Monthly archive

February 2024

OFF TO SOLID START

3 months ago in Baseball

Getting off to best start since 2019, Clifton Cubs baseball hopes to combine experience and youth for Class 3A playoff run

By winning five of their first six games in the 2024 Texas high school baseball season, the Clifton Cubs only needed two weeks to surpass their entire win total from last season. And in the process, Clifton’s mix of returning experience and young newcomers took the first step of returning the Cubs baseball program to its winning ways.

“Well, getting off to a good start and winning some games early has given our players confidence and a belief that this season is going to be different,” Clifton’s veteran baseball head coach Brian Slater said. “They have worked extremely hard at practice. And it is exciting to see their work paying off at this point and rewarding this group with some early success.

“We have three returning varsity starters and four varsity lettermen back, so we are a bit inexperienced at the varsity level. But we expect to compete for one of the four playoff spots.  Our district is very good as usual, and we are going to have to continue to improve and get better if we are going to earn one of those spots.”

By opening the season with an impressive 13-2 victory over Santo Feb. 20, the Cubs combined solid pitching with timely hitting for the run-rule victory at home. Senior Clay Kennedy and sophomore Judd New combined to toss a three-hitter while striking out nine in five innings, while freshman Cash Carpenter went two-for four at the plate to knock in three runs.

Helping his own cause at the plate, Kennedy went two-for-three with two runs scored while New and senior Ervin Rodriguez scored three runs apiece.

“It’s always fun to start off the season with a win,” Slater said. “Clay Kennedy and Judd New combined to pitch a great game. And like typical first games, our offense was a little slow to get going. But as the game went on, our bats heated up, and we were able to end the game early with a run rule victory.”

Carrying the momentum of the season-opening win into the Axtell Tournament Feb. 22-24, the Cubs won three of four games over the weekend, edging McGregor, 7-6, and falling to the Waxahachie JV, 6-1, on Thursday, bouncing back to slip past Florence, 7-6, Friday, before closing out the tourney with a solid 6-3 victory over Axtell Saturday.

In the opener against McGregor, freshman Jackson Ritz knocked in two runs with a triple in the bottom of the fifth to give Clifton the walk-off win after Carpenter provided two innings of no-hit relief in the mound to give the Cubs a chance for the late rally.

Against Florence Friday, Clifton posted another walk-off victory with a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh as junior Hunter Weir singled in the winning run. Kennedy pitched three strong innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two to earn the win on the mound.

In the tourney finale against Axtell, the Cubs flipped the script by jumping out to an early lead with a three-run first inning while New shut down the Longhorns on the mound by tossing 5.1 innings, allowing two hits and an earned run while striking out four. Leading the way at the plate, Carpenter, Kennedy and Ritz collected two hits apiece while Rodriguez knock in two runs.

“We had two walk-off victories against McGregor and Florence where we were down going into the last inning,” Slater said. “Just finding ways to win those types of close games when you’re trailing just keeps giving you confidence. It makes you understand you always have a chance until the last out is made. The hope is in the future when we are in that situation again, they can look back at that experience and use it to help us close out more of those close games later on.

“The biggest difference up to this point has been our offense. We have been able to score more runs by limiting our strikeouts and getting contributions from everyone in the lineup. We’re not just relying on a few guys to get the job done.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWN TO THE FINAL BUZZER

3 months ago in Boys Basketball

Playing their best basketball at the right time, Clifton Cubs use a fourth quarter comeback to knock off Mildred in Class 3A Bi-District playoff before coming up short against 14th-ranked Franklin in Area

After restoring their momentum going into the Class 3A boys basketball postseason tournament and playing their best basketball at the right time, the Clifton Cubs accomplished a rare feat. For the second time in three seasons, the Cubs won a playoff game after going through a 20-year drought.

Riding a dramatic come-from-behind, fourth quarter comeback, the Cubs soared past the Mildred Eagles, 58-50, in a Bi-District playoff showdown last Tuesday night at Italy High School.

“It was great,” Clifton boys basketball head coach Tom Daniel said. “Our kids were real excited, and so was I. We haven’t had a whole lot of playoff wins in the last 20 years, but that’s the second one we’ve gotten in the last three years. And I hope we can get some more next season.”

Senior Jacob Wells nailed four shots from three-point range on his way to a game-high 16 points, followed by senior Andres Devora and juniors Jonah Payne and Diego Rodriguez with eight each, as well as junior Joaquin De La Hoya with seven after hitting five of six at the free throw line during the fourth quarter.

Mildred (21-9) jumped out to a surprising 12-4 lead in the first period before the Cubs held their own in the second to take an eight-point deficit into halftime. Despite a hard-fought battle in the third, the Cubs were only able to trim a single point off the Mildred lead before outscoring the Eagles, 23-8, in the final period for the dramatic come-from-behind win.

“We got off to kind of a slow start, but we kept fighting,” Daniel said. “We got back in it, and then they went on a little run to put us back in the hole. But we responded with a 13-0 run to flip it around. We were down by seven going into the fourth quarter, and we turned it into a six-point lead.”

Finding themselves in a similar situation in the Area Playoff at China Spring High School last Friday night, the Cubs could not produce enough magic late to pull out the win as the 14-ranked Franklin Lions held on late to secure a 57-51 victory.

Trailing Franklin from the opening tipoff, the Cubs went on an 11-0 run late the third quarter, and Wells sank a three just a minute into the fourth to give Clifton its first lead of the game, 44-43. But Franklin promptly embarked on an 8-0 run of its own to quickly put the Cubs back in hole they could not climb out of this time.

“Once again, the kids played so hard and gave us opportunities to get the job done,” Daniel said. “We took the lead early in the fourth quarter when Jacob hit a three to give us a one-point lead. But Franklin’s a good team. They bounced right back and went on a little run themselves. And that became a little bit too much to overcome.”

Hitting five three-pointers, Wells led Clifton (22-13) with 17 points in his final high school game, followed by Devora with 11 points three from three-point range, junior Tristan Hammonds with eight and junior Ray Ochoa with six.

“They have some good athletes, and they attack the rim hard,” Daniel said. “It hurt us when Maddox got hurt a minute into the game, and he affects a lot of shots around the rim. The other guys did the best they could, but it’s hard to replace 6-4 in the paint. But they did everything they could. We were still in it in the fourth quarter, so I was really proud of the way they competed.”

In a wild finish to the regular season, the Cubs used a little luck and a timely win to get their postseason hopes back on track. Despite coming up short of claiming the District 17-3A title, the Cubs shook off a three-game losing streak to close out the regular season by knocking off the Grandview Zebras, 74-59, in a second place tiebreaker showdown in Keene. And with the resounding win, Clifton recaptured some momentum heading into their second playoff appearance in the last three seasons.

Senior Jacob Wells drained six shots from three-point range on his way to a game-high 22 points as the Cubs jumped out to a 45-31 lead going into halftime and never looked back to avenge Clifton’s 55-44 loss on the road at Grandview to set up the three-way tie for second place in District 17-3A. Juniors Jonah Payne, Ray Ochoa and Maddox Hinojosa tossed in 10 points apiece while senior Andres Devora add nine more.

“We scored 45 points in the first half, so we were clicking on all cylinders offensively, for sure,” Clifton boys basketball head coach Tom Daniel said. “We played the same team on Tuesday and only scored 44 points the whole game. It worked out great for us. It was nice to only have to play the one game. And it was good to play the way we did to gain some of that confidence back that we had built up all season.”

After losing three straight road games to the top three teams – Keene, Grandview and Maypearl – in District 17-3A to finish in a three-way tie for second place, Clifton won the coin flip to earn a bye as Grandview defeated Maypearl, 50-44, in the first of two tiebreaker showdowns in Keene to set up the rubber match.

“That was a tough stretch right there, but the guys responded well,” Daniel said. “Then we dominated in that second place game. I felt like we were the team, at that point, that was playing the best basketball.”

The Cubs went into the final regular season stretch of three straight road games having won eight of their last nine games and tied for first place with Keene. But Clifton struggled to put together a complete game on the road, losing at Maypearl, 74-64, Feb. 6, falling for the second time this season at Keene, 46-42, Feb. 9 and coming up short against Grandview.

“We didn’t play terrible in those games,” Daniel said. “They were tough places to go play. Against Maypearl, they hit a bunch of shots about us. Against Keene, we didn’t get off to a very good start, but we played well down the stretch. Then against Grandview the other night, just the same sort of deal with a slow start. I think we were better for it in the playoffs.

“I was very pleased with how we played throughout most of the year. We had a couple of hiccups, but I feel like we were able to learn from them. We won 22 games this year, which was a big improvement from the previous season. I feel like we can build on this too. We have a lot of guys coming back for next year, and I’m already getting excited for next season.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

POWERLIFTING TO REGIONAL

3 months ago in Powerlifting

Advancing to the regional powerlifting championships, Ramirez represents lone Meridian Lady Jacket to qualify, while three Meridian boys advance one step from state

After the Meridian boys and girls powerlifting teams improved throughout the season by setting new personal records meet after meet, the Lady Jackets will be represented by Raechel Ramirez at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association’s Class 2A/1A Region 2 Championships Feb. 24 in Bosqueville, while the Meridian boys will be represented by Cesar Ramos, Zach Smith and John Wyatt at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association’s Division 4 Region 2 Championships March 9 in West.

“The group I have this year is absolutely amazing,” Meridian powerlifting head coach Chaz Spivey said. “We came in with some veterans that knew the field and functioned very well. We also came in with many that had not been in powerlifting at all. And yet, they managed to progress in the weight room tremendously. I could not have truly predicted how much growth we would see this year across the board.”

After the highlight of the regular season when Meridian hosted the Yellowjacket Invitational Feb. 10, Ramirez earned a trip to regional in the 165-pouind weight class with a total lift weight of 725 pounds, combining a squat of 295, a bench press of 115, and a dead lift of 315.

“Raechel has made amazing strides this year,” Spivey said. “She will go a long way, I am sure of it.”

With the boys getting an extra week of work before regional qualifiers were announced, Ramos and Smith advanced in the 114-pound weight class, while Wyatt qualified in the 198-pound weight class.

“We rolled into the season strong and ready,” Spivey said. “Every one of our athletes came into powerlifting with big goals. The even greater thing is that we managed to surpass many of those goals. That has truly been the greatest thing to see this year. Watching these young men and women strive for better at every turn. We have not seen any stop in the progress, which we all hope continues for more than just powerlifting.”

At the Yellowjacket Invitational boys division, Wyatt won the 198-pound weight class with a total weight of 1,120 pounds, Bradly Perry took the silver medal in the 220-pound class with a total weight of 975 pounds, and Austin Pogue claimed the bronze in the 165-pound class with a total weight of 1,035 as the Jackets finished third place as a team behind champion Troy and runnerup Whitney.

In the girls division, Ramirez proved to be Meridian’s only medalist with a second place finish in the 165-pound class, while Brianna Rosales finished fourth in the 148-pound class with a total weight of 515 pounds.

“It’s incredibly hard to pick any one performance over another,” Spivey said. “Each and every one of our lifters made sure we represented Meridian in the best ways. We had many PRs, a very great system of support within and outside of our team, and very good attitudes towards our lifts. It is so easy to get caught up in the stress. Yet, our lifters do a fantastic job of pushing that stress to the side and taking care of business.”

While powerlifting can play a role in improving performance in all athletic programs, Spivey believes it’s much more.

“Powerlifting is one of those programs that teaches many things,” Spivey said. “Arguably, one of the most important things it teaches is confidence. Some go a long time without realizing how strong they are and can be. An athlete can find themselves fighting with a lower weight lifts for a while.

“Powerlifting is simply a grind that teaches that with patience and dedication you can surpass those previous numbers. Then once you do, it breaks down those mental walls that told you “I cannot get that lift.” Once that doubt is broken, all you want is more weight, and you know all you have to do is work for it. You can’t buy that kind of confidence.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

STRONG FINISH, OUSTED EARLY

3 months ago in Boys Basketball

After earning final District 20-1A playoff berth down the stretch, Meridian Yellowjackets fall to eighth-ranked Gordon Longhorns in Bi-District playoff

After winning three of their last four regular season games to earn their second straight trip to the Class 1A state playoffs, the 2023-24 Texas high school boys basketball season came to a quick and abrupt end the Meridian Yellowjackets.

Going into the postseason tournament as District 20-1A’s fourth place team, the Jackets found themselves formidably matched up against the District 19-1A champion and eighth-ranked Gordon Longhorns. As a result, the Longhorns (26-8) stampeded to an impressive 85-37 Bi-District playoff win Monday night at Dublin High School to eliminate Meridian on their way to the Class 1A Final Four Tournament.

But the playoff loss takes nothing away from what the Jackets (6-6 in district, 15-12 overall) accomplished at the end of this season by snapping a three-game losing streak to win three straight down to the stretch to clinch back-to-back trips to the postseason behind district champion Morgan (12-0, 23-1), runner-up Covington (8-4, 18-13) and third place Walnut Springs (8-4, 13-7).

After snapping the three-game skid with a 70-57 road victory over Kopperl (0-12, 8-16) Jan. 30, the Jackets moved into position to clinch a playoff spot with a solid 66-56 home victory over Iredell Feb 6. Meridian took control of the game early by building a 39-12 lead going into halftime. But Iredell (4-7, 9-15) came out strong in the second half before the Jackets put the game away.

Junior Matty Jones led Meridian with 22 points, five rebounds, four steals, three deflections and three assists, followed by junior Jesus Martinez with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman Josh Nunez tossed in 11 points.

“This was a big win for us in terms of getting into the playoffs,” Meridian boys basketball head coach Grant Schur said. “It really was a must-win situation for us. I was really pleased with the way we came out in the first half. We were able to jump on them early like we did the first time against them. But this time, we managed to not melt down in the second quarter and build up a 27-point lead at halftime.

“I was a little disappointed in how we came out after halftime. I know it is part of being young and inexperienced, but we have to do a better job of putting games away when you have a chance to do it. We let them climb back into it way more than we should have. But I was extremely proud of the way we finished the last two minutes of the game. Our style of play is really fast-paced. But we did a very good job of flipping the switch and controlling the ball and time of possession the last two minutes to end the game.”

While freshman Guillermo Ortiz contributed two blocks, dished out six assists and came up with five steals, sophomore Noah Smith scored six points, while collecting four steals, three deflections and three rebounds.

“Jesus Martinez had a really big first half scoring 14 points, and he also did a great job rebounding,” Schur said. “He really showed his leadership in a big game like it was. Matty Jones also had a big impact for us, it was really nice to see him get going again like that. Guillermo Ortiz is playing really well for us right now, and he is really setting the tone for us defensively. I am really happy about how he has come on as the season has progressed.”

Needing a win to clinch a playoff berth before taking on undefeated district champion Morgan (12-0, 23-1) in the regular season finale, the Jackets used another fast start to take a commanding first half lead before holding off the Blum Bobcats, 68-62, at home Feb. 9.

“It was a really big win for us,” Schur said. “I am proud of the way our guys responded with our backs against the wall to clinch a playoff spot. We got off to a good first half much like we did against Iredell and went into halftime up 16. But we have to start doing a better job of finishing teams when we are up. We really just held on in the second half against Iredell and Blum to win instead of hammering down and finishing the job.

“Blum did a really good job of responding in the second half to being down though, really especially in the fourth quarter. Both of those games are learning experiences that hopefully we can grow from in the future. Yes, we still won, but when you have teams down, you have to go finish it.”

Against Blum (3-8, 3-21), Nunez led the Jackets with a season-high 34 points and seven rebounds, followed by Ortiz with 15 points and six steals, along with sophomore Garrett Pope with 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals.

“I was really proud of the way Josh Nunez played in a big game,” Schur said. “He was really impressive, especially for a freshman. Guillermo Ortiz is another freshman that also played really well, and Garrett Pope also had a good game. We were pretty short-handed Friday, so we needed those guys to step up, and they did a great job.

“This year, we have definitely left some wins out there that we shouldn’t have,” Schur said. “But I am very happy with where we are at finishing the year, and then not graduating anyone going into next year. I feel like the future of Meridian basketball is very bright.”

Photos by WENDY OROZCO

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RISING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

3 months ago in Girls Basketball

After sharing the District 20-1A title with defending champion Blum, Meridian Lady Jackets win Bi-District playoff over Lingleville, fall to Richland Springs in Area

After advancing to the Class 1A postseason for the second straight season by sharing the District 20-1A title with the defending champion Blum Lady Bobcats, the Meridian Lady Jackets took with one step further with an impressive 31-24 Bi-District playoff victory over the Lingleville Lady Cardinals last Tuesday.

Despite trailing 12-5 going into halftime, Meridian outscored Lingleville, 14-4, in the third period before putting the win away in the fourth as junior Journey Stauffer led the Lady Jackets with nine points, followed by Mariana Paniagua with eight as well as seniors Canyon Stauffer and Eve Dirkse with six apiece.

“With us drawing Lingleville, we felt like we had an edge seeing as how we had already played them in the Santo tournament,” Meridian girls basketball first-year head coach Adan Reyes said. “So we were aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and we also knew what we did right and what we did wrong against them.

“They are a scrappy team that’s going to hit you with everything they got. We didn’t play well offensively in the first half. Luckily for us, on the defensive side we were able to hold them at bay to only a seven-point lead. In the second half, we knew we were going to have to speed the game up. So,we just got into our press and were able to get some quick buckets and build a lead closing the third. In the fourth, we were able to continue building onto the lead and finally giving ourselves some breathing room.”

But in the Area Playoff matchup last Friday in Hamilton, Meridian met its match as the seventh-ranked Richland Springs Lady Coyotes (29-6) ran away with a convincing 36-18 win.

“Richland Springs is a program that is rich in tradition of success and winning,” Reyes said. “They’ve been playing great basketball all year and are hungry to make a deep playoff run.

“Being co-district champs and winning the bi-district playoff game is definitely a stepping stone heading into next year’s realignment as we make the transition into 2A. It gives us some reassurance that we can play with the good ones as there is sure to be rough patches early on in the new classification and district.”

In the regular season finale against Iredell, the Lady Jackets (11-1 in district, 16-17 overall) clinched a share of the District 20-1A title with a solid 47-37 home victory over the Iredell Lady Dragons. Canyon Stauffer led Meridian with 12 points, followed by Dyna Potter with 10 along with Paniagua and Journey Stauffer with nine each.

“Iredell came out strong and determined to get the win,” Reyes said. “We just stuck to what we do well and played good team defense and were able to keep them at bay on the defensive side. On the offensive side, we struggled a bit, missing opportunities to go ahead and put them away until the fourth quarter.”

With the win over Iredell (7-5, 14-10), the Lady Jackets moved on to a postseason-seeding tiebreaker against co-district champion Blum (11-1, 15-6) and came up short, 39-32, led by Journey Stauffer with 11 points.

“Going into the tiebreaker game with Blum, we knew it was going to be a fight amongst the heavyweights,” Reyes said. “We made a few adjustments, and we executed them well. Blum did a great job of making adjustments. But in the end, our kryptonite of struggling from the free throw line caused us to come up short.

“At the start of the season, our goal was to finish at least in second place. We just wanted to keep it realistic. And being my first year as head coach, to come in and start talking about winning a district championship is something drastic. So, we decided to go for something we felt was realistic, which again was finishing second.

“Finishing as co-champs is always great. But I think that winning it this year is even more important because it plays an important role as we make the transition into 2A next year.”

Photos by WENDY OROZCO

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRE

3 months ago in Girls Basketball

After earning first Class 3A playoff berth since 2013 with win-and-in tiebreaker, Clifton Lady Cubs drop Bi-District playoff in fourth to 17th-ranked Malakoff Lady Tigers

While it might not have resulted in the playoff victory they desired, the Clifton Lady Cubs walked off the court knowing they had played their best games when they counted the most to wrap up the 2023-24 Texas high school girls basketball season last week.

After struggling down the stretch to fall into a fourth place tie with the Keene Lady Chargers for the final District 17-3A playoff berth, the Lady Cubs earned their first trip to the Class 3A state playoffs since 2013 with a dramatic 43-42 tiebreaker victory Feb. 10 as sophomore Avary Woosley led Clifton with 12 points while senior Laylah Gaona tossed in 10.

Going into the win-and-in tiebreaker, the Lady Cubs had lost four of their last five games, including a disappointing 54-­30 road loss to Maypearl in the regular season finale Feb. 6.

“The team did a great job of responding after the tough loss in Maypearl on Tuesday, and preparing for the play-in game versus Keene,” Clifton girls basketball first-year head coach Mario Villalpando said. We had a tough second round of district, but the team played one of their best basketball games when they needed to. They did not let the pressure of a must win game affect the way they played.”

In the tiebreaker against Keene, senior Reagan Thomas led the Lady Cubs with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals, while senior Kate Humphreys tossed in nine points and pulled down five rebounds.

“Winning a game like that is a great way to head into the playoffs for the first time since 2013,” Villalpando said. “It is going to be a quick turnaround for the Bi-District matchup versus Malakoff. We have played some tough teams both in non-district and district that have prepared the team for this matchup.”

Riding their season-saving momentum, the Lady Cubs (18-15) gave the 17th-ranked Malakoff Lady Tigers (31-3) all they could handle in the Class 3A Bi-District playoff game Feb. 12 in Hubbard. Although the Lady Cubs took a 47-46 lead with 5:52 left in the game, the Lady Tigers (31-3) escaped with a hard-fought 53-50 victory over Clifton.

In the loss to Malakoff, senior Meagan Henderson led the Lady Cubs with 17 points and four rebounds, followed by Thomas with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

“I can say that the last two games of the season were two of the most complete games that we played of the season,” Villalpando said. “There are no easy matchups when you get into the playoffs, and I was proud of how the team accepted the challenge of facing one of the top ranked teams. This team is a resilient group. They battled back from being down double digits at halftime to taking a two point lead late in the fourth quarter.

“Even with this being my first year as the head coach here, I have been able to watch all these girls play basketball ever since they started in middle school. I have witnessed all of the hard work that they have put in to reach the goal of reaching the playoffs. There were plenty of times this season, and previous seasons where it would have been easy for these girls to give up, but they were all determined and dedicated to accomplishing this goal.

“So for them to be able to accomplish that goal and experience what it was like to be a playoff team was special. I would like to thank the community for their support the entire season, and most importantly on Monday night. The playoff environment was something that our girls had never experienced and the crowd was a true playoff crowd that the team deserved.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

GRIDIRON GURUS: SUPER BOWL LVIII

3 months ago in Predictions

Putting It On The Line: On the road to Super Bowl LVIII, defending champ Kansas City Chiefs hope to solidify dynasty by going back-to-back with win over San Francisco

Making their four appearance in the Super Bowl in the last five season, the NFL’s defending champion Kansas City Chiefs look to establish themselves as the newest dynasty by going back-to-back with a victory over the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

By winning their third title in five years, the Chiefs would place themselves among the elite teams in NFL history behind the seven-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, and along side dynasties like the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s.

This season, THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel welcomes newcomer Ed Rieser, owner of the Corner Drug Café and Screen Door Inn in Clifton, while Jeff Boutwell, a Recreation Business Line Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Toney Rogers, an assistant band director and entertainment promoter, Don Nicholas, Field Representative for U.S. Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), and The Sports Buzz’ Brett Voss return from last year.

New to the pick’ems panel this season, Rieser was born and raised just west of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in Beaver Falls, and proudly claims to be an avid Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirate and Penguin fan. A graduate of St Edward’s University (BA) and Oklahoma City University (MBA), Rieser retired from the U.S. Department of Treasury with 33 years of government service.

Owner of the Brooks Building in Clifton along with his wife Phyllis and daughter Nikkolina, they own and operate the Corner Drug Café and Screen Door Inn. Rieser also serves as a member of the Cranfills Gap Independent School District School Board, a member of the Cranfills Gap Chamber of Commerce, the President of the Board of Trustees of the Bosque Museum, and member of the Clifton Economic Development Corporation board of trustees.

Back for a second season, Boutwell is a longtime “resident” of Laguna Park and an unapologetic Aggie. Born and raised in Cameron, Boutwell played on Cameron’s 3A State Football Championship team before graduating in the Class of 86 at Texas A&M where he was a member of Company S-2 of the Corps of Cadets. Boutwell also played Aggie football as a member of the famous 12th Man Kickoff Team from 1984-86 as a part of two Southwest Conference Championship teams, playing in the 1986 Cotton Bowl against Auburn and Bo Jackson, as well as the 1987 Cotton Bowl against Ohio State with Chris Carter and Chris Spielman.

Boutwell has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since 1986 where he started his career as a Park Ranger at Lake Whitney, and he has also served overseas supporting the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2007 and 2009 and again in Afghanistan in 2011. During the Texas high school football season, Boutwell works as a crew chief in the Waco Chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Official, so he will not be selecting high school games due to a conflict of interest.

Rogers, owner at Daddy T Entertainment and entertainment agent at Netex Productions, returns to the pick’ems panel for this third season and currently serves as the Meridian High School assistant band director. He has also served as an announcer for various high school to professional sporting events for several years, such as being the Voice of Crawford Lady Pirate Softball and announcing for UBU Bodybuilding Expos, while serving as Marketing Director for the Waco Tornado indoor football team and Marketing Director for North Texas Falcons Pro Football Team.

In addition to being involved in the entertainment industry for more than 40 years as a professional musician and a booking agent, Rogers has also been involved in several community organizations such as Clifton Park Board President, Legacy Park Board, Entertainment Director for Fallfest, CISD Advisory Board and a member of Lions Club.

Entering his fourth season on the THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel, Nicholas grew up in North Dakota in the north central part of the state about 20 miles from the Canadian border, attended high school in a small town of about 175 people, played football, ran track and was very active in FFA before graduating in a class of 14.

With bachelor’s degree in Ag Econ and Communications from North Dakota State and a MBA in Human Resources from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, Nicholas joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1971 and was activated to the Army in 1978, where he served through 2003. After working as a government contractor, Nicholas worked as the district director for Texas State Rep. Ralph Sheffield from Temple before being hired by Congressman Williams in 2014.

Last but certainly not least, Nicholas loves hunting, other outdoor activities, rodeo and North Dakota State football.

As the long-time veteran of pick’em panels, Voss established THE SPORTS BUZZ website in 2019 delivering award-winning sports coverage with daily posts in the Heart of Texas focusing on Class 3A, 2A and 1A high school athletics while including insights into college and professional sports. With over 40 years of experience as a professional newspaper sports writer and columnist that includes a stint at the Dallas Morning News, Voss’ numerous awards include the Texas Press Association’s prestigious Fred Hartman Award for Excellence in Sports Writing presented the best sports writer in Texas in 2017.

At 11 years old, Voss knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. When Roger “The Dodger” Staubach arrived and finally led his beloved Cowboys to their first Super Bowl championship in 1971, a family friend sent Brett a copy of the Dallas Morning News covering the Cowboy Super Bowl win. While reading Bob St John’s account of the game, Brett thought to himself, “Someone actually gets paid to do this as a job?”

Join us every Thursday throughout the 2023 football season as THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick their winners for a select group of the week’s high school games, your favorite college teams from the NCAA Div. I, Div. II and Div. III, as well as the state’s two NFL teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

Be sure to make your picks as well!

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SHOOTING FOR THE TITLE

3 months ago in Boys Basketball

After clinching second trip to playoffs in three seasons, Clifton Cubs remain on collision course for District 17-3A championship showdown with Keene

By clinching their second trip to the playoffs in the last three seasons, the Clifton Cubs put themselves in prime position to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in 20 years. With just three games remaining in the 2023-24 Texas high school boys basketball regular season, the Cubs appear to be on a collision course for a District 17-3A championship showdown with the Keene Chargers.

But in the first of three straight road games, the Cubs (6-1 in district, 20-9 overall) must face the surging Maypearl Panthers on the road at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Panthers (4-3, 14-16) vaulted into a tied for third place by surprising the Grandview (4-3, 14-14) last Friday. Clifton and Keene (6-1, 17-13) stand deadlocked at the top, and the Cubs will take on the Chargers at 6:15 p.m. Friday hoping to avenge their 48-44 loss to Keene Jan. 23.

“We still have a lot of basketball still to play, so we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Clifton boys basketball head coach Tom Daniel said. “But it is nice to be tied for first place right now. It’s good to be up there and in the driver’s seat. We still need to beat Keene on Friday, but we control our own destiny in the district championship race. But we can’t get there without winning Tuesday, so we need to take care of business against Maypearl first, for sure.”

Winning eight of their last nine games, the Cubs clinched a postseason berth with a hard-fought 44-41 victory over the West Trojans (0-7, 5-18) last Friday on Senior Night in the Clifton High School gymnasium.

Clifton jumped out to a quick 14-6 lead and held a commanding 26-10 advantage at halftime. But the Trojans came storming back in the third and outscored the Cubs, 17-5, in the fourth to pull within three with two seconds left on the clock before going down in defeat.

“It was Senior Night, and we had four guys who were playing their last home game,” Daniel said. “It was a great experience for them. We never gave up the lead, and they never made it a one possession game until they hit the last shot of the game. They made it a little too close for comfort, but the kids did a really good job, they really did, all things considered. They played hard, and they got the job done.”

Hitting four shots from three-point range, senior Jacob Wells led Clifton with 18 points, followed by junior Maddox Hinojosa with 12 points and senior Andres Devora with seven.

“We knew West wasn’t going to lay down for us. They’re a scrappy bunch and they play hard. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and it wasn’t. But our guys did what they needed to do. It doesn’t matter how pretty or ugly a win is, a win is a win. And we’re going back to the playoffs.”

Opening last week with a road win over arch-rival Whitney (1-6, 7-18), Clifton completed the season sweep with another hard-fought 51-44 road win over the Wildcats last Tuesday night. Led by a 22-point performance from Wells, the Cubs shook off a slow start to take a 35-34 lead into the fourth quarter before putting Whitney away.

“Going to win on the road against a pretty talented team like Whitney, it was good for us,” Daniel said. “It certainly wasn’t easy. It was a close game throughout. We did a good job down the stretch. We got down by a couple of points, but we closed the game on 12-3 run. We had to have it, and the kids did a great job. This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve swept Whitney. The kids were really excited about that, and I was too.”

While Wells sank five shots from three-point range, Hinojosa tossed in nine points, followed by Devora with eight, along with junior Joaquin De la Hoya and Ray Ochoa with five each.

Despite standing tied with Keene for first and owning a two-game lead over Grandview and Maypearl tied for third, the Cubs must play three straight road games to close out the regular season.

“That is the tough thing about the way to district schedule sets up,” Daniel said. “We’ve already played our last home game. It’s pretty wild. I have never had this happen where you finish the season with three straight road games. But at least we did what we needed to do with all those home games. And we’ve already proven we can win on the road, so I like our chances.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2024 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WIN-AND-IN FINALE

3 months ago in Girls Basketball

Controlling their own playoff destiny, Clifton Lady Cubs look to earn District 17-3A playoff berth on the road in showdown at Maypearl

In control of their own postseason destiny, the Clifton Lady Cubs wrap up the 2023-24 Texas high school girls basketball regular season with a win-and-in showdown with the surging Maypearl Lady Panthers.

After snapping a two-game losing streak last Tuesday with a dominating 55-20 road victory over the arch rival Whitney Lady Wildcats, the Lady Cubs fell short of clinching a playoff berth in their 45-28 home loss to the co-district leading West Lady Trojans Friday night in the Clifton High School gymnasium.

While three teams have already clinched playoff berth in District 17-3A, postseason seeding remains completely up for grabs going into the final regular season slate of games. West (7-2 in district, 26-3 overall) and Grandview (7-2, 26-6) remained locked in a first-place tie, while Maypearl (6-3, 19-15) has clinched at least third place and continues to cling to a slim shot at the district title.

Clifton (4-5, 17-13) enters its showdown with Maypearl at 6 p.m. Tuesday in sole possession of fourth place, but the Keene Lady Chargers (3-6, 19-12) lurk just a game behind after salvaging a season split with the Lady Cubs. Even if Clifton loses to Maypearl, the Lady Chargers will have to pull off the upset on the road against West to force a tie for the district’s final playoff berth.

“At the start of the season, we knew this district would be evenly matched from the top to bottom,” Clifton girls basketball first-year head coach Mario Villalpando said. “So, for the final playoff spots to be determined on the last night of the season is not a surprise. The team has put themselves in a great position going into the final game to accomplish something that has not been accomplished here in over a decade.”

Led by senior Laylah Gaona with 11 points, the Lady Cubs put themselves in a position to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons by dominating Whitney from start to finish. With 10 Lady Cubs scoring points, junior Delilah Martinez and sophomore Addison Martin tossed in seven points each, followed by senior Kate Humphreys with six, along with junior Kyndall Hunt and sophomore Avary Woosley with six apiece.

Senior Reagan Thomas and Woosley dished out a game-high five assists each, Humphreys led Clifton in the boards with nine rebounds, and Woosley came up with a game-high four steals.

“To stay in the playoff spot, we knew we would need to win on the road against Whitney,” Villalpando said. “For the team to go out and win the way they did on the road was great to see.”

But the momentum from the big win in Whitney proved to be not even to carry the Lady Cubs to the upset win over previously-state-ranked West. The Lady Trojans jumped out to a commanding 21-9 lead in the first quarter and controlled the game throughout the contest.

In the losing effort, Woosley led Clifton with 13 points, followed by Gaona with four points, two assists and four steals, while Humphreys topped the Lady Cubs with eight rebounds.

“Against West, they came out and hit some big shots early on to put us in a bit of a hole,” Villalpando said. “The team did a great job of battling back and competing after the slow start, but we weren’t able to dig ourselves out of the hole.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

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AIMING AT THE TITLE

3 months ago in Girls Basketball

Playoff-bound Meridian Lady Jackets host Iredell looking to clinch at least share of District 20-1A championship, possible tiebreaker showdown with Blum awaits

Despite clinching their second straight trip to the playoffs, the Meridian Lady Jackets still have plenty to play for in the 2023-24 Texas high school girls basketball regular season finale. After all, the Lady Jackets stand one win away from clinching a share of the District 20-1A crown.

Coming off a dominating 47-7 road victory over winless Kopperl last Tuesday and fresh from an open date in the schedule last Friday, the Lady Jackets (10-1 in district, 14-15 overall) will host the third place Iredell Lady Dragons (7-4, 14-9) on Senior Night at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Yellowjacket Gymnasium.

Meridian enters the regular season finale in a deadlock for first place with the defending champion Blum Lady Bobcats (10-1, 13-6). With Blum battling on the road at Kopperl (0-11, 0-19) Tuesday, the Lady Jackets need a win to at least force a district championship playoff showdown later this week. In the meantime, Iredell hopes to upset Meridian to clinch third place in district just ahead of playoff-bound Walnut Springs (7-5, 11-8).

“Clinching a playoff spot is always a good feeling,” Meridian girls basketball head coach Adan Reyes said. “And it’s a good measurement of the fact that your program is moving forward and not backwards. That was one of our goals at the beginning of the season, so that also shows a sense of accomplishment.

“Being off this Friday before our huge game against Iredell, my coaching staff and I had to find a way to make sure that we have great, intensive and challenging practices during the week’s lapse. It makes it that much more challenging when the time from one game to another is a whole seven days.

“We just have to take the bad with the good. And the good being that it allows us a week’s time to rest and recover from a couple of players being banged up and getting over the crud that’s been going around everywhere.”

On the road against Kopperl last Tuesday, the Lady Jackets stormed to an early 10-1 lead and never looked back. While limiting the Lady Eagles to a single-digit final score, juniors Mariana Paniagua and Journey Stauffer led the Meridian offensive attack with 11 points each, followed by freshman Sarah Rosales and senior Canyon Stauffer with eight points apiece, as well as senior Eve Dirkse with five and sophomore Dyna Potter with four.

“Going into our game with Kopperl, we really wanted to focus on fine tuning some of the things that we had seen on film that weren’t where we would like them to be,” Reyes said. “We also wanted to work on taking better shots and really working hard on defense. We accomplished both of those goals.”

Photos by WENDY OROZCO

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