Lady Cats Have Best Game in Mt Pleasant; Preparing for Greenville
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness said the Lady Cats played probably their best game of the year in a 3-0 district victory at Mt. Pleasant Tuesday night. He said it was a lot like the Lady Cats road win at McKinney North back on August 15.
Coach Maness said the Lady Cats played very good defense at the net not allowing Mt. Pleasant to do much. He said the Lady Cats passing game was on. Coach Maness said he got production from several players at the net. Coach Maness was especially pleased with the Lady Cats serving. He said there were few bad serves and lots of service aces. Coach Maness said they have been working on serving in practice and it showed. He said overall the Lady Cats played with energy and intensity.
Coach Maness said the Lady Cats came out like they knew they needed a win after an 0-2 start in district play. Mieke VanBenthem has a big game at the net. She had 11 kills and 3 blocks. Coach Maness said it was the best she has played all year. He said Anden Hammack adjusted quickly after being moved to setter earlier this season and she had 31 assists Tuesday night.
The Lady Cats play at Greenville Friday. Coach Maness said he thought that the Lady Cats would use a loss to Greenville during a Wills Point tournament in mid-August as motivation Friday.
Texas High Remains Dominant in Team Tennis as Wildcats Lose Tuesday
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad lost to powerful Texas High, 18-1 in a district match Tuesday (September 19) in Texarkana. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez called Texas High an exceptionally good team.
Before the match, he urged his players to have fun and compete. Coach Martinez said his team did that. Wildcats #1 boys player Alex Benitez got the win for the Wildcats, 2-6, 6-4 and 10-5 in a tiebreaker. Coach Martinez said the other Wildcats’ players cheered on Benitez and shared in the win.
Next the Wildcats play a district match with huge playoff implications. They host Mt. Pleasant next Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Wildcat Tennis Complex. Coach Martinez remembered that Mt. Pleasant gave the Wildcats a devastating 10-9 loss in Mt. Pleasant last year. He said as the Wildcats team bus came home from Texarkana Tuesday, it went through Mt. Pleasant and he said he could tell that the players were already looking forward to next week’s match.
Blue Blazes Booster Club Plans Dinner, Auction to Send Girls to NYC in 2018!
Blue Blazes Drill Team Officers: LT. Mattie Caprotta, Captain Natalie Contrera, LT. Mikayla Rogers, LT. Kayla Arneson, LT. Jada Smitherman, not pictured Co-Captain Peyton Virgil
Five of the Sulphur Springs High School Blue Blazes Drill Team officers interviewed at KSST about their upcoming fundraising Dinner and Auction on Saturday September 23, 2017 at 6pm in SSHS Cafeteria. There will be silent and live auctions where you can bid on exciting prizes and experiences. The dinner will be catered by Don Lalos. Blue Blazes will help serve. Tickets are still available this week at $10 each.
The fundraiser is for the trip to NYC planned by the Blazes in January 2018. There are 24 Blazes who plan to take the 2018 trip along with parent sponsors and Blaze Director Christie McCullough. Their itinerary will include a dance class with a professional choreographer, a Broadway show and the exciting sights of the city. Donations of items for the auction are still being accepted through Friday and tickets are still available through Friday September 22, 2017. Also, donations to the 2018 Blaze Trip are welcomed by contacting SSHS.
Meal A Day Needs In Town Drivers
Hopkins County Jail Passed State Jail Standards Inspection Tuesday
Hopkins County Jail passed state standards jail inspection that was conducted Tuesday. Sheriff Lewis Tatum and the jail staff were told at 6:30 p.m. by the inspector that the jail staff had performed exceptionally well this past year. The jail had difficulties in last year’s inspection but, according to Sheriff Tatum the jail was new and the jail administrator was also new. Paperwork was the problem last year. This year all “i’s” were dotted and “t’s” crossed according Tatum.
Tatum stated that the staff had studied and learned all that was needed to comply with paperwork standard’s. With a total of thirty employees working in four shifts, Tatum said there is a huge turnover in the jail. He noted that it is not just the pay. Stress plays a role in the work of the jailer. The sheriff noted that there are not only drug arrests but also murderers, sexual predators, and others who are often counted among the average 145 inmates at the jail. He noted that there have been jailers who suffer panic attacks before arriving at work. He stated that when two jailers walk into a pod of eight inmates with diverse backgrounds, there is the necessity of “presence” for the jailer. The stress plays a role in keeping up with paperwork as well.
Tatum credited the administrator and jail captain for their management of staff and the jail. Commissioners Court has also provided funds that will allow for part-time jailers as needed. The county farm has also added to the work load for jail staff. He pointed out that when jailers take prisoners to the farm it leaves the workforce at the jail shorthanded. Tatum said staying within jail standards and caring for the staff are a top priority.
Jail standards inspectors can drop in at any time, according to Tatum. He stated there is no specific schedule for inspectors. However, he said the jail was ready for this inspection and, for the staff, paperwork and rounds were top priorities. The inspector also praised the upkeep of the jail. Tatum stated that inmates clean their pods and make their beds daily. Maintenance is also a priority.
Lady Cats Add One to District Win Column With Win in Mt. Pleasant
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team broke into the district win column in a big way with a solid 3-0 win over Mt. Pleasant on the road Tuesdayevening. The Lady Cats won 25-13, 25-17 and 25-13.
The Lady Cats had a big night serving as Kaylee Jefferson had four service aces, Autumn Tanton added three and Anden Hammack had one. Mieke VanBenthem was strong at the net with eleven kills. Jefferson and Erika VanBenthem had seven kills apiece, Madi Vickery added six and Tanton had four. Setter Anden Hammack had 31 assists. In blocks, Vickery had four, Mieke VanBenthem had 3, Tanton two and Erika VanBenthem one.
The Lady Cats improved their district record to 1-2. They are now 18-12 for the season. The Lady Cats will be back on the road Friday as they travel to Greenville for a 4:30 p.m. varsity game.
PJC Student Success Earns National Attention and Nomination Invite
The dramatically increased success rate of Paris Junior College students has drawn both state and national attention, including a nomination invitation for a prestigious national award, the PJC Board of Regents heard Monday evening.
One of the Student Achievement Targets set for 2015 through 2020 is the growth in graduation rate, according to the Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Since 2011, PJC’s graduation rate has increased 33 percent.
“Theses targets are required by our accrediting agency and the federal Department of Education,” said PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin. “The targets were chosen by looking at success points PJC is funded through the State of Texas, and IPEDS data such as the graduation rate.”
The regents also approved the 2017 tax rate of .085 per $100 valuation.
“That’s what we promised the voters,” said PJC Board of Regents President Curtis Fendley.
In other business, the Regents:
- Received a report on the final year of the Quality Enhancement Plan that is part of PJC’s accreditation process from Vice President of Student Access and Success Sheila Reece. Seven student outcomes were identified and according to Reece, the QEP was a success overall as performance in each area was significantly increased.
- Heard that fall semester enrollment head count is up 1.77 percent from one year ago. The growth is largely due to an increase in the number of dual credit high school students.
- Adopted the Continuing Education pricing guideline with a modification to change the indirect cost rate.
- Received a report on Texas accountability measures, showing that PJC’s persistent rates are still better than most other colleges in the state.
- Approved the hiring of Lauren Joie as Advisor Talent Search and Kreagan Scott as Upward Bound Coordinator, and the retirements of Associate Degree Nursing Instructor Thomas Bass effective Dec. 15, 2017 and Horology Instructor Frank Poye effective May 11, 2018.
Wildcat Football Coordinators Lament Loss; Look to Whitehouse
Wildcats Offense
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young called the Wildcats offense inconsistent against Paris last Friday night. Still he said he saw some positive things. Coach Young said overall the Wildcats offense was better than previous weeks in terms of level of execution. He said Paris made some plays on defense while the Wildcats did some things that hurt their cause. Coach Young had praise for offensive linemen Norris English, Hayden Daniel and Jesus Olivo. He said the Wildcats got more physical play last Friday from B Backs Logan Caton and Jermond Bryant-Amos. Coach Young said he is stressing finishing to offensive players in practice this week. He said there were some trips into the red zone without touchdowns being scored. There were also some three and out drives. Coach Young said players have to remain focused and practice a lot to be consistent and to improve finishing. Concerning the Whitehouse defense the Wildcats will face this Friday, Coach Young said they are good again this year. He said they have some new players in the back that play around their best defensive player. Coach Young said Whitehouse is active in the defensive line. He said as a group, they run to the ball well He said the Wildcats offense will have a challenge on their hands Friday night.
Wildcats Defense
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Triston Abron said his defense did not play a flawless game against Paris last Friday like he wanted them to. He said there were a lot of mistakes such as missed tackles. Coach Abron said all the mistakes are fixable. However he added when a defense only allows 14 points in regulation they have done something positive. Coach Abron was especially pleased when Paris went to a big lineup on third down and fourth down needing short yardage and the Wildcats big defensive lineup stuffed the plays on both downs. Coach Abron said the Wildcats defense played with great effort. He praised defensive end Calvin Eckert for chasing down Paris runners from behind. Concerning the Whitehouse offense, Coach Abron said they are very explosive. He said they have a quarterback who can deliver passes to receivers who are tall, fast and have good hands. Coach Abron said the Whitehouse offensive line would be the best the Wildcats have faced this season. He said the Wildcats defense must minimize big plays. He said unlike Whitehouse teams of the past, this offense will use a quarterback under center and will sometime deploy two running backs. Coach Abron added Whitehouse had a heck of a running back.
Saltillo Varsity Places 3rd at Arlington Invitational
The Saltillo Lions’ cross country team finished third at the UT Arlington hosted Gerald Richey Invitational at Lynn Creek Park in Arlington Saturday. Individually for the Lions, Walker McGill was 11th, Hendrick Rios was 14th, Branson McGill was 16th, Matt Gurley was 33rd, Trevor Moore was 37th, Lyle Bench was 39th and Dillon Beadle was 54th. Saltillo’s next cross country meet is at Chapel Hill in Mt. Pleasant. Last Thursday, the Saltillo JV won a meet at Miller Grove.
The Lions JV took the first three spots with Garrett Tarver first, Lyle Bench 2nd and Ben Moore 3rd. Other Saltillo JV finishers included Jayden Holloway 18th and Levi Hoover 38th. The Miller Grove JV finished in second place. The Saltillo Junior High finished 6th at the Miller Grove Meet and Coy Collins was their top finisher in fourth place. Other Saltillo Junior High finishers included Gunner Tarver in 6th place, Beckam Hoover 42nd, Andrew Welburn 67th, Antonio Brown 81st, Jacob Sexton 116th, Ridge Johnson 118th, Colby McCoy 133rd and Ethan White 147th.
