Fox Box: Local powerlifters qualify for state; All District basketball awarded

Powerlifting

Rusk

Six competitors from Rusk participated in the Region 3, Division 2 meet in Malakoff, March 9, qualifying one for the state meet.

Rusk placed seventh overall.

Eagle Byron Johnson posted a second-place finish in the 181-weight class with lifts totaling 1,280, qualifying him for competition at the state level.

Sean Rogers also competing in the 181-class, finished seventh with a total weight of 1,065 pounds.

Jermaine Lewis and Garrett Blaylock finished third and fourth, respectively, in the super heavy weight division. Lewis had lifts totaling 1,530 pounds while Blaylock’s total weight was 1,450 pounds.Other lifters included Nick Acker, 242-class, sixth, 1,285 pounds; and Jaden Turner, 275-class, seventh, 1,410 pounds.

Troup

Troup powerlifters Malik Gilliam and Bryce Attaway competed at the Region 3, Division 3 meet in Malakoff Friday, March 8.

The two-member team took eighth overall.

Gilliam took the top spot in the super heavy weight class with lifts totaling 1,635 pounds. His first-place finish qualifies him for state competition. Attaway placed fifth in the 165 class with weights totaling 1,205 pounds.

Bullard

Bullard put three into the Region 3, Division 2 meet in Malakoff Saturday, March 9, but none qualified for the state meet. The team placed 17th.

The best finish was by Bryson Luscombe, competing in the 148-weight class, who placed third with lifts totaling 1,110 pounds. Lawson Barker placed 11th in the 198-class with a total weight of 1,225 but Stone Smith, competing in the 132-weight class, bombed out.

Basketball

Members of three Cherokee County boys’ basketball teams have received All District awards. Some have even been named to the Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All State team.

Award winners have been listed by school.

Jacksonville

Jacksonville Indians – District 16-5A

Newcomer of the Year – Vito High

2nd Team – Deshawn McCuin

Honorable Mention – Desmond Fuller and Jonathan Denman

Academic All State: Sean Driskell, Kendall Gill and DeShawn McCuin

New Summerfield

New Summerfield Hornets – District 21-2A

District Co-MVP – Collin Wilkerson

1st Team – Bryant Leon

2nd Team – Elvis Mendoza

Honorable Mention: Alfredo Juarez, Julio Parra and Luis Martinez

Academic All State: Collin Wilkerson

Troup

Troup Tigers – District 16-3A

1st Team – Weslee Ross, Quincy Kincade and Grayson Driggs

2nd Team – Kris Johnson and Kedrick Frazier

Honorable Mention: Cade Jones, Jordan Elliott and Desmon Deason

Academic All District: Welsee Ross, Grayson Driggs, Jordan Elliott and Cade Jones

Academic All State: Weslee Ross and Dillon Houghton

Coach of the Year: Darin Harley

Bullard

Bullard Panthers –District 16-4A

1st Team All District: CJ Gardner

2nd Team All District: Garrett Esposito, Dustin Dover, Harrison Meador

Hon Men All District: Martavion Allen

Academic All District: Robbie Peacock

Tennis

Jacksonville

The Jacksonville tennis player sparticipated in the Longview Tournament Thursday, March 7, bringing home three first-place finishes.

The team of Thomas Brewer and Alex Hassell took top honors in boys doubles. After defeating Wills Point (6-0,6-2), John Tyler (6-1, 6-2) and Whitehouse (6-3, 6-2) to enter the finals, the duo beat Corsicana (6-2, 6-2) to win.

Juan Guerroro and Case Coughlin placed first in the B division of boys doubles. They had a bye in the first round, then won over Longview (6-2, 6-1) and Pine Tree (1-6, 6-1, 10-5) to play Marshal in the finals where they took the win (6-1, 6-2).

In girls doubles, the team of Kaitlin Gonzalez and Alejandra Hernandez finished first. They defeated Kilgore (6-0, 6-2), Lindale (6-2, 6-0), Hallsville (6-4, 6-4) in the semifinals, and Center (6-0, 7-6) in the finals.

The pair of Haley George and Bianka Cornejo placed third in B division girls singles. They had a bye in the first round, beat Longview (6-3, 6-1) in the second, lost to Spring Hill (3-6, 1-6) in the semis, then defeated Whitehouse (6-2, 6-2) to take third.

In boys singles, Carlos Camacho took the top spot. After a bye in the first round, Camacho defeated Marshall (6-0, 6-0), Pine Tree (6-2, 6-0) in the semifinals and Nacogdoches (6-3, 6-1) for the win.

Other participants included Saul Martinez, who finished sixth in boys singles and the teams of Lizbet Saldana and Bryan Gluck, and Abby Mathis and Eduardo Rodriquez in mixed doubles.

At the Corsicana Tournament Friday, March 1, several team members walked away as consolation winners. These included Martinez, boys singles; Brewer and Hassell, boys doubles; and George and Cornejo, girls doubles.

The mixed doubles team of Autumn Terrell and Rodriquez finished third. Lizbet Saldana took fourth in girls singles and the pair Guerrero and Coughlin took fourth in boys doubles. Gonzalez and Hernandez finished in fifth place in girls doubles.

Other participants included Bryan Gluck in boys singles and the team of Angelica Alvarez and Camacho in mixed doubles.

Troup

The Troup JV tennis players traveled to Edgewood to compete in a tournament Monday, March 4. The girls’ doubles duo of Ambrosia Jackson and Iyasha Hyatt brought home a second-place medal. Dylan Villanueva and Courtney Thurman finished fourth in mixed doubles.

The varsity tennis team participated in the Edgewood tourney Wednesday, March 6. Marigold Hunter played a tie break for a third place medal and was edged out, finishing fourth. Collin Kubecka went undefeated for the day, winning all four matches. The quarterfinal was reported as one of the best. Kubecka was down 7-5 in the last set and came back to tie, 8-8. He won, 7-5, in the tie break, sending him to the finals where he took the match (6-3, 7-5), and the win.