Saturday, July 27, 2024
Sports Roundup From 05-18-2024
A historic softball season came to an end for the Tolar Lady Rattlers in the Class 2A Region II semifinals with losses to Crawford of 6-4 and 7-4 May 15 and 18 in Glen Rose.
The Lady Rattlers (22-8) advanced farther in the postseason than any other Tolar softball team ever has. They also had some individual accomplishments along the way.
Senior pitcher Reese Tryon ended her career with over 600 strikeouts. She also posted 62 victories. Both are the most ever by a Lady Rattler pitcher.
Junior catcher Allison Dobbs hit 11 home runs, a single-season record, including a clutch 3-run shot to rally the team in its regional quarterfinals win over Hico.
“To be a part of history making in our program is an honor, a memory that will forever be etched on my heart as the head coach and on the girls’ hearts accomplishing this with their teammates who committed fully to the goal we set at the beginning of the year,” Tolar coach Christy Collie said.
“Each year our seniors choose the motto for the team and this year’s motto ‘Out Play, Out Work, Out Last’ was definitely lived out and was perfect for the chemistry and talent our team had this season.”
The Out Play part of the motto was to outscore their opponents, which included outscoring their District 11-2A opponents 65-5 and their postseason foes 59-23.
And they fought Crawford, ranked No. 3 in the state and state champions in 2022, leading the second game 4-3 late. In the first game they closed to within 5-4 after six innings.
“In the end Crawford (26-5) outscored us, but the girls worked and worked and worked,” Collie said. “We just came up a few scores too short.”
The Out Work part of the motto focused on being dominant players offensively and defensively, Collie said, making plays that stretch the opponent’s confidence and rattles them. “Plays that take hits away, catch runners stealing bases and rolling double plays to get us out of the inning,” she described. “Offensively, we hit shots and holes, making our opponents’ defense work and move and pressuring them with aggressive base running.”
Collie said Out Last represented the mental part of the game.
“Outlasting the pressures our opponents created and outlasting our own moments of doubt or frustrations when plays weren’t going our way. Choosing to be mentally strong each play and each at bat,” she said. “Choosing our teammates over our own ‘self pity’ moments we can fall into when things aren’t going the way as planned. I truly believe living this out as a team is what helped us to accomplish our team goal which was to make it to the regional semifinals.”
The Lady Rattlers return 13 players next season as the program moves up to the Class 3A level.
Tolar hitting in Game 1 vs. Crawford: Senne Imel home run, RBI; Jaylyn Miller one hit, walk; Dobbs one hit, RBI; Kanyn Deaver, one hit, two RBIs; Tryon walk.
Tolar pitching: Tryon 7.0 innings, seven hits, six runs (four earned), four strikeouts, five walks, four hit batters.
Tolar hitting in Game 2: Dobbs one hit, RBI; Tryon one hit, RBI; Ava LeCluyse one hit, walk, RBI; Imel two walks; Jorgia Reed walk; Miller RBI.
Tolar pitching: Tryon 6.0 innings, nine hits, seven earned runs, nine strikeouts, four walks, hit batter.
TOLAR BASEBALL
Despite the loss of a plethora of talent from last season, the Tolar Rattlers once again had a great season. The Rattlers (16-9-2) advanced to at least the third round of the playoffs for a fourth straight season, including a regional finals appearance in 2023.
This season ended with losses of 5-3 and 5-0 to Valley Mills (32-2), ranked No. 3 in the state, in the Class 2A Region II quarterfinals May 15 in Glen Rose.
The Rattlers graduated six players from their regional finalist team and lost another key starter in the state championship football game in December due to a torn ACL. “The guys stepped up and competed hard in their place. We won our district and reached the third round of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row because of these players,” Rattlers coach Lance Alford said.
Along the way, the Rattlers gave Alford his 100th win as a head coach.
“I’d trade the 100 wins if that meant we could play into June again this year,” he said.
In the opening game, the Rattlers scored two runs to take a 3-2 lead after the top of the sixth against Valley Mills before the Eagles rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The second game was a scoreless tie through the first four innings.
The Rattlers, who will be competing in Class 3A, will return five players next season.
Tolar hitting in Game 1: Talan Brown one hit; Cutter Cain triple, RBI; Jesse Owen home run, RBI; Merritt Imel one hit; Drake Owens one hit; Mitchell Alford hit by pitch.
Tolar pitching: Owens 5.1 innings, eight hits, five runs (two earned), five strikeouts, five walks; Oakley Saffer 0.2 innings.
Tolar hitting in Game 2: Rowdy Tryon one hit, walk; Noah Yanish one hit, walk; Cain one hit, walk; Brown walk; Imel walk.
Tolar pitching: Brown 6.0 innings, seven hits, four earned runs, one strikeout, two walks; Saffer one inning, two hits, one run (zero earned), one strikeout.
GRANBURY BOYS SOCCER
Joshua Croft has been hired as the new head coach for the Pirates. He comes to the program from Bridgeland High School in Cypress, where he helped the Bears go 16-5-3, win District 16-6A and reach the second round of the playoffs.
Croft replaces Drew McKinney.
GRANBURY BASEBALL
Four members of the Pirates (17-12, 5-7 in District 5-5A) were named to the all-district team by the league's coaches. Named to the first team were senior outfielder Gavin Current, senior shortstop Hunter Jones and junior pitcher Murphy Page.
Senior outfielder/pitcher Braxton Heffernan is an honorable mention.
Academic all-district accolades went to Heffernan, Jones, Come Bradley, Blake Bramlett, Derek Marquardt and Eli Sisco.
RODEO
Granbury High junior Carsyn Nolen is wrapping up her year as Miss North Texas High School Rodeo. She also competed in ride-up goat tying, qualifying for the NTHRSA Finals with results still being tabulated at press time.
Her father, Chase Nolen, is a professional barrelman (rodeo clown who entertains the crowd and protects the rider after they’re off the bull/horse) and her stepmother, Melinda Brock Nolen, grew up competing in the NTHSRA.
SUMMER CAMPS
Granbury ISD summer sports camps, all at Granbury High School, include:
Boys basketball - May 28-31, grades 1-5, 9-11 a.m.; incoming grades 6-9, Granbury High School, 1-3 p.m. Cost $80.
Football - June 3-6, grades 1-6, 8-11 a.m. Cost $75.
Baseball - June 3-6, grades K-4, 8-10 a.m.; grades 5-9, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost $90.
Softball - June 3-6, grades 2-6, 8-9:30 a.m.; grades 7-9, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Cost $70.
Girls soccer - June 10-13, grades 6-9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Cost $75.
Boys soccer - June 10-13, grades 7-9, 6-8:30 p.m. Cost $75.
Co-ed soccer - June 10-13, grades K-5, 8-10 a.m. Cost $75.
Tennis - June 17-20, grades 2-9, 8-10 a.m. Cost $70.
Boys basketball - June 24-27, grades 1-5, 8-10 a.m.; grades 6-9, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost $80.
Football - July 29-31, grades 7-9, 8-11 a.m.. Cost $75.
Volleyball - July 29-31, grades 7-9, 8-10 a.m. Cost $75.
Tolar summer sports camps, all at Tolar High School, include:
Girls basketball - May 28-30, grades 1-6, 8:30-10:30 a.m.; grades 7-9, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost $50.
Football - June 17-21, grades 7-9, playmaker camp, 10 a.m.-noon; grades 3-6, passing camp, 6-8 p.m. Cost $40.
Football - June 24-28, grades 7-9, linemen camp, 10 a.m.-noon. Cost $40.
Football - July 29-Aug. 1, grades K-9, 6-8 p.m. Cost $40.
Volleyball - July 29-31, grades 7-9, 8-10 a.m.; grades 4-6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost $50.
