Highland Falls to Calvert in State Semifinals

Highland's Sierra Allen calls for the ball as Calvert's defense collapses around her.

At the state 1A-II semifinal game in the Frank Erwin Center in Austin Friday, there was no mistaking Highland from Calvert.  It was the tall white girls in blue against the smaller black girls in white.

Unfortunately, the hot hand of Calvert’s Jaylonn Walker spelled doom for Highland’s hopes to advance as the diminutive sophomore made six three-point shots and 30 points overall as Calvert won the game 53-45 to move on to the state finals.

Highland came to play and jumped out to an early 9-3 lead—and the game might have turned out  different if it hadn’t been for Walker, who hit four early 3-pointers to keep the her team in the game and tie the score at 12-12.  It seemed that no matter how well the Hornets played or what they did, Walker kept neutralizing it with her long bombs.  Her teammates, initially tentative and unsettled, gained confidence from her success and finally began moving as the first quarter wound down.  The score at the end of one was Calvert 17-Highland 14.

Calvert then started the second quarter with a 9-4 run to extend their lead to 26-18, and for the rest of the game, the Trojans played with confidence, while Highland’s girls found themselves struggling in the unfamiliar situation of playing catch-up.   At the half, the score was 30-26 Calvert.

In the third quarter, the Trojans extended their lead to 43-34 as their disruptive defense forced several turnovers and kept the Hornets from getting into any kind of offensive rhythm.

In the fourth quarter, the Highland girls tried their best to make a comeback, but Sierra Allen and Beth Richburg both fouled out with over three minutes left to go, and although the rest of the team played well, they couldn’t find the spark they needed to get back into the game, and the Lady Hornets wound up losing by eight, 53-45.
 
High scorer for the Hornets was Hannah Allen with 13, followed by Sierra Allen with 12.  Schyler Kimbrell had 8, Sydney Helbert 6, and Madison Moseley 6.

The next night Calvert played for the State Championship against Nazareth, but Jaylonn Walker wasn’t nearly as hot as she had been against Highland, hitting only 3 of 12 three-point shots.  She also fouled out, and Nazareth won easily, 82-41.

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REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS CHOOSE CANDIDATES IN PARTY PRIMARIES

Election volunteers Rosa Cruces, Celia Pietzsch, and Ernestine Edmiston wait for voters in the Community Center yesterday.

There were no real surprises in yesterday's party primaries as both Republicans and Democrats voted for their choices of candidates for the local and state elections in November.  In Precinct 6, the precinct for Roscoe and surrounding area, there was a total of 177 votes cast with 132 of those being Republican and 45 Democratic.

In the Republican primary,  voting in Precinct 6 for the top two in the listed races was as follows (all races not included, just the ones that generated the most interest):

U. S. Senator
          John Cornyn 80 - Steve Stockman 25
 
U. S. Representative, District 19
          Randy Neugebauer 86 - Donald May 28
 
Governor
          Greg Abbott 124 - Lisa Fritsch 4
 
Lieutenant Governor
          David Dewhurst 67 - Dan Patrick 30
 
Land Commissioner
          George P. Bush 96 - David Watts 32
 
District Clerk
          Connie Jamison 72 - Jamie Clem 39

All the Republican Party issues in the referendum passed overwhelmingly.

In the Democratic primary, the votes in Precinct 6 went like this (top two only, uncontested races not included):

U. S. Senator
          Kesha Rogers 15 - Maxey Marie Scherr 9

Governor
          Wendy Davis 31 - Reynaldo 'Ray' Madrigal 8

Agriculture Commissioner
          Jim Hogan 18 - Richard "Kinky" Friedman 16

All the Democratic Party issues in the referendum also passed overwhelmingly.

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PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS TO HOST BLACKLAND DIVIDE RELAYS FRIDAY

Plowboy Shelton Toliver attempts to clear the high jump bar at last year's Blackland Divide Relays.

This week it’s Roscoe’s turn to hold its annual track meet, the Blackland Divide Relays, which will take place on Friday afternoon at Plowboy Field.  Eight schools will participate in the high school meet: Baird, Hamlin, Hawley, Jim Ned, Roby, Roscoe, and Winters.  Post will also take part in the junior high meet.

Field events begin at 2:30pm. These include the long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, discus throw, and shot put.  The 3200 meter run begins at 3:00 and the running finals at 5:30.  These include the following in order: 400 meter weight man relay, 400 meter relay, 800 meter dash, 110 meter hurdles, 100 meter hurdles, 100 meter dash, 800 meter relay, 400 meter dash, 300 meter hurdles, 200 meter dash, 1600 meter run, and 1600 meter relay. 

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PLOWBOYS DOMINATE DISTANCE RUNS AT ROBY TRACK MEET

The Plowboys showed their strength in the long distance runs at Roby’s Cottonwood Relays on Friday, winning the top three spots in the 3200 meter run, the top two in the 1600 meter run, and the top spot in the 1600 meter relay.

In the 3200, Jesus Leanos was first with a time of 11:30, Javier Leanos was second at 12:13, and Luis Villa was third at 12:17.  In the 1600, Javier Leanos was first (5:14.3) and Jesus Leanos was second (5:14.4); and the Plowboys’ relay team was first in the 1600 meter relay at 3:44.3, Rotan second (3:44.9), and Knox City third (3:45.5).  Kevin Lavalais was third in the 400 meter run (55.6), and Shelton Toliver was third in the 200 meter dash (24.2).

For the Plowgirls, Danielle Dean was second in the 800 meter run (2:50), and Karina Cisneros was second in the 1600 meter run (6:36).  The Plowgirls’ 1600 meter relay team came in third (4:38) to Coahoma’s 4:33 and Knox City’s 4:35. 

This Friday, March 7, the Plowboys and Plowgirls will host the Blackland Divide Relays at Plowboy Field. 

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COUNTRY MUSIC GREAT GENE WATSON TO PLAY HERE FRIDAY NIGHT

Gene Watson

Country music legend Gene Watson and his Farewell Party Band will be at the Lumberyard Friday night.  Known in the music business as a “singer’s singer,” he has been recording since the sixties and is looked up to by such younger stars as Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Lee Ann Womack, and Randy Travis. 

His recorded hits include “Fourteen Carat Mind,” “Love in the Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party,” “Memories to Burn,” “Got No Reason Now for Going Home,” and others. 

The opening band is Wildfire with Watson taking the stage around 9:30pm.  Cover charge is $20.

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WEATHER REPORT

Ice-covered trees by the Post Office on Sunday afternoon.

It’s been another one of those Jekyll and Hyde weeks as far as the weather is concerned with warm, sunny days followed by unusually cold ones with wind chills approaching zero, then returning to warm, springlike days again. 

Last Friday the high was 80°F, southwest winds were strong with gusts up to 40mph, and the sky close to the horizon was dusty and reddish.  On Saturday, the winds died down somewhat, and it was a beautiful day with an afternoon high of 83°.  However, that night a norther blew in and the high temperature for Sunday was the 36° recorded just after midnight.  By dawn skies were overcast, the temperature had dropped to 15° and the sharp winds made it feel even colder.  Temperatures remained below freezing all day with a freezing fog, and by Monday morning were down to 11° with a high of 32° that afternoon.

Then, the weather warmed up considerably yesterday, rising to 63° in the afternoon, but with the warm sunshine and only a very light breeze, it felt warmer than that.  I went for a walk in a short-sleeved t-shirt and felt completely comfortable.

The weather today will be somewhat cooler as winds will shift to the north this afternoon.  The high today will be in the upper fifties and the low tonight in the mid thirties.  Thursday will be a little warmer, and Friday’s high will be in the mid seventies with a low in the forties.  Saturday will have cooler temperatures and a 40% chance of rain diminishing to 30% Saturday night and 20% Sunday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

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† BOBBIE STROTHER

Services for Bobbie Lucille (Davenport) Strother, 82, will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, March 7, at the First Baptist Church in Roscoe.  Interment will follow at the Roscoe Cemetery.  She passed away on Tuesday, March 4, at Hendrick Medical Center.

  
Ms. Strother was born in Roscoe on June 8, 1931. She married D.C. Strother on July 20, 1947, in Breckenridge. Bobbie was a lifelong resident of Roscoe, a member of the First Baptist Church, and a graduate of Roscoe High School. She was also a past member of the Sweetwater Elks Lodge #1257 BPO Does and the Roscoe American Legion Post #227 Ladies Auxiliary. She was a bookkeeper, sales lady, and an employee of Don Lambert Wholesale Lumber, and Anthony’s Department Store. She and her husband, D.C., owned and operated D.C.’s Trailer Sales.

Survivors include her son, Phil Strother of Roscoe; grandchildren Chase Strother of Lubbock, Sharon Froman of Pawnee, Illinois, and Shane Sennett of Havana, Illinois; seven great-grandchildren, one great great-grandchild, and cousin Linda Strother of Abilene.

She was preceded in death by her husband, D.C., on November 17, 2007; her son, Ricky Lynn Strother, on June 3, 1973; a grandson, Jacob Strother, her sister, Lillie B. Miller, and her parents, Robert S. and Mary L. (Beck) Davenport.

Pallbearers will be Phil Strother, Chase Strother, Teddy Head, Steve Hagerman and Tommy LeCroy.

Visitation will be on Thursday, March 6, 6:00pm-8:00 p.m. at McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.

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