NEW WAVERLY — On the same day in which Bob Eastland was honored after giving 20 years of service to New Waverly High School, he also ended his teaching career.
Eastland, who was the New Waverly athletic director and football coach for 15 years before resigning from both positions in 2005 but continued to teach, received a signed football from former Bulldog football players as part of his going-away present.
“I’ve got a lot of memories of all the kids from all my years of coaching,” Eastland said. “After being here for 20 years and coaching for 17 of them and seeing them grow up as fathers, like Shane Barge who was my first starting quarterback and now is a leader in the community, is pretty neat. That’s one of the benefits of being in one place for a long time.
“I enjoyed the years of coaching because I had some really good coaches. ... To have that and just be in a good community was very fortunate for me.”
Along with spending time with his family, Eastland will be able to focus his energies on running Hilltop Icehouse in Point Blank, which he purchased in March.
“I’ve been running that and teaching,” Eastland said. “Right now, I feel like there’s a big weight off my back where I can spend my time there. It’s been around since 1982. I was very fortunate to be able to buy it. So that is my retirement home.”
John Duplichan, who was on Eastland’s final team and currently plays offensive line for McMurry University, has fond memories of the former Bulldog boss.
“He’s one of the strictest coaches I’ve had, which made me a better man,” Duplichan said. “He taught us a lot about respect. I use that every day, whether it’s on the football field or off. I respect my elders, my coaches and people I don’t know. I really enjoyed the two years that he did coach me.”
Former Bulldogs star Paul Donelson has had a stellar career in football following his years at New Waverly and remains thankful to Eastland for that.
Donelson starred at Sam Houston State as an All-American safety. After graduating from SHSU, Donelson returned to New Waverly as a coach. In the role of defensive coordinator, Donelson helped lead the Bulldogs to the Class 2A Division II semifinals. The former Bulldog is currently the safeties coach at Class 5A Spring Westfield.
“He was a good man as well as a good coach,” Donelson said. “He always has the kids’ best interests in mind. He taught me a lot about preparation for games and also for college. He really drove home the point that I can have a career in football after I graduated from New Waverly. He’s a big reason of why I’m where I’m at in my life. He got me on the right track. He’s definitely going to be missed. He’s a good man and has deep respect for everyone around him.”
Sports
Former Bulldogs football coach retires
Eastland honored for 20 years of service at New Waverly
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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.
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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.
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. - More Sports Headlines
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