Monday, September 16, 2024
The 2024 high school football regular season began at press time with games that count “for real” on the record. The Granbury Pirates were at home against Waco and Tolar was playing at Peaster.
Both teams are on the road this next Friday with 7 p.m. contests.
GRANBURY FOOTBALL
The Pirates are making a trip to Waco to face University. The Trojans have turned their program around from 0-10 in 2022 with back-to-back playoff appearances.
The Pirates, meanwhile, are hoping to reach the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Since 2006, the Trojans have had four 0-10 seasons and three 1-9 campaigns. Prior to 2022 they had 13 straight nonwinning seasons.
This will be the third meeting between the teams, with each having won at home. University won 46-35 in 2020 and the Pirates won 56-27 in 2021.
The Pirates return two offensive and two defensive starters. University has eight offensive and eight defensive starters back.
Granbury offensive leader from 2023: QB Hayden Meyer, 287 yards, three TD passing, 250 yards, two TD rushing; OL Enrique Sanchez.
University offensive leader from 2023: WR London Evans, 51 catches, 876 yards, 11 TD, rated No. 3 athlete in nation.
Granbury defensive leader from 2023: LB Chase Cantrell, 65 tackles, four for loss, two sacks; DB Eli Sisco.
University defensive leader from 2023: LB Joaquin Martinez, 123 tackles, 21 for loss, interception, three sacks.
TOLAR FOOTBALL
The Rattlers are on the road for a second straight week to open the season as they travel to Teague to face the Lions for the first time ever. Tolar is preseason No. 11 in Class 3A Division II and Teague is No. 22 in 3A Division I.
The Rattlers return seven offensive and eight defensive starters from last season’s 14-2 squad that finished second in the state in 2A Division I. The Lions have seven offensive and five defensive starters back from an 8-4 team.
Both teams are regulars in the postseason, with the Rattlers having advanced to the third round in 2021 and the state quarterfinals in 2022. The Lions reached the second round last season.
Tolar offensive leaders from 2023: RB Peyton Brown, 560 yards, 12 TD in just nine games due to injury, career total of 4,731 yards and 90 TD; WR Talan Culbertson, 17 catches, 187 yards, three TD.
Teague offensive leader from 2023: QB Zak Leija, 1,644 yards, 13 TD passing, 830 yards, seven TD rushing.
Tolar defensive leaders from 2023: LB Drake Owens, 136 tackles, four for loss, sack, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries; DL Cash Clark, 103 tackles, 12 for loss, seven sacks, interception, two fumble recoveries.
Teague defensive leader from 2023: LB Jaden Cole, 113 tackles.
GRANBURY VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Pirates (10-12) hosted the Granbury Classic lastast weekend. All-tournament accolades went to Allyson McCabe.
Defeated Lubbock Coronado 2-0
Kills: Blakely Bleeker 8
Digs: Lilyan McCall 14, McCabe 13
Assists: McCabe 18
Receptions: Audrey Greinert 6
Defeated San Antonio Holmes 2-0
Kills: Bleeker 5
Aces: McCabe 6, Mattie Weaver 4
Digs: McCall 9
Assists: McCabe 10
Receptions: McCall 11
Lost 2-1 to Odessa Permian
Kills: Masyn Noe 9, Kailynne Sermarini 7
Blocks: Noe 4
Digs: McCall 22, Megan James 11
Assists: McCabe 21
Receptions: McCall 18
Defeated Mansfield Timberview 2-0
Kills: Bleeker 8, Jayla Hayes 8
Aces: McCabe 3
Digs: McCall 11
Assists: McCabe 22
Receptions: McCall 7, Bleeker 7
Lost 2-0 to Amarillo Tascosca
Kills: Bleeker 5
Digs: McCall 15
Assists: McCabe 10
Receptions: Greinert 12, McCall 11
Lost 2-0 to El Paso Eastlake
Kills: Bleeker 5, Hayes 5, Sermarini 5
Digs: Weaver 7
Assists: McCabe 17
Receptions: Greinert 13
Lost 2-0 to Mansfield Lake Ridge
Digs: McCall 8, McCabe 8
Assists: McCabe 11
Receptions: Weaver 12, McCall 11
Defeated Stephenville 2-0
Kills: Sermarini 7
Digs: McCall 12, Weaver 8
Assists: McCabe 19
Receptions: McCall 19
Defeated Odessa Permian 2-0
Kills: Addie Cowling 8
Digs: McCall 10
Assists: McCabe 18
Receptions: Weaver 10
The Lady Pirates then hosted Wichita Falls Legacy on Aug. 27, winning 3-0.
Kills: Noe 10, Bleeker 7
Aces: Greinert 6
Digs: McCall 14, Greinert 10
Assists: McCabe 29
Receptions: McCall 7, Weaver 7
This weekend the Lady Pirates are in Orlando, Florida in the prestigious KSA Events Fall Classic, facing some of the best volleyball teams throughout the nation. They return home to host Glen Rose Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.
TOLAR VOLLEYBALL
The Lady Rattlers (6-8) participated in the Glen Rose Tournament last weekend.
In pool play, the Lady Rattlers defeated Waco Robinson 2-0, then lost 2-0 to Midland Christian, Springtown and Blum.
In the Silver Bracket they won two of three, falling 2-1 to Grandview before defeating Fort Worth Trinity Valley and Arlington Grace Prep 2-0.
Tournament standouts included the defense of Sophia Walters, along with the blocking and killing of Allie Terrell, Atley Kolb and Senne Imel, and the setting of Abbie Soileau.
In a nontournament match Aug. 23, they hosted Valley Mills and won 3-0. Lily DeWitt and Allyson Dobbs led the way with their hitting.
On Aug. 27, the Lady Rattlers traveled to Grandview, falling 3-1. Standouts were Kanzi McQuain, Soileau and Kamryn Kolb, who returned from an injury.
Tolar is playing in the Rio Vista Tournament this weekend. They host Poolville Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
GRANBURY CROSS COUNTRY
The Lady Pirates competed in the Spartan Invitational in Burleson last Saturday. The Pirates were in the Southlake 2-Mile the same day.
Jaxon Glenn paced the Pirates, placing fifth with a time of 9 minutes, 35.10 seconds over the 5K course. Also, Jacob Wolfe broke the top 50, finishing 44th with a clocking of 10:55.97.
The Lady Pirates placed seventh in their meet, second among Class 5A teams. They were led by Ava Stein, 22nd, with a time of 22:39 over 5K. Josefina Berry was 34th in 23:21 and Kambry Zschiesche was 39th in 23:31.
The Granbury girls junior varsity was led by Elyse Jernigan, 31st, 26:34; and Karolina Berry, 34th, 26:52.
Both teams were competing in the Burleson Elk Run at press time. The Lady Pirates will then be in the Keller Fossil Ridge Run of the Panther Sept. 5, with the Pirates next participating in the Texas A&M High School Cross Country Invitational Sept. 13.
LIPAN CROSS COUNTRY
Annslee Tarpley led all Lipan runners with a third-place individual finish in the Bridgeport Invitational recently. She clocked a time of 15:37.10 over the 3.2K course.
Lipan was competing at Keene at press time and travels to Port Aransas Sept. 7.
GRANBURY TENNIS
The Pirates/Lady Pirates began District 5-5A play by defeating Keller Fossil Ridge at home recently, 15-4.
“After losing to them last year 14-5, this was a huge win for us. Not only did we lose to them handily last year, but this is a very competitive team in our district,” Granbury coach Athan Laskaris said. “It really showed that the hard work we put in all summer and off-season is paying off and gives us a confidence boost heading into a tough next few weeks of district.
“We are extremely proud of our players and how they competed. We had several very close girls matches, and we came out victorious in the majority of them, giving us the advantage in the team score.”
The Pirates swept the boys side of the ledger, winning all doubles and singles matches.
Boys doubles
Tyler St. Don/Colten Whitefield won 6-1, 6-1
Roland Krause/Oakley Boyd won 6-2, 6-4
Braxton Bailey/Chase Bohney won 6-1, 6-4
Girls doubles
Ava Hamrick/Lili Vaughn came back from down 2-5 in a set and won 7-5, 7-6
Allie Kazmier/Atleigh Young won 5-7, 6-2, 12-10
Mixed doubles
Kallen Graves/Ellie Weeks won 8-3
Boys singles
Krause won 6-1, 6-3
Whitefield won 6-1, 6-0
St. Don won 6-1, 6-1
Bailey won 6-3, 6-1
Boyd won 6-2, 4-6, 10-6
Cohney won 6-4, 6-0
Girls singles
Mandi Labelle won 6-3, 6-2
Albane Combres won 6-3, 6-2
Young won 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
Vaughn won 6-2, 7-6
Granbury also won its junior varsity match against Fossil Ridge, 18-1.
Boys doubles:
Levi Logsdon/Hayden Garcia won 8-0
Camden Lynch/Reece Hunt won 8-0
Jayden Shepard/Landon Areno won 8-0
Girls doubles
Mckenna Moreno/Rayleigh Langdon won 8-1
Kenia Jimenez-Zuniga/Miranda Munoz won 8-3
Joselin Briones/Kyleigh Ledesma won 8-2
Boys singles
Lynch won 8-0
Logsdon won 8-0
Garcia won 8-0
Whitlock won 8-4
Hunt won 8-1
Noah Lilley-Martinez won 8-0
Girls singles
Moreno won 8-2
Kaydence Grumbine won 8-1
Briones won 8-1
Langdon won 8-0
Munoz won 8-2
Ledesma won 8-7
Granbury was hosting defending district champion Aledo at press time.
