Saturday Morning Coach’s Show: Owens Reflects on 32 Wildcat Seniors
Editor’s Note: Coach Owens and KSST Sports Director Don Julian put a wrap on the 2018 Football Season with the Coach’s Show, Saturday, November 24, 9 a.m. on KSST and Suddenlink Cable Channel 18.
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens said the 41-14 bi-district loss to Frisco last Thursday in Frisco left a bad taste in his mouth. He said the Wildcats just didn’t play up to par, similar to the way they finished the season. He credited the Wildcats for playing hard on both sides of the ball. Coach Owens said offensive woes caught up to the Wildcats. (More on this later)
He said the offense had a 17 play drive and a 13 play drive but could not get clicking again and could not make plays when they needed to. Coach Owens said the Wildcats defense did a great job. He said the Wildcats have to score to win. Coach Owens said at the end Frisco began to grind down the Wildcats with their wing T attack adding the Raccoons’ running backs began to run harder. He said he was proud of the Wildcats. Concerning going for a fourth down and 1 play from the Wildcats 29 yard line, Coach Owens said it occurred late in the third quarter with the Wildcats trailing 20-7. He said Frisco was chewing up a lot of the clock on every one of their drives. Coach Owens said it was getting to a desperate time in the game and the Wildcats had to try and maintain possession. Frisco stopped a running play and the ball went over on downs.
Later during a segment talking about his 32 seniors that will air Saturday on KSST Radio and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday Morning Coach’s Show, Coach Owens revealed one of the factors that impacted the Wildcats’ offense late in the season. He said quarterback D’Corian Young played the last four games of the season with a torn ACL.
Saturday Results: Lady Cats Defeat Paris 37-26
Lady Cats Basketball Coach Brittney Tisdell won her Sulphur Springs’ coaching debut Saturday (November 17). The win came over the coach she replaced, Jeff Chapman, now the head girls’ basketball at Paris. The Lady Cats topped Paris, 37-26.
After the game, Coach Tisdell said it was a good game for the Lady Cats but closer than she would have liked. She said Paris really showed up and gave the Lady Cats a really good game. Coach Tisdell thought it made a difference that Paris was playing its’ second game while the Lady Cats were playing their first. She noted the game marked the first time her Lady Cats have seen another opponent in a live game. Coach Tisdell said after the Lady Cats settled down, they did a good job of controlling their nerves before a good crowd. She said some signs she saw that it was a first game included some uncharacteristic turnovers and some rushed shots.
Post Autumn Tanton led the Lady Cats with 14 points and Coach Tisdell said she earned every one of them. She said Tanton got hammered throughout the game and did not get many calls. Coach Tisdell liked the fact that four different Lady Cats hit three-point shots. She said the team moved the ball well and took good shots. She really liked the three from Aliyah Abron coming off he bench. Sadavia Porter, Danielle Godbolt and Te’Arria Rose also hit threes. Rose hit two. Concerning winning against Coach Chapman, Coach Tisdell said a win is a win to her. She said she realizes that the win meant a lot to the Lady Cats. She said she was proud of them. Coach Tisdell was a Paris assistant coach several years ago and she said the Paris players also really wanted to win against her.
The Lady Cats, 1-0 for the season, play at Liberty-Eylau Monday afternoon.
Saltillo Basketball: Lady Lions Host Celeste; Lions Host Liberty Eylau
The Saltillo Lady Lions finished fourth in their Saltillo Varsity Girls Tournament held last Thursday through Saturday (November 15-17). The Lady Lions lost two game Saturday to tough competition in the Gold Bracket of the tournament. The Lady Lions dropped a game to Dodd City, 42-29 and then lost in the bracket consolation final to Quinlan Ford, 51-30. Against Dodd City, Jocelyn Ochoa led the Lady Lions with 7 points. Chandler Bain, Lorena Castro and Anna Reeder all had 6 points. Brittney Peeples scored 3 points and Maddy Smith had 2 points. Against Quinlan Ford, Maddy Smith was the points leader for the Lady Lions with 11. Lorena Castro scored 6 points. Christy Marquez, Jocelyn Ochoa, and Anna Reeder all had 3 points. Paisley Kastner and Brittney Peeples had 2 points each. The Lady Lions won three games out of four in pool play to qualify for the Gold Bracket. They defeated Chisum, CHESS and McLeod and only lost to Bullard. Bullard won the tournament topping Dodd City in overtime, 55-49. The Lady Lions are now 4-5 for the season. They host Celeste at home Monday at 5 p.m.
Meanwhile the Saltillo Lions’ basketball team evened their season record at 1-1 with a 53-36 win over Queen City Friday (November 16). The Lions roared out to an 18-5 first quarter lead and never trailed. Chris Boekhorst led the Lions with 27 points. Ben Moore scored 10 points. Mathew Gurley had 7 points. Edi Olayo had 4 points. Dillon Beadle and Levi Hoover each scored 2 points. The Saltillo Lions JV lost to Queen City, 41-15. The Lions play Liberty-Eylau at home Monday evening at 7 p.m.
Game Day Monday: Wildcats Host Rockwall; Lady Cats at Liberty Eylau
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats’ basketball teams will be in action on this Monday game day (November 19). The games are the teams’ last ones before the Thanksgiving Holiday break.
The Wildcats face another challenge as they will play host to Rockwall, the #2 ranked team in Class 6A according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Poll. The Yellowjackets enter the Monday contest in Wildcats Gym with a 6-1 record. The Wildcats are 2-0 for the season and they are ranked #15 in Class 5A. The Wildcats own two wins over Class 6A teams so far the season. They have defeated Plano East and Rockwall Heath. One Yellowjackets’ player, Samuel Williamson, is committed to Louisville. Action begins Monday with a freshman game at 5 p.m. followed by a JV contest at 6:15 p.m. with the varsity game to follow at around 7:30 p.m. KSST Radio will have all the action of the Wildcats and Rockwall game beginning at around 7:30 p.m. The game will also be videotaped for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
Meanwhile the Lady Cats’ basketball team also faces a stern test. They travel to Texarkana to play Liberty-Eylau Monday. The Lady Cats are 1-0 for the season after winning their season opener at home against Paris, 37-26 Saturday. The Lady Cats JV will play L-E beginning at 1 p.m. The varsity game is scheduled to follow at around 2:15 p.m.
Connally Street Home Heavily Damaged by Fire Early Monday Morning
by Kerry Craig
Flames were visible coming from the side of a three-story home in the 700 block of Connally Street when police and fire units arrived just before 1 a.m. Monday. As firefighters began an interior attack on the fire it was quickly apparent that more help would be needed and Hopkins County Fire Department was called to the scene along with all full-time and part-time Sulphur Springs firefighters to help with the fire on the top two floors of the home. It took firemen some three hours to contain the blaze and begin recovery efforts.
The local American Red Cross Chapter was called to assist the family in finding lodging following the fire. Jay Sanders, Director of Public Safety, said that following investigation by Fire Investigator Aaron Kager the fire was determined to be accidental.
Cumby FFA Placed 7th out of 70 Clubs during Area VI Leadership Development
According to Dayton Wood, President of the Cumby FFA Chapter, the team had already placed 2nd at District earlier this Fall in Radio Broadcast contests, and that placement allowed them to advance to Area competition on November 14, 2018. Using scripts they developed during workshops and working as a broadcast team, they faced down students from 70 other schools to bring home 7th Place. However, they did not fulfill their dream of making it to the State level this year. Wood and his two teammates will graduate in Spring 2019, and feel certain that next year’s team will keep up the momentum for Cumby. Additionally, Wood placed 4th in Senior Creed Speaking at the Area contest, and was proud to bring home that designation to his school’s FFA Chapter. Wood plans to major in Ag Communications when he enters college, and to get experience and training in Radio and TV broadcasting along the way. Meantime, Wood and the Cumby FFA Chapter are preparing for livestock shows and judging competitions in the coming Spring. Congratulations to all the students in the Cumby FFA Chapter!
Lions Club Planning Bigger Brighter Christmas Parade
As the season of giving approaches, the Sulphur Springs Lions are making plans for a bigger and brighter Christmas Light Parade.
The eleventh annual Sulphur Springs Lions Club Lighted Christmas Parade presented by Carriage House Manor will be held in downtown Sulphur Springs on the evening of December 7th at 7:00 PM. As the city lights go out, the parade entries, which are required to be lit up with working Christmas lights, will bring Christmas cheer to those lining the parade route.
This year the Lions will continue their partnership with the Hopkins County Law Enforcement Association and the Sulphur Springs Law Enforcement Association to collect toys for the Blue Santa Program. Blue Santa collects and distributes toys to needy children in Hopkins County. The Help Blue Santa Build His Float project is an effort to collect toys to kick-off the annual Blue Santa Toy Drive. The Hopkins County Law Enforcement Association will have an empty truck in front of the county Courthouse and will enter an empty trailer into the parade. The community is encouraged to bring a toy or a financial gift to the parade to donate to the Blue Santa Program. Donations can be made either on the truck in front of the Courthouse or will be picked up along the parade route and placed on the empty trailer. “We had a great response from the community with our toy drive last year. We are excited to team up with Blue Santa again to help this great program that shares our Lions Club values of helping children in need.” stated Lions Club Parade Committee Chairman Tom Miller.
The Lions Club would like to give a special thanks to Carriage House Manor for being the title sponsor of the parade. Other parade sponsors include, Alliance Bank, City National Bank, Farmers Electric Cooperative, Sulphur Springs Dodge, Farm Country, Brian Toliver Ford, Nortex Tractor, and Jay Hodge Chevrolet.
Entry forms for the Lighted Christmas Parade can be picked up at any sponsor location or at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. The deadline to enter the parade is Tuesday December 4th.
The Sulphur Springs Lions Club meets at noon on Tuesdayat Pizza Inn at 1320 Mockingbird Lane. Lions clubs are a group of men and women who identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs. For more information, or to get involved with the Sulphur SpringsLions Club, visit a club meeting or like them on Facebook.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with nearly 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the Web site at www.lionsclubs.org.
Obscured License Plate Leads to Arrest
Signs of criminal activity were evident to the Texas DPS Trooper when he stopped a 2014 Chrysler 200 on I-30 at the 131 mile marker. Inside the vehicle, the trooper found approximately 19 lbs of marijuana, 2300-grams of THC in e-cig cartridges, and approximately 600-grams of prescription codeine.
The trooper initiated the traffic stop when the vehicle passed his stationary position. The vehicle had an obscured license plate and, during the brief pursuit, cut in after passing another vehicle. During the stop, the trooper observed signs of criminal activity and asked consent to search the vehicle. When consent was not granted, a DPS K9 unit was contacted. The K9 conducted a free air sniff and alerted on the vehicle for narcotics. Multiple bags of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana were found along with the e-cig and suspected liquid codeine.
Bolivar Herrera Cavazos, 29 of Donna, TX was arrested for Possession Penalty Group 2, more than 400-grams; Possession Penalty Group 3 more than 400-grams, and Possession of Marijuana more than 5lbs but less than 50lbs. He bonded out of Hopkins County Jail. His bonds totaled $50,000.
Lady Lions Win Two Friday
The Saltillo Lady Lions record two victories in pool play Friday defeating CHESS, 50-21 and McLeod, 43-39 in overtime. The victories gave the Lady Lions three wins in four games in their Saltillo Varsity Girls Tournament.
The Lady Lions enter Gold Bracket play Saturday with a 4-3 season record. Friday against CHESS, the Lady Lions led only 8-5 after the first quarter but then took charged with big second and third quarters. Anna Reeder led the Lady Lions with 12 points. Jocelyn Ochoa scored 10 points. Chandler Bain added 8 points. Brittney Peeples and Maddy Smith has 6 points each. Paisley Kastner and Kristina Wade scored 4 points each.
The game against McLeod was a real barn-burner ending 33-33 in regulation. The Lady Lions outscored McLeod, 10-6 in overtime. Maddy Smith led the Lady Lions in this one with 10 points. Chandler Bain and Jocelyn Ochoa had 7 points each. Paisley Kastner scored 6 points. Lorena Castro and Anna Reeder added 4 points each. Kristina Wade scored 3 points and Brittney Peeples scored 2 points.
