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March 20, 2008

Lady Hornets soccer hoping for long run in postseason

Jason Rollinson The Huntsville Item Thu Mar 20, 2008, 12:09 AM CDT

The Lady Hornets soccer team opens a new chapter in the Huntsville High School history books tonight when coach Pres Holcomb’s team debuts in the Class 4A bi-district round against Port Neches-Groves tonight at 6 p.m. at Humble’s Charles Street Stadium.

Four other HHS squads have made it into the postseason since 2000, all of which failed to get past the second round.

Holcomb likes his chances of making school history when comparing the squad to his inaugural 2004 season that defeated Houston Waltrip 10-0 before bowing out to Brenham 2-1.

“Because we’re a third-place team this season, we match up with a second place team,” Holcomb said. “So this is definitely a bigger game. We’ve played PN-G once already this year.”

Holcomb was speaking of the 3-1 loss to the Lady Indians in their own tournament.

“There was a mix of junior varsity and varsity players in that game,” he said. “We’re a completely different team now. I don’t think they’ll have much on us from that game.”

If tonight’s result favors the Lady Hornets, then they would earn the right to battle Lindale in the area round March 24-25 and have a shot at ending the four-year skid.

PN-G (16-5) is led by the scoring of senior Marisa Elam (12 goals) and freshman Natalie Hager (11). Their goalie, Breanne Martin, has pitched 12 shutouts with 11 coming in district play. The Lady Indians outlasted Nederland in a shootout to claim the second-place seed out of District 20-4A.

The Lady Hornets (13-8) are fresh off a 3-1 decision over Montgomery which gave HHS the final playoff berth from 18-4A.

“We’ve worked a lot this week on set pieces such as free kicks,” Holcomb said. “The girls have responded well to getting mentally motivated as well.”

Holcomb has relied on girls from a variety of grade levels.

Freshman goalie Chelsea McCracken recorded over 250 saves while posting six shutouts in district.

She is joined in the backfield by senior captain and leading scorer Claudia Castillo.

Sophomore Celene Amaya and freshman Ali Ullrich anchor the outside defender spots and are known for their physical play.

“Gabby Garcia is the staple of our midfield,” Holcomb said. “She’s by herserlf a lot in the center and controls everything for us there.”

Holcomb is blessed with three forwards who get their share of shots on goal.

Junior Kristan Rangel is the Lady Hornets’ second-leading goal scorer whom Holcomb considers a solid offensive threat.

Sophomore Myra Zavala dishes out assists on several plays and is considered Huntsville’s “goal creator.”

“Our freshman, Beatriz Juarez, is just amazing," he said. “She’s fast and has scored on some big-time opponents this season.”

Holcomb hopes she continues her dominance as Huntsville hopes to stay awhile in the playoff party.

“Our girls are highly motivated to the tee for this one,” he said. “It feels great to still be playing soccer towards the end of March.”

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Hornet Sports

Back to work
Tick tick tick. Tick tick tick tick.
It won’t be long until the alarm goes off early Monday morning, signaling the start of high school football practice in Huntsville.
Freshmen hit the field at 8 a.m. Monday and Hornets head coach Shane Martin can’t wait. Huntsville’s defensive coordinator the past two years, Martin has been waiting seven long months for the first day of serious summer workouts.

July 31, 2010 1 Photo
Huntsville ISD hires new volleyball coach
On paper and in her head, Stephanie Branch quietly took notes while sitting in the stands at Bryan High School on Thursday night. She paid particular attention to the team from Huntsville, because in a little more than a month that bunch will be her’s.
The daughter of a teaching and coaching couple, Branch, 31, was hired this week as the Lady Hornets’ new head volleyball coach. She replaces Brittany Brumbelow, who stepped down from her position at the end of the school year to spend more time with her family.

June 17, 2010
High school notebook: Brenham boys edge Hornets at state track meet
Round one went to the Brenham boys. The Cubs won the District 18-4A boys track and field title last month in Willis.
The Huntsville boys took round two. Led by state qualifiers Justin Gilbert, Brodrick Hadnot, Henry Ford, Dimitri Collier and Cameron Simmons, the Hornets evened the score by outscoring the Cubs at the Region III track meet in Huntsville early this month.
In Austin last weekend, the Cubs edged the Hornets in the unofficial battle for track and field supremacy in District 18-4A.

May 18, 2010
Going for gold
It wasn’t that long ago. RaKira Turner stood in the shot put ring and with all of her might, flat-footed she heaved the heavy ball forward.
Her first throws from the discus ring were even more memorable. With no idea about how to hold the strangely shaped disc, Turner did her best but the results were far from pretty.

May 12, 2010 1 Photo
Hornets finish strong
They easily could have gone through the motions.
Sitting eighth in the team standings after a miserable first day at the UIL Boys Golf State Championships, the Hornets could have trudged around the Jimmy Clay Golf Course without a care.
They could have turned in another big score, gotten back on the bus and hit the highway headed home to Huntsville.
These Hornets had too much pride to mail in the second round of the tournament. On Tuesday, the Huntsville boys made a huge turnaround, shooting a team score of 307, which moved them up to sixth in the team standings.

May 11, 2010
Difficult district
The Lady Hornets played their best round of golf Monday at Raven Nest Golf Club. Unfortunately for the Huntsville girls, they are stuck in District 18-4A with two, and probably three, of the top teams in the state.
Led by junior Madison Ward, who shot a solid 79, Huntsville’s varsity team posted a 349 team score during the first round of the District 18-4A tournament. That total puts the Lady Hornets in fourth place behind Montgomery Gold (310), Montgomery Purple (313) and Magnolia A (319) heading into today’s final round.

April 12, 2010 1 Photo
Hornets finish first at Dayton track meet
The track teams from Huntsville High School did exactly what their head coach wanted them to do last week in the final tune-up before the all-important District 18-4A meet.
The Hornets finished first and the Lady Hornets placed third in the team standings at the Bronco Relays in Dayton.

April 12, 2010 2 Photos
Gilbert advances to 100-meter finals at Texas Relays
Huntsville senior Justin Gilbert booked a spot in the main event. With a sizzling showing in the prelims for the 100-meter dash, Gilbert earned a place in the finals of the Texas Relays this afternoon in Austin.
Hopefully, he will have some company as some of his teammates try this morning to advance to the finals at Mike Myers Stadium at the University of Texas.

April 2, 2010
‘I’m going to be nervous’
Austin’s Mike Myers Stadium is the place to be this weekend. The top track and field athletes not only in Texas, but from across the United States, will be competing inside a stadium full with the sport’s most passionate fans.
As a reward for weeks of hard work, and also to act as a possible tune-up for next month’s season-ending state meet, Huntsville High School is sending its best athletes to Austin, too.

April 1, 2010 2 Photos
Top-ranked Cubs bring big bats to Huntsville
On a night when Brenham’s Chase Wellbrock nearly threw a no-hitter, Huntsville head coach Jeff Brumbelow shook his head more about the Cubs’ impressive hit parade.
Brenham came to Kate Barr Ross Park on Wednesday and quickly took control on the District 18-4A baseball game against the Hornets. The top-ranked Cubs banged out 16 hits in the first three innings and scored 13 runs on their way to a commanding 18-1 win over Huntsville.

March 17, 2010
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