Schools

Outdoor Freedom Network had the honor to meet and spend some time with Jim and Lola Rose from nearby Zavalla, TX on Friday December 9th. Lola had been trying to find some help for her Vietnam Veteran husband who was struggling with depression as he battles Parkinson's disease and early onset Alzheimer's. Her search led her to Michele Conner Military Veteran Peer Coordinator in Lufkin who refers veterans to resources and mental health services. Michele is the daughter of a Vietnam veteran who died when she was young, Michele was raised by her stepfather who taught her the value of helping people and being there for others. That includes during the holidays, where as the commander of Angelina County American Legion Post 113 takes no days off from her work with veterans. Conner added, “Especially during the holidays. It’s already a stressful time of year,”. “A prideful veteran that is suffering from PTSD or depression can fall down, and their whole world can fall apart because of one little thing.”

A very talented, tough Douglas Indian team needed everything they had to outlast the Hornets Monday in the last game before taking a week off for the holidays. Both teams were evenly matched defensively, with Douglas having a distinct edge in height, which eventually made the difference. It didn't help that the Hornets went through a stretch where numerous shots did everything but go in, outside, layups, offensive rebound shots, nothing fell.

BOM is a sponsor of the West Sabine Bass Club. Pictured left to right: Laken Quick, BOM’s Christy Ebarb, and CJ Ford.

Congratulations to Tayvion(Tookie) Williams for being a part of the All-Tournament Team in Mt. Pleasant. The Varsity Hornets saw some excellent copetition in the Tiger Tournament. Losing early on to Jefferson 82-70. Day 2 they defeated Pittsburgh 66-41 and Harts Bluff 49-41. Day three the Hornets fell to DeKalb in the consolation title game.

With four players scoring in double figures, the Brookeland Lady Cats posted a 57-51 win against the scrappy Broaddus Bulldogs Tuesday evening. The score does not reflect the impact of the Lady Cat defense as they stepped up their game to contain a furious rally with the Bulldogs scoring 20 fourth quarter points. Lexi Hale led scoring with 17, Addison Murphy had 12, Kierra LeBlanc with 11, and Cierra Justice added 10. #22 Kierra LeBlanc, #3 Skylar Strother, #14 Addison Murphy, and #4 Lexi Hale making life hard for the Lady Dogs.

Both Tiger squads were in action this past week, as the Tigers hosted cross county rival Hemphill on December 5 while the Lady Tigers participated in the Huntington Tournament December 7-9. The Tigers would take on the Hornets in the old gym on the WS campus and the first quarter was spent with the teams feeling each other out, and the Hornets would take a slim 12-9 lead after one.

Hemphill Lady Hornet #22 B. Williams adds 2 points to her game total of 14 during Tuesday nights loss to the Diboll Lady Lumberjacks. In what was a nail biting, and very physical battle on the hardwoods with both teams playing very well, the lead kept changing hands and was anybody’s game until the very end. The Lady Lumberjacks excellent defense and accurate shooting sealed the deal with a 52 to 49 win over the Lady Hornets. Also adding to the scoreboard for the Lady Hornets was #1 Gay with 11, #23 Strother (game high scorer) with 15, #24 Parks with 3, and #30 Price with 6 points.

In a game that at times resembled playground basketball, Brookelands Wildcats used their speed and rebounding superiority to run their season record to 9-3 with a 46-31 win in Broaddus Tuesday evening. It was run-and-gun on both ends of the floor, with a lot of opportunities for rebounds, which is where the Wildcats stood out. Cade Morgan led all scoring with 18, Landon Smith adding 12 for the only Wildcats in double figures. #35 Taylor Dacy gets inside for one of the few easy baskets against Broaddus, #5 Cade Morgan, and #2 Zach Beckett supporting.

(l to r) #3 Jake Bennett, #5 Cade Morgan, #44 Matt Love, #23 Zack Beatty, #35 Taylor Dacy, #11 Landon Smith, #2 Zach Beckett (front) #1 Dalton Fabela .

Friday afternoon, surrounded by family and dozens of her closest friends, Emmalee Melancon signed on to make the transition from West Sabine Tiger to Cisco Junior College Wrangler. For three years Melancon has bounced, flipped, and flown over the sidelines of Tiger sporting events as a Tiger Cheerleader, and will continue showcasing her skills for the Wranglers, along with working toward a degree in Nursing. Mother Misti Smith, Director of Federal and State Programs for West Sabine ISD, and step-father Philip Smith witnessed Emmalee making the formal commitment.