The Mansfield Sr High Lady Tigers have hit a few bumps in the road lately but its nothing that they can’t overcome. Most recently the Lady Tigers hosted the Elkins Lady Elks in a down and dirty basketball battle. The Lady Elks took the win 49-32 but the Lady Tigers are confident that their losing streak is about to end.
With 12 points on the game, Danielle Lillie was an offensive and defensive beast to any opponent that came her way always pushing harder and never letting up. Sadie Roberts followed up with seven points trailed by Amber Elmore with five. With three points each was Makayla Strutton and Chloe Creekmore. And Brooke Wright netted two.
Feeling confident about their next court appearance, the Lady Tigers will take on the Lady Pirates at Greenland on Friday, January 10 with Jr High starting at 4 p.m. The Lady Pirates sit 1-11 in total season play compared to the Lady Tigers at 4-8.
The Waldron Sr High Lady Bulldogs Epic Eight are at it again. All season long the girls have been steadily improving making them prime contenders in their conference. Most recently it was Cedarville that saw the wrath of the Lady Bulldogs as Waldron took the Lady Pirates to the cleaners winning 48-33 and upgrading them to 8-8 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
Hailey Stidman led her team in scoring with 12 points while Rheagan Sanford followed closely with 11. Chelsea Stidman brought in nine while Jessica Ozuna made eight also making the only two three-pointers in the game. Molly Richmond earned five points and Kadance Espinoza grabbed two. On Friday, January 10, the Lady Bulldogs will face the Lady Wolves in Lincoln with Jr High starting at 4 p.m.
“The Lady Wolves have a tough team and are well-coached on top of that,” stated coach, Josh Atchley. “They have a true old school post player and some good guards to get the ball to her. We will have to be focused in on defense and take care of the ball on our end. This should definitely be an exciting game.”
When people think of JV games, they usually think about the benches getting practice time. This wasn’t the case on Thursday, January 9th as the Mansfield Jr High Tigers and the Lady Jr High Tigers JV squads proved they can hang with any programs first string team in the conference. These players were HUNGRY to strut their stuff and their unfortunate prey was the Lavaca Golden Arrows.
Brooklynn Adams
The Lady Tigers JV kicked things off with a showcase of aggression and heart. With a full tank of gas and an open court ahead of them, they plowed through Lavaca ending with a final score of 10-3. Offensively, the Lady Tigers made sure their teammates each touched the ball with some sweet passes that broke up the Golden Arrow defense. Raine Hecox put up the first two points of the game with a nothing but net swish from just inside the three-point line. Seven Sanderson was the powerhouse of the backboards and laid up two pints of her own. Leading the team in scoring was Brooklyn Adams who zeroed in on the Golden Arrows weak points to knock down six points in the game.
Seven Sanderson
The old saying is “defense wins ballgames”. If that is the case, then the Lady Tigers JV is ready for the WNBA. Each Lady Tiger to step foot on the court attacked Lavaca without remorse. Lita Hecox and Serenity Brunson had no problem getting physical and throwing down with the Golden Arrows in the paint as they stuffed Lavaca on multiple occasions and brought down the house with rebounds. Eden Mounts and Cassidy Carlton had played like defensive velcro on the Lavaca players sticking to them with every step. Lavaca probably had nightmares of being robbed due to Brooklyn Adams and Raine Hecox stealing the basketball at every turn.
Travis Tobey
The JV Tigers followed suit in their matchup against Lavaca but weren’t able to close out with W as they lost a close one 17-10. The boys were evenly matched throughout most of the game, but it was a mere couple of miscues that set the Tigers back. Leading the team in points was James Jenkins who kept the rim shaking with six points in the game. Peyton Martin and Tommy Phang rounded out the offensive scoring with two points apiece. Whether it was bad luck or a greased rim on the goal, the Tigers just couldn’t get the ball in the net.
Reegan Emery
Zach Hayslip had a “heyday” against the Golden Arrows offense while Brandon Segura fearlessly jumped right in the mix multiple times to tie up the ball. Dakota Langford, Jaxon Heydenreich, Reegan Emery, and Travis Tobey were the defensive Four Horsemen who gave Lavaca fits every time they came down court. To hold a skilled Golden Arrow team to only 17 points is a feat in itself, but it was the aggressive show of dedication to the game the Tigers put on that got Mansfield fans cheering in the stand.
After Tuesday nights 61-31 loss to the Elkins Elks, the Mansfield Sr High Tigers are ready to get back up on their basketball horse and return to battle. It was the dreaded “T” word that gave the Elks the lead they needed in the first quarter. Turnovers! “Greenland is arguably the top team in the conference,” explains head coach, Keith Dake. “You can’t expect to win a game against a team of that caliber by handing them six extra possessions. Ball security was an issue throughout the game and we simply have to be better.” Codi Chick led the team in scoring with 11 points while Layton Howard brought in nine.
“So far this season we have seen two completely different teams. Truly a Jekyll and Hyde story. On one hand, we have a team capable of scoring 70+ points per game and have done so on more than one occasion this season, and against quality opponents. On the other hand, we have a team that has failed to top 45 points in three straight games. Our conference is one of the absolute best in 3A, if not the best. Any team could win on any given night, and unlike previous seasons there isn’t that one team that everyone knows will win it all. Instead there are eight teams that can all compete at an incredibly high level. Unfortunately for us, we have hit a cold spell. But we are looking to heat things back up starting this Friday.”
Friday, January 10, the (4-7) Mansfield Tigers will travel to Greenland to take on the (7-6) Pirates with Jr High starting at 4 p.m. “Greenland is a tough opponent that possesses every quality great teams possess. They have size down low, deadly shooters from the perimeter, and are led by a coach’s son who is one of the top players within our conference. In order to win this game, we will need to do a much better job of minimizing unforced turnovers on the offensive end and have players willing to step up and score. We also need to do a better job of limiting second-chance points and securing rebounds on the defensive end, while running shooters off the line and forcing them out of their comfort zones.”
If you’re looking for a Jr High team that possesses qualities such as leadership, hard work, respect, dedication, tenacity, and strength in character, then look no further. The Waldron Jr High Lady Bulldogs are the epitome for all of the above. They have been faced with many adversities but through it all, continue to take on every game with a clean slate and a positive attitude.
Stepping in as head coach for the Lady Bulldogs is Coach Tracie Adams. Coach Adams has been away from the Bulldog Nation for 15 years but she is ready to get the show on the road and sending the Lady Bulldogs down the path of success. As the saying goes, “All great things come to those who wait”. And although the Jr Lady Bulldogs’ record doesn’t reflect all of the greatness that they are, it soon will.
Waldron recently took on the Cedarville Pirates where the Lady Bulldogs fought a good fight but fell short 32-17. Assistant Coach, Josh Atchley said, “The girls have shown some flashes lately and just have to put an entire game together. Once they get over the hump, they will fall in love with doing what it takes.” Vivian Holmes and Jasmine Nelson tied in scoring with six points apiece while Katy Stringer, Jinjer Ward, and Reagan Adams combined for five.
The Jr Lady Bulldogs will travel to Lincoln next to take on the Lady Wolves on Friday, January 10 starting at 4 p.m.
Conference games are really heating up in the 2A-4 division and with Lavaca sitting pretty at 4-0, the rest of the seeding is completely up for grabs. “The conference is going to be a close race from top to bottom,” explains head coach for the Hackett Sr High Hornets, Kent Elmore. “Lavaca is a great basketball team that everyone is wanting to get after. We have had a tough three-game losing streak in conference play but in the past two weeks the players have really bought in and have been playing much better basketball.”
In their first game of the new year, the Hornets faced the County Line Indians on January 7th in an away non-conference match-up and ended falling with a final score of 46-42. With the conclusion of the game, Dylan Kats led with 12 points followed by Tyler Satterfield with 11. Austin Cowell made nine points. Zach Gragg netted six points. And Cash Oliver and Ty Smith each brought in two.
“We were not playing very good team basketball and we did not play with the energy and attitude to be successful. We have played some tough competition over the past two weeks and have been in every game. We are still needing to improve on our defensive discipline. We have not shot the ball to our capability. As a coach, I do not see this as a bad thing, because I know that when we finally shoot as I know we can, we will be able to win a lot of games.”
Along with Hackett and Lavaca, the other teams competing in the 2A-4 are Hector, Magazine, Mountainburg, Danville, and Westside. Up next for the Hornets are the Magazine Rattlers on Tuesday, January 14. “On film, Magazine is much better than their record shows. It will be our homecoming game so the environment should be a great one. Our players will need to feed off that energy and use it to create turnovers and easy transition opportunities. I think if we do that and play sound defense, we will be able to come up with a much-needed conference win!”
Its been a rocky basketball season so far for the Mansfield Jr High Tigers but don’t count them out of the game yet. Each time they step onto the court, the Tigers prove that through pure grit and dedication, they can overcome anything. On Tuesday, January 7, Mansfield took on the Elkins Elks. “The easiest way to explain the first quarter of the game,” said Coach Keith Stovall. “Was that we just couldn’t get out of our own way.We were stumbling over ourselves the entire quarter and finishing down 9-0 is no way to start a game.”
The second quarter showed the Tigers getting stronger as they “got the offense going to climb back into the game.” Creating some turnovers, Mansfield was able to hold Eklins to one point until there was 1:45 left in the first half of the game. “A couple of unforced turnovers allowed Elkins to get some easy layups and knocking out two three-pointers as a result of a breakdown in defensive coverage.This allowed the Elks to roll-off 10 points before halftime.”
“We won the second half of the game but could not overcome the deficit created in the 1st quarter. The second half defensively saw what I call “Hyperplay”. Overplaying your position so badly that when the ball swings you can’t recover forcing another player to cover. This left our interior vulnerable and Elkins was allowed to score the majority of their second-half points in the lane.”
“Our guys showed great effort as they continued to control the boards. Giving us numerous second-chance scoring opportunities. Offensively we have to get off to a faster start, and we have to get our heads up and see the openings in the defense and take advantage of it. Also, our primary ball handlers never got to the free-throw line because they were not attacking aggressively enough. Playing well in sports is not enough. We have to play complete games from start to finish.” The Jr Tigers finished the game with Elkins taking the win 43-35.
Leading the Tigers in scoring was Braxton Byers with 12 points. Drew Elmore with 10. Clint Stovall added six. Austin Quinalty netted three. And Tyler Turnipseed and Greyson Baggett finished with two each. Next on the list for the Tigers are the Lavaca Golden Arrows who they will face on Thursday, January 9 starting at 5 p.m.
It seems the Waldron Sr High Bulldogs have an insatiable appetite for winning and the competition just keeps on spoon-feeding the wins in. The Bulldog’s most recent conquest was the Cedarville Pirates on Tuesday, January 7. Waldron was locked in from the get-go and through four emotional and energetic quarters, they never took their eye off the ball. The Bulldogs were just too quick for the Pirates to catch as they sealed the victory 73-50. Waldron moves to 3-0 in conference play and 14-3 on the year.
“I’m proud of our guys for coming out and getting the job done at home against a good Cedarville team,” expresses Coach Joshua Brown. The Bulldogs earned an 81 free throw percentage and had three players bring in a total of 12 three-point shots. Leading the pack with eight of those shots was Payton Brown who took home 42 points on the board. Gada Wagner swished three three-pointers and Isaac Villarreal secured one three-point shot and made a total of five points.
Also with five points on the game was Mason Ford followed by Jacob Avila with four. And with two points apiece was Bryson Bailey, Braden Williams, Ruben Valdez, and Caden Fuller. The Bulldogs will head to Lincoln next to take on the (1-2) Wolves on Friday, January 10 starting with Jr High at 4 p.m. “Lincoln’s record is not indicative of how good they are. They have a point guard who knows the game and they have some pieces to go with that.”
“When they shoot the ball well they are tough to beat. #1 Grigsby can get going and plays inside and out. Davis does a good job of creating around the rim and their #4 can shoot it really well. We have to keep them off the glass and control the tempo. We can’t give them any open looks from outside. Defensively we have to bring our best effort!”
Although the Magazine Sr High Rattlers took a 66-57 loss against the Danville Little Johns, they made sure to do it in style. “We came out a little sluggish in Tuesday nights match but we stayed with the game plan and worked our way back into the battle in the fourth quarter to tie and go into overtime,” stated head coach, Buck Chappell. “I feel like that was the best game we have played this year as a team as a whole. We still have some work to do on some smaller issues though.”
With 17 points on the game, Cameron Raggio was the top Rattler in scoring closely followed by Brady Watson with 16. Kaedon Trejo netted 14 points with nine of those points coming from three beautifully set three-point buckets. Ashton Droemer put six points on the board. And Jacob Hall and Jack Kirbo grabbed two apiece. Defensively, the Rattlers snagged 22 rebounds and eight steals. Raggio led with nine of those rebounds while Droemer earned five.
This Friday is Homecoming for the Rattlers and if things go as planned, Magazine feels confident in taking this game. “We play Union Christian Academy on Friday, January 10 starting at 6 p.m. Turnovers have been an issue so far. If we can keep the turnovers down we should see a drastic improvement as the season moves forward. We underestimated UCA the first time we met and they are much improved from last year. I feel like we can get a good win for Homecoming this Friday!”
In a one-point victory, the Hackett Sr High Lady Hornets earned a feather in their cap as they drew a new county line against the Lady Indians. On Tuesday, January 7, Hackett took their game to County Line and after four insane and intense quarters, the Lady Hornets gained the win 36-35. This triumphant battle upgrades Hackett to 4-9 on the year.
Kayla Richardson led her team in scoring with 10 points while Faith Thomas and Rain Vaughn followed with seven each. Madi Taylor and Jamye Durham brought in four points apiece. And Madeline Freeman and Autum Neal each snagged two. “We are starting to get more comfortable with the things we are doing,” explained Coach Broc Adams. “They are working really hard and getting better each day! We have to continue to improve our shooting and we are trying to get a bunch of reps.”
The Lady Hornets will get back into conference play as they host the Magazine Lady Rattlers on Tuesday, January 14th at 6 p.m. Currently, the Lady Rattlers sit 6-6 in total season play and 1-2 in conference. Last year, Hackett lost both conference games to Magazine so this season, they are looking for a little redemption.
“Magazine has a really good post player and a couple of decent shooters this season. We are going to have to be physical in the middle and make sure we identify their shooters. We just really want to pressure them into playing a little faster than they are comfortable with and creating advantage situations on our end because of it.”
