The year 2016 has been exciting on many levels for Jack County athletes with several of them tasting the playoffs for the first time after a less than spectacular 2015.
These are the top 10 events, in random order, for county athletes as determined by the Jacksboro Herald-Gazette sports department.
JHS freshman qualifies for National Junior Rodeo Finals
BRECKENRIDGE – Jacksboro’s boys' basketball squad would up the Breckenridge Tournament on a high note Wednesday afternoon with a 68-38 win over the host Buckaroos.
Coach Eric Symank said in a text message that the squad elected to just play four games and not come back for Thursday games.
“(We) don’t want to kill ourselves before district games next week,” Symank said.
Jacksboro's boys' basketball squad is still looking for its first win in the Breckenridge Tournament after a Wednesday morning loss to Brownwood.
BRECKENRIDGE – It was a good first day overall for the Jacksboro girls basketball team, the Tigerettes picking up a pair of wins in a tournament here.
The girls defeated Santo 35-28 and Brownwood 46-43 in pool play action. Pool play concludes tomorrow and the tournament ends Thursday.
The Tigers, on the other hand, weren’t as fortunate, suffering a loss to Dublin 83-63.Recaps of all three games, in the order they were played, follow:
Dublin 83, Jacksboro boys 63
Jacksboro Middle School’s eighth-grade girls squads have had a busy but successful pre-Christmas schedule.
The ‘A’ team is now 4-1 with a 56-15 rout of City View. Jacksboro got out to a 22-5 lead after one and extended it to 36-7 at the half. The Tigerettes scored 10 points in each of the final two quarters, shutting out the Mustangs defensively in the fourth.
Jacksboro Middle School’s boys basketball squad closed out the 2016 year with games vs.City View Dec. 12.
The ‘B’ teams played a combined game vs. the Mustangs. The Tigers got out to a 10-5 lead but City View came from behind in the second half to post an 18-17 win.
Trey Laake led Jacksboro with six points with Josh O’Shields and Taber Dunn adding three tallies each. Caiden Vasquez, Eddye Roach, and Trent Irwin each had two points.
For further details, see the Dec. 23 Herald-Gazette.
BRYSON – Both Bryson varsity basketball teams suffered homecourt losses to visiting Wichita Falls Notre Dame Monday at Cowboy Gym. A summary of both games follows:
Notre Dame girls 31, Bryson 29
Bryson had a chance to knot the game in regulation but a Lady Knight steal snuffed out comeback chances.
Ball movement has been a way to the win for Jacksboro’s boys basketballers this year; when the Tigers have it, their offense is more effective and the victories come.
Such was the case Friday vs. Bellevue, the Tigers moved the ball as well as they have all year in the eyes of Coach Eric Symank and a 74-46 win at Tiger Gym resulted. Symank said his defense was crisp as well against the Eagles.
“We tried multiple defenses against them and they worked,” They have a couple of good players. They’re going to do well in that Class A district.”
One of the tri-leaders in District 8-3A girls basketball fell by the wayside Tuesday evening.
Fortunately for Tigerette fans, it wasn’t Jacksboro.
The Tigerettes got out to a quick start vs. visiting Holliday and held on for an impressive 42-26 victory at Tiger Gym. The Tigerettes are now 3-0 in the loop and 13-4 overall.
Coach Todd Matlock said it was a good defensive effort but the problems with offensive lulls continue.
Jacksboro's varsity basketballers took a clean sweep of visiting Bellevue and Wichita Falls City View Friday evening.
