Graham athletics is currently in their holiday break but that does not mean there were not impressive performances to be highlighted by its athletes.
This week, The Graham Leader is recognizing Gabbie Reyes of the Lady Blues and Cooper Wilde of the Steers as this week’s Athletes of the Week.
Gabbie Reyes, Lady Blues Basketball
The Lady Blues played one game late in the week before the holiday break Friday, Dec. 19 against the Ballinger Lady Cats.
The Graham Steers basketball team played a game right before the holiday break in the Wichita Falls Classic against Vernon.
It was a hard fought game and Graham went into the break on a high note defeating the Lions 57-52.
The game took place Monday, Dec. 22 and there were solid scoring performances all around. After the first quarter, The Steers doubled the Lions in scoring to take a 16-8 lead.
Bryce Martin hit three midrange jumpers to score six points while Thomason Burkett matched that scoring total with a two pointer and four free throws.
The Lady Blues basketball team played a late week match-up before the holiday break against the Ballinger Lady Cats.
Despite putting up a good fight, the Lady Blues were not able to pick up the victory losing 52-30.
The game took place Friday, Dec. 19 and despite the loss several Lady Blues members still put up solid scoring efforts.
As the year in Graham starts to come to a close, it’s easy to look back on community accomplishments, especially in the world of athletics.
However, while athletes are often celebrated for their achievements on and off the court, it’s also important to recognize those that lead them.
On Monday, Dec. 15, Lady Blues volleyball head coach Marci Faulk walked into her office to the sight of a large golden trophy which recognized her for reaching 500 career wins as head coach for both the Lady Blues and also formerly of the Bryson Cowgirls.
The Newcastle Ladycats played their final game before the holiday break against the Mineral Wells Lady Rams late last week.
Unfortunately for the Ladycats, they were not able to pick up the victory.
The Ladycats fell Thursday, Dec. 18 to the Lady Rams 32-16. The lone scorers in the game were Kenzie King and Camren Mallory.
The Ladycats struggled with turnovers early in the first half and were trailing after the first quarter 16-4.
As the new year approaches, so does a fresh slate of winter and spring sports. One of those sports that is approximately a month away is the start of a new Lady Blues softball season.
Last season, the Lady Blues had their playoff run come to an end in the first round against the Snyder Lady Tigers. Fortunately for Graham, they will be gaining back a lot of experience from last year's roster.
The Graham Steers basketball team continued action this week with their hometown hosted Red White and Blue tournament while soccer also kicked off their opening scrimmage matches against the Sanger Indians.
The Graham Leader is recognizing Ella Pettus of the Lady Blues and Bryce Martin of the Steers as this week’s Athletes of the Week.
Ella Pettus, Lady Blues Soccer
The Graham Steers just finished another successful football season where their mantra was to prove the doubters wrong.
They achieved that goal by taking a team that graduated over 20 seniors from the season prior all the way to the regional round of the playoffs. The Steers were rewarded for their success this year with all-district awards.
Athletes from all across the roster were recognized as exceptional athletes as well as students.
The Lady Blues picked up a victory early this week over the Wichita Falls Memorial high school basketball team despite dealing with adversity.
The team never lost the lead and picked up the victory 51-42.
The game took place Tuesday, Dec. 16 and after the first quarter the Lady Blues led 12-4. Addyson Weaver had the most points in the quarter with seven on three midrange jumpshots and a free throw make.
Ava Street backed up Weaver in the scoring department by adding a three pointer and and two pointer to finish the quarter with five points.
The JV Lady Blues played an early week matchup this week against the Wichita Falls Memorial Lady Mavericks and made the hometown crowd proud.
The Lady Blues defeated the Lady Mavericks 42-26 in the contest. There was solid scoring performances all across the stat sheet during the game Tuesday, Dec. 16.
The Lady Blues ended the first quarter with six points to lead by four with a 6-2 lead.
Maddyx Marin led the way with four points on two midrange jumpers while Addyson Gober also added a two point shot.
