Second Time Around
The girls' state basketball tournament was great. You have metropolitan teams dominating the big school divisions - Desoto and Grand Prairie from the DFW area, Cark out of San Antonio, and Humble from the Houston area. Lots of raw, athletic talent to choose from.
The young ladies in this part of Texas are of a different breed - down to earth, hardworking - not much to do in these parts but go to school, church, FFA competition, and play basketball. But, boy, do they play it well. Sands Lady Mustangs and Gruver Lady Greyhounds are prime examples. (I love that mascot). I was a Greyhound back in the day; That's another story.
But getting back to Sands and Gruver, small communities, tightly knit. They don't need the glam and fabulously metro girls have. Country girls want to play ball. They like it so much that they work hard, and the proof comes out in the pudding.
Although it wasn't perfect per se, they went 37-3. The Sands girls had a perfect season, showing they were the best in Class 1A ball, from start to finish. They played the best, beating the best, whether it was Class 6A Frenship or Class 4A Greenwood. The Lady Mustangs welcomed all comers. They steamrolled through the playoffs outscoring their opponents by a 54-27 margin.
Landry Morrow was the headliner on this Sands squad. She has the adequate height to play on the perimeter high basketball IQ; best of all, she loves playing defense. I'm just saying she needs to be playing at the next level next season. Be nice to see her in a Howard College uniform.
Sands showed one of the best defenses I've seen in my years at the Crossroad Country area. But, of course, you have to love basketball to play defense that hard. Junior guard Elysa Martinez symbolizes that gaudy Sands defense. In the championship game against Robert Lee, she scored a game-high 22 points and pulled off an unusual double-double with her ten steals. Rightly so, she was named tournament MVP.
Lady Mustangs, enjoy the championship. Get some rest. Then you've got a state track title to defend.
Gruver in the Panhandle did have a perfect season, 33-0, in winning the Class 2A title. It was so dominant. Like Sands, the Lady Greyhounds took on all comers, beating them all. Gruver chopped up defending class 3A champion Brownfield, No. 4 4A Canyon, and No. 1 ranked 3A Canadian.
Bailey Maupin, a 5-foot-11 guard, was Gruver's headliner. She'll be playing basketball for Texas Tech next season.
According to Maxpreps, Gruver is the 31st ranked team in Texas, and Sands is ranked No. 51. Put in perspective, there are 1,359 UIL teams in Texas. Pretty impressive, huh?
STEERS TWO-FOR-TWO
The Big Spring Steers track team won their second team title in as many tries as they scored 166 points to win the Canyon Reef Relays in Snyder. Lubbock High was second with 110 points. The Lady Steers scored 145 points to finish second behind Lubbock High's 160.
Roman Prez led the Steers by winning the 3200 and 1600 meter events. Teammate Issaac Gonzales was second in the 3200 and third in the 1600. Isaiah Holloway won the triple jump straight out of basketball and finished third in the long jump. The Steers swept the long jump as Sa'quan Fizer, another basketballer, and Quetavian Lewis placed first and second, respectively. Braxton Pearson finished second in the shot put and third in the discus. The most impressive performance came from Adrian Solis, who ran a 1:58.83 in the 800.
Naomi Wines led the Lady Steers by winning the 200, long jump, and high jump. Elizabeth Jones finished second in the 800 and third in the 1600. Jha, Niah Johnson threw a career-best 118-3 to win the discus.
BIG DAY FOR TENNIS
This past weekend, the Big Spring tennis team fared well at their tournament.
Natalina Lopez defeated teammate Emily Kocak to win the girl's singles. Hayden Bell and Hannah Bell won the girl's doubles play. In mixed doubles play, Ananya Limaye and Kaden Roberts won the championship. Winning the boy's double competition was Juaquin Arguello and Ethan Urias.
COAHOMA'S MS. VERSATILITY
Coahoma Bulldogettes Christian Everett has got to be one of the best allaround athletes in the Crossroads Country. She recently qualified for the state powerlifting meet by winning the regional 97-pound division last week. Everett and her teammates finished third in the regional team standings. Everett will be joined in state by freshman Nevaeh.
Kerby finished second in the 97-pound weight class. Everett totaled 595 pounds on her three lifts, 80 pounds more than Kerby.
Last year Everett just missed going to the state track meet in the 100 meters, finishing fourth at regional. This year she's going to state in powerlifting, and she's also a member of an excellent Coahoma softball team where she plays second base and bats second in the lineup.
The girl's state powerlifting meet will be March 17-19 in Corpus Christi. A great site. I'll take it over to the boy's state meet in Abilene the week after that. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Spring holds for Everett.
LADY STEER LIFERS SECOND AT REGIONAL Last week, the Big Spring Lady Steers finished second at the regional powerlifting meet in Monahans. As a result, Big Spring qualified five to the state meet in Corpus Christi. Gissele Holguin (132 weight class) and Adali Hernandez (165) won their weight divisions. April Caldwell (165), Jha'niah Johnson (220), and Quasett Woodruff (259) finished second. Woodruff set the regional record in deadlift with a 370-pound lift.