Goat Tennis captures two Regional Crowns By Byron "Putt" Riddle - The Groesbeck Goat doubles teams won Region III Championships in dramatic style last Tuesday in Bryan. The doubles teams of Andrea Edgerley/Kristin Jones and Cody Sturdivant/Jordan Boecker defeated the #1 seeds and favorites to take home the regional double crowns. In girls doubles, Edgerley and Jones opened with a 6-3, 6-1 win over the Bellville #2 team and next knocked off LaGrange 6-3, 6-2. In the semi-finals, the Goats were very workman like in defeating Silsbee 6-0, 6-2. This set up a rematch with the two-time state qualifiers Nevins/Nevins of Bellville. The twins had stopped Goat doubles teams two years in a row for a state birth. Andrea had gotten third place with Tara Rasco the last two years and the monkey was on her back as a senior. This was Kristin's first trip to a regional tournament. The seniors led much of the first set, but Bellville came back to even the set at 6-6. Bellville had 0-3 and 2-4 leads in the tie-breaker, but the Goats refused to choke and won the first set with an 8-6 tie breaker score. The second set beginning saw the girls transform into a boomshakalaka attitude as they raced to 3-0 and 4-1 leads. The girls focus, drive, and size reminded of state champion Robyn Pullio when she got on a roll. Edgerley and Jones totally dominated at the net with winner after winner enroute to a 7-6, 6-1 win and the championship. They are the tenth regional champions since 1990 and the thirtieth girls doubles team to reach the state tournament. In boys doubles, Cody Sturdivant and Jordan Boecker won easily in their first two matches. The Goats destroyed Liberty 6-0, 6-1 in the first round and dominated Rusk in the second round. The semi-finals pitted the Goats against third seeded Gatesville - a team they had edged in the finals of the GHS tournament earlier. This was a Gatesville team that won third place two years ago. Sturdivant and Boecker came out ripping and surprised with a lopsided 6-1, 6-1 win in the semi-finals. In the finals waited top seed Robinson, a returning regional team from last year and one the Goats had split with this spring. The Goats opened with a 7-6 win in the opening set. Robinson stormed back for a 2-6 second set win. Sturdivant and Boecker got back to their winning formula in the third set. Cody played consistent tennis to set up the points and Jordan hit his big kick serve and nearly untouchable passing shots off the forehand side. GHS kept a small lead until the end but fell behind 5-6 and then tied the score at 6-6 to force another tiebreaker. This tiebreaker saw the Goats play great throughout and record a 7-4 score with the regional championship match 7-6, 2-6, 7-6. They are the fourth GHS boys doubles team to reach state since 2000. Andrea Edgerley and Clayton Rettig were the only ones of the ten players that qualified for the regional that were returning. The other eight were advancing out of district for the first time. District singles champions Rettig and Blair Wilson took on the fifth and third seeds respectively and lost in the opening round. The second place district doubles teams of Cody Havner/Kaleb Allison and April Beaver/Keirsten Hamilton lost close matches to experienced teams. Havner/Allison lost 2-6, 6-7 to top seed Robinson and Beaver/Hamilton lost in three sets to Hardin Jefferson. The Goats will play at the 3-A State Tournament next Monday and Tuesday at the Lakeway World of Tennis Complex in Austin. Groesbeck Downs Madisonville 10-2 To Earn Districts Top Seed By DONTE ASBERRY In a one game playoff to decide playoff seeding between co-district champions Groesbeck and Madisonville, it was the Lady Goats who earned the districts #1 seed by virtue of a 10-2 win over the Lady Mustangs in Buffalo last week. Groesbeck (19-5 overall) started things off in the first inning when Kayla Masters singled and stole second base. Then it was pitcher Shana Watson who drove her in with a single and only one out. Kaitlin Roach then drove in courtesy runner Jane Key to make it 2-0. In the third inning, Becky Pankonien drove in Kaitlin Roach with a triple to the left corner. Roach got on base just before that as she was hit by a pitch. After Hannah Sims walked, Camille Perkins hit a double to drive in Sims. Lauren Drummond followed with a double to score Perkins. That made the score 5-0 in favor of Groesbeck. In the bottom of the third, Bishop's single and Scholz's triple pulled Madisonville within 5-1. Groesbeck got another run in the fourth inning when Roach drove in Kayla Masters with a single to center giving Groesbeck a 6-1 advantage. The Lady Mustangs made a little noise of their own during the inning getting singles from Allen, Farris and Knight bringing the score to 6-2. The Lady Goats extended their lead by seven runs with a three run inning when Kristen Masters popped a three run triple to send Perkins, Drummond and Jamie Brewer to home plate giving Groesbeck a 9-2 advantage. Groesbeck added the final insurance when Kayla Masters lifted a deep fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly scoring Perkins. Sarah McMillan advanced Perkins to third just before with a single. Shana Watson recorded 12 strikeouts while Becky Pankonien led the defense. Groesbeck will face LaGrange Thursday night, May 5 at Bryan High School at 6:00 p.m. in the area playoffs. Lady Goats to Face LaGrange in Bryan By DONTE ASBERRY The Groesbeck Lady Goat softball team will play LaGrange Thursday, May 5 at 6:00 p.m. in Bryan. The game will be played at Bryan High School and will be the area playoff round. If victorious, Groesbeck will advance to the regional quarterfinal round next Monday or Tuesday night. "Stars" Girls Basketball The "Stars" 13-14 year old Girls Basketball Little Dribblers team has played different opponents in preparation for their Regional Tournament in May. The girls played in the Mexia Tournament against the Mexia girls, coming away with a 19-15 win. Scoring points for the Groesbeck team were Iesha Wells with seven, Cynamon Walters with six, Robbie Jo Nolan with four, LaNeshia Wiley with one and Cassie Anders with one. Lucy Doss worked hard on defense along with her teammates to hold Mexia to 15 points. News came later that other teams had dropped out of that tournament, so the girls actually won it all with one game against the hosting team! The Stars then traveled to Normangee to meet their girls. Groesbeck narrowly won that contest by a score of 31-30. Coach Ted Taveras has worked diligently with these girls on fundamentals of the game, including good passes, movement, shots and defensive strategies. Working hard in that game to make good passes and get the ball to teammates were Cassie Anders, Lucy Doss, Rosa Del Toro and Riley Williams. Top scorer for the team was Iesha with 14 points, followed by LaNeshia with nine, Robbie Jo with four, Cynamon with two and Cassie with two. The Stars traveled to Navasota on Saturday, April 9 to meet a tough and tall team of players. The girls made good passes, attempted some longer shots and made the other team fight for their points, but they still lost the contest 32-23. Scoring was more evenly spread in this game with contributions from Iesha at seven, Cassie at five, Lucy at two, Cynamon at two, Robbie at two, Rosa at two, and LaNeshia with a three point shot. The girls were very happy to have returning player Tori Pankonien with them on the court. Tori has been unable to play due to a severe ankle sprain. Helping out on defense and rebounds was Anndria Cooks. The Navasota team came to Groesbeck the next Tuesday, April 12. The Stars put 31 points on the board, but they could not hold the Navasota team in the second half, losing the game 36-31. Cassie handled the ball well, getting it to teammates for the shot and making one free throw. Cynamon held her ground under the basket for rebounds and shots, scoring seven. Tori Pankonien got into the game, scoring two on free throws. Rosa made a basket, scoring two. As always, Iesha handled the ball well, dribbling out of opponents' reach, attacking the basket, drawing fouls and making free throws. She scored a total of nine points. Anndria, Riley and Lucy all contributed on defense. Coach Ted Taveras has seen what the girls can do when they play their best and play as a team. Work hard, girls! Let us see your best game! This is an on-line publication of Groesbeck Journal P.O. 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