RAMSEY LAYUP — Indians senior  Caleb Ramsey (12) goes up for a layup as LaPoynor’s Evan Almeida (23) comes in to defend. Ramsey led Indians scorers with 23 points. Almeida was honored by joining the 1,000-Point Club for scoring during his high school years. — Heather Ramsey Photo

BATTLE OF POSTS — Indians senior post Ke’Aundre Barnes (32) goes up for a shot. LaPoynor Flyers post Dijuan Whitehead (32) defends. — Heather Ramsey Photo

BASKETBALL HONOR — A basketball with markings signifying the 1,000th high school point by senior Caleb Ramsey was presented by Coach Scotty Albritton Friday, Feb. 10 during Senior Night ceremonies  

— Abbie Ramsey Photo

MAIDENS SENIORS — These two Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team senior players, Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and Lynsie Bizzell, were honored on Senior Night, Tuesday, Feb. 7.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

Congratulations, Indians, 2A Area champs

2A Region III Quarterfinalists

—  Courtesy Photo

Area Champ Indians fall 54-35

to Martins Mill in Quarterfinals

The Frankston Indians basketball team, Area Champions, fell to the Martins Mill Mustangs 54-35 in the Region III Quarterfinals Tuesday, Feb. 28 in Athens to finish with an impressive 20-14 season, advancing from third seed in District 19-2A to the third round of the playoffs, Indians Coach Scotty Albritton reported.

The Indians gave the Mustangs a challenge at times during the playoff game, tying their opponents 11-11 in the second quarter and posting a 14-13 edge in the fourth. However, a 15-5 Martins Mill first and 13-5 third period gave them enough to secure their victory.

Alex Tyner’s 20 points, Jak Kinder’s 18 points and Nate Reiser’s 12 points proved key to the Mustangs’ victory. They combined for 9 three-point goals to go with 7 of 9 free throws to help their effort.

The Indians’ defense held the remainder of the Mustang roster to only 4 points.

Leading scorer for the Indians was senior Caleb Ramsey with 13 points, on two three-pointers, three inside and a free throw. Sophomore Jake Westbrook had 10 points with two three pointers, one inside and a 2 of 2 trip to the free throw line. Senior Kody Loebig hit two three-pointers for 6 points. Freshman A.J. Donnell was 2 of 2 at the line and sank a basket up close for 4 points. Senior Benton Allen had a two-point goal in the fourth quarter for 2 points.

It was the final high school basketball game for seniors Austin Carr, Allen, Kason Newport, Loebig, Ramsey and Ke’Aundre Barnes.

Indians secure convincing 57-30

win over Crawford in Area play

The Frankston Indians basketball team came on the court and took an early lead over the Crawford Pirates and went on to win the Class 2A Area game 57-30 on Friday, Feb. 24 at the neutral site at Corsicana High School, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The 19-2A third seed Indians will advance to the Class 2A Region III Quarterfinals for the second straight year and will meet 19-2A second seed Martins Mill at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 in Athens.

The Indians led the Pirates 14-6 at the end of the first quarter, but the Pirates came back to score a 16-12 second quarter to cut the Tribe lead to 26-22 at halftime.

A smothering defense contributed to holding the Pirates scoreless in the third quarter while the Indians were scoring 13 points to swell their lead to 39-22 going into the final quarter. The Indians dominated the Pirates 18-8 in that fourth quarter to secure their convincing 27-point victory.

Senior point guard Caleb Ramsey led Indians scorers with 24 points on a three-point goal and six baskets closer in and was 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Sophomore Jake Westbrook scored 11 points on three 3-pointers and 2 of 4 free throws. Benton Allen sank three baskets inside and was 2 of 2 at the line for 8 points. Kody Loebig had 7 points on two three-point baskets and a free throw. Freshman A.J. Donnell hit a basket up close and added a free throw for 3 points and Kason Newport was 2 of 2 at the free throw line for 2 points. Ke’Aundre Barnes also sank a two-pointer.

The Indians big second half 31-8 margin was key to the win, along with a defense which held the Pirates to single digits in three of the four quarters.  

Indians post overtime victory

47-42 in Class 2A bi-district

The Frankston Indians outscored the Centerville Tigers 8-3 in overtime Tuesday night, Feb. 21 to come away with a Class 2A Bi-District victory 47-42 on the neutral court at Fairfield High School, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians will now go into the Area playoffs against District 17-2A first seed Crawford Friday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Corsicana High School, Coach Albritton said.

It was a hard-fought game all the way, as the Centerville team won the first quarter 11-8 but the Indians came back to take the second period 13-5 to lead 21-16 at halftime. The Tigers came back in the third quarter to outscore the Tribe 12-9 and narrow the Indians lead to 30-28 going into the fourth quarter.

Centerville took an 11-9 edge in the final regular period to knot the score at 39-39 and force an overtime. It was in that overtime that inside goals by Benton Allen, Kason Newport and Caleb Ramsey and free throws by Newport and Ramsey gave the Tribe their 8-3 overtime advantage and ultimate 5-point victory.

Six Indians scored during the contest, compared to five for the Tigers. Two Centerville players accounted for 29 of the Tigers’ points while the Indians’ scoring was fairly balanced.

Leading scorer for the Indians was senior guard Caleb Ramsey with 13 points on four inside baskets, a three-point goal and a 2 of 2 trip to the free throw line. Senior   Benton Allen got 9 points on three scores close in and a 3 of 6 free throw performance. Kason Newport scored 8 on a three-pointer, two inside baskets and a free throw. Sophomore Jake Westbrook had 7 points, including a three-point goal, a bucket inside and 2 of 2 at the line. Freshman A.J. Donnell and senior Kody Loebig each scored 5, Donnell on two inside and a free throw and Loebig on a three-pointer and a two-point basket.

The scoring by Allen, Newport and Ramsey in the overtime were key to the win.

DESIRAE TAKES SHOT — Maidens' Desirae Hatton (23) takes a shot against Cayuga on Tuesday, Feb. 7. — Heather Ramsey Photo

RAMSEYS CELEBRATE — Members of the Ramsey family celebrate with Caleb Ramsey who scored his 1,000th point in the game with Cayuga on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

— Courtesy Photo

CELEBRATION — Maidens players celebrate after their 46-44 victory over the LaPoynor Lady Flyers on Friday, Jan. 27.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

SHAY ON THE MOVE — Maidens Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton (25) moves the basketball as Lady Flyers Payton Maze (11) comes up to defend in the Friday night, Jan. 27 game. — Heather Ramsey Photo

BENTON SHOT — Indians senior post Benton Allen (3) goes high for a shot against LaPoynor Friday, Jan. 27. Allen scored 14 points and had 9 rebounds. Allen was named to the 19-2A All-District team.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

CALEB EYES LAYUP — Indians senior Caleb Ramsey (12) takes aim on a layup as Martins Mill’s Jak Kinder (11) resists in the 19-2A opener on Friday, Jan. 13. Ramsey was named to the 19-2A All-District First Team and selected for All-Region III honors by the TBCA.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

District 19-2A players listed

in State, Region III Honors

LaPoynor’s Cooper Gracey and Dijuan Whitehead were named to the Texas Assn. of Basketball Coaches All-State Tournament list after playing for the State runnerup Flyers in the State Class 2A Finals on Saturday, March 11 at San Antonio.

Statewide All-State 2A selections are yet to be announced.

The two Flyers players were also named to the TABC Region III All-Region team along with Evan Almeida.

Frankston’s Caleb Ramsey, point guard for the Region III Quarterfinalist Indians, was also selected on the All-Region team.

Two other District 19-2A players also made the coveted All-Region team. They are Martins Mill standouts Jak Kinder and Alex Tyne.

Ramsey goes to the hoop.

— Courtesy Photo

BARNES SHOOTS — Indians senior Ke’Aundre Barnes (32) prepares a shot over Martins Mill’s Alex Tyner (0) in action at the 19-2A opener on Friday, Jan. 13 at  Robert Loper Coliseum.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

LOEBIG LAYUP —  Senior Kody Loebig (11) tries  a layup at Grandview  Jan. 10. The Tribe won 52-46.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

WESTBROOK SHOOTS — Indians 6-0 sophomore guard Jake Westbrook (22) goes up for a layup against 4A Pittsburg Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Indians won 46-33. Westbrook was chosen on the 19-2A All-District First Team.

—  Heather Ramsey Photo

WILA DAVIS

CALEB RAMSEY

All Frankston Tournament

— Courtesy Photos

BENTON SHOOTS — Indians Benton Allen  (3) puts up a shot against Tyler Heat in bracket action on Saturday. Dec. 10.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

LOPER HONORED — Former Frankston boys basketball coach Robert Loper was honored with a presentation by FISD trustee Ryan Bizzell during the Dedication of the recently named “Robert Loper Coliseum” between Indians and Maidens  Tournament games Thursday, Dec. 8. — Citizen Photo

KAYSIAH BURNETT (14) goes in for shot against Troup on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

BENTON ALLEN (3) shoots over Beckville’s J.T. Smith (14) in Tuesday, Nov. 29 game.

— Heather Ramsey  Photo

LOEBIG SHOT — Senior Guard Kody Loebig. (11) lays up a shot against Buffalo in the Indians'. season opener Tuesday, Nov. 22.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

WILA SHOOTS — Wila Davis (34) goes in for a shot for the Maidens against Jacksonille on Monday, Nov. 21 at home. Davis and Ja’Shalyn Hatton (25) each scored 12 points to lead scorers.  

— Heather Ramsey Photo

SHAY SHOOTS — Maidens  Ja’Shalyn Hatton (25) goes up for a shot against Malakoff in a  game Nov. 11. Hatton was named to the 19-2A All-District First Team.

— Courtesy Photo

Frankston, LaPoynor girls excel

for 19-2A All-District selections

The Frankston Maidens and LaPoynor Lady Flyers received numerous selections for District 19-2A All District Girls Honors in 2022-2023 and Tmia Mitchell of LaPoynor was selected as Defensive Co-Player of the Year among Superlatives, according to a list announced Monday, March 6.

Sophomore Mattie Dollar was selected as Most Valuable Player for the State Semifinalist Martins Mill Lady Mustangs. Her teammate, junior Kate Lindsey, was named Offensive Player of the Year and another teammate, Libby Rogers shared honors with the Regional Finalists Lady Flyers’ Mitchell for Defensive Player of the Year.

Regional quarterfinalist Frankston’s sophomore Wila Davis and senior Ja’Shaylyn (Shay) Hatton and LaPoynor juniors Payton Maze and Kittie Eldridge were named to the First Team. Two Martins Mill seniors, Mattie Burns and Zoey Venrick also received First Team honors. Joining them were Cayuga senior Claire Drinkard and Cross Roads sophomore Brook Locke.

Named to the Second Team were Frankston juniors Bandy Bizzell and Mya Mitchell while LaPoynor sophomore Bre Howard and senior Markayla Hurd made that list. Martins Mill freshman Alli Vaughan joined Kerens junior Tiana Hall, Cayuga senior McKenzie Legard and Cross Roads sophomore Alanah Logan on the Second Team.

Six Frankston players were selected for Honorable mention. They are Lynsie Bizzell, Mariyah Hatton, Kaylee Davis, Kaysie Nabors, Desirae Hatton and Kaysiah Burnett. LaPoynor selection was Adriana Estrada. Cross Roads had four selections, Cayuga three and Kerens two.

Maidens Coach Christie Coker named six players for Academic All-District (90 and above average). They are Lynsie Bizzell, Kaylee Davis, Bandy Bizzell, Ja’Shalyn Hatton, Wila Davis and Kaysie Nabors.

Maidens’ Lynsie Bizzell, who must be a senior, was named to the Texas Assn. of Basketball Coaches Academic All State (92) and Texas Girls Coaches Assn. (94). She also was named for the Tyler Area Basketball Officials Scholarship Award

Ja’Shalyn Hatton was named to the Azalea All Star West Team, set to play at Tyler Junior College on April 1 at 5:30 p.m.

Martins Mill was first seed from 19-2A. LaPoynor and Frankston tied for second place in the district but were second and third seed respectively. Cayuga finished as fourth seed in the playoffs.

Congratulations, Maidens, 2A Area Champs

2A Region III Quarterfinalist

— FISD Courtesy Photo

Lady Flyers down Maidens

in Region III Quarterfinals

The 2022-23 Frankston Maidens basketball team saw a successful Class 2A playoff run end on Tuesday, Feb. 21 as the formidable LaPoynor Lady Flyers defeated the Maidens 58-39 in the Region III Quarterfinals at Athens High School, according to reports from coaches, Maidens Coach Christi Coker and Lady Flyers Coach Jammie Maze.

Up until the Quarterfinals game, the two teams, neighbors on U.S. 175, had each defeated one another in district competition and had chosen a coin toss instead of a playoff for second seed when they ended tied in second place in the 19-2A standings.

“We had a great playoff run,” Coach Coker said, “but LaPoynor is tough to beat twice.”

Lady Flyers Coach Maze termed the quarterfinals game as a “very tough game against a very well coached team”. He said Frankston is very difficult to play against.

The Lady Flyers used the shooting of Kitty Eldridge and Markayla Hurd and three-pointers by Bre Howard, Payton Maze and Tmia Mitchell and the Maidens got goals from Mya Mitchell and Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton in a first quarter when LaPoynor held a 19-12 lead. Things were closer in the second period as the Lady Flyers held a 13-10 margin to lead at halftime 33-22. The two teams tied in the third period 10-10 to give LaPoynor a 43-32 lead. The Lady Flyers secured their win with a 15-7 fourth quarter.

Mya Mitchell led Maidens scorers with 11 points on five inside baskets and a free throw and Shay Hatton had 10 points on five baskets near the goal. Kaylee Davis had 5 points on a three-point basket and one inside. Kaysie Nabors and Desirae Hatton each had 4 points, Nabors with an inside goal and two free throws and Desirae Hatton with a three-pointer and a free throw. Wila Davis had a three point basket and Bandy Bizzell a two-pointer.

According to available statistics, Mitchell led the Maidens in rebounds with 17 followed by 12 for Shay Hatton. Desirae Hatton had 6. Mitchell and Nabors each had blocks and Wila Davis had 5 assists.

Tmia Mitchell led Lady Flyers scorers with a season high 18 points with six baskets inside, a three-pointer and 3 of 6 at the free throw line. Eldridge was second with 17, hitting 6 of 9 from close range, a three-point basket and two free throws. Hurd had 10 points on four inside goals and a 2 of 2 trip to the line. Howard had 7 points, thanks to two 3-pointers and a free throw. Maze had 4 points on a three-point basket and a free throw. Kendall Garcia had a single 2-point goal.

Eldridge had 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. Howard had 7 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Maze had 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a block and 2 steals. Mitchell had 3 rebounds, a block and 4 steals. Hurd had 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals.

Coach Maze had words of praise for his team.

“Our girls gave a great effort tonight,” he said. “They competed for every point.”

He said the Lady Flyers were led by Mitchell’s season high 18 points.

Maidens win Area Playoff contest

32-28, eye Region Quarterfinals

The 19-2A third-seeded Frankston Maidens basketball team outscored the first seeded Crawford Lady Pirates of District 17-2A by 8–4 in overtime to take a 32-28 Class 2A Area Championship on Friday, Feb. 17 at the neutral Fairfield High School Gymnasium, according to Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The win allows the Maidens to advance to the Regional Quarterfinals for a rematch with the 19-2A second-seeded LaPoynor Lady Flyers on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Athens High School.

The Lady Flyers and the Maidens will be meeting for the third time in the 2022-2023 season. The two teams had met in district play with the Lady Flyers winning the first game early and the Maidens winning the second 46-44 in a thriller. The two teams ended the district schedule tied at 7-3, but, in lieu of a playoff, a coin toss gave the second seed to the LaPoynor girls.

In reaching the Area game, the Maidens had won over  Groveton 43-33 in bi-district play and the Lady Flyers defeated Jewett Leon 42-26 in the round one game.

The Lady Flyers advanced on Friday to the Regional Quarterfinals with a 54-34 win over Bremond. That game story will be in a separate article.

For the Maidens against their Area opponent, Crawford, each team held the other  to single digits in every quarter. The Maidens led 9-4 in the first quarter and 7-5 in the second to lead 16-9 at halftime. Thr Lady Pirates attempted a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the Maidens 9-4 to narrow the Frankston lead to 20-18.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Pirates outscored the Maidens 6–4 to send the game into overtime tied 24-24.

In overtime, the Maidens held Crawford to an inside basket and a couple of free throws while the Frankston girls got 2-point baskets each, by Kaylee Davis, Mya Mitchell and Wila Davis and a free throw each by Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and Wila Davis. That 8-4 Maidens performance in the overtime gave the Maidens their 4-point win.

Kaylee Davis led Maidens scorers with 10 points on five inside goals, including one in overtime. Shay Hatton had 6 points on two inside baskets and a couple of free throws. Wila Davis had 4 points, three in overtime. Mya Mitchell had 4 points on a couple of inside buckets. Mariyah Hatton and Desirae Hatton each had 3 points on three-point baskets. Bandy Bizzell got 2 points on an inside goal.

Maidens defeat Groveton 43-33

in Class 2A Bi-district contest

The Frankston Maidens basketball team captured a 2A Bi-District championship Tuesday, Feb. 14 by defeating Groveton 43-33 at Elkhart in the first round of the playoffs and now moves into the second round Area game against Crawford, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The Maidens are now 13-11 overall.

The Crawford game has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 at the Fairfield High School Gym. The Maidens will be the home team. Crawford goes into the game with a 14-8 overall record. They had finished 11-1 for second place in District 17-2A.

The Maidens went into the first round as third seed from District 19-2A even though they had ended in a tie with LaPoynor at 7-3 for second place in the district. Because each team had defeated the other in their two district meetings, the teams chose a coin toss rather than a playoff for the second seed. LaPoynor won the toss and was awarded second seed.

LaPoynor will play Bremond in their Area game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at Corsicana.

In the Maidens-Groveton game, the score was close in three quarters, but the Maidens moved out for the 10-point win in the final period. In the first quarter, the Maidens led 13-12 but Groveton came back with a 9-7 second period to lead 21-20 at the half. Groveton padded their lead in the third quarter with an 11-9 advantage to lead 32-29. However, the Maidens held the Groveton team to only a free throw in that final period while scoring 14 points. Those points came on 6 points by Wila Davis, a three-pointer by Desirae Hatton, two free throws each by Mariyah Hatton and Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and a free throw by Mya Mitchell.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Wila Davis with 13, including two 3-pointers, two inside and three free throws. Mitchell had 11 points, 10 in the first half and Shay Hatton had 10 points, 8 in the first three quarters. Kaylee Davis had 4 points, thanks to a 2 of 2 trip to the free throw line and an inside goal. Desirae Hatton had 3 on that key three-pointer. Mariyah Hatton had two free throws in the fourth quarter.

19-2A selects All-District players,

coach for boys basketball honors

The Class 2A State Runnerup LaPoynor Flyers received top selections on the 2022-2023 District 19–2A All District Boys Teams announced the week of March 13 following the state playoffs.

Frankston and Martins Mill also figured largely in the selections.

Named Most Valuable Players were Cooper Gracey (24) and Dijuan Whitehead (32), LaPoynor seniors.

Offensive Player of the Year selected was Sophomore Jak Kinder (11). Defensive Player of the Year named was Senior Alex Tyner (0). Both are of Martins Mill, Region III Finalist.

Co-Newcomers of the Year chosen were Gunner Douglas (3), Cayuga freshman, and Mann Scott (2), LaPoynor sophomore.

Named Sixth Man of the Year was A.J. Donnell (4), Frankston freshman.

LaPoynor Coach Jim Reid was honored as Coach of the Year.

LaPoynor and Frankston each had three players named to the First Team and Martins Mill had two.

Named to the First Team from Quarterfinalist Frankston were Senior Benton Allen (3), Senior Caleb Ramsey (12) and Sophomore Jake Westbrook (22).

LaPoynor First Team selections were Senior Evan Almeida (23), Senior Matt Driskell (11), and Sophomore Cort Reid (12).

Martins Mill’s two players on the First Team were Freshman Travis Baber (23) and Senior Nate Reiser (5).

Cayuga also placed two players on the First Team: Senior Chase Hearrell (4 and Junior Whit Jenkins (2). Sophomore Musiq Gunnell (4) of Kerens was also chosen for the First Team.

Frankston had two players and LaPoynor one on the Second Team. Selections from Frankston were Seniors Kody Loebig (11) and Kason Newport (10). LaPoynor selection was Junior Daniel Scott (30). Martins Mill selection was Senior Isaac Jenkins (41). Cross Roads had three selections: Sophomore Riley Brown (5), Senior Bub Latham (10) and Junior Graham Story (3). Cayuga’s two selections were Senior Bo Barrett (23) and Sophomore Dominic Johnson (1). Kerens placed Senior James Easley (23).

Selected for Honorable Mention were Senior Ke’Aundre Barnes and Sophomore Tyler Rogers of Frankston and LaPoynor’s was Junior Jackson Young (3). Cayuga had three: Marcus Thompson, Ben Winkel and Steven Wingfield.

Academic All-District Selections included nine from LaPoynor and seven from Frankston. Cayuga had six.

Frankston selections were seniors Kason Newport, Austin Carr, Benton Allen and Caleb Ramsey; sophomores Tyler Rogers and Jake Westbrook, and freshman Davis Holladay.

LaPoynor selections were seniors Evan Almeida, Matt Driskell and Cooper Gracey; sophomore Cort Reid; juniors Casey Ruiz and Daniel Scott; sophomore Mann Scott; junior Jackson Young; and senior Dijuan Whitehead.

19-2A girls on Region III

TABC basketball team

Frankston’s Wila Davis, a standout for the Regional Quarterfinalist Maidens, was named to the TABC 2A  Region III All-Region girls team.

Also selected were LaPoynor’s Kitty Eldridge, Bre Howard, and Payton Maze, members of the Region III Class 2A Finalist Lady Flyers. Martins Mill, State runnerup, had five players chosen for the All-Region team. They are Mattie Burns, Mattie Dollar, Kate Lindsey, Libby Rogers and Zoey Venrick.

At right, Frankston's Wila Davis on the move . . .

SEASON GAMES

   Flyers outscore Indians 60-55;

   both teams head to Bi-District

The Frankston Indians gave the Class 2A top-ranked LaPoynor Flyers a close basketball game all the way Tuesday night, Feb. 14 but the Flyers pulled ahead in the last quarter to take a 60-55 win on the Flyers home court at the Nichols-Corley Gymnasium on the LaPoynor campus, according to reports from coaches, Scotty Albritton for the Indians and Jim Reid for the Flyers.

The 19-2A third-seeded Indians (17-13, 5-5) now go into 2A Bi-district play against District 20-2A second seed Centerville (18-11, 8-2) on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at Fairfield High School.

On Tuesday the two teams battled to 14-13 in first quarter with the Indians having the edge going into the second quarter. Free throws helped the Flyers to take a 13-8 advantage in the second period. The Flyers sank 6 of 7 at the line while the Indians had 4 of 7. The Flyers were also more prolific from the field, hitting two inside and a three-point basket compared to two inside baskets for the Tribe. The Flyers led at halftime 26-22.

The Indians came back strong in the third quarter, outscoring the Flyers 17-12 and going into the fourth quarter with a 39-38 lead. Things were “nip-and-tuck” in the fourth quarter with each team leading or tying the other. Cort Reid’s perfect 6 of 6 trip to the free throw line and Cooper Gracey’s 10-point performance and three inside goals by others from the field gave the Flyers a 22-16 edge. That outpaced the key performance by the Tribe’s Caleb Ramsey who was 5 of 6 at the line and Tribe freshman A.J. Donnell’s three inside goals and a couple of goals inside and a free throw by others.

Ramsey led Indians scorers with 23 points, thanks to 9 free throws and 7 inside baskets. Kody Loebig had 7 points on a three-pointer and two inside goals. Donnell’s three inside baskets and Ke’Aundre Barnes’ three baskets up close gave each 6 points. Sophomore Jake Westbrook sank two inside for 4 points and senior Kason Newport had 4 on a three-pointer and a free throw. Senior Benton Allen had 3 on an inside basket and a free throw. Sophomore Tyler Rogers had a two-pointer.

The Flyers had three players in double figures. Evan Almeida joined the 1,000 Point Club for scoring during his high school career.

In the Tuesday game, Gracey had 18 points on 2 three-pointers and 4 inside baskets along with 4 of 4 at the free throw line. Dijuan Whitehead scored 14 points on 4 inside and 2 three-point baskets. Cort Reid had an inside goal and 10 of 14 at the line for 12 points. Evan Almeida had three inside and two free throws for 8 points. Matt Driskell had two inside baskets and two free throws for 6 points and Mann Scott had a single two-pointer.

Coach Reid said the Flyers had 31 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 blocks and 4 steals. Driskell had 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Whitehead had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. Almeida had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal. Gracey had 5 rebounds, an assist, 2 blocks and a steal. Reid had 3 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal. Mann Scott had a rebound and an assist. Jackson Young had a rebound.

Indians celebrate Senior Night

with big win over Cross Roads

The Frankston Indians varsity celebrated Senior Night with a convincing 78-33 victory over Cross Roads in their home finale at the Robert Loper Coliseum Friday night, Feb. 10.

They are now 17-12 on the season and in third place in District 19-2A with a 5-4 record.

Frankston seniors were recognized, and in return they accounted for 54 of the Indians’ points. Honored were Austin Carr, Benton Allen, Kason Newport, Kody Loebig, Caleb Ramsey and Ke’Aundre Barnes. (See Picture of Seniors honored HERE  )

Senior Caleb Ramsey, who on Tuesday, Feb. 7  had scored his 1,000th point of his high school career, was given a basketball by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton with markings signifying the accomplishment.

Underclassmen did their part in the victory as well, scoring 24 points.

Notable was the Indians performance from 3-point range. They scored what may have been a season high of 15 baskets from outside. Seniors contributed 9 of those three-pointers.

They also sank 15 shots on the inside and scored 3 of 6 points from the free throw line.

Every Indians player who saw action scored, three in double figures.

As usual, the Indians’ defense held their opponents, this time to 33 points, starting with 22-7 in the first quarter and 25-4 in the second to lead 47-11 at halftime.  They had a 19-11 third quarter and a 12-11 fourth quarter to secure their 45-point victory.

Senior Kody Loebig led scorers with 13 points on three 3-pointers and a couple of goals inside. Senior Caleb Ramsey added to his career total with 12 points on two 3’s and three 2’s. Freshman A.J. Donnell had 10 points with two three-pointers and a couple of inside baskets. Senior Ke’Aundre Barnes had four goals under the basket and a free throw for 9 points. Senior Kason Newport had three 3-pointers for 9 points. Senior Benton Allen had 8 points on a couple of inside baskets and a 2 of 2 trip to the line. Sophomore Jake Westbrook sank two from three-point range for 6 points. Sophomore Tyler Rogers had a three-point basket and another inside for 5 points. Senior Austin Carr had a three-point goal as did freshman Davis Holladay.

(See Video Clip of Varsity action HERE )

Earlier in the evening, the Indians Junior Varsity increased their season record to 12-7 with a 44-33 win over their Cross Roads counterparts. They led 20-17 at halftime and had a 24-16 second half to secure the win.

Devin Allen and Peyton Jaco each scored 11 points, Allen with three 3-pointers  and one inside and Jaco with two 3’s plus 3 of 6 free throws and an inside goal. Carson Bizzell had 6 points on three inside baskets. Tristan McCoy, Bo Donnell and Hudson Smith had 5 each, McCoy and Donnell with a three and a two each and Smith with two inside and a free throw. Joseph Allen had a free throw.

Maidens head to 2A Bi-District

after victory over Cayuga 39-27

The Frankston Maidens varsity is going into the Class 2A playoffs as third seed and will play Groveton on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at Elkhart in a Bi-District game after closing out their season with a 39-27 win over Cayuga, according to Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The Maidens finished their district and regular season Tuesday, Feb. 7 on the familiar court at the Robert Loper Coliseum before a huge Senior Night crowd.

Honored just prior to the game with the Cayuga varsity girls, two seniors on the team, Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and Lynsie Bizzell.

MAIDENS SENIORS — These two Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team senior players, Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and Lynsie Bizzell, were honored on Senior Night, Tuesday, Feb. 7.

— Heather Ramsey Photo

The Maidens finished District 19-2A competition with a 7-3 record, tied with the LaPoynor Lady Flyers, but a coin toss replaced a playoff for seeding and the Lady Flyers won the toss and occupy the second seed going into the playoffs.

The Maidens and the Lady Flyers had traded wins during the district schedule and both had lost twice to the first seed Martins Mill which finished 10-0 in district play. Finishing in fourth place and taking fourth seed in the playoffs was the Cayuga Lady Wildcats at 4-6.

The Cayuga game finale for the Maidens was not easy, but the Frankston girls sank timely baskets and played a tight defense to come away with the victory.

A couple of baskets inside by Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton and Wila Davis, a three-pointer by Kaylee Davis and a couple of free throws gave the Maidens a 9-8 first quarter edge. A couple of three-point goals by Desirae Hatton, an inside basket by Mya Mitchell and a goal up close and a couple of free throws by Wila Davis gave the Frankston girls a 12-9 second quarter advantage and a 21-17 halftime lead.

The two teams matched scoring at 9-9 in the third quarter allowing the Maidens to preserve a four-point edge going into the final quarter. That’s when the Frankston girls held Cayuga to only a free throw while inside baskets by Wila Davis and Desirae Hatton and timely free throws by Kaylee Davis, Kaysiah Burnett and Wila Davis secured the win with 9 points and a 12-point victory.

Wila Davis ended with 15 points on six inside baskets and 3 of 4 free throws. Two 3-point goals in the second quarter and a key inside goal in the fourth gave Desirae Hatton 8 points. Mya Mitchell and Kaylee Davis each had 5 points, Mitchell with a couple of baskets close in and a free throw and Davis with a three-pointer and 2 of 4 at the line. Shay Hatton got 4 with a couple of baskets inside. Lynsie Bizzell and Kaysiah Burnett each had a free throw.

Earlier in the evening, the Maidens Junior Varsity finished their district schedule with a 3-3 record and the season with an 11-6 mark, downing Cayuga 28-11.

The JV girls built up a 25-8 lead going into the fourth quarter and held on to take the win.

Caylin Freeman led scorers with 12 points. Briley Jimenez had 6, Ondreia Renfro 4 and Hailey Pizano and Kennedi Musselman 3 each.

Junior varsity competiton ends with the regular season finale.    See Varsity Picture HERE

Cayuga edges Indians 38-36;

Ramsey scores 1,000th point

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team fell behind early and Cayuga ended up with a 38-36 victory over the District 19-2A third place Tribe on Tuesday night, Feb. 7 at the Robert Loper Coliseum.

The bright spot for the Indians on the night was the recognition of senior Indians point guard Caleb Ramsey for scoring his 1,000th high school career point during the game. Tribe Coach Scotty Albritton congratulated him on the accomplishment.

“It’s just an awesome accomplishment for him to be able to reach this milestone,” the coach said. “Caleb has come such a long way since his days of starting at point guard as a freshman.”

Ramsey gets 1,000th point.

— Courtesy Photo

Coach Albritton said Ramsey had not only grown physically and mentally, but also as a player who “ knows what I want out of him and the team”.

“Caleb is a selfless player…he works to get everyone involved,” the coach said. “He is the captain of our difficult defense by making different slide calls.”

Ramsey led the team in scoring in the second half when the Indians attempted to come back from their early deficit. Nine of his 11 points came in the second half when the Indians fought to only a two-point loss.

Things didn’t go well in the first quarter for the Indians as they could only score two points.

while Cayuga was scoring 14. The Tribe came back in the second quarter to score 10 while Cayuga only got 7, but they trailed 21-12 at the half.

The Indians were edged 8-10 in the third quarter to trail 31-20 going into the fourth quarter. Despite their 16-7 performance in that final quarter, they came up short in overcoming the early Cayuga scoring.

As noted before, Ramsey led Indians scorers with 11 points on four inside goals and a 3 of 3 trip to the free throw line, all but 2 points in the second half. Kody Loebig scored 8, on four inside baskets, three in that crucial fourth quarter. Benton Allen and Jake Westbrook each had 7 points, Allen on three baskets inside and a free throw and Westbrook on a three-pointer and two near the goal. Ke’Aundre Barnes had a single inside goal and Kason Newport a single free throw.

The Indians ended the night with a 4-4 district standing and 16-12 on the season.

Earlier in the evening, the Indians Junior Varsity fought back late in their game with Cayuga for a 29-21 overtime win. They trailed 2-9 in the first quarter but outscored Cayuga 10-3 in the second to tie things at 12-12 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Wildcats JV pulled ahead 17-14 but the Indians JV outscored Cayuga 7-4 to tie the game at 21-21 at the end of regulation play. The Indians JV shut out Cayuga in the overtime to win by eight points.

Maidens capture 54-17 victory

over Kerens, eye Senior Night

The Frankston Maidens went to Kerens on Friday, Feb. 3 and came away with an impressive 54-17 victory over the Lady Bobcats in District 19-2A action, according to a report by Maidens Coach  Christi Coker.

The Maidens are now 18-14 on the season and 6-3 in the district race.

Eight Maidens players scored in the contest in which Kerens was held to single digits in every quarter. The Maidens led 11-7 in the first period and 8-1 in the second to lead 19-8 at halftime. They outscored Kerens 35–9 in the second half to secure their big win.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Mya Mitchell with 11 points on four inside goals and three free throws. Kaysie Nabors had 10 points on five goals close to the basket. Kaylee Davis had 9 points on four baskets inside and a free throw. Wila Davis got 7 on two baskets inside and 3 of 5 free throws. Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton had 6 points on two inside goals and two free throws. Bandy Bizzell and Kaysiah Burnett had 4 points, each on an inside goal and two free throws. Mariyah Hatton had 3 points on an inside basket and a free throw.

Indians dominate Kerens 54-20

to bounce back in 19-2A chase

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team got back into the winning groove Friday night, Feb. 3 with a 54-20 victory over the Kerens Bobcats on the road, according to a report from Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians are now 4-3 in District 19-2A and 16-11 on the season.

Three Indians players shot in double figures as the team dominated the first half against the Bobcats. The Tribe got off to a big start with a 13-2 first quarter lead and then shut out the Kerens team 14-0 in the second period to lead 27-2 at halftime. The Indians continued their dominance in the third quarter with a 19-8 advantage to lead 46-10 going into the fourth quarter. They finished out the game in the final period with their big lead which offset a 8-10 Bobcats try at a comeback.

Caleb Ramsey led Indians scorers with 14 points,  including a three-point basket, four inside and a 3 of 4 trip to the free throw line. Two other Indians players had 10 points. Jake Westbrook had five inside goals and Kody Loebig had two three-pointers and two goals near the basket. Kason Newport had 8 points on two 3-point goals and one inside. Benton Allen had three 2-pointers for 6 points. Ke’Aundre Barnes dropped in two shots up close for 4 points and Davis Holladay had an inside goal for 2 points.

The Tribe got back on the winning side in district play after losses to 19-2A leaders Martins Mill and LaPoynor.

The Indians will host Cayuga in the nightcap game on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston. They play at 8:30 p.m. after the Junior Varsity girls and boys play at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. respectively, the Maidens seniors are honored on Senior Night and the Maidens varsity plays the Lady Wildcats at about 6:45 p.m.

Maidens, Indians fall in 19-2A

hoop games at Martins Mill

The Frankston Indians and Maidens varsity basketball teams fell to top-rated Martins Mills teams Thursday, Feb. 2 in District 19-2A games rescheduled due to inclement weather on Tuesday, Jan. 31, according to information from Coaches Scotty Albritton and Christi Coker.

In the opener at Martins Mill, the Maidens fell 74-16 and the Indians lost 51-27 in the nightcap.

The Maidens suffered from a big Lady Mustangs first half when the Frankston girls could only score 2 points while Martins Mill was scoring 51 points on 9 three-point goals and 10 on the inside and  along with 4 free throws. In the third quarter the Lady Mustangs scored 15 points on three 3-point goals, one inside and 4 of 5 at the free throw line. The Maidens could get only one goal inside and 3 of 4 in free throw for 5 points. The Frankston girls outscored the Lady Mustangs 9-8 in the fourth period, hitting three inside baskets and going 3 of 8 at the free throw line. The Lady Mustangs got four inside goals.

The Maidens’ scoring was led by Desirae Hatton with two inside and a free throw for 5 points. Kaysie Nabors hit two inside for 4. Wila Davis was 3 of 4 at the free throw line for 3. Kaylee Davis had 2 on an inside goal. Kasiyah Burnett and Mya Mitchell each got a point on a free throw.

In the Indians game with the Martins Mill boys, the Tribe fell behind 16-2 in the first quarter and were behind 31-7 at halftime. They tied the Mustangs in the second half 20-20, thanks to a 13-4 third quarter but could get only 7 in the fourth while the Mustangs were scoring 16. The Indians could hit only one three-pointer while Martins Mill was sinking 7. The Mustangs were l3 of 15 on free throws while the Indians were 6 of 7.

Leading scorer was senior guard Caleb Ramsey with 13 points on four inside baskets and 5 of 6 in free throws. Jake Westbrook had 4 on two inside baskets. Kason Newport had a three pointer and Ke’Aundre Barnes had one inside and a free throw, each with 3 points. A.J. Donnell and Kody Loebig each had 2 points on inside field goals.

The Indians and Maidens were to go to Kerens Friday, Feb. 3 for an Indians JV game starting at 5 p.m. followed by the Maidens varsity at about 6:15 and the Indians varsity game at about 7:30 p.m. Then on Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Frankston teams are scheduled to host Cayuga at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston. The JV girls game will start at 4:30 p.m., the JV boys game at 5:30 p.m. It will be Senior Night for the Maidens varsity seniors before the Maidens varsity game at 6:45 and Indians varsity at about 8:30 p.m.

Maidens’ second half free throws

earn 46-44 win over Lady Flyers

The Frankston Maidens edged the LaPoynor Lady Flyers 46-44 in a big comeback, thanks largely to 16 free throws in 23 trips to the free throw line in the third and fourth quarters to 4 of 6 for the Lady Flyers in that second half, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The win Friday, Jan. 27 lifted the Maidens to a 5-2 District 19-2A record. The Maidens had lost to the Lady Flyers in an earlier meeting at LaPoynor on Jan. 10.

Trailing 21-16 to the LaPoynor girls at halftime, the Maidens came back to score 10 points to 7 for the Lady Flyers in the third quarter and narrow their deficit to 26-29. However, thanks largely to the 16 of 23 free throws in the final quarter and four inside goals, the Maidens got their winning 2-point victory.

Wila Davis led Maidens scorers with 17 points on 7 inside baskets and a 3 of 6 free throw performance in the second half. Mya Mitchell was second with 10 points, hitting on four inside goals and 2 of 4 at the free throw line in that second half. Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton had 9 points, dropping in two inside baskets, hitting 5 of 5 free throws overall and 3 of 3 in the fourth quarter. Bandy Bizzell had 5 points, sinking an inside basket in the second quarter but having a 3 of 4 free throw performance in the fourth period. Kaylee Davis did not score until the fourth quarter but she hit 3 of 4 free throws then. Desirae Hatton saved her 2 points for the third period when she sank 2 of 2.

Shay Hatton led the Maidens in rebounds with 13 and had 2 blocks and 3 steals. Bandy Bizzell and Kaylee Davis each had 6 rebounds. Bizzell had 2 assists, a block and a steal and K. Davis an assist and a steal. Mya Mitchell had 4 rebounds, a block and 3 steals. Wila Davis had 2 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals.

The Lady Flyers made it tough on the Maidens with 11 inside baskets and 6 three-pointers and 4 of 6 free throws in the second half.

Bre Howard led Lady Flyers scorers with four three-point baskets and one inside for 14 points in the first half. Payton Maze hit two three-pointers and three inside, mostly in the fourth quarter, for 12 points. Markayla Hurd and Tmia Mitchell had 7 points each, Hurd sinking three inside, including two in the first, and a fourth period free throw and Mitchell two 2-pointers and a 3 of 4 trip to the free throw line all in the crucial second half. Kitty Eldridge got two inside goals, one in the first quarter and one in the third, for 4 points.

Flyers defeat Indians 50-38

to remain unbeaten in 19-2A

The LaPoynor Flyers increased their District 19-2A record to 5-0 Friday night, Jan. 27 with a 50-38 victory over the Frankston Indians at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston, according to reports from coaches at Frankston and LaPoynor.

The Indians’ loss made them 3-2 in district play and 15-10 for the season. The Flyers season mark rose to 22-7.

A 20-5 second quarter by the Flyers proved the difference in the otherwise closely competitive game. The Flyers had edged the Indians 11-10 in the first quarter but that 15-point win in the second period made the halftime score 31-15. Even though the Indians were able to win the second half 23-19, it was not enough to make up for the big Flyers second quarter and avoid a 12-point loss by the Indians.

According to statistics received from Frankston, leading scorers for the Indians were Benton Allen with 14, Jake Westbrook 12 and Caleb Ramsey 9. Allen was reported as having 9 rebounds.

Cooper Gracey and Dijuan Whitehead led Flyers scorers with 16 points each. Gracey hit 3 of 4 inside shots and sank 3 of 6 three-point baskets while adding a free throw. Whitehead dropped in 6 of 10 inside shots and was a perfect 4 of 4 at the free throw line. The Indians’ defense was able to hold other Flyers players to single digits. Mann Scott had 6 points on two three-point baskets. Evan Almeida had 5 points on an inside basket and a 3 of 4 performance at the free throw line. Cort Reid sank a two-point goal and was 2 of 3 in free throws for 5 points. Matt Driskell had 3 points, sinking 3 of 4 free throws.

The Flyers pulled down 34 rebounds as a team and had 9 steals. Gracey had 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Whitehead had 6 rebounds. Almeida had 6 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals.. Reid had 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Driskell had 2 rebounds, 4 assists, a block and a steal. Mann Scott had 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Daniel Scott had 2 rebounds and a block.

Indians dominate Cross Roads

57-28, eye first Flyers meeting

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team scored a 57-28 victory over Cross Roads Tuesday, Jan. 24 to increase their District 19-2A record to 3-1 and their season mark to 15-9, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians, whose scoring output has been improving to go with their usual tough defense, will be challenging the district leading LaPoynor Flyers in the nightcap at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The Tribe outscored Cross Roads in every quarter in their Tuesday meeting at Cross Roads. They outscored their opponents 18-9 in the first period and 15-4 in the second to lead 33-13 at the half. They increased that lead to 46-23 going into the fourth quarter and outscored Cross Roads 11-5 in the fourth to secure their win.

Caleb Ramsey’s four inside baskets and 6 of 8 free throws gave him 14 points for the Indians. Jake Westbrook followed with 13 points on three 3-point baskets and a couple of two-pointers. Benton Allen, Kason Newport and Kody Loebig each had 8 points. Allen had four inside baskets; Newport and Loebig each had two three-pointers and an inside basket. 6-7 senior Ke’Aundre Barnes had 4 points from the Post and sophomore Tyler Rogers had an inside basket.

Maidens defeat Cross Roads 64-30,

slate rematch with Lady Flyers five

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team increased their District 19-A record to 4-2 Tuesday, Jan. 24 with a victory over Cross Roads 64-30 on the road, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The Frankston girls took a 16-3 first quarter lead and a 17-6 second quarter to lead 33-9 at halftime. They went on to win the third quarter 14-10 to extend their lead to 47-19 and secured their victory with a 17-11 final period.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton with 15 points with six baskets inside and a 3 of 5 trip to the free throw line. Mya Mitchell and Desirae Hatton each had 11 points, Mitchell with four goals inside and  3 of 4 free throws and Hatton with a three-pointer and four inside baskets. Wila Davis scored 9 points on four baskets inside and a free throw. Kaylee Davis had 8 points on three goals inside and 2 of 2 free throws. Bandy Bizzell had three inside baskets for 6 points. Mariyah Hatton had a 4 of 4 performance in free throws.

Big third quarter, free throws

lift Maidens to defeat Cayuga

The Frankston Maidens outscored the Cayuga Lady Wildcats 27-10 in the second half to come away with a 41-25 District 19-2A victory on the road Friday, Jan. 20, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The win came after the Maidens trailed Cayuga 15-14 at halftime, but the Maidens shut out the Lady Wildcats in the third quarter 15-0 and then secured their win with a 12-10 fourth quarter.

The Maidens had won the first quarter 10-7 but Cayuga took the second period 4-8. However, the Frankston girls came out in the third quarter, hit five inside baskets and 5 of 8 free throws while the defense shut out Cayuga.

Then the Maidens put together an inside basket and their only 3-pointer along with 7 points in 12 trips to the free throw line

Free throws were big for the Maidens as they sank 18 of 31 compared 6 of 18 for the Lady Wildcats.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Wila Davis with 10 points on a three-pointer, a couple of baskets inside and 3 of 6 at the free throw line. Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton had 9 on two inside and 5 of 9 free throws. Mya Mitchell had 8 on three inside and 2 of 3 free throws. Mariyah Hatton had 7 points on an inside basket and 5 of 8 at the free throw line. Kaylee Davis had 4 points on an inside goal and 2 of 3 in three throws. Bandy Bizzell had a 2-pointer and Kaysie Nabors was 1 of 2 in free throws.

Indians hold off last-minute

surge to defeat Cayuga 35-32

The Frankston Indians held off a last minute surge by the Cayuga Wildcats Friday, Jan. 20 to preserve a 35-32 District 19-2A victory on the road, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians increased their season record to 14-9 and posted a 2-1 district mark.

In the first half, it was all Indians as they used a 15-3 second quarter to lead 20-6 at halftime. However, Cayuga staged a comeback in the second half outscoring the Indians 10-4 in the third period, narrowing the Tribe lead to 24-16.

In the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 16 points, 9 of those points in the last 45 seconds. The Indians scored 11 in the quarter on a three-pointer by Jake Westbrook, 5 of 9 free throws by Caleb Ramsey and an inside goal and a free throw by Kason Newport to preserve the win.

Ramsey and Westbrook led scorers with 15 each. Ramsey had five inside baskets and was 5 of 9 in free throws and Westbrook had five 3-point goals. Newport had 3 points on a 2-point basket and a free throw and Davis Holladay had 2 points on an inside goal.

The Indians will go to Cross Roads on Tuesday, Jan. 24 and play in the final game of the night, after JV action starting a 4:30 p.m. and the Maidens varsity game.

Indians varsity, JV win District

games over Kerens on Jan. 17

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team defeated the Kerens Bobcats 62-30 Tuesday night, Jan. 17 in a District 19-2A game at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The win gave the Indians a 13-9 season record and a 1-1 district mark. Their only 19-2A loss was a narrow 34-31 defeat on Friday, Jan. 13 by the top-ranked Martins Mill Mustangs.

Against Kerens, the Indians led in every quarter, jumping out to a 16-6 lead in the first period and taking a 19-9 advantage in the second to lead 37-15 at halftime.

They continued to dominate the Bobcats in the second half with a 14-10 third quarter and an 11-5 final period.

As usual they used their strong defense to hold off their opponents and worked their offense to score timely baskets as well as making 10 of 15 free throws. The Indians sank six three-point baskets overall.

None of the Bobcats scored in double figures.

Senior guard Caleb Ramsey led scorers with 19 points including two three-point baskets, three inside and 7 of 8 free throws. Sophomore guard Jake Westbrook scored 14 points on two 3-pointers and four close in. Senior post Benton Allen  had 8 points. He sank three baskets inside, including a couple of rebound tip-ins. Senior guard Kason Newport had 7 points on a three-pointer and two inside goals. Sophomore guard Tyler Rogers had 6 points, including a three-point goal and one inside as well as a free throw. Senior guard Kody Loebig and senior post Ke’Aundre Barnes each scored 2 points up close.

Early in the evening, the Indians Junior Varsity scored a 38-30 win over the Bobcat JV.

The Indians JV started out strong with a 16-7 first quarter  and were outscored in the second period 6-10 but still led 22-17 at the intermission. They outscored the Bobcat JV 16-13 in the second half to assure their 8-point win.

Leading scorer for the Tribe JV was Carson Bizzell with 14 points on four three-pointers and one inside. Three other JV players Triston McCoy, Peyton Jaco and Joseph Allen scored 6 points each, McCoy 2 of 2 in free throws, Jaco on two three-pointers and Allen on three inside. Ayden Lewis had a single two-pointer.

The Indians varsity and JV will go to Cayuga on Friday, Jan. 20. The varsity will play at 8:15 p.m. following JV and Maidens varsity games.

Maidens defeat Kerens girls 63-25

to even District 19-2A hoop record

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team defeated the Kerens Lady Bobcats 63-25 in District 19-2A action Tuesday, Jan. 17 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The win boosted the Maidens district record to 2-2, having won over Cross Roads and lost to LaPoynor and Martins Mill in prior games.

The Maidens dominated the Lady Bobcats in every quarter leading 16-7 in the first period and fighting off a Kerens challenge 18-12 in the second quarter to lead 34-19 at halftime.

The Maidens came back strong in the second half and outscored the Lady Bobcats 15-2 in the third and 14-4 in the final period to secure their victory.

Wila Davis led Maidens scorers with 17 points, hitting on three 3-point goals and on two inside while getting 4 of 7 at the free throw line. Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton got 12 points on six goals close in. Bandy Bizzell had five inside baskets for 10 points. Mya Mitchell sank three near the basket and was 1 of 2 in free throws for 7 points. Mariyah Hatton and Kaysiah Burnett had 4 points each, Hatton with 4 of 7 free throws and Burnett with a couple of inside goals. Desirae Hatton had 3 points on an inside goal and a free throw. Lynsie Bizzell, Kaylee Davis and Kaysie Nabors each had 2 points on inside baskets.

There was no girls junior varsity game.

Indians edged 34-31 in final

seconds by Martins Mill five

A three-point basket in the final seconds of the game gave the Martins Mill Mustangs the edge 34-31 against the Frankston Indians basketball team Friday night, Jan. 13 in the District 19-2A opener at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

Trailing 27-24 going into the fourth quarter, the Indians tied things up at 27-27  and went ahead 29-27, thanks to free throws by Caleb Ramsey and Kason Newport. The Mustangs came back with a two-point basket by Elliott Hilliard to tie the score at 29-29. Newport’s 2-point goal pulled the Indians back ahead 31-29 but Hilliard came back with another 2-pointer to tie the game at 31-31 with just over two minutes left.

As the clock ticked down in the game, Jak Kinder sank the three point goal which was to win the game for Martins Mill.

With about 20 seconds left, the Indians strategized to make a comeback but despite a chance at a goal and a trip to the foul line, the Indians came away with no more points and the Mustangs took the narrow win.

The game was nip-and-tuck from the beginning, Martins Mill taking a 7-4 lead in the first quarter with Benton Allen and Ramsey getting inside baskets. A 3-pointer by Kinder was the difference for the Mustangs.

Two 3-pointers, including a couple more by Kinder helped the Mustangs win the second period 13-11 and lead 20-15 at the half.

Tight defense by both teams marked the second half but the Indians were able to outscore Martins Mill 9-7 in the third and move to within three points of the Mustangs 24-27, setting up the drama of that decisive 7-7 fourth quarter and the timely three-point Martins Mill win.

Ramsey led Indians scorers with 13 points on four goals inside and a 5 of 6 performance at the free throw line. Newport followed with 7 points on a three-pointer and an inside basket and 2 of 3 free throws. Allen had two inside goals for 4 points. Kody Loebig got a three-pointer in the second quarter. Jake Westbrook and Ke’Aundre Barnes each had two-point goals

Kinder led Martins Mill with four three-point baskets and 12 points. One of those three-pointers proved key to the Mustangs’ win. Alex Tyner scored 7 on three inside and the Mustangs’ only free throw. Elliot Hilliard’s timely two inside baskets and 4 points helped the Mustangs stay in striking distance of their win in the fourth period.

In a 5 p.m. game at the Ousley Middle School Gymnasium, the Indians JV fell to their Martins Mill counterparts 30-20. It was 9-9 at the half but the Mustangs JV had a 16-6 third quarter to lead 25-15 at the end of the third. The two teams tied 5-5 in the fourth and Martins Mill had a 10-point win.

Carson Bizzell led Tribe JV scorers with 7. Payton Jaco and Joseph Allen had 4 each. Tyler Rogers had 3 and Devin Allen 2. The Indians JV had only one three-point goal while Martins Mill sank six.

The Indians varsity (12-9, 0-1) will host the Kerens Bobcats at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at the Robert Loper Coliseum, following the Maidens varsity game against Kerens.

Maidens varsity falls to  top-rated

Martins Mill in second 19-2A loss

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team suffered their second loss to top-ranked district and Class 2A opponents Friday night, Jan. 13 against Martins Mill at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, they had lost to a top-ranked LaPoynor team after having won over Cross Roads in their district opener.

Martins Mill opened in the first quarter with a 28-3 surge over the Maidens and went on to win 68-13 in the District 19-2A game.

The Lady Mustangs used pinpoint three-point shooting and timely baskets in transition to forecast what may be coming later. They then punctuated their first quarter showing with a 17-5 second quarter advantage and a 45-8 lead at intermission.

At times, the Martins Mill girls continually penetrated the Maidens defense while  the Maidens would put up shots, and couldn’t get them to fall.

The Maidens defense tightened some in the second half but Martins Mill continued to score at almost every opportunity with a 17-4 third quarter, padding their lead to 62-12 going into the fourth quarter.

The Frankston girls fared some better in the fourth period with a 1-6 deficit but the Lady Mustangs had secured their dominant victory.

Ja’Shalyn Hatton led the Maidens with 5 points on two inside goals and a 1 of 2 trip to the free throw line. Kaylee Davis had 3 points on an inside goal and a free throw in the first quarter. Mya Mitchell got 2 points on a goals inside in the third quarter. Wila Davis got 2 points also in the third quarter. Bandy Bizzell sank 1 of 2 free throws in the fourth.

Leading scorer for Martins Mill was Kate Lindsey with 22 points, including six three-point goals.

In an earlier game, the Maidens Junior Varsity lost to their Martins Mill counterparts 31-18. They were outscored 14-0 in the first quarter but came back to edge the Lady Mustangs JV 6-4 in the second period. They still trailed 18-6 at halftime. The Maidens JV improved their defense and scoring in the second half, posting a 6-6 tie in the third quarter and edged 6-7 in the final period but could not overcome the first half deficit.

Caylin Freeman led Maidens scorers with 12 points and Kennedi Musselman and Briley Jimenez had 3 each. (See Video clip HERE )

Maidens sustain first district loss

against LaPoynor Lady Flyers

The Frankston Maidens were defeated Tuesday, Jan. 10 by the LaPoynor Lady Flyers, one of the top girls basketball teams in District 19-2A and 2A rankings, and face the other top-ranked district and 2A team when they host Martins Mill on Friday, Jan. 13 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

The Lady Flyers, playing on their home court at the Nichols-Corley Gymnasium, won the Tuesday evening game 67-27.

The Lady Flyers were dominant in three of the four quarters, jumping out to a 15-2 lead in the first quarter but being held to only a 6-5 advantage in the second period. The LaPoynor girls led 21-7 at halftime. The Maidens picked up their scoring in the second half, but the Lady Flyers answered with a 24-point third quarter and a 22-point performance in the fourth. The Maidens had 10 points in the third and 10 in the fourth.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Wila Davis with 12 points, including a three-point goal in fourth quarter and a two-point basket in each of the other periods. She also had a 3 of 4 trip to the free throw line. Bandy Bizzell had 4 points, a goal inside in the third and fourth quarters. Mariyah Hatton had a three-pointer in the third period. Scoring two point goals were Lynsie Bizzell, Aryonna Hatton and Mya Mitchell. Kaylee Davis and Kaysiah Burnett were each 1 of 2 at the free throw line.

Bre Howard led Lady Flyers scorers with 20 points, sinking four three-point baskets and four inside. Markayla Hurd scored 13 points on a three-point goal, four inside and 2 of 4 free throws. Kitty Eldridge and Tmia Mitchell each scored 8, Eldridge on three inside and 2 of 3 free throws and Mitchell on a three-pointer, an inside basket and a 3 of 3 performance at the free throw line. Payton Maze was 4 of 4 in free throws and sank a three-point goal for 7 points. Adriana Estrada had 5 points on a three-point basket and one inside. Kendall Garcia had 4 points on two near the basket. Savannah Reynolds had a single two-point goal.

Lady Flyers Coach Jammie Maze reported that his team had 25 rebounds, 21 assists and 17 steals in the game. Leading in rebounds were Eldridge and Estrada with 7 each. Hurd had 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. Mitchell had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Maze had 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals. Howard had 2 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals. Reynolds had 3 assists and 2 steals.

The two teams are each 1-1 after two district games. The Maidens had defeated Cross Roads in their district opener and the Lady Flyers had lost to Martins Mill in their first district game.

Maidens Coach Coker was disappointed with her team’s loss but had hopes that the outcome could be different when they meet the Flyers on the Maidens home court later in the season.

The Maidens face another formidable opponent on Friday, Jan. 13 when the district leading Martins Mill Lady Mustangs come to the Frankston home court at the Robert Loper Coliseum. Junior varsity action will begin at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contests for the Maidens and Indians.

The Lady Flyers will journey to Cayuga on Friday, Jan. 13 with junior varsity play starting at 4:30 p.m. followed by Lady Flyers varsity and Flyers varsity games

Indians end non-district play

with 44-40 win over Mineola

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team finished their non-district schedule with a 44-40 win over the Class 3A Mineola Yellowjackets on Tuesday, Jan. 10 on the road, according to Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The win makes the Indians season record 12-8 and is a prelude to the opening of District 19-2A play against Martins Mill on Friday, Jan. 13 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

It was the second meeting of the Indians against Mineola. They had lost to the Yellowjackets on Dec. 3 in the third place game of the White Oak Tournament 32-26.

The Indians had the edge in the first quarter 14-10 and in the second period 12-6 to lead at halftime 26-16, thanks largely to the shooting of Ke’Aundre Barnes, Jake Westbrook, Caleb Ramsey and Benton Allen.

Mineola outscored the Indians 16-14 in the third quarter to narrow the Tribe lead to 40-32 going into the fourth quarter. The Yellowjackets came back in the fourth period with an 8-4 advantage, but Ramsey’s inside basket and 2 of 2 performance at the free throw line preserved a four-point winning margin.

Scoring for the Indians were Ramsey with 13 points on a three-point goal, four baskets inside and two key free throws. Westbrook had 11 points on three 3-pointers and an inside goal. Allen and Barnes each had 6, both with inside baskets. Kody Loebig had 5 points on a three-point goal and a score close in. Davis Holladay had a three-point basket in the second quarter.

Maidens defeat Cross Roads 56-33

to get first 19-2A victory on Jan. 6

The Frankston Maidens started District 19-2A play Friday night, Jan. 6 with a 56-33 win over the Cross Roads Lady Cats to go 1-0 in district play at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The quick Lady Cats hit 7 of 9 free throws in the first quarter and only two goals inside to lead the Maidens 11-10. However, the Maidens held the Lady Cats to only  2 of 6 at the free throw line and a goal close to the basket while scoring a 3-point goal, six 2-point baskets and a free throw for 16 points. The Maidens led 26-15 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Maidens outscored the Lady Cats 16-9 on two 3s, four inside and a couple of free throws to increase their lead to 42-24. The Frankston girls went on to outscore Cross Roads 14-9 and ice their victory.

Scoring for the Maidens were Wila Davis with 20 on three 3-pointers, four inside and a 3 of 4 performance at the free throw line. Bandy Bizzell had 14 points on seven inside goals. Kaylee Davis had 7 points sinking three near the basket and a free throw. Kaysie Nabors had 6 points on three inside baskets. Mya Mitchell had  4 points inside. Mariyah Hatton had a three-pointer and Aryonna Hatton and Desirae Hatton each sank a free throw. (See Video clip HERE )

Indians defeat Grandview 52-46

in non-district contest on Jan. 6

The Frankston Indians increased their season record to 11-8 with a competive non-district win 52-46 over Grandview on Friday, Jan. 6 on the road, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians jumped out to a 15-10 first quarter lead, thanks to scoring by Benton Allen, Caleb Ramsey and Jake Westbrook. In the second period, Grandview had a 14-11 advantage, thanks largely to four 3-point goals and narrowed the Tribe lead to 26-24 at halftime.

The Indians came out strong in the third quarter with a 15-8 win to increase their lead to 41-32 going into the fourth quarter. Baskets by Kason Newport, Kody Loebig, Ramsey and Ke’Aundre Barnes provided the Indians scoring.

Grandview outscored the Tribe14-11 in the final quarter but 5 of 7 free throws by the Indians plus a couple of inside baskets proved enough to preserve the Indians’ 6-point victory.

Scoring for the Indians were Ramsey with 15 on six goals inside and a 3 of 4 performance at the free throw line. Newport had 12 on two 3s and three inside goals. Loebig had 9 points on a three-point goal, two inside and 2 of 3 free throws. Westbrook had 7 points on a three-pointer and a couple of inside baskets. Barnes had 4 on two close to the goal. Allen had one inside and a free throw for 3 points. A.J. Donnell had a two-point goal.

Indians defeat 4A Pittsburg 46-33

in non-district home test on Jan. 3

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team increased their non-district record to 10-8 Tuesday, Jan. 3 with a 46-33 win over Class 4A Pittsburg at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston, according to a report by Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Indians defense held the Pirates to just 5 points in the second period while scoring 18, thanks to the shooting of Kody Loebig, Caleb Ramsey, Benton Allen and Kason Newport. That gave the Indians a 25-15 lead going into the intermission.

Neither team got scores in double digits in the third quarter but Pittsburg had an 8-7 edge to make the Tribe lead 32-23 going into the fourth period. The Indians secured their win with a 14-10 performance in that final period, thanks to field goals by Jake Westbrook and Ke’Aundre Barnes and 5 of 6 free throws by Ramsey.

Scoring for the Indians were Ramsey with 17 on five baskets inside and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Westbrook scored 9 points on a 3-point basket and three inside. Allen and Loebig score 6 points each, Allen on three inside and Loebig on a couple of 3-point goals. Newport and Barnes each had 4 points, Newport on a three-pointer and a free throw and Barnes on two baskets up close in the key fourth quarter.

Maidens fall to Class 4A Bullard

36-22 in non-district test Jan. 3

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team fell to Class 4A Bullard 36-22 Tuesday, Jan. 3 on the road in a non-district game, according to a report from Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

Neither team could score much in the first quarter but the Maidens had a 4-3 lead. Bullard picked up the pace in scoring 13 points to 6 for the Maidens in the second quarter to lead 17-9 at the half. The Lady Panthers continued to increase their lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Maidens 10-2 to lead 27-12 going into the fourth period. The Maidens won the fourth quarter 11-9 but it was not enough to offset the Bullard earlier lead.

Eight Maidens scored in the single digits in the game. Leading was Mya Mitchell with 7 points. Kaylee Davis scored 3 points, all in the first quarter. Six other Maidens scored 2 points. Mariyah Hatton, Bandy Bizzell, Kaysiah Burnett, Kaysie Nabors and Wila Davis got their two points on inside baskets and Lynsie Bizzell went 2 of 2 at the free throw line.

Indians win fourth at Buffalo tourney

falling to Class 4A Splendora Dec. 30

The Frankston Indians came away from the Buffalo Tournament with a fourth place finish after losing to Class 4A Splendora 48-31 in the third place game Friday, Dec. 30, according to a report from Coach Scotty Albritton.

Coach Albritton was disappointed with the loss but he praised the Indians for their effort in most of the tournament games.

The Indians had come out of Pool Play with a 2-0 performance, defeating New Waverly 45-42 in a nail-biter on Wednesday, Dec. 28, an opponent which later had won over Splendora 43-38 in tournament bracket play. The Indians had barely missed a win in the championship semi-finals in a 54-52 overtime loss to Class 4A Jarrell.

Complete statistics on the Splendora game were not available but Coach Albritton said Caleb Ramsey led Indians scorers with 14 points.

The Indians will return to Frankston’s Robert Loper Coliseum for non-district games with Pittsburg on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Junior varsity action starts at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 6:15.

Maidens fall to Slocum 29-22

in low-scoring game Dec. 30

The Frankston Maidens fell to Slocum 29-22 in a low-scoring non-district basketball game Friday, Dec. 30 on the road, according to Coach Christi Coker.

The Maidens got off to a slow start, trailing Slocum 11-3 in the first quarter and down 17-10 at halftime. In the third quarter, Slocum increased their lead to 22-13. The Maidens tried a comeback in the fourth quarter with a 9-7 edge but it was not enough to overcome the earlier Slocum scoring.

Scoring for the Maidens were Mya Mitchell with 7, Wila Davis with 5, Mariyah Hatton with 3 and Kaylee Davis, Bandy Bizzell and Kaysiah Burnett with 2 each. Desirae Hatton had a free throw.

The Maidens varsity will go to 4A Bullard on Tuesday, Jan. 3 for a non-district game starting at 5 p.m. They will begin District 19-2A play against Cross Roads on Friday Jan. 6 at the Robert Loper Coliseum. Junior varsity play begins at 5, followed by the varsity game at about 6:15 p.m.

Indians edged 54-52 in OT

in tourney semis, eye third

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team was edged 54-52 in overtime by the Class 4A Jarrell Cougars in the semifinals of championship bracket play in the Buffalo Tournament Thursday evening, Dec. 29 after the Tribe had earned a 34-26 victory over the host Buffalo Bisons in the first round, according to Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Tribe will play 4A Splendora in the third place game at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 30.

The Indians had reached the championship bracket play by winning its pool play competition with a nail-biting 45-42 victory over Class 3A New Waverly Wednesday night, Dec. 28.

In the semifinals game against Jarrell, the Indians jumped out to an early lead over the Cougars 17-8 and stretched their lead with a 10-8 edge in the second quarter for a 27-16 halftime advantage. However, in the third quarter the Cougars used four three-point goals to help build a 14-6 performance over the Indians and narrow the Tribe lead to 33-30. Jarrell outscored the Indians 16-13 in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime at 46-46 in regulation.

In the overtime, Jarrell scored two three-pointers and an inside goal for 8 points while the Indians could only get three scores near the basket for 6.

Leading scorer was Caleb Ramsey with 17 including a three-pointer, five inside and 4 of 4 at the free throw line. Three other Indians had 10 points each. Benton Allen had five inside.  Kason Newport and Kody Loebig each hit two outside and two inside. Austin Carr had a first quarter three-pointer and A.J. Donnell sank a 2-point goal in overtime, along with Allen and Ramsey.

The game against Buffalo was a low-scoring affair, starting out with a 5-3 first quarter edge by the Indians. Only two Indians scored baskets in that period but only one Bisons player scored with a three-point goal. The Tribe picked up their scoring in the second period taking a 16-9 edge and leading at halftime 21-12.

Things were not much different in the second half as neither team scored in double figures. Buffalo had the edge in the third quarter with only a 7-4 lead to narrow the Tribe lead to 6 points. Again only two Tribe players scored baskets and three Bisons players scored points. The Indians were able to secure their 8-point win with a 9-7 edge of the Bisons in the final period, thanks largely to five free throws.

Kody Loebig led Indians scorers with 11 points on three 3-pointers and an inside basket. Caleb Ramsey had 9 points on a three-point goal, two inside baskets and a key 2 of 2 performance at the free throw line in the final period. Benton Allen had 8 points, three in the final period, on three goals inside and a couple of free throws. Kason Newport had 4 points on an inside basket and a couple of key free throws in the fourth quarter. A.J. Donnell had a single two-point goal in the double-digit Tribe second quarter.

In the Wednesday night game against New Waverly, the Indians put together a dominant first quarter and a strong defense and timely baskets in the fourth quarter to take the win over the Bulldogs.

In that big first quarter, the Tribe outscored the Bulldogs 19-4 and even though New Waverly came back in the second period to outscore the Indians 13-10, Frankston still led 29-17 going into halftime.

The Bulldogs came back with an impressive 15-7 third quarter but the Tribe still led 36-32 going into the final period. That’s when the Indians defense stepped up to hold the Bulldogs to only 10 points and Benton Allen, Kason Newport and A.J. Donnell came through with the 9 points needed to secure the three-point win.

Scoring for the Indians in the New Waverly game were Newport and Caleb Ramsey each with 10. Newport got his points on two three-point goals and two inside, including 5 key points in that final period. Ramsey sank a three-pointer, three inside and a free throw, all in the first three quarters. Allen and Donnell each had 8 points, Allen on two inside baskets and a 4 of 6 performance at the free throw line. Donnell had four goals inside. Kody Loebig had 7 points all in that big first quarter with a three-point goal and two goals near the basket. Austin Carr had a 2-point goal in the first quarter.

The Indians won their first game in their pool in the tournament with a 46-38 over Gateway Prep on Wednesday morning, Dec. 28.

The Tribe laid the groundwork for the win with a 16-11 first quarter advantage and improved on that lead with a 16-6 second period and a 32-17 halftime score. Gateway Prep tried a comeback in the second half, narrowing the Indians lead to 39-28 and won the fourth quarter 10-7, but it was not enough to overcome the 15-point first half advantage staged by the Indians.

Kason Newport led the Indians scorers with 14 points, 12 in that productive first half. He sank two three-point goals and four inside in the game. Kody Loebig found the range for 12 points, all on three-point goals, 9 points in the first half. Caleb Ramsey scored 10 points on three goals inside and a 4 of 8 performance at the free throw line. Five of his points helped preserve the Indians victory edge in the second half. Benton Allen also helped with 4 of his 8 points in that half on inside baskets and two free throws. A.J. Donnell scored a two-point basket in the big first period.

The Indians will return to the familiar confines of the Robert Loper Coliseum for non-district games with Pittsburg on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Junior varsity action starts at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 6:15.

Indians defeat Buffalo in first leg

of tourney 34-26, eye semifinals

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team advanced to the semifinals of championship bracket play in the Buffalo Tournament Thursday morning, Dec. 29 with a 34-26 victory over the host Buffalo Bisons in the first round, according to Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Tribe will play 4A Jarrell in that semifinals game at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 29.

The Indians had reached the championship bracket play by winning its pool play competition with a nail-biting 45-42 victory over Class 3A New Waverly Wednesday night, Dec. 28.

The game against Buffalo was a low-scoring affair, starting out with a 5-3 first quarter edge by the Indians. Only two Indians scored baskets in that period but only one Bisons player scored with a three-point goal. The Tribe picked up their scoring in the second period taking a 16-9 edge and leading at halftime 21-12.

Things were not much different in the second half as neither team scored in double figures. Buffalo had the edge in the third quarter with only a 7-4 lead to narrow the Tribe lead to 6 points. Again only two Tribe players scored baskets and three Bisons players scored points. The Indians were able to secure their 8-point win with a 9-7 edge of the Bisons in the final period, thanks largely to five free throws.

Kody Loebig led Indians scorers with 11 points on three 3-pointers and an inside basket. Caleb Ramsey had 9 points on a three-point goal, two inside baskets and a key 2 of 2 performance at the free throw line in the final period. Benton Allen had 8 points, three in the final period, on three goals inside and a couple of free throws. Kason Newport had 4 points on an inside basket and a couple of key free throws in the fourth quarter. A.J. Donnell had a single two-point goal in the double-digit Tribe second quarter.

In the Wednesday night game against New Waverly, the Indians put together a dominant first quarter and a strong defense and timely baskets in the fourth quarter to take the win over the Bulldogs.

In that big first quarter, the Tribe outscored the Bulldogs 19-4 and even though New Waverly came back in the second period to outscore the Indians 13-10, Frankston still led 29-17 going into halftime.

The Bulldogs came back with an impressive 15-7 third quarter but the Tribe still led 36-32 going into the final period. That’s when the Indians defense stepped up to hold the Bulldogs to only 10 points and Benton Allen, Kason Newport and A.J. Donnell came through with the 9 points needed to secure the three-point win.

Scoring for the Indians in the New Waverly game were Newport and Caleb Ramsey each with 10. Newport got his points on two three-point goals and two inside, including 5 key points in that final period. Ramsey sank a three-pointer, three inside and a free throw, all in the first three quarters. Allen and Donnell each had 8 points, Allen on two inside baskets and a 4 of 6 performance at the free throw line. Donnell had four goals inside. Kody Loebig had 7 points all in that big first quarter with a three-point goal and two goals near the basket. Austin Carr had a 2-point goal in the first quarter.

The Indians won their first game in their pool in the tournament with a 46-38 over Gateway Prep on Wednesday morning, Dec. 28.

The Tribe laid the groundwork for the win with a 16-11 first quarter advantage and improved on that lead with a 16-6 second period and a 32-17 halftime score. Gateway Prep tried a comeback in the second half, narrowing the Indians lead to 39-28 and won the fourth quarter 10-7, but it was not enough to overcome the 15-point first half advantage staged by the Indians.

Kason Newport led the Indians scorers with 14 points, 12 in that productive first half. He sank two three-point goals and four inside in the game. Kody Loebig found the range for 12 points, all on three-point goals, 9 points in the first half. Caleb Ramsey scored 10 points on three goals inside and a 4 of 8 performance at the free throw line. Five of his points helped preserve the Indians victory edge in the second half. Benton Allen also helped with 4 of his 8 points in that half on inside baskets and two free throws. A.J. Donnell scored a two-point basket in the big first period.

The Indians will return to the familiar confines of the Robert Loper Coliseum for non-district games with Pittsburg on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Junior varsity action starts at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 6:15.

Indians to meet Buffalo in bracket

play, winning two in pool contests

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team advanced to the first round of championship bracket play in the Buffalo Tournament Wednesday night, Dec. 28 with a 45-42 victory over Class 3A New Waverly to win their pool, according to Indians Coach Scotty Albritton.

The Tribe will play Buffalo in that first bracket game at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29.

The Indians put together a dominant first quarter and a strong defense and timely baskets in the fourth quarter to take the win over the New Waverly team.

In that big first quarter, the Tribe outscored the Bulldogs 19-4 and even though New Waverly came back in the second period to outscore the Indians 13-10, Frankston still led 29-17 going into halftime.

The Bulldogs came back with an impressive 15-7 third quarter but the Tribe still led 36-32 going into the final period. That’s when the Indians defense stepped up to hold the Bulldogs to only 10 points and Benton Allen, Kason Newport and A.J. Donnell came through with the 9 points needed to secure the three-point win.

Scoring for the Indians in the New Waverly game were Newport and Caleb Ramsey each with 10. Newport got his points on two three-point goals and two inside, including 5 key points in that final period. Ramsey sank a three-pointer, three inside and a free throw, all in the first three quarters. Allen and Donnell each had 8 points, Allen on two inside baskets and a 4 of 6 performance at the free throw line. Donnell had four goals inside. Kody Loebig had 7 points all in that big first quarter with a three-point goal and two goals near the basket. Austin Carr had a 2-point goal in the first quarter.

The Indians won their first game in their pool in the tournament with a 46-38 over Gateway Prep on Wednesday morning, Dec. 28.

The Tribe laid the groundwork for the win with a 16-11 first quarter advantage and improved on that lead with a 16-6 second period and a 32-17 halftime score. Gateway Prep tried a comeback in the second half, narrowing the Indians lead to 39-28 and won the fourth quarter 10-7, but it was not enough to overcome the 15-point first half advantage staged by the Indians.

Kason Newport led the Indians scorers with 14 points, 12 in that productive first half. He sank two three-point goals and four inside in the game. Kody Loebig found the range for 12 points, all on three-point goals, 9 points in the first half. Caleb Ramsey scored 10 points on three goals inside and a 4 of 8 performance at the free throw line. Five of his points helped preserve the Indians victory edge in the second half. Benton Allen also helped with 4 of his 8 points in that half on inside baskets and two free throws. A.J. Donnell scored a two-point basket in the big first period.

The Indians will return to the familiar confines of the Robert Loper Coliseum for non-district games with Pittsburg on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Junior varsity action starts at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 6:15.

Maidens finish 4th at Glen Evans

Hoop Classic in Troup Dec. 27-28

The Frankston Maidens finished in fourth place in the Glen Evans Classic at Troup on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 27-28, according to a report by Maidens Coach Christi Coker.

Mya Mitchell (20) was an All-Tournament selection.

In the opener, the Maidens lost a close game to Troup 31-26, then fell to Class 3A Mexia 65-31 late in the day, an opponent which took the place of the originally scheduled Laneville. The Black Cats had gone into the Frankston game with a 19-1 season record with only an overtime loss to Navasota 51-50.

On the second day, the Maidens lost 47-28 to Thrall and closed out the day with a 38-27 victory over Bullard Brook Hill.

The Maidens went into the Classic with several players either ill or recovering from injuries, Coach Coker said.

Scoring for the Maidens against Troup were Wila Davis (34) with 11 points, including a three-point goal and four inside baskets. Mitchell and Kaylee Davis  (10) had 5 points each, Mitchell and K. Davis with two inside and a free throw each. Kaysiah Burnett (14) and Kaysie Nabors (22) each had an inside basket for 2 points. Lynsie Bizzell (3) had a free throw.

In the Mexia game, W. Davis had 8, on a three-point basket, two inside and a free throw. Burnett had 6 points on a 2-point basket and four free throws. Mitchell and Nabors had 4 on two inside each. Desirae Hatton (23) also had 4 points on an inside goal and two free throws. Lynsie Bizzell had a three-pointer and Mariyah Hatton (00) had two free throws.

In the game with Thrall, Mitchell led with 9 points on four baskets inside and a free throw. W. Davis had 7 points on an inside basket and five free throws. M. Hatton and Lynsie Bizzell had 4 points each, Hatton on two 2-point goals and Bizzell on an inside goal and two free throws. K. Davis and Burnett each had 2 on inside baskets.

In their win against Brook Hill, Mitchell had 13, on five inside goals and three free throws. W. Davis had 10 on two three-point goals and 4 of 7 at the free throw line. D. Hatton had 5, on two inside baskets and a free throw. Nabors had 4 on two inside. M. Hatton had 3 on three free throws. Burnett had a two-point goal and K. Davis a free throw.

The Maidens are now 11-9 overall for the season.

They are scheduled to go to Slocum for a varsity game only on Friday, Dec. 30 at noon. Then on Tuesday, Jan. 3, they go to 4A Bullard for a varsity contest starting at 5 p.m. They begin District 19-2A play against Cross Roads on Friday, Jan. 6 at the Robert Loper Coliseum. Junior varsity action begins at 5 followed by the varsity game about 6:15 p.m.

Maidens varsity, JV take wins

against Tyler Heat on Dec. 16

The Frankston Maidens varsity and junior varsity took non-district wins over Tyler Heat Friday, Dec. 16 in basketball action at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The Maidens varsity won over Tyler Heat 37-19 and the Maidens JV defeated their Tyler Heat counterparts 28-14.

The Maidens varsity led in every quarter, outscoring the Heat 11-5 in the first quarter and 10-4 in the second to lead 21-9 at halftime. The Frankston girls outscored the Heat 16-10 in the second half to secure their win.

Wila Davis led Maidens scorers with 16 points, followed by Desirae Hatton’s 12 points. Davis had two three-pointers and three inside along with a 4 of 4 performance at the free throw line. D. Hatton had two 3s and three inside. Mya Mitchell score 5 points, on two near the basket and a free throw. Mariyah Hatton had 2 points on 2 of 2 free throws. Kaylee Davis scored a single goal inside for 2 points.

The Maidens JV led the Tyler Heat JV 16-1 in the first quarter and were ahead 20-10 at the half. The Frankston girls increased their lead to 25-10 in the third quarter and the Heat could score only 4 points in the final period, not enough to offset the earlier Maidens JV lead.

For the Maidens JV, Caylin Freeman led scorers with 16 points.

The Maidens varsity will compete next in the Glen Evans Classic at Troup on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 27-28 against teams from Troup, Brook Hill, Laneville and Thrall. They are scheduled to go to Slocum for a varsity game only on Friday, Dec. 30 at noon.

On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Maidens varsity will journey to Bullard for a non-district game at 5 p.m.   (Maidens video clip HERE)  (Maidens JV video clip  HERE )

Maidens win Frankston tourney

third place beating Tyler Grace

The Frankston Maidens captured third place in the 2022 Frankston Invitational Tournament Saturday, Dec. 10 with a 41-27 win over Tyler Grace.

Maidens sophomore point guard Wila Davis was named to the All-Tournament team, it was announced.

Earlier in the day, the Frankston Indians fell to Tyler Heat 43-36 in the semifinals and later in the day lost to Beckville in the third place game 57-48 to finish in fourth place.

Senior point guard Caleb Ramsey was named to the boys All-Tournament team.

Ramsey also was recently named the Tyler Morning Telegraph Boys Basketball Player of the Week for games played Dec. 5-10, Coach Scotty Albritton reported.

He was acclaimed by the newspaper for averaging 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 4.6 assists in the five games at the Frankston Tournament. He had 26 points, seven rebounds, five steals and five assists in the third place game against Beckville.

The Maidens won third place by winning every quarter but they got a big start when they outscored the Grace team 11-3 in the first. They had an 11-10 lead in the second quarter to go into the halftime intermission with a 22-13 advantage. In the second half they took the third quarter 8-7 to go into the fourth with a 30–20 lead. They secured their win and the third placc finish with an 11-7 performance in the fourth period.

Leading scorer for the Maidens was Wila Davis with 14 points, including a three-point goal, two inside and 7 of 10 at the free throw line. Mya Mitchell and Bandy Bizzell each scored 10. Mitchell had 5 goals near the basket and Bizzell had four inside baskets and was 2 of 4 in free throws. Lynsie Bizzell had 3 points from a two-point goal and a free throw. Desirae Hatton had 2 points from a basket and Mariyah Hatton with a free throw.

In the boys semifinals, Tyler Heat took an early lead over the Indians 9-4 but the Indians came back in the second quarter to post a 10-9 advantage, narrowing the Heat’s halftime lead to 18-14. The Indians narrowed the Heat lead by another point with a 10-9 third quarter. However, the Heat scored a 16-12 fourth quarter to secure their win.

Caleb Ramsey led Indians scorers with 14 points on two three-point goals and four baskets inside. Kody Loebig had 9 on three 3-pointers. Kason Newport scored 6 on three 2-point goals. A.J. Donnell sank two inside for 4 points. Benton Allen had one inside field goal for 2 points. Tyler Rogers sank a free throw for his 1 point.

In the third place game with Beckville, the Indians and Bearcats tied in the first quarter 13-13, but Beckville picked up their scoring in the second period with a 22-11 margin to lead 35-24 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Bearcats had a 13-9 edge to lead 48-33 going into the fourth quarter. The Indians tried a comeback in that quarter 15-9 but could not overcome the early Beckville scoring.

Caleb Ramsey led again in this game with 26 points, including four 3-pointers, six at or near the basket and 2 of 3 free throws. A.J. Donnell and Kason Newport each sank four 2-point goals for 8 points. Benton Allen and Kody Loebig had 3 points each, Allen on a single goal inside and a free throw and Loebig with a three-point goal.

When girls competition was complete, the Neches Lady Tigers had won the girls championship. The Timpson Lady Bears had placed second. The Maidens were third and Malakoff had won consolation honors with a 48-19 win over Athens. Alba Golden finished in seventh place.

Two Neches players were on the All Tournament team. Selected as Most Valuable Player was sophomore Sealy Hines of Neches and her teammate, sophomore Joely Jenkins was named to the All Tournament team.

Timpson had two players on the All Tournament team. They are D’Chelle Garner and McKenna Wynn.

Frankston’s sophomore Wila Davis earned the honor and senior Abigail Roach of Tyler Grace was also selected to the All Tournament team.

When boys competition was complete, the Grapeland Sandies had won the boys championship. The Tyler Heat placed second. Beckville won third place. Frankston was in fourth place and Tyler Grace won consolation honors.

Winning Most Valuable Player in the boys division was Omarion Wiley of Grapeland. A Grapeland teammate Johnny Lamb was also on the All Tournament list.

Others on the All Tournament selection were Cake Starr and Aiden Shelton of Tyler Heat, J’Coby Williams of Beckville and Caleb Ramsey of Frankston.

(Maidens Video Clip HERE )     (Indians Video Clip HERE )

Indians beat Troup, eye semis;

Maidens play for third Dec. 10

The Frankston Indians will play in the championship semifinals and the Maidens will be in the third place game after games on the second day of the Frankston Invitational Basketball Tournament on Friday, Dec. 9.

The Indians earned a spot in the championship semifinals with 39-30 victory over the Troup Tigers in a fast-paced defensive struggle on Friday night at the Robert Loper Coliseum. The Indians will meet Tyler Heat at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The Maidens will play for third place in their division against Tyler Grace at 12 noon at the Loper Coliseum after winning over Alba Golden 39-37 and then falling to Timpson 53–31 later in the day Friday.

The Indians once again relied on their strong defense and timely scoring to take the win against Troup after defeating Tyler Heat 50-44 and Woden 47-28 in Pool A play on Thursday.

The Indians defense held Troup to single digits in every quarter, taking the first quarter 14-3 and the second quarter by 7-6 to lead at halftime 21-9. The Tribe went on to outscore the Tigers 10-4 in the third quarter and lead 31-13 going into the fourth period. They outscored Troup 8-7 in the fourth to ensure their win.

Kason Newport led Indians scorers with 11 points on three 3-point goals and a goal inside. Kody Loebig and Benton Allen had 9 points each. Loebig had three 3-pointers and Allen had four near the basket and a free throw. Ke’Aundre Barnes had four points on a couple of layups and A.J. Donnell, Caleb Ramsey and Tyler Rogers had two points, Donnell and Ramsey on two-pointers and Rogers on 2 of 2 free throws.

The Maidens started out the day at about 12:30 p.m. winning over the Alba Golden Lady Panthers to determine the first seed in Girls Pool A.

The Frankston girls started things strong with a 14-9 lead over the Lady Panthers in the first quarter but the Alba Golden girls picked up the pace as the game progressed, trailing by only one at the half. In the fourth quarter they challenged for the lead after trailing 30-24 at the end of the third quarter. They outscored the Maidens 13-9 in the fourth quarter and with 30 seconds left in the game, they had a chance to go ahead, but the Maidens’ Wila Davis provided three key free throws and a two-point goal to secure a 39-37 victory for the Maidens.

At about 3:30 later in the afternoon, the Maidens met the Timpson Lady Bears in the championship semifinals and the two teams were tied after a quarter of play 14-14, led by two goals inside by Davis and a couple of free throws. Desirae Hatton connected on a three-point goal and Bandy Bizzell and Mya Mitchell added a two-point goal each

However, the Lady Bears came back strong in the second period with a 10-3 advantage over the Maidens. That gave the Timpson a 24-17 lead at halftime.

The Lady Bears had a big scoring surge in the third quarter, outscoring the Maidens 24-2 and going into the fourth quarter with a 48-19 lead. The Maidens were able to outscore Timpson in the fourth quarter 12-5, but that was not nearly enough to salvage a win.

Scoring for the Maidens against Alba-Golden were Wila Davis with 11, Bandy Bizzell with 9, Kaylee Davis and Mitchell with 5 each, Desirae Hatton with 4, Lynsie Bizzell and Kaysie Nabors with 2 each  and Kaysiah Burnett with 1. Wila Davis was 5 of 5 at the free throw line. Bizzell was 3 of 4 and Mitchell was 3 of 6.

In the Timpson game, Wila Davis was held to 11 points again on four 2-point goals and 3 of 4 free throws. Bandy Bizzell and Desirae Hatton each had 6, Kaylee Davis 4 and Aryonna Hatton and Mitchell with 2 each

(See Tournament Pool Play, Bracket HERE )

Indians, Maidens sweep Pool

games in Frankston Tourney

The Frankston Indians and Maidens advanced in Pool Play on the first day of the 2022 Frankston Invitational Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 8.

The Maidens started out first in a game in the early afternoon with a hotly contested win over Tyler Grace 53-48. That game was followed later in the afternoon with the Indians scoring a 50-44 victory over Tyler Heat which went down to the wire.

Still later, the Maidens went up against the Trinity Tigers and dominated the game 78-18, holding the Trinity team to single digits in every quarter.

After that win, the dedication ceremony was held for the Robert Loper Coliseum, named by the school trustees early this year for the former veteran boys basketball coach Robert Loper, who coached Indians boys teams for 28 years and had 610 wins and 22 playoff appearances. For his distinguished coaching career, Coach Loper was named to the Texas Assn. of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

After that presentation and early in the evening, the Indians took to the floor against Woden and used a strong defense and timely baskets to win 47-28.

In the Maidens game against Grace, the Maidens and Grace battled to an 11-11 tie in the first quarter and Grace took the second quarter 12-11 to lead 23-22 at halftime. However, the Maidens came back strong in the second half, outscoring the Grace team 15-13 in the third quarter and 16-13 in the final period to earn their five-point win.

Leading the Maidens to a victory was Wila Davis who bested an earlier season high of 30 points with a 31-point performance. She scored seven points in the first quarter, eight points in the second period, 13 in the third and three in the fourth period. Kaysie Nabors and Mya Mitchell each scored 9 points, both with four goals inside and a free throw each. They combined for nine of the fourth quarter winning points and a two-point goal by Nabors in the waning seconds put the game out of reach for Grace. Bandy Bizzell’s and Kaysiah Burnett’s 2 points each in the final quarter along with Davis’ 3 helped secure the win.

The Indians started the game against Tyler Heat with an impressive first quarter lead of 16-3, thanks largely to the shooting of seniors Kody Loebig and Kason Newport of whom three of their five baskets were three-point goals. Then Tyler Heat bounced back with a 16-15 edge in the second period to narrow the Indians lead at halftime to 31-19. The Heat had a big third quarter, outscoring the Indians 13-7 and trailing by just six points 38-32. The final quarter was a 12-12 tie with six key free throws and a key basket by Caleb Ramsey securing the victory.

Ramsey’s 9 of 10 free throw, four goals inside and a three point goal gave him a leading 20 points. Kody Loebig’s two threes and two inside gave him 10 points. 6-6 senior Ke’Aundre Barnes had two inside goals and a free throw for 9 points. Senior Newport had a three-pointer and two inside for 7 points. Freshman A.J. Donnell  had 3, on an inside goal and a free throw. Austin Carr added a point on a free throw.

In the Trinity game, the Maidens outscored the Lady Tigers 19-2, 23-3, 17-7 and 19-6 in the dominate win.

Again Wila Davis led Maiden scorers, this time with 29, including three 3-pointers, 9 near the basket and two free throws. Mitchell scored 12 points on five two-point goals and a couple of free throws. Bandy Bizzell had 10 with a three-pointer, three inside and a free throw. Lynsie Bizzell scored 8 on two inside and 4 of 5 at the free throw line. Burnett had 6 points on three near the basket. Mariyah Hatton had 5 on one three and a two-point goal. Nabors had 3 on a two-pointer and a free throw. Desirae Hatton and Aryonna Hatton each had 2 and Kaylee Davis had 1.

In the nightcap, the Indians led Woden 8-4 in the first quarter and 16-10 in the second for a 24-14 halftime lead. The Indians padded their lead with an 8-2 third quarter and took the fourth quarter 15-12 to assure the victory.

Ramsey again led scorers with 22 points, going 2 of 2 at the free throw line and hitting two three-pointers to go with 7 inside goals. Loebig had 8 points on two 3-pointers and an inside goal. Benton Allen had three inside and a free throw for 7 points. Barnes hit a couple of layups for 4 points. Freshman Davis Holladay sank a three-point goal. Sophomore Tyler Rogers was 2 of 2 in free throws and Kason Newsport had a single free throw.

The Maidens will now go against Alba Golden in the final Pool A game at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the Robert Loper Coliseum.

The Indians will go against the winner of the Friday 12:30 p.m. game 3 winner at 7:15 p.m. Friday night in the Loper Coliseum.

In other pool play action for the boys on Thursday, Grace defeated Arp 84-31; Grapeland won over Troup 61-53; Tyler Heat downed Woden 55-47 in overtime; Beckville defeated Grace 63-40; Cayuga edged Troup 46-40; Beckville dominated Arp 92-31 and Grapeland downed Cayuga 52-39.

In other pool play action for the girls on Thursday, Timpson defeated Malakoff 45-31; Neches won over Timpson 49-35; Grace downed Alba Golden 51-38; Alba Golden defeated Trinity 53-18; and Neches won over Athens 59-42. Then early on Friday, Timpson defeated Athens 56-39.

On Friday morning and early afternoon the pool schedule is as follows for the Loper Coliseum:

10 a.m. — Timpson 56, Athens 39

11:15 a.m. — Game #1  Beckville 84, Woden 33 (Boys Bracket)

12:30 p.m. — Frankston 39, Alba Golden 37 (Girls)

1:45 p.m. — Game #4  Tyler Heat 43, Cayuga 36 (Boys Bracket)

3:30 p.m. — Girls #1 Timpson 53, Maidens 31 (Championship Bracket)

4:45 p.m. — Game #7 (Boys Bracket)

6 p.m. — Girls Bracket  Game #3 (Championship Bracket)

7:15 p.m. Game #8 (Boys Bracket)

On Friday morning and early afternoon the pool schedule is as follows for the Ousley middle school gym:

10 a.m. — Trinity vs. Tyler Grace (Girls)

11:15 — Game #2 (Boys Bracket)

12:30 p.m. — Game #3 (Boys Bracket)

1:45 p.m. — Neches vs. Malakoff (Girls)

On Friday afternoon and evening the bracket game schedule is as follows for the Ousley gym:

3:30 p.m. — Girls Bracket Game  #2

4:45 p.m. — Game #5 (Boys Bracket)

6 p.m. — Game #6 (Boys Bracket)

7:15 p.m. — Girls Bracket Game #4

On Saturday, at the Loper Coliseum the following games will be played:

10:30 a.m. — Game #10 (Boys Bracket)

12 noon — Girls #7 3rd Place

1:30 p.m. — Boys #12 Consolation

3 p.m. — Boys #13 3rd Place

4:30 p.m. — Girls Championship

6 p.m. — Boys Championship

Meanwhile on Saturday, at the Ousley Middle School gym:

10:30 a.m. Game #9 (Boys Bracket)

12 noon — Girls #5

1:30 p.m. — Girls #6 Consolation

3 p.m. — Game #11 (Boys Bracket

Frankston basketball tournament

Dec. 8-10 to bring big crowd here

Boys and girls basketball teams from around the East Texas area are competing  through Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Frankston Invitational Tournament, sponsored by Holladay and McCoy Insurance of Frankston.

A large crowd of athletes, coaches, students, parents and other fans is expected to converge on Frankston during the three days.

A highlight of the event will occur on Thursday, Oct. 8 when the Robert Loper Coliseum will be dedicated in a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. during the tournament. The coliseum, in which many tournament games will be played, is named for the former Frankston boys basketball coach for 28 years who had 610 wins, 22 playoff appearances and was inducted into the Texas Assn. of Basketball  Coaches Hall of Fame.

The tournament will be conducted with Pool Play and girls teams from Frankston, Tyler Grace, Trinity and Alba Golden will be in Pool A while teams from  Malakoff, Timpson, Neches and Athens will be in Pool B.

Boys teams from Frankston, Woden and Tyler Heat are in Pool A and Arp, Beckville  and Tyler Grace in Pool B. In Pool C will be Troup, Grapeland and Cayuga.

Games will be played in both the Robert Loper Coliseum high school gym and the G.V. (Bo) Ousley Middle School Gym.

The Indians and Maidens will play all games at the Loper Coliseum. The Maidens will play at 1:45 and 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 12:30 p.m. on Friday in pool play.  The Indians will play at 3 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. Other times are to be determined by seeding.

In the case of ties, seeding for the Friday and Saturday bracket play will be determined by the head-to-head winner getting the higher seed with other seeds determined by a point differential with a 20-point maximum, according to tournament officials.

Full days of competition will be held on Thursday and Friday in both gyms.

On Thursday the pool schedule is as follows for the Loper Coliseum:

10 a.m. — Timpson vs. Neches (Girls)

11:15 a.m. — Grapeland vs. Troup (Boys)

12:30 p.m. — Malakoff vs. Timpson (Girls)

1:45 p.m. — Tyler Grace vs. Frankston (Girls)

3 p.m. — Tyler Heat vs. Frankston (Boys)

4:15 p.m. — Arp vs. Beckville (Boys)

5:30 p.m. — Frankston vs. Trinity (Girls)

6:45 p.m. — Frankston vs. Woden (Boys)

On Thursday the pool schedule is as follows for the Ousley Middle School gym:

8:45 a.m. — Alba Golden vs. Tyler Grace (Girls)

10 a.m. — Tyler Grace vs. Arp (Boys)

11:15 a.m. — Woden vs. Tyler Heat (Boys)

12:30 p.m. — Beckville vs. Tyler Grace (Boys)

1:45 p.m. — Trinity vs. Alba Golden (Girls)

3 p.m. — Troup vs. Cayuga (Boys)

4:15 p.m. — Athens vs. Malakoff (Girls)

5:30 p.m. — Cayuga vs. Grapeland (Boys)

6:45 p.m. — Neches vs. Athens (Girls)

On Friday morning and early afternoon the pool schedule is as follows for the Loper Coliseum:

10 a.m. — Timpson vs. Athens (Girls)

11:15 a.m. — Game #1 (Boys Bracket)

12:30 p.m. — Frankston vs. Alba Golden (Girls)

1:45 p.m. — Game #4 (Boys Bracket)

On Friday morning and early afternoon the pool schedule is as follows for the Ousley middle school gym:

10 a.m. — Trinity vs. Tyler Grace (Girls)

11:15 — Game #2 (Boys Bracket)

12:30 p.m. — Game #3 (Boys Bracket)

1:45 p.m. — Neches vs. Malakoff (Girls)

On Friday afternoon and evening the bracket game schedule is as follows for the Ousley gym:

3:30 p.m. — Girls Bracket Game  #2

4:45 p.m. — Game #5 (Boys Bracket)

6 p.m. — Game #6 (Boys Bracket)

7:15 p.m. — Girls Bracket Game #4

On Saturday, at the Loper Coliseum the following games will be played:

10:30 a.m. — Game #10 (Boys Bracket)

12 noon — Girls #7 3rd Place

1:30 p.m. — Boys #12 Consolation

3 p.m. — Boys #13 3rd Place

4:30 p.m. — Girls Championship

6 p.m. — Boys Championship

Meanwhile on Saturday, at the Ousley Middle School gym:

10:30 a.m. Game #9 (Boys Bracket)

12 noon — Girls #5

1:30 p.m. — Girls #6 Consolation

3 p.m. — Game #11 (Boys Bracket)

Maidens fall to Athens 45-32

in non-district basketball play

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team fell 45-32 to the Athens Lady Hornets Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Athens in a non-district game against the 4A team, according to Christi Coker, Maidens coach.

The Maidens started strong against Athens in the first quarter, leading 10-5, but the Lady Hornets outscored the Maidens 19-6 in the second period and led 24-16 at halftime. Athens outscored the Maidens 13-6 in the third period to lead 35-22 going into the fourth quarter. The two teams tied 10-10 in the final period, but it was not enough for the Maidens to overcome earlier Athens scoring.

Wila Davis led Maidens scorers with 12 points, largely thanks to an 8 of 9 performance at the free throw line. Kaysie Nabors sank 9 points on four inside goals and a free throw. Mya Mitchell had 6 points on two 2-point goals and a couple of free throws. Bandy Bizzell had 3 points on a goal inside and a free throw. Desirae Hatton had a single goal inside for 2 points.

The Maidens will be participating in the Frankston Tournament Dec. 8-10, playing Tyler Grace in Pool play at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8 at the Robert Loper Coliseum.

Dec. 3, 2022

Maidens win third place at SlocumTournament

See Tournament stories HERE

• • • •

Mineola edges Indians 32-26 for White Oak Tourney 3rd Place

See Tournament stories HERE

Maidens JV wins consolation

in LaPoynor Tourney Dec. 1-2

The Frankston Maidens junior varsity won consolation honors in the LaPoynor JV Tournament on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2, according to Coach Nicholas Tarr.

The Maidens JV lost to Athens Christian 26-20 in the first round of the tournament. Then they won over Palmer 32-13 in the consolation semifinals before winning over Bullard 43-12 in the consolation game.

Scoring for the Maidens JV against Athens Christian were Caylin Freeman with 11, Briley Jimenez and Ashley Fridinger with 3 each and Hailey Pizano with 2 and Kennedi Musselman with 1.

Against Palmer, Musselman had 13, Freeman and Fridinger had 8 each and Jimenez 3.

In the Bullard game, Freeman had 25, Musselman 8, Fridinger 4 and Ondreia Renfro and Jimenez 3 each.

Maidens varsity, JV defeat

Troup teams in hoop action

The Frankston Maidens used a tight defense and hit timely shots Tuesday night, Nov. 29 to earn a 39-16 non-district victory over the Troup Lady Tigers in basketball action at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The Maidens held Troup to single digits in every quarter and picked up their scoring as the game progressed.

After ending the first quarter in a 5-5 tie with the Lady Tigers, the Maidens picked up the scoring pace in the second quarter, largely on the shooting of Wila Davis and Desirae Hatton to lead 20-8 at halftime. Almost every player on the Maidens roster contributed points to outscore Troup 19-8 in the second half to secure the win.

Desirae Hatton’s two three-point goals helped her lead the scorers with 10 points. Davis scored 7 points with two goals inside and  a 3 of 6 performance at the free throw line. Mya Mitchell had 5 points on two goals inside and a free throw. Kaysiah Burnett’s two field goals and Bandy Bizzell’s 2 of 2 trip to the free throw line and a goal near the basket gave each of them 4 points. Mariyah Hatton hit a shot inside and sank a free throw to score 3 points. Lynsie Bizzell,  Aryonna Hatton and Kaysie Nabors each sank a field goal near the basket for 2 points each.

In an earlier game, the Maidens Junior Varsity dominated the Lady Tigers JV throughout, leading 10-4 in the first quarter, 19-7 at the half and 27-18 after three quarters to take a 36-20 win. High scorer for the Maidens JV was Caylin Freeman with 23 points.

Tight Tribe defense not enough

as Beckville scores win 42-29

The Frankston Indians varsity basketball team held a talented Beckville team with a tight defense for much of game, but it wasn’t enough and the Tribe fell 42-29 Tuesday night, Nov. 29 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in a non-district game.

Beckville used the timely shooting of J’Koby Williams and missed Tribe opportunities to score to gain the victory. Williams, who earlier had been a challenge for the Indians on the football field, penetrated the tight Tribe defense with four three-point goals and three inside shots to lead his team with 18 points.

The Indians defense held Beckville to only 11 points in the first quarter but the Tribe could only score 2 points, those on a 2 of 2 performance at the free throw line by Caleb Ramsey. Beckville scored 10 in the second quarter and the Tribe got 9, thanks to Indians shooting by Austin Carr, Kason Newport, Kody Loebig and Ramsey.

Going into the second half, Beckville led 21-11. Williams’ two 3-pointers helped Beckville edge the Indians 12-9 in the third quarter while Benton Allen sank two inside and Kody Loebig contributed a three-pointer to help the Tribe. Beckville led 33-20 going into the final period.

In the fourth quarter the Indians held Beckville to only 9 while the Tribe also had 9 with Allen scoring 5 of those points on a couple goals near the basket and a free throw. The Indians looked like they might narrow the Beckville lead at one point but the Bearcats were able to hold onto their 13-point edge to win.

Scoring for the Indians were Allen with 9, Loebig with 7, Ramsey with 6, Carr with 3 and Newport and Ke’Aundre Barnes with 2 each.

Williams led Beckville with 18, Jordan Prince had 8, Jakelviu Smith 5, Allen Perry 4, Jordan Hammons 3, and Jayden Mojica and J.T. Smith 2 each.

Maidens varsity, JV teams

win over Elkhart Nov. 22

The Frankston Maidens scored a 53-27 victory over the Elkhart Lady Elks in varsity non-district basketball action on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at Elkhart, according to a report submitted by Coach Christi Coker.

Earlier the Maidens Junior Varsity defeated their Elkhart counterparts 32-21.

The Maidens jumped out in the first quarter with a 21-7 lead, thanks to the shooting of Kaysiah Burnett’s and Mya Mitchell’s 6 points each. Kaysie Nabors added 5 points to the leaders. The Maidens led 28-13 at halftime and outscored the Lady Elks 25-14 in the second half to secure their victory.

Burnett and Nabors led scorers with 12 points each, sinking 2 of 2 each at the free throw line. Mitchell had 11 points, include five inside. Bandy Bizzell and Wila Davis each had 6, Desirae Hatton 4 and Lynsie Bizzell 2.

The Maidens JV took a 14-3 first quarter lead and were ahead 23-11 at halftime. Elkhart outscored the Tribe JV 10-9 in the second half but it was not enough to make up for their first half deficit.

Leading scorer for the Maidens JV was Caylin Freeman with 12 points inside.  Briley Jimenez had 7, had a three-pointer in the first quarter and was 2 of 6 at the free throw line. Ashley Fridinger had 6, Ondreia Renfro 4 and Hailey Pizano had 3 on a three-pointer in the second quarter.

The Maidens teams will host Troup on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at the Loper Coliseum. JV action starts at 4:30 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 5:45.

Indians take hoop opener

50-35 over Buffalo Bisons

The Frankston Indians won their season basketball opener defeating Buffalo 50-35 Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston, according to a report by Coach Scotty Albritton.

In an earlier game, the Indians Junior Varsity fell to their Buffalo counterparts 32-25.

The Indians varsity took a 9-2 lead in the first quarter and led 22-7 at halftime. They tied with the Bisons 28-28 in the second half but the Indians first half performance assured the victory.

Leading scorer for the Tribe was Kody Loebig with 16 points, including four three-point goals. Caleb Ramsey also scored in double figures with 15 points, including two 3-pointers. Benton Allen had 9 points. Kason Newport and Ke’Aundre Barnes had 4 each and A.J. Donnell had 2.

The Indians JV led 14-8 in the first half and were ahead 19-15 at the end of the third quarter, but the Bisons JV came back and sank three 3-pointers  and made six free throws along with a two-point goal to outscore Indians JV 17-6 and secure the win.

Leading scorers for the Tribe JV were Devin Allen and Stevie Fry with 5 each,  Triston McCoy with 4, Peyton Jaco 3, and Tyler Rogers, Tucker Sloan, Joseph Allen and Walker McCann with 2 each.

Maidens varsity, JV teams defeated

by Class 4A Jacksonville on Nov. 21

The Frankston Maidens varsity and junior varsity basketball teams fell in non-district games to Class 4A Jacksonville Monday, Nov. 21 at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston, according to a report from Coach Christi Coker.

The Maidens varsity fell 53-32 to the Jacksonville varsity.

In the junior varsity game, the Maidens JV fell to their Jacksonville counterparts 46-21.

The Maidens varsity started out strong with an 11-8 advantage in the first quarter and they trailed at halftime by only 28-20 despite a 20-9 performance by the Jacksonville team.

In the second half, it was all Jacksonville, as they scored 25 points to only 12 for the Maidens.

Ja’Shalyn Hatton and Wila Davis each had 12 points for the Maidens. Desirae Hatton and Lynsie Bizzell scored 3 each and Mariyah Hatton had 2. D. Hatton had a three-pointer for her only points. Davis had five goals inside and was 2 of 6 at the free throw line. M. Hatton’s points came with a 2 of 4 performance at the the charity stripe. Shay Hatton and Davis were held to only one two-point goal each in the second half.

Nine Jacksonville players scored. Johannah McDonald led with 13 points and Trunijah Butler had 10. McDonald hit two three-pointers and was 3 of 4 in free throws. Butler had a three-point goal and was 3 of 5 at the free throw line. The team was 11 of 18 in free throws made.

Scoring for the Maidens JV were Caylin Freeman with 8, Ondreia Renfro 5,  Ashley Fridinger and Briley Jimenez 3 each and Serenity Foster 2.

Jacksonville led the Maidens JV 10-7 in the first quarter, 20-12 at the half and 34-19 in the third period.

Maidens JV basketball team

wins third at Malakoff meet

The Frankston Maidens Junior Varsity basketball team won third place in the Malakoff JV Tournament Thursday thru Saturday, Nov. 17-19, according to a report submitted by Head Coach Christi Coker.

The Maidens won over Kemp 28-24 in the first round. Then they lost to Mineola  37-23 in the second round. They took third place with a 23-19 win over Eustace.

In the Kemp game, Caylin Freeman led with 13 points. Ondreia Renfro had 6, Briley Jimenez and Kennedi Musselman 4 each and Bailey Dewberry 1.

Against Mineola, Freeman had 11, Musselman and Jimenez 4 each and Dewberry and Ashley Fridinger 2 each.

In the third place game against Eustace, Hailey Pizano had 7, Freeman 5, Fridinger 4, Renfro 3 and Jimenez and Dewberry 2 each.

After an open date on Friday, Nov. 18, the Junior Varsity Maidens will go against Jacksonville at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21 prior to the varsity contest at about 12:15 p.m. at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston. On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the two teams will go to Elkhart for games at 10 a.m and about 11:15 a.m. respectively.

Maidens dominate Grapeland

69-30 for first season victory

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team captured its first win of the season Tuesday, Nov. 15, downing the Grapeland Lady Sandies 69-30 in a non-district encounter at Grapeland, according to a report from Coach Christi Coker.

All but a single Maidens player on the roster scored in the contest. The Maidens team jumped out to a 20-7 first quarter lead and were ahead 37-16 at halftime.

They went on to outscore the Lady Sandies 32-14 in the second half to ice the big win.

The Maidens continued their fast-break offense and an aggressive defense to spark the victory.

Last year’s district “Newcomer of the Year”, sophomore Wila Davis, led Maidens scorers with 19 points, 12 of those in the productive Maidens first half. Mariyah Hatton had 11 points and Ja’Shalyn (Shay) Hatton got 10. Three Maidens scored 7 each. They were Bandy Bizzell, Kaysiah Burnett and Mya Mitchell. B. Bizzell went 5 of 7 and Mitchell 5 of 8 at the free throw line. Desirae Hatton scored 4 and Lynsie Bizzell and Kaysie Nabors each had 2.

Grapeland was led by the 16 points from Destiny Bolden.

There was no junior varsity game.

The win made the Maidens’ record 1-2 for the season so far. They have an open date scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 and will return to non-district play on Monday, Nov. 21 when they host Jacksonville at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston. Junior varsity action starts at 11 a.m. followed by the varsity contest at about 12:15 p.m.

Nov. 11, 2022

Competitive Maidens fall 64-52

to talented Malakoff on Nov. 11

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team, close to normal depth, gave the Malakoff Lady Tigers a challenge in the first half, but the talented Malakoff team staged a comeback in the second half to win the non-district game 64-52 at Robert Loper Coliseum Friday, Nov. 11.

Things were tied up 15-15 at the end of the first quarter and the Maidens had even led for a while thanks to the shooting of Wila Davis, Mya Mitchell and Desirae Hatton and a smothering defense.

Malakoff picked up the pace some in the second quarter, outscoring the Maidens 13-9 but the Maidens continued making it hard for the Lady Tigers to get a good shot. Malakoff led by four at the halftime intermission 28-24.

Ja’Shalyn Hatton led scorers in the third period, along with Mitchell, but Malakoff started breaking the Maidens defense and hitting their shots to lead by 13 at 48-35.

The Maidens came back strong both on offense and defense in the final period outscoring Malakoff 17-16 and coming to within 10 points at one time, again thanks to a defensive effort and continued scoring by Shay Hatton and Mitchell and some timely free throws by Desirae Hatton. However it is was not enough to offset the Malakoff third quarter shooting.

The 6’2” sophomore Hillary Dawson’s 39 points for Malakoff proved decisive, including a couple of three-pointers and a 7 of 8 performance at the charity stripe.

Mitchell led Maidens scorers with 15 points followed by Shay Hatton’s 14 and Desirae Hatton’s 10 points, largely due to a 5 of 6 showing at the free throw line. Wila Davis ended up with 9 points mostly in the first quarter. Lynsie Bizzell’s two points helped out in the fourth quarter and Bandy Bizzell got two points in the second period. Shay Hatton had 10 rebounds, Mitchell 8 and Bandy Bizzell 6.

The Maidens varsity is now 0-2 to start the season but showed signs of promise from their less experienced players and their deep bench.

(See Video Clip of Action HERE )

Maidens basketball team falls

to Eustace in season opener

The Frankston Maidens varsity basketball team opened their 2022-2023 season with a 50-30 loss to the Eustace Lady Bulldogs Tuesday, Nov. 8 in a non-district game at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

The Maidens, playing without several players due to injuries and for other reasons, trailed the competitive Eustace team 24-6 at halftime, but picked up the pace, scoring 24 points to 26 for the Lady Bulldogs in the second half.

Earlier in the evening, the Eustace Junior varsity defeated the Maidens JV 23-14. The Maidens JV was ahead 8-6 at halftime but could score only six points in the second half while Eustace JV was scoring 17.

Scoring for the Maidens varsity in their game were Wila Davis with 12 and Desirae Hatton, Kennedi Musselman and Bandy Bizzell with 4 each. Kaysiah Burnett had 3, Ondreia Renfro 2 and Aryonna Hatton 1.

For the Maidens JV, Caylin Freeman led with 9 points. Hailey Pizano and Serenity Foster had 2 each and Ashley Fridinger had 1.

The Maidens team will be at home again on Friday, Nov. 11 hosting Malakoff at the Loper Coliseum. Varsity only action will begin at 4 p.m.

Maidens basketball season begins

on Nov. 8 against Eustace here

The Frankston Maidens basketball team hits the floor for their 2022-2023 season against Eustace on Tuesday, Nov. 8 with junior varsity action starting at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at 6:15 p.m. at the Robert Loper Coliseum in Frankston.

Coach Christi Coker said the location of the game was changed on the schedule from playing at Eustace to playing at home.

In a preview of the season, Coach Coker reported that the Maidens varsity lost four seniors off last year’s team, so the this year’s team will have a lot of new faces.

“We will be young this year, but I think we will be fun to watch due to a lot of speed,” the veteran coach and former FHS standout player said.

The Maidens will be in the same district as last year, with Martins Mill, LaPoynor, Cayuga, Cross Roads and Kerens, Coach Coker said. She also noted that the FHS girls will play some tough pre-district teams including Malakoff, Bullard and Jacksonville plus three tournaments, at Slocum, here at Frankston and at Troup.

Returning from last year are: two seniors, guard Lynsie Bizzell and forward Ja’Shalyn Hatton; three juniors, guard Bandy Bizzell, point guard Kaylee Davis and post Mya Mitchell; and sophomore guard Wila Davis.

Coach Coker said new faces to look for are two juniors, guard Kennedi Musselman and post Ondreia Renfro; plus four sophomores, point guard Kaysiah Burnett, forward Aryonna Hatton, guard Desirae Hatton and post Kaysie Nabors.

The head girls coach will be assisted by Nicholas Tarr and Myka Sharp.

The Maidens will play their next home game on Friday, Nov. 11 against Malakoff at the Robert Loper Coliseum. Junior varsity action begins at 5 and varsity competition will start at about 6:15 p.m