10-26-2010-Thursday - Wise County Messenger

WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Thursday, October 28, 201015ASPORTSCROSS COUNTRYParadise earns region bidy RICHARD GREENEEven with one of their top runners battlingbadly sprained ankle, the Paradise Panthersere able to fight their way to a regional crossountry berth Monday morning in Millsap.The Panthers finished third with 79 pointst the District 10-2A meet to earn a spot athe Class 2A Region II meet in Arlington Nov..Paradise beat out fourth-place Millsap by 12oints and was just two points behind secondlacePeaster. Brock won the meet with 27.By RICHARD GREENEThe first step to state or regionals for theNorthwest Texans and Lady Texans cross countryteams may be the hardest.Both will try to advance out of one of the top5A districts in the state Thursday morning atthe 7-5A meet at Grapevine’s MeadowmerePark. The meet will start with the girls’ 3200meter race at 9 a.m. The boys’ race will follow.The meet will feature three teams that competedat state last year — the Keller Centralboys, Southlake Carroll girls and Coppell girls.Both Carroll boys and girls teams are rankedNo. 1 in the latest Class 5A Cross CountryCoaches Association of Texas poll. The Coppellgirls are eighth in the poll.Paradise coach Todd McCormick was proudof his team.“I didn’t know if we could get out,” hesaid. “One of our top runners, Michael Kelly,sprained his ankle. He battled through it. Wecould have done better if he was healthy. We’llget him rehabbed, and we’ll have two moreweeks to prepare and see what happens.”Kellly ran a 21:33 in the 5K on the bad ankle.Godley’s Dylan Littlejohn won the 10-2A individualtitle in 17:45.Dalton Blankenship posted the Panthers’Northwest coach George Lutkenhaus said itstacks up to be a tough meet.“There’s going to be some really good teamsthat stay at home,” he said. “We just have to runour race and do our thing. We’re going to have torun well, and we still might not make it out.”Northwest junior Troy Taylor leads the Texansinto the meet. The Rhome resident hasbeen consistent throughout the season, turningin the best times of his career and winning severalraces.At his final tune-up Oct. 16 at the Rick NeillInvitational, Taylor ran a 15:32 to take second.He ran a season-best 15:24 in the 5K Oct. 2 atthe Round Rock McNeil Invitational.“Troy has a shot to win it,” Lutkenhaus said.“He won the Southlake meet earlier in the year.lone top-10 performance, finishing ninth in19:45.“I felt good until the last part,” Blankenshipsaid. “I’m happy to get to go to regionals. Thisis my first year of cross country. Hopefully, Ican drop 30 seconds off my time [by regionals].”The Panthers’ Zack Fletcher took 14th in21:02. Chance Dial was 17th in 21:22. JarrettHolt closed Paradise’s top five, finishing 23rdin 21:56.Michael Cassen ran 22:09 for 24th. BlakeBryant finished 35th in 23:45.CROSS COUNTRYDecatur runs into districty RICHARD GREENEAfter months of long runs, temoand speed work, the real seaonfor the Decatur cross countryeams will begin Thursday mornng.The Eagles and Lady Eaglesill run at the District 7-3A meett Joe Wheeler Park in Decatur,oping to nail down spots at thelass 3A Region I meet and laterhe state championships.The Lady Eagles will start theeet in the girls 3,200 meter eventt 9 a.m. The Eagles will follow inhe 5K race at 9:30 a.m.Decatur coach David Park saidthis is the time of year that hisathletes have worked for.“You throw out the times, andall that matters is place,” Parksaid. “Sure you want to run goodtimes, but the main thing is whereyou place.”With their place as back-to-backstate champions, the Lady Eaglesenter the 7-3A meet as the favorite.They are coming off a strongshowing at the Haltom StampedeOct. 16, finishing fourth. SeniorHanna Galloway took second in11:32.Behind Galloway, the Lady Eagleshave a consistent top five inZuleima Palomo, Morgan Haney,Natalie Neighbors and VeronicaTorres.“Our depth is what we get peopleon,” Park said.Castleberry may give the LadyEagles their strongest test Thursdaybehind Brittany Adams, whotook eighth at state last year in12:08. Adams finished just a spotback of Galloway at state.“Castleberry is a good team,”Park said. “I look for them to dowell at regionals.”In the boys race, Decatur freshmanTaylor Clayton is coming offrunning a lightning-fast 15:40 inthe three-mile event at Haltom.Clayton is part of a young groupof Eagles who have steadily improvedthroughout the year. Theteam had its best showing at Haltomwith all five of the top runners— Clayton, Michael Smyers,Gunner Dailey, Remington Mayand Brandon Rivera — placing inthe top 38.“These guys have come a millionmiles throughout the season,”Park said. “It’s been fun to see.They need to keep racing like theydid at Haltom. Our two throughfive not only ran tight, but fast.”CROSS COUNTRYNorthwest prepares for 7-5A meetHe just needs to run a smart race.”Behind Taylor, the Texans will need strongraces from Zach Kirkland, James McCann, JaredWard, Zach Jones, Nick Flower and TrentonBeaufeaux.The Lady Texans should be in contention fora regional berth.Freshman Kellee McCann and senior JasmineBoutte have been consistent in leadingthe team. McCann posted a personal-best 11:19at Birdville Oct. 9. Boutte ran a 12:06 at themeet.“Kellee and Jasmine are going to run theirrace,” Lutkenhaus said. “It comes down to ourthree, four and five runners having their bestrace.”CROSSCOUNTRYAlvordwinscrownLed by junior Jordan Ward’sfourth-place finish, the AlvordLady Bulldogs captured theDistrict 9-2A title Monday atLake Wichita Park in WichtaFalls.The Lady Bulldogs won thetitle with 36 points, four pointsless than second-place Hollidayat 40. Krum was third with 50points.“They did really well,” saidAlvord coach Sheena Schmucker.“We reached our first goal,making it on to regionals.”Alvord will run in the Class2A race at the Region II meetin Arlington Nov. 6.Krum’s Caylee Thomas wonthe 3,200-meter race in 12:34,followed by Holliday’s MorganLewis and Kristen Anderson at12:49 and 12:51 respectively.Ward ran 13:06, finishing fiveseconds ahead of teammateAshley Musgrave, who crossedthe finish line in fifth.“They showed up when theyneeded,” Schmucker said.Finishing third for the LadyBulldogs and eighth placeoverall was Chelsey Steelewith a 13:27 clock out. Shewas consecutively followed byninth and 10th place RebeccaEvans and Ariel Rogers, running13:30 and 13:33 to closeout the Alvord top five.Marissa Schedcick was 13thin 13:45 and Madi Lynch 14thin 13:56.Mason Mitchum turned inthe Alvord Bulldogs’ top timewith a 19:34 for 18th.He was followed by JonathanMusgrave at 20th in 19:45,Dustin Griggs in 20:39 for 25thand Avi Patel for 30th in 21:22.Jake Hurley rounded out theBulldog’s top five, finishing32nd in 21:42.Logan Enis finished 33rdin 21:46, followed by KeygunBeaver at 36th in 22:38.Alvord finished fifth with125 points overall, behind firstplaceKrum with 47 points. Noconafinished second, followedby Ponder and Holliday.VOLLEYBALLSissies fallin fiveThe Bridgeport Sissies missed a chance to clinch alayoff spot out of District 7-3A Friday.The Castleberry Lions rallied from two games down toeat the Sissies in five, 14-25, 19-25, 26-24, 27-25, 15-7.Bridgeport (14-20, 3-4) entered Tuesday needing a winver Decatur and a Castleberry loss to Mineral Wells toarn a playoff spot. If both teams lost, they would playor third place. Castleberry could earn the spot with ain and a Bridgeport loss.Bridgeport coach Lynn Larson likes her team’s chancsif they see Castleberry for a third time. The teamsplit their district meetings with both matches goingve games.“If we get a chance to play them for third place, I amonfident that we will be able to beat them,” Larsonaid.Bridgeport was strong in the first two games, winninghe first by double digits and taking the second by six.“We came out really strong, and I was glad of the waye competed tonight,” Larson said.But the match got away from them late.The duo of Madyson Hancock and Mariah Clayton hadtrong matches at the net. Clayton finished with 14 killsnd four blocks. Hancock had 11 kills and four blocks.Becky Grinnell put down nine kills.Setter Taylor Henson recorded 19 assists. Tiffanyawkins had 16.Henson served four aces. Hawkins and Angelica Reyesad three each.Reyes led the defense with 21 digs. Kasey Wages finshedwith 15 and Hawkins 11.VOLLEYBALLDecatur addsto streakThe Decatur Lady Eagles stepped outof District 7-3A Friday to play WichitaFalls Christ Academy.The result was no different as theLady Eagles cruised to a sweep, 25-14,25-12, 25-9.The Lady Eagles (28-9, 7-0) extendedboth their match winning streak to nineand consecutive games won to 24.Decatur eyed a close-to-perfect runthrough 7-3A Tuesday night with itsfinal regular season match againstBridgeport.The Lady Eagles will get a byethrough the bi-district round of the playoffs.They will open the playoffs Nov. 4-6 with a Class 3A Region I area matchagainst the winner of the 6-3A runnerupand the 5-3A third-place team.Friday, Decatur controlled the matchat the service line with 20 aces. IngridBoatman and Kortney Tompkins eachfired six. Lynzee Jordan had five.Sara Oxford continued her dominanceat the net with 15 kills and two blocksto go along with four digs and two aces.Tompkins put down six kills. She alsomade six digs and served up six aces.Joey Redwine recorded 26 assists andmade seven digs. Boatman had five assists.VOLLEYBALLChico rallies to winThe Chico Lady Dragons kepttheir playoff hopes alive Friday witha five-game victory over Gold-Burg.Chico rallied from two gamesdown to win the match, 12-25, 20-25, 25-22, 26-24, 15-7.“This was a tough win,” said Chicocoach Lyndsey Keck. “We didn’t playwell at all the first two games, andwe struggled throughout the rest.Fortunately, we pulled together thelast three games and were able totake the win.”With the victory, Chico enteredTuesday’s season against Saint Jowith a chance to force a tie for thirdplace. If Chico wins, the two willplay a tiebreaker for the spot Saturday.Saint Jo will take third outrightwith a victory.The Lady Dragons’ serving letThe Paradise Lady Pantherscruised to their fourth District 10-2A victory Friday over the BoydLady Yellowjackets.Paradise took the match, 25-16,25-19, 25-20.Courtney Andrews buried 10kills and made 12 digs.VOLLEYBALLthem down against Gold-Burg. Chicomade 16 service errors and hadjust two aces.Keck said her team also struggledwith hitting, managing only 23 killsin the five games.“We didn’t have the hitting thatwe normally do,” she said. “Defensivelywe were digging their hits,but offensively we couldn’t get anythinggoing until the end.”Hannah Avants finished with 10kills. Ann Turlington, Malori Mossand Nikki Weatherly all chipped infour.Avants had four block and 13 digson defense.Kim Workman made 15 digs andMoss 12.Molli Umphress recorded 13 assistsand Workman 10.Paradise tops BoydRachel Runnels put down sevenkills to go along with seven digsand four aces.Sky Mayfield added five kills.Makenna Burt had five kills, fourblocks, three aces and five digs.Libero Jennifer Buell dug 21shots and Alison Caruthers 17.