Last year’s state qualifiers senior Bailey Johnson and junior Brittany Hairgrove took first place in last Friday’s Hutto Hippo Classic Tennis Tournament.  Johnson and Hairgove had wins over Pflugerville Conally (6-2,6-0), Taylor HS(6-1,6-3) and Round Rock.

“The girls played exceptionally well, it was awesome watching them compete,” said head coach Jason Segal.

Senior Jamie Swartz and junior Blake Hickman won the consolation division in boy’s doubles at Hutto.  They lost their opening match to Hutto (6-2, 6-2).  Swartz and Hickman went on to beat Pflugerville (8-0) and Pflugerville Conally (8-0) to win consolation.

“The boys played very well in their first tournament of the year,” Segal said.

Junior Gray Morris placed fourth in boy’s singles.  Morris beat Khan from Conally (8-2), Davis from Round Rock (6-4, 6-2), lost to Longoria from Bastrop (6-0, 6-0) and lost his third place match to Shea from Round Rock (6-4, 7-5, 10-7).

On the JV side, Sam Crank won the boys singles title.  Last year he placed second at this tournament and will have a great year playing varsity tennis.

The team travels to Pflugerville this week.

REGION IV

District 26 – Cuero, Giddings, Gonzales, La Grange, Smithville, Yoakum.

SMITHVILLE, FEB. 2 STORY

The Smithville Lady Tigers had their best basketball game to date recently.

Smithville demolished Caldwell 64-28 in a game that was never in doubt at Tiger Gym.

The Lady Tigers (9-19, 3-3 District 23-3A) started a 12-0 run after Caldwell scored the first point of the game.

The run started with a pair of free throws from Maygan Washington and culminated from a layup from Valerie Harmon.

Free-throw shooting would be a key for Smithville, as the Lady Tigers were 7-of-10 from the charity stripe for the night.

Offensive rebounding also played a huge part in Smithville’s dominance.

Six of Taryn Leiferman’s game-high 18 points, came from put backs by the junior post.

By the end of the first quarter, Caldwell found itself in a 11-point hole, one Smithville just kept making deeper.

The Lady Tigers extended the game on a three-point play from Harmon, who had seven points in the contest, before Leiferman kept adding salt to the wounds of the Lady Hornets.

Leiferman made a three midway through the second quarter and helped extend the lead to nearly 20 points after earning three points the hard way.

Smithville called off the dogs toward the end of the first half as Caldwell trailed by 13 at halftime.

“It was our best effort by far,” said head coach Robin Ramsay. “We were solid on offense, transition, full court and half-court defense. We shot well from the field and the line.”

The Lady Tigers started firing on all cylinders in the third quarter as Trina Deyo rolled off six straight as part of an 8-0 run early in the period.

Shelby Davee, who scored all eight of her points in the second half, continued the run off a Caldwell turnover as Smithville led by 19 going into the fourth period.

The Lady Tigers kept rolling in the final quarter and outscored the Lady Hornets 22-5 by closing the period on a 17-0 run that featured a three from Audrei Rogers and Madison Hannusch’s back-to-back field goals to close the game.

“We needed a game like that to loosen up,” Ramsay said. “We have been so uptight about this streak it was nice to finally see them relaxed.”

Other scorers for Smithville were Hannusch (6), Brianna Lunsford (3), Harmon (7), Rogers and Washington (9).

The Lady Tigers dominated the boards and outrebounded Caldwell 31-18 with Washington having a team-high nine and Deyo pulling down eight.

On Friday, the Lady Tigers continued their winning ways, picking up their third straight victory by defeating Rockdale 52-42.

Leiferman lead the team in scoring with 18 points. Other scoring players for Smithville were Deyo (10), Washington (9), Julia Kubicek (8) and Davee (4).

“Rockdale is tough and we didn’t do a good job in our half-court defense until the second half,” Ramsay said. “I was happy to see us raise our level of intensity because we haven’t been doing that and the other big factor was that we only had eight turnovers.”

Smithville Times reporter Sarah Acosta contributed to this report.

The Smithville Tigers split a pair of games last week, which moves Smithville to a 3-2 District 23-3A record at the conclusion of the first round of district play.

The Tigers began the second round Tuesday at Giddings sitting in third place, two games behind Navasota.

Smithville (15-9) suffered their second district loss Friday at the hands of Rockdale, 58-45 in Rockdale.

Both teams started off slow but kept the game close in the first quarter as the Tigers were trailing by one point to start the second quarter.

“We’re just not shooting the ball well and with that we try to have our defense make up for our offense,” Adkins said. “Rockdale really shot the ball well.”

Rockdale took an 11-point lead into the locker room and led 33-22 to start the second half.

During the third quarter, Smithville cut Rockdale’s lead by just two points and trailed by nine going into the final period.

Oscar Kenebrew had a team-high 13 points while Joe Crank totaled eight. Also having a standout night was Khalil McCathern with six points.

Adkins said McCathern really showed a lot of energy during the game and contributed greatly to the team.

Other scoring players for Smithville were Logan Kubicek (5), Cearan Adkins (4), Marek (3), Brown (2), Kyle Stovall (2) and Cody Hlavaty (2).

“We will go back to practice, get back to the basics and we will improve the second half of district play,” said head coach Cyril Adkins.

“We now play four of our remaining five games at home and our kids are really looking forward to playing at home with the way our student section (The Squat) is growing.”

The loss came after a big win on Jan. 24 as Smithville cruised to a 49-39 victory over the Caldwell Hornets in Caldwell.

Smithville won the tipoff but Caldwell kept the game close in the first quarter, trailing by only two to start the second period.

“I was a little disappointed that we did not play with a lot of energy,” Adkins said, “though as a team, we came together and pulled off another victory.

“We played the second quarter like Smithville basketball should. We scored 19 points which was more than we scored in the first and third quarter combined,” he added.

The Tigers extended their lead to eight by halftime and held on to pick up the win.

Joe Crank led the team in scoring with 15 points and nine rebounds while Coltyn Brown completed a double double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile Oscar Kenebrew followed with nine points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists which made significant contributions to the board.

Peter Marek added six points in the winning effort.

“Caldwell is a much improved team from previous years,” Adkins said. “But as a team we found a way to win.”

The Smithville Tigers will face district-leading Navasota Friday in Navasota.

NAVASOTA

The Smithville Lady Tigers played their fourth district game of the season against the Navasota Lady Rattlers on Tuesday Jan. 17 at Tiger Gym.

Smithville (8-19 District 23-3A) got off to a quick start but fell by six points at the end of the first quarter. Navasota (9-3 District 23-3A) took the advantage and continued to sink baskets, ending the first half with a lead of 29-11.

“Navasota is very athletic and a lot quicker than we are,” said head coach Robin Ramsay. “We didn’t take care of the ball for a short span before halftime and they took over the game.”

The Lady Tigers did not back down and by the end of the third quarter they had added 14 more points to the score board.

Navasota took the lead by 27 points which led them to their victory 61-34.

“We will have to be more disciplined to stay in the game with them,” Ramsay said.

Smithville’s Maygan Washington came off the bench to score a team high of 10 points. Other scoring players for Smithville were Valerie Harmon (9), Taryn Lieferman (5), Julia Kubicek (4), Trina Deyo (3), Macy Wilhelm (2) and Madison Hannusch (1).

LA GRANGE

The Smithville Lady Tigers won their fifth district 23-3A game against the La Grange Lady Leopards last Friday away from home.

Smithville started the first quarter off with 12 points and stayed in the lead by the first half with a 30-17 lead.

“A must-win game for us to stay alive in the playoff hunt and we got the job done. I was disappointed in our half-court defense as well as our free throw shooting,” Ramsay said. “Those two factors allowed La Grange to keep the game close and we will have to improve on those aspects of our game if we are to be successful in the second half of district play.”

During the third quarter Smithville added 22 points to their lead, up against La Grange’s 16 points.

The last quarter was a battle of strong defense and quick offense on both sides. There were no points scored in the fourth quarter, which lead the Lady Tigers to their win 46-29.

Smithville’s Kubicek and Leiferman both led the team with 11 points while  Harmon and Washington trailed behind with 8 points.

Other scoring players for Smithville were Audrie Rogers (5), Shelby Davee (2) and Madison Hannusch (1).

The Lady Tigers played Tuesday against the Caldwell Lady Hornets at Tiger Gym and they will battle the Rockdale Tigers this Friday at home also.

ROCKDALE

The Smithville Lady Tigers faced Rockdale on Jan. 10 away from home and fell 34-33, despite 12 points from Maygan Washington.

The Lady Tigers (7-18) ended the first quarter with 11 points against Rockdale’s six.

By halftime Smithville stayed in the lead with 27 points but by the end of the third quarter Rockdale had closed the gap to a six point deficit.

“Just an all-around bad day for us,” said head coach Robin Ramsay.

The Rockdale Lady Tigers continued to add more points to their cushion after the third quarter to seal the victory.

Smithville fell behind by only one point by the end of the fourth quarter while Rockdale came out in the lead.

Washington added with 12 points while Cadie Jones scored 5 and Madison Hannusch had 4.

Other scoring players for Smithville were Julia Kubicek (4), Valerie Harmon (4) and Taryn Leiferman (2).

Ramsay said the Lady Tigers had things going on that weren’t in their control and it was hard on the kids.

GIDDINGS

The Lady Tigers went up against the Giddings Lady Buffaloes Friday night at Tiger Gym and lost their second district game 64-41.

“Giddings is very talented and we could not match up with any defense we tried,” Ramsay said.

The Lady Buffaloes led the first quarter with 20 points while Smithville trailed behind with only 12 points.

Smithville fell behind by 13 points by halftime as Giddings took a 35-22 lead into the locker room.

“We had way too many turnovers and although we out rebounded them, they had 16 offensive rebounds and we scored on many of those,” Ramsay said.

The Lady Buffaloes continued to make baskets with a 20-point lead by the end of the third quarter.

Leiferman led the team with 13 points followed by Washington with eight points.

Others scoring players for Smithville were Kubicek (6), Macy Wilhelm (4), Trina Deyo (4), Hannusch (2), Harmon (2) and Audrie Rogers (2).

The Lady Tigers played their fourth 3A Region III District 23 game against the Navasota Lady Rattlers in Navasota Tuesday.

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The Smithville Tigers faced Weimar on Monday at home and had a victorious win of 75-36, which ends their non-district schedule.

“It was a good win for us to head into district and we are finally shooting well again,” said head coach Cyril Adkins said.

The Tigers came close to defeating the Taylor Ducks away from home last Friday night, but fell 39-38.

The Ducks kept Smithville (10-7) from getting a hold of the ball by using strategic defensive skills.

Smithville’s Coltyn Brown led the team in scoring with 19 points and combined with Joe Crank to pull down 22 rebounds.

Other scoring players for Smithville were Crank and Cearan Adkins with eight points each.

Smithville will travel to Giddings this Friday to face the Buffaloes for their first district game of the season.

“Two years ago we hosted our first basketball game and had a highly successful fundraiser.  The more money we raise, the more money goes directly to the Smithville High School scholarship program,” said Debbie Roberson, the Lions event chairperson. “Also this year, we are setting aside proceeds to be awarded to high school students who were victims of the Bastrop fires.”

Michael Murphy is acting as coach again this year and working with the Noon Lions Club members, some exciting talent from Smithville has been lined up, including high school basketball coach Cyril Adkins, Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald, Smithville councilman Cha Chi Rodriguez, parks and rec director Andis Goble, police officer Greg Stewart and artist and actor Sam Blasco. Rounding out the team of locals, several of whom are high school basketball standouts, are Ricky Stockton, Jonathan McNutt, Orin Moore, Craig Oliver and Megan Rogers.

“It’s a great opportunity for the community to see this level of entertainment,” said Roberson. “We had a fantastic time last year with a capacity crowd at the SHS gym.  All the fans enjoyed watching the game, which is a mixture of fast-paced, dazzling basketball, plus slower paced comedy routines.”

Roberson said the Ambassadors bring more than non-stop laughs and a show of basketball expertise.

“The Ambassadors bring a positive message for kids,” Roberson said. “They tell children to stay in school and stay off drugs. Every player on the team has a college degree and they are all drug tested.”

Last year the Ambassadors made sure the kids in the audience were a big part of the show. They were invited to sit on the bench and enjoy a front row seat for the action.

“In 2010 when we held our first game, we were all quite excited to meet these outstanding individuals and players. The players stay after the game and are willing to sign autographs for everyone who is interested,” Roberson said.

Tickets are available for purchase at all three Main Street banks, the Smithville chamber of commerce and the Smithville High School front office.  Advance purchase tickets are $5 for students and seniors, $7 for adults; tickets at the door on game day are $7 for students and seniors, $9 for adults.  Children under 2 years of age get in free. A limited number of “Center Court” tickets are available at the chamber of commerce for $25 each.

The Smithville Lady Tigers broke their losing streak when they beat the Hallettsville Lady Brahmas in a defensive battle on Jan. 3.

The Lady Tigers (7-16) started the first quarter with a strong defense and only allowed their opponents three points. They were able to snatch a total of 32 rebounds, which ultimately led them to win their last game before playoffs.

“It was a great defensive effort for us,” said head coach Robin Ramsay. “We really settled down and played well on both ends of the floor.  It’s such a positive heading into district play.”

Hallettsville was down 11 points by half time after Smithville scored 19 points alone by the first quarter.

The third quarter was a battle for the win with both teams scoring double digits. By the fourth quarter they were tied and went into overtime.

The Lady Tigers scored six points in overtime next to the Lady Brahmas’ eight and won the game with a 40-30 final score.

Smithville’s Maygan Washington led the team in scoring with 14 points. Other scoring players were Julia Kubicek (6), Audrie Rogers (5), Taryn Leiferman (4), Cadie Jones (4), Madison Hannusch (2), Samantha Campos (2), Trina Deyo (2) and Shelby Davee (1).

According to Ramsay Washington had an outstanding game – 75 percent from the field with 9 steals, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

“We really settled down and played well on both ends of the floor.  It’s such a positive heading into district play,” Ramsay said.

CALDWELL

On Friday night, the Lady Tigers worked together to defeat the Caldwell Lady Hornets 47-23 in their first district game of the season away from home.

“It was great to get a big win in our first district game,” Ramsay said. “The kids were a bit nervous but really played well with great defensive intensity.”

By the first half, Smithville was in the lead with 26 points next to Caldwell’s 11 points. According to Ramsay, the Lady Tigers played a strong defensive game and held their ground against the Lady Hornets.

At the end of the third quarter Smithville was still in the lead by a 24 point deficit. The last quarter was a battle for the win with both teams scoring eight points.

Smithville’s Taryn Leiferman led the team with 14 points along with Maygan Washington (8), Cadie Jones (6), Madison Hannusch (6), Trina Deyo (4), Julia Kubicek (3), Macy Wilhelm (2) and Samantha Campos (2).

“Everyone contributed in a solid team effort,” said Ramsay.

The next game for the Lady Tigers was Tuesday against Rockdale in a 3A Region III District 23 game.

The following game will be this Friday to face the Lady Buffaloes at 7:45 p.m. at Tigers Gym and then they will travel to Navasota face The Lady Rattlers Tuesday Jan.17.

Smithville defeated Manor 58-48 after a big third quarter that saw the Lady Tigers outscore the Lady Mustangs 15-6.

The Lady Tigers (1-2) jumped out to a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter and Manor cut that lead by one point at halftime.

Maygan Washington had a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Trina Deyo added 12 points.

Taryn Leiferman and Julia Kubicek had seven points each and Caddie Jones scored six.

Smithville will host Del Valle Monday and take on Schulenburg Tuesday in Schulenburg. Tipoff for the Del Valle game is scheduled for 7;45 p.m. while the Schulenburg game is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30 p.m.

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