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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 ■ PAGE A5

SEALY NEWS

Area league hosts Miracle of an opener for disabled youth By MINDY BLANKEMEYER mnblankemeyer@aol.com

A strong desire to keep things the same has seemingly made a large difference in many lives. Shane and Jessica Gordon moved to Austin County a few years ago with a son who has a Chiari malformation – wherein a misshapen skull can affect the brain – and had to search hard to find the recreational activity he had enjoyed in their small Ohio town. “We started looking around for a Miracle League,’ Jessica Gordon said Monday. “We wanted as much the sameness as possible.” Miracle League is a baseball program that serves special-needs and disabled people who want to play baseball but don’t really fit within the alreadyestablished leagues. Players are assigned a “buddy” to help them with fielding and batting throughout the two-inning games, in which every player is allowed the chance to bat and score a run. The closest option for the Gordons turned out to be Cypress Spring on the north side of Houston, leading to long car trips in the spring of 2014 so they could give their son Brandon the baseball experience he relished. “We did that every weekend,” Jessica said. A run-in with a grandmother closer to home made her realize that she wasn’t the only one who needed a change in geography. “She saw our son in his uniform and we told her about Miracle League,” Gordon said. “She was excited, but when she found out how far it was, her face just fell.” So Jessica and Shane set out to see what it would take to bring the league to Austin County. First speed bump, though, was a $500 annual commitment. “It’s not a million dollars, but still,” she said. “We paused again, but the idea kept nagging.” The family decided to go ahead and plunk down the money, though it

still took a little more encouragement to get the ball rolling. The idea kept space in her head until she made chance contact with another Austin County mother: Nicole Schaper of Bellville, whose son Hudson has mitochondrial disease, a cellular mutation that can prohibit development. “[Nicole] said that she had also been playing around with the idea of starting a Miracle League here,” Gordon said. The Gordons teamed with Nicole and husband Jake Schaper to establish the area league later in 2014. The league kicked off its first season with 10 players from the general population, aside another 10 from a state school. This year, the league will field 22 players, all from the general Austin County population. The 2016 season kicked off April 2 at Clark Park in Bellville. Gordon, now the league’s director and secretary, said players now come in from as far as Katy, Chappell Hill, and Brenham. Meanwhile, the league’s management structure has stayed close to home: Shane Gordon is now the president of the league, Nicole Schaper is vice president and treasurer. The daunting task of creating regional awareness of the league continues, though much eased from early efforts. “Sometimes it felt like I had a third head when I was present the concept,” Jessica Gordon said. Now, she said, the league is looking toward growth, including an expansion of playing facilities. “When you get a Miracle League, they encourage you to build a handicapped-accessible field,” she said. The resulting complex would include a custom designed field that is completely flat with a rubberized surface and wheel chair accessible dugouts according to the league website. But that’s still a ways into the future. “That’s roughly a million-dollar project,” said Gordon, undoubtedly remembering how formidable the initial $500

John-John points to the fence as he steps up for his first at bat Ava runs the bases with the help of her buddy on Sunday afterSunday at Clark Park in Bellville where the Miracle League of noon at Clark Park. Austin County plays each Sunday at 3 pm. any issues that could arise said under sunny skies at annual investment once a player who is not able with an adult player and a the season opener. seemed. “Until we build to afford their uniform, teenage volunteer. On April 2, players and awareness, we’re not although donations of any “We are open to an their buddies took the field kind are always welcome. adult league in the future,” going to take that on. with exuberance. The bud“We don’t want to grow Registration is always she said. “We just growing dies – mostly area teenagers too fast. We’re happy ongoing and no child will as the needs and desires – assisted their juniors with be turned away if they drive us.” where we’re at.” batting, fielding and running Although the league have a desire to play the The league currently the bases. prefers to have older game. offers two baseball seaAnd of course, Brandon There are no age sons for participants, playyouth, they welcome all Gordon was part of the either. ing six to eight games in volunteers at least 9 years requirements festivities, a return on the old to buddy with a play- According to website, spring and again in the fall. emotional and financial er. Buddies over 18 years “We have taken children The schedule is set, but investment his parents of age do have to submit as young as two years old flexible. made in creating the as well as older players to a background check. “We always take Easter league. The Miracle League has who are considered and Mother’s Day off in the “We’ve definitely gotten a variety of options to adults”. Gordon said they spring season, and of our 500 bucks worth, I can support players, begin- serve players up to 22 course there are always tell you that,” Jessica ning with sponsorship of years old, sidestepping some rainouts,” Gordon Gordon said.

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Briley, left, awaits her turn at bat in the dugout, keeping buddy Brittney Byrd entertained.

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PAGE A6 ■ THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016

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Tiger baseball chalks up two more district wins

Lady Tigers post first district loss with 10-0 loss to Bay City

By MINDY BLANKEMEYER

mnblankemeyer@aol.com

The Sealy High boys baseball team posted two district wins last week, first at home on Tuesday a win over Wharton 4-2, then defeating Bay City in a road game Friday night, 4-3. The wins give the Tigers a 9-6-1 season record and 2-1 mark in district play. Tuesday night at home against Wharton, Will Cerny was on the mound for the Tigers and held off Wharton for the first two innings. The Tigers came out with bats on fire as they put up two runs in the first inning. Justin Eckhardt hit a ground ball between short and third and got on with an error followed by Cerny who had a hard hit to right field to move Echkardt in for the first run of the night. Riley Gott next up was walked and Sherman, the pinch runner for Cerny stole his way around and was able to score for the second run of the inning. The Tigers gave up one run to Wharton in the third inning, then another in the top of the fourth inning that tied the game 2-2, and put pressure of Sealy to step up their game. In the bottom of the fourth the Tigers were able to again pull ahead when Xavier Teague had hard hit that fell just short of the right field fence for a triple that would put him in scoring position for Hunter Anderson right behind him. Anderson also had a long out near the centerfield fence that would give Teague time to score

A rocky week in softball found the Lady dealing with their first loss in district play Friday, falling to Bay City 10-0 just days after dismantling Wharton by 15-11. Picking up one win and one loss brings the Lady Tigers to a season record of 18-7 and 6-1 in district play. Tuesday night at home against Wharton started out as a onesided game with the Lady Tigers commanding the field. Samantha Bersche was in the circle again for the Lady Tigers and had the game under control with her defense behind her for the first two innings. The Lady Tigers put up points fast in the first inning when Felicia Aguirre had a base hit to get on first. Megan Kalinec then hit a double to set up for Madison Luther at bat. Luther took one ball and two strikes before she took a fast pitch down the middle over the fence for a three run homer. Katelyn Wall, batting in the number four spot, stepped up and also took a fast ball over the fence for her first home run of the game, giving Sealy a 4-0 lead. Makalylah Scott batting fifth was right in line to follow Luther and Wall, but her hit fell just short of the fence for the first out of the inning. Tatelyn Wilkens up next hit a hard shot to left field that would put her on for the Lady Tigers. Kendal Dornak, who was hit by a pitch moved Wilkens around to set up for Lynssey Klecka who also hit a high ball to left field that brought Wilkens home for the first Lady Tigers run in the inning. In the bottom of the second, Kalinec got with a single to left field, followed by Luther who pounded a double deep into left field to move Kalincec to scoring position. Wall stepped up and hit a sacrifice to center to score Kalinec. The Wharton batters were not going to be left off the board. In the top of the third, they brought in two runners in an attempt to cut the lead to 6-2. Sealy went scoreless in the third inning which fueled the fire for Wharton who

and bring Sealy back in the lead 3-2 Sealy. In the bottom of the fifth, Kolby Wolf was first up to bat and was hit by a pitch to put him on. Wolf stole his way around to third to set up for Eckhardt ,who hit a sacrifice to bring in Wolf for the Tigers fourth and final run of the night. Cerny, able to hold Wharton scoreless for the last three innings to end the game on top 4-2. On the road on Friday in Bay City, Xavier Teague was on the mound for the Tigers who struggled through the first inning only putting up one run when Wolf who was first up to bat was hit by pitch to get on. Wolf stole second, then was moved to third by an outfield hit by Eckhardt. Cerny had a hit to the second who had a fielder’s choice for out’s one and two, but it gave Wolf time to get home and put the Tigers on the board. Teague gave up one hit in the bottom of the first to give Bay City the lead with an error to the first batter, then a walk to the second, but ground outs got him out of the first 2-1 Bay City. The second and third innings went scoreless for both teams which led to a comeback for the Tigers in the top of the fourth inning. Cerny and Teague

would get on with log fly balls near the fences which would bring up Gott to move them around with the first out. Anderson was up and got on with an error in the outfield. Hits by Jess Welch, Drew Fleming, and Brennan Brandes would score Cerny, Teague, and Anderson for three runs bringing the Tigers up 4-2. A pitching change in the seventh to Stilts would give up one run to Bay City and end the game 4-3 for the Tigers second win last week. Next up for the Tigers will be to finish round one of district play when they host the undefeated El Campo Ricebirds on Tuesday night, then travel to Columbus on Friday to start round two of district play. This week in baseball will fins the Tigers finishing up round one of district play when they host EL Campo on Tuesday night, then start round two of the playoffs on Friday when they travel to Columbus for their second meeting with the Cardinals. Current district standings have El Campo in first place with a 3-0 record, followed by 2-1 Sealy. Bay City and Wharton are tied for third place each with at 1-2, followed by Columbus who is 1-3.

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Sealy shortstop Makaylah Scott picks up a hard hit grounder – and more than a handful of infield dirt - to throw to first for the out. came back in the top of the fourth to score three more runs bringing it to a one point game. 6-5 Sealy. The Lady Tigers were not ready to lay over and give up. In the bottom of the fourth Kalinec again got on with a single to left field. Luther took out number one with a fly ball to center field, then Wall stepped up for her second home ru of the night, this time for two runs and an 8-5 lead for Sealy. The fifth inning went scoreless for both teams setting up for a powerful sixth inning. Wharton put up four runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead away from Sealy,but the Lady Tigers stepped back to the plate with bats ready and Aguirre started them off with a double, then came home on a double by Luther to know the score at 9-9. After two home runs, Wall was walked to put runners on first and second. Scott hit a line drive to move Luther to score and Wall on third 10-9 for the lead. Wilkens then stepped up and hit a double to score Wall and Scott to give Sealy a 12-9 cushion. Dornak got on with a line drive error to third followed by a single by Klecka to score Wilkens

and Dornak before Taylor Bartholomaus stepped up and hit double to score Klecka for the Lady Tigers’ final run. Aguirre took over the pitching job late in the sixth inning allowed Wharton to score two final runs in the top of the seventh, but recorded the save for the Lady Tigers with the 15-11 final. On Friday in Bay City, the Lady Tigers gave up two runs in the first inning followed by seven runs in the second inning. Bersche, the starting pitcher, lasted 4 2/3 innings before Aguirre stepped in late in the fifth. Aguirre gave up only one run in the bottom of the fifth but the damage was done and the Lady Tigers took their first district loss without scoring a run. Next up for the Lady Tigers will be to have their second-round district meeting with EL Campo on Tuesday night at home, then travel to Columbus on Friday. Current district rankings have the Lady Tigers in first place at 6-1, while Columbus and Bay City are tied at this time for second place with a close 5-2 record. El Campo sits in fourth place at 3-3, followed by Wharton at 1-5 which leaves Royal in sixth place at 0-7.

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Tiger first baseman Brennan Brandes gets ready to pick off a Wharton base runner Tuesday night.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 ■ PAGE A7

Sealy Jr High girls track JV track squad takes third in Bellville meet takes first at Columbus meet By MINDY BLANKEMEYER mnblankemeyer@aol.com

The junior varsity track team took to the road April 7 to garner third place in a meet in Bellville, posting 137 points. Mayde Creek won the meet with 224 points, Bellville took second with 152 points, Sealy in third with 137 points, Royal in Fourth place with 65 points, and Faith Academy with 6 points. 100 meter dash first place was Caleb Morris and Ivan Bolden with

fourth place. 200 meter dash Will Ford won third place. 400 meter dash Nolan Treybig won first place. 800 meter run Nolan Treybig won first place and Felix Castorena won sixth place. 1600 meter run Jose Barros won fifth place. 4x400 relay Caleb Morris, Will Ford, Terrel Brooks, and Ivan Bolden won third place. 4x200 realy Caleb Morris, Will Ford, Terrel Brooks, and Ivan Bolden won fourth place. 100 meter hurdles

Glenn White won third place. 300 meter hurdles Glen White won fifth place. Long Jump Ivan Bolden won third place and Glenn White won fourth place. Shotput Tyler Carlson won first place, Tyler Allen won fifth place, and Anthony Hernandez on sixth place. Discus Beau Welch won fourth place. Triple jump Ivan Holden won first place and Glenn White won third place. Pole Vault Rory Strong won second place.

Sealy High boys varsity take first in Bellville track meet By MINDY BLANKEMEYER mnblankemeyer@aol.com

The Sealy High School boys track squad took first place April 7 in the Archie Seals Relays, outpacing the nearest competitor Mayde Creek by 72 points, 197-125. The Sealy girls track team took second place overall with 174 points, falling only eight points shy of winner Clements FBISD. Indvidually, Clayton Fritsch of the boys track team broke his second record this season in pole vault competition with a leap of 15’1”. The previous record, set in 1997 by Jake Boone of Bellville, was 14’6”. In the girls’ division 100 meter dash, Mariha Meza placed fifth with a time of 13:71 and Makayla Black placed sixth with a time of 13:75. 200 meter dash Sarah Shefflette placed fourth with a time of 27.68 and Madison Klotz placed fifth with 28.18. 400 meter dash Mikala Newell placed sixth with a time of 1:04.34. 800 meter run Destiny Whitehead placed fourth with a time of 2”46.40 and Natraha Ward placed fifth with a time of 2:49.50. 1600 meter run Monica Moreno placed third with a time of 5:59.12. 3200 meter run Monica Moreno placed second with a time of 13:05.09. 4x100 relay Amber Dent, Makayla Black, Sarah Shefflette, and Naja Fields placed third with a time of 52.09. 4x200 relay Madison Klotz, Amber Dent, Sarah Shefflette, and Makayla Black took first place with a time of 1:52.50. 4x400 relay Laura Richardson, Mikala Newwll, Madison Klotz, and Rayann Rabius placed second with a time of 4:25.82. 100 meter hurdles Julia Wright placed second with a time of 17.14 and Hannah Waltrip placed fifth with 21.24. 300 meter hurdles Rayann Rabius placed second with 51.84, Julia Wright placed third with a time of 51.94, and Hannah Waltrip placed sixth at 1:06.62. Long jump Maylee Sowa placed second with a distance of 15’3”, followed by Rayann Rabius with a distance of 15’1 ½ feet. Shot put Tacoria Turner placed first with a 31’8” throw. Discus Jayme Kana

placed first with a throw of 92’5” followed by Elise Ford with 91’3 ½ feet for second place, and Tacoria Turner placed fourth with an 85’ throw. Triple jump Rayann Rabius placed fourth with a jump of 32’ 1 ¼ feet, Kendall Dornak placed fifth at 32’ 1 ¼ feet, and Maylee Sowa placed sixth with 31’ 3 ½ feet. High Jump Laura Richardson and Courtney Rabius tied for first place with a jump of 4’10”. For the boys events in the 100 meter dash Jordan Newsome placed first with a time of 10:82, Darius Houston placed third with 11:06, and Hunter Fronczak placed sixth with 11:27. 400 meter dash Jason Mackey took first place with 51:10 time, and Deon’ta Castin placed fifth with 54:62 800 meter run Colton Gajewski placed first with a time of 2:02.02 followed by Hunter Sherman in second with a time of 2:02.47, and Brennan Brandes in fourth with a time of 2:09.82. 1600 meter run was won by Colton Gajewski with a time of 4:55.55. Amilcar Flores placed third with a time of 5:06.52, and Blake Alvarado in fifth place with a time of 5:15.37. 3200 meter run Black Alvarado placed second with a time of 11:26.12, Amilcar Flores in third

with a time of 11:41.18, and Jose Hernandez in fourth with a time of 11:43.81. 4x100 relay was won by Darius Houston, Jason Mackey, Hunter Fronczak, and Jordan Newsome with a time of 43:02. 4x200 relay Darius Houston, Jordan Newsome, Hunter Fronczak, and Kobe Aguado won fourth place with a time of 1:33.15. 4x400 relay was won by Don’ta Castin, Colton Gajewski, Jason Mackey, and Hunter Sherman with a time of 3:30.43. 300 meter hurdles Kobe Aguado placed third with a time of 43.33. Long jump Hunter Fronczak won first place with a time distance of 21’3”, and Darius Houston placed fifth with a distance of 20’1”. Shot put Darian Thomas won fifth place with a distance of 41’3”. Discus Ethan East placed sixth with a distance of 118’5”. Triple jump Henry Brown won first with distance of 42’ and Tajh Green won second with a distance of 41’8 ½”. High Jump was won by Henry Brown with a height of 6’4”. Pole Vault was won by Clayton Fritsch who had a height of 15’0” and Cody Burkland placed sixth with a height of 9’6”.

By MINDY BLANKEMEYER mnblankemeyer@aol.com

Junior high track participated in the district meet at Columbus this week where the seventh-grade girls won first place with 269 points over Columbus with 167 points in second place, Wharton in third place with 94 points, and Royal in fourth place with 37 points. 100 meter run Villagomez won second and ALmeido won third. 1600 meter run Dickens won first place, Renz won second, and Becerra won third place. 200 meter run Legan won third place and Almeida won fourth place. The girls won the 300 meter hurdles with Williams, Machala, and Hernandez taking first, second and third place respectively. 400 meter run Burton took third place and Scott-Jaloway won sixth place. 400 meter relay, Sealy won second place. 800 meter run Dickens won first place, Renz second place, and Davila third place. 800 meter relay Sealy won second place. 1600 meter relay Sealy girl’s won first place. Triply jump Williams won first place, Hicks won third place, and Bond won fifth place. Shot put Davilia son fourth and Rose won sixth place. Discus, Oliver won first place, Kram won third place, and Rose won fifth place. High jump Dickens won first place, Kram and Oliver tied for sixth place. Long jump, Williams won first place and Hicks won third place. 2400 meter run Becerra won first place, Lozano won second, and Mendoza won third place. 100 meter hurdles Sealy girls took first place with Williams, second with Machala,

Photos by Mindy Blankemeyer

Maelee Sowa flies on her second attempt at the long jump that puts her in second place in the Bellville Track meet on Thursday. and third with Sanders. The Eighth grade girls won second place with 196 points behind Columbus with 244 points. Royal took third place with 814 points, and Wharton was fourth place with 41 points. Eighth grade girl’s pole vault was won by Krenek and Eskew won third place. Shot put was won by Hennessey and Self took fourth place. Discus was won by Hofpauir and Blachke won sixth place. Long jump Strickland was fifth place and Newsome was sixth place. Triple jump Zeferino won second, Strickland won third, and Roult won fifth. 2400 meter run Cerda won first, Hall won second, and Kulhanek won third. 800 meter run Macias

won second and Herrera won fifth. 100 meter hurdles Machia won second and Herrera won fifth. 100 meter hurdles Newsome won second, Strickland won fourth, and Krenek won fifth. 100 meter run Routt won fifth place. 400 meter run Zefrino won first place, and Sierra won fourth place. 300 meter hurdles Newsome won first place and Krenek won fifth place. 200 meter run Guerrero won fourth place and Dominguez won sixth place. 1600 meter run Krenek won third place, Ar.Kulhanek won sixth place. 400 meter relay Sealy placed second. 800 meter relay Sealy placed third. 1600 meter relay placed second.

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PAGE A8 ■ THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016

SEALY NEWS

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Take me [back] to the ball game America’s favorite “vintage” game leisurely invades Sealy Picnic By JASON B. HOGAN reporter@sealynews.com

In vintage baseball – the time-travelling sport that features old uniforms, old equipment and even older rules - the game and customs were much different from America’s current craft. Baseball, or “base ball” as the game was commonly spelled before the 1880s, was a gentleman’s game. It was a game of respect. On Saturday, vintage baseball resurfaced at B&PW Park in conjunction with the 2016 Spring Picnic. Appropriately, it was the first time the Sealy Area Historical Society hosted the baseball event. Teams spanning from Sealy and eastward to Houston stirred their stumps (hustled) in the outfield for two brief sixinning games. Respect and bonding might be lost art forms in this media saturated period but, then, it was about camaraderie. And while on the field Saturday, players held to the age-old rules, many of which having less to do with game play and more with conduct. No foul or uncivil language. No spitting. No alcohol consumption. No chewing of tobacco. In the 1860s, pitches were also delivered underhand to allow for good striking. There were judges, not umpires. Players were ballists. The game was a match. This weekend, in the second game – er, match - of the afternoon, the Houston Babies faced the Barker Cypress Red Sox in the presence of about 30 cranks, or fans as they are now called.

Photos by Jason B. Hogan

Some teams keep it truly traditional to the era and use made up handles on the field of play rather than their actual moniker, like Pops, Swaggy P, Bam Bam, Chowda and Flash of the Red Sox, as it helped fans to identify with players. The obvious difference in the game of yesteryear and today is the equipment. Bats were more slender and solid, closer in resemblance to bats used in stickball. And the ball itself is more rubberized, called a horsehide or onion, and

harder to get a full swing on. Some players said it feels like you are going to break your wrists when you try to get full contact on the ball. Well, that did not stop Bam Bam from lacing one into an outfield, straight-to-center gap and legging it to second base on an eventual ground rule double over the fence. On that sun-stricken diamond, players reminded those in attendance why baseball – or even base ball - remains America’s favorite pastime.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 2016 ■ PAGE 5

SEALY NEWS

Sealy News/Gloria Alvarez

Bryan Quiroz and fellow Sealy Tiger teams sit dejected on the bench following a 35-7 loss to Bellville on Friday.

Early turnovers prove costly for Tigers By SCOTT JOINER esjoiner@yahoo.com

Three interceptions and a pair of long Bellville touchdown runs in the first half proved insurmountable for the Sealy Tigers in a 35-7 loss to the Bellville Brahmas on Friday at TJ Mills Stadium. “Early on we had our opportunities to score 21 points,” Sealy coach Jason Holcomb said. “Turnovers changed the whole football game. Once you fall behind to a slot-T team — that’s a good team — you’re going to be in trouble.” Bellville (2-2) scored on its second possession when Mac Briscoe broke free for a 71-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Brahmas lead with 7:14 remaining in the first quarter. Sealy (1-3) responded with a 61-yard drive with three completions setting the Tigers up

at the Bellville 9-yard line. Tigers quarterback Garrett Zaskoda started the drive with a 29-yard completion to Christian Browning, followed by a 12-yard pass to Justin Eckhardt and a 20-yard toss to Tyrek McNeese. But, Zaskoda’s pass from first-and-goal was intercepted by the Bellville defense. “They have a good defense,” Holcomb said. “They have their All-state middle linebacker back. We sat our starting running back out to get his ankle healed up for this week when we start district play. We threw the ball around pretty decent, we just had those turnovers early that kept us from scoring. If you score, you get momentum and what a slot-T team does on offense changes a little bit.”

On the next Sealy drive, Zaskoda scrambled 18 yards and a 15-yard penalty for a late hit put the Tigers at the Bellville 35. On fourth-and-8, Brahmas defensive back Marcus Ward picked off a Sealy pass and returned it to the Tigers 24. Sealy’s defense came up with a turnover of its own two plays later when defensive back Kobe Aguado hit Bellville’s tight end, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Christian Browning

and returned to the Brahmas’ 13. “(Aguado) made some good tackles,” Holcomb said. “Eckhardt made some good tackles and Jess Welch had a good game defensively.” Zaskoda tied the game up on the first play of the ensuing drive. He found Jared Kainer in the slot for a 13-yard touchdown pass. Kicker Eliazer Guerrero added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. Briscoe put the Brahmas back in front

on a four-play drive. He ran for a 24-yard gain, followed by a 14-yard carry and capped it off with a 37-yard touchdown, which was highlighted by a spin move at the

line of scrimmage to escape two Sealy defenders, giving Bellville a 14-7 lead. “We missed two or three tackles in the ■ TIGERS, page 6

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BLT Wrap , Bean & Cheese Burrito, Chicken Teriyaki w/ Fried Brown Rice, Chicken Nuggets w/Breadstick, Mash Potatoes, Green Beans, Chilled Pineapples TUESDAY: Spinach Pear Crunch Salad w/ roll, Craisin Chicken Wrap, Cheese Stuffed Breadstick, BBQ Beef on WW Bun, Fajita Chicken Quesadilla, Southwestern Vegetables Chilled Peaches WEDNESDAY: Fruit Cheese & Yogurt w/graham crackers, Turkey, Apple & Cheddar Pita, Bean & Cheese Nachos, Hamburgers on WW Bun, Baked Alfredo Pasta w/ Breadstick, Ginger Carrots, Chilled Pears THURSDAY: Popcorn Chicken Salad w/breadstick, Italian Wrap, Taco Loco Salad, WG Chicken Corn Dog, Southwest Baked Potato w/ dinner roll, Steamed Corn, Apple Sauce FRIDAY: Turkey Chef Salad, Combo Sub, Cheese Pizza, Fish & Chips, Beef Picadillo Stuffed Roll, Steamed Green Peas, Chilled Mix Fruit MILK AND FRUIT ARE OFFERED AT EVERY MEAL

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LUNCH:

MONDAY: Hot Dog w/Tots, Mandarin Chicken Salad, Meatloaf w/Tomato Sauce, Au Gratin Potatoes, Turnip Greens, Romaine Spinach Garden Salad TUESDAY: Cheesy Chicken Philly Sandwich w/ Seasoned Fries, Chef Salad-Ham, Beef Ravioli, Steamed Broccoli, Romaine Spinach Garden Salad WEDNESDAY: Chicken Ranch Wrap w/Sun Chips, Strawberry Grilled Chicken Salad, Pizza, Seasoned Corn, Romaine & Spinach Garden Salad THURSDAY: Burrito w/Chips & Salsa, Loco Dorrito Beef Taco, Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, Lettuce & Tomato Salad, Fresh Fruit, 100% Fruit Slush Cup FRIDAY: Hamburger w/Seasoned Fries, Chicken Salad, BBQ Meatball, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas, Romaine & Spinach Garden Salad, Fruit

PAGE 6 ■ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

THE SEALY NEWS

WWW.SEALYNEWS.COM

Lady Tigers down Sweeny, El Campo ahead of district play By SCOTT JOINER esjoiner@yahoo.com

In its last week of games before starting district play, the Sealy volleyball team defeated Sweeny on Sept. 13 and El Campo on Sept. 16. “We took a step forward, which was good,” Sealy coach Jennifer Vaden said. The Lady Tigers battled El Campo in four close games. In the first, Sealy won 25-16 but El Campo bounced back to tie the match with a 25-19 win. The third game was even closer with the Lady Tigers pulling out a 27-25 win. A kill by Rayann Rabius put Sealy ahead 25-24 before El Campo tied the game at 25-25. The Lady Tigers kept their composure to take a 27-25 victory, which appeared to give the team a confidence boost that carried over to the fourth game. “We’re a team of spurts,” Vaden said. “We have very good moments, then sometimes forget what we’re doing, then go back to good moments. We’re a little inconsistent, but I felt pulling out two tight ones, that could have gone either way, really helped out to start district on Tuesday.” El Campo jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth game, but Sealy chipped away and took a 9-8 lead and never trailed again. The Lady Ricebirds tied the game late at 24-24, but a kill by Laura Richardson put Sealy in front 25-24 and another decisive kill by Rabius put the game away 26-24. “We finished it when it was on the

line and that’s what we’ve been asking them to do,” Vaden said. “I was really proud of that.” Molly Dittert led the way against El Campo with an impressive 44 assists and eight digs. Rabius had a team-high 15 kills, seven digs and two blocks. Madison Luther added 11 kills, two aces and nine digs. Maddie Klotz had nine kills, 11 digs and a block. Richardson finished with eight kills and a block. Faith Haugen had a strong game serving four aces with 14 digs, and Elizabeth Kovar added a block. Against Sweeny, the Lady Tigers won 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-23). Luther led the team with 15 digs and nine kills. Rabius added 12 digs, seven kills and three aces. Dittert had a team-high 31 assists, five kills and two blocks. Richardson had five kills and four blocks. Kovar, Klotz and Jayme Kana had three kills apiece. “Madison Luther and Rayann Rabius are both my outside hitters,” Vaden said. “They put a lot of balls down and played defense and had really good serving. I would say those two were my kids who really stepped up. It’s their third year of varsity so I was happy to see that leadership from them.” The Sealy junior varsity lost in two tightly contested games to Sweeny 2-0 (24-26, 20-25) and the Lady Tiger freshman lost 2-1 (17-25, 25-10, 21-25). Against El Campo, the junior varsity won 2-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-20) and the freshman lost 2-1 (14-25, 25-10, 21-25).

Sealy students and football fans crowd the stands for the Tigers biggest rivalry of the season.

Photos by Sealy News/Gloria Alvarez

TIGERS

continued from Page 5 game,” Holcomb said. “When they have a good running back like that and you miss two or three tackles, it’s going to be difficult. They can hurt you.” With less than five minutes remaining in the first half, Sealy’s Aguado came up with another big play on a fumble recovery after Briscoe was stripped of the ball. The Tigers’ good fortune was short lived. Bellville intercepted a deep pass on the first play of the ensuing drive and Briscoe scored four plays later for a 21-7 Brahmas lead. Sealy’s defense came up with another fumble to stop Bellville’s first drive of the second half when defensive back Brennan Brandes recovered a loose ball deep in Sealy territory. Early in the fourth quarter, Briscoe scored on a 19-yard catch to put the Brahmas ahead 28-7, and Bellville added another 7-yard touchdown run with 6:11 remaining to put the game out

Brennan Brandes scrambles passed would-be Bellville tacklers on Friday in the Tigers 35-7 loss to the Brahmas. of reach. Zaskoda finished 16-for-34 passing for 179 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Bryan Quiroz led Sealy with 26 rushing yards on three carries and running back Darius Houston had five receptions for 17 yards. Browning had three receptions for 22 yards, Brandes added 37 yards on three receptions and Echhardt had two receptions for 27 yards. Sealy hosts Needville (4-0) in the first game of District 12-4A D1 play on Friday. “They throw the ball,

they spread you out — they’re a true spread team,” Holcomb said. “They’re going to take you all the way to the sideline. They’ll dink and dunk you, run the ball and then throw it deep.” The Blue Jays will also show numerous looks on defense to keep opposing offenses guessing. “They’ll mix their defense up a little bit with a 4-3 defense and slide into a 3-2 box some,” Holcomb said. “They’re 4-0 for a reason.” Needville’s offense is spurred by a versatile

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quarterback. “He keys what they do. He’s a gamer,” Holcomb said. “He runs the ball, throws the ball; he’s a tough kid.” Despite non-district struggles, the Tigers have a clean slate heading into district play. “Going into this week, hopefully we can be healthy and get everybody back and ready to focus in,” Holcomb said. “We’re 0-0 and hoping to get on the right track. We need to win these next two games going into our bye week.”

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THE SEALY NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 ■ PAGE 7

Tigers finish third at Shiner meet By SCOTT JOINER esjoiner@yahoo.com

Courtesy Photo

Sealy senior Colton Gajewski, who finished seventh at state in cross country last year, hopes to take the podium this time around.

Gajewski sets sights on state cross country meet By SCOTT JOINER esjoiner@yahoo.com

Before the sun rises, Sealy’s cross country teams are hard at work practicing for meets four days a week. The cooler temperatures make the runs a bit more tolerable and acclimate the runners for the early morning meets throughout the season. Senior Colton Gajewski is the leader of the early rising Tigers and was the lone participant in the 2015 state meet held in Round Rock. “Not only is he talented, he’s very driven,” Sealy coach Anthony Branch said. “He knows what he wants to do and he’s got a goal in everything he does. He’s got a chance to do really well here, and be one of the best runners to come through here.” Gajewski finished seventh at state and hopes to reach the podium this season. “It’s going pretty good,” Gajewski said of the season. “Still needs a lot of improvement for myself and the team. But, I feel like we’re getting our minds right and running good races. We’re staying together so I feel like the points will be there in district.” The road to state begins on Oct. 11 at the district meet in Brookshire. Gajewski’s trip to state was a learning experience he’s used to push himself further this season.

“It meant the world to me, it was the best experience of my junior year,” he said. “I can’t wait to do it again. I hope I get the same opportunity to do it again this year.” With the experiences of state and his training over the summer, Gajewksi feels confident he can improve on his seventh place finish. “Good training, a lot of mileage and just working hard, keeping the right mindset and the right food in you, drink a lot of water,” he said. “It all comes together at the end.” Gajewski’s running isn’t limited to practice and meets on Saturdays. “I’ll do runs on my own on Saturday and Sunday, if we don’t have a meet on Saturday,” he said. “It takes a lot of independent work as well, and determination. We do the 5K race in cross country, but the most I’ve ever run was with me and Charlotte Janicek; we ran 12 miles one time. That was the longest I’ve ever run.” Looking back at the state meet, Gajewski feels he has the potential to fare better this season. “Definitely, my goal is to — if not first — to get top three and get on the podium,” he said. Gajewski’s mother ran cross country in high school but it was more to help her get in shape for soccer. “Nobody really knows where I got it from,” Gajewksi said.

Gajewski also runs several distance events during track season. “Right after cross country our coach gives us five days off to get our mind set,” he said. “It’s a lot different, but it’s still running.” With his high school career winding down, Gajewksi has the goal of running in college with several schools expressing interest. Branch is in his first year as cross country head coach but was on the athletic staff at Sealy last year and knew he had a talented senior on the roster.

“He happens to be my back door neighbor; he lives right behind me,” Branch said. “So I’ve gotten to know his family. His mom and dad are great people and they make sure he does right and keep him in line. He’s learning and doing the right things. His deal last year running at state, anytime you get there and finish in the top 10 — that’s a big deal. For him to do that and take that experience, he’s bound and determined. He’s got a chance to be an individual state champion.”

The Sealy Tigers boys’ cross country team finished with 83 points to take third at the Shiner meet on Sept. 17. Industry won the meet with 75 points and Needville was second with 78. Colton Gajewski led Sealy with a fourthplace finish overall completing the 3.1mile course in 16:51. Henry Brown finished 15th overall at 17:47 and Blake Alvarado was 17th coming in at 17:50. “I’m pleased with where we are, especially my one through three,” Sealy coach Anthony Branch said. “And my fifth runner had a personal record, so it’s just a matter of getting those guys running faster. We’ve got three weeks to get them going for district and five weeks before regionals. That’s when we really have to be at our best to have a chance to go to state.” The Lady Tigers were missing a few runners at the meet and didn’t have enough to qualify in the team standings. Vanessa Villagomez was the top girls’ finisher in 41st. Branch said the girls team has work to do to get up to speed with the competition but there are two soccer players that have joined the team and others that are working hard. Cassandra Thompson has gone from 21 minutes over two miles down to 16 minutes in just three weeks of practice.

“She’s very determined,” Branch said. “She hasn’t missed one day of practice, not a single one. I remember when she first came out she could hardly make it, and now she’s pushing it. The kicker is getting the kids — once they hit a good mile mark — getting them to keep pushing and not have a big drop-off in the second mile.” In Montgomery, Thompson showed a major improvement in her time and has built on that success since then. “From her first meet to the second meet, she comes around and looks at her watch and was smiling at the finish line,” Branch said. “She knew she had broken her other time by two minutes. She went from 20-something to 18 minutes and now is in the 16s. In two weeks in our last Saturday meet before district, she could be at 14. It’s exciting to see her progress.” The Tigers will head to Giddings on Friday for the next meet. “Giddings will be a very good meet, there are a couple of hills on that course,” Branch said. “Our problem is it’s hard to do hill training since there aren’t any hills here. We go over the bridge that goes over Interstate 10 and goes down a gravel county road when we do our long distance runs, but it’s nowhere near what some of these are. I feel pretty good about the guys, but we can’t be satisfied. We have to work to stay where we are and get our times lower.”

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PAGE 8 ■ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

THE SEALY NEWS

WWW.SEALYNEWS.COM

Birth of Sealy dynasty covered in Texas Football book By SCOTT JOINER esjoiner@yahoo.com

Author Chad Conine, whose book Republic of Football covers 40 Texas high school football programs, was in Sealy this past Friday for a book signing at Citizens State Bank. His book covers Sealy and Houston area schools Katy and North Shore featured in their own chapters. Conine saw a coffee table book called Home Field with pictures of high school stadiums from the 50-yard line. “I told a friend, ‘I would like to read some of these stories,’” Conine said. “That’s when a light went off. I spoke with Amarillo Globe-News sports editor Lance Lahnert and he was telling me about when Hamlin played Panhandle in 1984. It was Art Briles’ first year as head coach at Hamlin and they tied 7-7 in the playoffs. Panhandle won on penetrations and it was that game that made Briles decide to revamp his offense and find a way to beat teams with more talent than his because of the way they played. I thought that was a great place to start.” Conine researched the legacies of numerous NFL and college stars and

their beginnings in the high school ranks. “I did a chapter on (Texas Tech head coach) Kliff Kingsbury’s days in New Braunfels, LaDainian Tomlinson and Dat Nguyen,” Conine said. “I took those four chapters to UT Press and they were interested, so it kind of went from there.” Sealy’s football history is well known dating back to the Eric Dickerson days, four state titles in the 1990s and current Texas A&M wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones. Conine focused on the 1994 season when the Tigers’ run of state championships began. “The idea was to hone in on one year or one playoff game,” Conine said. “Sometimes it was one play that made the difference in the whole state championship. With Sealy winning four straight, I wanted to focus on that 1994 season converting a good team into a great team. That Sealy chapter is focused on the four-year run but really focused on the ‘94 season and how it all got started. Origin stories are a big part the book. Whether it’s Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson, the Sealy Tigers (in chapter 20). It’s just kind of the dynasties and where they came from.” Brenham, Katy, Galena

Park North Shore and West Orange-Stark are the other southeast Texas schools included in the book. “I worked in Lubbock, Fort Worth and Waco so I had a lot of contacts there,” Conine said. “But, I really wanted to make it a priority to get a few Houston area chapters in there. I feel like Sealy, North Shore and Katy does that pretty well. I would’ve liked to have done better. I reached out to Andre Ware and Mike Singletary and wasn’t able to make contact with them. The three Houston area schools represented pretty well.” The depth of history in Texas football is virtually endless, and Conine planned on doing 50 stories on 50 towns, but with time constraints he ended up with 40 chapters. Throughout the signing on Friday, readers complimented Conine on the Sealy chapter and said they looked forward to learning about other prominent Texas programs. “The reviews have been very kind,” Conine said. “The publicist at UT Press set up a blog tour and the reviews there have been fantastic.” The book is available on Amazon and at uttexaspress.com.

Welcome to the Gridiron Guru... where nine members of the community will try to outsmart one another each week by picking high school, college and NFL football games.

Conine’s career started as a sports reporter covering high schools and the experience proved valuable when the Republic of Football project began. “I started covering high school football and basketball when I was in high school at Waco Midway,” Conine said. “I went from there to Texas Tech. I started working in the athletic media relations office when I was a freshman. By my sopho-

High School STAFFORD VS. BAY CITY EL CAMPO VS. COLUMBIA SWEENY VS. EDNA BELLVILLE VS. WHARTON NEEDVILLE VS. SEALY

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Republic of Football author Chad Conine more year I was covering high school football on Friday nights for the Lubbock AvalancheJournal. They sent out to little towns every Friday night and that’s when I got used to doing it, and the adrenaline of following the story on Friday night. From there I went to Fort Worth to work as a freelance writer, and by my second year I was covering University of North Texas football

along with high schools and started with the Waco paper in 2002.” Conine is a freelance reporter for the Sports Xchange covering top 25 college football games, including Baylor at Rice last week in Houston. But, his passion remains in the high school ranks. “I really like covering high school football more than anything else,” he said.

College: TCU VS. SMU OLE MISS VS. GEORGIA ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS A&M Pro HOUSTON VS. NEW ENGLAND MINNESOTA VS. CAROLINA

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