Sports-Henderson County Now

Athens powerlifters headed to state meet

(We are working on getting a photo of the state qualifiers)

Athens Hornet Jose Rodriguez won the 123-pound Regional title, lifting at total of 985 pounds in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association (THSPA) Region 3, Division 2 meet yesterday in Rusk.

John Arellano finished second in the SHW class with a total of 1,475 pounds lifted.

The effort qualifies Rodriguez and Arellano to compete in the state powerlifting meet in Abilene Saturday, March 23. This will mark Rodriguez’s second trip to the state meet.

The 18 lifters Athens took to the Regional meet Wednesday finished 5th overall in the event, which featured 26 schools. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau took first.

Other notable finishers for Athens included:

Ricardo Rodriguez placed 5th in the 114-pound class with a total of 735 pounds.
Brian Gutierrez placed 8th in the 275-pound class with a total of 1,235 pounds.

Complete rankings for the team can be found here.

The Mitchells earn Outstanding Cardinal Award

Martha and Jimmy Mitchell receive the Outstanding Cardinal Award from TVCC Associate Athletic Director Kris Baumann. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Jimmy and Martha Mitchell were presented the Outstanding Cardinal Award during the final Trinity Valley Community College home basketball game Saturday, March 2.

Both were born and raised in Athens and attended high school together, but they went their separate ways after graduation and each of them married and had one child before both lost their spouses.

They reunited at a basketball game they attended with their children.

They have now been married 54 years and have five children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Martha retired from Athens ISD and Jimmy from the Texas Department of Human Resources. Jimmy has announced for the Little Britches Rodeo and is currently an auctioneer. He has also served on the TVCC Hall of Fame Committee.

The couple has been season ticket holders for decades.

TVCC Sports Notes: Lady Cards in action tonight

By Benny Rogers, Sports Information

The No. 1-ranked Lady Cardinals go after a 43rd straight Cardinal Gym win today against San Jacinto at 5:30 p.m. The game will be streamed (audio) online at www.youreasttexas.com.

The Lady Cardinals are 27-1 on the year and 14-0 in conference. San Jacinto is 7-18 and 2-12.

Earlier this month, the Lady Cardinals were an 80-46 winner against San Jacinto.

With a win against San Jacinto, the Lady Cardinals will clinch no worse than a share of a 12th straight conference championship.

The Lady Cardinals are scheduled to wrap up the regular season at home Saturday against ninth-ranked Blinn at 4 p.m. A win would give the Lady Cardinals an outright conference title and the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament next week.

SOFTBALL

The Lady Cardinals are scheduled to return to action Friday in the opening day of the three-day Region XIV Cross Over Tournament in Longview. They take a 13-7 record into the event.

Here is the seven-game schedule for the Lady Cardinals:

FRIDAY

2 p.m. – vs. Alvin

6 p.m. – vs. San Jacinto

SATURDAY

9 a.m. – vs. Lamar

3 p.m. – vs. Coastal Bend

7 p.m. – vs. Blinn

SUNDAY

11 a.m. – vs. Galveston

3 p.m. – vs. Angelina

Coach Ashley Johnston is four wins from her 100th career victory.

The Lady Cardinals’ next home game is Wednesday, March 14 against Navarro. Doubleheader action begins at 1 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Cardinals head east across the border tonight to take on Bossier Parish in their final road game of the regular season. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Cardinals take an 18-10 season record into the contest. They are 9-8 in conference play. Bossier Parish, which fell 80-69 to the Cardinals earlier this month at Cardinal Gym, is 9-17 and 2-15.

Improving their seeding at next week’s regional tournament will be the top priority for the Cardinals. With two games to go, it appears they will most likely be seeded anywhere from 7-10.

The Cardinals are scheduled to close the regular season at home Saturday against Navarro. Game time is 6 p.m.

ON THE AIR

The Cardinal Sports Network will webcast Saturday’s doubleheader at Cardinal Gym. Pregame programming for the 4 p.m. women’s game starts at 3:50 p.m.

You can watch the games at www.tvcc.edu.

Eustace Middle School athlete earns national recognition

Pictured (from left) are District Attorney Scott McKee, Noah Herring, and Casey Herring. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Special to HCT Now

Noah Herring, a 6th grader at Eustace Middle School and two-way player for the Eustace All Sports Association (EASA) Little League Football team, received the Black Lion award Saturday before a basketball game in Eustace.

The Black Lion Award is presented annually to youth, middle and high school student-athletes across the nation who personify team play in memory of Army Major Don Holleder, a West Point All American football player who gave his life while trying to save his men of the 28th Infantry Regiment “Black Lions” in combat during the Viet Nam War on Oct. 17, 1967. Major Holleder and 57 other Black Lions were killed in action that day. Two are still missing.

Holleder was a stand-out athlete at West Point, leading the Army team as its quarterback during the 1955 football season.

The Black Lion is not an individual award in the same sense as a most valuable player award. It is intended to go to a player who best exemplifies the character of Don Holleder-leadership, courage, devotion to duty, selfless sacrifice, and above all an unselfish concern for the team ahead of himself.

Herring is also a stand-out baseball and basketball player. He was instrumental in his team’s success and its 2012 Little League Tri-County Football Super Bowl victory. The award was presented by District Attorney Scott McKee, a Major in the Army Reserves and assistant coach in the EASA organization.

Athens girls powerlifters headed to Regionals

The Athens High School girls varsity powerlifters competed at the Fairfield Invitational meet Thursday night, finishing 6th.

Individually the girls finished as follows:

CeCe Monmouth finished 2nd with a total lift of 790 pounds. This placing and lift total sealed her a competing position at the Regional meet. She is currently ranked 8th in the region.

Wendi Pacheco finished 3rd with a total lift of 535 pounds. She also earned a position at the Regional meet in the 114-pound weight class. She is currently 8th in the region.

Ingrid Castaneda finished 3rd with a total lift of 520 pounds. She will be competing at the Regional meet. She is ranked 9th in the region right now.

Melissa Rodriguez will go to the regional meet as an alternate. She is ranked 11th.

The regional meet is at Wills Point Friday, March 1.