Lake Tawakoni catfish guide David Hanson with a good- eating channel catfish landed last week from under the new Two Mile Bridge.
By Luke Clayton
Catching catfish at Lake Tawakoni is usually not a problem for savvy anglers, especially in the summertime. This is when eater size channel catfish are attracted to holes baited with soured grain like hogs to a trough but catching them in comfort this time of the year can be a challenge. I don’t need to remind any of you how hot it gets fishing from a stationary boat with the sun beaming down!
Through the years, I have spent many hours catfishing during the summer months, tied up to a dead tree or on anchor in deep water with only a wide brimmed hat and sun screen for protection from the sun. During our trip last week, Hanson and I enjoyed catching limits of good eating “channels” from the comfort of deep shade.
Wills Point graduate Jared Norman was selected earlier this spring to participate in the sixth annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of a Champion All-Star Football Game June 11 at Earl Campbell Field at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. Norman was joined at the game by Tiger head football Coach/Athletic Director Greg Cranfill, who served as an assistant coach during the game. Other Van Zandt County athletes selected to participate in the game included Van’s Josef Ruiz and Riley Krumvieda and Canton’s Brazos Hesskew.
Lady Tiger Basketball Coach Dane Morgan and Tiger Basketball Coach Jonne Reynolds each hosted their respective summer camps June 6-9, working with future standouts on their fundamentals and overall skills. More than 50 kids, ranging from incoming third to incoming ninth graders participated in this year’s basketball camps held at WPHS.
By David Kapitan, Staff Writer
The Wills Point High School athletic department will throttle things back at the end of this week, wrapping up summer athletic camps for kids participating in tennis, baseball, boys’ and girls’ basketball among others.
The WPHS hosts the camps annually, allowing future Tiger student-athletes to improve their overall skills and stay active during the summer months.
Wills Point is scheduled to host two more camps before the start of the school year, with camps for football and volleyball on tap for late July.
Wills Point's Shelbi Walser returned to the 4A State Track and Field Meet in Austin May 14, looking to defend her state title in the girls shotput wheelchair competition.
In her first trip to Austin's Mike A. Myers Stadium, Walser blew away the field with a best throw of 14'11.5" inches. The next closest competitor, Kortney Boldt of Cibolo Steele, finished more than a foot behind with a best throw of 13'1".
Despite putting together a comparable throw in 2016 (14'8.5"), Walser finished second overall this year behind Jordan Lee of Arlington Lamar. Lee posted a best throw of 17'5.5" overall.
Cassidy Wilcoxson steps up from the baseline to play a sinking shot at this year’s 4A State Tennis Tournament.
By David Kapitan, Staff Writer
The Wills Point Tiger tennis program once again proved itself to be one of the best in the state regardless of classification throughout the 2015-’16 school year, adding multiple individual and team titles to its resume throughout the Fall and Spring seasons.
The most recent chapter for the program closed in College Station May 16-17, with the Tiger tennis team matching a school record set just last year by qualifying five players to compete in the UIL State Tennis Tournament.
With the elimination of all District 14-4A teams from this year's softball playoffs, coaches released their list of Superlative and All-District teams for the 2016 season. Not surprisingly, Van and Canton, the first and second place finishers in the district respectively, managed to win or share in all or part of six out of seven Superlative honors.
Riley Ramsey made the final start of his high school career May 14, allowing just two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
By David Kapitan, Staff Writer
The Wills Point Tigers saw their 2016 season, which included a second place finish overall in a deep and talented district and a bi-district round playoff series win over Crandall, drew to a close May 13-14 with an Area round loss to state-ranked Texarkana Pleasant Grove.
The Tigers hung tough against Pleasant Grove in the early stages of game one of their best-of-three series, before the Hawks found their rhythm offensively to pull away for an 11-1 win.
Pleasant Grove surged in front with four runs in the bottom of the third inning, capitalizing on two Tiger errors and a balk.
District 14-4A teams representing Van Zandt County performed exceedingly well throughout the 2016 season and beyond, as Canton, Van and Wills Point all qualified to compete in the playoffs.
While overall district champion Brownsboro staked a claim to the majority of Superlative honors, both Canton and Wills Point made it one step further in the playoffs by also adding bi-district titles to their resumes.
Senior Riley Ramsey got the start and win in the clinching game of Wills Point’s bi-district round win over Crandall May 7.
By David Kapitan, Staff Writer
The Wills Point Tiger baseball team has been no stranger to postseason baseball, perennially qualifying to compete in the playoffs. Postseason play in recent seasons has been short lived, however, with the Tigers being bounced from the bi-district round every year since 2012.
Wills Point broke through that barrier this year in a big way against Crandall May 6-7, winning each of the first two games of a best-of-three series against the Pirates to sweep their way into the Area round.
The Tigers got a stellar pitching performance from lefthander Hosea Carroll in game one of the series, outlasting Crandall 2-1 in a low scoring affair.
Athletic Director Greg Cranfill speaks during the WPHS Spring Athletic Banquet.
By David Kapitan, Staff Writer
The Wills Point High School athletic department hosted its annual Spring Athletic Banquet May 9, honoring the contributions and sacrifices made throughout the year by student-athletes.
The evening included recognitions of athletes at the freshman, JV and varsity level, and also featured several yearend awards being presented by members of the Tiger coaching staff to athletes participating in basketball, powerlifting, softball, baseball, track, golf, tennis.
Additional awards and recognitions included the Kim Wright Award, the Tiger Pride Award, the Gold Medal Award. Student trainers were also recognized for their contributions throughout the year.
