TylerPaper’s 2024 in Local Sports

Published 11:30 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2024

East Texas provides notable sports stories every year, and 2024 was no different.

Here is a look at some of the top area sports stories from 2024.

A BUZZER-BEATER FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Freshman Kara Nixon scored 11 points in the final 3:02, including a running layup at the buzzer, to lift the Lady Mustangs to a come-from-behind 44-42 victory over Nocona in the Class 2A championship game, capturing the program’s seventh state championship.

It was Martin’s Mill’s fourth consecutive year and 18th time overall to reach the state tournament. The Lady Mustangs won their first state championship since 2019.

Rains and Neches also reached the UIL Girls State Basketball Tournament.

Rains reached the state tournament for the first time in program history.

Neches qualified for the state basketball tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Neches’ softball and volleyball teams reached the Class 1A state championship games.

Bishop Gorman qualified for the TAPPS 3A Boys Basketball State Tournament.

BROOK HILL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Brook Hill’s boys soccer team took a 1-0 victory over Houston British International School in the TAPPS Winter Soccer Division III state title match.

Brook Hill won its first state boys soccer title, making its 10th state tourney appearance and playing in the title match for the fourth time, having been runner-up in 2020, 2015 and 2010.

Karmen Miller threw a two-hitter and hit a two-run homer as Brook Hill’s softball team defeated Houston Cypress Christian, 3-0, in the TAPPS Division III state championship game.

It was the 10th Final Four state tournament berth for the Guard since the program was established in 2007. It was the eighth trip for head coach Anthony Springer, who joined the program in 2011. Brook Hill had finished runner-up twice, including in 2023.

Brook Hill defeated the League City Bay Area Christian Broncos, 9-2, in the TAPPS Baseball Division III championship game for the program’s fifth state title and first since 2013.

GRACE COMMUNITY

WINS SOCCER CROWN

The Grace Community Lady Cougars captured their third TAPPS Girls Winter Soccer state title, coming away with a 5-3 advantage in penalty kicks, after a scoreless regulation and a pair of overtimes, over Katy St. John XXIII College Prep in the Division II championship match.

Grace also won state titles in 2016 and 2018.

EAST TEXAS FOOTBALL

Malakoff, Carthage, Kilgore and Oakwood all reached the UIL State Football Championships.

Coming off of a 16-0 season and its first state championship, Malakoff went 15-1 and fell to Columbus in the Class 3A Division I championship game.

Carthage lost the first game of the season to Kilgore and then reeled off 15 straight wins, capping it by winning its 10^th state championship under head coach Scott Surratt.

Kilgore advanced to the state championship game for the first time since 2013, falling to Celina in the Class 4A Division I title contest.

Oakwood advanced to the Class 1A Division II Championship game, falling to Jayton.

The All Saints Trojans, who won four games the past four seasons, won six games in 2024 and made history by capturing their first postseason victory in program history under first-year head coach Kyle Freeman. The Trojans scored a 44-35 victory over New Braunfels Christian Academy in a TAPPS Division III area playoff game.

In late October, the District 9-3A Division I District Executive Committee recommended that Palestine Westwood head coach Richard Bishop be suspended for the remainder of the season following a ruling regarding allegations that he orchestrated and executed a plan to videotape opponents’ signals while scouting. According to the report, the committee ruled Bishop and Westwood committed violations that were “intentional, serious and egregious” decisions regarding the rules of fair play. The committee also ruled and recommended that the Panthers, who were 7-0 overall and 2-0 in district and state-ranked at the time, forfeit all of their district games for the 2024 season.

The UIL State Executive Committee ruled that Palestine Westwood’s football team would not forfeit any football games and head football coach and athletic director Bishop was be suspended from football activities for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.

Westwood finished the season at 11-1, falling to eventual state champion Columbus in the second round of the playoffs.

TYLER ISD SUCCESS

The Tyler Legacy girls doubles team of Audrey Deatherage and Sophie Miller qualified for the state tennis tournament. Deatherage and Miller captured the Class 6A Region II Tournament championship.

Deatherage was named the inaugural Greater Texas Ford Dealers Class 6A Female Athlete of the Year for the 2023-24 school year.

Tyler High sophomore Amy Vazquez became the first girl in program history to qualify for the UIL Cross Country State Championships. Vazquez won the District 10-5A championship with a time of 18 minutes and 54 seconds and then followed that up by placing 14th at the Class 5A Region II meet with a time of 19:13.59.

Tyler Legacy sophomore Maddry East qualified for the UIL Cross Country State Championships for the second straight year.

Tyler Legacy’s boys soccer team reached the regional semifinals for the first time since 2012. This came after four players suffered torn ACLs, including three starters, and the Red Raiders had to have different players step up and move to different positions. Legacy went 14-5-5 and fell to Cypress Woods 3-1 in overtime in the Class 6A Region II semifinals.

In the first year under head coach Bobby Reynolds, the Tyler Lady Lions basketball team went 30-10, won District 15-5A, advanced to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and had a 22-game winning streak.

In the first year under head coach Kyle Smith, the Tyler Legacy Red Raiders basketball team advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after going 7-54 overall and 2-22 in district the previous two seasons. The Red Raiders fell to Wylie 43-42 in the final seconds of bi-district.

Tyler Legacy’s tennis team qualified for the regional tournament for the third straight year and for the fourth time in five years.

TYLER ISD COACHING CHANGES

Tyler ISD had some coaching changes for girls athletics in 2024.

Tyler Legacy head softball coach Justin Kniffen resigned after seven seasons to become an assistant principal at Tyler Legacy High School. Kniffen was hired to take over the then Tyler Lee softball program in 2017 after going 339-118 with four state tournament appearances in 13 seasons at Harleton. Before Kniffen’s arrival, the Lady Raiders reached the playoffs in 2015, but had only one postseason victory since 1990 — it came in 2010 in a game which they were no-hit, but still won. The Lady Raiders went 6-24 in the final season without Kniffen. The Lady Raiders went 2-18 that first season in 2018. They improved in 2019 with an 11-17 mark. In 2020, the Lady Raiders were 7-8 when the season was stopped due to COVID-19. In 2021, the Lady Raiders returned to the postseason, finishing with a then program-record 19 wins before falling to Sachse in the bi-district round. In 2022, Tyler Legacy opened its on-campus softball field. The Lady Raiders won 23 games and swept Garland (10-0, 5-1) in bi-district to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. It was the Red Raiders’ first season with at least 20 wins in program history. In the area round of the 2022 playoffs, Legacy fell to Mansfield Lake Ridge, 6-3, in a one-game playoff. Legacy led 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning of that game before Lake Ridge rallied. Lake Ridge advanced all the way to the Class 6A championship game. In 2023, Legacy won 22 games and made it back to the playoffs, falling to Wylie East in three games in a bi-district series (3-8, 2-0, 1-4).

Legacy hired former Troup head coach Sam Weeks to take over the softball program. Weeks compiled a 288-153-5 record during the past 15 years at Troup.

Tyler High School had a new volleyball coach for the 2024 season as Dawn Stewart took over the Lady Lions, replacing Claudia Viramontes.

Tyler Legacy head volleyball coach Bryan Winegeart resigned after the 2024 season, and a new head coach hasn’t been announced. Winegeart was hired at then Robert E. Lee High School in 2019 after nine years at All Saints — seven as the head volleyball coach.

COACHING CHANGES

There were also other head coaching changes throughout the area.

Palestine head football coach Lance Angel announced his retirement after going 49-49 with the Wildcats in 2010-13 and 2019-23 and posting a 103-86 record overall. Angel was replaced by James Reyes, who led Lumberton to a 25-11 record in three seasons.

Another notable coaching football coaching change was Clay Baker, who left Carlisle after five seasons as head coach to go to his alma mater Henderson for two seasons, announcing he is leaving Henderson to go back to Carlisle.

Luke Blackwell, who was the head coach at Mineola from 2017-22, was recently named the Yellowjackets’ head football coach again after the retirement of Aaron Slider.

Kenneth Cook was named the new head football coach at Winona, replacing Keylon Kincade after 10 seasons.

Harmony head football coach Jeremy Jenkins left his post to take the job as head football coach at East Bernard. Jenkins spent two seasons at Harmony, leading the Eagles to an overall record of 19-9 and four playoff victories. Harmony went 9-6 in 2022 in the first year under Jenkins, advancing to the Class 3A Division II state semifinals. After starting the season 0-4, the Eagles won five of their final six regular season games, falling to Daingerfield in the district finale, 48-21. Harmony then took wins over New Waverly, Hooks, West Rusk and Newton in the playoffs before falling to Poth, 51-28, in the state semifinals. Brian Mauk was named the new Harmony head football coach.

Following the recent volleyball season, Whitehouse head coach Britney Nordin resigned from her position after 15 seasons with a record of 375-198.

For girls basketball, Meagan Leggett was named the new head coach at Whitehouse after Jay Fitts took a head boys basketball coaching job at Travelers Rest High School in South Carolina. Leggett spent the previous two seasons at her alma mater, Longview. Leggett led the Lady Lobos to a record of 48-19.

Robert Ellis left his post as the Bullard head baseball coach to become the head baseball coach at Center High School. Ellis led the Panthers to a 102-42 record in those four seasons, including a 28-10 mark this past season that ended in a trip to the Class 4A Region III semifinals — the Panthers’ first regional semifinal appearance since 2004 when Chad Sherman was a sophomore. Sherman, a 2006 graduate of Bullard High School was named the new head baseball coach at Bullard.

Tobin Reid became the new athletic director at Cumberland Academy High School, and Mike Day and Darin Swift became the new head coaches for the boys and girls basketball programs.

Sabine boys basketball head coach Colby Carr left to be the head boys basketball coach at Maud.

Wes Johnston was named the new head baseball coach at Grace Community School after the retirement of Kyle Hope.

Van head girls basketball coach Kay Bachert took a job in Oklahoma, and Alan Wilson took over the Lady Vandals.

At the college level, Tyler Junior College head baseball coach Doug Wren was named TJC’s new athletic director. Wren guided his team to the NJCAA World Series eight times, amassing a record of 566-279 and winning five national championships (2014, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’21). He has been named District C Coach of the Year seven times, National Coach of the Tournament Award five times, National Coach of the Year five times and has been a finalist for the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year award twice.

Brett Doe was hired as the Apaches’ new head baseball coach. Doe comes to TJC after three years as head coach at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College

Dash Connell, who led TJC to national championships as both a player and coach, was named the new head women’s tennis coach at Liberty University. He coached TJC to 11 national championships.

OTHER STATE SUCCESS

Lindale’s Colter Maya won his second consecutive gold medal at the UIL State Track & Field Meet, capturing first place in the Class 4A 400-meter run. Maya dashed to a time of 46.58 seconds. In 2023, Maya clocked in at 47.78 for the gold. It was the third straight year Lindale has won a gold medal at state. Casey Poe, now an offensive lineman at the University of Alabama, started the golden streak by winning the shot put in 2022.

Other individual UIL track and field golds went to Gilmer’s Will Henderson (100 meters), Winnsboro’s Camden Capehart (100 meters) and Kilgore’s Braydon Nelson (discus). Gilmer’s team of Ta’Erik Tate, Trillyon Butler, Mykah Easley and Henderson won the Class 4A 4×100 boys relay.

Gilmer’s boys tied for the UIL boys state track and field title in Class 4A after winning in 2023.

Individual TAPPS track and field gold medals went to Brook Hill’s Caley Fitzgerald (100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles) and Grace Community’s Emma Goetz (3,200 meters and 1,600 meters). It was Fitzgerald’s third straight year to win the 300-meter hurdles state championship and the second consecutive gold in the 100-meter hurdles.

Bullard’s Gracie Smith carded a final round of 5-under 67 to bolt up the leaderboard and to capture Class 4A medalist honors in the UIL Girls State Golf Tournament. She was tied for seventh after a first-round score of 74, but her 67 in the final round was the lowest round of the tournament to vault her to the championship victory, winning by three strokes over the runner-up.

Lindale’s Emilio Rodriguez won the Class 4A boys singles tennis state championship.

Grace Community’s Emma Goetz placed third in Class 5A at the TAPPS cross country state meet.

Winona’s Miguel Cedillo placed sixth in Class 3A at the UIL State Cross Country Meet. Van’s Isaiah Colorado placed seventh in Class 4A. New Summerfield’s boys placed third as a team in Class 2A.

Canton reached the UIL State Softball Tournament for the first time in program history with a sweep of Aubrey (11-4, 14-1) in the Class 4A Region II final series. The Eaglettes fell to state power Liberty in the Class 4A state semifinals.

Kilgore reached the boys soccer state tournament for the first time since 2017 with a 2-0 win over Frisco Panther Creek in the Class 4A Region II championship. The Bulldogs fell to Boerne 1-0 in the state semifinals.

Some other non-football teams that made it to state in 2024 were Bullard and Frankston in UIL girls golf; Bullard, Troup, Grapeland and Mabank in UIL boys golf; Slocum in UIL softball; Grace Community, Bishop Gorman and Brook Hill in TAPPS girls cross country; and Grace Community, Bishop Gorman and All Saints in TAPPS boys cross country.

Bullard’s Layney Santos, Rusk’s Claire Tipton, Henderson’s Norris Nolyn, Elkhart’s Addi Boren and Elkhart’s Tatum Wallace left as state champions at the THSWPA State Powerlifting Meet. Santos won the 242-plus class in Class 4A Division 2 with a total of 1,180 pounds (550 squat, 305 bench, 325 deadlift). Tipton won the 148-pound class in Class 4A Division 2 with a total of 1,000 pounds (405 squat, 265 bench, 330 deadlift). Nolyn won the 148-pound class in Class 4A Division 1 with a total of 980 pounds (420 squat, 215 bench, 345 deadlift). Boren won the 181-pound class in Class 3A Division 2 with a total of 975 pounds (420 squat, 235 bench, 320 deadlift). Wallace won the 242-plus class in Class 3A Division 2 with a total of 990 pounds (385 squat, 255 bench, 350 deadlift).

Overton’s Kadden Williams captured a state championship at the THSPA State Powerlifting Meet. Williams won the superheavyweight class in Division 4 with a total of 1,710 pounds (700 squat, 470 bench, 540 deadlift).

Whitehouse’s Josh Green placed third in the 190-pound class in Class 5A at the UIL Wrestling State Tournament.

Bishop Gorman’s Zeke Conner, who said he is completely blind in his right eye, placed third at the Texas Prep State Wrestling Tournament in the 285-pound class to qualify for the National Prep Wrestling Championships in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Winnsboro High School sophomores Porter South and Leon Ackerman reeled in a two-day total of 38.82 pounds to win the Texas High School Bass Association state championship. South and Ackerman’s championship victory came three months after friend and teammate Kale Robinson who died following a weigh-in at a fishing tournament in February at Lake Bob Sandlin.

LOCAL COLLEGE SUCCESS

The UT Tyler softball team made their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II World Series and won their second national championship.

The Patriots defeated Western Washington 10-1 to sweep the championship series and capture the 2024 NCAA Division II national championship. UT Tyler (58-7) won over the Vikings 3-0 in Game 1 of the best-of-three national championship series. The Patriots finished 10-0 in the NCAA postseason.

The Patriots won the 2016 NCAA Division III national championship.

The Tyler Junior College men’s tennis team won the NJCAA national championship for the 18th time.

The Tyler Junior College women’s tennis team, which won the national title in 2021 and 2022, placed third in the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Tennis Tournament. Tyler’s doubles team of Candy Wai and Natalia Michta captured the national championship in Flight 1 doubles to earn All-America honors.

For the third consecutive year, the UT Tyler Patriots advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II Men’s National Tennis Tournament.

UT Tyler qualified for the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament for the second straight year. The Patriots fell to national runner-up Texas Woman’s in the NCAA Division II Women’s South Central Basketball Regional final.

The TJC women’s soccer team advanced to the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Soccer Tournament. The Apaches advanced to the NJCAA Division I Men’s National Soccer Tournament.

The Texas College Steers received an at-large bid to the NAIA National Basketball Tournament, their first trip to the NAIA national tournament in program history.

Trinity Valley’s men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NJCAA Men’s Division I National Basketball Tournament and NJCAA Women’s Division I National Basketball Tournament, respectively.

Bullard’s Garrett Nuckolls was a member of the Trinity Valley men’s basketball team. Chapel Hill’s Matthew Scott was an assistant coach for the Cardinals.

Chapel Hill’s DJ Kincade also played in the national tournament with the Blinn women’s basketball team.

Following the season, Trinity Valley head coach Martin Levinson left to be the head coach at his alma mater, Nebraska-Kearney. TVCC hired Greg Heiar, the former head coach at New Mexico State University, and he has the Cardinals out to an 11-1 start and a No. 3 national ranking.

The TJC football team faced Navarro for the championship of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. The Apaches were seeking their first conference championship since 2000.

Texas College’s football team finished with an 8-3 record, the most wins since the program was revived in 2003. Texas College had 12 wins over the previous 14 seasons. Since 2008, the Steers had won two games in a season just twice — going 2-9 in 2012 and 2-8 in 2015. The Steers have gone winless four times in that span and went 1-10 in 2023, scoring 161 points and giving up 561 points. Texas College’s last winning season prior to 2024 was in 2005 when it went 7-4 and was also the last time the Steers scored more than 200 points in a season with 286 points in that season. The Steers scored 348 points this season.

Dr. Howard Patterson, who built the UT Tyler athletic program from the ground floor, retired as UT Tyler’s Vice President for Athletics. He founded UT Tyler Athletics, launching 18 NCAA programs and leading the Patriots through the transition period to the NCAA Division III and then Division II levels. At the Division III level, the Patriots won seven national championships, 67 American Southwest Conference titles, and produced 97 All-America selections. UT Tyler softball just won its first NCAA Division II National Championship in 2024.

END OF STATE/REGIONAL

TOURNAMENTS FOR UIL

UIL made a major change to championship formats for basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball at the UIL Legislative Council meeting in June.

The UIL voted to approve the motion to split each classification into two divisions for the playoffs, identical to the Class 6A football model, for Class 4A-6A soccer, Class 2A-6A volleyball, softball and baseball, and Class 1A-6A basketball.

That went into effect Aug. 1.

The top four teams from each district will advance to the playoffs. The two schools with the largest enrollments as of October 2023, when enrollment figures were submitted for the 2024-26 reclassification and realignment process, will compete in the Division I bracket and the other two will compete in the Division II bracket.

Instead of six state champions in basketball, there will now be 12 state champions, just like football. In soccer, there will now be six state champions. There will now be 11 state champions in volleyball, softball and baseball.

By doing this, it also eliminates a round of the playoffs, meaning teams would need to just win four rounds to advance to the state semifinals instead of five.

It also eliminates regional and state tournaments. Just the state championship games will be played at a set location.

DISTRICT REALIGNMENT

Area schools were placed in new districts for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

Tyler Legacy was put in District 10-6A with Forney, Longview, North Forney, Rockwall, Rockwall-Heath and Royse City.

Tyler High was put in District 7-5A Division I for football with Burleson Centennial, Cleburne, Dallas Highland Park, Joshua, Midlothian and Red Oak. Tyler was put in District 10-5A for other sports, including basketball and volleyball, with Hallsville, Jacksonville, Lufkin, Marshall, Mount Pleasant, Nacogdoches, Texas High and Whitehouse.

Jacksonville moved up to Class 5A.

OBITUARIES

Tony Miller, who starred on the football field and track for Robert E. Lee High School and later played at Texas Tech University, died on March 17.

Kurt Nichols, an All-East Texas football player at John Tyler High School, All-America at the University of Tulsa, and longtime college and high school football coach, died in June.

Mike Owens, who led Robert E. Lee High School to a 2004 football state championship, died in December.

Jimmy Wilkerson, who helped lead Paul Pewitt to a state football championship in 1998 and had a long career in the National Football League, died in December.

PATRICK MAHOMES ADDS TO ACCOLADES

Former Whitehouse High School standout Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, and we was named the Super Bowl MVP for the third time after throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another 66 yards in a 25-22 win over San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII.

NFL DRAFT

Former Robert E. Lee/Tyler Legacy High School standout Beaux Limmer was drafted in the sixth round (217^th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams.

MLB DRAFT

Former Bullard High School standout Hagen Smith was drafted No. 5 overall in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

During his final season at Arkansas, Smith tied the Razorbacks’ single-game record with 17 strikeouts in No. 4 Arkansas’ 5-4 win over No. 7 Oregon State. He pitched six innings, allowing three hits, no runs and one walk.

Smith became Arkansas’ all-time strikeout leader and became the third Razorback in program history to be named the SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Smith inked the highest signing bonus — $8 million — for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history.

COACHING MILESTONES

UT Tyler head softball coach Mike Reed picked up his 900^th career victory.

UT Tyler head women’s soccer coach Stefani Webb picked up her 300^th career victory as a collegiate coach — 210 of those at UT Tyler.

Tyler Legacy head girls basketball coach Ross Barber picked up his 300^th career victory and also earned his 200^th win with the Lady Raiders.

Tyler Legacy head boys basketball coach Kyle Smith picked up his 200^th career victory.

Tyler High School head girls basketball coach Bobby Reynolds picked up his 200^th career victory.

Lindale head girls basketball coach Daniel Devisscher picked up his 100^th career victory.

The late Jack V. Murphy, legendary football player, coach and personality, was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. Murphy was a Tyler native and Chapel Hill High School graduate who won more than 200 games as head football coach at Gladewater High School.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Tyler High senior pitcher Dante Martinez threw a perfect game in a 13-0 win over Winona. He struck out 14 of 15 batters and did not walk a batter. Martinez was 1-for-1 at the plate, walked three times and scored two runs. The speedster also stole four bases.

Bullard’s David Wilson had a strikeout on every out he recorded and threw a no-hitter in five innings in a 20-0 win over Jacksonville. Wilson had 15 punchouts and walked one batter and threw just 69 pitches — 49 strikes.

Brook Hill’s Karmen Miller recorded strikeouts in 20 of 21 outs in a 5-0 win over Slocum. Miller allowed two hits in seven innings in the circle. She did not walk a batter.

Martin’s Mill senior Kate Lindsey scored 51 points and was 15 of 29 from 3-point range in an 83-8 win over Cayuga on Feb. 2. According to record books for the National Federation of State High School Association and MaxPreps, Lindsey’s 15 made 3-pointers is a state record. The record books show that the previous state record was 13 and that the national record is 19.

Bishop Gorman freshman EJ Coppock set a school record of 12 3-pointers en route to a 39-point outing as the Crusaders defeated Plano Coram Deo, 92-50, in a TAPPS 3A District 2 basketball game on Jan. 13.

Tyler’s Kalyse Buffin, Martin’s Mill’s Jak Kinder and Malakoff’s Hillary Dawson all reached the 2,000-point mark for their career.

Bullard soccer player Addyson Cummings scored her 100^th career goal and finished as the Lady Panthers’ all-time leading scorer.

FORMER BROWNSBORO STANDOUT UNEXPECTEDLY JOINS

TCU BASKETBALL TEAM

When Mekhayia Moore graduated from Brownsboro High School in 2022, she had decided that her basketball playing career was over.

The Bearettes standout who capped her career by being named the Class 4A State Championship Game MVP as the Bearettes captured the program’s first crown in 2022, defeating Hardin-Jefferson, 50-49, Moore had several offers to play college basketball, but she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to attend Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and take the pre-med route.

TCU’s women’s basketball team started the season 14-0, but after four straight losses to begin Big 12 play and numerous injuries, the Horned Frogs were forced to cancel — and forfeit — two games against Kansas State on Jan. 17 and Iowa State on Saturday. The program announced on Jan. 17 that it would hold open tryouts for full-time students who were interested in walking on to the team for the remainder of the season.

Moore tried out and made the team as one of four new members of the TCU women’s basketball team.

Moore appeared in four games for TCU and recorded a rebound and a steal.

PHIL HICKS, JACK STALLARD AMONG GROUP HONORED AT REGION XIV BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Five East Texas media icons were named Region XIV/Texas Eastern Conference Legends during a ceremony at the Region XIV Basketball Tournament on March 14.

Among the honored group were Phil Hicks of the Tyler Morning Telegraph and Jack Stallard of the Longview News-Journal.

Also honored were Manny Almanza, Benny Rogers and Mike Montfort.

The five men combined have provided coverage of the league for more than 200 years total.

REGION XIV BASKETBALL CHANGES

Jacksonville College suspended its men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Victoria College also stopped its men’s basketball program.

Jacksonville and Victoria joined San Jacinto and Lon Morris (shut down as a college) as conference schools to stop their basketball programs in the last 15 years.