In case you missed it ...
A recap of Texarkana sports stories gathered by the Gazette the week of Feb. 11
This week had some exciting news come through for Texarkana area athletes and their teams. From the signing of Arkansas recruit Shamar Easter of Ashdown, to the past Super Bowl laurels of former Miami Dolphin linebacker Ernest Rhones, a former Ashdown standout and longtime Texas High assistant football coach. Also the Fouke Lady Panthers continued their quest for a 30-win season by clinching the District 7-3A basketball championship.
Here’s a look back at some other headlines in the Gazette that happened this week that you may have missed. Good reading!
SATURDAY
TAMU-T RUNNER OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START
TEXARKANA, Texas — The Texas A&m-texarkana spring track season is off and running, so to speak.
And sophomore Charles Dorsett III, who transferred to TAMU-T from Texas Wesleyan College in Fort Worth, Texas, is leading the charge.
Dorsett, who competes in cross country and track, continued his impressive indoor season by taking first place in the 600-yard event a few weeks ago at the J.D. Martin Invitational at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
Dorsett was clocked in 1:11.90, besting the second-place finisher by a full second. Runners from Texas A&m-commerce placed second through fourth behind Dorsett. His best time is 1:52 in the 800 event, the runner said.
Dorsett is a part of the Eagles’ inaugural track and field team at the Texarkana college.
SUNDAY
WESTBERRY TOSSES 5-INNING PERFECT GAME
TEXARKANA, Texas — Anna Westberry tossed a 5-inning perfect game in the first game and Texas A&m-texarkana continued its dominance in the second game as the Eagles swept Arkansas Baptist, 8-0 and 9-1, Sunday at Bramlett Field.
It was the season-opening softball games for both teams.
Westberry didn’t allow a hit over the game shortened to 5 innings by the 8-run mercy rule. She struck out 12 of the 15 batters she faced and didn’t allow any baserunners from the Little Rock school.
FOUKE GIRLS STAY UNBEATEN IN CONFERENCE
FOUKE, Ark. — Despite a slow start in the first quarter, Fouke’s varsity girls walked away with 52-45 win over Glen Rose to remain unbeaten in conference play at 12-0.
The Lady Panthers found themselves down 14-9 after the first period but went on to score 17 in the second quarter to take a 26-21 lead into halftime.
Laynie Richardson connected on five 3-pointers and led the home team with 17 points, while Jacie Bishop finished with 11 points, Logan Smith having nine points and Nailah Zetrenne adding eight points.
Fouke (17-1) also won its junior high girls game, defeating Genoa Central, 42-14, in the first round of the district tournament.
POWER SPARKS HAWKS’ GOLF TEAM
LONGVIEW, Texas — Pleasant Grove’s golf team competed Monday in the Lobo Classic at Pinecrest Country Club.
Junior Power, who shot an overall 80, led the Hawks, followed by Landon Prejean’s score of 90, Saxton Lawrence’s 93, Corbyn Spry’s 106 and Gavin Escamilla’s 129.
PITCHER MICHAEL WACHA STILL UNSIGNED
With spring training for pitchers and catchers just days away, free-agent pitcher Michael Wacha remains unsigned.
Wacha, the former Pleasant Grove standout and Texas A&M hurler, is seeking a twoyear deal worth roughly $30 million. As of today, no teams have reached a deal with the 6-foot-6 right-hander who pitched for the Boston Red Sox last season before becoming a free agent.
Wacha is the last remaining unsigned free agent pitcher from the Major League’s Top 50 list. Most clubs have been offering the 31-year-old pitcher a two-year dead in the $16 million range, several newspapers have reported. His marketability is measured at just under $12 million a season, although he has been seeking $15 million.
PLEASANT GROVE BEATS ATLANTA IN SCRIMMAGE
Atlanta and Pleasant Grove, two baseball teams with a habit of making deep playoff runs, knocked off the rust in a scrimmage in Atlanta
on Monday night.
The score isn’t supposed to matter in these affairs, but two sets of packed stands for a scrimmage indicates someone cares. For the record, PG was leading at presstime, 7-3, after seven innings. Both teams displayed strong pitching, at times sharp defense, and in the case of PG, timely, two-out hitting.
Jarrod Halter, Hunter Digby and Brenton Clark held the Rabbits to one run through the first six innings.
TUESDAY
TEXAS HIGH FALLS TO TYLER IN LIONS DEN
TYLER, Texas — There were Lions and Tigers and no fans on Tuesday night.
In a game that both coaches and schools were anxious to get past, the Tyler High Lions scored a 71-59 win over the Texas High Tigers in a District 15-5A basketball game at the Lions Den.
A little over three weeks ago on Jan. 13 in Texarkana, the two teams got into a fight just minutes into the first quarter, resulting in a double forfeit and several players from both teams suspended.
Only players (minus three players from each team who were deemed to be instigators by the district executive committee), coaches, school officials, seven Tyler ISD and one Texarkana ISD policemen, and media were present.
LIBERTY-EYLAU FALLS TO PARIS
TEXARKANA, Texas — Liberty-eylau dropped a crucial District 15-4A basketball game to Paris, 57-52, Tuesday night at the Rader Center.
The Leopards fall to 165 overall and 4-4 in district while Paris climbs to 6-2 in district, which is second behind league-leading Sulphur Springs (8-0).
WEDNESDAY
ALL-STATE: HAWKS HAVE 2 PICKS, TIGERS 1
Pleasant Grove landed a couple of players on the Class 4A all-state football team and Texas High had one in the 5A ranks it was announced today.
The teams are called the Blue Bell/texas Sports Writers Association all-state squads selected by writers who cover high school athletics in the Lone Star State.
The Hawks had a thirdteam selection in offensive lineman Victor Shaw, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior. Pleasant Grove’s other pick receiving honorable mention was lineman Lance Jackson, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound sophomore.
The Hawks played four rounds into the state playoffs and lost the regional final to eventual champion Carthage.
Texas High’s all-stater was second-team offensive guard Briley Barron. Barron is a 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior.
EX-DOLPHIN PLAYED IN TWO SUPER BOWLS
TEXARKANA, Texas — It’s happened 41 years ago, but former Miami Dolphins linebacker Ernest “Ernie” Rhone remembers like it were just yesterday.
“My biggest thrill of playing in the NFL for 10 years was sacking Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann in the Super Bowl in 1982. I had a good shot at him and I wasn’t about to let him go,” Rhone said Wednesday from his Texarkana home.
The photo of that sack was published inside the famous magazine, Sports Illustrated. “I’ve still got a copy of it,” said Rhone, 69.
Rhone is now retired from the Texarkana Independent School District where he worked 27 years as a teacher and assistant football coach at Texas High. He was on then-head coach Barry Norton’s staff when the Tigers won their lone football state championship.
Rhone started his football career playing for the Ashdown Panthers, where he was a team captain. He played tight end and defensive end.
FRIDAY L-E ROLLS ON SENIOR NIGHT
TEXARKANA, Texas — Eight Liberty-eylau players were honored on Senior Night before the Leopards came away with a 74-57 victory over North Lamar Friday night at the Rader Dome.
Liberty-eylau improves its overall record to 17-5, and the Leopards are in third place in District 15-4A with a 5-4 mark.
North Lamar drops to 10-21 overall and 2-7 in district.
The eight seniors honored were Tracy Revels, Jordan Reed, Rodric Galloway, Jayden Hampton, Omarion Patterson, Pharrel Thurman, Jay-dee Davis and Torin Johnson.
Hampton tied with Tracy Revels for high-point honors with 15 points.
LEOPARDS WIN COIN FLIP, EARN NO. 2 SEED
Liberty-eylau’s Lady Leopards finished in a three-way tie for second-place in District 15-4A play, but Athletic Director Dewaski Davis won a coin flip and secured the league’s runner-up spot in the state playoffs.
“Three teams, Paris, Sulphur Springs and us (L-E) finished in a tie, so we decided to have a coin flip instead of having to wear everybody down with a two-game playoff,” said Davis, who is now coaching the Lady Leopards’ basketball team.
“We’re in the playoffs as the second-place team, so hopefully that might help us a little early, but we’ve got several outstanding teams in our side of the bracket, including Sunnyvale (27-5) in a possible second-round matchup.
“We’re glad to be where we are, and we’re just ready to put in our chips and see where they fall.”
Liberty-eylau will face Canton (26-7, 9-3), the thirdplace team in District 16-4A in the bi-district round at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Pittsburg. That game will be the first in part of a doubleheader playoff, Davis said.
HAWKS TUMBLE TO SULPHUR SPRINGS
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — District leading Sulphur Springs played a rude host in defeating Pleasant Grove convincingly, 70-43, in 15-4A action Friday night.
The Wildcats climb to 277 overall and 9-0 in district while the Hawks (4-5 district) tumble into the fourth spot in the league standings.
Liberty-eylau defeated North Lamar, 74-57, to move the Leopards into third place with a 5-4 record. The Hawks will host Liberty-eylau Tuesday in another key district game.
Torion Phillips paced Pleasant Grove with 16 points against Sulphur Springs.
LADY BACKS WIN ON ROAD
WHITE HALL, Ark. — An Arkansas High duo posted a double-double Friday night against host White Hall.
The Lady Backs won the Conference 5A-south game, 43-30.
Arkansas High was led by Makayla Dodd and Seaira Watson. Dodd scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Watson added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Both teams are now 4-8 in conference play.