Second time around
The Howard College Connection is alive and well in Red Raider land. Second-year Texas Tech men's basketball coach Mark Adams recently hired Steve Green as one of his assistant coaches.
Both coached Howard College basketball teams. Green was first, coached HC three years back in the late 80s and early 90s. Won a couple of WJCAC titles. Built a great 22-year career at South Plains College, won two national titles there. He has an amazing 706-195 coaching record.
Adams coached Howard College to the 2010 national title. Present NBA player Jae Crowder, presently with the Phoenix Suns, was on that championship squad.
How good is JC softball in Texas? Howard College Lady Hawks didn't. win the conference nor the region. They got bested by Odessa College. Odessa College finished third at the national tournament.
Also reaching the final four was Mclennan Community College in Waco. Just think, the Lady Hawks came Oh so close to beating Odessa College in the region tourney. Texas schools dominate the JC circle. Son bests father
It was a father-son baseball reunion when Ira and Nazareth met in the Class la regional title game.
Son Tyler Goodwin is a first year coach at Nazareth. Father Toby Goodwin has been coaching at Ira for several years.
It went three games, and the third game was a doozy. Ira led 12-2 after two innings. Nazareth battled back to send the game into extra innings. Naz came away with a 15-14 nine-inning win, punching their ticket to Austin.
"The family was taking the game harder than me and dad," said Toby. "I told dad, let's just coach and play the game. Shoot, this is movie material." Indeed it was.
Steers get their just due District champion Big Spring Steers paced the 3-4A All District team, with Big Spring getting superlatives in three categories.
First-year coach Brad Harman was Coach of the Year, senior shortstop Joshua Miramontes was Offensive MVP and freshman pitcher Austen Raines was named Newcomer of the year.
First-team honors went to second baseman Maverick Yanez as well as centerfielder Braxton Sizenbach, catcher Marcos Paradez, and utility player Eli Cobos.
Yanez and Miramontes are the only two seniors in that group. The infield will be in need next year, because Big Spring played really good defense. I remember seeing them turn four double plays in one game.
Pitching staff has a strong base returning with Cobos and Ricky Escovedo as proven starters. They will miss Raines, who will be taking his talents to some lucky school in Galveston. The sky is the limit for this young man. You'll hear good things about him in the future. Big Spring's loss is Galveston's gain.