Game Day: Wildcats Enter Playoffs Tonight Against John Tyler
The Wildcats’ basketball team enters the playoffs on this game day Tuesday (February 19). The #4 ranked Wildcats, District 15-5A’s number one seed, will be taking on John Tyler, District 16-5A’s fourth place team, in a bi-district game at Wills Point at 7 p.m.. The Wildcats were a perfect 10-0 in district play and they are 24-8 for the season.
Wildcats Coach Clark Cipoletta says John Tyler is not your typical #4 seed. He says the Lions played very competitive game with all the top teams in their district. The winner of the Wildcats and John Tyler game will play the winner of a Midlothian and North Forney game also being played Tuesday night in an Area round game.
KSST Radio will bring you the Wildcats and the Lions live beginning at around 7 p.m. The contest will also be videotaped for replay later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
Sulphur Springs All-Sports Banquet is Being Eliminated to be Replaced by Individual Sports Format
Wildcats Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Greg Owens announced in a letter Tuesday (February 19) that the annual Sulphur Springs Wildcat All-Sports Banquet is going away to be replaced by gatherings for individual sports.
In the letter, Coach Owens said the All Sports Banquet has become extremely long adding attempts to shorten the program have made people feel rushed and unable to properly recognize athletes and their accomplishments. Coach Owens said the decision came after much discussion and deliberation among all of the school’s head coaches. He said discussions are still going on on how to announce the James Cameron Fighting Heart Awards and the Forrest Gregg MVP Awards.
Sulphur Springs UIL Academic Team Earns 2nd at Hallville Meet
The SSHS Wildcat UIL Academic Team travelled to Hallsville this past Saturday, February 16. As a team, our Wildcat UILers earned 2nd place overall at the Hallsville High School Invitational Meet. Congratulations to the following students and teams who brought home awards in their events.
| Ready Writing | Annmarie Gunn | 1st Place |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | ||
| Computer Science | Brayden Fisher | 1st Place |
| (Matt Wilder – Coach) | Dakota Soles | 2nd Place |
| Blake Talmage | 4th Place | |
| Kevin Orozco | 5th Place | |
| Kaden Kirkland | 6th Place | |
| Team (Fisher, Soles, Talmage) | 1st Place Team | |
| Current Events | Brandon Hodges | 2nd Place |
| (Madison Millsap – Coach) | Team – (Hodges, James Draper, Weston Vasquez) | 2nd Place Team |
| Spelling and Vocabulary | Gisselle Garcia | 2nd Place |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | Mariam Tran | 3rd Place |
| Dawson Carpenter | 4th Place | |
| Cameron Beard | 6th Place | |
| Team – (Garcia, Tran, Carpenter) | 1st Place Team | |
| Literary Criticism | Lainey Whittle | 1st Place |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | Carissa Carter | 2nd Place |
| Andrew Westlund | 4th Place | |
| Matthew Harper | 5th Place | |
| Meredith Hooton | 6th Place | |
| Team – (Whittle, Carter, Westlund) | 1st Place Team | |
| Social Studies | Brandon Hodges | 2nd Place |
| (Madison Millsap – Coach) | Team – (Hodges, James Draper, Bracken Sant) | 2nd Place Team |
| News Writing | Angela Brown | 6th Place |
| (Brandon Nelson – Coach) | ||
| Editorial Writing | Angela Brown | 5th Place |
| (Brandon Nelson – Coach) | ||
| Feature Writing | Weston Vasquez | 6th Place |
| (Brandon Nelson – Coach) | ||
| Headline Writing | Weston Vasquez | 6th Place |
| (Brandon Nelson – Coach) | ||
Oak Wilt Disease Threatens Texas Oaks in Spring
AUSTIN, Texas – From February through June, oak trees should not be pruned or wounded to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease. Texas A&M Forest Service reminds Texans that it is especially critical to avoid pruning oaks in Texas counties affected by oak wilt.
When springtime comes, oak trees produce new leaves for the coming growing season. While the seasonal transition may leave oaks looking thin with yellowed leaves, new green leaves will soon emerge.
At this time of year, red oaks that have died of the disease during the previous summer and fall may produce spore mats under the bark that sap-feeding beetles may visit as a food source. These beetles may then fly to a fresh wound on any oak tree, infect the tree and start a new oak wilt infection center that can pass to adjacent oaks through root grafting.
All oaks are susceptible to oak wilt disease. Spring is the time of high fungal mat production, high insect populations and the highest susceptibility to disease for oaks.
Any new wound may be susceptible to infection including those produced by pruning, construction activities, livestock, land or “cedar” clearing, lawnmowers, string trimmers and storms.
To decrease the attractiveness of fresh wounds to these insects, always cover or paint wounds on oaks, no matter the time of the year. Any kind of paint will accomplish this task.
Remember, it is extremely important to avoid wounding and pruning oaks from February through June.
Millions of trees have been killed by this disease in over 76 counties of Central, North and West Texas. In order to keep new infection centers from starting, Texans must avoid wounding oaks in the spring and paint any fresh wound that occurs at any time of the year.
For more information or for answers to oak wilt questions, please visit www.texasoakwilt.org or the Texas A&M Forest Service website at https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/.
Cumby FFA Chapter Members Enter Projects in the Jr. Market Show
Dayton Wood has been showing livestock projects since back when he was a youth in Jr. FFA. He is now a Senior at Cumby High School and President of the Cumby FFA chapter. During high school, Dayton has earned a State title in Creed Speaking and qualified in a number of categories at the State level during his high school career. He has been accepted at Tarleton University and at Texas Tech, so he will have to make decisions soon about where he will attend college! According to Dayton, “because of my interest in the field of radio broadcast, I plan to major in Agriculture Communication. My scholarship earnings through the Netla sales have helped fund my college plans”. During the Junior Market Livestock Show in Hopkins County, he will be showing a lamb project.
Cumby Senior Bethany Taylor also has a solid history in livestock showing, having started in Jr. FFA when she was in third grade. Bethany has raised almost every specie of animal which you can enter, and has decided she likes raising chickens the best. On Friday February 22, she will have put her pen of three into the judging and hopes her chickens qualify to advance to the Sale of Champions on Saturday. “It is my scholarship earnings that will have helped me be able to attend Tarleton State University in the Fall, and helped me purchase quality animals for the livestock shows each year. My scholarship earnings are also paving the way for me to achieve my goal of becoming a neo-natal nurse. What I’ve learned about keeping livestock healthy has given me an interest in a career in the medical field” stated Bethany during a KSST interview.
Ag Instructor Robert Cowden gets deeply involved with his students especially during the county show. This week, he has been clipping and trimming most of the students’ livestock projects at their home barns. He will also help transport entries to the Civic Center on the day they are entered in the show. “I can’t expect every family to be able to take off work and haul the animals to me, so I go to them. There’s lots of work to do during the week of the County show, but I was helped back when I got started showing, and now I get to help these youth get themselves in a better position to succeed. In FFA, they are learning things they might use in real life, including the students who choose not to attend college after high school”. Mr. Cowden invites everyone to display their interest in the youth by viewing their livestock projects, and by attending the Sale of Champions on Saturday February 23 at 1pm in the arena of the Hopkins County Civic Center. Admission is free.
Easter Egg Hunt Planned in Pacific Park For Everyone; Can You Help?
“EEA OUR YOUTH” 501C3 Non-Profit Organization plans to present an Easter Egg Hunt at Pacific Park on April 13, 2019. Everyone is invited! Bring the kids out for some family fun! 🤗 SAVE THE DATE.
As we stay true to our mission, community activities are vital to the overall success of our youth. Thus, we’re asking for donations of candy filled eggs. Our goal is 1,000 eggs. We’re asking each LOCAL organization and business for 200 eggs. From community members, we ask 20 candy filled eggs. We are also taking donations for Hot Dogs and Buns. We would like to provide Free grilled hot dogs.
HELP US as we provide community activities for the youth!
Please contact Erica Crook for sign up! 903-689-6677
Contact Whitney Roland for pick up/drop off arrangements. 903-348-8725
Any questions please call 972-802-8705.
Thanks for your support!
Lady Cats Remain Unbeaten
The Lady Cats’ softball team remained unbeaten at 6-0 for the season defeating Mineola, 6-2 at Lady Cat Park Monday afternoon (February 18). The Lady Cats used two 3 run innings to get the win.
Bailey Haggerty got the pitching win going 7 innings and allowing 2 runs, both unearned, on 6 hits while striking out 2 and walking 1. Kelsey Wallace led off for the Lady Cats in the bottom of the first inning with a home run, her fourth of the season. Bricklee Driver went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles. Addison Caddell had 2 RBIs, Wallace had 1 RBI and Sadie Stroud had a double and an RBI. The Lady Cats had 9 hits.
The Lady Cats will play in an Allen tournament Thursday through Saturday.
Soccer: Lady Cats Lose in OT, Wildcats Lose to Tigers
Mount Pleasant 2, Lady Cats Soccer 1
The Lady Cats’ soccer team battled Mount Pleasant into overtime Monday night (February 18) at Gerald Prim Stadium before the Lady Tigers got a goal for a 2-1 win. Mount Pleasant’s Kenia Vaquera scored at the 3:50 mark during the second half of overtime. The Lady Tigers scored first in the contest as Karina Navarro scored a goal at 26:52 during the first half. The score remained 1-0 until Lady Cats Haley Robinson scored the tying goal at 7:45 in the second half. The Lady Cats are 0-3 in district play. They play Texas High at home Friday at 7 p.m. at Gerald Prim Stadium.
Mount Pleasant 1 Wildcats Soccer 0
Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton said his Wildcats fought valiantly with Mount Pleasant Monday night (February 18) losing just 1-0 to the Tigers in Mount Pleasant. Coach Upton said his team played very well but just could not get the result they wanted. The Wildcats are now 0-3 in district play. They will travel to Texas High in Texarkana Friday night at 7 p.m.
Three Wildcats Sign to Play College Football
Wildcats Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Greg Owens is announcing (on February 18) that three more of his football players have made commitments to play college football.
Landry Tyson and Austin Dodd, who played both safety and wide receiver for the Wildcats this fall, are committed to Texas A&M-Commerce.
Defensive back and receiver Damiyon Dugan is committed to Hardin- Simmons in Abilene.
On National Signing Day on February 6, Wildcats quarterback D’Corian Young signed with Trinity Valley Community College in Athens and nose tackle Jose Rodriguez signed with Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana.
