Sports

The Graham basketball teams hit the road during this final week of the students’ time off from school for a couple of games against Castleberry High School in Fort Worth.

The Steers and Lady Blues met up with the Lions and Lady Lions and both came home with a pair of big wins Tuesday, Jan. 2.

For the Steers, this was their first and only match-up against the Lions this season. But for the Lady Blues, this was their second time seeing the Lady Lions, after defeating them 42-15 at the Hillsboro tournament at the beginning of December.

On a cold and windy Tuesday afternoon, the Graham Steers officially kicked off their soccer season with a match-up against the Carter-Riverside Eagles.

Things started off strong for the Steers but the game slipped away from them as the Eagles came back and took the match 4-3. The contest was shortened due to the cold conditions and impending rain but Graham couldn’t hold onto the lead.

Ending on a positive note is typically something most athletes like to do, but especially basketball players. They like to end practice on a made basket, a made free throw or a strong play.

The Graham Steers ended 2023 on a very positive note when they took down the Millsap Bulldogs 66-38 at home Saturday, Dec. 30. The win was the team’s 12th of the season and provided momentum moving into the new year.

The Graham Steers basketball team came out of its holiday break with a series of games over a tournament weekend at Fredericksburg last Thursday and Friday.

The team played four games over the course of the two-day tourney from Dec. 28-29 and faced stiff competition in each match-up. The tournament field included multiple high-level 4A teams and a few 5A teams, as well. The Steers played hard in every game but ultimately came away with a 1-3 record in the contests.

As we wrap up 2023 and venture into the new year, The Graham Leader is taking a look back at the sports news that happened during the 2023 calendar year.

In the second installment of the two-part series, we look back at sports highlights from July through December.

July
• Eighth-grader Angel May was selected out of over 10,000 applicants to participate in the 2023 Dream All-American Bowl. May was one of 360 student-athletes selected for the opportunity and was the only female.

Coming off a holiday break can be tough for a team looking to get back into the flow of competition.

The Graham Lady Blues came out fighting but struggled to put together a consistent offensive performance in their 47-21 loss to the Childress Lady Bobcats last Thursday, Dec. 28.

“Everybody has a first game back coming out of the break and just (our) energy was probably a little low at times,” head coach Kyle Wood said.

In their second game out of the holiday break, the Lady Blues hit the road and came away with a close loss to the Bowie Lady Rabbits 31-23.

It was a bit of a struggle offensively for Graham as it’s taking the team a bit of time to get their legs back under them after earning some time off. After the first quarter, the teams were evenly matched before Bowie began to pull away.

The Lady Blues continued to fight all game and appeared to be mounting a comeback near the end before ultimately coming up short and taking the loss.

As we wrap up 2023 and venture into the new year, The Graham Leader is taking a look back at the sports news that happened during the 2023 calendar year.

This year saw playoff appearances in multiple sports, records broken, milestones achieved and new coaches and staff brought into the mix. It also included a change in sports writers at The Graham Leader midway through the year.

In the first installment of the two-part series, we look back at sports highlights from January through June.

January

Christmas Day has come and gone and New Year’s Day is fast approaching on the horizon. The year 2023 is coming to an end, but things move forward for high school sports teams.

While teams at the county’s schools took time off from competition to enjoy their time with family and friends, there are still athletes that deserve recognition for their play before the break and throughout the season.

Facing a team twice in one season can bring both advantages and disadvantages. For the Graham Steers, getting to see the Bridgeport Bulls again worked in the Steers’ favor as they earned a 52-31 win.

In Graham’s final game before a break for the holidays, the Steers traveled Wednesday, Dec. 20 to Bridgeport for a clash with the Bulls, after playing them once before during the Red, White & Blue tournament in the beginning of the month.