Sports

Despite winning only two of the 19, the Graham fall tennis team competed Sept. 18 at the Graham Tennis Courts. The Steers and Lady Blues held their own against a deep and experienced Iowa Park squad.

While the fall tennis season focuses on team scores, the spring is all about tournaments and individual performances. Even though it may not show up in the results, a young tennis team is getting several opportunities to grow with District 6-4A action underway.

Fans who were in attendance on Friday evening at Porcupine Stadium witnessed an instant classic.

A young Steers team that entered the game a heavy underdog against unbeaten Springtown, grew up in a big way. 

The Porcupines came into the game riding high after shutting out Class 4A Division I runner-up Kennedale last week and a defense that surrendered just six combined points in three of their four wins this season.

Replacing gifted quarterback Tucker Horn is no easy feat, but it’s clear that Graham sophomore Hunter Lanham is growing on the job.

Lanham threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns as the Steers romped to a 59-35 win at Decatur on Thursday night.

After coming up short in the second half in each of their first three games, everything clicked for the Steers last week, leading to their first victory of the season.

Lanham hit 18 of 27 passes with the touchdowns of 61, 16, 25 and 48-yards out. 

Julian Menchaca notched his first win as a Newcastle head coach Friday night on a wet and rainy homecoming. Behind JD Brice’s six touchdown-performance, the Bobcats drilled Woodson 45-0. The game was called with 9:05 remaining in the game due to the 45-point mercy rule.

“I’m prideful to be able to earn my first win tonight on homecoming,” Menchaca said. “The tradition here in Newcastle is tremendous and to be able to do it in a shutout is extra special.”

The Graham eighth-grade football teams fell in their first home games of the season last Tuesday to Decatur. The eighth-grade B team fell 30-0 while the A squad came up on the wrong end of a 28-0 score. Even though both teams fell, the young athletes were introduced to the game of football and learned plenty of valuable lessons that will carry them forward.

In the first quarter of the B game, Chandler Milligan provided a strong kickoff return to the Graham 32-yard line, but the drive ended in a punt by Ethan Stewart.

Steers head coach Kenny Davidson admitted his team needed to win the second half to come out with a win. For the first time this season, his team did exactly that. 

Graham could very well be 2-1 heading into Thursday’s matchup at Decatur if not for poor third and fourth quarter showings. The Steers looked like a complete team for four quarters of football, leading to a 59-35 road victory, spoiling Decatur’s homecoming festivities.

The Graham Lady Blues bounced back from their loss on the road last week with a dominating performance over Wichita Falls City View. The varsity Lady Blues ousted the Lady Mustangs in a clean 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-19, 25-17) to regain their winning ways.

After losing at ranked Stephenville Friday for the first time since the first of the month, Graham made quick work of City View with district beginning next week. The Lady Blues had 10 different players register a kill in the outing.

Graham cross country excelled once again at a meet this week. Each of the varsity teams along with the Lady Blues’ junior varsity won first place Wednesday at the Dublin Dash. The varsity girls won their third consecutive meet to begin the season. 

Sam Perkins was the top finisher by crossing the finish line ahead of any other runner in the varsity boys division. The captain finished with a time of 17:12.43 for first place. 

Graham is still looking for their first win of 2018 after the Steers fell to Brownwood 47-26 at Newton Field on Friday.

The 0-3 start to the season marked the first time since 2006 the Steers have started the year with three straight losses.

Although the team is still searching for their first win, there are positives to take away. Graham has put together three decent halves of football in each of the three games. However, in all three games, the Steers have been on the wrong side of the scoreboard in the second half.

Seeking their first won of 2018, the Steers simply had no answer for Brownwood dual-threat quarterback Tommy Bowden. The Lions used the arm of Bowden to take a 47-26 win on the road, the victory was the first of the season for head coach Sammy Burnett.  The Graham offense and quarterback Hunter Lanham were able to move the ball down the field at will, but led for just two minutes, sixteen seconds in the game.