Last Few Days

The last few days have been a little hard. The athletic banquet was a tough one, but I enjoyed visiting with the parents and seeing the kids get their awards. I'm excited about what lies ahead, but sad about leaving this place behind. Had some great kids and great support here.

Tough Day

This may be the toughest day of my coaching career. I have decided to move on and accept a head basketball position at Franklin ISD near College Station. It was a move that had to be made based on our current family situation. Franklin offered both my wife and I good teaching jobs. I am excited about the upcoming opportunity, but I am disappointed that I have to leave Whitesboro, a community that has embraced my family and made us feel like it was home. The hardest thing to leave behind is the hard working and dedicated basketball guys that I've had for the past four years. I hope I encounter the same situation where I am headed. I want to thank the community of Whitesboro for the past four years.

5th ANNUAL BEARCAT BASKETBALL CAMPS

Are set for Tuesday May 31 through Friday June 3. 4 great days of basketball. Campers will learn fundamentals of the game, compete in numerous competitions and activities, and learn about the core values of character. Sign up today. Brochures are located at all Whitesboro Schools. You can also print one on the Bearcat Basketball link at http://hs.whitesboroisd.org/orgs/Org.cfm?OrgID=1618

Whitesboro Golf Competes At Regional Meet

On Monday and Tuesday the Whitesboro Boys Golf Team and Jennifer Mrusek (Whitesboro Girl Individual Medalist) competed at Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro Texas in the 3A Region 2 Championships. Our boys team finished 10th in the event shooting a two day total of 685. Cameron Clark led the boys team with a 161 followed by Zach James with a 169, Charlie Hayes with a 173, and Luke Bond with a 182. Jennifer Mrusek shot a 111 on Monday and finished 55th overall. Her second round was cancelled due to inclement weather. For a complete listing of results visit www.lionathletics.com and click on UIL link

Coach Comments: The kids competed really well the past two days. These kids have not had a nice day to play golf all Spring and have really attacked the courses with great attitudes. They continue to get better and have short and long term goals among them. I am very proud of their efforts this season and am glad we got to finish in the Regional Tournament. I look forward to some good golf over the next few years and want to wish my two Senior boys (Cameron Clark & Luke Bond) the best of luck. They have been great leaders for this program.

Clark selected to play in Dr. Al Hambrick All Star Game

Cameron was selected to play in the Al Hambrick All Star Game on April 23, 2011. Cameron has been a varsity basketball player for us since his Soph season. Cameron earned 2nd team AD honors in 2009 and also earned 1st team AD honors in 2010 and in 2011. Cameron was also All Texoma Land Honorable Mention in 2010 and 2011. He just recently received Academic All State Honors through THSCA and TABC.

Cameron Clark will remember April 11, 2011

Earned the nickname "IRON MAN" on April 11, 2011. His day began with a round of golf at the Bridges Golf Club in Gunter, TX. If you haven't played there it is one long course that has a lot of ups and downs. After walking 18 holes, battling 20+ mph winds, and helping his team secure a regional tournament birth, He had to race to Sanger to compete in the finals of the District 9-3A track. Cameron finished his round of golf at 3 P.M. and had to run the Spring Relay at 5 P.M. After that he was also running the 800 meter relay and the Mile relay. He helped his team secure two more regional births in the 800 and Mile relays. It was an awesome sight watching him smile after he finished the day. I told him we used to have shirts made for our multi-sport athletes that said "IRON MAN - REST WHEN YOUR DEAD"!!!

Cameron has been a pleasure to coach for the past 4 years. I'm glad he achieved the success on April 11 and continued his Spring season for a few more weeks.

WHITESBORO GOLF IS HEADED TO REGIONALS

What a great day for our young men on the golf course! We started our district round a little over a week ago and found ourselves in a little hole to start round 2. Cameron and Charlie struggled in week one and I could tell their confidence was shattered a little. Zach James, aka "The Fish", played solid in round one along with Hank Bennett and kept us in contention. I challenged the guys when we got back to hit the course all week and get ready for round 2. After watching an inspiring Masters on Sunday afternoon, I couldn't wait to take the guys to the tournament on Monday. As usual the weather was lovely. I told the guys that the winner of the Masters had to come from behind to win. The other guys leading just couldn't hold on. What a great situation you are in. You're four strokes back and Sanger has to hold on. The opportunity is there and waiting on you to take it from them. I told them to have confidence and imagine every shot is going to be an amazing one. The kids played lights out and dominated the second round and earned a team birth to the Regional Tournament.
Cameron Clark shot an 85 and had a 2 day total of 179, Zach James shot an 88 giving him a 2 day total of 175, Charlie Hayes shot an 86 making his 2 day total 178, Hank Bennett shot a 94 bringing his 2 day total to 182, and Luke Bond finished at 92 bring his 2 day total to 187. Ryan Harbin played as an individual medalist shooting 117 and making his 2 day total a 245.

Jennifer Mrusek also qualified for Regionals as an individual medalist by shooting a 107 and posting a 2 day total of 219. Jennifer was kind of in the same boat as our guys. She was one stroke behind entering the second round and was paired with the girl she needed to beat to earn a spot at Tanglewood next week. Jennifer did a great job battling the long course and the strong winds. Bobbi Holliday also competed as an individual medalist and shot a 133 giving her a 2 day total of 269

I am very proud of this group. They have been fun to coach and I really like the enthusiam and work ethic. Regionals will be held at Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro on Monday (18th) and Tuesday (19th).

REMEMBER YOUR CORE

"CORE OF CHARACTER"
COMMITMENT-FAMILY-EXCELLENCE
CONFIDENCE...HARD WORK...MOTIVATION...INTEGRITY


Here are some suggestions on how to be a better athlete, but also a better person from Jim Calhoun, Head Boys Basketball Coach at UCONN




Thanks to Coach Eric Musselman for this material from Jim Calhoun's Guide to Becoming a Better Basketball Player:



* Surround yourself with people who make you a better person, who challenge you by their expectations.


* Don't believe the lie that character and courage only count between the lines on the court. They count in everything you do.


* Never forget the lasting power of poor judgment and the awful power of drugs and alcohol to mess up your life and your opportunities.


* Never underestimate your ability to control your own self-image,and to crush the stereotypes that people might have about you.


* Don't be misled about the real reason you are in school. Your education is the key to success in life--never forget that.

Girls Golf Results at Tanglewood

Jennifer Mrusek shot a 107 and Bobbi Holliday shot a 152 at yesterday's tournament. District 9-3a 1st round will be Monday April 4 at Oakmont CC in Corinth, TX

Boys Golf Results at Tanglewood Resort (Denison HS)

Team Scores
1 Frisco High 306
2 TX Pleasant Grove 306
3 Prosper 310
Argyle 310
4 Carrollton Ranchview 313
6 North Lamar 324
7 Argyle 328
8 Sulphur Springs 329
9 Whitesboro 332
10 Longview Springhill 335
11 Prosper 336
12 Paris 344
13 Denison 347
14 Bonham 356
15 Argyle 357
16 Mt Vernon 367
17 Anna 375
18 Van Alstyne 377
19 S&S 379
20 Princeton 384
21 Paris 409

Whitesboro finished 9th in this tough field. Cameron Clark and Hank Bennett shot 81. Charlie Hayes and Zach Zames shot 85 and Luke Bond shot 90.

Coach comments: "The majority of this tournament included teams that you would see if you are fortunate to make the regional tournament in a few weeks. Our boys played with the defending 3A state champions (Texarkana Pleasant Grove), Atlanta, and Argyle. It was a great experience for our guys to play with that level of talent. We are improving daily and I feel that we will be right in the hunt for a regional berth in a couple of weeks."

"I'm No Moses"

Or are you?

Thank God for the challenges and opportunities he places in front of you each day. Ask him to use you to accomplish his tasks, recognizing that he has chosen you specifically out of all the people in the world to do those things.

Accept that you are imperfect and God loves working through imperfect people.

BEARCAT GOLF FINISHES 2ND

The Bearcat golf team finished second at the Whitesboro Invitational tournament held at the Bridges Golf Club on March 21, 2011. Whitesboro shot a 330 12 strokes behind Sanger who won the tournament. Hank Bennett led the cats with a 79, Charlie Hayes shot an 80, Cameron Clark shot an 82, Luke Bond shot an 89, and Zach James shot a 90. Ryan Harbin shot an 86 as a medalist. Jennifer Mrusek finished 6th on the girls side shooting a 94.

Coach Comments: "Was pretty pleased with the results today. We still have a long way to go to be a regional contender, but we are improving each week. We need to do a better job focusing around the greens and eliminating 3 putts."

Former Bearcat Making Some Noise in College Station

(Trav is the player in the white jersey closest to the sideline playing Cornerback)

#15 is Travis Labhart former Whitesboro Bearcat (2009) Travis is making quite an impression in Spring Ball at Texas A&M. I graduated a Red Raider, but I'm an Aggie fan right now. Good Luck Trav!!!!

District 9-3A Boys Basketball All District

MVP - Clarke Overlander Argyle
OFF POY - John Johnson Sanger
DEF POY - Wes King Argyle
Newcomer - Trey Eleazer Whitesboro
Soph - David Moore Gainesville

1st TEAM
Cameron Clark Whitesboro
Matt Hobbs Whitesboro
Logan Johnson Pilot Point
Aaron Buckingham Pilot Point
Collin Crutsinger Sanger
Hayden Smith Sanger
Hunter Higgs Sanger
Kenyon Morgan Gainesville
Harold Wills Gainesville
Kielyn Lewis Gainesville
Patrick Resche Argyle
Connor York Argyle
Doug Fryer Argyle

Honorable Mention
Jordan Gill Whitesboro
Collin Kilcrease Whitesboro
Troy Willis Whitesboro

2011 Boys State Tournament Schedule

Boys Basketball State Tournament



2011 Dates & Location
Thursday, March 10 -
Saturday, March 12

Frank Erwin Center
Austin, TX
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Schedule
Thursday, March 10 - Semifinals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 1A Division I Clarendon (24-6) vs. Tenaha (27-9)
10:00 AM 1A Division I Clyde Eula (35-2) vs. Evadale (21-15)
2:00 PM 3A Corpus Christi West Oso (33-3) vs. Dallas Smith (26-9)
3:30 PM 3A Burkburnett (32-3) vs. Mexia (31-5)
7:00 PM 4A Fort Worth Arlington Heights (32-3) vs. La Marque (32-4)
8:30 PM 4A Dallas Kimball (36-3) vs. Cedar Park (22-16)

Friday, March 11 - Semifinals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 2A Idalou (31-1) vs. Hallettsville (33-4)
10:00 AM 2A Melissa (36-1) vs. Tatum (31-7)
2:00 PM 1A Division II Paducah (27-6) vs. Waelder (31-7)
3:30 PM 5A Lewisville Marcus (37-1) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (29-7)
7:00 PM 1A Division II Bronte (32-3) vs. Roxton (25-6)
8:30 PM 5A Garland Lakeview Centennial (36-1) vs. Northside Taft (34-5)

Saturday, March 12 - Finals Time Conference Schools
8:30 AM 1A Division I
10:00 AM 3A
2:00 PM 2A
3:30 PM 4A
7:00 PM 1A Division II
8:30 PM 5A

Meals Scores 9 as Cru advances to Sweet 16

Men's basketball beats McMurry to advance to NCAA Sweet 16

Brian Todd drew the defensive assignment on McMurry's Steven JonesCru will face Augustana (IL) in next game
Jon Wallin - SID
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3/5/2011 9:38:43 PM
Box Score

Abilene, TX – In round four between the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team and McMurry University, the Cru landed some big early punches but could knock McMurry out until the final bell as UMHB posted a 70-67 victory in an NCAA Division III National Championships Second Round game Saturday night in Abilene. The Cru improves to 23-7 on the season with the victory and UMHB moves into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. McMurry finishes the season at 21-8 and was making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2001.

The Cru dominated the early going, leading the entire way and taking its first double-digit lead of the game at 28-17 with 6:23 left in the first half. UMHB would push the lead to 40-19 with 1:16 left in the half before a late McMurry run cut it to 40-24 at the half. The Cru would carry a double-digit lead into the late going, holding a 58-47 lead with 6:43 remaining. McMurry would use a 6-0 run to cut it to 58-53 with 5:04 to go, but UMHB answered with a 4-0 run of its own to push the lead back to nine at 62-53. A Derick Sumpter three-pointer and three straight points from Teddy Chambers cut the lead to three at 62-59 with 1:22 to go. James Allen would then hit four straight free throws for the Cru to take the lead back to seven points. After the teams traded points, Chambers and Jaden Isler wrapped three-pointers around a Marlon Miller free throw to cut the UMHB lead to three at 70-67 with 1.8 seconds on the clock. Dean Pele would hit the first of two free throws and McMurry could only manage a desperation heave from Steven Jones as the buzzer expired.

Allen led the Cru with 15 points off the bench and he hit 4-6 from the field in the game. Miller added 13 points and Sterling Phillips had 10 points for UMHB. Robert Moore grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and <strong>Cory Meals had eight big points in the first half. Sumpter led McMurry with 17 points but he went just 6-17 from the field. Isler had 16 points and six assists and Jones finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cru shot a blistering 61 percent from the field in the first half and held McMurry to 32 percent shooting in the half. UMHB finished at 49 percent for the game while McMurry shot 44 percent. The Cru out rebounded McMurry 38-37 and held them to 30 percent shooting from three-point range. The UMHB bench also outscored McMurry's 28-9 in the win.

UMHB will now advance to take on Augustana (IL) in the Sweet 16 next Friday night. Defending national champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point and St. Thomas (MN) are the other two teams in that pod. The site for that pod and game times will be announced sometime tomorrow.

UMHB had only won one NCAA Tournament game entering this year's tournament. The ASC has now had a team advance to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. U.T.-Dallas advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the previous two seasons

Whitesboro Golf Competes @ Oakmont Country Club

The Whitesboro golf team shot a 343 Monday at Oakmont Country Club in Denton. Whitesboro entered the Denton Ryan JV Classic but elected not to medal. The round was in preparation for their upcoming district round in April. Hank Bennett shot an 81, Charlie Hayes shot an 84, Cameron Clark shot an 86, Zach James shot a 92, and Luke Bond shot a 104. Ryan Harbin shot a 108 as an individual medalist. On the girls side, Jennifer Mrusek shot a 100 to place her in the middle of the field.

Coach Reed: "Weather was very challenging today and the kids attacked the course with no complaints. We struggled in certain areas, but now know what areas to work on before the April tournament. Jennifer played really well today and continues to improve around the greens."

WHITESBORO GOLF TEAM OPENS SPRING SEASON WITH TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

The Bearcat golf team won the Cardinal Shootout at Tanglewood Country Club on Monday February 21. The tournament was hosted by Pottsboro High School. A late morning cold front kept the golfers humble for most of the day. Whitesboro shot a 349 to edge 2nd place Sanger with a 355. Azle came in third with a 356.

Charlie Hayes placed 4th winning a scorecard playoff and shooting an 81. Cameron Clark shot an 84, Hank Bennett and Zach James shot a 92 while Luke Bond shot a 95. Ryan Harbin shot a 98 as an individual medalist.

Coach Reed: "I was pleased with the way we started this spring golf season. The boys competed and have already established goals for this season. They must continue to practice and improve daily to make a run at the district championship and regional tournament."

Former Bearcat Continues To Shine

Men's basketball tops Texas Lutheran 71-64

Cory Meals came off the bench to score 10 points for the CruCru clinches #2 seed in next week's ASC Tournament

Bearcats Finish Season on a Positive

Whitesboro hosted the #2 team in the state in 3A Tuesday night for the final game of the season. Whitesboro had already been eliminated from playoff contention after a hard fought loss at Gainesville the previous Friday. Argyle already secured up another district championship and was looking to push their record to 10-0. Whitesboro battled hard early running a lock down 2-3 zone that gave Argyle some trouble. Argyle hit a 3 to end the 1st quarter and took a 12-11 lead. The Bearcats exploded in the second quarter behind some good 3 point shooting from Matt Hobbs and Troy Willis. Whitesboro led 28-22 at half. The Bearcats continued to dominate in the 3rd period and took a 48-36 lead going into the final quarter. Argyle's all state prospect decided to take over for the Eagles and scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter including 4 3 point baskets. The Bearcats went cold and couldn't get to the free throw line late allowing Argyle to get back into the game. Cameron Clark hit a huge 3 point basket to put the Bearcats back on top late in the game, but Argyle answered tying it at 55 apiece. Argyle regained possession and held for the last shot. The Eagles put up a 3 point attempt that didn't draw iron and bounced right to the Argyle post. The Bearcats committed a foul with .6 on the clock allowing Argyle to knock down 2 free throws and take a 57-55 lead. Trey Eleazer launched a 3/4 court shot that was online and an Argyle defender went above the rim and grabbed the ball. Goaltending was on everyone's mind, but the officials determined that Trey did not get the shot off in time letting Argyle escape with the win.

Coach Reed: I couldn't be more proud of this team tonight. We talked about making this our playoff game since we were eliminated from post season contention. We talked about closing the gap with this school and making sure that we have the confidence to play at this level. I was very proud of our effort and passion towards this game. Our season was a bit of a disappointment, but several positives came about from this experience. I am going to miss my seniors and want to thank them for all their effort that they have put into this program for the past four years. You guys have helped build a successful and positive program and I am excited about the future."

Game Changes

Due to weather: games with Sanger have been cancelled for tonight

The tentative schedule is to play Varsity only on Wednesday Feb 2 with girls starting at 5 PM and boys at 6:15. This is only if we go to school on Wednesday.

If not, we are going to try and play the games on Thursday at regular times which will include subvarsities.

MS Tournament scheduled for Thursday has been cancelled. We are going to host a Saturday only day tournament and guarantee each team 2 games.

Tournament will start at 8 AM on Saturday.

Matt Romig Speaks To Our Players Today

Coach Arledge invited Matt up to speak to his girls basketball team today and Matt was kind enough to stay an extra hour and talk to our guys. For those of you who don't know Matt's story, he was diagnosed with a rare form of luekemia this past year and has been making great strides in his recovery process. Matt is a member of the Texas A&M Kingsville football team and a graduate of Bells High School. Matt has accomplished quite a bit on the football field drawing some interest from the NFL.

Matt told his story today to our boys, but what was awesome was how he challenged them to get their priorities in line. First thing he talked about was their grades. He said playing sports at the next level is a great thing, but you better make your grades and earn that education. He talked about being a great teammate and making the effort everyday in practice even when you don't want to. He said wake up every morning and thank God that you have the opportunity to do something positive with your life.

Thanks Matt for the great message and I know we'll see you put the pads on again.

"CHAIN REACTION"

Whitesboro Falls To Gainesville

In a tough battle of two very talented teams, Whitesboro came up a little short on their homecourt Tuesday night losing to Gainesville 68-56. The loss drops Whitesboro to 2-2 in district play. Whitesboro led after the 1st quarter 16-13 after a quick start by Matt Hobbs who scored 8 points in the quarter. Matt finished with 16 points on the night. The Bearcats led 28-26 at half. The third quarter provided a lot of fireworks as Gainesville outscored Whitesboro 25-20 taking a 51-48 led going into the 4th. Weston Walsh scored 8 of his 12 points in the third. Troy Willis nailed a huge 3 point basket to cut into the lead. Gainesville jumped out to a lead in the 4th and Whitesboro struggled offensively to score and the game slipped away. Cameron Clark fiished with 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 assists. Trey Eleazer finished with 7 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Jordan Gill finished with 5 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Coach Reed: "I was proud of the way our kids played. We went cold in the 4th quarter and couldn't match their run. Gainesville went to the line 29 times to our 9. I was a little disappointed in the way the game was called because I felt like we were doing the things to get to the line. We've just got finish games and we've got to become a better free throw shooting club. We miss too many in crucial parts of the game. Our effort was there, but we've just got to convert on the offensive end."

ACTS OF KINDNESS

What a powerful day! I had the opportunity to go to my wife's school today and listen to Cody Hodges (Former QB for Texas Tech) speak on behalf of Rachel's Challenge. For those of you who don't know, Rachel was the first person who lost her life in the Columbine shootings. Her father is carrying on her dream of reaching out to the world by showing acts of kindness. It was a very moving message and really makes you stop and think about how you live your life.

Here is what is so strange: When I got back to work, I had a message on my machine from a man who lived in the town we played in Friday night. He was shocked that I called him back. He wanted to let me know how thankful he was for a young man in my basketball program. He told me he nearly lost his life in October in a car accident. He was just now getting around with the help of a cane. Our boys were leaving the gym to load the bus and Trey went back and got the doors for him. He said, "Coach I know you think this is probably silly, but that was one of the nicest things I have ever seen. In this negative society, I just wanted you to know how many positives you have in your program. For your player to do that after a tough loss meant the world to me." I caught a tear because all that was running through my mind was the events from this morning while listening to Rachel's Challenge. The power of her message was shining at that moment.

I sat my whole program down this afternoon and told this story. I told them that Trey's actions might have changed that man's outlook on life. I told them that you never know what kind of an impact that you may have on people and that you should alway be a positive influence. I thanked them for being young men of character and told them how proud I am to be their coach.

What a powerful day and to think it was just from hearing about a young man hold a door open for another man.

Bearcats go to 2-0 in District 9-3A with win over Aubrey

Whitesboro coasted to a 66-24 win over Aubrey on Tuesday. The win puts Whitesboro at 2-0 in District 9-3A. The Bearcats opened the game with a 17 point first quarter and held Aubrey to just 2 points. Whitesboro led 29-8 at half and never looked back. Matt Hobbs and Troy Willis led the Bearcats in scoring with 12 points. Troy Willis knocked down 4 three pointers. Cameron Clark finished with 9 points and 4 assists. Collin Kilcrease finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Collin was also 100% from the free throw line. Weston Walsh finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. Trey Eleazer finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Grayson Ezzell finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds. Mike Antoine (3 points), John Wood (2 points), Jordan Gill (2 points), Mitch Krueger (1 point), and Ryan Harbin (1 point) rounded out the scoring for the Bearcats. Gill also collected 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.

Coach Reed: "Was pleased with the way we started the game and put them in a hole early. I was disappointed in our execution offensively at times, but we found other ways to score. A lot of the supporting cast contributed offensively and that was good. You don't want to have any let downs during this time of the year."

Whitesboro opens District 9-3A with a win at Sanger

January 14, 2011

Whitesboro dug themselves a hole early by not taking care of the basketball, but found a way to weather the storm and battled back to a convincing 66-58 win on the road at Sanger Friday night. The Bearcats trailed 18-5 in the first quarter. Cameron Clark, Matt Hobbs, and John Wood finally got an offensive spark late in the quarter to close the gap. Whitesboro trailed 20-13 after the 1st. The Bearcats put up a strong defensive front in the second quarter limiting Sanger to only to only 12 points which were mainly from the free throw line. Trey Eleazer provided a spark for the Cats scoring 9 of his 18 points in that quarter. Whitesboro trailed 32-28 at the half. The Bearcats came to life in the 3rd quarter outscoring Sanger 18-10. Matt Hobbs finally broke free from the pressure defense and knocked down 2 of his 4 3 point field goals in the 3rd quarter. Hobbs finished the game with 15 points. Whitesboro never looked back outscoring Sanger 19-16 in the 4th to secure the win. Ryan Harbin was a difference maker off the bench scoring 7 of this 11 points in the final period. Trey Eleazer finished the game with a double-double (18 points/13 rebounds). Cameron Clark scored 13 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. John Wood added 3 points and Jordan Gill scored 2 points and collected 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Collin Kilcrease finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds. Mitch Krueger finished with 2 points.

Coach Reed: "This was a great game played in a playoff style atmosphere. Early I thought Sanger had the momentum to run us out of the gym, but our guys kept their cool and chipped away at their lead. We stressed focusing on the game plan and playing hard for four quarters and I think we did that. We played with great enthusiasm and toughness as well. This was a great way to start our run in this very competitive district. The key is preparing daily and taking it one game at a time."

Whitesboro Struggles Offensively in Loss to Van Alstyne

January 7, 2011

In a defensive battle, Van Alstyne came out on top 40-32. Whitesboro could never get going offensively and had a really hard time getting to the charity stripe. The Bearcats only shot 5 free throws on the night. Whitesboro led 18-14 at half behind a good effort from Troy Willis and Mitch Krueger who got the Cats going late in the first quarter. Willis finished the game with 8 points leading the Bearcats in scoring. Krueger finished with 5 points. Cameron Clark had 6 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals for the Bearcats. Trey Eleazer added 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Jordan Gill grabbed 7 rebounds in the loss.

Whitesboro beats Bonham on SFC Night

After selling a few pancakes and raising money for a worthy cause, the Whitesboro Bearcats stepped on the floor and took care of the Bonham Warriors. Whitesboro exploded in the first quarter outscoring Bonham 29-11. The second quarter proved to be much of the same as Whitesboro went in at half up 44-19. Bonham remained a scrappy squad in the second half though and tried to make several runs. Whitesboro answered each run and won 75-50. Matt Hobbs continued his sharp shooting scoring 22 points. He was 57% from the floor and an amazing 71% from beyond the arc. He also went 100% from the free throw line and also grabbed three boards. Trey Eleazer scored 10 points and had 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Mitch Krueger scored 8 points and started the 1st quarter run by knocking down two 3 pointers. Troy Willis and Ryan Harbin each scored 7 points and played very well coming off the bench. Ryan also grabbed 5 rebounds. Weston Walsh provide a little inside power scoring 5 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. John Wood, Cameron Clark, Jordan Gill, and Collin Kilcrease each scored 4 points for the Bearcats.

This was are 5th annual Shoot For The Cure Night. This Shoot For the Cure was a little different this year because we weren't only raising money for the Cystinosis Research Network. We also were raising money for a benefit account for Matt Romig. Matt was a former player of Head Girls Basketball Coach Chris Arledge. Matt was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer know as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. There are 200 known cases in the world. Matt is improving, but there is still a long road ahead. I am proud of the Whitesboro and Bonham communities for stepping up and helping out this young man and his family.

Mason Reed is the nephew of Head Boys Coach Shad Reed. Mason was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Cystinosis. This disease attacks certain organs in your body and can be controlled by taking very strong medications. There is currently no cure for this disease. Mason is now in third grade and doing quite well. He has begun a new study in Atlanta that will allow him to take medications every 12 hours instead of every 6. This study is made possibly by all the fundraising efforts for the Cystinosis Research Network.

To learn more about these two diseases visit www.cystinosis.org and www.mattromig.com

Coach Reed: "I want to thank everyone who helped make this event a success. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that sacrifice their time and it is greatly appreciated. There were numerous business who donated to the cause as well. We can't thank you enough. This is a great community that cares for kids and I am proud to be a part of that."

SFC 2011 PHIL 4:13

SFC 2011 was a huge success. There are so many people to thank that help make this event so successful. First of all, my lovely wife somehow watches two kids and works all evening making sure everything goes well so I can focus on my game. Can't say how much I appreciate Curtis Clark, Russ Wilson, and Mike Gillum. These three guys have been my pancake and bacon gurus for 4 years. I know there are many more parents who help out as well and I really appreciate you guys too. My two assistants Toby Sluder and Micah Ledbetter are overworked and underpaid. Thanks guys for helping make this program a success and being positive role models for our kids. Also, a huge thanks to all businesses who donated to this worthy cause.

It was an emotional night for me personally because this was the first year that my nephew could not attend. Mason has been flying to Atlanta the past few months quite frequently participating in a study funded by Cystinosis Research Network. He has missed so much school that he was unable to attend. CRN has reached a new level though by finding ways to make his life easier by allowing him to reduce medication times and sleep normal. It is great to know that because of the generous donations of our community and others that these advances are being made with this disease.

I have never met Matt Romig, but after the conversations that I had with Coach Arledge I was proud to be a part of his story as well. He is battling right now and having such a positive outlook on life. I told my boys tonight to be thankful each and every day that they have the opportunities such as competing on an athletic stage. I hope they understand what an impact they have on a daily basis.

Last, I would like to thank the community of Bonham and Whitesboro for their support. When I moved to North Texas four years ago, I was amazed at how well the community of Bonham supported their kids. It's obvious that Whitesboro does the same. It showed again tonight.

Sherman Holiday Tournament Results

The Whitesboro Bearcats competed in the Sherman Holiday Tournament this past week and finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. The Bearcats opened tournament play against Pottsboro winning 76-33. It was a dominating performance with Matt Hobbs leading the way with 19 points. Trey Eleazer had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block while Cameron Clark finished with 10 points and 3 assists. Mitch Krueger finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. John Wood (6 RB), Ryan Harbin (5 RB), Jordan Gill and Grayson Ezzell (4 RB) were effective on the boards.

Day 2 had Whitesboro facing the Melissa Cardinals who are ranked #1 in 2A. Melissa won the contest 51-38, but the Bearcats gave them all they could handle. Matt Hobbs scored a game high 22 points. Cameron Clark and Mitch Krueger scored 4 points and Trey Eleazer had 3 points. Trey also had 6 rebounds in the contest. In the late game, Whitesboro faced Pittsburg. Whitesboro got off to a slow start and trailed 23-18 at half. The Bearcats started the 3rd quarter with a 10-0 run and then another 10-0 run after a Pittsburg layup and ended up taking a double digit lead. Whitesboro won the contest 54-47. Matt Hobbs led the way again scoring 23 points and was 5-7 from the 3 point line. He was also 100% from the Free Throw line. Collin Kilcrease finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Trey Eleazer finished with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Jordan Gill added 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Whitesboro shot 43% from beyond the arc.

Day 3 put Whitesboro in the Semifinals facing the 2A state ranked Whitewright Tigers. The Bearcats fell to Whitewright a week earlier 47-37. Whitesboro got off to a fast start behind some sharp shooting from Cameron Clark. Whitewright settled in and took a 32-27 lead at half. Whitesboro started the second half with a 9-0 run and took a 36-32 lead before the Tigers were able to answer. Both teams battled in the second half and Whitesboro had a 48-44 lead with 2 minutes to go in the game but could only manage 2 points in the final 2 minutes. Missed opportunities at the free throw proved to be costly and allowed Whitewright to pull away 55-50. Cameron Clark finished with a game high 22 points and went 4-8 from the 3 point line. Matt Hobbs finished with 11 points. Jordan Gill finished with 4 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Trey Eleazer finished with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Coach Reed: "Overall this was a very productive tournament for us. We learned a lot about the toughness of this team this past week. We have got to eliminate all of our empty possessions on the offensive end and answer the runs. You can't go cold against good teams and dig yourself out of the hole. We are playing well on the defensive end right now. We still have some weak areas but these young men are working their tails off right now. I'm excited about the upcoming weeks and district play."