Sports

The Wills Point Lady Tigers hit the court twice over the past week, finishing 1-1 overall with a road loss to Grand Saline and a home win over Crandall Sept. 5.

The trip to take on Grand Saline served as Wills Point's second match against an in county opponent this season, following a two-set loss to Edgewood the previous week at the Back to School Dig-Fest in Edgewood Aug. 26.

Grand Saline kept the Lady Tigers winless against Van Zandt County opponents this season, scoring five-set victory over Wills Point.

One of the best defensive teams in the area, Grand Saline took the first set against Wills Point 25-18. The Lady Tigers appeared to get back on track in the second, evening the match by outpointing Grand Saline 25-22.

The Wills Point Tigers wrapped up their second and final scrimmage of the preseason at home Aug. 25, taking on the same Bonham Purple Warriors program they defeated during the bi-district round of the playoffs in 2016 as their final tune-up ahead of tonight’s (Sept. 1) season opener against Tyler Chapel Hill.

After traveling to Tyler in 2016 for their season opener, the Tigers will get to enjoy the comforts of home 2017 when they clash with a Chapel Hill team that defeated Wills Point 26-9 last season. Big plays were the difference in their first meeting with Chapel Hill notching scoring plays of 59-, 55-,87- and 34-yards in the game against the Tigers.

Tyler Chapel Hill registered just one more win during the 2016 season, finishing the year with a 2-8 record overall.

The Wills Point Lady Tigers were joined by nearly every other volleyball program in Van Zandt County last week as they traveled to Edgewood to compete in the third annual Back to School Dig-Fest Aug. 24, 26.

Wills Point finished the two-day event with a 3-3 record overall, finishing fourth overall in a field that also included Canton, Edgewood, Fruitvale, Grand Saline, Boles, Como-Pickton, Cumberland Academy, East Texas Christian Academy, Hawkins, Keene, Life Waxahachie, Lone Oak, Paris, Sabine and Troup.

Pool play for the tournament saw the Lady Tigers competing against Como-Pickton, Sabine and Life Waxahachie Aug. 24.

The Lady Tigers began play against Sabine, easily sweeping their way to a 25-15, 25-20 win to open tournament play.

Wills Point also came out razor sharp in their second match of the day, handily getting past an overmatched Como-Pickton team in straight sets, 25-8, 25-9.

The Wills Point Lady Tigers looked to turn the page after a disappointing run through their home tournament Aug. 18-19, welcoming the Caddo Mills Lady Foxes to Wills Point Aug. 22 for a non-district tilt.

Despite their best efforts, a strong surge by the Lady Foxes and questionable officiating that drew the ire of fans, coaches and players proved too much to overcome in a 28-26, 25-19, 25-27, 21-25, 9-15 loss.

Wills Point struggled to find their footing early against the big hitting of Caddo Mills, falling behind 24-19 in the first set. With their backs against the wall, Wills Point turned the tide with their service game, running off six straight points to extend the set.

The Wills Point Lady Tigers have shown a flair for the dramatic in recent seasons, scoring several memorable wins in tightly contested matches against talented teams.

Wills Point’s meeting with Palestine Aug. 11 proved to be no exception with the Lady Tigers gutting out a 25-15, 26-24, 25-21 win in a match that was much closer than the score would indicate.

Strong serving and excellent defense were key factors in the opening set, allowing Wills Point to easily cruise to a 25-15 lead in the first set.

Big hitting by Palestine’s athletic frontline nearly evened the match in the second, giving the Wildcats a 24-20 lead over the Lady Tigers. Not to be denied, Wills Point came storming back to score each of the next six points for a two-sets to none lead.

Lady Tiger veterans helped to turn back any chance of a Palestine comeback in third set, capping the match with another strong push to complete the 25-15, 26-24, 25-21 sweep.

The Wills Point Tigers opened defense of the 6-4A District Championship they won in 2016 this week, hosting their first two-a-day workout of the 2017 season under grey skies at Ken Autry Davis Field Aug. 7.

Wills Point’s scheduled start time proved fortuitous, avoiding the rain that impacted other local teams including Canton and Grand Saline during their early morning workouts.

The Tigers are scheduled to scrimmage in Bullard Aug. 19 and at home against Bonham Aug. 25 before kicking off non-district play at home against Tyler Chapel Hill Sept. 1.

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The Wills Point athletic program capped what had already been a busy summer with the annual Tiger Football Camp at Ken Autry Davis Field July 31-Aug. 3. Campers were led through games and drills by members of the Tiger coaching staff over the four-day event. Previous summer athletic camps hosted by the Tiger athletic program included baseball, softball, tennis, volleyball and basketball.

The 2016 season proved to be a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end for head coach Chris Williams and the Wills Point Lady Tiger volleyball program, beginning with a five-set win over state-ranked Commerce in the home opener and running all the way through a come from behind, playoff clinching effort against Brownsboro in the district finale. Once the dust settled, the Lady Tigers claimed the fourth and final playoff position coming out of District 13-4A before bowing out to state-ranked Paris North Lamar in the bi-district round.

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The Wills Point HS athletic program announced late last week that it will be hosting a Meet the Coaches Night Aug. 6 beginning at 6 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. The event will allow parents/guardians to meet with members of the Tiger coaching staff ahead of the 2017-’18 athletic season beginning.

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The Wills Point Athletic Department wrapped up another round of summer camps during this past week, with the next generation of Tiger student-athletes hitting the courts for the annual summer tennis camp.

Outside of the weeks long Strength and Speed Camp, upcoming camps for the Tiger athletic program are scheduled to include:

Baseball Camp

Tiger Baseball Camp, under the direction of Coach Todd Staley, will take place on June 19-22. Incoming 3rd – 6th graders will take the field from 8-10 a.m., and incoming 7th-9th graders will take the field from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The camp fee is $25 and includes a t-shirt.

Volleyball Camp

Lady Tiger volleyball camp for incoming 4th– 9th graders is scheduled for June 26-29. Camp will take place from 9-11 a.m. The camp fee is $25 and includes a t-shirt.

Football Camp