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Huntsville doesn’t look far for new girls hoops coach
Hornet boys assistant Jay Oliphant lands first head coaching job
It was a big week for Huntsville coach Jay Oliphant.
First, he, his wife Torri and son Jayden welcomed the newest addition to the Oliphant family in to the world. Jordan, a healthy boy, was born earlier in the week.
Then came the icing on the cake.
Huntsville athletic director Mitchell Coey announced Friday that Oliphant has been hired as the new Lady Hornets head basketball coach.
“I got a new son and now I’m a head coach. I’m truly blessed,” Oliphant said Friday. “Now all I need to do is win the lottery. This is a great opportunity for me to get some head coaching experience. I want to see what I can do.”
Oliphant was hired to replace Devin Gabbard, who took over the girls program at Rockwall Heath High School earlier this month.
Huntsville opened the job immediately after Gabbard’s departure and Coey said that 50 people applied. The applicants were sent to a committee which narrowed the list down to seven. Coey interviewed the final three and decided that Oliphant was the right man for the job.
Oliphant has been an assistant boys basketball coach at Huntsville High School under former head coach Doug Anderson and current head coach Larry Carlson for five years.
As Carlson’s top assistant last season, Oliphant helped the Hornets go undefeated through district play to win their third straight league championship. The Huntsville boys advanced to the Region III semifinals and finished the season 27-8.
“I think that Jay will do an excellent job,” Coey said Friday. “He brings a lot of experience as a former player and assistant coach. He got a chance to learn under Doug Anderson and Larry Carlson. He had a hand in the success of the boys program, so I believe he can continue the success of the girls program.
“He’s from Huntsville and knows the girls. He has earned his own stripes and it says a lot to have a quality coach in-house to keep that program moving forward.”
Oliphant was a two-time District 15-5A Most Valuable Player at Huntsville High School in 1998 and 1999. He played two seasons at Blinn College before transferring to Sam Houston State in 2001.
He was part of the 2002-03 Bearkat squad that won both the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament championships and made the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Bob Marlin.
Oliphant is taking over a Lady Hornets team that has made the playoffs three straight years, one under Mia Cook and two under Gabbard. Huntsville advanced to the regional quarterfinals in 2007, made it to the semifinals in 2008 and fell in the bi-district round in 2009.
The Lady Hornets finished third in District 18-4A last season and return three all-district selections, including first-team honorees Ronisha Major and Shonecra James.
“We have some good players coming back,” Oliphant said. “They have playoff experience and they have an idea of what it takes to succeed. Coach Cook and coach Gabbard did a great job building the program. We are going to focus on defense. I think that if we improve in that area, we will have a good shot at getting back to regionals and then to Austin.”
- Hornet Sports
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
‘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. -
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. -
Just deserts
Seniors Jeremy LaDay, Marvin Dunbar and Justin Gilbert refused to listen to the people who said the Hornets were headed for a subpar season in 2009-10.
Huntsville’s run was done, some folks said last fall. That only fueled the fire for LaDay, Dunbar and Gilbert. - More Hornet Sports Headlines
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Huntsville ISD hires new volleyball coach
