Sports

The Newcastle Ladycats participated in a slate of tournament matchups this past weekend and put up a strong effort, finishing 1-3 after four games. 

The tournament was held from Thursday, Dec. 4 to Saturday, Dec. 6 and the Ladycats took on teams Olton, Shallowater, Wellman Union and Friona. 

Newcastle's first game against the Olton Lady Mustangs ended in a loss 44-29. This was followed up by another valiant effort but also another loss to the Shallowater Lady Mustangs 63-36. 

The Newcastle Ladycats fought hard but lost their matchup to the Gorman Lady Panthers 48-25 earlier in the week.

The game took place Tuesday, Dec. 2, and despite the loss, the team was competitive throughout the game.

“I thought we played really well,” head coach Ryan Dollar said. “Our energy was really good. I think we are starting to figure that out.”

In the first quarter, things were close but the Ladycats trailed 8-5.

Graham and Newcastle have officially shifted into the winter sports season now that football season officially comes to an end.

This week, The Graham Leader is recognizing Dylan Cox of the Graham Steers and Emma Hawkins of the Newcastle Ladycats as this week’s Athletes of the Week.

Emma Hawkins, Ladycats Basketball

The Newcastle Ladycats had a slow start to the season but have shown flashes of offensive and defensive brilliance while struggling to get into the win column to start the season.

The Graham Steers took a long three-hour road trip to take care of business against Colorado City, improving to 4-0 on the year after a dominant 78-22 win over the Wolves.

The game took place Tuesday, Dec. 2 and there were playmakers across the board.

The top four scorers in the game were Bryce Martin, Jagger Nees, Brodie Martin and Nick Wankowicz.

The Martins were two returning players to the team who made an impact on their first game back after football season for the Steers came to an end.

The Newcastle Bobcats football season officially came to an end in their area round matchup against the Water Valley Wildcats.

The team had a lot of success this season and that was recognized with district awards for players and coaches.

The Bobcats’ final game of the season took place Friday, Nov. 21 where the Wildcats beat the Bobcats 64-29.

This capped off a season where Newcastle went 8-3 while also finishing at the top of their district with an undefeated 4-0 record against district opponents.

The Graham Lady Blues took part in a tournament in Bowie before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Despite going 0-4 in the tournament held Monday, Nov. 24 and Tuesday, Nov. 25, the team still saw strong performances from its players.

The Lady Blues played against City View, Muenster, Nocona and Slidell.

Graham opened up the tournament with a matchup against the City View Lady Mustangs and fell 56-42.

Transitioning into the winter season over the coming weeks means the kickoff of Lady Blues soccer, with several changes to the roster—and with head coach Casey Weil.

Weil was elected to the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches before the start of this season, an opportunity Weil believed would bring more eyes to the soccer programs in Graham while also providing an advantage for the community to know about upcoming soccer events. 

The Graham Steers once again had a successful run, making it to the regional semi-finals before their season came to an end against the Midland Greenwood Rangers, 36-21. 

Despite the loss Friday, Nov. 28, head coach Clay McChristian said the team still had a lot to be proud of for what they achieved this year. 

“If you earn those tears, then cry away. We got beat tonight but we didn’t fail,” McChristian said to his team after the game. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of this team. They doubted us and guess what, you came through.” 

Graham soccer will undergo a year of transition, but head coach Tim Wankowicz still has high hopes for his team. 

The Steers finished 11-8-3 last season and made the playoffs, defeating Perryton in their bi-district round before losing to Bowie in the area round. 

Moving into the 2025-26 season, Wankowicz said he has several goals he hopes the team can meet, including making the playoffs again. Wankowicz is looking to build upon the success of last season while taking it a step further to become area champions.

The Graham Steers remain undefeated after beating the Breckenridge Buckaroos in their final game before Thanksgiving break. 

It was a close contest Monday, Nov. 24, but the Steers stayed in control and pulled away with a 48-44 victory.

“I just told those guys that's who we are,” Head coach Quinton Fossett said. “It may not be the prettiest game in the world but we’re tough, we’re together and we’re going to find a way to win.”