Tisdell Prefers Fast Paced Game for Lady Cats
Lady Cats Basketball Coach Brittney Tisdell said the Lady Cats 52-23 win over Greenville was a slow game for her team. She said she preferred a faster pace and higher tempo game. Coach Tisdell said she told her team that moving forward she wanted them to play an up tempo style. Still she called the victory a good team win.
The Lady Cats’ starters only played a little into the third quarter and then turned things over to reserves. Coach Tisdell said she could tell by how the team acted before the game that they might not play with the intensity they should have had. She admitted she became concerned when her subs started out with five turnovers in a row. Coach Tisdell said after that they settled down and did better.
The Lady Cats are 5-3 in district play and 23-6 overall. They host Mount Pleasant Friday evening at home on senior night.
Cipoletta says Wildcats Battled Back for Win at Greenville
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta said the way the Wildcats played Tuesday night was a recipe for a loss. Still he was proud of the way the Wildcats battled back, hit some late shots, played with more energy and came away with a win. The Wildcats defeated Greenville, 53-51 Tuesday night in the Lions’ Den.
Still Coach Cipoletta was concerned that the Wildcats struggled shooting the ball and didn’t execute for most of the night. He said there was a lot for the Wildcats to learn from that game. Sadaidriene Day Day Hall returned after missing four games with a concussion and Coach Cipoletta said at times the team tried to do too much. He gave a lot of credit to Greenville. He said they hit shots, killed the Wildcats on the boards and did some things that made it hard for the Wildcats to score.
Point guard Jeremiah Roland provided the Wildcats with a fantastic finish hitting a big three-pointer that put the Wildcats ahead and then deflecting a Greenville pass so that the Lions could not even take a final shot before the final horn sounded. Coach Cipoletta said Roland has been big for the Wildcats all season long on both offense and defense. He said Roland is being called on to do more with Keaston Willis out with a small fracture in his right ankle.
Coach Cipoletta was asked if Greenville showed other teams how to defend against the Wildcats daring them to shoot threes while packing the lane. Coach Cipoletta said he would love for teams to take that approach. He said Tuesday night was just one of those where the Wildcats had a hard time hitting shots. He said Grayson McClure started out 0 for 6 from behind the arc, Roland was 0 for 4 and Cameron Kahn had an off night from long range.
Still the Wildcats continue to play “first team to 53 points wins”. Three of the Wildcats wins have ended up Wildcats 53 Texas High 52, Wildcats 53 Royse City 52 and now Wildcats 53 and Greenville 51. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats are finding ways to win. He said the Wildcats have experience along with good senior leadership. He said the team prepares to be successful. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats difficult schedule full of highly ranked Class 6A teams has also worked to prepare the Wildcats. He said in those games, the Wildcats had a battle back and fight to the end time after time.
The Wildcats host Mount Pleasant on senior night Friday night.
Pecan Fundraiser Adds to Senior Citizen Center Building Fund
Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center Pecan Fundraiser garnered $1,600 for the New Senior Citizens Center building fund.. Susan Vaughn led the fundraiser. The result of the Pecan Fundraiser brings the total raised for the building fund thus far to $70,621.71.
Karon Weatherman, Senior Citizens Center Director says, “W e still have a long way to go to get the 1.2-million that we need for a new building. We will just keep plugging along until we get there. ANY and ALL donations are appreciated.”
Vaughn drove to Corsicana, Texas three times to pick up pecan orders.
The center hopes to conduct the fundraiser every Year as a Fund Raiser for the Senior Citizens Center.
SSHS Academic UIL Places First at MPHS Winter Tournament
District UIL CX Debate – SSHS Wildcat Cross-Examination Debate Teams competed at the District CX Debate meet this week at First Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant, TX. While no teams advanced to the state meet, we are extremely proud of their efforts this year. The 2019 SSHS CX Debate Teams include seniors Felipe Alba and Dakota Soles, juniors James Draper and Matthew Robinson, and sophomores Mariam Tran and Kimberly Wheatcraft. CX Debate is coached by Josh Williams.
Mt. Pleasant High School Winter UIL Invitational Meet
Congratulations to the SSHS Wildcat UIL Academic Team who travelled to Mt. Pleasant this past weekend, January 25 – 26. As a team, our Wildcat UILers earned 472 points and won first place overall at the MPHS Winter Invitational. Congratulations to the following students and teams who brought home awards in their events.
| Ready Writing | Annmarie Gunn | 1st Place |
| Gail Herman Coach | Bracken Sant | 2nd Place |
| Breana Wooten | 3rd Place | |
| Computer Science | Dakota Soles | 1st Place |
| Matt Wilder, Coach | Kevin Orozco | 2nd Place |
| Blake Talmage | 3rd Place | |
| Andrew Westlund | 4th Place | |
| Alex Post | 5th Place | |
| Team (Soles, Orozco, Talmage) | 1st Place Team | |
| CX Debate | Felipe Alba | 5th Place |
| Josh Williams, Coach | ||
| LD Debate | Rhett Reid | 3rd Place |
| Josh Williams, Coach | ||
| Current Events | Brandon Hodges | 1st Place |
| Madison Millsap, Coach | Dakota Soles | 4th Place |
| James Draper | 6th Place | |
| Team (Hodges, Soles, Draper) | 2nd Place Team | |
| Prose Interpretation | Rachel Bramlett | 1st Place |
| Lesha Woodard, Coach | Hannah Shultz | 5th Place |
| Accounting | Caleb Yanez | 2nd Place |
| Paula Hass, Coach | Daniel Soto | 3rd Place |
| Number Sense | Andrew Westlund | 1st Place Overall |
| Gerald Grafton, Coach | 1st Place 11th Grade | |
| Bracken Sant | 4th Place Overall | |
| 3rd Place 11th Grade | ||
| Crystal Flores | 3rd Place 10th Grade | |
| Team (Westlund, Sant, Flores) | 2nd Place Team | |
| Calculator Applications | Carissa Carter | 6th Place Overall |
| Gerald Grafton, Coach | 4th Place (12th Grade) | |
| Kennedy Lee | 3rd Place (11th Grade) | |
| Isaac Gutierrez | 4th Place (11th Grade) | |
| Team (Carter, Lee, Gutierrez) | 3rd Place Team | |
| Mathematics | Andrew Westlund | 5th Place (11th Grade) |
| Gerald Grafton, Coach | Bracken Sant | 6th Place (11th Grade) |
| Crystal Flores | 3rd Place (10th Grade) | |
| Team (Westlund, Sant, Ivory Liu) | 3rd Place Team | |
| Science | Andrew Westlund | 3rd Place (11th Grade) |
| Steven Allemang,Coach | Jasmin Vargas | 6th Place (10th Grade) |
| Dylane Flies | 6th Place (9th Grade) | |
| Team (Westlund, Nick Porter, Kelley Bates) | 3rd Place Team | |
| Spelling and Vocabulary | Dawson Carpenter | 2nd Place |
| Gail Herman, Coach | Mariam Tran | 3rd Place |
| Gisselle Garcia | 4th Place | |
| Team – (Carpenter, Tran, Garcia) | 1st Place Team | |
| Literary Criticism | Carissa Carter | 1st Place |
| Gail Herman, Coach | Andrew Westlund | 2nd Place |
| Lainey Whittle | 3rd Place | |
| Mariana Botello | 5th Place | |
| Team – (Carter, Westlund, Whittle) | 1st Place Team | |
| Social Studies | Brandon Hodges | 2nd Place |
| Madison Millsap, Coach | ||
| Copy Editing | Angela Brown | 3rd Place |
| Brandon Nelson, Coach | Mariana Botello | 6th Place |
| News Writing | Mariana Botello | 1st Place |
| Brandon Nelson, Coach | Angela Brown | 3rd Place |
| Weston Vasquez | 5th Place | |
| Editorial Writing | Angela Brown | 1st Place |
| Brandon Nelson, Coach | Weston Vasquez | 2nd Place |
| Chris Yanez | 4th Place | |
| Feature Writing | Angela Brown | 1st Place |
| Brandon Nelson, Coach | Mariana Botello | 5th Place |
| Weston Vasquez | 6th Place | |
| Headline Writing | Angela Brown | 2nd Place |
| Brandon Nelson, Coach | Weston Vasquez | 5th Place |
| Journalism Team | Brown, Vasquez, Botello, Yanez | 1st Place Team |
Thornton Files to Seek Place 6 on Sulphur Springs City Council
Tuesday afternoon, January 29, 2019, Landon Thornton filed for Place 6 on the Sulphur Springs City Council. Thornton will face Doug Moore in the May 4th Municipal Election. Both men will seek a one year term to fill the unexpired term of Dan Froneberger, who resigned from the council in April last year. Moore was appointed in May to fill the place until the next election.
Thornton is a senior at Sulphur Springs High School and a member of the Cross Country Team. Thornton said, “As a young member of the community I see a growing need for my generation to start taking a vested interest in our flourishing community that the current and previous generations have provided us. It will soon be our job as young men and women to continue the growth and development that Sulphur Springs has enjoyed.”
Thornton says he is a proud brother, runner, and citizen born and raised in Sulphur Springs. In his first campaign statement, he said, “Today I seek to serve you on the City Council. I offer my strong values, creativity, and leadership which I believe will help further continued growth and development of our community. As a community with strong values comes the need for strong leadership! I pray that I may have your support and earn your vote.”
Opportunity to file for Places 4, 5, and 6 continue through February 15, 2019. Emily Glass, incumbent Place 5, filed for reelection on the morning of first day for filing. Currently Place 4 is held by Freddie Taylor. Taylor has said he will be filing for reelection.
Historical Photo Quiz #10 – Meet and Eat – Updated
In the early 1970s, Stuckey’s was a popular nationwide chain of restaurants. Famous for their pecan logs and interstate highway locations, Stuckey’s suffered a decline in numbers at the end of the 70’s.
The trademark ‘S’ confirms this is Stuckey’s. Note the bowl of Hawaiian Punch. People remember riding their bicycle to Stuckey’s for economical breakfast. One person recognized Donnis Rushing seated and wearing a tie. We still dont know about the person holding the large camera. After Stuckey’s closed, this location was occupied by Tommy Evans Firestone for many years.
Burden Sentenced to 40 Years in TDCJ by Delta County Jury
Editor’s Note: According to the District Attorney’s Office is is the first felony trial prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jodi Cox.
Kim Wayne Burden was convicted by a Delta County Eighth Judicial District jury of 3rd Degree felony Failure to appear and sentenced to 40 years in TDCJ on Tuesday, January 29th. The charge was filed when Burden failed to show up for was a Felony Unlawful Possession of a Fire Arm by a Felon. He had another pending charge of Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon that occurred in October of 2017 in Delta County while he had a warrant out for his arrest in the Failure to Appear.
He is currently serving seven (7) years in TDCJ for a felony charge of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon out of Upshur County. He had already been to prison twice on a Burglary of a Habitation conviction and a Robbery conviction.
The jury found him guilty and after a plea agreement regarding punishment, the judge sentenced him to 40 years in TDCJ.
Bright Star Baseball Announces Partnership with The Miracle League
Sulphur Springs, TX — (January 30, 2019)— Today, Bright Star Baseball announced a new partnership with The Miracle League, an organization that builds baseball and playground facilities for children with special needs. With this new partnership, Bright Star Baseball will continue its Celebration Field campaign to raise funds to provide transformative experiences for youth and adults of all abilities through the magic of inclusive baseball. With Miracle League’s help, Bright Star Baseball aims to create an accessible baseball field where individuals with disabilities live and play in an innovative, fully accessible sports space.
About Bright Star Baseball:
Bright Star Baseball, (BSB), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Sulphur Springs, TX has served children with special needs and their families in Hopkins and surrounding counties of East Texas, since 2014. Since its inception, Bright Star Baseball has provided a baseball experience for its players in both a Spring and Fall season. The program is assisted with youth volunteers from the local community.
About The Miracle League:
The vision of Miracle League is to remove the barriers that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field and let them experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime. Miracle League teams play on a custom-designed, rubberized turf field that accommodates wheelchairs and other assistive devices while helping to prevent injuries. The first Miracle League field opened in Conyers, Georgia in April 2000. Word spread and by 2002, fields opened in South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Illinois, and California. There are currently 305 Miracle League Organizations around the globe including Puerto Rico and Canada, serving 200,000 plus children and adults. Frisco and Longview have the only other Miracle League fields in North East Texas.
There are MANY benefits to our new partnership with The Miracle League. Bright Star Baseball sees the greatest benefit as the ability to expand the number of eligible players by increasing the age limit. Previously, Bright Star players had to be between the ages of five and 18. Under Miracle League, Bright Star will welcome players age 5 and UP! According to members of Bright Star Board “one of the hardest conversations we have to have is telling our players that at age 18, they are too old to play in our league.”
The second major benefit of partnering with The Miracle League is their vast experience in the design of the rubberized surface and its arrangements with experts in securing and installing the field. Bright Star’s goal has always been to build a specialized rubberized turf field for our players. With the support of City Manager Marc Maxwell, Bright Star has been raising funds toward that end for several years. Bright Star Baseball has already raised $120K of its $500K goal towards the construction of Celebration Field. Bright Star stressed that the new partnership with The Miracle League will not only bring the expertise to build the field but also will bring national name recognition that will help us achieve our dream of building, Celebration Field!
Miracle League Co-founder Diane Alford said, “A successful Miracle League is a community effort, and while BSB is leading the charge, we hope the community of Sulphur Springs will pitch in as donors, volunteers, coaches and supporters. We cannot change or cure the medical issues life has dealt children with disabilities. What we can do is provide them with an opportunity to experience the joy and benefits that come from playing our national pastime–baseball.”
Now that the partnership is in place, in order to raise sufficient funds to complete the project, Bright Star will kick off an expanded Fundraising Campaign in April 2019! Our hope is that you will join us in making this DREAM come true for The Miracle League of Sulphur Springs, Bright Star Baseball!
For additional information, contact a member of the Board of Directors, or to make a donation see www.brightstarbaseball.com or follow Bright Star on Facebook.
For additional information about The Miracle League, please visit their website: http://www.miracleleague.com/
Historical Photo Quiz #13 – Stew Champion
Unknown, Dr. Ben Woods, May Dell Peoples (Godbolt), Unknown,
Unknown, Unknown
