irror
Sports
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Winning feeling should stay put
Panthers prove new way of doing things will make a winner
S
tain situations, focusing on containment and how to disrupt the option. The plan worked. Midlothian held Saginaw to an even 300 yards of total offense with 254 coming on 49 rushing attempts. That averaged out to a 5.18 yards per carry. By comparison, the Panther offense posted an 8.91 yards per carry average with 16 less runs and 40 more yards.
AGINAW – Dear balanced offensive attack, welcome back. Hello, fourth quarter stamina, you’ve been missed. Winning feeling, stick around a while. As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Roughrider Stadium during Friday’s game, there was an emotion flowing on the Midlothian sideline that had not been present in a long time. Words can’t describe it. Statistics can’t define it. But you know it when it happens. Players high-fived each other, Alex Riley ran to the stands to Mirror shake hands Sports with fans writer and simply refused to leave the field. For the first time in 353 days, the Panther football program exited a game as a winner. The victor. The defeater. The previous week, all the elements were there. The pieces and parts were on the field, on the sideline and in play for a win. For a while, it appeared that victory was coming. Then, in a short period of time, the outlook went from potential win to necessary rally. Maybe the Grapevine game was good. Maybe losing was exactly what this team needed. All offseason, the coaches had stressed what it takes to be a winner. The workouts, the off-season training, the conditioning, the film study, the understanding, the game planning. Every element was brought up over and over and over again. The players probably had to be sick of some of it. Against Grapevine, it seemed like all that knowledge was working out. And then, in a sudden jerk, there was reality. There was that old feeling. Close but not close enough. Some would call it a wake-up call. Some would call it a reality check. In the end, it was a good thing. A week later and everything was different. Even when the team fell in a 7-0 deficit, there was no panic. It was business as usual. That’s what winners do. Winners brush off moments of weakness. Winners don’t let one bad play turn into two, three, four, 10, 20, 30 bad plays. The defense bowed up. The offense hit stride. The Panthers stopped the run. They ran the football themselves. They beat Saginaw at its own game. That’s what good teams do. At some point the Panthers will have to find some second half offense. At some point a truly great team will test the defense in the second half with the game on the line. At some point the deficit will be more than seven points. Friday was not that day. Friday was a day to prove that the Midlothian football program had learned the lessons it needs to learn. It was a day to prove how far this team has come. The feelings will fade. Game time will come back around and what happened against Saginaw won’t be worth more than the paper this column is printed on. No one is penciling the team in for a
See DEFENSE, Page 4C
See RILEY, Page 4C
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Dillon Fairbanks (7), Derrick Agbaroji (12) and Myron Hanson (51) celebrate with wide receiver Phillip Smith after his 56-yard touchdown reception that put the Panthers up 35-7 against Saginaw.
Back to even keel Balanced offense leads Panthers to .500 record for first time since 2007 season By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
SAGINAW – Kalen Semper shied away from taking personal glory after Friday’s win for Midlothian. He did not shy away from running circles around the Saginaw defense. Semper led the charge in a 38-7 win by rushing for 122 yards on seven carries to help the Panther offense rack up 294 yards rushing for the game. The victory evened the team’s record to 1-1 marking the first time the program has been at .500 in a season since 2007. “It feels good. It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the line. I’m really thankful for them,” Semper said. “I just run hard, try to do my best every time I get the ball, every chance just do my thing. I’ve got to thank coach (Lee) Wig(inton) for putting me in of course and once again I just want to thank my line.” Coming into the game, the Panthers were forced to use a makeshift offensive line. Normal starter Blake Lunday has been sidelined for the season with a broken bone
in his foot forcing senior Heath Lemonie to step in his place. The change did not affect what the offense wanted to do. Neither did the Roughrider defense. Semper teamed up with Justin Seeton to run roughshod against Saginaw. Semper’s 122 yards set the tone while Seeton carried the ball 13 times for 86 yards. The Panthers were out to set the tone early and did just that. After falling behind on a Saginaw touchdown, the offense ground out a seven-play drive that covered 64 yards. All of it was gained by running the football. Quarterback Dillon Fairbanks capped the drive with a one-yard run to tie the game at 7-7. From there, Seeton got into the end zone on two of the next three drives to help build a 21-7 advantage. After the Panther defense stopped Saginaw on fourth down inside the red zone, Semper struck with a run to the left side of field. The junior waited for his blockers, found the sideline and bolted 80 yards for a score. “We ran the ball better than
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Kalen Semper was all smiles after posting a 122-yard rushing performance against the Roughrider defense.
we did last week. That’s got to be something that we continue to do and get better at,” coach Lee Wiginton said. “We had some shuffling around on the line this week and I thought they’re beginning to
gel and fit in there. Our backs, different backs, stepping up and doing different things.” Phillip Smith capped the first half scoring by hauling in a 56-yard touchdown pass from Fairbanks that led to a 35-7 lead at the break. With Saginaw running a WingT style offense and the Panthers looking to run the clock down, both squads ran the ball in the second half to bring the scoring to a halt. The only points came as Midlothian capped a 15-play drive with a 22-yard field goal by Dillon Wilson late in the fourth quarter. In the end, it was all about the running game, which posted the best performance in recent memory. The Panther offense gained 294 yards rushing on 33 carries with three runners posting games of 60 yards or more. Last fall, the offense had just one game of 200-plus yards and that came in the season finale against Waco. Injuries and missing players forced the Panthers to run the ball in that game as they See RUNNING, Page 4C
Limiting success Defense wins battle of grind game with Saginaw By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
SAGINAW – If the Grapevine game was a lesson and the Saginaw game was a test, then the Midlothian defense appears to have passed with flying colors. A week removed from a big second half rally that cost the game, the Panther defense rose up and shut down the Roughriders in the second half, defending a big halftime lead and preserving a morale boosting 38-7 win. “At the end of last week it obviously left a bitter taste in our mouth and there’s two ways you respond to that – you can either bow up and go back to work or you can tuck your tail between your legs,” defensive coordinator Chris King said. “Our kids responded well. I was proud of the way they played tonight. We obviously didn’t give up many points.” Coming into the week, coaches were wary of the Saginaw offensive scheme. The Roughriders employ a triple option, Wing-T type offense with plenty of misdirection. The style focuses on running the ball, a far cry Photo by Mike Sacket/Special to the Mirror from the pass heavy schemes used by Jesse Rios wraps up Saginaw’s TeCory Smith for no-gain. most other schools in Texas. The defense held Saginaw to 300 yards of total offense. All week, the unit worked to recog-
nize where the ball was going in cer-
Inside
• Lemoine shines in replacement duty • Smith continues strong start to varsity career • Previewing Friday’s homecoming game against Northwest
2C Midlothian Mirror, Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saginaw Game Notebook
Sports
Lemoine steps up Senior shines in first start for injured veteran Lunday By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
SAGINAW – Heath Lemoine was thrust into a situation that was not easy. And without question, he came out on top. Lemoine, a senior lineman for the Midlothian football team, was inserted into the lineup in place of senior guard Blake Lunday in the first half of last week’s game. Lunday, a first-team alldistrict selection last fall, was thought to have sustained a bad sprained ankle during last week’s game. X-rays later revealed Lunday had broken a bone in his leg, requiring surgery. It left the line scrambling for a replacement. Insert Lemoine. The results? The best rushing performance by the Panthers in over a year. Midlothian posted 294 yards on 33 carries in a win over Saginaw, marking the first time the unit has cleared 290 yards in nearly a decade. Lemoine obviously doesn’t take credit. He was just happy to help. “It feels great. It makes you feel like more than just a person playing on the team, you’re a part of it. It’s amazing,” Lemoine said. Listed as a two-way lineman, Lemoine has spent time on both sides of the ball during the spring. But for the fall, his services had been focused more on defense than on offense. The reason is simple – his strength. As a member of the powerlifting team, Lemoine came within a few pounds of qualifying for the state tournament last season. Last season as a 275-pound classified lifter, Lemoine finished sixth in the Region 3 Division I standings with a combined weight of 1,320 pounds. His 580-pound squat was greater than three of the five lifters who finished in front of him. That strength made the player nicknamed “Bubba” a perfect defensive lineman to move opposing offensive linemen out of the way. Now, it’s what’s making him the perfect offensive front
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Midlothian guard Heath Lemoine looks to throw a block for teammate Chris Lampkins during the Saginaw win. Lemoine got his first start for the injured Blake Lunday.
For a preview story of Friday’s game with Saginaw, see 1A man to clear a path for the run game. “Of course Heath is just coming in and we actually did some different things in practice this week and we really asked Bubba to fill some big shoes in filling Blake’s shoes. And he did an awesome job,” offensive coordinator and line coach John Broom said. “We’re really extremely proud of Bubba and all five of them for that matter.” Lemoine’s emergence set a good tone for the unit which played its best game in a long time. Only one time last fall did the Panther run game clear 200 yards and that came in the season finale when a depleted lineup forced the team to run 46 times. While staying healthy now becomes a goal of everyone on the offensive front, Lemoine remains focused on doing his part. The transition was a little neverwracking but he appears to have gotten the hang of it. “I was nervous for a little bit because I was mainly focused on defense. But after a day or so, I got everything settled in and it was like nothing happened,” Lemoine said.
Sophomore receiver Phillip Smith kept his strong start to the year going. A week after posting a nine-catch, 119-yard, one touchdown performance against Grapevine, Smith hauled in a pair of passes for 67 yards and a touchdown during the Saginaw game. Smith has quickly become quarterback Dillon Fairbanks’ favorite target
with 11 grabs for 186 yards. That accounts for a third of Fairbanks’ 33 completions for 453 yards.
Windsor shows his skills
Any questions about Gage Windsor’s shoulder being healed have been fully answered as the senior safety/linebacker led the team in tackles last week with 18 of which 10 were solo. That brought his season tackle total to 25, making him the only Panther player averaging doublefigure tackles per game.
Wilson remains perfect
Kicker Dillon Wilson kept his kicking streak perfect by hitting a 26-yard try late in the second half against Saginaw. Wilson has now hit from 36, 44 and 26 this season. That 44-yard attempt last week was his career long. He is also 8-of-8 on point after attempts for 17 total points this season.
Injury report
No injuries were reported this week, however some injuries sustained last week were more serious than thought. Along with Blake Lunday’s broken leg, the Panthers lost senior Kameron Hardrin to a broken bone in his arm. He is in a hard cast for a few weeks but should have it taken off shortly. Off the field, the program had to deal with an unexpected injury before Friday’s game. Cheerleader Shanee Bowman was hurt doing a stunt with the cheerleaders on the sideline prior to kickoff. Witnesses say a fellow cheerleader was lifted up in the air and when she came down she fell on Bowman’s back. An ambulance was called to take Bowman to the hospital. A status on Bowman was not available as of press time. Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews. com or at 469-517-1456.
Box Score Midlothian 38, Saginaw 7 Saginaw Midlothian
7 0 00 14 21 0 3
Total yards First downs Penalty-yard Rushes/yds Passing yds
Sag 300 20 5-45 49/254 46
Passing Dillon Fairbanks 8-of-14 for 150 yards and one touchdown
Midlo 444 17 7-56 33/294 150
Rushing Kalen Semper seven carries for 122 yards and one touchdown, Justin Seeton 13 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns, Dillon Fairbanks eight carries for 63 yards and one touchdown, Chris Lampkins five carries for 23 yards
Receiving Phillip Smith two receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, Colton Thigpen two catches for 38 yards, Kyler Brown three catches for 37 yards, Derrick Agbaroji one catch for 8 yards Defensive plays Sacks: Jarmon Jackson and Colton Clanton Fumble recovery: Ryan Jaisle
Panther players of the week Scout player of the week Hunter Pierce
Teacher of the week Ms. Fricke Offensive player of the week Justin Seeton, Soph.
Week 2 details Who: Midlothian (1-1) vs. Northwest (1-1) Where: MISD Stadium When: Friday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Need to know info Justin Northwest High School Enrollment: 2,720 2009 record: 0-10, 0-7 district Coach: Bill Patterson (Second year)
Smith continues strong start to career
Originally thought to be just a sprain, offensive lineman Blake Lundy has been lost for the season with a broken bone in his leg.
Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com
Defensive player of the week Gage Windsor, SR
Special teams player of the week
Nathan Fisher, SR
Notes: Coach Patterson and his staff suffered through a winless first season last fall but opened the 2010 season with a 21-17 win over Carrollton Creekview to snap a 13-game losing streak for the program as a whole. One week later, the Texans were throttled by Allen in a 46-7 game. Northwest’s biggest threat is a speedster in junior Allen Young. Though only 5-foot-7, the young man can fly and he proved it this summer by being named the WR MVP of The Old Coach 5-Star Performance Camp. The problem – the Texans haven’t really figured out who is going to throw him the football. Alec Laffoon and Jacob Jones have split time under center, combining for 19 completions on just 34 attempts for 168 yards and two interceptions in two games. Laffoon is apparently the thrower because Jones leads the team in rushing with 32 attempts for 161 yards and two scores. Michael Reed has another 19 carries for 114 yards. Everyone else in the rushing cateogry doesn’t have more than 34 yards rushing. Other players to watch: Dylan Stubbe (WR), Shane King (DT), Eric Chiofalo (LB), Sawyer Cooper (C)
Three things to watch 1. The Midlothian offense has posted 62 points to start the season. The Northwest defense has given up a combined 63 points in two games. Which side wins on Friday? Historically speaking, this should be a good day for the Midlothian offense. The Panthers have posted an abundance of points in the first two games of the season and the Texans have a long-standing status of not being able to stop good offenses. Last season, the defense allowed 30-plus points in all but two contests. While it did hold Creekview to 17 in the season opener, the Allen game showed they still have a long way to go. 2. Is the Midlothian run game really as good as it looked in the Saginaw game? Yes. Plain and simple, yes. Justin Seeton has great balance, field vision and refuses to go down. Kalen Semper is as elusive a running back as the Panthers have had in years. Those two accounted for much of the running yardage but when you throw in quarterback Dillon Fairbanks’ willingness to carry the ball, you have a group of players who can be great. Plus, if you can run the ball well then the passing game works better. The Panthers can now lull people to sleep with good running and strike for big passing plays. That will make the unit much better as the season goes on. 3. Of the 62 points scored by Midlothian, 52 have been in the first half. Is this cause for alarm for the offense? Coach Lee Wiginton is concerned about the situation and is looking to remedy it. How do they do it? Simple – a sense of urgency. Coaches are stressing the need to finish off games by scoring in the second half. While the four touchdown lead may sound safe, a few plays can swing momentum in the wrong direction, especially with the amount of spread offense attacks the Panthers are going to see down the road. Midlothian will try to be more aggressive in the second half this week which should put more points on the board. The good news is Northwest has a big tendency to give up points. That should help.
– Alex Riley
Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com
Sports
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Midlothian Mirror 3C
More than just another game Friendship, family make for interesting bout between Midlothian and Crowley Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
Long time best friends Tadam Mergener and Emily Ehrle pose for pictures after last week’s volleyball match between Midlothian and Crowley. The pair have played together on select and beach teams for years.
By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
Tadam Mergener smiled landing just out of reach on a dive attempt was a booming kill from Emily Ehrle. Moments later, Ehrle was doing the smiling as Mergener rose up and put down a kill with force. Over the course of 60 minutes and three sets between Midlothian and Crowley, there were plenty of smiles between the two girls. There were plenty between all the junior players. Even the coaches had to hide grins. To understand the reason for a smile in the middle of competition, you have to go back to the beginning. Before there was a reason to wear the color yellow. Before high school. Before the simplicity of a smile outweighed the complexity of the surrounding world.
Friends for life
Mergener estimates she’s known Ehrle since seventh-grade. In the world of select volleyball, it’s a meeting that was bound to happen. It just so happened to be they met on the same team rather than opposing sides. The duo were part of a select team that featured a large number of familiar faces. Most of the Midlothian juniors were on that team. They all became friends. But Mergener and Ehrle were best friends. That has not changed. “We all kind of played club together. We basically pretty much know everyone our own age in club,” Mergener said. Despite living a solid half hour apart, the duo remained best friends. All the Midlothian players kept up with Ehrle and vice versa. Even when they stopped playing club together, they still managed to stay in touch. While the indoor club games came to an end, Mergener and Ehrle were far from done competing together. They formed a beach volleyball team called One 10 and competed during the summer. Their families became close. After all, when you’re spending months on end with each other, a bond is bound to form. Somehow, during all that time, the pair never played against each other. Even when they didn’t play club together, Mergener and Ehrle did not play against one another. Then came high school. Then came a move that set the stage for last season. After eight years as Midlothian coach Rhonda Currey’s assistant, Kim Wheeler stepped down to take the head job at Crowley. Of course the obligatory game with the Lady Panthers was a must. And that meant for the first time in their friendship, Mergener and Ehrle would be on opposing sides of the court. Thanks to an injury a few weeks into the 2009 season, that match-up did not happen. In an overseas showcase, Mergener damaged her knee forcing season-ending knee surgery. “It’s always something I’ve looked forward to for the past few years,” Ehrle said of playing Mergener. “Last year I was looking forward to it because it was the first year (the teams were scheduled to play each other)but my best friend, Tadam Mergener, tore her
Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror
Crowley’s Emily Ehrle (3) tries to put down a kill against Morgan McBride (left) and Tadam Mergener (6) during last week’s game. ACL so that was a big disappointment.”
An unfortunate set of circumstances
The Mergener and Ehrle families were about as joined at the hip as you could get without being blood. They traveled to every event, every tournament, every match together. The girls were inseparable. The rest of the family wasn’t far behind. No matter how tight you are with someone, the bond together can be tested. On May 28, 2010 it was for these two families. Just days after Midlothian and Crowley played last season, Ehrle’s mother, Cherie, was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer. Her battle with the disease ended May 28, 2010. Tadam, her mother Tamara, Emily and her father Ron were with Cherie when her struggle ended. Tamara called the loss of her best friend the hardest day she’s ever had. It was five days before Emily’s 16th birthday. That stretch of time is something neither player really goes in-depth when talking about. It’s not that they don’t want to speak of it. They just did what was natural – they were friends and friends support each other. “I know it was hard for her but we talked a lot. And then I was there for her at the funeral, stuff like that,” Mergener said. When news began to reach the Midlothian volleyball community about Cherie’s passing, the reaction was immediate. Players and their families began sending condolences, asking if there was anything they could do to help. The majority of the junior class was at Cherie’s funeral. Junior varsity coach Daisy McDonald helped Ehrle file paperwork to get her driver’s license for hardship reasons so she
could continue playing volleyball and traveling when her father couldn’t drive her. “When it comes down to it, I don’t think I could love these people anymore. I consider them all my family, my second family,” Ehrle said. “Without them I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to get through that hard time. I truly do appreciate and love each one of them very much.” At 6-foot-2, Ehrle was a player highly sought after by many collegiate volleyball teams. She committed to the University of Arkansas between her sophomore and junior seasons. It was one of the schools she got to visit with her mother. Last summer, the duo continued to play together taking part in USAV Nationals in Reno, different college camps and beach games. Still, for all the playing together, there was still one part of the game that had been left unexplored.
The first match
The irony of last Wednesday isn’t lost on anyone who stood on the Midlothian arena floor. There was Kim Wheeler, former Midlothian assistant, on the Crowley bench. There was Rhonda Currey, who helped Wheeler run her summer camp and knew practically every Lady Eagle player. And of course, there was Ehrle, Mergener and the entire Midlothian junior class. Normally when teams slap hands before a volleyball match, it’s the obligatory slap with a good luck. Every time the juniors passed Ehrle, there was an added pat on the shoulder. When you know someone that long, simply slapping hands is far too commonplace. It made for an interesting
night. It made for a lot of smiles. “Tadam’s really close to her and our juniors are a pretty tight knit group of kids so it is emotional. It was good because they got time to just enjoy volleyball a little bit. It was just good camaraderie,” Currey said. “I was cracking up when Tadam would serve to Emily and Emily would serve to Tadam. That’s just fun stuff and I’m glad that kids can be kids with that and have a chance to kind of take a break from hardships that’s she’s had and be able to come and enjoy it a little bit.” On more than one occasion the duo had to go up against each other. Ehrle’s height should be an advantage. But Mergener can jump and she did. The duo would trade shots at the net, serve to each other when they could. There was a stretch in the first set where the sequence of kills went Mergener, Ehrle, Mergener, Mergener, Ehrle. The pair battled for kill lead. Mergener finished with 11. Ehrle edged her with 12. “It is very ironic that Emily and Tadam are such good friends and the support with Midlothian through Emily’s tough year has been awesome,” Wheeler said. Of course, Mergener was just one player with ties. All the juniors knew Ehrle. Every kill was a smile. Every standout play brought a laugh. It’s one thing to try and one-up one person. Ehrle was trying to one-up nine different people. “It’s kind of weird when you play with someone and you have to go play against them. It’s kind of funny if you get a kill or a good set and you have to look at them and laugh because you know it’s just funny,” junior Lauren Wilkerson said. The competition was strong but in the end it was Midlothian that came out on top in three sets. However, the play wasn’t the only eye catching factor that night. Most of the players, particularly the junior class, wore yellow headbands during the match from the Livestrong group founded by Lance Armstrong. The organization is a cancer research fundraising giant. Fittingly, yellow was also Cherie’s favorite color. Tamara and Adam Mergener, Tadam’s parents, wore yellow T-shirts with one girls name and number on the front and another on the back. It was still a game that had to have a winner and a loser but support for both sides was evident in the gym. “I’m the adopted sister,” Ehrle said with a laugh about the apparel. After all the hardships for both sides, the game was a chance to enjoy the one thing that has brought everyone together – volleyball. It was a chance to compete. To shine. But most importantly, to smile. “We kind of goof around with each other on the court. Every time she got a kill against me, I laughed and then every time I got a kill against her she laughed,” Mergener said. “We had fun.” Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews.com or at 469-517-1456.
Left and center photos special to the Mirror, at right photos by Alex Riley
Tadam Mergener and Emily Ehrle continued playing volleyball together during beach games during the summer, left. The friends, pictured with Ehrle’s mother Cherie in the center, have been friends since middle school. When Cherie passed away, Mergener and the junior class were there to support Ehrle. During Tuesday’s game, members of the Mergener family including Mergener’s father Adam at right, wore yellow shirts with both girls’ names and numbers on them.
Sports
4C Midlothian Mirror, Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com
Reyes shines in senior season
Extra practice, working during the summer have veteran off to strong start By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
Hard work pays off. Just ask Angie Reyes. Last season, the Midlothian tennis player was battling through a tough season. Her individual record was a reflection of how good her competition was and how far she still had to go. It inspired her to be better. It upped her work ethic. More importantly, it made her want to finish her high school career on a high note. “I feel I’m doing good. Better than last year. I played a lot during the summer. I guess I’ve improved my game,” Reyes said. A year later and the senior is one of the most improved athletes on team. Her 6-3 record as an individual is a strong indication of how far she has come. That record, her personal turnaround and the fact she is a veteran player have helped her take on a team leadership role this season. Reyes is just one of a handful of seniors on this year’s tennis team with the majority of players being sophomores or juniors. That has left the opening for leaderPhoto by Sherri Hendrix/Special to the Mirror ship and guidance. Reyes has been hapMidlothian senior Angie Reyes has been a solid py to oblige. “It definitely feels good,” Reyes said player this season with a 6-3 overall record to start.
Freshman volleyball report
The freshmen volleyball team defeated Crowley 25-9, 15-25, 25-7 to improve to 6-2. Ashton Rawlings had 16 assists, Mollie McBride had 10 kills, Raegan Hydes had six kills, and Delaney Wayland had six kills. On Friday the freshman A volleyball team lost to Abilene High 25-12, 25-13. Its record is now 6-3. The freshman B volleyball team lost 25-15, 25-19. Its record is now 0-3.
Varsity volleyball report
The Lady Panther varsity volleyball team defeated Crowley 25-18, 25-10, 29-19. Leading in stats were Destiny Berry and Tadam Mergener with 11 kills each, Berry with seven block kills, Morgan Mobley and Lauren Wilkerson with 16 assists each. Paige Winingham had eight digs while Mergener added another seven. Wilkerson and Morgan McBride both had four aces. The turnaround for the Midlothian volleyball team continued on Friday night as the team posted a straight set win over Abilene, 25-18, 25-22, 25-10. The Lady Panthers (10-13) rode a twogame win streak into the match after picking up a win over Memorial in the final game of the Pearland Tournament and a win over Crowley on Tuesday.
Defense Continued from Page 1C
“It was very important (to play well). It took the whole team, definitely wasn’t just the linemen,” defensive lineman Ryan Jaisle said. “We had to make some adjustments at halftime because of how they ran their fullback but it definitely paid off.” Of course, even perfectly laid plans have a kink or two in them. After attempting just two passes last week, Sagianw came out and showed a little variety early. The Roughriders connected on a pair of passes in a seven-play first possession, including a 16-yard passing score for a 7-0 lead. “If you’d have told us that we were going to give up a throwing touchdown I’d have thought you were cra-
of being a senior player. “You don’t have the problem of fitting in like freshmen do and all that. It’s pretty nice. I know everybody.” Along with playing well as an individual, Reyes has teamed up with Lauren Beerman in doubles action for a pretty solid season as well. The duo are working together for the first time making for an interesting chemistry mix. “We’re doing good. I didn’t know her at the beginning of the year but we’re really good friends,” Reyes said. While much of the sport is individualized, the team element is still crucial. Winning as a team has been a huge boost as well. In the early part of the season, the tennis program beat long-time rival Corsicana in a non-district match for its first win over the Tigers in many years. Reyes points to that victory as a turning point for the Panther tennis team. With help from the few seniors and the maturation of the underclassmen, Reyes believes the team is headed in the right direction. And with the program’s first 5A district slate looming, that is a good thing. “I think we’re doing really good. I know we’re like the underdog but we have accomplished quite a bit,” Reyes
MISD Sports Round-up
Mergener led the team in kills with 12 while Lexa Corbin added another eight. Corbin also had a team high three aces with Mergener not far behind at two. Berry led in blocks with eight while McBride added four. Wilkerson doled out 16 assists to lead the category while Morgan Mobley had 14. Paige Winningham posted a team-high 17 digs.
Freshman football report
The freshman teams broke out the broom on Thursday night as they swept the Saginaw Rough Riders. The Black team started off the fireworks by pounding Saginaw 14-0. The offense was lead by some snazzy catches from Juston Lynch. Daniel Collins also racked up some yardage from the quarterback position. Defensively, the Rough Riders were held in check by some solid defensive play from Miles Whitehead. The White team pulled out a nail biter 2826. Taylor Rawlinson had an amazing game by throwing, Dakari Berry also had some amazing catches including the game winner with 2:17 left in the game. Defensively, the Panthers were able to keep the cuffs on Saginaw with some timely turnovers and great tackling by Mitchell Deerfoot. The Blue team finished off the sweep with a 14-6 victory. The game was a tight one
zy,” King said with a laugh. Saginaw eventually went back to its more traditional style of play utilizing a host of runners. Senior TeCory Smith headlined that group with 15 carries for 119 yards. But that was the high point as the next two runners were just above the 40-yard mark. Everyone else had 17 or less. The Roughriders did not help their cause when they tried to pass as the Panther defense easily sniffed it out. Ahead 21-7, Midlothian looked to stop a topsy-turvy drive that was aided and hurt by penalties on both teams. Facing a third and long after a chop block call, Saginaw rolled quarterback John Gonzales out wide to the right. He was met by linebacker Jarmon Jackson for a sack. On fourth down, the Roughriders tried a similar play. This time Gonzales was met by Nathan Fisher for an eight-yard loss to end the threat.
throughout but the Panthers prevailed thanks to some nifty moves from Quindell Daniels. Defensively, the Panthers were led by Tariq Mustaffa, who made play after play from the free safety position. In the trenches, Michael Scott, Brandon North and Troy Sweeney helped grind away on offense and make some crucial stops on the defensive side of the ball. All and all it was a great night for the Panthers, who have now run their freshman total record to 6-0.
Sophomore football report
The Midlothian sophomore football team defeated the Saginaw Roughriders by an 8-6 at MISD stadium. The defense for the Panthers swarmed the opposing offense all night. Outstanding performances on defense included JJ Johnson, Austin Buckley, Brian Hammer and Dustin Cornett. Offensively, the team was paced by Jaylan Peoples who had a 50-yard TD reception for the only points of the game for Midlothian. Kyle Lumpkin, Caleb Shaw and Jalen Merrick also had big games for the offense. The sophomore game this week against Northwest has been dropped The team will have a game during the the bye week (Sept. 16) at 7 p.m. in Midlothian against Canton, following the ninth-grade C game vs Waco
One snap later, Kalen Semper broke loose for an 80-yard score and the Panthers broke the game wide open. The second half was where the unit posted big numbers as Saginaw was stopped on three different fourth down attempts among its only four possessions. For the game, Midlothian forced eight punts while forcing three fumbles. The feeling of coming away with a win, especially with a second half of strong defense, was a shot of confidence everyone in blue and white was glad to have. “We worked hard in practice. It’s the whole team, it’s a team effort and we go 100 percent every time. We’re prepared for anything,” defensive lineman Jesse Rios said.
said. “We beat Corsicana and we haven’t beat them in like 15 years. We just beat them two weeks ago so that feels really good.” Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews. com or at 469-517-1456.
Upcoming schedule Sept 10-11 @ Texas High Tourney TBA Sept. 17 @ South Grand Prairie 3 p.m. Sept. 21 vs. Duncanville 3 p.m. Sept. 24 @ Mansfield Legacy 3 p.m.
Reicher.
Junior varsity football report
The Midlothian junior varsity had a hard fought victory against Saginaw coming away with a 21-20 decision. After a fast start, the Panthers had to make a couple of big plays late in the game to secure the victory. The Panthers’ special teams played another key role in the game this week. Jordan Diedrich kicked three extra points and boomed the ball deep on kickoffs. Cain Miller had a huge return of about 30 yards in a key situation. Key tackles were made by Gage Thompson and Tyler Ogburn. The offense scored with a 22-yard run by Bryce Fausett, a three-yard run by Beechy Sutton and a 73-yard pass from Fausett to Diedrich. Hunter Pearce and Randy Wells played well on the offensive line and key catches were made by Jake Avery and Blake Starnes. The defense made a great stand at the end of the game, stopping Saginaw on a crucial two-point conversion and a fourth and 5 stop to secure the victory. The defense was led by Will Marks, Beechy Sutton, Blake Starnes and Jake Avery. The win improves the JV record to 2-0 on the year.
Riley
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state title game appearance or booking reservations in Austin. There will still be hardships and obstacles to overcome. The road may be paved but there are still potholes and speed bumps to deal with. But, with a little progress, a little learning and a little luck, those feelings felt walking off the field Friday night won’t be a stranger much longer.
Alex is a sports writer covering Midlothian athletics for Waxahachie Newspapers Inc. Contact Contact Alex at alex.riley@ him at alex.riley@wninews.com wninews.com or at 469-517-1456. or at 469-517-1456.
Pantherette weekly honors
–Alex Riley and staff reports
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Offensive lineman Trevor Pinson receivers congratulations from fans following Friday’s 35-7 win.
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Chelsea Watts, Pantherette of the week
Brooke Scott, Spirit girl of the week
gained just 215 yards on 46 carries. The bright spot came when senior Brent Middleton rushed for 100 yards even. It was the only 100-yard rusher of the year for the team. Already this season, Midlothian’s running attack has shown vast improvement. In game one, the Panthers had 85 yards on 30 carries. Last season, the unit failed get 85 yards rushing in five of the 10 games played and only cleared 100 yards rushing three times. Of the 28 scores last season, only 10 were by rush with five of those going to Fairbanks. Already this season, the balance has been restored as four scores have come by reception and four have come by rush. “It was fun. It was fun. The offensive line basically opened everything up for us and the wide receiver did a heck of a job blocking,” Seeton said. “They did about three times better blocking now than when we started and that’s basically how it starts. Everybody starts blocking and it just makes our job easy.” Contact Alex at alex.riley@ wninews.com or at 469-517-1456.
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Running back Justin Seeton looks to take a handoff from quarterback Dillon Fairbanks. Seeton had a pair of touchdowns in the game.