Travis Cram

Somewhere in the Internet lies an opportunity for high school athletes and coaches, as well as at the collegiate level, to get what they want for their teams.

Social networking sites have grown in popularity over the last 10 years and are now being used for more than just posting pictures and keeping up with friends.

Hang on, I’m going to post something to Twitter real quick: “Writing column on how athletes can benefit from the Internet and social networking sites.”

While Facebook and MySpace have become some of the most popular places to post pics, videos and enter information, they have become better and easier to use, and even something like YouTube has been brought into the scouting and recruiting world of high school sports.

Don’t believe it’s becoming that simple? Try this one on for size:

Much like you or I can create an account on YouTube and post funny video blogs or recordings of our friends, athletes can now create a profile and upload highlight reels for college recruiters to see on gametapetube.com. One local high school athlete is already taking full advantage of the site as he prepares for his senior season at Lubbock High.

Go to the site and see if you can locate a video from the username slaughter_1. Yup, it’s Westerner wide receiver Nathan Slaughter’s own video of great catches and displays of his route-running and athleticism. Just 15 days on the Web and he had already generated more than 117 views of his video that he uploaded to the Web site’s server.

And he even took it a step further. In the information line below the video you can see his 40-yard time and vertical as well as his GPA, SAT and ACT scores — and they are quite impressive — giving coaches another idea of just how good of an all-round student-athlete they may be able to get in the 5-foot-8 receiver.

Even Roosevelt head coach Greg Poynor is amazed at how high school players can help boost their chances of being discovered nowadays.

“I think it’s unbelievable,” Poynor said. “A lot of that the kids can do themselves now. For the high school kids, that stuff is so easy. They love doing it and putting the videos on themselves and all it’s doing is helping to get themselves out there for these colleges to see.”

Poynor ran into a similar situation when linebacker Dylan Adams was searching for the opportunity to play in college after his senior season at Roosevelt in 2008.

He used an e-recruiting Web site to enter stats and get coaches to comment and grade what they saw in him to help college recruiters find him as an attractive addition to their program.

And it worked.

As we push the lines of using the Internet for more than just entertainment, it’s allowing coaches to find ways to use it as an extra digital scout.

Web sites like MaxPreps.com and THSCA.com (Texas High School Coaches Association) allow coaches to submit statistics, game box scores, videos and profile information into Web pages set up for them to use and be seen by other coaches, media and players’ parents.

And although it seems like most coaches may not want to use the site to expose what others may not know about them, eventually somewhere they find the information they need to get the extra edge or find the right player for their program.

Muleshoe head coach David Wood said he and his coaching staff are always looking for an extra advantage.

“We try to find as much stuff as possible on teams,” Wood said. “It’s kind of like when we were getting ready to face Bushland last year. They had a kid at running back and they didn’t use him hardly at all during the first half of the season, but during the second half of the season they doubled his amount of carries. So we realized he was just beginning to come into his own.

“Sure enough, there he was in the playoff game against us as their premier running back. We wouldn’t have known that had we just looked at his overall stats. But when we went into a site and looked at his game-by-game stats we saw that he was beginning to be more productive as the season went on.”

Southland sophomore quarterback Travis Arguello is thinking about using his Facebook and MySpace pages in a similar manner, which can really help a 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback get notcied at a small six-man school.

“I mostly just use it to keep up with friends and other people,” he said. “I’ve thought about posting some videos and other things on there that could maybe help me be recruited. You never know.”

In just three years, Muleshoe perfected the spread offense and captured the Class 2A Division I state championship in 2008. (A-J File Photo)

Much like most of us have become addicted to social sites and text messaging, a new technology in the form of an offensive scheme has become more popular than the latest celebrity Twitter.

Of the 39 area 11-man schools, around 20 will feature some form of a spread offense this season.

The spread offense has been adapted by high schools all over the state of Texas and the rest of the country but has had a strong influence on schools near the West Texas region in part because of Mike Leach and his success at Texas Tech since taking over the football program in 2000.

The spread’s high-flying, high-scoring, pass-happy antics have become one of the biggest shows on turf since Houston and BYU first came onto the college scene with a form of the spread some 20 years ago.

And with high school athletes now learning the complexities of a simplified format, it gives more teams a chance to dazzle fans and put up 60 points or more during a Friday night game.

Roosevelt head coach Greg Poynor, who is in his second year as head coach for the Eagles after learning the spread at Muleshoe with head coach David Wood, said it gives the undersized teams a chance to compete at the highest levels in their classes.

“It’s helped a team that didn’t have overwhelming, big linemen that can just shove people out of the way to be able to compete a little bit,” said Poynor, who led the Eagles to their first playoff win in 37 years last season. “What we try to do is try to get the ball to athletes in a little bit of space. And he may be only 5-foot-6, but if he’s healthy and has a grasp of the offense, he’s the type of guy that can be a star in a spread offense.”

Poynor took what he learned from Wood, who led the Mules to their first Class 2A Division I state championship last season, and formed it into a system that features other aspects of the Eagles’ offense.

They do similar things as far as short, precise passes to running backs and inside receivers but also feature a run package to get the ball around in different ways without giving away Roosevelt’s offensive scheme.

“In our offense we have about six, seven or eight guys that will touch the ball and have a chance to score,” Poynor said. “My biggest thing that I wanted to hit on was turn this into something we can use to win. It’s an offense that’s fun and one we can compete with and win.”

So has the technical offense spread out as far as it can go?

Traditional offensive schemes like the Power-I, Slot-I or Wing-T, such as the ones Littlefield and others have stuck to over the years, are becoming rare packages for defenses to face — especially in District 3-2A where Roosevelt, Post, Shallowater, Idalou and Denver City feature the spread somewhere in their offense.

Littlefield coach Bryan Huseman, whose team runs the Slot-I formation, said he has never seen a reason for the school to shift its scheme.

“I think the best thing is I’m not a very smart coach,” said a laughing Huseman, whose Littlefield squad ran through the regular season undefeated on its way to a District 3-2A title last year. “I don’t like change. So since I’m not very smart I never really ventured out to take on the spread.

“I love what we do here. We’ve been doing it for a long time since Jerry Blakely was the head coach here in the 1970s. … Our coaches love what we do and we love what we run and we’re always on the same page. We just never felt like it was ever necessary to change what’s been working for so long for us.”

More importantly for Poynor, it’s been a way to get more kids who would not have thought about playing football before involved at Roosevelt.

“To me it’s exciting for kids to watch and see something that seems so natural and fun,” Poynor said. “I think a lot of us started out throwing and catching a football when we first got into this sport. And now, it’s allowing these kids to come out and just keep having fun.”

Littlefield running back Patric Barrio isn’t new to the high school football scene, but he will be asked to take on a larger role for the Wildcats as one of the returning starters for the defending District 3-2A champions. He is just one of several players, both veterans and newcomers, stepping to the forefront for their teams in 2009. (John Bowersmith)

More than 10 coaches will take over area programs — some for the very first time — this year with a slew of players looking to fill important positions on the field to help lead their teams toward the postseason.

Probably no other feels the expectations of what he must produce in his first season than first-year head coach Todd Pearson at Monterey.

Pearson was named the new head coach of the Plainsmen in April, taking over for James Morton, who left to become the head coach at District 2-5A-rival Midland Lee. Pearson was a seven-year assistant at Monterey before this season and let everyone know immediately when he was introduced as the head coach that, “I told you everything was going to be all right.”

Pearson feels he has an advantage with his players and teaching them as practices got underway in the first two weeks of August.

“The transition was not a hard thing to do here,” Pearson said. “Obviously there are subtle changes anytime you have someone come in to a new position whether it is internal or not. You still have to make sure that your kids believe in your system and what you’re going to do and they know that you’re there.”

And with plenty of leaders coming back to the Plainsmen this season, like quarterback Sam Teague and wide receiver Arrius Holleman, Pearson believes he has the right student-athletes in place for a smooth transition, and a familiar face as a new head coach always helps.

“I think with these kids, a comfort zone is obviously something they look forward to having,” he said. “A familiar face always helps that transition out so they can get to concentrating on what’s important and the goals we have for ourselves this season.”

But when it comes to continuing winning ways with players there is probably no more of a notable change than who will take over under center at Muleshoe.

The Mules won their first state championship in 2008, taking the Class 2A Division I title with a perfect 15-0 record behind record-setting quarterback Wes Wood. Wood passed for more than 4,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in his one and only season at the helm of Muleshoe’s spread offense.

Wood’s predecessor, Garrett Riley, also played in head coach David Wood’s system, which is mostly based on Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. Riley is currently in a reserve role with the Red Raiders.

So in steps senior Jared Skipworth, who like many Tech quarterbacks will have only his senior season to run the Muleshoe spread. Skipworth was the primary backup last season and saw playing time at wide receiver, much like Wes Wood did his junior year behind Riley.

“The biggest thing is watching them adjust to just being new under center,” David Wood said. “But the reps are the biggest thing. Once you’re the starting quarterback it becomes more about seeing the whole field, getting accustomed to always reading the defenses and being able to read what the defenses are giving you.

“Anyone can run a bunch of plays. But being able to read things and recognizing coverages and then expose them is what running this offense is all about.”

Others taking over under center for 2008 postseason teams around the area include junior quarterback Caden Whitley at Roosevelt and Frenship junior quarterback Brandon Hanslik.

And then there’s Idalou, which just seems to find ways to continue its winning ways under head coach Johnny Taylor, who enters his 21st season with the Wildcats.

Taylor may have more new faces than most teams combined this season after seeing stars like quarerback/defensive end Sean Reagan and running back Tanner Cook graduate in the spring. Both were three-year starters for the Wildcats.

Senior C.J. Parkhill, who played quarterback for Idalou’s 7-on-7 team during the summer and played mostly at wide receiver last year, will step in to run the Idalou offense with junior running back Nick Gary.

“I think both of them had a good summer with 7-on-7,” said Taylor, who is 180-58-3 at Idalou. “Nick catches the ball really well and has a good eye for things when he runs with the ball, so we’re hoping he can step in there and help us at running back.”

No matter who the new faces are at positions or coaching spots, all pretty much would like to see a similar result, like Pearson, at the end of the season.

“First thing is getting back to the playoffs, and that’s taking it game-by-game with that goal in our minds,” Pearson said. “We can talk about other things and what else we thought we accomplished when we’re done. But we’re playing to get back to that winning tradition at Monterey.”

And the good thing for head coach Don Rives, who enters his ninth season with the Indians, is he will have plenty of experience to surround his team with.

The only snag thus far is who will lead the team behind center.

Sophomore quarterback Stephen Eubanks did not undergo surgery until earlier this summer after tearing his ACL last season. And senior Skyler Arthur, who looked to be the frontrunner to take over the starting spot, may have suffered a similar fate in the team’s first week of practices.

“We’re going to have a lot of people that have played, so practices have been a little bit more brutal and intense,” Rives said. “But we’re not looking too good on quarterbacks right now.”

Fresh off a District 5-1A title a year ago, Morton (8-4, 5-0 in 5-1A) brings back 20 lettermen and 16 starters — eight on each side of the ball.

None seem to be more important than Morton’s linemen, almost all of whom are returning starters on offense and defense.

Colton Bracken and Kendall Johnson helped push the Indians to an undefeated district season before losing in the Division I Region I area finals to Stanton, 35-21. The Indians put up record numbers last season behind quarterback Emerson Cornish and running back Luey Enriquez. The two led the Indians’ offense to an average of 436 yards per game, the most by any area 1A or six-man school.

“That’s really the majority of where our experience lies,” Rives said of his line. “So we just have to find a few people to fill in those spots around them. We just need to stay away from having any more injuries on this team.”

If Eubanks or Arthur are unable to step in at quarterback Rives said Rashaan ‘Mookie’ Ross, a freshman who normally plays wide receiver, has been getting reps at quarterback in case he will have to start the first game. Sophomore running back Trevor Arthur will try to fill the void left by Enriquez, who rushed for an area-high 1,400 yards on 145 carries last season.

Anton

It was an interesting offseason for the Bulldogs, who looked as though they were headed for the six-man ranks and even hired a coach to guide them once there.

Then, in mid-summer, Anton decided to go ahead and give 11-man one more go, so out was the six-man coach and in is South Plains veteran Rob Buffa.

Buffa, however, will have a young and inexperienced team with only one senior, running back/cornerback Dylan Smith.

Farwell

The Steers snagged the last postseason spot out of District 5-1A a year ago and will look to make it into the bi-district round in consecutive seasons after missing the playoffs for four years. But Farwell will have to do so without 13 of its starters from 2008.

Wide receiver Colton Christian gives the Steers their best chance offensively with other returners like quarterback Landry Actkinson. Actkinson completed 142 of 282 passes last season for 1,757 yards and 20 scores — averaging 350 total yards per game.

Linebacker Zac Stancell will have the responsibility of helping a defense with only four returning starters to try and improve on a group that held opponents to 20 points and 224 yards per game last year.

Smyer

Make it 16 seasons without a playoff berth for the Bobcats.

Nonetheless, second-year coach Rick Price said his 20 returning lettermen — including 18 starters — should help bring Smyer back into the postseason.

And it helps when you have a strong rusher like Aaron Martinez coming back after a 1,281-yard performance in 2008.

But the defense will have to get better. The Bobcats allowed an average of almost 41 points per game — second-worst in District 5-1A — while allowing an area-worst 397.5 yards per game.

Springlake-Earth

This is looking like a team destined to have a breakout season and maybe steal the top spot in 5-1A from Morton.

The Wolverines have 23 lettermen returning for the upcoming season and seven starters on a defense that held opponents to fewer than 20 points per game while allowing only 271 yards on average.

All eyes will likely be fixed on linebacker Devin Johnson when an opponent has the ball. The speedy junior tallied 146 tackles, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in his sophomore campaign.

Junior quarterback Blake Betz will look to pad his stats and the Wolverines’ win column a little more, leading five starters back on offense. He put up almost 2,000 yards of offense last season.

Sudan

The Hornets would like to try and steal a playoff spot as well this season after missing the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

Second-year coach Chris Fambro returns 24 lettermen and eight starters who play both ways — including tight end/defensive end B.J. Davis, running back/linebacker Taylor Soles and lineman Rhett Sain.

Davis will be the main offensive threat again. The 6-foot-7 senior had more than 500 yards receiving and seven touchdowns last season.

The Wildcats finished as the only undefeated team in District 3-2A (7-0) and had their first undefeated regular season under head coach Bryan Huseman, who is headed into his ninth season at the helm.

But Littlefield ran into Muleshoe in the Class 2A Division I regional semifinals, and the Mules beat the Wildcats 28-10 en route to the state championship.

That first practice brought a little perspective back into what the Wildcats have in store for the 2009 season and how different it might be.

“We’re really young and inexperienced,” Huseman said. “We’ve got a lot of talented kids but we have a lot to learn as this season goes on.”

The Wildcats lost 13 lettermen, including quarterback Fernie Barrio, defensive tackle Jonathan Salinas and all-state linebacker Blake Torres.

Barrio, who’s younger brother, Patric, returns to help lead the offense, was the experienced leader of the group. Fernie racked up 581 yards on the ground and another 650 through the air.

Sophomore Tracy Huseman, junior Josh Merrifield and junior Devron McKelvey will battle for the quarterback position.

And then there’s the loss of Steven Hobratschk.

Wide receiver, tight end, defensive back, kicker, punter — he could do it all.

“There were so many that you just took for granted,” Huseman said. “They were there, they were awfully good for us and now that they’re gone people are going to have to step up and take their spots.”

But Littlefield does return youthful players with some starting experience — mainly in Patric Barrio and defensive back Blade Onofre. Barrio ran for 857 yards and scored 120 points last year. Both have started since they were sophomores and will have to help rally the younger players in a group that includes 13 seniors and 18 juniors — only seven of whom are returning starters.

“I think we have some talented kids that just don’t know what to do yet,” Huseman said. “They’re talented but we just have a lot to learn. … Now they have a year under their belts as sophomores and will have to help lead this team.”

Abernathy

New head coach Darrell Daily takes over an Abernathy program that just missed out on the playoffs last season, finishing 6-4, 4-3 in 3-2A.

His biggest task will be finding a replacement for running back Peyton Rogers, who led the South Plains area for Class 2A and below with 1,701 rushing yards and 162 points.

Daily inherits a team with 14 returning lettermen — 10 of whom are returning starters. Most notable are quarterback Ryan Pierce and wide receivers Dylan Lewis and Steven Barbee.

Pierce completed 44 percent of his passes for 1,304 yards, 10 touchdowns and only six picks last year. Two of his favorite targets, Lewis and Barbee, had 302 yards and 229 yards receiving, respectively.

Denver City

The biggest question surrounding the Mustangs and head coach Terry Summers is how a talented group of 14 returning lettermen will respond after the disappointing 2008 season, finishing 4-6 with just one win in 3-2A.

Summers is optimistic he has the right players to help lift the team to another level and will rely heavily on quarterback Alberto Alarcon and wide receivers Quade Adams and Kason Garner. Alarcon proved to be a reliable player, but can he get Denver City some wins in 3-2A this season after the Mustangs started out 3-0 last year?

Idalou

It has been an emotional roller coaster for Idalou since its 27-13 loss to Cisco in the Class 2A Division II Region I final. That game not only marked the end of the Wildcats’ 12-2 season, but the beginning of former running back Tanner Cook’s battle for his life.

Cook suffered a head injury near the end of his final game and had to endure several seizures before beginning rehabilitation in December.

Idalou returns only five lettermen and three starters from last year’s squad and looks to replace Cook and quarterback/defensive end Sean Reagan. The two helped lead Idalou into the postseason the past four years and will leave it up to C.J. Parkhill, Jacob Johnson and Blace Wallace to continue the tradition.

Parkhill was primarily a wide receiver last season, and handled kick and punt returns, but spent the summer as the quarterback for Idalou’s 7-on-7 team. He will most likely do the same in the fall.

Post

Head coach Chris Jones begins his second season with the Antelopes with plenty of players returning for the 2009 campaign. Jones brings back 17 lettermen — 14 starters — including senior running backs Giles Dalby and Clint Windham.

And he’s got a little twist to put on his spread system this season.

Windham looks to be the frontrunner to take over as quarterback, giving the Antelopes an option threat that could help produce some more points this season.

Windham and Dalby accounted for the majority of team’s points and yards en route to a 5-5 record, 3-4 in 3-2A, winning two of their final three games.

Roosevelt

Second-year head coach Greg Poynor is bound and determined to prove that 2008 was not a fluke — and so are his players.

The Eagles in 2008 won the school’s first playoff game since 1971 and made the furthest trek into the postseason in school history. Now comes the followup with only eight rturning lettermen and six returning starters

“We want those expectations,” Poynor said. “We want to feel like the type of program that expects to be in the playoffs every single year not matter who we lost or who’s coming back. But we’ve got no illusions. We know how tough the district is and we understand that.”

The Eagles will look to fill several holes from last year’s powerful offense. Junior Caden Whitley is expected to step in at qurterback and he’ll have just three returning starters to help him out in senior receiver Brett Poynor and linemen Hunter Herrell, a senior, and Dominque Cradduck, a junior.

Defensively is where the bulk of the Eagles’ returning talent lies in senior linemen Blake Petree, Cody Welborn and end Justin Fruits. Senior Tommy Ruzicka anchors the linebackers while Ryan Davis is back at corner.

Shallowater

The Mustangs will get somewhat of a face-lift with new head coach Kyle Maxfield bringing in his spread offense from Rosebud-Lott.

And he has quite a plethora of returning players to try and mold into his new system.

He’ll inherit 24 returning lettermen, 14 of which started last season for Shallowater. But one of the biggest concerns may be how the team improves defensively. The Mustangs allowed 283 yards per game and an average of 23.2 points per game while scoring just 15.1 points per game.

Slaton

As head coach Grady Benton heads into his third year at the helm of the Tigers, he’ll be looking for a little help on his squad from some younger players. The Tigers have eight returning lettermen, six starters from last season including junior running back/linebacker Levi Salinas.

Salinas will be the catalyst in Slaton’s attempt to boost an offense that prduced just 278 yards per game in 2008 while allowing 319 yards per game by opponents. He will most likely get the majority of carries that were handled by Jace Chancellor last season.

“In a way it’s good because we’re getting the respect we want,” Cornelius said. “I think we’re ready to accept that challenge and step up to it.”

The Longhorns look to win a tight battle this season with Klondike at the top of six-man District 5-IIA. Loop missed the postseason last year after finishing at .500 for the season (5-5, 2-2 in 5-IIA).

With returning starters and all-region selections Matthew Sellers and Dylan Bratcher back for this season, Loop will have the right players in place to get a boost in the right direction.

Sellers rushed for 1,532 yards and 28 touchdowns and also threw for 556 yards and nine scores last year.

Another player who gives the Longhorns a fighting chance is senior end/linebacker Joe Adam Jacuinte, a player who has shown a lot of promise in practices thus far, said Cornelius, who believes Jacuinte could be a big contributor on the field.

“He’s very knowledgeable when it comes to football,” Cornelius said. “He’s got great quickness, strength and shows that natural leadership out on the field.”

But the Longhorns would like to see the boost in defense as well — Loop was tied for the lead in the district with 51.7 points per game offensively but allowed the third-most points with 44.9.

Klondike

The Cougars were the 5-IIA runner-up last season and made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years under second-year head coach Brad Cox.

With nine lettermen returning and four starters on both sides of the ball, the Cougars have been a constant favorite with coaches to maybe take the district title this season.

Sophomore fullback Zach Barkowsky returns after leading the rushing attack for the Cougars his freshman season with 815 yards and 16 TDs.

But the offense will need a replacement for departed quarterback Dustin Ferguson, who threw for 1,851 yards and 26 touchdowns last season to lead all area six-man passers. Sophomore Mitchell Gregory should be the first in line to take over the position and will have leading receiver Jose Santana to throw to — 42 catches for 752 yards and 15 scores in 2008.

Dawson

Last year, first-year head coach Ed Robison led the Dragons to their first district title and postseason berth in 24 years, going undefeated in 5-IIA (5-0) with a 6-5 overall record.

Robison should have plenty of talent back to make another run and keep up with surging Klondike and Loop.

The biggest might be senior running back Landon Brown, a third-year returning starter who helped pace the Dragons’ offense last season with 101 carries for 1,597 yards and 27 touchdowns. But the Dragons will need someone to step up in place of departed running back Emmanuel Key, who accounted for 1,768 rushing yards and 21 scores.

Southland

New head coach Brad Clanton is hoping he can get things going this season for the Eagles and believes he has the talent to do things the right way — his way — to fight for a postseason spot.

But there aren’t any guarantees just yet.

“We look a lot better than we have in the past,” said Clanton, who came over after spending more than 10 years in TAPPS Division I and II with Granbury Happy Hill and most recently Joshua Christian. “I’m not trying to guarantee anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we come out with five to seven wins.”

One thing giving Clanton that kind of confidence is sophomore quarterback Travis Arguello. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, he could be a player who helps lead this team back to where it wants to be with its strength being the biggest key.

“We’re a really strong team,” Arguello said. “We’ve got to rely on our strength to beat some of the more speedy teams.”

Wilson

Fourth-year head coach Cody Sandlin gets eight returning lettermen and five starters back from last season and hopes to see some improvement on defense when it comes time to face six-man 5-IIA opponents.

Wilson allowed 51.9 points per game last season while scoring an average of only 20.4 en route to a 1-9 record (1-3 in 5-IIA).

But Sandlin feels good about getting full use of his tailbacks this season.

“We didn’t get two tailbacks until district,” he said. “So hopefully we can get off to a better start this season.”

Once he got his backs during district, the offensive production improved. Wilson averaged 47 points per game over a three-game stretch. Senior running backs Rito Martinez and Frederick Ramos will look to do the same for the Mustangs when this season starts.

Estacado softball coach Christy Kegans knew this season was going to be a special one for the Lady Matadors.

They even got a colorful sign in practice one day.

“There was one day where there was this rainbow stretched all the way across the field and I took a picture on my phone as quick as I could,” Kegans said. “And I told them that day, ‘Look, if God’s putting a rainbow over this field that means that something special is going to happen this year.’ And they all agreed. … That was our motivation for the rest of the season.”

Kegans helped take an Estacado program that had never won a district game to third place in District 1-3A this season, missing the playoffs by one game.

So it’s no wonder Kegans is the choice for Coach of the Year on The Avalanche-Journal’s All-City Softball Team.

Joining her from Estacado on the All-City squad are junior center fielder Destinee Royal and freshman shortstop Megan Luna.

Both were instrumental in helping Estacado reach new heights this past

season. The Lady Matadors finished 10-14 (4-6 in 1-3A) and missed the postseason after losing a third-place tiebreaker to Dalhart. Now Kegans and her players have their sights set on next season.

“I can almost predict that we will win the district next year,” Kegans said. “I think losing that game to Dalhart may have been the best thing that could have happened to us. I think they needed to feel that loss so that they don’t ever want to feel it again.”

Our pitcher and player of the year are fitting choices this season, since they spent the entire year playing catch with each other while leading Coronado to another co-district title.

Lady Mustangs junior pitcher Meagan Navarrette and senior catcher Kelsea Blackstock were quite a 1-2 punch for J.J. Johnson’s team. Navarrette accounted for 26 of the team’s 36 wins during the season while Blackstock was busy providing the offense that propelled Coronado to a 15th consecutive bi-district championship, breaking the team’s single-season record for home runs in a season (12).

“In this sport, everything starts with a good pitcher and catcher,” Johnson said. “Kelsea came in and took the opportunity to be a senior leader this season. … Navarrette had the job of filling (Jori Rodgers’) shoes and proved that she could pitch well and have the same determination Kelsea did and it rubbed off on the rest of the team.”

COACH OF THE YEAR Christy Kegans Estacado

The Massachusetts native brought the Estacado softball team into the playoff hunt this season, coming one win and a controversial call away from achieving its goal.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Kelsea Blackstock, Sr., Coronado

The senior catcher and District 2-5A Defensive Player of the Year finished with a .500 batting average, hitting safely 67 times with 123 total bases, leading the team in slugging percentage (.918), doubles (14), home runs (12, a school record) and RBIs (65, ties Amanda Parsons’ record set in 2006).

PITCHER OF THE YEAR Meagan Navarrette, Jr., Coronado

No one in Lubbock commanded the circle like Meagan Navarrette did this past year. In 199 innings, Navarrette had a stunning 1.20 ERA, throwing complete games in 29 of 32 starts and had 12 shutouts. She was 26-5 and had 263 strikeouts.

UTILITY PLAYER Alexis Aguilar, Fr., Lub. High

Aguilar began to turn things around at the end of March, winning four of her last six games for the Lady Westerners and finished with 48 strikeouts in 632/3 innings.

PITCHERS Ashton Bell, Fr., Frenship

Bell went 10-3 on the season and hit her stride during District 4-4A competition, not allowing a single earned run during eight games. She finished the regular season with 1.14 ERA in 921/3 innings while striking out 152 batters.

Lauren Heinrich, Fr., Cooper

Nickamed “Boo,” Heinrich struck out 211 batters while going 19-8 with a 2.53 ERA. Heinrich averaged 1.4 strikeouts per inning and gave up only 132 hits – an average of less than one per inning, with three no-hitters, including a perfect game.

CATCHERS Kalee Robinson, Jr., LCHS

The junior catcher led LCHS to the TAPPS state finals by scoring 46 times with 48 hits (21 extra-base hits), 45 RBIs and had a .565 batting average to go with a .941 stolen-base percentage.

Hannah Durham, Sr., Monterey

Durham was a commander behind the plate for the Lady Plainsmen and was the team’s main offensive threat, hitting .477 – third-best amongst area Class 5A and 4A players behind Megan Granado and Kelsea Blackstock – with 41 hits and five home runs.

FIRST BASE Megan Granado, So., Coronado

Granado was solid in the field but even better at the plate, breaking four school records (batting average, at-bats, hits and on-base percentage). She hit .554 with 82 hits in 148 at-bats and had a .588 on-base percentage while swiping 14 bags. Her 55 runs scored is second-best in Coronado history.

SECOND BASE Katlin Reed, Fr., Coronado

Reed finished with a .940 fielding percentage, 80 assists and 46 putouts with only eight errors while turning 25 percent of the Lady Mustangs’ double plays. And she did plenty at the plate, as well, hitting .357 with 20 hits – six for extra-bases – and has 13 RBIs.

SHORTSTOP Megan Luna, Fr., Estacado

Luna, just a freshman, became a powerful presence in the Lady Matadors’ lineup, leading the team with a .649 average and had 37 hits – seven of which were for extra bases.

THIRD BASE Haley Goodrum, Sr., Coronado

Goodrum had an .888 fielding percentage and had 46 putouts on the team. She hit .346, scored 37 times and had 12 extra-base hits.

OUTFIELD Destinee Royal, Jr., Estacado

Royal led Estacado with 51 stolen bases while hitting .603 with a perfected bunt that was nearly impossible for any fielder to try and get her out on.

Meagan Low, Sr., Frenship

Low was a leader on the field defensively and helped lead the team with her bat as well. She hit .443 with a .670 slugging percentage and had 28 RBIs, 39 hits and led the team with 28 runs scored.

Hope Baker, Sr., Frenship

The District 4-4A MVP was mostly known for her defensive prowess and pitching skills. She had a .911 fielding percentage, committing only five errors all season and hit .304 and led the team with 35 singles while scoring 21 times.

DESIGNATED PLAYER Maddie Johnson, So., Frenship

Johnson hit .385 with 17 extra-base hits and led the Tigers with six home runs and 78 total bases. She struck out only 20 times in 117 at-bats.

Lightning struck at the right time for the East all-stars Saturday night in the Texas Six-Man Coaches Association Division I All-Star Game at Lowrey Field.

The squad had rolled off two touchdowns before halftime, narrowing a 22-point deficit down to four points, and scored on its first possession of the second half on a 16-yard reception by Milford’s Derek Williamson. The East went on to a 56-42 victory, holding the West to six points in the second half.

“We played about as poorly as we could during that first quarter,” East head coach Tye Adams of Gordon said. “Once we were able to control the ball and control what we were doing, our defense settled in with our offense and they both took care of things from there.”

A lightning delay stopped the game for an hour and a half. Play was halted at around 9:05 p.m., with 7:50 left in the third quarter, just one minute after the East scored a go-ahead touchdown to lead 40-36.

The West struck first when play resumed, regaining a 42-40 edge, but never came close again.

Adams’ defense, led by defensive MVP Nathan Howard of May — who also took care of 2-point kicks — was relentless the rest of the way. The West had only 89 yards in the final two quarters after racking up 305 yards in the first half.

“I just think the kids relaxed after a while,” Adams said. “It’s been about five or six months since these guys last strapped it on, so it just took a little while to get in that groove. The West had some big all-stars as well. I’m just glad these kids got to play this game tonight. … I think we would have waited until Tuesday or Wednesday to finish it if we had to.”

Williamson had an up-and-down night, dropping a few passes in open field but racking up 64 yards on three receptions and two kick returns for 142 yards — one for a touchdown.

Strawn’s Jonathan Lindsey became the East’s weapon of choice in the closing minutes. He barreled through the middle of the West defense four times in the final six minutes, scoring two touchdowns that put the game away.

“We really just wanted to run out the time,” Lindsey said. “Just wear them down and keep the clock moving.”

The West had the quick start for the second night in a row, scoring on its first two possessions in less than a minute.

Vernon Northside back Colby White hit Brady Ramsey of Valley for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the game and then ran off for a 55-yard run after forcing a fumble on the East’s first play from scrimmage.

The West mounted as much as a 30-8 lead in the first quarter with White racking up 92 yards rushing in the opening 10 minutes.
His 271 yards of total offense earned him the game’s offensive MVP.

Williamson made up for his initial fumble and dropped passes by running back the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to make it 30-16 West.

Fort Davis’ Adrian Hernandez added another first-half touchdown, increasing the West lead to 36-16, but then it was all East the rest of the half.

Strawn’s Johnny Abbott and Kyle Crawford of Abbott led the East on a five-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard pass from Crawford to Demarcus McGruder for the first of three consecutive touchdowns.

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TEXAS SIX-MAN COACHES ASSOCIATION DIVISION I ALL-STAR GAME
at Lowrey Field
EAST 56, WEST 42
East 16 16 8 16 — 56
West 30 6 0 6 — 42
First Quarter
WEST—Brad Ramsey 65 pass from Colby White (kick failed); 9:37
WEST—White 55 run (Rigo Mireles kick); 9:07
EAST—Johnny Abbott 6 run (Nathan Howard kick); 7:31
WEST—Ramsey 4 pass from Brady Hogue (Mireles kick); 4:45
WEST—Adrian Hernandez 1 run (Mireles kick); 0:25
EAST—Derek Williamson 83 kick return (Howard kick); 0:10

Second Quarter
WEST—Hernandez 46 pass from Hogue (kick failed); 8:26
EAST—Demarcus McGruder 12 pass from Kyle Crawford (Howard kick); 5:57

Third Quarter
EAST—Williamson 16 pass from Crawford (Howard kick); 8:51

Fourth Quarter
WEST—Hernandez 32 pass from Hogue (kick failed); 8:31
EAST—Jonathan Lindsey 4 run (Howard kick); 5:05
EAST—Lindsey 12 run (Howard kick); 2:58

TEAM STATISTICS
EAST WEST
First downs 15 13
Rushes-yards 24-144 24-177
Passing yards 146 216
Comp.-att.-int. 11-17-1 15-25-0
Punts-avg. 0-0 1-30
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 3-19 7-36

INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING —East, Johnny Abbott 12-96, Jonathan Lindsey 9-52, Derek Williamson 1-3, Kyle Crawford 1-(-7); West, Colby White 20-170, Adrian Hernandez 3-11, Brady Hogue 1-(-3)

PASSING —East, Crawford 8-11-1 104, Abbott 3-6-0 42; West, Hogue 9-15-0 115, White 6-10-0 101

RECEIVING —East, Williamson 3-64, Travis Russell 4-53, Demarcus McGruder 2-19, Abbott 1-13, Crawford 1-(-4); West, Hernandez 4-94, Brady Ramsey 4-80, Hogue 4-23, Matt Bell 2-23, Rigo Mireles 1-(-4)

Mother Nature was on the West All-Stars’ team Friday night at Lowrey Field.

After taking a three-point lead with just over seven minutes to play, the West forced a turnover before turning the ball back over to the East and the impending weather cut the Division II Six-Man All-Star Game about a minute and a half short as the West won 25-22.

It was not the biggest offensive show.

Defensive plays seemed to dominate the game but big plays slowly began to emerge — especially when they were needed the most.

After being shut out in the third quarter by the East, which took a 22-19 lead, West coach Jeremy Holt from Silverton got a little angry.

“We were upset with ourselves that we allowed them to shut us down in the third quarter,” Holt said. “So we changed some things up and put (Jonathan) Stiles at tailback instead of fullback and beefed up the line a little bit.”

The moves worked. Stiles scored on a 2-yard run after a big play by him on a reception from Klondike’s Dustin Ferguson allowed the West to get downfield.

“He’s a terrific kid,” Holt said of Stiles, who earned the game’s offensive MVP honors, racking up 41 yards on the ground and 113 yards receiving. “There’s a reason we felt comfortable in putting the ball in his hands.”

The West got off to a fast start, with one of its big plays coming on a fourth-and-14 on its initial possession. Jayton’s Caleb Harrison hit Rance Meadows of Dawson for a 42-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead.

The West tacked on two more scores before halftime to make it 19-14.

Hunter Hamontree of Leverett’s Chapel was the workhorse for the East. He finally got his squad on the board on the East’s third possession, on what might have been the play of the game.

Hamontree hit Jason Hughes downfield for a 38-yard pass and Hughes had the presence of mind to lateral back to Zach Smith who was trailing behind him at the West’s 5-yard line. Smith carried it in to help his team gain an 8-6 lead before the West struck again on Stiles’ 38-yard touchdown reception.

Late in the fourth quarter, just as the East began to march downfield against the windy conditions, Caleb Ballesteros was stripped on third down near the West’s 31-yard line. Silverton’s True Burson jumped on the ball to give the West possession with 4:16 to go.

Hamontree did not even get to finish the game in the same jersey after having the back of his original No. 6 shirt ripped off. He wore No. 50 the rest of the way.

He finished 7-of-9 for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

“Our defense was huge tonight,” Holt said. “We struggled a little bit offensively there after a while and it was big for our defense to pick up the slack like they did. Couldn’t be any more proud of these guys than I am right now.”

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TEXAS SIX-MAN COACHES ASSOCIATION
DIVISION II ALL-STAR GAME
at Lowrey Field
WEST 25, EAST 22
East 8 6 8 0 — 22
West 12 7 0 6 — 25
First Quarter
WEST—Rance Meadows 32 pass from Caleb Harrison (kick failed); 7:30
EAST—Jason Hughes 37 pass from Hunter Hamontree, Zach Smith scores on lateral (Hamontree kick); 4:48
WEST—Stiles 38 pass from Harrison (kick failed); 3:22
Second Quarter
EAST—Jason Hughes 24 pass from Hamontree (conversion failed); 2:45
WEST—Jon Longoria 6 run (Cade Holt pass from Nick Hess); 2:20
Third Quarter
EAST—Jeremy Eaton 1 run (Hamontree kick); 3:29
Fourth Quarter
WEST—Stiles 3 run (kick failed); 7:22
TEAM STATISTICS
EAST WEST
First downs 9 10
Rushes-yards 24-43 27-61
Passing yards 154 195
Comp.-att.-int. 8-19-0 12-15-1
Punts-avg. 2-20 0-0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 4-0
Penalties-yards 6-40 5-50
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING — West, Jon Longoria 13-43, Jonathan Stiles 10-41, Caleb Harrison 3-(-9), Dustin Ferguson 1-(-14); East, Jason Hughes 6-27, Jeremy Eaton 7-12, Zach Smith 1-5, Hunter Hamontree 8-1, Caleb Ballestros 1-1, Taylor Poteet 1-(-3).
PASSING —West, Harrison 7-9-1 143, Ferguson 4-5-0 44, Phillip Lascano 1-1-0 6; East, Hamontree 7-9-0 134; Eaton 1-3-0 10, Hughes 0-5-0 0, Poteet 0-1-0 0.
RECEIVING — West, Stiles 5-113, Meadows 2-32, Longoria 1-2, Cade Holt 2-8; East, Hughes 4-108, Tate Clark 1-20, Victor Lewis 1-23, Smith 1-10, Eaton 1-4

More than 30 area high school softball players will get one more chance to wear their team jersey today. And it may be their final fast-pitch softball game, as well.

The Greater West Texas Softball Coaches Association All-Star Games will be held today at PlainsCapital Park on the Lubbock Christian University campus, matching Class 5A/4A North and South teams in one game and the Class 3A through 1A East and West teams in the other.

Second-year Monterey head coach Staci Jackson was selected coach with Randall’s Steve Singleton for the 5A/4A North all-stars, which includes the Lady Plainsmen’s standout catcher Hannah Durham.

“It’s a real neat opportunity for her and for all these girls to go out and represent their high schools one last time,” Jackson said.

Coronado graduates Haley Goodrum, Kelsea Blackstock and Lauren Barker will join Durham on the North team along with Frenship’s Meagan Low and Hope Baker.

Lubbock High’s Micah Rivera, Jordan Saldana, Amanda Garcia and Celinda Hinojosa will be on the South team, helping create a nice District 2-5A/4-4A rivalry for today’s game.

“I think no matter what, it always becomes a rivalry somehow,” Jackson said. “But it will be fun watching these girls give it all out there.”

The East and West teams for the 1A-3A game at 1 p.m. will include girls from Ralls, Seminole, Slaton and Levelland as well as Cooper’s Alex Derr and Lillie Paschall, and Alicia Caudileo from Roosevelt.

Levelland head coach Jessie Casarez will head up the West team.

The day will begin with a drills demonstration at 11 a.m. for coaches who wish to watch and pick up a couple of things, followed by the 1A-3A game at 1 p.m., a scholarship presentation and then the 5A-4A game at 3:15 p.m.
High school softball

• What: GWTSCA All-Star Games

• When: Class 1A-3A game at 1 p.m. today; 5A-4A at 3:15 p.m.

• Where: PlainsCapital Park

• Tickets: $5 for adults, $3 for students

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travis.cram@lubbockonline.com l 766-8736

NORTH

Coaches

Steve Singleton Randall

Staci Jackson Monterey

Players

Hannah Durham Monterey

Haley Goodrum Coronado

Kelsea Blackstock Coronado

Lauren Barker Coronado

Justine LaFuente Tascosa

Emily Smirl Tascosa

Lynda Musick Tascosa

Meagan Low Frenship

Hope Baker Frenship

Lindsay Barton Plainview

Abby Hinojos Plainview

Kassi Deleon Dumas

Cecely Rodriguez Randall

Shelby Moser Randall

Kelby Doughty Pampa

Callie Preston Pampa

SOUTH

Coaches

Wes Overton Midland Lee

Julie Young Abilene Cooper

Players

Rachel Ives Midland Lee

Brooke Mulloy Midland Lee

Stephanie Rendon Midland Lee

Micah Rivera Lubbock High

Jordan Saldana Lubbock High

Celinda Hinojosa Lubbock High

Amanda Garcia Lubbock High

Samantha Baeza Midland

Allison Ennis Midland

Bailie Summers Midland

Chelsey Walters Odessa

Kristy Smith Odessa

Nina Pallarez S.A. Lake View

Kasey Lane S.A. Lake View

Val Rivas S.A. Lake View

Tabi Carney S.A. Lake View

Sarah Church Abilene Cooper

Branell Falcon Abilene Cooper

EAST

Coaches

Brent Morris Bushland

Arick Heredia Kermit

Players

Heidi Hall Seminole

Vanessa Ranman Seminole

Tara Smith Seminole

Allyson Sieder Wall

Nichole Jones Slaton

D’Maris Marillo Slaton

Yvette Torres Slaton

Marisa Franco Denver City

Reyna Saenz Denver City

Audriana Ordonez Ralls

Aubrey Martinez Ralls

Mari Samarripas Ralls

Jessica Rosales Ralls

Kolbi Graves Bushland

Katelin Wall Bushland

Ashley Montoya Kermit

Brittany Heiser Kermit

Lauren Nutt Kermit

WEST

Coaches

Jessie Casarez Levelland

Ryan Jackson Dalhart

Players

Alexandra Derr Cooper

Lillie Paschall Cooper

Shelby Allen Perryton

Jalisa Salazar Levelland

Janae Coleman Levelland

Tiffany Rice Levelland

Andrea Mendoza Levelland

Stephanie Smith Levelland

Vanessa Fowler Dalhart

Valarie Martinez Abernathy

Rachelle McKenzie Sanford-Fritch

Darcy Burkhammer Sanford-Fritch

Alicia Caudileo Roosevelt

CLASS 1A/2A/3A ALL-STARS

CLASS 5A/4A ALL-STARS