington forward Morgan Brown made 4-of-5 from three-point range to finish with 14 points.

Lady Rider Kia Shepherd led all scorers with 15, while Lacy Evans chipped in seven and Kemi Cleveland added six.

Center head coach Tracy Kincade was disappointed with the outcome, but remains optimistic about the direction of the program.

"They beat us with their outside shooting," Kincade explained. "They made seven threes, and that was the difference in the game. We just couldn't get our shots to drop and they did a good job of rebounding our misses."

"Our kids just wouldn't quit though. We put together a little run late in the third quarter and just kept fighting. That's the difference in where we are and where we want to go. We've just got to keep working."

The Lady Riders fell to 1-3 in District 18-3A play. They still must face the two league leaders, Diboll and Jasper in the first round of district play. They will take a night off from league competition this Friday, when they play host to Zavalla. They will then travel to Diboll next Tuesday to take on the Ladyjacks in another district matchup.

Tigers coast past 'Jackets in opener, 81-24 - December 28, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

TENAHA -- The No.2-ranked Tenaha Tigers cruised through the opening round of their own Tenaha Holiday Hoops Scholarship Tournament on Tuesday afternoon as senior Shaquille Mitchell scored 13 points and pulled down 11 boards in an 81-24 ripping of Elysian Fields here in Tiger Gymnasium.

Tenaha (3-0) had no problem with the Yellowjackets, using its quickness advantage to sprint out to a 23-6 lead after the opening quarter and 49-9 at the half. Jacobi Ivy, DeAaron Roland and Octavius Griffith each had six points in the first quarter for the Tigers, while Griffith pumped in nine in the second period to lead the way.

"I was pleased with the way we played because we still haven't had our first complete practice yet," Tenaha head coach Todd Bodden said, referring to the fact that the Tenaha football team just captured the Class 1A D-II football state title on Dec. 15. "We're still rusty in places, but we're making up for it by hustling and getting to the basketball on defense."

Griffith led the offensive attack for the Tigers, scoring all 15 of his points in the first two periods. Ivy added 14 points to the cause, putting in 10 of those in the first 16 minutes of action. Reginald Davis scored eight of his 12 points in the first half and Roland added 10 points, dumping in 10 in the first half.

Chavis Gregory knocked down seven points, with five of those coming in the third quarter for THS. Vincent Walton scored four points and Demon Horton, Keontas Davis and LaDarren Cooks each chipped in two points.

Trevor Spear paced Elysian Fields with 11 points, with eight of those coming in the fourth period.

After leading by 40 at the break, Tenaha held the 'Jackets to just two points in the third quarter, scoring 22 on offense to widen the gap to 71-11. Tiger substitutes who played a lot of minutes in the game, played almost throughout the final period.

"It's good to get some of our bench players some playing time," Bodden said. "We're still trying to get our basketball 'legs' under us and I'm sure it will show in the next couple of days when we play more than one game a day."

Laneville clips Tigers in OT in battle of No.2's - December 28, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Tenaha junior post player DeAaron Roland (33) puts a shut up in the lane over Laneville's Anthony Roberts (15) during second round action at the Third Annual Tenaha Holiday Hoops tournament Tuesday night. The 'Jackets won the game, 77-75. (Photo by John Krueger)

Tenaha senior guard Reginald Davis (2) makes a move to the basket between a pair of Laneville defenders during Tuesday's second-round of the Tenaha Holiday Hoops Scholarship Basketball Tournament in the Special Events Center. (Photo by John Krueger)

TENAHA -- The No.2-ranked (Class 1A D-I) Tenaha Tigers erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit to arch-rival Laneville, but foul trouble was too much to overcome as the No.2-ranked (Class 1A D-II) Yellowjackets hit 34-of-54 free throws, including 11-of-16 in overtime, to outlast the Tigers, 77-75, in the second round of the Tenaha Holiday Hoop Scholarship Basketball Tournament here in the Special Events Center Tuesday night.

This contest had all the earmarks of last year's regional tournament run for the Tigers (3-1), who erased huge second-half deficits in both games to earn a place at the state tournament in Austin. The Tigers appeared out of sync in the second period and trailed the 'Jackets 42-23 with 6:31 left in the third quarter before a near-capacity crowd.

But despite having 17 more fouls called (50-33) and Laneville shooting three times as many free throws (54-18), the Tigers kept crawling back into the contest and had a chance to pick up the win at the end of regulation. Before the game was over, four Tenaha players had fouled out and two more had four fouls apiece.

"We dug ourselves into a hole in the second quarter," said Tenaha head coach Todd Bodden, who has taken two of the last three Tiger basketball teams to the state tournament. "Laneville flat-out outplayed us in the second quarter and in the beginning of the third and we were fortunate to come back and make a game of it."

The 'Jackets cashed in 34 of their 54 free throws (63%), while converting 11-of-16 (68.8%) during the four-minute extra period when Laneville outscored Tenaha 14-12 to steal to the win. Tenaha only made 9-of-18 (50%) from the line in the game.

After trailing by nearly 20 points in the third, the Tigers used seven points by Reginald Davis, six points from Chavis Gregory and four from DeAaron Roland to close the gap to 54-41 heading into the fourth period.

Laneville didn't help its own cause in the fourth stanza, converting only 7-of-17 free throws as the home crowd urged its Tigers in their attempt to knock off their arch-rivals.

Gregory hit a pair of layups in the first 47 seconds of the fourth quarter to close the gap under 10. After a field goal by Laneville's Isaiah Blanton, Roland and Gregory cashed in on layups to trim the LHS lead to 56-50 with 5:37 still remaining in the fourth.

Reginald Davis, who led Tenaha with 21 points, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, the second game Tenaha a 59-58 lead with 2:55 on the clock, and it appeared as if Tenaha was going to complete yet another improbable comeback.

But Laneville didn't become the No.2-ranked team in 1A D-II because it has quit. Despite poor free throw shooting, Donte Harris, who scored 17 points, canned a pair from the line to trim what had become a 3-point Tenaha lead to one again at the 1:12 mark.

Both teams had chances to win the game in regulation. Two Yellowjackets missed jumpers with 20 seconds left, then Tenaha turned the ball over and Octavius Griffith fouled out having only scored two points with 11.7 seconds remaining. But Harris could only hit 1-of-2, tying the game.

Davis had an open 17-foot jumper from the right side at the buzzer, but it wouldn't fall, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra period, Tenaha's Jacobi Ivy, Demon Horton and Gregory all fouled out for the Tigers, while Blanton and Aaron Loftis, who combined for 55 points for Laneville, never received their fifth fouls despite going into overtime with four each.

Loftis, who led all scorers with 31 points - including 11 in overtime - canned a 3-pointer to give Laneville a 70-69 lead with 2:16 left.

After Ivy hit a 16-footer with 2:03 on the clock to give the lead back to Tenaha, 71-70, it became a game of free throws for Brian Nichols' squad. The 'Jackets hit 7-of-12 charity shots in the final 1:52. Loftis hit 2-of-2 to give Laneville a 73-71 lead with 1:08 left, but Horton scored a layup on a pass from Roland to knot the score again.

Loftis then hit 1-of-2 and Harris nailed 3-of-4 in the final 7.6 seconds to seal the win.

Shaquille Mitchell knocked down 14 points for Tenaha, including 10 in the third quarter. Ivy and Roland each added 11 points, Gregory and Keontas Davis chipped in six each and Horton scored four.

Laneville will move on to the semifinals and will face No.24-ranked (Class 2A) Central Heights Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. No.2-ranked (2A) White Oak will square off against No.3 (2A) Edgewood in another semifinal at 8 p.m.

Tenaha will play in the fifth-place bracket, taking on Kountze at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

THIRD ANNUAL TENAHA HOLIDAY HOOPS
SCHOLARSHIP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

TUESDAY, DEC. 27
Boys Results
#24 Central Heights 49, Saltillo 34
San Augustine 61, #18 Lipan 53
#2 Laneville 71, Hughes Springs 40
Kountze 92, Garrison 18
#2 White Oak 94, Mt. Enterprise 18
#2 Tenaha 81, Elysian Fields 24
#3 Edgewood 54, Leggett 38
Chireno 80, #3 Stamford 78 (2OT)

Boys Bracket 2nd Round Games
#24 Central Heights 59, Kountze 34
#2 White Oak 75, San Augustine 33
#2 Laneville 77, #2 Tenaha 75 (OT)
#3 Edgewood 74, Chireno 34

'Riders set to make most of playoff ride - November 11, 2011
By Ryan Goodwin, Sports Correspondent

Center running back K.J. Garrett (14) tries to escape the grasp of a Kirbyville defender during action last week at Roughrider Stadium. The 'Riders will open their third straight playoff season Saturday night when they face Bullard. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

It’s been a bumpy ride for the Center Roughriders this year. The season began with two impressive wins over former district opponent Rusk and 2A opponent Linden-Kildare. Then Center went on a six-game losing streak, losing to two defending state champions in Carthage and Henderson, and a third state finals qualifier in Chapel Hill. Two losses also came to district opponents Jasper and Diboll.

In the end it came down to a dog fight with Kirbyville to decide the ‘Rider’s playoff fate. Center stood strong at home on the newly renovated Roughrider Stadium and defeated the Wildcats in a 51-44 shootout. Now Center is set to face off against the Bullard Panthers (6-4) in the bi-district round of the Class 3A D-II playoffs. The game is set for Saturday night in Carthage at the impressive Bulldog Stadium, with the kickoff coming at 7 p.m.

This will be Center’s third appearance in the playoffs in three years, but third-year head coach and athletic director Kevin Goodwin doesn’t want his team to focus on anything but the upcoming game.

Johnny Sudds (8) will be one of the keys Saturday night when the Center Roughriders begin Class 3A D-II playoff action in Carthage against Bullard. The kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

“Every year you look at your team and decide what the teams really needs and then you stress that throughout the year,” Goodwin said. “My first year here it was the playoffs and last year it was to get deep into the playoffs. We had already been the year before and we needed to keep going. This year it is 18 inches, and those 18 inches are the ones between your brain and your heart. We have stressed that to our kids. We have to continue to move forward. It doesn’t matter if we have made it to the playoffs for three years. None of that matters if we don’t play well Saturday.”

Coaches and players waited anxiously after the Kirbyville game to hear the final score of the Rusk and Bullard game, which would ultimately decide the ‘Rider’s next opponent. With Bullard defeating the Eagles 30-27 it became clear that Center and Bullard would square off in the first round, and this the game would be a close one. Center played Rusk in the first week of season, narrowly beating them 33-30.

“We’ve watched the film, but we just aren’t one of those teams that is big into matchups,” Goodwin said in regards to preparation for Saturday’s playoff game. “We don’t care about who has the size or speed advantage. They are a good football team and they deserve to be in the playoffs. We are focused more about what they are giving us on both sides of the ball and how best to scheme that to our advantage.”

Not only did the two teams play similarly against Rusk, but both teams are built around the same style of offense.

“They look a lot like we do on offense,” Goodwin remarked. “They try to do a lot of the same things that we do, and that could be a good thing or a bad thing. We just have to make sure we don’t go out there thinking we know what’s going on just because our offenses are similar and prepare for them like we have every other game.”

Coming off the stunning finish against Kirbyville last week coach Goodwin wants to make sure his team does not allow the excitement to carry over into this week.

“You have to put every game behind you,” Goodwin said after practice on Wednesday. “You can’t let your excitement from last week carry over. If you do you will end up playing the next week on Tuesday mentally, and then not have anything left on Friday. We are just putting last week behind us like we always do, because we have another game to prepare for.”

The Roughriders were a surprisingly young team last year, but their youth from a season ago will be an advantage this year. More than a few Roughrider juniors started last season during the Chapel Hill playoff game in the first round as sophomores, and their experience will certainly help them prepare for a second career playoff game. Even one current sophomore, Kiounis Williams, played in last year’s playoff game as a freshman.

“I was really nervous, and I wasn’t used to the speed,” Williams said regarding the experience. “Being in that big game last year has really helped me out this year because I know what it is going to be like and what is expected. I played nose guard last year, but this year I’m playing linebacker. I really like where I’m at. I don’t have to go up against 300-pound linemen and I can see everything a lot better at linebacker. I’m really glad to have the opportunity to play in a playoff game again.”

For many football players playoff games are one of the most exciting things they get to take part in while in high school, but as seniors a playoff game means something even more. Losing a playoff game isn’t just another loss on the schedule; it is the final football game of a player’s senior year and maybe their entire life. That’s a lot of weight for a 17 or 18 year old to carry, but nobody is as ready as senior quarterback Cameron Cloudy, who missed part of the season with an ankle injury.

Cloudy comes into Saturday's game having completed 42-of-67 passes (62.7%) for 629 yards, 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He is also the fourth-leading rusher on the squad with 234 yards on 59 carries, averaging 4-yards per carry, with nine touchdowns.

“Last week could have been our last game and we knew we had to go out there and give everything we had,” Cloudy said. “This week it is the same thing and I can’t wait to be on the field. We all have to give 100 percent on every play. We are happy to be in the playoffs, but we want more. We want to go deep this year.”

Cloudy led his teammates last week, gaining 90 yards on 17 carries and putting the ball into the end zone four times during the game. The ‘Riders will look for their senior leader to have another big game this Saturday against Bullard.

K.J Garrett is the leading ball carrier for the 'Riders this year with 764 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.8-yards per rush. Johnny Sudds is second on the team with 481 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.2-yards each time he touches the ball. Shaquille Ingram has 238 yards on the ground and Myles Netherly has picked up 155, averaging 4.8-yards a carry.

Cloudy's leading receiver this season has been Tony McCollister. McCollister has hauled in 34 passes for 377 yards and five scores. He's averaging 11.1-yards per catch. Garrett is second with 13 receptions for 122 yards, while Ingram has pulled in 12 balls and Augustine Johnson is in double figures in receptions with 10.

On the defensive side of the ball, Derrick Thomas leads the squad in stops with 68, with 53 of those being solos. Kiounis Williams is second with 60.5, Sudds has 52 and Netherly has tallied 49.5.

Special teams has been a plus for Center. Johnson is averaging 18.7-yards per return on 20 kickoffs, while picking up 9.0-yards per return on punts.

The winner of Saturday night’s game will face off against the winner of Robinson (8-2) and Mexia (2-8) in the Area round of the Class 3A D-II state playoffs late next week.

No.14 Temple ruins Fillies home opener - September 9, 2011
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Santos keeps Panola crowd charged with 22 kills

Panola College middle blocker Josiane Santos controls the ball and knocks it over the net during Wednesday night's match against Temple College. Santos planted 22 kills against the Lady Leopards. (Photo by John Krueger)

CARTHAGE -- Panola College sophomore Josiane Santos knows how to keep the Fillies' fans in a match. She slammed 22 kills against No.14-ranked Temple College Wednesday here in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium and did everything she could to help her team to a win.

But Temple handed the 23rd-ranked Fillies (4-2) fought off comebacks time and time again by the Fillies and produced some of its own to hand Panola its second loss of the season to a nationally-ranked team this season, 3-2.

This match was about as close as they come. Temple secured a 25-20 win in the opener, before the Fillies tied the match with a 25-20 victory. The Lady Leopards claimed Game 3, 26-24, but Panola forced the tie-breaker with a 26-24 victory in Game 4.

After Panola had moved out to a 4-0 led in the fifth game, a pair of service errors by the Fillies helped Temple to cut the lead to 6-4. And despite a pair of towering kills by Santos that gave the Fillies a 12-8 lead, Temple scored seven of the last eight points to secure the match with a 15-13 victory and send the rowdy Panola home opener crowd to the exits disappointed.

Panola College's Samantha Peterson leaps high at the net as he prepares to slam home a kill during Wednesday night's match against No.14-ranked Temple College. Peterson posted four kills in the match. (Photo by John Krueger)

"It's very frustrating losing a match like this," said Panola College head coach Nicole Thorn, who was making her debut after missing the team's first five matches on maternity leave. "We played well at times, but you've got to give credit where credit is due; Temple came in here and beat us and they deserved to win."

Panola, which will play three NJCAA Top 10 teams this weekend when they face No.7 Salt Lake Community College, No.5 College of Southern Idaho and No.9 San Jacinto College in the Willowbrook Tournament, are benefitting from the tough early-season schedule, Thorn noted.

"By playing a tough schedule of nationally-ranked teams, it shows us where we need to improve and Temple was a great opponent tonight," Thorn stated. "We're not where we need to be, but I don't want us playing our best volleyball early in the season.

"We'll have an opportunity to play Temple later in the season at their place and hopefully we'll be able to get them down there."

Santos (sophomore, Santo Andre, Sao Paulo) electrified the home crowd time and time again in Tuesday's match. In addition to highlighting her play with her strong play at the net, she also chipped in 13 digs, four blocks and an ace.

Panola College's Marcela Alves (10) drops the ball over the net during Wednesday night's match against 14th-ranked Temple. Alves finished with 11 kills and seven blocks in the home opening setback. (Photo by John Krueger)

Another player that caught the eye of Thorn was setter Samantha Nieman. The freshman from Plano was all over the court, finishing the night with 39 assists, while adding seven digs, two blocks, three kills and a service ace.

"Samantha was all over the court a little more than I would have liked," Thorn noted. "What I mean was Temple was dictating the tempo of the match a little more than I would have liked. But (Samantha) did an excellent job of settling up the plays for us."

Panola libero Nausheen Merchant (freshman, Kingwood) posted 21 digs in the match, while Vanessa Gomes produced eight digs, three blocks, six kills, two assists and an ace.

Panola College middle blocker Marcela Alves (10) leaps high for a kill during Wednesday night's Top 25 matchup with Temple College. The 23rd-ranked Fillies fell in a hard-fought match, 3-2. (Photo by John Krueger)

Marcela Alves (sophomore, Rio de Janeiro, RJ) also made her presence known at the net with 11 kills, seven blocks and three digs, while Francieli do Carmo (freshman, Curitiba, Parana) slammed 11 kills and finished with seven digs.

Game 1
The opening game of the match was even until a 5-0 run created a 10-6 lead by the Lady Leopards. Alves then connected with a kill and Santos brought the student-body fans to their feet with a pair of her own as Panola pulled within two, 15-13.

Temple inched back ahead 20-15 on consecutive kills, but Camo generated a pair of kills and Alves added another as the Fillies cut the lead to 21-20.

The Lady Leopards then scored the final five points to ice the opener, 25-20.

Game 2
The teams traded shots early in the second game, with neither squad taking more than a two-point lead. Panola broke a 20-20 tie by scoring the final five points to tie the match at 1-1.

The game, which featured 17 ties, was decided, in part, by Peterson, who keyed the run down the stretch with a block and a pair of kills. Nieman ended the game with an ace for a 25-20 Panola win.

Game 3
Temple began using its crossing game to pull out to a 6-1 lead in Game 3. Panola cut the deficit to three before finally cutting the Temple lead to 9-8 with a pair of blocks by Santos.

The Fillies did pull in front, 15-14, and held a 20-16 advantage when Santos slammed a pair of kills and Alves recorded a service ace.

But once again, the Lady Leopards came on strong late, outscoring the Fillies 10-4 and kept Panola on the defensive.

Game 4
Just like the previous three, Game 4 was close throughout. A pair of kills by Santos charged the crowd and enabled Panola to build an 18-14 lead. Temple tried to make a late run to finish off the Fillies and even tied the game at 22-22.

But with the score tied at 24-24, Camo posted a kill and Alves' block on a kill attempt by Temple's Calineka Lockhart enabled Panola College to tie the match at 2-2.

Game 5
Alves' block helped fuel a 4-0 run to start Game 5 for Panola. But after trailing 12-8, a pair of kills and a block by Brittney Bryant helped the Lady Leopards go on a 4-0 run to tie the game at 12-12.

Camo then took a pass from Nieman and her kill gave Panola a 13-12 lead. But Temple would score the final three points to take the win.