SPORTS
February 9, 2018
Moving On continued from page 6 “Neither one of those games should have been close at all,” senior post Stone Palmer said. “However, it was nice to come out with wins. As Coach Cloud always says, ‘an ugly win is better than a pretty loss.’” The Roughnecks have two more games remaining in the regular season, but these two games are just as important as any other. The Roughnecks are currently second in district, but a loss to upcoming Beckville or Harleton could lead to a tie for second place with Beckville (9-3). “Beckville is currently 9-3, so they’re definitely contenders for second in district,” junior guard Nate Hearron said. “A few games going their way and a few games not going our way could even send us to third, which would give us a tough first round in the playoffs.” With playoff berth arriving, the Roughnecks have to find themselves
and perform their absolute best when playoff time comes around. Since the beginning of the season, the Roughnecks have made major strides, not just as a team, but as individuals as well. “This is my first year on varsity, so I had to step up my game,” senior guard Seth Garcie said. “I’ve had to work hard to improve my defense, handle varsity pressure, and most importantly, I’ve amped up my intensity during the games by diving for loose balls and fighting for rebounds.” When playoff time comes around, it’s all or nothing. A loss in the playoffs means the end of the season, and the end of the high school basketball careers of the 7 seniors on the team. “The postseason is win or go home,” senior guard and captain Andrew Hood said. “It is extremely important to bring 110 percent intensity, focus, and poise to every playoff game.”
BACK IN THE SWING Kason Kienzle Sports Editor
F THINGS
Baseball team out for redemption
There’s no doubt the end of last season left a terrible taste in the returning varsity baseball player’s mouths. Losing in the first round to a team that they had beaten earlier in the year wasn’t in the plan, and the season ended way too short. “I hate losing. I’d even go as far to say that I hate losing more than I love winning. Losing in the first round is unacceptable,” senior pitcher Elijah Trest said. “I want revenge on everyone. I don’t wanna stop until we have a state championship.” This season looks to be like a redemption year. A successful one at that, with the team having all the necessary tools to make a run. Their next contest will be on Tuesday, February 12 against Gladewater at home. The 2018 season began on Monday when the varsity and sub-varsity teams traveled to Whitehouse for the first scrimmage of the year, which is where former head coach Derek Jenkins now coaches. The varsity left as clear
“winners” of the scrimmage with a score of roughly 20-8 at the conclusion of the meeting between the two teams. “It was a great first scrimmage for everyone, while winning, it showed what we need to work on to get better going into the season,” senior shortstop Heath Hood said. Leadership and experience will definitely be on this year’s team’s side. The team has 9 returning starters from last year and will also feature 10 total seniors. Look for upperclassmen to take charge and lead some of the young, new talent in the program. Last season the Roughnecks finished 3rd in district play and will once again have tough district opponents this year. New Diana and number 3 state ranked Beckville once again are headlined as the toughest district contests for this year’s squad. Other district opponents such as Harleton, Elysian Fields, and Ore City won’t be pushovers either. The district is known for having some of the best pitching in all of 3A.
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Cutting off his defender, senior point guard Andrew Hood pushes the ball up the court on a fast break. Hood helps the team with both his scoring and passing ability. The Roughnecks play tonight in Beckville to secure a second place seeding for the playoffs. photo by jesse gaut