Sports

Tuesday’s bi-district playoff was a culmination of three months of growth. The Lady Blues’ growth as players and growth as a team was on display Tuesday night as the team defeated Gatesville 25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 26-24. The Lady Blues have won their bi-district match for seven consecutive seasons.

The Lady Blues met the Gatesville Lady Hornets Tuesday night in Joshua. It was a meeting between the second-place finisher (Lady Blues) in 5-4A and third-place finisher in 6-4A (Lady Hornets). The Lady Hornets finished third, behind Stephenville and Glen Rose.

Only two teams played Monday night to close out the season against Kirby Middle School at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls. The seventh grade A team capped off an undefeated season with a 36-6 win.

For a second consecutive season, the Graham Steers are district champions. The championship was secured with a 28-14 Senior Night victory over the Mineral Wells Rams Friday night at Newton Field.

The past two weeks have marked a change in the Steers’ offense attack. Head coach Kenny Davidson has opted to stick to the running game and grind games out with a combined 91 rushing attempts over the past two games compared to 21 passing attempts.

The Lady Blues played one last match before yesterday’s bi-district playoff Friday night when the team hosted Sweetwater. The match gave the young Lady Blues squad a chance to prepare for a team on short notice and other playoff-type scenarios. The Lady Blues will enter the playoffs with a 30-10-1 record after defeating the Lady Mustangs 25-14, 25-8, 25-13.

Both Graham cross country teams competed at the Region I cross country meet in Lubbock Monday morning. For senior Marcos Hererra, it marked his last chance at a chance in the state meet next month in Round Rock.

The 4A girls race started off the day. Canyon, Bridgeport, Argyle and Dumas were the top four finishing teams and earned spots in the state meet. The Lady Blues finished 17th overall, led by Madi Wilde, who finished 75th overall at 14:18.6 on the hilly 2-mile course.

The Lady Blues closed out the district schedule with a 3-0 sweep of the Mineral Wells Lady Rams Tuesday evening at Graham High School. Senior night was capped off poetically with the final two points scored by the two seniors, Emma Parker and Rachel Grimsley as the Lady Blues defeated the Lady Rams, 25-19, 25-7, 25-17.

Noah Jilek posted season highs in touchdowns and rushing yards and the defense continued to shine. With 230 rushing yards and three touchdowns from the junior running back and a second-half shutout by the defense, the Steers improve to 3-0 in 3-4AII with a 43-9 road win over the Vernon Lions.

It was a tale of two halves for the Steers Friday night at Lions Stadium. Penalities and a near-turnover in the end zone plagued the Steers in the first half. 

The Lady Blues do not have anything more to lose or gain in the district schedule. Last week the team secured a second-place finish in District 5-4A. Friday’s 3-0 win at Vernon and Monday’s senior night match against Mineral Wells were formalities and opportunities for the young team to get more experience. 

Typically a Lady Blues road match at Vernon comes with challenges. Coach Marci Faulk has said multiple times that she does not like playing in the gym. Friday was a bit of fresh air for the coach as the team started strong and cruised to wins of 25-14, 25-16, 25-22.

The third annual Pigskin Weekend cornhole tournament, which brings teams of competitors from around the state, will change from its traditional location on the downtown square to the Young County Arena this year. This year marks the first year the event will change from being run by the Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Once again the Lady Blues are heading to the playoffs. The Lady Blues secured a second-place finish in 5-4A with a 3-2 win at Burkburnett Tuesday night, 25-15, 20-25, 25-27, 25-14, 15-9.

The Burkburnett Lady Bulldogs hosted their annual senior night and the Lady Blues Tuesday night. The Lady Bulldogs honored their six seniors prior to the start of the match.