Published: December 31, 2008 09:19 am      

Top 10 Sports Stories of 2008

1. TVCC inducts first HOF class

Homecoming at Trinity Valley Community College in October was one with meaning. The first class was inducted into the Cardinal Hall of Fame.

Representing 60-plus years of athletic excellence, a class of 10 former coaches and athletes forever became a part of the past at an induction banquet prior to the homecoming football game.

Members of the first class were Leon Spencer (men’s basketball), Bob Baccarini (football), Connie “CJ” Russell (cheerleading), Kurt Budke (women’s basketball), Ines Perez (football), Margene Adkins (football), Ron Thomas (men’s basketball), Stan Cloudy (men’s basketball), Portia Hill (women’s basketball) and Shalonda Enis (women’s basketball).

2. Eustace, Kemp

return to playoffs

The Eustace Bulldogs and Kemp Yellowjackets both ended an 11-year football playoff drought in November.

Eustace finished second in District 14-AAA and Kemp was third to qualify for the postseason for the first time in over a decade.

The Yellowjackets pulled off a surprise in bi-district, holding on for a 24-21 win over Farmersville, which had captured the Class 2A, Division I state championship in 2007.

3. TVCC adds

softball program

One of Dr. Glendon Forgey’s first acts when taking over as president at TVCC was to oversee the implementation of a women’s softball program.

In September, the Lady Cardinals played their first-ever home game, sweeping Angelina College, also in the first year of its program, in a doubleheader at Peg Cain Field on the campus of Athens High School.

4. TVCC football team

has turnaround season

It didn’t take Brad Smiley long to turn the fortunes of the TVCC football program around. In his second season, he had the Cardinals back in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoffs.

The Cardinals went 6-4 after back-to-back 2-7 seasons.

TVCC, which won its first four games, climbed to No. 12 in the NJCAA rankings at one point.

5. Rivero captures

state championship

Making her second straight trip to the State Powerlifting Championships in March, Odette Rivero returned wearing a gold medal.

The Athens High School junior claimed a state title in the 181s, having finished fourth in the division at sate the previous year.

6. Milestone wins

for three coaches

Brownsboro’s Fred Griffin, Malakoff’s DeArtis Nickerson Jr. and TVCC’s Michael Landers recorded milestone basketball wins in 2008.

January saw Griffin claim his 800th career win and Landers become a 300-game winner.

Nickerson joined them in December with his 400th win.

7. Statewide honor

for Eustace’s Baldwin

On a sad Friday afternoon in mid-September, Eustace High School junior Shawn Baldwin attended his mother’s funeral. That night, he turned in a performance of a lifetime in a 44-42 loss to Edgewood, rushing for 226 yards and five touchdowns.

The performance resulted in many awards for Baldwin, including the Built Ford Tough Class 3A Player of the Week award.

8. Jackson inducted

into Hall of Fame

Damien Jackson led the Trinidad Trojans to a perfect 15-0 season and state six-man football championship in 1998.

In July, Jackson’s brilliant career was remembered with is induction into the Texas Six-Man Football Hall of Fame.

9. Historic season for

CR baseball team

The Cross Roads Bobcats enjoyed the most successful baseball season in school history, going 24-7 and reaching the regional semifinals.

Cross Roads fell 6-2 and 4-2 to Maude in regional semifinal action.

Coach Robert Hughes’ squad entered the playoffs after a second straight unbeaten district championship and ranked No. 4 in Class A.

10. JV Hornet football

team finishes 10-0

The Athens Hornet junior varsity football team reached out and touched perfection in November.

The Hornets defeated Brownsboro 30-6 in their season finale to close the year 10-0 and with the District 20-AAA championship.

The Hornets were coached by Dewey Estill and Ryan Priem.