Sports

Any time a team loses the majority of their starters, things can look rather bleak. Throw in a new coach, and the scene is usually set for a trying season, at best. With only two returning starters, and a new head coach, the Lady Tiger Volleyball team is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

New Head Coach D.J. Dunn will spend her first year at the helm of the varsity squad, but she is no stranger to many of the girls on the team. Dunn has spent the last several seasons as the Lady Tigers Softball coach, and will continue in that role in the spring. She does have some experience coaching volleyball, having coached the freshman team under the departed Coach Engra Patt. Assisting Dunn will be new hire Crystal Mills, who will be coaching the freshman squad, and Jana McGoldrick, who will be leading the junior varsity.

The Hughes Springs Lady Mustang volleyball teams kicked off the fall campaign at the beginning of August and will have a couple of tune up games against Redwater and Rivercrest before they embark on a series of tournaments that will toughen them up for a district that is comprised of teams like, Daingerfield, Paul Pewitt, Linden, Chapel Hill, Queen City and Mt. Vernon.

Coming into this season, Coach Thompson will take the reins of head coach. She was cohead coach last year, but this year it is Coach T who will guide the still young but tested group of ladies. With 6 starters, Coach Thompson feels good about coming into the season with this group. “This group is highly competitive and they work hard, I feel good about our experience,” said Coach Thompson.

Keyarris Garrett, a Daingerfield graduate, saw action in the Carolina Panthers' preseason game last week. Garrett, a wide receiver, had two catches for 17 yards.

Summer is a season of relaxation, especially for school-aged children who are not yet old enough to work. Such youngsters no doubt enjoy the chance to spend summer days lounging poolside or at the beach, all without a care in the world or any homework to complete.

Though summer is synonymous with R&R, parents of young athletes who hope to compete in scholastic athletics when the school year begins in autumn may need to take steps to ensure their kids aren’t at risk of injury once the curtain comes up on fall sports season.

*Examine and replace equipment if necessary. The right equipment can protect kids from injury and help them realize their full athletic potential. But damaged or outdated equipment can increase kid’s risk of injury. Examine kids’ equipment long before fall sports season begins so you have time to bargain hunt should anything need to be replaced.

With the start of summer practices for the upcoming fall seasons, more new faces than old are appearing at the fieldhouse and gym at Daingerfield High School. With only one returning football coach from last school year, new Tiger athletic director Mike Waldie will have a fresh set of coaches to mold the athletes at Daingerfield High School.

Waldie was hired by the School Board after the resignation of Aric Sardinea. In the time since Waldie has come on board, he has brought in seven new coaches to join himself and Ben Ramirez on the Tiger coaching staff. Ramirez is the only returning football coach from last year’s playoff staff.

Winning a state champion is usually the pinnacle for any high school athlete. Several Daingerfield Tiger Lady Track members have continued bringing home recognitions following their state championship in the 4X100 relay.

The Texas Girls Coaches Association named Chablis Barber and Alexis Porter to the All-Academic State Track Team for the 2016 track season for 3A. Requirements for the honor were the athletes had to be a senior and a grade point average of 94 or above. The TGCA also recognized Denver Mims as the Track All-Star for 3A. Coach Dana Carter is extremely proud of these ladies.

Three years ago, Troy Lafayette began the Pitt Elite Track club in Pittsburg. In three years, the club has grown from eight girls to over 50 boys and girls coming from Daingerfield, Pittsburg, Mount Pleasant, and elsewhere to train. On July 16, the Pitt Elite track club participated in the TAAF Regional meet at Pine Tree.

Of the 40 students who competed with the Pitt Elite club at Regionals, 37 of them have advanced to the TAAF state meet in McAllen on July 28-31. Those who qualified finished top three in their events.

Several Hughes Springs lady Mustangs softball stars were in action a couple weeks ago in sunny Florida.

They were representing Texas in the 16 and under age bracket, and they were the “Athletics Gold.” Players from Hughes Springs, Hallsville, Tatum, Hawkins and Harmony comprised a star studded line up that took home the Championship and are the World Champions in the 16A division.

The Lady Mustangs filled out most of the line-up with Kensley Echols, Haylee Wilson, Marisol Kennedy, and Karmen Kennedy joining Petyon Blythe to give Athletics Gold a distinct hometown feel.

They went undefeated in the tournament and after taking down teams from Indiana, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida, it came down to a rematch and championship game against Alabama, (GH Elite). The Athletics Gold team came away with a 4-1 win, and the bragging rights to boot.

Many times, children who are interested in running or being part of a track team must wait until they are in at least junior high school to pursue that endeavor. Thanks to one former Daingerfield man, children have an opportunity to run beginning at the age of six.

Troy Lafayette, who now lives in Pittsburg, graduated from Daingerfield High School, where he was a member of the Tiger track team. Lafayette began the Pittsburg Elite Track summer track team. This track team gives children ages 6 to 18 a chance to run, hone their skills, and become athletes who star on the track teams in junior high and high schools.

Lafayette, who began the team three years ago, currently has 48 youngsters on the team. The children hail from Pittsburg, Daingerfield, Mount Pleasant, and as far away as Avinger, Longview, and Gilmer. Although the team is based in Pittsburg, the majority of the students came from Daingerfield, according to Lafayette.

The Fourth of July holiday is the highest boating traffic weekend of the summer. Wearing the correct life jacket or flotation device is just the start of July Fourth boating safety. 

The annual Wear It! boating safety campaign is urging boaters to make sure they have the right life jacket before they hit the water.

“Life jackets are designed for a boater’s recreational water activity -- from inflatable belt-packs for standup paddleboarders to form-fitting vests for PWC riders,“ said Rachel Johnson, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council, the lead organization of Wear It!

Life jackets may be inherently buoyant -- using foam or other buoyant materials to stay afloat -- or inflatable -- providing buoyancy when inflated by relying on CO2 cylinders.