The Henderson News (Henderson, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 79, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Page: 4 of 6
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SPORTS
HENDERSON NEWS
Wednesday, December 19, 2018 PAGE 4
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High school hosts first alumni basketball game
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After losing their opening
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hand with 90s grad Nick Hall.
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wanted.
The new varsity team went
0-2 last week, losing first to
The Lions did a good
job of sharing the rock in
BY ANDREW BURNES
THE HENDERSON NEWS
BY ANDREW BURNES
THE HENDERSON NEWS
BY ANDREW BURNES
THE HENDERSON NEWS
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have a couple of dubs to talk
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Henderson girls
fall to Kilgore
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Staff Photo by Greg Gooding
The alumni game pitted Henderson High School graduates from the 2000s against grads from the 90s. The
2000s team included Russell Wylie, Gabe Gearheart, Preston Gamer, Cal Goss, Jonathon Jones, Kamym
Jones and Ced Alexander. The 90s team included Maurice Davis, Ira Wright, Kesha Hall, Ken Wright, Nick
Hall and Clay Freeman.
“I haven’t even thought
about Gilmer,” Livingston said.
“We beat them last year. My
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confidence heading into their jn ^jlc Lions’ game against Hudson last Friday.
to keep these guys motivated, anybody. Free throws weren’t
felt We had too many turnovers, good at all. At the half, we went go against the Lobos, though, play. Hopefully next week, we’ll
Livingston said. We shot 16 for 42 from the in down seven, so we were in looming beyond is Henderson’s
Coming out of it, I’m just trying field, which is not going to beat the game from the beginning, first district game against the about?
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some time to ramp up into a (
powerful basketball squad, but final game before district begins
Livingston’s frustrations are this week,
readily apparent as he sits in “Going into
his office in between watching confident,”
film on the Longview Lobos “L
We’ve got to figure out a way Gilmer Buckeyes. A victory
to handle a strong second half.” over the Buckeyes isn’t out
Livingston mentioned going of the question. They’ve only
into last week that conditioning had a few pre-district games
would be a primary concern, and though they did defeat
but even though the Lions Athens in the Great East Texas
were outplayed in the third Shootout tournament just a few
quarter against Hudson, they days before the Lions lost to
did tie them in the fourth with them, it was only a one-point
each team scoring 15 points, game 60-59. But despite the
Livingston’s biggest goal this importance of Henderson’s
week is to focus on hardening up upcoming game with them,
the Lions’ defense to cut down Livingston’s approach is to
on the string of unanswered focus on one opponent at a time,
shots that killed them in that
difficult third quarter.
“Out biggest goal is to get
better defensively,” Livingston goal is to try to beat them again,
said. “Block out. Go 1-0 in of course. I won’t know until I
district before we head out for see film on them, but I just try
the break.” to take it one game at a time.”
That will be easier said than Though the typically
done. At 14-2, the Longview optimistic Livingston is hoping
Lobos are the most successful for the best in this week’s
team that the Lions have games, he also recognizes that
faced all season. Despite the there is only so much he can
discrepancies in their records, accomplish across each day’s
Livingston has been hard at practice sessions. At the end of
work looking at flaws in the the day, once game time rolls
Lobos’ armor. around, it’s up to the players on
“I’ve been watching film the court to recall what they’ve
trying to strategize ahead what learned and deliver.
we can do in practice to beat “My thing is, I don’t know
them,” Livingston said. “We lost how the kids are going to
to them last year. The first time respond,” Livingston said. “I’m
we didn’t have the football guys, a competitor, so I want to win.
The second time, it was a very We haven’t had a win since
_______________________ close game. I think we lost by Kountz. Hopefully we come out
Staff photo by Greg Gooding six. I don’t know, it just depends with a win against Longview.
Livingston takes things game-by-game as Lions prepare for district
who his team will be tasked
with facing in their final game
before district.
Henderson head basketball “Progress has been slow,”
coach Joel Livingston’s second Livingston said. “I’ve been
year heading the high school’s trying to get them on board
basketball program hasn’t been with what we’ve been doing the
an easy one. last few months, but we’re an
Though he chose to get up-and-down team.”
the season started as soon as Though last Tuesday’s game
possible to get his guys out on with the Athens Hornets was
the court and gaining as much close, in some ways it makes the
experience as they could, he’s loss that much more frustrating
only just finished his first week to Livingston, who has overseen
with the former football players eight losses already this season
that now make up the majority and only a single win.
of his varsity team. And while “When it comes down to a
Livingston hoped that last four point game, it comes down
year’s experiences and his prior to layups and free throws,”
work with these students would Livingston said. “We turned
give them a leg up, their influx the ball over some, but you
into the team hasn’t provided go back and I think we shot
the dramatic difference he had 40-something percent from the
line. It just doesn’t add up.”
Still, after holding the 9-5
Hornets to a four-point game,
Athens on Tuesday and then to Livingston had high hopes that
Lufkin-Hudson on Friday. And three more days of practice
while the game against Athens would result in a big home
was close, with the Lions only win over the Lufkin-Hudson
losing by four points 66-62, the Hornets on Friday, despite the
team lost to Hudson by nearly fact that Hudson doesn’t have
20 points 62-44 despite leading a football program and as such
the game at points during its their basketball team has been
opening quarter and going into working since school started
the half down by seven. in August. Not only did the
It isn’t unrealistic to Lions not win, they collapsed
expect that players who have in the third quarter as they
been playing football for the were outscored 19-8. It was a
last four months would need loss that crippled the Lions’ Bryson Collins goes head-to-head with Keilohn Ferrell on h°w these guys respond. I I think that would change
----x.-.„„ x-------- .-„x„ „ —r.-j----— .-„x„ xu„-„ - - _ _ -- think we’re on the right track. I some things. I don’t make any
like the high pressure.” excuses. At the end of the day,
Regardless of how things the guys still have to go out and
program.”
From a personal stand-
point, Livingston was also
Last Saturday, Henderson excited about meeting for-
High School hosted its first mer players and hearing their
alumni basketball game, kick- stories from years past. On
ing off what coach Joel Liv- that front, he was not disap-
ingston hopes will become an pointed.
annualized tradition. “It was good,” Livings-
A number of former Hen- ton said. “A lot of the guys
derson players from the last came up to me and spoke to
decade took on a group of me. One of the guys, Russell
players that graduated in the Wylie, actually works here.
‘90s. And despite the age dif- He’s a math teacher and he
ferences involved, they put played here. It was fun to see
together a pretty strong per- those guys play and just listen
formance. to old stories about what this
“I think the 90s age kicked kid did and that kid did. I was
in,” Livingston said with a pretty proud about that.”
laugh. “The 2000s team won As with all first-year start-
by seven or eight points. They ups, the alumni game wasn’t a
were up by 17 at one point, but massive event. But Livingston
then the 90s came back.” hopes that those that did par-
Having previously coached ticipate enjoyed it and that the
in the Dallas area before lead- event will grow in the years to
ing the Henderson basketball come.
program starting last year, “I thought it went pretty
Livingston came up with the well,” Livingston said. “A lot
idea for the alumni game to of people said they liked it
try to engage the Henderson and that they’d do it again. We
community with the basket- didn’t have the biggest turn-
ball program, which he hopes out that I would have liked,
to build over the next several but I think if it’s something
years. that happens annually, you’ll
“We definitely want to pro- have more and more people
mote basketball,” Livingston willing to do it. As long as they Staff oto by Greg Gooding
said. “We want the communi- allow me to do it and as long Henderson math teacher Russell Wylie goes hand-to-
ty to be a part of the basketball as I’m here, we’ll do it again.” hand with 90s grad Nick Hall.
despite missing six more free
throws. Kilgore’s 10 points all
came from two-pointers.
Bollard was a huge force
district game to the Bullard for the Lions early. She only
Panthers, the Henderson High scored a single bucket in
School girls varsity basketball the first quarter, but made
team continued to struggle the most of her free throw
in Friday’s game against the opportunities, sinking all four
district rival Kilgore Bulldogs, of her shots from the line for a
Though they put together a total of six points in the first
better defensive effort against period. The other Henderson
Kilgore than they did in their score came from a 2-pointer
72-34 loss to Bullard, the from Mallard, who scored her
Lions were unable to stave only points of the night.
off an early Bulldog lead, Bollard added to her total
finishing the night in Kilgore by three in the second quarter
with a 51-36 loss. and was joined by Spriggs who
The game was a physical sank a 3-pointer and Jackson,
affair, with the Lions regularly who made two free throws,
receiving stints at the free Hall and Roguemore made
throw line. They walked away the only Henderson buckets
with 13 of their total points of the third quarter, with each
from the line, but missed just notching a single two-pointer
as many shots as they made across the period. The only
which played a big role in the other point came from Spriggs
two teams’ point differences, who made a single free throw
Had the Lions made each of out of four shots taken.
their free throws, it would
have been a two-point game.
The staunch Kilgore the fourth quarter that saw
defense did a good job of them outscore the Bulldogs,
keeping the Lions away from Jackson led the team in this
the bucket. The Lions only period with four points, two
made four non-free throw from a bucket and the other
shots in the entirety of the two from free throws. She was
first half, and were only able fouled heavily in the fourth
to improve that ratio by two and took six shots from the
buckets in the second half. line.
Conversely, the Bulldogs Other Henderson scorers
made just as many non free in the fourth quarter included
throw scores in the first Anthony, who sank her
quarter as the Lions did in only basket of the game,
the first half, scoring 13 total Roguemore, who nailed a
points to Henderson’s 8. That 3-pointer, Ballard, who added
spread only increased in another three points from long
the second quarter with the range, and Roguemore and
Bulldogs walking away with Hall, who added two points
17 points, more than doubling and one point respectively
the Lions 8. from the free throw line.
The Henderson defense did Thomas was the leading
a better job of holding the scorer for the Bulldogs with
line against the Bulldogs in 14 points and was closely
the second half. Kilgore only followed by Abercombie
scored six points from the who had 13. Thompson and
paint in the third quarter, but Johnson also had seven points
added five points to that total each.
by making the most of their The Lions will look to
free throw opportunities. Two better their playoff prospects
of those chances came from this week against Martins
and-one fouls from the Lions. Mill and Gilmer. The Gilmer
The Lions themselves only game will take place at 6 p.m.
came away with five points at Henderson High School and
in the third quarter with just will be followed immediately
two 2-point buckets and a by the boys’ district opener
single free throw out of seven against the Buckeyes.
shots from the line. The Bulldogs will take
Despite these issues, the on the Buckeyes three days
Lions’ offense surged in the before the Lions and then will
final quarter as the team take on district rivals Spring
outscored the Bulldogs 15-10 Hill on Friday.
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Moore, Dan & Griffin, Ashton. The Henderson News (Henderson, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 79, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 19, 2018, newspaper, December 19, 2018; Henderson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1235941/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rusk County Library.