The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

Sports

Related Photos

  • Item File Photos

    images_sizedimage_154002727

  • Item File Photos

    images_sizedimage_154002912

  • Item File Photos

    images_sizedimage_154003038

Discussion

June 2, 2009

Bright future for Lady Bulldogs

LeFlore named 21-2A Newcomer of Year; Pavelock and Salinas earn first-team spots

By Gene Schallenberg

The New Waverly softball team underwent quite a transformation this spring. With a young group of players, the Lady Bulldogs made some long strides as they finished fifth in the District 21-2A race and just missed out on the Class 2A playoffs.

“I wish we could fast-forward to next season,” New Waverly coach Stacy Hill said Tuesday. “The girls are really pumped up after we did so well and they’re ready to get going again.”

After winning just three games total and one district contest in ’08, the Lady Bulldogs turned things around in a hurry. New Waverly improved by eight victories and went 6-9 in district, missing the playoffs by three games.

Freshman pitcher Brianna LeFlore was part of the reason that the Lady Bulldogs enjoyed more success in ’09. LeFlore started all 22 games in the circle and was named the District 21-2A Newcomer of the Year, along with being selected to the first team.

“In our district games, she had over 64 strikeouts and just 18 walks,” Hill said of her rookie righthander. “When you have a pitcher that doesn’t give away too many free bases like that, then you’re in pretty good shape.

“She has that pitcher’s mentality. She focused on every batter and the girls were really willing to back her up.”

Freshman catcher Kali Pavelock and junior shortstop Alena Salinas were also tabbed as first-team selections.

“Bri and Kali were a great pitcher-catcher duo for us,” Hill said. “They’ve been playing together since before they even got to high school. Softball is their thing. A lot of times, those two would stay after practice and work some more. That was always encouraging to see.”

Rounding out the second team for New Waverly was sophomore first baseman Alicia Ziober, senior second baseman Amber Helmick and sophomore third baseman Lorene Pullido.

“I was really proud of all the girls,” Hill said. “They worked really hard. A lot of them hadn’t played softball before. After going through a season, they’ve definitely caught the softball bug now.”

The Lady Bulldogs will lose Helmick, but they’ll have plenty to look forward to in the coming seasons.

“Leadership is there with Kali, Bri and Alena,” Hill said. “We should be OK and do a lot better next year.

“We’ve just got to work on being mentally prepared. We have to have that mentality of fighting until the end and being able to come from behind in games.

“In the offseason, we’ll be working on drills that emphasize that, and hopefully we can be even more successful.”

Text Only
Sports
  • 2-10-hornet-swimming-jaron-wagner.jpg Raring to go

    They’re as ready as they’re going to be. With two weeks to prepare from their district meet, the Huntsville swimmers will take the next step toward qualifying for state today. Over the next two days, a group of Hornets and Lady Hornets will take part in the Class 4A Region V swimming meet at the Magnolia I.S.D. Natatorium with the preliminaries taking place today and the finals on Saturday.

    February 9, 2012 2 Photos

  • Next week’s playoff matchups all set

    After spending countless hours in the gym, the hard work has paid off for both the girls basketball teams from Huntsville and New Waverly. Now the fun begins as the Class 4A and 2A girls basketball playoffs get going next week.

    February 9, 2012

  • Scott: Kats still looking for go-to guy

    February 9, 2012

  • College Scene: Former Hornets doing well at respective colleges

    February 9, 2012

  • 2-9-gatlin-driving.jpg OUTGUNNED: First-place Mavericks shoot down Sam Houston, run winning streak to 14

    Texas-Arlington had an answer for every Sam Houston run Wednesday night on the way to a 75-63 victory over the Bearkats. It was the Mavericks’ 14th consecutive win and improved their Southland Conference record to 10-0.
    The last team to start league action with such perfection was Sam Houston in 2010, a team which won the conference’s regular season as well as the postseason tournament championship.

    February 8, 2012 1 Photo

  • 2-9-travis-watson-talking-to-crowd-2.jpg Championship salute

    The Southland Conference champs from Sam Houston State received special recognition on Wednesday night for the most successful football season in school history.
    Huntsville Mayor Mac Woodward, SHSU President Dana Gibson and Walker County Judge Danny Pierce were among those who honored the Bearkats during halftime of the Bearkats’ basketball game against Texas-Arlington.
    Woodward declared Feb. 8 Bearkat Pride Day.

    February 8, 2012 1 Photo

  • Bearkat women win again, 61-45

    Britni Martin scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead Sam Houston State to a 61-45 Southland Conference women’s basketball victory over UT-Arlington on Wednesday at the new UTA College Park Center in Arlington.
    All four of Martin’s field goals were 3-pointers and the junior forward from Conroe went 6-of-6 from the foul line to post her 17th double-figure scoring performance of the season.

    February 8, 2012

  • 2-8-hornets-congrats-end-of-4th.jpg Alive and kicking

    For the third consecutive game, the Hornets played like a team that does not want basketball season to end anytime soon.
    Desperate to notch another victory over Willis, the Huntsville boys jumped on the Wildkats early. The Hornets used their muscle and started pulling away in the second half, then when Willis made a late rally, Huntsville’s hungry bunch had enough energy left to hold off the Wildkats in a wild 76-63 victory at the Paul Bohan Hornet Gym.

    February 8, 2012 2 Photos

  • Lady Hornets roll through district undefeated again

    The Lady Hornets did it again. For the second consecutive season, the Huntsville girls basketball team rolled through District 18-4A play without a loss.
    On Tuesday night in Willis, the Lady Hornets closed out another perfect 14-0 district campaign with an 86-33 win over the LadyKats.

    February 8, 2012

  • New Waverly seniors close out regular season in style

    In their final game of the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs just enjoyed themselves in a 60-46 win over Anderson-Shiro.
    This was a team New Waverly beat on the road earlier in the season and a win in “Bulldog Country” would be the appropriate way to send out seniors Myeisha Williams, Morgan Eastland, Whitney McCullough and Alex Abbott.

    February 8, 2012