PAnews.com, Port Arthur, Texas

Sports

Discussion

November 3, 2009

Kingwood Park knocks out PN-G

By Cody Pastorella

MONT BELVIEU -- The Port Neches-Groves Lady Indians swapped punch for punch with the Lady Panthers of Kingwood Park in Games 1 and 2 of their first round matchup of the Class 4A volleyball playoffs on Tuesday night at Barbers Hill High School. 

   But the momentum and the match spiraled out of control for the Rock-A-Noos in the final two games. Kingwood Park made off with a 3-1 victory, winning Game 1 26-24, Game 3 25-16 and Game 4 25-15.

  Had the Lady Tribe pulled out Game 1, which was as close as the Yankees are to another world series title, who knows what could have been. 

  The Rock-A-Noos made a push late in Game 1 on a 4-1 march that gave them a 21-20 advantage. Then they took a second lead at 22-21. But Kingwood scored five of the final seven points. Once the Lady Tribe fell behind 23-22, they were unable to reclaim the lead and had to play catchup. 

  "We had our chances," said PN-G head coach Barbara Comeaux whose team posted a 24-14 overall record in 2009 that included a second place finish in District 20-4A. 

  "They were doing some things that we were struggling with in that first game but we certainly could have won it. It was anyone's game really. They just pulled it out in the end."

   Comeaux said in between Game 1 and 2, she made some adjustments that allowed her team to complicate matters for Kingwood.

   And that plan worked tremendously, as the Lady Indians improved an 17-15 advantage to a 25-18, Game 2 victory.

   It appeared the momentum may had fallen in PN-G's corner at that point, but Comeaux said the Lady Panthers readjusted their strategy to match the Lady Indians.

   Checkmate, advantage Kingwood.

   The Lady Indians had no answer and were in over their heads at that point. They fought tooth-and-nail just to keep Game 3 interesting. They immediately fell behind by five and but chipped and chipped to pull the game within two points on two occasions but with the score 14-12, the Lady Panthers ran away to 25-16 win. 

    "Once they readjusted, we couldn't up. Maybe we ran out of gas by the third game. But you have to give them credit, they are a great team and played really well. They were very aggressive," Comeaux explained. "I thought we played well, they just played a great game. They were great defensively and I think that was the difference for us. We did not have a good defensive game. We did what we planned to do offensively, they just blocked everything and and made a lot of great digs." 

   The Lady Tribe's biggest problem was Caleigh Koshnick, who slammed down 18 kills. PN-G's top player was Paige Miller, who tallied 12 points, 17 assists and made four blocks. She led in all categories. 

   Meanwhile, Mallory Livingston and Megan Elam each had 10 digs. Lauryn Stephens had a team-high 13 kills. Kirsten Satterwhite and Shelby Blanchard each recorded an ace. Blanchard also produced three blocks, three points and two kills. 

    This was the second straight season the Lady Tribe ran into Kingwood Park in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Lady Indians were the victor last but fell to Buda Hays in area.  

    



Close not enough for Nederland spikers



BAYTOWN – Underdog Nederland pushed District 19-4A champion Crosby hard in Tuesday night’s Class 4A bidistrict match at Lee College.

But the Lady Bulldogs, fourth-place qualifiers from 20-4A, could never get over the hump and fell in three games, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 in a match that started more than an hour late and finished after the local news.

“We struggled throughout the season,” Nederland coach Toni Leach said when her team’s season was complete at 19-15. “We had some injuries, but I was pleased that we made the playoffs.”

Jessica Cloud led the Lady Bulldogs with eight kills and Cassie Hyde backed her with five kills.

Kacy Morris led Crosby, 37-2, with 15 kills.

Nederland led for most of the first set, with Crosby not taking the lead until it scored four straight points to go up 24-22.

Nederland led early, 9-7, in the third set.

“I was disappointed tonight,” Leach said. “We didn’t play hard and we could have been more aggressive. We let down and made some mistakes and those mistakes stayed in our head.”

Text Only
Sports
  • Super Bowl 46-1stQ-05.JPG SLIDESHOW: Giants beat Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI The New York Giants won their fourth NFL championship Sunday in Indianapolis, scoring in the final minute to defeat New England 21-17.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ford tough leader for young Titans

    February 8, 2012

  • James, Lamb lead LU romp over Demons

    February 8, 2012

  • Seahawks overcome player shortage, win easily

    Matt Cross wondered Wednesday whether Lamar Port Arthur’s basketball team had enough healthy players available to face Kilgore College.
    The Lamar State program literally was falling apart before head coach Cross’ eyes. The game clock didn’t work. The players were dropping like Lakeshore mosquitoes.
    Point guard Derrick Dawkins had crutches after sustaining a knee injury Saturday. Wing man Elton Roy missed last Saturday’s game with a knee sprain. Opposite wing Eldridge Moore was hobbled by an ankle sprain. Power man Jayon James was sick with bronchitis. Post man Elijah Pittman seemed out of sorts too.
    “I’m only about 75 percent,” said the Seahawks third-year coach after canceling a lunch appointment.
    It got worse at the start of this 75-50 victory in Carl Parker Center before life improved any on the good ship Seahawk.
    Playmaker deluxe Brandon Peters said he was “hit in the mouth” by a Kilgore player’s shoulder.
    “I’m going to have to go to the dentist tomorrow morning,” Peters said, shaking his head. “The guy knocked my teeth all the way back.”
    Battered and beaten to a pulp, the Seahawks (especially Peters) proved that basketball definitely is played above the shoulders, too.
    More than anything else, Lamar State simply relaxed and rebounded. And rebounded some more.
    The Seahawks crashed the boards in a way that they have not pounded them in a couple of weeks. They knocked home seven three-pointers and welcomed a special addition to their star of the game show. Lamar State College-Port Arthur, meet Lakeem Duncan.
    “We asked one person to step up in practice with Derrick going to the doctor tomorrow (Thursday) and Lakeem did,” his head coach Cross said.
    Duncan led the way with 16 points and backcourt buddy Shondel Stewart added 15. Peters changed jerseys (to 32 from his usual 23) after losing blood from being hit in the mouth. Peters had 11 points and 8 boards. Roy patiently treated his wounded knee all weekend with ice and also scored 11. Bum ankle or not, Moore managed 10 boards and 8 points.
    And a clean shaven head coach smiled afterwards after every one in Seahawk Nation told him that his team needed to rebound better. After Trinity Valley outrebounded Lamar State by seven on Saturday, the Seahawks returned to work and captured the backboard battle on this night, 33-22.
    “I thought we rebounded the ball well consistently,” Cross said. “We’re still No. 1 in our conference and if we can get everybody healthy, we can still have a very good chance to defend our championship.”
    Parker Center’s game clock has been malfunctioning for the past three home games and it had a way of really dictating a lot about this game. The game officials had to frequently counsel Kilgore head coach Brian Hoberecht about the clock and its unpredictable nature.
    A very good indicator of Seahawks prosperity arrived eight minutes into this one when Roy penetrated on a weave and dished out to Moore in the left corner. The 6-5 sophomore knocked home a three-pointer for a 15-8 Lamar State lead. Kilgore never got within five points the rest of the game.
    Another telltale moment developed right before the half when Roy missed a jumper, but followed his own shot on a layup to give the Seabirds a 36-19 cushion. Kilgore never got closer than 10 after that.
    Lamar State (18-5 and 10-2) will welcome all the support in Baytown that it can receive on Saturday night. The Seahawks visit Lee College that night at 7:30 p.m.

    February 8, 2012

  • LU to honor Gilligan as distinguished alumnus

    February 7, 2012

  • Fans can vote for Mike James as dunker

    February 7, 2012

  • LSC-PA seeks to rebound from home loss

    February 7, 2012

  • LU hosts Demons in SLC East showdown

    February 7, 2012

  • Stroud's putting improvement reason for optimism

    February 7, 2012

  • Henry, Williams lead Port Arthur Memorial into playoffs

    February 6, 2012