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Sports
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
It was a season filled of highs and lows for Midlothian athletics. Sports writer Alex Riley takes a look back at the best shots, performances and moments that made the year one to remember
1.
First year offers many memories, lessons learned
Buzzer beater sinks Waxahachie
The obvious reason for this game being No. 1 is the final shot. Three-point attempts with hardly any time on the clock are always a thrilling finish. But it was the combined elements that made the boys basketball team win over county-rival Waxahachie the biggest moment of the year. Trailing 50-48 with 10 seconds left in the game, guard Trent Morgan came up with a steal and pass ahead to Blaine Blackburn for the game-tying lay-up. On the inbounds play, Blackburn fouled Waxahachie’s Jamison Sterns to send the Louisiana Tech signee to the free throw line. Sterns’ first shot missed as Eddie Johnson came up with the rebound and passed ahead to Morgan. He was trapped in a double-team which forced a jump ball that stayed with the Panthers with just 4.2 seconds left. The inbound pass was bounced around before going off an Indian player with 1.2 seconds left on the baseline. That set up a higharching pass from Morgan to Blackburn who fired off the 3-pointer that won the game and created a court full of chaos. Students from the opposite end of the floor rushed the court as the bench cleared and a mass celebration broke out. The victory propelled Midlothian to the District 16-4A title and a deep run in the playoffs.
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Photos by Chad Wilson/The Mirror
Blaine Blackburn’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Waxahachie sparked mass celebration by the team and fans. It also sparked the run to a district title.
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
2.
Red Oak’s misery was Midlothian’s celebration as an error in the 10th inning allowed the winning run to score and the Panthers to advance in the playoffs. The shot to third off Justin Shealy’s bat incited a mob scene at first base in celebration. It was the second straight year the baseball program won the bi-district title with a win over Ellis County rival Red Oak.
Error proves difference in baseball bi-district
The entire series between Midlothian and Red Oak in the bi-district playoffs had been a memorable one. But the final play proved to be the lasting moment. With runners on second and third and two out in the inning, the Panthers were trying desperately to end a 10-inning affair with their Ellis County rival and move on in the playoffs. A walk by Blake Lunday and base hit by Zach Walker had set up the situation as pinch runner Dustin Minter stood 90 feet away from home. Enter catcher Justin Shealy, replacement for the ailing Colton Clanton, who had gone 0-for-3 on the day with a
walk. Red Oak pitcher Garrett Thomas had struck out four of the eight batters he’d previously faced and had Shealy down in the count. That’s when a hot shot down the line bounced chest high off the Red Oak third baseman allowing Shealy to beat out a throw with a headfirst slide and Minter to cross home for the win. The series itself was a classic all its own as Red Oak pitcher Brent Fletcher tossed a 10-strikeout gem in game one, followed by a complete game effort from Panther arm Devin Rogers in game two. Through the whole series, the Hawks had not made an error until that final play. The countdown continues on Page 4C
left Blythewood, S.C. on Aug. 11, 2009, to take a job covering Midlothian athletics for Waxahachie Newspapers Inc. On Aug. 28, sitting in the Alamodome, Eddie Johnson hauled in an 85-yard touchdown pass with just a few minutes on the clock to bring the Midlothian football back from a huge deficit for a late lead. At that point, I thought to myself, ‘This could be fun.’ Little did I know, that was the tip of the iceberg. In the last 11 months, I’ve seen countless games, watched hours of practice and been privy to more sportsrelated conversations than I thought possible. There’s been the good, bad, ugly and beautiful that sports has to offer. But no matter what the score, the outcome or the feeling on the playing field, there has never been a dull moment. The rankings you see in this week’s paper are by my Alex Riley own objection. These are the moments that stand out in my Mirror mind. Did I miss one or two? Sports Of course. I’m the first to admit I wasn’t at every single writer athletic event the school had to offer (for clarification, I also cover Red Oak for its town weekly). But I think that’s a pretty solid list of great moments. People often ask me, ‘What’s your favorite sport to cover?’ Honestly, before arriving in Texas, it was the big three – football, basketball and baseball. In some regards it still is but not as much anymore. What covering all high school athletics has done is force me to learn about other sports. It’s made me figure out how to do the math in my head on what other golfers need to shoot in order for Cody Taylor to advance to state. I’ve had to learn the rules of pole vaulting so I could actually sound like I knew what I was talking about with Austyn Rapp and Josh Sonnen. Volleyball? Soccer? Had minimal understanding of the sports before Aug. 11. Thanks See RILEY, Page 2C
The final count District titles (five): Girls cross country Girls track and field
Boys basketball Girls soccer Boys soccer
Post season (14):* Softball Baseball Boys soccer Girls soccer Boys basketball Boys cross country Girls cross country
Girls track Boys track Girls golf Boys Golf Boys tennis Girls tennis Volleyball
*In sports with single athlete competition (golf, cross country, etc.) post season appearance was given if at least one athlete advanced beyond the district round of competition.
Sports
4C Midlothian Mirror, Wednesday, June 30, 2010
3.
Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com
7.
Rogers tosses no-no
Robertson explodes in playoff opener
The way Devin Rogers tells the story, Ennis had it coming. The senior pitcher stood out on the hill at Midlothian and issued a walk to the first batter he faced. That prompted players in the Lion dugout to snidely remark that there went the perfect game. Rogers knew they were right, so he did the next best thing – a no-hitter. Batter after batter could do nothing with Rogers’ pitches as the eventual district pitcher of the year picked up the 12-0 win to keep the Panthers in the district race. The no-hitter was the first at Midlothian since Billy Shoemaker accomplished the feat in 2005.
Senior midfielder Chase Robertson was always an offensive threat for the Midlothian boys soccer team. Joshua learned that lesson the hard way. In the opening round of the playoffs, Robertson fired off a four-goal game, his first multi-goal game of the season, to lead the team to a 5-0 win over the Owls. An emotional leader on the team, Robertson’s effort got the Panthers primed and ready as they made a run to the regional tournament. While the performance didn’t factor into the voting, it was easy to see why the district coaches honored him with the MVP honor. Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
Senior pitcher Devin Rogers tossed Midlothian’s first no-hitter since 2005, which led to his being named district pitcher of the year.
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
When you score four goals in a playoff game, you get the right to dance as senior midfielder Chase Robertson did following his final shot of the night. He later claimed district MVP honors.
8.
Crowning a new champion
In a word – dominating. That was the best way to describe what the Lady Panther track program did during its run to a district title in Corsicana. The girls claimed gold in six different events and had numerous point scoring finishes to easily beat Hewitt Midway and Waxahachie for the title. While the teams did well at regionals, only pole vaulter Austyn Rapp made the trek to state as the senior won her fourth-straight district title in high school and made her second trip to Austin. She finished seventh at state.
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
Savannah Valderas’ offense kept the Lady Panthers afloat in the Red Oak series. The team rallied from an opening loss to advance.
4.
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
Senior pole vaulter Austyn Rapp was just one of six top finishes for the Lady Panther track team at the district meet. The team took the overall title but Rapp would go on to make the state meet.
Softball battles back, wins bi-district
With the way the season had gone, it would have been easy for the Midlothian softball team to fold after dropping the first game of the bidistrict series with Red Oak. Instead, the Lady Panthers put on a showcase of determination that catapulted a deep playoff run. After dropping game one 4-0, the team bounced back with a 4-3 win on Saturday and a 6-2 win on Tuesday. It was the second straight year the Lady Panthers battled back from an opening game loss to beat Red Oak in the series. Along with overcoming the deficit, Midlothian had to deal with an early game on Saturday because of prom and a rain out on Monday night. All those elements couldn’t stop the girls who went on to the regional quarterfinals before falling to eventual state champion Hewitt Midway.
5.
No bewitching against Wichita Falls
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
The Lady Panthers had plenty to celebrate after Kaitlin Bush’s, 23, goal put them up 2-0.
Maybe it was more superstition than anything but when the Lady Panther soccer team headed to Justin for a regional quarterfinal game against Wichita Falls, there was that feeling. The year before, Midlothian had been in the exact same stadium against a team from the same town when the season came to an end. Fortunately there would be no repeat. The girls picked up a 2-1 win that helped them reach the regional tournament and rewrite a little history in the soccer annals.
6.
Taylor earns trip to state tourney
Most of the plays and moments on this list involve senior players or veteran teams who won’t get the chance to add to their legacy. Then, there is Cody Taylor. A rising senior, Taylor set the bar extremely high for next season when his 145 score earned him the title of first Midlothian male golfer to advance to state. He shot a one-under par, 71 on day two of the tournament to stay in contention for state but had to wait nearly six hours before all the other golfers finished. Once the wait was over, Taylor was given his medal and earned the right to advance. In Austin, Taylor finished fourth in the individual standings, setting up what could be a memorable senior season.
Photo by Gary Puckett/SpecialThe Mirror
The bi-district game with Mesquite Poteet was intense but eventually Cameron Hartson and the Lady Panthers pulled out the win.
9.
Pirates get plundered for bi-district gold
A slew of different factors made the bi-district match-up between Midlothian and Mesquite Poteet interesting. The Lady Panthers sort of limped into the playoffs with a third place finish in District 16-4A and weren’t using a regular lineup due to some personnel issues. So when the team overcame all that to win, it turned out to be a great night. Sophomore Lexa Corbin stepped up big as veterans Cameron Hartson, Destiny Berry and Jade Laurence made big plays to help the team advance.
10.
Ruud’s 3-pointer sinks Legacy
At first, it seemed like an ill-advised shot. But when it was over, it was cause for celebration. Natalie Ruud’s three-point shot with 10 seconds left in the game capped a 27-point effort and helped the Lady Panthers get a 45-41 win over their future district opponent. Ruud’s shot brought the team back from a 41-40 deficit for the lead. Fellow senior Lauren Daniell would then come up with a steal on the inbounds pass that landed in the hands of Hannah Miller. The junior calmly stepped to the free throw line and sank the shots to ice the game. Photo by Chad Wilson/The Mirror
As if shooting under par wasn’t a hard enought task, Cody Taylor had to wait hours before learning he had advanced to the state tournament.
Honorable mention... Bringing home the gold
It’s no shocker that the Midlothian cross country program had such success at the district meet but it’s still impressive. The girls brought home gold, the boys finished second and both junior varsity programs won as every runner walked away with a medal.
Track’s dynamic duo
Call it a clash of young and old – senior Brandon Russell, in what could have been his final hurdle race, beats nemesis Sam Gagliano at the district meet to claim gold in the 300-meter hurdles and advance to regionals. The performance also helped him land a scholarship to Texas A&M Kingsville. On the flip side, sophomore pole vaulter Josh Sonnen won his first district
and regional titles and then advanced to state, where he came in second overall.
A day in the “the show”
The game itself wasn’t overly dramatic, although there was a comeback, but when the baseball team got the chance to play at the Ballpark in Arlington it was a pretty cool experience. Getting to live the major league life for a day is something none of the players will ever forget.
The big plays almost get the big comeback
This is where the “losses” start making the memorable moments but for good reason. The football team starts it as the opening game of the season was a huge emotion swing. When Derrick Agbaroji and Eddie Johnson hauled in their 70-plus yard touchdowns to help the team retake the lead
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
While she wasn’t normally known as an outside shooter, Natalie Ruud’s shot saved the day. against Boerne Champion, it was a comeback for the ages. Moments later, the comeback was erased on a late touchdown but the finish was memorable.
What a crowd
Yes it was another loss but if you were in the building that night it was easy to see why Midlothian’s basketball playoff game against Red Oak is on the list. More than 2,000 fans crowded the Mansfield Timberview gym as the two Ellis County rivals squared off in a game that went down to the wire. The arena was as loud and energized as a college venue.
Heisroth comes up big
If the Lady Panthers would have gotten a win in this game, this play would be much higher. With one on and two out in the top of the seventh against Hewitt Midway, senior outfielder Hillary Heisroth lined a double into the gap in left that brought around
one run. Heads up base running allowed her to take second and a throwing error gave the senior the chance to race home to tie the game up at 2-2. The team would lose in the bottom of the ninth for its second straight extra inning loss to the eventual state champion in the playoffs.
Midway’s lone loss
This is a hindsight pick as Midlothian’s win over the eventual Class 4A softball state champion turned out to be its only district loss of the season.
Johnson’s heave
When Eddie Johnson heaved a half-court shot to end the first half against Mesquite Poteet in the bi-district round it caused jubilation. The post player had never hit a 3-pointer in varsity play before but that shot proved to be the winning points in a 52-49 win.