By Tom Waddill
Soaking wet and cold to the bone, the Hornet boys soccer team happily piled onto the bus Tuesday night in New Caney.
Thanks to a winning penalty kick from Martin Juarez, the players for Huntsville’s varsity squad had something upbeat to think about during the hour-plus drive home.
“It was cold, wet and nasty over there, just a miserable night,” Huntsville soccer coach Robert Taylor said. “Our guys really played hard, though, and got a good victory. That makes playing on a night like that worth it.”
After battling without a score for the first 40 minutes, the Hornets and Eagles quickly found the nets in the second half. Jose Alvarado and Hector Quiroz scored for HHS on assists from Juarez and Julio Blas. New Caney also scored twice, which meant the score was knotted late in the match.
“The pace of the game really picked up in the second half,” Taylor said. “We got the winning goal when they were called for a handball in the box. We scored on a penalty kick. Martin got the game-winner.”
The Hornets play a nondistrict game tonight at Cy-Fair. Next week, the Huntsville boys host Waller in a District 19-4A game scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Home games are played at Huntsville High School.
Mustangs running and gunning — Both of the varsity basketball teams from New Waverly High School have been getting lots of love from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches this season.
The Bulldog boys are currently ranked third in the state by the TABC, and the Lady Bulldogs are ranked 16th.
There’s another Huntsville-area team that has earned its way into the state rankings.
Madisonville’s boys basketball team moved up to No. 16 in the Class 3A poll this week. The Mustangs opened District 19-3A play last Friday with a convincing 77-59 win at Palestine.
Clinging to a 39-35 lead at halftime, the Mustangs buckled down defensively and outscored the Wildcats 38-24 in the second half.
Post Chris Young scored 14 points with 19 rebounds and two blocks for Madisonville. Jacorey Gilbert added 18 points and seven boards. Brock Taylor recorded a double-double for the Mustangs with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandon Stubblefield contributed 15 points. Chris Whaley scored nine points and yanked down 13 rebounds.
The Mustangs play Mexia at home tonight starting at 7:30.
Hornet swimmers get back in water — Last week, the Hornet swim team traveled to Kingwood Park to compete in a meet against four other teams: Aldine Eisenhower, Humble, Dekaney and Kingwood Park. The Hornets finished second to Kingwood Park.
The Hornet ladies swam two 200-yard medley relays. Jacki McLain, Johanna Hornung, Kirstin Wehman and Julie Wheat finished third in that event, while the team of Tori Jenkins, Ellyse Collins, Megan Slaven and Ashley Cline placed fifth.
Huntsville’s Dakota Thornton, Stephen Myers, Brent Bass and Chris Stoughton finished second in the boys 200 medley relay.
Wheat swam the 200 freestyle and finished seventh with her best time, while Thornton won the same event on the boys’ side and Philip Klespis finished third with his best time ever.
In the 200 individual medley, McLain placed fifth and Hornung swam sixth. Myers finished sixth for the boys.
Ashley Cline finished 12th in the girls 50-yard freestyle. Jenkins placed 13th and Collins took 17th.
For the boys, Stoughton finished second, Chip Myers placed eighth, John Masterson 11th and Corey Richer 19th. All four boys swam their best times.
Wehman won the 100-yard butterfly. Bass finished second and posted his best time, breaking the school record.
In the 100 freestyle race, Slaven placed eighth and Jenkins took ninth with her best time. Thornton won with his best time in the same event, while Clayton took ninth, Aaron Jones 16th and Richer 19th.
Hornung placed third in the 500 free, while Wheat took fourth. Klespis finished third in the boys 500 free with his best time.
The 200 free relay of Cline, Slaven, Jenkins and Collins finished second, and the boys team of Klespis, Myers, Masterson and Richer placed fifth.
Wehman and McLain finished second and third in the 100 backstroke, while Bass placed third, Stoughton fourth, Chip Myers sixth and Masterson seventh.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, Collins finished sixth, Slaven took eighth and Cline placed ninth, while Stephen Myers won the boys 100 breaststroke. Clayton took sixth and Jones 11th.
The girls and boys 400 free relays finished second.
Huntsville coach Lisa Fountain was pleased with the way the team swam following Christmas break.
Next action for the Huntsville swimmers is the district meet, scheduled Jan. 25 in Magnolia. The meet will begin at 6 p.m.
