Wildcats Face Marshall Friday Afternoon; Seek to Continue District Sweep
Don’t get him wrong. Wildcats Baseball Coach Jerrod Hammack is enjoying being 8-0 in district play after a 6-3 win over Texas High at Eagle Stadium Thursday night. Still he wouldn’t mind if his team won a little easier.
The score was 3-3 going into the bottom of the sixth when the Wildcats scored 3 runs to take a 6-3 lead. Coach Hammack says the win put the Wildcats into the playoffs and he notes that’s always a team first initial goal. He hopes his team can continue to play well and win a district championship. It’s been a while since one of his team’s did that. He says it would be a big deal to be the #1 seed in the district in the playoffs.
Coach Hammack says he knew Texas High would give the Wildcats a good game since the Tigers are fighting for the fourth playoff spot in the district. He says his Wildcats are finding ways to win. The win meant a Wildcats sweep of the Tigers and Coach Hammack says Texas High doesn’t get swept often. The win also kept the Wildcats one game ahead of Hallsville.
Despite the Wildcats district mark, their ten straight wins and overall 14-5-1 season record, Coach Hammack still does not believe his team is hitting on all cylinders. He was happy to see Dawson Draper get a big hit to the wall. Coach Hammack admits he took a chance sending Michael Arnold to the plate on the Draper hit. All worked out well when the Texas High catcher dropped the ball and Arnold scored the leading run.
Coach Hammack says Triston McCormick struggled with control early but battled and was able to finish the game just a few pitches under the maximum pitch count. He says he was pleased that the Wildcats played error-free ball.
The Wildcats will have no time to savor the victory. They have a make up game at Marshall Friday at 2 p.m. Ace Ryan Humphries will pitch for the Wildcats. Coach Hammack notes that Marshall has been a tough place for the Wildcats to play. They last won there in 2010. One good sign. That win seven years ago took place during a day game and the Wildcats and Mavericks will play a day game Friday.
Cumby Trojans Defeats Campbell 11-1
The Cumby Trojans’ baseball team won a league game on the road Tuesday defeating Campbell, 11-1. The game was shortened to five innings due to the ten run rule.
Two pitchers combined for a one-hitter. Ethan Coble, who threw the first four innings, allowed no earned runs and only one hit and got the win. Coble struck out ten. Elmer Rodriguez pitched the final inning earning a save and allowed no runs or hits.
Cumby had eight hits. Rodriguez was 2 for 4 with two doubles, one run scored and one RBI. Braden Coble was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Austin Thomas hit a home run and was 1 for 3 with a run scored and two runs batted in. R.J. Valentine had a double and was 1 for 3 with a run scored and he had three RBI’s. Cole Sprague hit a double and he was 1 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored. Dakota Young was 1 for 3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Cumby also stole four bases.
Lady Cat Softball Senior Night
On Thursday, April 13th, 2017, the Lady Cat softball team honored their three seniors at Lady Cat park. The ceremony was full of memories, inside jokes, and of course, tears, as Kristen Allen, Hannah Crowson, and Jaye Doughtie walked across the field. Below is a slideshow capturing those moments!
Cumby Police Serve Warrant; Find Meth
When Cumby Police served a felony warrant Thursday, they found Jesse Eugene Dafft, 56, lying in bed in the back bedroom of his Park Street residence. In plain view was a pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine.
A probable cause search of the residence revealed a bag containing a crystal like substance located inside a container in the living area and an additional glass pipe.
With Dafft, was Jo Lynn Putman, 53, who also lived at that Park Street residence. She had a glass pipe in her pocket as well.
Ms. Putman was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone and is being held on a $15,000 bond.
Dafft is charged with with Possession of a Controlled Substance more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone (a $15,000 bond) and with Violation of Probation Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
Two Arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance in Drug Free Zone
When walking on a state highway, city street, county road or lane, remember to walk facing traffic. It’s been the law for years. However, those unaware or forgetful may find it leads to an encounter with law enforcement.
Shaquille Oshae Relford, 23, of Como and Tyreek Treyvon Cork, 18, of Sulphur Springs were walking on the wrong side of the street in the 300 block of WA Street in Sulphur Springs around 4:24 p.m. Thursday. A Sulphur Springs Police officer found both to be in possession of a controlled substance and Relford was wanted for violation of a felony probation.
Relford was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3, less than 28-grams in a Drug Free Zone and with Violation of Probation Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. He is being held in Hopkins County jail on a $20,000 bond.
Cork is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3, less than 28-grams in a Drug Free Zone and is being held on a $5,000 bond.
Tira News, April 14, 2017
by Jan Vaughn
Regina Payton is spending a few days visiting her mom, Martha Payton.
Rylan Joslin, son of Landon and Laiken Joslin, celebrated his 5th birthday over the weekend. He enjoyed having a friend over to spend Saturday afternoon and night with him. They roasted hotdogs and had a cookie cake that evening. On Sunday afternoon, Rylan was honored with a birthday party at the Tira Community Center. Several friends and family members gathered to help him celebrate and were treated to Laiken’s delicious carrot cupcakes. The kids had fun playing on the playground.
Elementary students at North Hopkins School enjoyed an Easter egg hunt and class parties on Thursday afternoon, before being released for the 3-day weekend.
FEC (Farmers Electric Cooperative) is hosting a “Hotdog Night” for the North Hopkins Panther fans at the April 18th game between North Hopkins and Cumby. FEC will be cooking hotdogs and handing out drinks and chips, all at no charge. The game begins at 4:30 p.m. Coach Tim Henderson reports, “Fans are encouraged to wear red as we play the biggest game of the year, with the district title on the line.”
Chip Vaughn accompanied Clay Hansford, teacher at Sulphur Springs Middle School, and the Destination Imagination teams to the state competition in Lubbock last weekend. The team Chip helps coach placed 2nd at the state level and will advance to the Global DI finals in Knoxville, Tennessee in May, along with another of the Sulphur Springs teams, which won first place in their category.
I want to wish you all a wonderful Easter and encourage you to attend an Easter church service on Sunday.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Tennis Anyone? CAN-HELP Annual Fundraiser
Shanna Martin, Director at CaNHelp in Sulphur Springs is holding the third annual “Play it Forward” Tennis Tournament as a fundraiser for the myriad community services offered through the local agency. The benefit tournament will take place on Saturday May 6 at the SSHS Tennis complex. All ages can play. It will be set up in a round robin style with doubles play. Registration is $20 per player by April 17, or $25 thereafter. Players need to arrive at the courts by 8:30am. In addition to the tennis action, it will be a great family-friendly outing with concessions, children’s activities and plenty of seating for watching the matches. For information, phone 903-885-9797 or visit www.canhelponline.org or the CaNHelp Thrift store at 613 Gilmer.
Go Native By Mario Villarino
Native plants in the landscape: Go Native
The Hopkins County Go Native initiative is a horticultural educational effort to educate, evaluate and disseminate information in the use of native plants as ornamental components in our landscapes. As part of this project, the Hopkins County Extension Office will seek learning opportunities for Master Gardeners to learn about landscaping with native plants, have selected native plants for sale for the community to evaluate and set up landscape sites using those native plants thru out the year. Special emphasis will be directed to those varieties that might be attractive to landscapes and pollinators (bees, wasps and butterflies) of the genus Calylophus Spp, Coreopsis Spp, Salvia Spp, Sedum Spp, Scutellaria Spp, and Echinacea spp.
Native Vs Weeds
By definition, weeds are plants occurring in areas where are not wanted. Any plant can be a weed depending of its location, the time of the year, use of the land or owner perspective. Introduced or naturally occurring plants both can be weeds. There is a general concept of native plants to be considered as weeds by a group of gardeners. There are other gardeners and landscapers however that will consider native plants as part of their landscape. Like many other issues in gardening, if the gardening like the plant and see it fit in his/her landscape, is not a weed. Native plants once adapted, can become however invasive. I thing this has to do with adaptation to their environment and out competing other plants in the landscape. Because native plants have many years of adaptation advantage over other plants, native plants can take over landscapes. Some natives however, are known to be low maintenance plants because the same adaptive process working towards survival in the landscape.
Know you natives: Salvia “Henry Duelberg”
Common names: ‘Henry Duelberg’ salvia, Duelberg sage, Mealy sage
Botanical names: Salvia farinacea
General information: Texas Superstar plant. A native Texas plant, Salvia farinacea belongs to the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae). The Henry Duelberg Salvia is a variety of the mealy cup or blue sage and is a perennial native plant of South and Central Texas. It’s a Texas Superstar® known for its low maintenance and heat, drought and humidity tolerance. A growing favorite of Texas native plant gardens, plant this gem in the rear of flower beds due to its three foot height and width. It grows thicker and will flower better in fall if cut back in mid-summer. It is a hardy plant up through Zone 7.
Characteristics
Size: 3 feet wide and 3 feet in height at maturity
Flowers: Medium dark blue spike flowers on tall stems; less flowering during height of summer.
Bloom time: Spring through fall
Leaves: Serrated grey-green, medium size leaves
Pests and Disease Problems:
Deer and goat resistant, virtually disease and pest free. Fungal problems may arise when soil remains wet over extended periods of time.
Growing in North Texas
Prefers well drained soil, full sun and is drought tolerant once established. Water regularly until established, then once a week through the height of summer if weekly rainfall is less than one inch. The plant is low maintenance although deadheading spent blooms will help produce more flowers. A general fertilizer in spring and summer will produce more flowers, but this activity is not at all required if soil has good fertility. Maintain two inches of mulch. Cut to ground after first frost and mulch over for winter. The plant will reseed itself after established and seedlings are easily transplanted to other areas in the garden.
Notes:
The Henry Duelberg Salvia was discovered by Texas horticulturist Greg Grant in a Central Texas cemetery on the gravesite of Henry Duelberg. Mr. Grant also discovered and named the white flowered Augusta Duelberg salvia he found nearby on Augusta Duelberg’s gravesite. These two salvias make a pretty pairing when grown next to or mixed together.
Warnings: None
References:
- Texas Agrilife Extension Service; East Texas Gardening (May 2013). http://www.agrilife.org/etg/2013/05/15/salvias-for-texas-tough-summer-color/
- Texas Superstar® http://www.texassuperstar.com/plants/salvia/index.htm/
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
