December 2019

GRIDIRON GURUS: Week 19

4 years ago in Predictions by Brett Voss

PUTTING IT ON THE LINE: COLLEGE BOWL EDITION

With 26 of 40 college football bowl games already played, we move into the home stretch this week with the final 14 games on the College Football Bowl schedule before the National Championship game between top-ranked LSU and undefeated Clemson Jan. 13 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

In addition, we move into the National Football League playoffs this week, featuring four Wildcard matchups.

Join Clifton head coach Chuck Caniford, Meridian head coach Wade Morton, local sports photographer David Harding and The Sports Buzz’ Brett Voss as The Sports Buzz Gridiron Gurus pick their winners for the week’s upcoming college and pro football games.

Be sure to make your picks as well!

SECOND SHOWING: Lady Jackets runner-up in Pink Out Tournament

4 years ago in Girls Basketball by Brett Voss

MERIDIAN – Returning from a 10-day layoff for the Christmas holiday to host the Meridian Pink Out Basketball Classic, the Meridian Lady Jacket rallied to claim second place with a convincing 47-31 victory over Itasca Saturday afternoon at Jacket Gymnasium.

Meridian opened the round-robin tournament with a dominating 69-44 win over Blum last Friday morning. The Lady Jackets (11-8) jumped out to an early 24-15 first quarter lead, then buried the Lady Bobcats by outscoring them, 26-9, going into halftime. Meridian shot 100 percent from the free throw line in the first half, sinking 12 of 12 shots.

Senior Reese Errington scored a game-high 23 points while dishing out four assists for the Lady Jackets, followed by senior Dakota Cassidy with 12 points and five steals, along with senior Jada Crawford with nine points.

“The Lady Jackets had a great first game of the Meridian tournament,” Meridian girls basketball head coach Jill Kendall said. “They all played really well for having been off for 10 days. I was proud of the girls for taking second place in our tournament.”

But a pair of Class 4A squads proved to be too much to handle for the Lady Jackets as Llano edged Meridian, 39-36, last Friday afternoon before Iowa Park – led by former Meridian head coach Giffin Fields – dominated the Lady Jackets, 65-27, Saturday morning.

Junior Norah Lira stepped up to fill in for Cassidy, out with an ankle injury, by scoring a team-high eight points against Ilano, followed by junior Jalen Clifton with seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds, as well as Crawford with seven points and nine boards. Against Iowa Park, Errington scored a team-high 13 points.

But Meridian rebounded to knock off Itasca and close out the tournament on a positive note Saturday afternoon. Meridian built a 16-11 first quarter lead and never trailed the rest of the way as Errington tossed in a game-high 24 points, as Crawford added 14 points while leading the Lady Jackets with 11 rebounds and five assists.

With school still closed on its Winter Break, the Meridian girls travel to Ranger Tuesday for a 1 p.m. before taking on Itasca again at home Friday at 10 a.m.

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

PRETTY IN PINK: Lady Jackets building momentum after holidays

4 years ago in Girls Basketball by Brett Voss

MERIDIAN – Looking to build some momentum after taking a 10-day break for the Christmas holiday, the Meridian Lady Jacket girls basketball team will host the Meridian Pink Out Basketball Classic this Friday-Saturday at Jacket Gymnasium.

The Lady Jackets (9-6) open the tournament with two games Friday, facing Blum at 8:30 a.m. before taking on Llano ay 4 p.m. On Saturday, the Meridian girls will battle Iowa Park at 11 a.m., then close out the girls bracket against Itasca at 6:30 p.m.

Meridian went into the break on a positive note, knocking off Italy, 66-56, in a non-district matchup Dec. 17. The Lady Jackets jumped out to a 19-9 first quarter lead, then held on for the win despite a strong fourth period by the Lady Gladiators.

Senior Dakota Cassidy scored a team-high 23 points, while dishing out four assists and sinking several crucial free throws down the stretch. Senior Jada Crawford turned in a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 deflections, while senior Mallory Paruszewski added six points and 13 rebounds and four steals.

With the win, the Lady Jackets rebounded from a disappointing 65-34 loss to Class 1A’s fourth-ranked Huckabay Dec. 13. Although Huckabay (16-0) built a commanding 44-11 lead before halftime, the Lady Jackets battled back in the second half. But it was too little, too late as senior Jalen Clifton led Meridian with 12 points and four steals, and Crawford pulled down six rebounds, while Cassidy and junior Norah Lira dished out five assists apiece.

“The Lady Jackets did not have a good game against Huckabay,” Meridian girls basketball head coach Jill Kendall said. “The second half was marginally better. But the Lady Jackets bounced back from Friday’s loss to Huckabay with a solid win over Italy.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

CHEMISTRY CHECK: Jackets looking to turn the corner in Classic

4 years ago in Boys Basketball by Brett Voss

MERIDIAN – After taking 10 days off for the Christmas break, the Meridian Yellowjacket boys basketball team hopes to turn the corner as they host the Meridian Pink Out Basketball Classic Friday-Saturday in Jacket Gymnasium.

Before holiday break, Italy used a strong final period to put the Jackets away and secure a convincing 77-50 road victory Dec. 17, handing Meridian its seventh loss in the last eight games. After building a 12-point lead through three quarters, the Gladiators outscored Meridian (5-9), 23-8, in the fourth to run away with the win.

“I really appreciate how well we are moving towards January,” Meridian’s second-year boys basketball head coach Carlos Johansson said. “The boys are discovering new ways on how to work together and seeing the importance of teamwork. Chemistry is still strong and will only get stronger. Only getting better.”

In the Hamilton Tournament Dec. 12-14, the Jackets dropped two of three games, opening with a 66-43 loss to Comanche as senior Zade Kendall scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a losing effort. After battling in the first half Thursday, Comanche outscored the Jackets, 23-8, in the third quarter to pull away for the win.

Meridian rebounded to knock off Bangs, 43-35, Friday. After jumping out to a comfortable 29-14 lead before intermission, the Jackets held off a Bangs second-half rally to secure the victory.

Then on Saturday, Eastland defeated Meridian, 57-47, as senior Matt Rosas led Jackets with 18 points, followed by Kendall with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Eastland used a big second quarter to build a 27-16 halftime lead, but had to escape a strong fourth period effort from Meridian to take the win.

In the Meridian Pink Out Basketball Classic this weekend, the Jackets open the tournament Friday against Blum at 9:45 a.m. before taking on Bosque County arch-rival Valley Mills at 7:45 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Meridian boys face Hamilton at 12:15 p.m. before closing out the tournament against Itasca at 7:45 p.m.

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

HOLIDAY HOOPS: Cubs come out of Christmas break in tourney

4 years ago in Boys Basketball by Brett Voss

TROY – After taking a week off for the Christmas break, the Clifton Cub boys basketball team return to action today in the Troy Christmas Tournament.

Before the holiday, the Cubs (10-2) saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end. Despite holding a 43-40 lead going into the final period, Clifton could not keep its winning streak alive as Class 4A Hillsboro rallied to knock off the Cubs, 58-48, Dec. 20 in the Clifton High School Gymnasium.

The Eagles (15-0) outscored Clifton, 18-5, in the fourth quarter to steal the victory and remain undefeated despite a 25-point effort by Cub senior TJ Ferch. Sophomore Seth Payne added eight points in the loss for Clifton, followed by sophomore Griffin Phillips with five.

But before that on Dec. 17, the Cubs won all four quarters to post a 65-36 home victory over the Troy Trojans in domination fashion.

Clifton took control of the game early, sprinting to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter before adding to its advantage in each of the next three periods. Ferch led the Cubs with 22 points, followed by Payne and Phillips with 15 points apiece.

Photos by DAVID HARDING

HOLIDAY HOSTING: Lady Cubs return to action with annual tournament

4 years ago in Girls Basketball by Brett Voss

CLIFTON – On the heels of seven days off for the Christmas holiday, the Clifton Lady Cubs return to action by hosting their Annual Holiday Tournament today and tomorrow.

Playing in Pool A, Clifton plays Axtell at 10:30 a.m. before taking on McGregor at 4:30 p.m. With Pool B consisting of Bruceville-Eddy, Hamilton and Mart, seedings for Saturday’s championship round will be determined from Friday’s results.

Before the break, the Lady Cubs (1-1 in district, 8-9 overall) rebounded from their District 17-3A opening 46-20 loss against state-ranked and league-leading Whitney to crush Harmony School of Innovation, 68-25 last Friday.

“We had everyone on the court contributing offensively and defensively,” Clifton girls basketball head coach Whitney Holdbrook said. “The game was a great team effort.

“This year, I believe district will be another fight to the finish. I believe we have strong senior leadership that will be our strong point this season.”

Despite a solid defensive effort against Whitney (2-0, 17-2), the Lady Cubs could never get their offensive attack on track, hitting on only nine of 42 shots from the field. Senior Josephine Burke led Clifton with 10 and nine rebounds while senior Sutton Finney came up with six steals.

“The girls gave a great defensive effort against Whitney,” Holdbrook said. “We struggled to get shots to fall late in the game. Offensively, we still have areas to improve, but I fully believe the girls will get there with the effort they are putting in at practices.”

Photos by DAVID HARDING & SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

TOP OF THE CLASS: Clifton's Ferch named to AP All-State first team

4 years ago in Football by Brett Voss

DALLAS – After playing a key role to developing a dangerous passing game in Clifton over the last three seasons, Cub senior wide receiver TJ Ferch was named to the Associated Press Class 3A All-State first-team last week.

As Clifton won its third straight District 8-3A, Division II title, Ferch caught 78 passes for 1,341 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 111.8 yards receiving per game and 17.2 yards per catch.

“This is a well-deserved honor for TJ,” Clifton football head coach Chuck Caniford said. “He had an outstanding year and could have been selected on either side of the ball. It’s a testament to how hard he worked, and I think what is most impressive is that everyone we played built their defensive plan around stopping him, yet he was still able to make plays in every game.”

As a three-year starter for Clifton, Ferch finished his high school career with 159 catches for 2,508 yards and 30 touchdowns. During that period, the Cubs posted a 27-8 win-loss record overall, 12-1 in district and won three consecutive district titles.

“He has grown so much and I am extremely proud of him for the player and the young man that he has become,” Caniford said. “The exciting thing with TJ is that I think his best football is still ahead of him. I can’t wait to see what he does at the next level.”

The only other Class 3A player in the Heart of Texas region to make the Associated Press first-team was Grandview junior quarterback / defensive back Dane Jentsch, who led the Zebras to their second straight Class 3A, Division I state championship last week and made both the offensive and defensive first-teams.

As a quarterback, Jentsch was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year after completing 141 of 213 passes for 2,438 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 567 yards and six scores. Defensively, Jentsch collected 111 tackles and three interceptions.

Class 3A honorable mention selections were Grandview receiver Austin Boyd, Grandview defensive lineman Dametrious Crownover, Grandview linebackers Antonio Arellano and Michael Lehnhardt, as well as Dublin linebacker Kevin Cervantes.

In Class 2A, Bruceville-Eddy senior running back Nathan Quattlebaum made the first-team by rushing for 2,395 yards and 26 touchdowns. DeLeon senior defensive back Jorge Gonzales was selected to the second-team, while Mart running back Roddrell Freeman drew honorable mention.

Photos by DAVID HARDING & SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

GRIDIRON GURUS: Week 18

4 years ago in Predictions by Brett Voss

PUTTING IT ON THE LINE: COLLEGE BOWL EDITION

Featuring a whopping 40 games this season, the College Football Bowl schedule moves into its second week with 15 bowl games on tap, including the College Football Playoff semifinal matchups featuring No. 2 Ohio State facing No. 3 Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl while top-ranked LSU takes on No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl.

Wrapping up the regular season this week, the Dallas Cowboys will host the Washington Redskins in hopes of claiming an NFL playoff berth with a loss by the Philadelphia Eagles at the New York Giants.

Join Clifton head coach Chuck Caniford, Meridian head coach Wade Morton, local sports photographer David Harding and The Sports Buzz’ Brett Voss as The Sports Buzz Gridiron Gurus pick their winners for the week’s upcoming college and pro football games.

Be sure to make your picks as well!

YOUTHFUL PROMISE: Lady Cubs draw All-District 17-3A accolades

4 years ago in Volleyball by Brett Voss

CLIFTON – Despite playing in the tough District 17-3A boasting three state-ranked teams throughout the season, the young Clifton Lady Cub volleyball team made their presence known. And when season accolades were handed out, the Lady Cubs were recognized for their efforts.

Sophomore Ava Anderson led the way by being named to the All-District 17-3A First Team, followed by senior Audrey Anderson making the second-team, while senior Josephine Burke and junior Bailey Ledbetter earned Honorable Mention recognition.

“Looking back on the season, I was very proud and impressed with the way we played throughout the season,” Clifton volleyball’s first-year head coach Paige Poth said. “I thought it was a great building year and the girls put down a good foundation for the future. We competed every single game, and they should be proud of what they did this year.”

The Lady Cubs were honored for their efforts in the classroom as well with sophomore Kynli Bearden, sophomore Karyme Fuentes, freshman Carley Caniford, freshman Camryn Caniford, freshman Elizabeth Scott, Audrey Anderson, Burke and Ledbetter received Academic All District honors.

Armed with only two seniors and a host of talented underclassmen, the Lady Cubs did not realize their dream of making the Class 3A, Division II playoffs for the first time in years this season. But under the guidance of Poth, the Lady Cubs have laid the foundation for the future.

“I am excited for what the future holds,” Poth said. “We have a great group of kids coming in next year and I think they will do great things for us as we continue to grow as a program. We continue to grow and build while in the off season. The girls are working hard, and working towards goals, and I am ready to see all of it come together next season.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

TROPHY TRADITION: Morgan boys win historic McGehee tourney title

4 years ago in Boys Basketball by Brett Voss

MORGAN – Playing host to the 62nd Annual R.W. McGehee Memorial Basketball Tournament, the Morgan Eagles boys rose to the occasion to capture the championship trophy with resounding 82-70 victory over the Evant Elks Saturday, Dec. 14.

“It’s really awesome to win this tournament,” Morgan boys basketball head coach Jeff Harrison said. “This is a huge tradition around here for our community. We knew coming in we had a chance to win it. To do that and see everyone so exciting was really amazing.”

Morgan (9-3) opened the tournament with a 55-47 win over Penelope Thursday before the Eagles soared past Bosque County rival Cranfills Gap, 72-63 Friday. Gustine claimed third place with a 57-50 victory over Cranfills Gap Saturday, while Abbott captured the consolation title with a 44-22 win over Oglesby.

In the Girls bracket, Abbott clipped the Morgan Lady Eagles, 68-32 in the championship game to claim the tournament title. Walnut Springs knocked off Cranfills Gap, 47-40, to take third place, while Oglesby claimed the consolation title with a 31-28 win over Evant.

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This

Share This