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(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Jace Gill runs out of the pocket for the Steers on a rushing play Friday, Sept. 26. Gill has been the one manning the quarterback position after four year starter Ty Thompson graduated last spring.

Steers look ahead to district opener against Burkburnett

The Graham Steers had a bye week this week after their win over the Lake Worth Bullfrogs. However, the heart of their season is still yet to come as they will open district play against the Burkburnett Bulldogs. 

The district-opening match will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 on the road.

The Steers have had a bumpy start to the season, though winning 35-10 over Lake Worth was a good start to getting the team back on track. 

(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) London Martinez takes a rushing attempt up the middle of the field for a touchdown Friday, Oct. 3 against Jayton. Martinez scored the second and final touchdown of the game for Newcastle.

Bobcats drop game against Jayton

It was a rough night for the Newcastle Bobcats as they lost their second consecutive game, this time against the Jayton Jaybirds with a final score of 61-15. 

This game took place Friday, Oct. 3, just one week after their scheduled game against Wichita Falls Christian was canceled. 

The game actually started off fairly strong for Newcastle. Jayton scored on their opening drive but the Bobcats’ offense was matching their opponent in terms of momentum. 

(ALEX HAVARDANKSY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Nick Wankowicz goes up over a defender for a layup Tuesday, Sept. 30, against Wichita Falls Christian. Wankowicz continues to be critical for the team’s rebounding and ability to create second chance opportunities.

Steers show steady improvement in second week of fall league basketball

The Graham Steers kicked off their second week of fall league basketball this past week. The team showed significant improvement in both their record and overall play as the team went 2-0 on the night.

The Steers returned for a weekly slate of games even though things were a bit different this go around. First, the day of fall league took place in the Graham High School classic gym rather than the junior high where the league kicked off. 

(ALEX HAVARDANKSY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Tyler Bryan prepares to swing at a ball during one of his singles matches. Bryan has been a consistent power hitter for the Steers this season and won his singles match Tuesday, Sept. 30, against Holliday.

Graham tennis clinches playoff birth with Holliday win

The Graham Steers and Lady Blues had one mission going into Holliday for their final match of the regular season—win and secure a playoff spot to continue the season. That’s exactly what they accomplished with a victory over Holliday. 

As always things started off with the doubles matches for both the boys and girls teams. The Lady Blues had strong performances all season and that continued in this matchup. 

(ALEX HAVARDANKSY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Emily Hughes, 10, and Katy McGehee, 1, team up for a block attempt in one of their matches. The Lady Blues lost to the Honeybees in four sets Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Lady Blues dealt tough loss to Stephenville

After a slate of home games for the Lady Blues, they finally got back on the road for a match against the Stephenville Honeybees. 

Unfortunately for Graham, the team fought hard but came up short losing in four sets. 

Despite the loss, Graham actually started the evening off well with an impressive set one win 25-16. However, that was the last set the team won on the night. 

Graham went down swinging in set two losing 25-17 and ultimately were overwhelmed in set three losing 25-13. 

(KYLIE BAILEY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Alexis Rincon tries to keep ahead of the field at the Thrill of the Hill Invitational. Rincon finished 122 out of 166 runners in the boys 5K event.

Graham teams compete in Thrill of the Hill Invitational

The Graham Steers and Lady Blues varsity cross country teams competed in their final regular season cross country meet for the fall in the Stephenville Thrill of the Hill Invitational. 

This event took place Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Stephenville City Park. The Lady Blues competed against 21 other teams and finished inside the top 15 as a whole. 

For the Steers, they competed against 19 other opposing squads and came out with a top 10 finish on the day. 

(ALEX HAVARDANKSY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Graham Leader is recognizing Colt Taylor of the Steers as this week’s Athlete of the Week. Taylor had a hat trick in the rushing game with 187 yards on the ground and three touchdowns in the Steers win over Lake Worth.

Allen, Taylor named Athletes of the Week

As the summer turns into fall, athletics has been in full swing in the Graham community for quite some time now. 

This week brought another slate of standout performances and The Graham Leader is recognizing Hadleigh Allen of the Lady Blues and Colt Taylor of the Steers as this week’s Athletes of the Week. 

Hadleigh Allen, Lady Blues volleyball

Despite the Lady Blues coming up just short against the Stephenville Honeybees in their match Tuesday, Sept. 30, the team still had standout performers in the evening. 

(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Rylee Moore, 9, and Emily Hughes, 10, go up for a block Friday, Sept. 26, against Glen Rose. Moore and Hughes combined for four blocks and 10 kills on the night.

Lady Blues come up short against Glen Rose at home

It was a tough day for the Lady Blues this past weekend as they were not able to get the job done against Glen Rose Lady Tigers. The team lost in three sets during their late week match. 

The match took place Friday, Sept. 26, and head coach Marci Faulk believes the main culprit of the loss was a lack of consistency. 

“At times, I thought we were all playing at a high level, and then the momentum would swing and then the inconsistent play would come in,” Faulk said. “It was really difficult when they would go on those four, five point runs.” 

(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Newcastle Bobcats stand on the sideline ready for one of their weekly match ups. The Bobcats latest game against Wichita Falls Christian was canceled, however the team has a big test coming up against Jayton.

Bobcats look ahead after canceled game against Wichita Falls Christian

The Newcastle Bobcats were originally scheduled to play a game this past weekend against Wichita Falls Christian, however that game was canceled. 

Due to this, the team has no choice but to continue looking forward to future opponents on their schedule. The very next game for the Bobcats will be a pivotal one as it is the team’s final game before district play begins. 

That game will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, against Jayton at home.

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