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Bandera County Courier is published weekly by Gail S. Joiner, 1210 Hackberry St., Bandera, TX 78003. Subscription price $26 per year in Bandera County, TX; $36 per year for other Texas counties; $40 per year out of Texas. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bandera County Courier, P.O. Box 1704, Bandera, TX 78003. Periodicals Postage pending in Bandera, Texas.

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Bandera track team to compete at State this weekend Published May 8, 2008 With judges referring to a photo finish, Franklin Brown took gold in the 100m at the regional meet. Photos by Sandy Jennings     The Mile Relay team of Cole Hicks, Ben Halloran, Franklin Brown and Zach Watts blew past competitors winning gold at the regional meet. Senior Katie Miller returned to State for the fourth consecutive year, qualifying in the 100m hurdles. Katie also placed in long jump, triple jump and the mile relay. Photos by Sandy Jennings    Eight Bandera High School Track & Field Athletes will compete Friday and Saturday, May 9 and May 10, in the 2008 State Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will be represented by Franklin Brown, Ben Halloran, Cole Hicks, Katie Miller, Cisco Ruiz, Sean Scott, Dylan Stevens and Zach Watts. For more information and schedules for the University Interscholastic League – sponsored events, visit www.uil.utexas.edu and click on the track and field championship link.

Sports articles in the on-line edition of the Courier:

Bandera track team to compete at State this weekend	Published May 8, 2008
Bulldog baseball playoff picture finally unfolds	Published May 8, 2008
Athletic physicals set for May 17	Published May 8, 2008
Bandera Bulldog defeat Llano 10-9 for District 25AAA championship	Published April 24, 2008
Bandera Little League’s pitch, hit & run competition	Published April 24, 2008
4-H clay target shooting team has ‘blast’ blasting caps	Published April 24, 2008
Lady Dogs strike gold at fifth straight District Track & Field Championship	Published April 17, 2008
Medina track athletes qualify for area meet	Published April 17, 2008
Bandera boys crowned District 25AAA track champions	Published April 10, 2008
Whiz-bang results	Published April 3, 2008
Dogs score big wins in district first round	Published April 3, 2008
MHS athletes named to District 28A All-District	Published March 6, 2008
BHS golfers prevail in Boerne	Published March 6, 2008
Medina’s tennis opener in Knippa	Published March 6, 2008
Bulldogs shut down Ingram, Llano for district berth	Published Feb. 7, 2008
Medina Jr. High boys A team beats Hunt	Published Feb. 7, 2008
Bulldogs win two in a row in district play	Published Jan. 31, 2008
BHS track season opens Feb. 4	Published Jan. 31, 2008
Seventh-grade Lady Bulldogs best Wimberley Lady Texans	Published Jan. 31, 2008
Grill honored by EN	Published Jan. 31, 2008
Lady Bulldogs beat Ingram	Published Jan. 31, 2008
Bulldogs boast big win against Wimberley	Published Jan. 24, 2008
Medina Bobcats at 2-1 in district	Published Jan. 24, 2008
Medina Lady Bobcats beat Johnson City, Center Point	Published Jan. 24, 2008
Medina Junior High Lady Cats didn’t settle	Published Jan. 24, 2008
Bulldogs use tournament to prepare for district play	Published Jan. 10, 2008
Medina takes out Utopia, wins close game against Leakey	Published Jan. 3, 2008
Visit the golf Web page	Visit the gun club Web page
Sports articles from the second half of 2007	Sports articles from the first half of 2007
Sports articles from 2006	Sports articles from 2005

Bandera Bulldog defeat Llano 10-9 for District 25AAA championship By Sandy Jennings Special to the Courier Published April 24, 2008 The Bulldogs celebrate after their hard victory against Llano. The senior players line up before their last home game. Zach McClain gets up after scoring the winning run. Note the umpire pointing to the ball on the ground.    In a game that had both Bandera and Llano fans on the edge of their seats, it all came down to a last bat, a desperate steal and a burning desire to ‘win it all’ exploding from the Bandera High School Bulldog dugout.     With a double from Ethan Lutz, Zach McClain stepped onto the field as a pinch runner with one mission – cross home plate and celebrate a district title with his team.     A hard drive up the middle from clean-up batter Brandon Jennings sent McClain onto third.     A wild pitch intended for batter Tyler Vakey was all Coach Richard Vossen needed to send McClain on his way. A scramble for home sent Llano’s catcher belly first into the sand, savagely trying to block McClain’s advances. McClain fought for the bag and when the dust settled, the umpire stood pointing to a dropped ball between two boys and a district championship.     With the runner safe, Bandera ended the game victorious, 10-9 bottom of the seventh. This gave Bandera an 8-1 district record, suffering only one loss earlier to Llano.     This storybook ending came after a slow start, with Bandera trailing 0-7 in the bottom of the third. With Jennings up to bat and Noah Robison and Lutz on base, the two Dogs hoped for a score. Jennings sent a hard drive down the third baseline sending the runners across the plate on a double. The hits kept coming as Lutz and Campbell scored RBIs and Vakey tripled in the fifth.     On the mound for the Dogs’ were seniors Lutz, Vakey and Michael Campbell with Mitchell Hempstead behind the plate. This victory was an accumulation of a hard-fought season, filled with shut-outs by the Dogs, seven of them in district play. Depth in talent both in the field and at bat, and a specialized coaching staff consisting of Richard Vossen, Nathan Haus and Will Shahan, led to a successful season.     As champions, Bandera will enjoy a bye in the first round of play, taking the field again in two weeks – time and location TBA.

Bandera Little League’s pitch, hit & run competition Published April 24, 2008    The Bandera Little League hosted a local Pitch, Hit and Run Competition at the Bandera Sports Complex, Friday, March 7. Sponsored by Major League Baseball and Aquafina, the competition is offered across the nation for both boys and girls with local winners advancing to a Sectional Competition. After sectionals, the winners advance to the Team Competition, held at a major league baseball game.     This year it will take place during a Houston Astros game. All major league teams host a team competition with winners advancing to compete for the National Championship at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in July. This year’s finals will be held at Yankee Stadium in New York City.     The youngsters accumulate points in each of the three areas and the point totals determine the winners in four age categories.     The pitching competition requires throwing as many strikes as possible with six pitches from 46 feet away. The hitting competition requires that participants hit the ball off a tee. It is measured for distance and accuracy. In the running competition, participants run a distance of 160 feet around the bases. This is a timed event.     The local Bandera competition had 43 entries. Winners will compete in the Sectional Competition, beginning at 8:30 am, Saturday, May 17, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.     Bandera Little League pitch, hit & run competition winners included:     • 7-8 year olds     Pitch - Alex Cardenas, 150 points     Hit - Christian Henk, 148 points     Run - Alex Cardenas, 131 points     Overall - Alex Cardenas, 425 points     • 9-10 year olds     Pitch - Dante Pagano, 150 points; Dakota Horvath, 150 points; and John Dyes, 150 points     Hit - Reece Jennings, 244 points     Run - Seva Nix, 227 points     Overall - John Dyes, 495 points     • 11-12 year olds     Pitch - Jake Tarr, 300 points; and Brandon Watson, 300 points     Hit - Jake Tarr, 280 points     Run - Alex Gonzales, 287 points     Overall - Jake Tarr, 653 points     • 13-14 year olds     Pitch - Aaron Shackelford, 225 points     Hit - Nicky Palacios, 300 points     Run - Nicky Palacios, 344 points     Overall - Nicky Palacios, 794 points

4-H clay target shooting team has ‘blast’ blasting caps By Woody Woodard Project Leader Published April 24, 2008 Cade Hord showed off his shot cap with his parents Ross and Cheryl Hord Neal Hodges offered Coach Woody Woodard a look at his hot cap.    The Medina Clay Target-Bandera County 4-H shotgun team conducted a “Cap Blasting Day,” Saturday, April 12, at the Bandera Gun Club. This celebratory venue honored shooters who surpassed a certain level of the clay target games.     Cade Hord and Neal Hodges have now shot a 50-straight in skeet.     Caps that were worn while the straight was recorded were filled with rocks and filler material. A shooter line was put safely in place and the cap tossed in the air in front of the line. Shooters then afforded themselves the opportunity to place two shots into the caps – with the intent of destroying them completely.     If a cap had not been worn during the shoot, then an alternate piece of attire would be substituted, such as pants, shirt or shoes. Some substitute article of clothing must serve as a target in lieu of the cap.     “Our team has had quite a lot of fun while also learning the shooting sports,” said Medina Clay Target-Bandera County 4-H Shotgun Sports Project Leader Woody Woodard.

Lady Dogs strike gold at fifth straight District Track & Field Championship By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published April 17, 2008 Senior Katie Miller soared ahead of the competition, earning gold in the 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles, triple jump and mile relay. Photos by Jim Jennings     Laura Lovett handed off to Christa Henry in the 4x100 relay, placing second. Cassidy Gase, Shelbie Martin and Jessie Rekemeyer finished with a clean sweep in the 800 meter run.     Amanda Shackelford and Aimee Denham placed sixth and third, respectively, in the 800 meter run.    By dominating 25-AAA District Track Meet in both the varsity and junior varsity divisions, the Bandera High School Lady Dogs once again brought home the gold – for the fifth consecutive year. The District meet took place in Wimberley, Saturday, April 5, and Monday, April 7.     “When the 3200 meter and field events were completed on Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs were trailing the Llano Lady Yellow Jackets by 15 points as they entered the second day of competition,” noted BHS Head Girls’ Track Coach Steve Goleman. “However, on Monday, they outscored Llano 129 to 91 points for a total of 198 points. This allowed the Bandera Lady Bulldogs to capture their fifth straight district track and field championship.”     Led by senior Katie Miller with four gold medals, the team doubled their point spread following the running events.     “This being my senior year, I’m excited to compete and leave a mark at regionals and make an even bigger one at state,” Miller said, predicting, “This is my year to win.”     Goleman attributed the continued success to an incredible team effort by all of the girls.     “All but one of the Bandera Lady Bulldog varsity entries at the meet scored points in one or more event,” he said. “The same was also true for the Lady Bulldog junior varsity team members.”     Individual District winners and Regional Qualifiers are: 3200-Meter Run – second, freshman Aimee Denham, 12:20.76; Triple Jump – first, senior Katie Miller, 35-3.25; and third, senior Caitlin Horvath, 32-8; Long Jump -second, Miller, 16-2.5” and third, junior Sarah Richards, -15-6”; Shot Put –second, senior Courtney Skelly, 36-9.75”; High Jump – third, freshman Amanda Shackelford, 4-10”; 4X400-Meter Relay – first, Lauren Lyssy, Miller, Nikole Gase and Laura Lovett, 4:08; 4 X 200-Meter Relay – first, Lana Loper, Lyssy, Christa Henry and Gase, 1:51.60; 100-Meter Hurdles – first, Miller, 14.89; and third, Richards; 300-Meter Hurdles, first, Miller, 46.28; and second, Richards, 48.85; 4X100-Meter Relay – second, Lovett, Henry, Richards, Gase, 52.19; 800-Meter –third, Denham, 2:32.46; 100-Meter – third, Horvath, 13.43; and 400-Meter – third, Lovett, 63.35.     Alternates and scorers include: Discus – fourth, Shevawn Sells, 92-2”; Pole Vault – fourth, Lexi Meyer, 7-6”; 3200-Meter Run – fifth, Holly Garwood, 13:13.07; and sixth, Gianna Canales, 13:28.35; Shot Put – fifth, Tracy Grill. 34-1.75”; Pole Vault – sixth, Canales-7-6”; Discus – sixth, Tracy Grill, 86-4”; 100-Meter – fourth, Henry, 13.59; 300-Meter Hurdles – fourth, Kaylee Reeves, 50.08; 200-Meter – fourth, Loper, 28.50; 1600-Meter – fourth, Garwood, 6:02.66; 400-Meter – fifth, Lyssy, 64.70; 800-Meter – sixth, Shackelford, 2:42.83; 100-Meter Hurdles – sixth, Reeves, 17.16; and1600-Meter – sixth, Canales, 6:20.19.     In the junior varsity girls’ division, the Lady Bulldogs added another 182 points to their point total on Monday, April 7, bringing their two-day total to 321 points – more than triple the total number of points scored by second-place Ingram Tom Moore Lady Warriors.     Gold Medalists for the Junior Varsity team were: 4X400 Meter Relay – first, Shelbie Martin, Cassidy Gase, Ivone Barreto and Jessie Rekemeyer, 4:51.40; 800-Meter – first, Cassidy Gase-2:46.46; 100-Meter Hurdles – first, Dani Kirk, 18.39; 100-Meter – first, Samantha Mitchell,13.69; 1600-Meter – first, Cassie Lutz, 6:16.79.     The BHS varsity team will compete at Regionals in Kingsville, Friday, April 25, where they hope to regain their regional championship title.

Medina track athletes qualify for area meet Published April 17, 2008    The Medina High School Bobcat track teams competed in the area track meet in Harper Tuesday, April 8, and several high school atheletes qualified for the regional meet at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26.     The boys' varsity team finished sixth out of 22 teams with a total of 33 points, reported Medina ISD Athletic Director Keith Mills. The girls' varsity team finished seventh out of 22 teams with a total of 32 points.     Individual stats:     Boys     1600m run - Tomas Callejas, fourth place, 5:00.12     Triple jump - Colton Baker, fifth place, 39’1”     Pole vault - Michael Haynes, third place, 12’6”     200m dash - Wyatt Ortiz, second place, 23.57     Shot put - Cole Carpenter, fourth place, 44’5”     800m relay - Corey Lestourgeon, Colton Baker, Trey Jenkins and Wyatt Ortiz, fourth place, 1:36.60     Callejas, Haynes, Ortiz, Carpenter, and the 800-meter relay team are regional qualifiers.     Girls     Triple jump - Rachel Mazurek, second place, 31’5.25”     Long jump - Rachel Mazurek, fourth place, 14’3”     Shot put - Ashley Selement, second place, 33’6”     800m run - Katelyn Markel, fourth place, 2:39.76     1600m relay - Callie duPerier, Katelyn Markel, Brooke Ortiz and Shauni Martin, fourth place, 4:36.95     Mazurek, Selement, Markel and the members of the 1600-meter relay team are regional qualifiers.     In addition, Assistant Track Coach Lovey Sockol is the aunt of three Medina athletes who have qualified for the regional meet – Brooke Ortiz, Katelyn Markel and Wyatt Ortiz. While attending Medina High School, Sockol also qualified for the state meet.

Bandera boys crowned District 25AAA track champions By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published April 10, 2008 Ben Halloran won gold in both the 100 and 300m hurdles. Photos by Jim Jennings Zach Watts hands off to Cole Hicks earning gold in the sprint relay. The 100m race placed Franklin Brown first, Kolby Strait second and Cole Hubble fifth. The boys celebrate their District championship.    Ending a seven-year dry spell, gold poured down on the Bandera High School boys' varsity track team when they traveled to Wimberley Saturday, April 5, and Monday, April 7 and ran away with the 25AAA Track District Championship title.     The team finished field events Saturday with 44 points and in third place behind Ingram with 54.5 points and Llano with 84.5 points. Wimberley came in fourth with 34 points.     “Knowing that you are behind by 40 points going into the running events could be difficult for some teams to handle; this was not the case for the Bulldogs,” Head Track Coach Stan Payne said. “The boys went into the final day with the attitude that they would win the meet. The Dogs won the first four events of the day and set the tone for the evening.”     Payne attributes the first District title since 2001 to incredible depth in both the athletes’ abilities and the specialized coaching staff.     “It was a great team effort with 95 percent of the team making the finals, 90 percent scoring points, and 80 percent of the team qualifying for the regional meet,” Payne said. “Congratulations, men, on a job well done!”     The final team standings were: Bandera – 206, Llano -163.5, Wimberley – 115, Ingram -109.5. Gold medalists and regional qualifiers are: Franklin Brown-100m-11.14, 200m-23.05; Cole Hicks-400m-51.38; Dylan Stevens-800m-2:02.72; Ben Halloran-110m hurdles-15.42, 300m hurdles-40.42; Sean Scott-pole vault-13’; 4x100m relay-44.17-Zach Watts, Hicks, Kolby Strait, Cisco Ruiz; 4x400 relay-3:28.07-Halloran, Ruiz, Hicks, Watts.     Silver medalists and regional qualifiers are: 100m-Strait-11.25; 1600m-Stevens-4:38.98; 300m hurdles-Ruiz-41.50; shot put-Jacob Dial-46’; 4x200m relay-John Murphy, Brandon Jennings, Strait, Watts.     Bronze medalists and regional qualifiers are: 200m-Jennings-23.26; 300m hurdles-Matt Hubble-43.2; triple jump-Derek Draper-38’53/4”; pole vault-Cale Neff-11’6.”     Other team members placing for Bandera: Cole Hubble-fourth -400m, high jump-fifth-100m; Zach Young-fourth-discus; Victor Hernandez-fifth-1600m, sixth-3200m; Patrick Hicks-fifth-110m hurdles; Jennings-fifth-long jump; Murphy-fifth-triple jump; Neff-sixth-triple jump.     The Dogs travel to Kingsville, Friday, April 25, to compete in the regional meet.

Whiz-bang results Contributed by Woody Woodard, Project Leader Medina Clay Target-Bandera County 4-H Shotgun Team Published April 3, 2008 Cade Hord     Mitch Black Jr. Hailey Schmidt Jr.     Hailey Schmidt Jr.    The Medina Clay Target-Bandera County 4-H Shotgun team traveled to the windy city of Corpus Christi March 15 to compete in skeet, trap and whiz-bang sporting clays. Most of the team was either in school-related activities or other 4-H events and could not attend this shoot.     Senior-1 shooters were Cade Hord and Neal Hodges and intermediate shooters were Will Thornton, Zack Schmidt and Dillon Erskine. Junior shooters were Mitchell Black and Hailey Schmidt.     The wind made for some “trick” shots and the team performed admirably with all shooters scoring either in the medals or just out. Hunter Copeland won first in trap with a score of 48 to 50, Neal Hodges won third in skeet with a score of 47 to 50. Will Thornton tied for fifth in high-over-all, with Zack Schmidt and Dillon Erskine just under him.     Senior shooters placed in the top ten of the High-Over-All as well. The totals were Cade Hord skeet 46-50, trap 45-50, whiz-bang 36-50; Neal Hodges skeet 48-50, trap 41-50, whiz-bang 36-50; Will Thornton, skeet 40-50, trap 44-50, whiz-bang 36-50; Zack Schmidt skeet 37-50, trap 41-50, whiz-bang 36-50; Dillon Erskine skeet 40-50, trap 41-50, whiz-bang 36-50; Hunter Copeland skeet 38-50, trap 47-50, whiz-bang 30-50.     “The junior shooters made all of us very happy and proud with their actions and performances in the shooting sports,” said Woody Woodard. “Competition experience is the hardest area within our sport to overcome anxiety and no parent or coach should put ‘competition pressure' upon any young shooter at this stage of their learning curve.”

Dogs score big wins in district first round By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published April 3, 2008 Junior Noah Robinson singles to first against Wimberley.     Sophomore Johnny Gonzalez executes a double play against Wimberley. Junior Brandon Jennings went 4 for 4 at bat against Ingram. Photos by Sandy Jennings    It was a picture perfect night for a baseball game – blue sky, green diamond and an abundance of blue and red clad fans cheering on their teams.     For the Bandera High School varsity baseball team, the picture perfect night culminated in a perfect ending – a 12-0 shutout against the Ingram Warriors in the 25-AAA District opener. The victory the night of Tuesday, March 25, became the first of two big wins when the Bulldogs traveled to Wimberley to defeat the Texans on Friday, March 28.     In the first game, with Ingram’s number one pitcher on the mound, the Dogs stepped up to the plate ready to swing their bats.     With a runner on second, Brandon Jennings’ double scored the first run of the game and spurred the rest of the team’s bats.     After scoring two runs in the first inning, the Dogs took the field with Ethan Lutz on the mound and Mitchell Hempstead behind the plate. Good pitching – backed by strong defense – enabled the Dogs to get three easy outs.     In the second inning, the Bulldogs batting proved more than “up to snuff.” They scored five runs, boosting the lead to seven points, with a lot of baseball remaining. Holding Ingram scoreless, the Dogs ran on – then immediately off – the field.     The Bandera defense played extremely well.     In the fifth inning, Lutz hit a two-run homer to put the Dogs up by 10 points. Good pitching and defense held Ingram to a shutout, giving the Dogs their 12-0 win.     As a team, the BHS Bulldogs had 12 hits with Lutz’s homerun, and Jennings went four for four – scoring a triple and double – with four RBIs.     The Bulldogs’ second district win came last Friday night against Wimberley.     Once again, the Dogs came ready for a win. They started the game off on the field, with Michael Campbell on the mound and Hempstead behind the plate.     The Bulldogs’ strong pitching, hitting, and defense kept the Texans scoreless, allowing the Dogs to come up with another big win of 7-0.     As a team, the Dogs had six hits and zero errors. Their district record is now 2-0.     On Friday, April 4, the BHS Bulldogs will start the second round of district at home against Ingram. Then, they travel to Wimberley, Tuesday, April 8, for a rematch against the Texans.

MHS athletes named to District 28A All-District Published March 6, 2008    Medina athletes honored by being chosen for the 2007-2008 District 28A All-District Selections included:     • First team, senior Kolby Jackson     • Second team, senior Shelby Jackson and sophomore Leianna Rich     • Honorable Mention, junior Courteney Morris     • Academic All-District, seniors Kolby Jackson, Shelby Jackson, Rachel Mazurek and Jessica McCain and junior Courteney Morris     Congratulations to the MHS Bobcats and Lady Bobcats.

BHS golfers prevail in Boerne Published March 6, 2008    The Bandera High School girls’ and boys’ golf teams took away placing at the Boerne Invitational Tournament, held Tuesday, Feb. 25.     Leading the boys was Seth Quillen, who came in tops with a 85 good for 25th place, and Robert Canales who finished in 26th place with a round of 86.     “I’m really proud of the boys,” said Coach Jeff Jackson. “They’ve been practicing hard every day and it’s beginning to show in their scores.” The boys played a field of 104 golfers from 21 different schools.     Lucy Rivera battled through some rough play to grind out enough pars to come in at 86 – good for fifth place overall. Katlynd Imbody shot a 96, putting her in 14th place.     The girls battled a difficult course with a field of 76 players from 13 schools. Brittany Backer, Brittany Kosmolski and Gaby Rivera have worked hard on their golf game and it showed as they shot rounds placing them in the “middle of the pack” among so many 5A school golfers, offered a spokesman.     Two tournaments were hosted simultaneously at the Fair Oaks Country Club. The boys played the Live Oak course and the girls played the adjacent Blackjack course.

Medina’s tennis opener in Knippa Contributed by Coach Rick Ingram Published March 6, 2008    The Medina Junior High tennis teams opened up their season with a dual match against Knippa Junior High.     However, the local lobbers settled for half a loaf as the boys’ team prevailed over Knippa 8-4, while the girls were defeated 11-3.     Winning matches in doubles for the boys were Brennan Fertig and Austin Thomas, who won two matches; Andrew Landry and Alex Wilson; Drake LeStourgeon and Aaron LeStourgeon; Wilson and Thomas; and Fertig and Landry. In singles, Landry and Wilson chalked up victories.     The sister duo of Kendall and Kyla Richardson won in doubles, while the team of Cassy Sheridan and Kristen Boyd also won their doubles match. In addition, Kendall Richardson defeated Knippa's top girl in singles.

Bulldogs shut down Ingram, Llano for district berth By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published Feb. 7, 2008 Sophomore Derek Draper set up the shot.     Sprinting down the sideline, senior Jared Roder looked up the court for a teammate. Senior Gabe Garza sneaked by a defender and made the lay-up.     Going up strong, sophomore Cole Hubble hit the jump shot.    With a gym overflowing with screaming fans, the Bandera High School Bulldogs took on the Ingram Warriors, Friday, Feb. 1, in a varsity district basketball showdown.     Both teams had been tied for first with 3-2 records, but when the smoke cleared, the stats looked different.     The game's first half proved to be very defensive, and few points were scored. At halftime, the Dogs only led by six.     Although the second half also remained very tight, the Dogs maintained a lead. However, with a few minutes remaining, the Bulldogs increased their lead, winning the game with a final score of 45-39.     Offensively for the Bulldogs, senior Thomas Karlsen led with 13 points; followed by Chris Stoops with 10; John Murphy, eight; senior Gabe Garza, six; junior Brandon Jennings, three; Mitchell Hempstead and sophomore Cole Hubble, two each; and Brian Braun with one point. for the second time in district play, the Bulldogs faced the Llano Yellow Jackets on their home court in the Tuesday, Jan. 29, game.     The Bulldogs were eager for a win, having lost the earlier game to Yellow Jackets on Jan. 18. The boys played well throughout the whole game, easily defeating Llano by a final score of 66-44.     Offensively, Karlsen led scoring again with 15 points, followed by Garza with 11; Stoops, nine; Hempstead and Murphy, six each; senior Jared Roder and Jennings, five each; and Hubble with seven points.     Winning both games put the Dogs in first place in district.     On Friday, Feb. 8, the boys take on Llano at home in the final game of district play. Come support the Dogs.

Medina Jr. High boys A team beats Hunt Published Feb. 7, 2008    The Medina Junior High boys A team defeated the Hunt Eagles, 32-30, in a game that went to the buzzer.     The Eagles missed an opportunity on a three point shot, grabbed their own rebound and missed again with a shot in the paint as the Bobcat defense attacked.     Neither team had big leads in the game but the Cats turned up their intensity on defense in the second half against the taller Eagle offense.     Andrew Landry led the scoring with 14 points. Adding to the Bobcat scoring were Brennan Fertig with five points; Austin Thomas, four points; Zach Hawkins, three points; Aaron LeStourgeon, two points; and Ryan Mason, two points.     The Medina A team is now 11-2 for the year and 8-1 in district play.     The Medina B team lost to the Eagle B team 24-13.     Despite hustle and desire, the Cats had a hard time against the pressure defense of the Eagles. Cooper Sparks led the Cat scoring with five points, followed by Nathan Black with four points; Garrett Collins, three points; and Kendall Kosa, one point. The Medina B team is now 6-3 for the year and in district.

Bulldogs win two in a row in district play By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published Jan. 31, 2008 Photos by Sandy Jennings     After making the steal, senior Chris Stoops put the ball off the backboard for the lay-up. With a man on his back, senior Mitchell Hempstead goes for the lay-up.     Sophomore Cole Hubble jumps up for the shot block in the third quarter. Senior Thomas Karlsen battles his way to the basket to get the shot off.    The Bandera High School varsity boys’ hoopsters scored two big wins in district play last week, beating rematches with both Ingram and Wimberley.     The Bulldogs took on the Ingram Warriors Tuesday, Jan. 22, at home, with a different outcome. The Dogs got a big 41-37 win.     The Bandera Boys played at Wimberley Friday, Jan. 25, in a nail-biter. but the Bulldogs prevailed in the final seconds with a score of 50-49.     On Tuesday, the Dogs were pumped at playing Ingram again, but this time on their home turf. In the first half, things didn’t look good for the Dogs as they were down by four at half time. Making a strong fourth quarter run, the Dogs took the lead and maintained it for the final minutes in the game, winning 41-37.     Offensively for the Dogs, seniors Thomas Karlsen had 11 points; Gabe Garza, eight; Chris Stoops and Mitchell Hempstead, seven each; John Murphy and junior Brandon Jennings, three each; sophomore Derek Draper, two points.     Sweeping the boards, Karlsen had 12 rebounds; Stoops, four; and Draper had three. Garza led with three assists followed by Stoops and Hempstead, both with two.     Defensively, Murphy had four steals, and Stoops and Hempstead, three each.     The Bulldogs traveled to Wimberley Friday, Jan. 25, and played a very close game.     Frustrated with their loss last time, Wimberley came out ready to play. Both teams showed lots of hustle, and the game stayed close.     At half time, the score was tied 26-26, and it looked like the win could go either way. In the fourth quarter, however, the Dogs took the lead and kept it until Wimberley hit a three- pointer with 15 seconds remaining in the game.     Determined to win, Karlsen got the “and one,” putting the Dogs up by one point with five seconds remaining on the clock. After a good defensive drive, the Dogs won 50-49.     Support the Dogs as they travel to Ingram Friday, Feb. 1, to begin the last round of district play.     The following Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Dogs play Wimberley at home. In their last district game of the season, the Bulldogs take on Llano at home Tuesday, Feb. 8.     All three games will be the third time the Bulldogs have played these teams this year.

BHS track season opens Feb. 4 Published Jan. 31, 2008    Bandera High School Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will begin track competition Monday, Feb. 4, when the varsity and junior varsity compete in a track meet at Bandera competing against Comfort.     The varsity and junior varsity will travel to Kerrville Monday, Feb. 11 to compete again Ingram and Kerrville Tivy.     Relay meets will be held at Pearsall, Saturday, Feb. 23, and Blanco, Thursday, Feb. 28.     The seventh and eighth grade Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs begin their season Friday, Feb. 22, at the Bandera, Comfort and Kerrville meet.

Seventh-grade Lady Bulldogs best Wimberley Lady Texans Published Jan. 31, 2008    Both seventh grade Bandera Middle School Lady Bulldog teams beat the Wimberley Lady Texans Monday, Jan. 13, in basketball action at Wimberley, but the girls’ eighth grade colleagues didn't fare as well.     The seventh grade Lady Bulldogs B Team defeated Wimberley with a final score of 19-12.     Outstanding Lady Bulldogs were Alexis Clements with eight rebounds, nine steals and 11 points; Ellen Hevenor, two rebounds, two steals and four points; and Kayla Cardenas with four rebounds, five steals and two points. Harlee Ritchie also scored two points for the Lady Bulldogs.     The seventh grade Lady Bulldogs A Team also handed the Wimberley Texans another defeat, cruising to a 34-12 victory and improving their season record to 7-0. In what was one of their best games of the season, the A Team played great defense and handled the ball well on offense.     Outstanding Lady Bulldogs for the game were Shelby Lester with eight points, nine rebounds and a steal; and Jordan Hayes with eight points, a rebound and two steals. Also scoring for the Bulldogs were McKenna Mangold, Montana Hicks and Madelynn Kinsel each with four points, while Kati Fitzpatrick, Brittney Palacios and Ashley Baker all contributed two points.     Defensive standout was Analisa Gonzalez with six rebounds and three steals. Calling the game “a great win for these girls,” the coach added, “It’s always nice to go to Wimberley and come home with a pair of victories.”     However, the eighth grade B Team lost 25-21 in a hard fought battle with the Lady Texans.     Alexa Vosbrough led the team with nine points and four rebounds, while Jordan Salazar added six points and had a team high of six rebounds. Micaela Keese played excellent defense with five steals.     The eighth grade A Team came within three heart-breaking points of prevailing over the Wimberley Texans in the fourth quarter, but unfortunately fell short. Rozalyn Reeves led the team with 10 points and Brynn Hicks pulled down eight rebounds.

Grill honored by EN Published Jan. 31, 2008 Tracy Grill    Bandera High School Senior Tracy Grill was recognized by the San Antonio Express-News as one of the 10 members of the Class 3A Volleyball team. Grill was named co-outstanding setter for UIL District 25-3A, averaging 4.8 assists per game.

Lady Bulldogs beat Ingram Published Jan. 31, 2008 Lady Bulldog Sarah Sistrunk went up for two.     Lady Bulldog Katie Miller made ready to pass. Photo by Jackie Doyle    Lady Bulldogs beat the Ingram Lady Warriors in a Jan. 22 contest.

Bulldogs boast big win against Wimberley By Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Published Jan. 24, 2008 Showing great focus, senior John Murphy winds up to shoot the free throw.     Knocking his opponent out of the way, senior Thomas Karlsen shoots the jump shot. Senior Mitchell Hempstead shoots the three-pointer while in Llano.     Senior Gabe Garza drives the ball down the lane and goes up strong against Llano. Exploding down the court, senior Chris Stoops dribbles by the Wimberley defender.    The Bandera Bulldogs defeated the Wimberley Texans 76-55 for the first time in five years Tuesday, Jan. 15. But the Dogs ended up being beaten 43-49 in the following game at Llano Friday, Jan. 18. That makes their district record 1-2.     The Dogs played a very explosive game Tuesday and kept up the tempo of the game. Additionally, the Texan defense could not stop the overpowering Bulldog attack under the basket. The Bulldogs ended up winning 76-55.     Offensively for the Dogs, senior Thomas Karlsen had 34 points, senior Chris Stoops had nine, junior Brandon Jennings had eight, seniors Gabe Garza and John Murphy each scored six, senior Mitchell Hempstead contributed five and sophomores Derek Draper and Cole Hubble both scored four points. Sweeping the boards, Karlsen had 12 rebounds, followed by Jennings and Draper both with seven, and Stoops with six. Defensively, Garza and Stoops both had two steals. On the other side of the ball, Garza racked up 13 assists, followed Murphy and Jennings each with three. The Bulldogs played very well and took down the district rival.     After their great win, the Dogs traveled to Llano to take on the Yellow Jackets. The long trip got to the Dogs as they were lagging in the first half, leading only by two points at halftime. The Dogs could not keep up in the second half and Llano increased their lead. Although it stayed pretty close, the Dogs lost 43-49.     On the offensive for the Dogs, Garza had 11 points, Karlsen had 10 points, Stoops scored eight, Hempstead contributed five, Murphy had four, Hubble had three and Jennings brought in two.     This Friday the Bulldogs travel to Wimberley for another hoped-for win. Next Tuesday come support the Dogs as Llano comes to Bandera for a rematch at home. Both games begin at 7:45 pm.

Medina Bobcats at 2-1 in district Published Jan. 24, 2008 Photo by Jackie Doyle    Medina High School Bobcat Hord shot for two in the team's loss to Johnson City Friday, Jan. 18. The basketball game was a close battle, but in the end, Johnson City won 68-60. The Bobcat varsity boys have a 2-1 district record and will play at Harper Friday, Jan. 25.

Medina Lady Bobcats beat Johnson City, Center Point Published Jan. 24, 2008 Medina High School Lady Bobcat Leianna Rich anticipated the inbounding by Johnson City in the home team's win Friday, Jan. 18. The varsity girls won 54-41, improving their district record to 3-1. Next game is Friday at Harper. Photo by Jackie Doyle    Medina High School Lady Bobcat hoopsters went on a roll at home, posting a 54-51 win over Johnson City on Friday, Jan. 18, and a 36-32 victory over Center Point Tuesday, Jan. 15.     In the game with Johnson City, Johnson City surged ahead at the end of the first quarter and half, but Medina bounced back in the second half to ultimately win the contest.     Medina’s outstanding players were Leianna Rich with 25 points and five rebounds; Kolby Jackson, 16 points and seven rebounds; Courteney Morris, seven points; Rachel Mazurek, three points; Shelby Jackson, two points and five rebounds; and Ashlie Selement with one point and eight rebounds.     Johnson City’s leading scorers were Wilson with 15 points; Lawrence, 11; Jernigan and Fountain, six each; Jureczki, two; and Stolzman, one point.     In the game with Center Point, Medina led consistently at the end of each quarter before winning the game 36-32.     Medina’s leading scorers included K. Jackson with 12 points; S. Jackson, nine; Rich, five; Brittany Selement, four; and Mazurek, Morris and A. Selement, two points each.     Leading scorers for Center Point were A. Garcia with 15 points; A. Arreola, six; B. Long, four; B. Butler, three; J. Garcia and N. Gonzales, two each; and L. Sanchez, one point.     The Medina Lady Cats’ overall record is 18 wins and eight losses with a district play record of two wins and two losses.

Medina Junior High Lady Cats didn’t settle Published Jan. 24, 2008    The Medina Junior High Lady Cats were determined not to settle for second place in the Medina Booster Club basketball tournament held Saturday, Jan. 12 – and they didn’t.     The Lady Cats started the day with a win against the Bandera B Team.     Kendall Richardson led the boards with 25 points and Kyla Richardson and Laura Walling added three points each. Chelcey Faglie contributed two points and Courteney Gillaspy, one point. The Lady Cats entered the championship game with an unbelievable amount of determination to win, defeating D'Hanis 28-16.     "The girls played an aggressive game of basketball which means a win for them," said Coach Lovey Sockol.     Scoring for the home team were Kendall Richardson with 18 points; Kyla Richardson, five; Gillaspy, three points; and Faglie added two.     By sinking eight of her 10 attempts, Kendall Richardson won the free throw shooting contest.

Bulldogs use tournament to prepare for district play by Brandon Jennings Special to the Courier Senior Chris Stoops flew high as he went to the basket. Photos by Sandy Jennings     Looking down the court for the pass, senior Gabe Garza controlled the ball. After plowing his way through the lane, senior Thomas Karlsen went up for two.     After stealing the ball, senior John Murphy made the lay-up. Published Jan. 10, 2008 Junior Brandon Jennings goes up and over the defender to score two points.    The Bandera High School Bulldog varsity boys' basketball team went up against 12 of the toughest teams from across the area in the Devine Tournament Dec. 27-28. After playing four games, the Dogs wound up in seventh place.     Their first game Thursday was against Jourdanton. After a skirmish broke out in the second quarter, the Dogs lost two players to technicals and Jourdanton was able to capitalize on their many trips to the free-throw line. Leading scorers for the Dogs were seniors Thomas Karlsen with 18 points, Chris Stoops with 14 and sophomore Derek Draper with 13. The game ended in a loss for the Bulldogs with a score of 71-80.     The second game that day was against Pearsall. Ready to make up for their earlier loss, the Dogs came out firing on all cylinders. The Pearsall defense could not keep up with the Dogs' offense. Junior Brandon Jennings led with 22 points, followed by Karlsen with 13, and senior Gabe Garza with 12. The Bulldogs won with a score of 74-41.     The first game Friday was played against Somerset. After coming out with an early lead, the Dogs let Somerset back in the game in the third quarter. It was a very close game, but the Dogs ended up losing 65-68. Leading the Dogs was Karlsen with 27 points, Draper with 12 and Stoops with 11 points.     The final game for the Dogs was against the home team, Devine. After being down by 17 points at halftime, the Bulldogs came back with a fourth quarter fight and won 53-50. Leading the Dogs was Stoops with 20 points, Garza with 12, and Jennings with 11 points.     At the end of the tournament, senior Chris Stoops was awarded All-Tournament honors.     The Bulldogs will play in their district opener at Ingram Friday, Jan. 11. Bandera will follow with a district home game Jan. 15.

Medina takes out Utopia, wins close game against Leakey Published Jan. 3, 2008    The Medina High School Lady Bobcats dominated Utopia 53 to 26 Saturday, Dec. 29, at home to improve their record to 15 wins and six losses.     The contest with Leakey in the Bobcat den Friday, Dec. 28, was much tougher as the Lady Bobcats squeaked out a 35-34 win on the strength of a free throw shot called as a penalty against Leakey for a late foul.     Medina outscored Utopia almost two to one with a 14 to eight score at the end of the first quarter, 28 to 12 at the end of the second quarter, 39 to 18 after the third and finishing with a 27-point lead at the end of the game.     Stats for Medina were Courteney Morris with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four steals; Shelby Jackson, eight points, five rebounds, eight steals and four assists; Kolby Jackson, eight points and 10 rebounds; Leaninna Rich, 12 points and seven rebounds; Rachel Mazurek, four points, six rebounds and four assists; and Brittany Selement, four points and six rebounds. Scorers for Utopia were Kayla McCaleb with 11 points, Kelsey Moore with six points, Jamie Killough with five and Shelby Gobert with four.     The Leakey game was a close defensive battle throughout. Medina led by only one point at the end of the first quarter and was trailing by one at the end of the second quarter. They were down by four at the end of the third quarter.     When time expired in the fourth quater, Leakey and Medina were tied 34-all. Shelby Jackson was fouled and she was awarded a free throw. She made the bucket from the line, winning the game for Medina.     Stats for Medina were K. Jackson with 12 points and 10 rebounds; S. Jackson, seven points and five rebounds; Morris, six points and three steals; Rich, six points, four reboudns and four assists; and Selement, four points and seven rebounds.     Leading scorers for Leakey included Hughes with 11 points; Eliott, nine; Farley, four; Hohman, four; and Brice, Streib and Hatch, two each.