Sara is all bundled up as she tries to generate some enthusiasm. She had a bad ankle that limited some of her cheering and the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs couldn’t overcome 3 turnovers, a failed fourth and one gamble and a cold, gusting wind and fell to Wylie 23-7! Wylie was big and fast and completely throttled Cove’s offense and plays Katy this Saturday in Houston in Reliant Stadium for the Class 5A, State Championship.

Cove had a great year reaching the Semi-finals and Goldthwaite had a good year reaching the Area round.  Seems like the season just started and it’s over!

Mikayla’s Goldthwaite Eaglettes traveled to Dublin (home of Dr. Peppers) and lost 35-25. Last time they played Dublin they lost 41-19. They’re getting better. Then they visited San Saba this past Monday and came away with a 21-20 win over their big rivals.
Mikayla is giving away some height as she guards the ‘Dillo center.
This was 2 in a row for us over San Saba and brought Goldthwaite’s record to 4 and 4. The girls are learning how to play the game.

Sara keeps on cheering and the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs keep on winning. Cove shellacked Houston area, Klein Oak, 48-7 to move into the State’s Class 5A, semifinals. This week’s opponent will be Wylie, from the Dallas Metroplex area.

In the picture, scanned in from the ‘Killeen Daily Herald’, Sara is carrying the ‘D’ (of ‘D-fence’), leading the team off of the bus for their game last week in Corsicana against Klein Oak.

In the picture, scanned in from the ‘Killeen Daily Herald’, Sara is carrying the ‘D’ (of ‘D-fence’), leading the team off of the bus for their game last week in Corsicana against Klein Oak. A win this week would propel Cove into the state finals against the winner of the Katy-Smithson Valley game. Over the last 3 years, this would be Cove’s third straight state final game.

Katy High School consistently has one of the best high school football programs in the nation and, an interesting note, both Copperas Cove and Smithson Valley have tailored their football programs after Katy’s.
Meanwhile, this past Monday, Mikayla’s seventh grade, basketball team took on Comanche and lost 32-22, moving their record to 3-4. However, in this years opening game, Comanche thrashed the Eagleetts 42-19, so this last loss shows that the team is getting better. Mikayla scored 5 points and played outstanding defense!

The highlight of this past week’s action was my Grandson, Colton Mitchell, being named by the District 25-A coaches as the District’s Newcomer of the year.
Colton started every game and excelled as middle linebacker on a 10 and 2 team, registering over 120 tackles. Last spring in a March 10, post,{Early Spring Bass,} Colton hoped that he would make the varsity the coming football season. He made it with a BANG!
Meanwhile, Sara cheered as her Copperas Cove Bulldawgs scored on a pass play with 9 seconds left to beat Cypress Ridge, from the Houston metro area, 55-48. Cove had built a comfortable lead but Cy Ridge’s, LSU bound quarterback, Russell Shepard, probably the best high school quarterback in this quarterback rich state, brought his team back to tie with a minute left. Needless to say, Sara (and the coaches) were breathless!

Mikayla’s Goldthwaite Middle School, Lady Eagles won three straight games over De Leon, San Saba and Dublin. The win over Dublin, 20-18, erased the memories of a 7 point, opening game loss. The Eagleettes, my name for them, now have a 3 and 3 mark and are playing very good basketball.
Here Mikayla looks beaten to the hoop, but in two steps, caught up with her opponent and deflected the pass.

This past Friday night Sara and her, Copperas Cove, Bulldawgs, won a hard fought game against Garland 21-7, and now, move into the next round of the playoffs against Cypress Ridge, a Houston area team from the Cypress- Fairbanks School District, that features one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Of course, Texas is the breeding grounds for great quarterbacks! Having lived in the Cy Fair District, the largest in the state, for over 25 years, I feel like I helped build many of their seven, high schools and my son, Randy, even played for Cypress Creek High School.

While the Dawgs continued their winning ways, Goldthwaite’s season came to an abrupt end with a 33-7 loss to a big, and just as fast as us, team from Shiner. One good note is that next year, Goldthwaite returns 15 of their 22 starters, 8 on defense!

Middle school basketball chugged along with Austin being sick and missing the first 2 games. Mikayla and her 7th grade team’s record was 0-3, but the team started coming together against Deleon.

Here Mikayla has her opponent back on her heels, as she begins a drive to her left towards the basket.The Lady Eagles beat De Leon and then edged the good San Saba ‘Dillo team (our bitter rival), and this was the first time since “Little Dribblers” began 4 years ago, they had ever even come close against the ‘Dillos!

This past weekend was a big one for the Goldthwaite Eagles and Copperas Cove Bulldawgs, with both teams winning their first round playoff games. Sara cheered Cove on as they beat beat Mesquite 21-7 and The Eagles, with Colton playing a good game with 5 solo tackles and one ‘pic’, whomped Thorndale 42-10. Last Friday a serious cold front arrived in our area with 25 MPH winds, gusting to 40. Both games were played in the Waco area and in those windy, conditions, the best defenses won both games!

The Bulldawgs with a final, Class 5A ranking of 15th, next opponent will be Garland, ranked 17th, while Goldthwaite, ranked 17th in Class 1A teams, takes on a tough, 15th ranked team from Shiner. Digressing, Shiner is known statewide for the best locally owned and produced beer. The brewery is over 100 years old and still going strong. Both teams will face stern tests as they strive to move on in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, this past Sunday, Sara and her Bulldawg cheerleader squad defeated 15 other teams and won first place in their division of the American Cheer Power competition. The judges scored their routine the highest in all of the different classes.

In the picture, taken at the first of their routine, Sara is flippin’ on the right.

Having never seen a real cheer competition, this one was an eye opener for me. The girls, from all ages, are marvelous athletes and some of the routines were outstanding! There were over 75 teams involved, representing all of our great State, except for the far western portion.

Austin quickly switched to basketball, making his middle school’s ‘A’ team and they had their first game Monday, but he came down with a stomach virus and didn’t even go to school. Mikayla’s middle school basketball team played played at Commanche and came out on the short end of a 40-19 score.

I didn’t get to watch Mikayla’s game because I went to the booster club meeting and heard the scouting reports on the football team from Shiner. The game this Friday should be a good, tough, hard hitting one!

My Grandkids continue to rack up championships! This past Saturday, Wesley, age 10, and his soccer team, The Gators, won the Paris, Texas Soccer Association’s, 11 and under, boys division championship. Wesley is a veteran having played soccer for 5 years. He also stars in youth baseball, makes straight A’s and because of his athleticism and trampoline skills has been asked to try out for the local, competition gymnastics team.
Wesley, left, and his brother, Will, 5 and just getting started in sports, look down as they try to figure our who to blame for spilling the ice water.

All four of my Grandkids enjoyed winning weeks last week and all four of their teams won their respective district championship!  Quite a feat for the four first timers!
First off, Austin and his San Marcos Diamondbacks, won a squeaker over cross town rival, Goodnight, by a 14-12 score.  The Diamondbacks, losers of their first 2 games,  claimed the 7th grade, district championship and ended up with 6 wins and 2 losses for the year.
Mikayla and her Goldthwaite 7th graders won their district championship, beating a scrappy team from Meridian 29-20.  Goldthwaite lost their first game then coasted to a 7 and 1 record!

Sara’s, 13th State ranked, Copperas Cove Bulldawgs, survived being upset last week by A&M Consolidated and came back and hammered Harker Heights 38-6, winning their Class 5A district championship and moving on to play Mesquite in the first round of the State playoffs, this Friday night in Waco.

Meanwhile, Colton and his, 19th  State ranked, Goldthwaite Eagles traveled to Meridian, came from behind twice and won a close, hard fought game over the Yellow Jackets, 33-26.  The win ran the Eagl’s record overall to 9 and 1 and gave them the district championship with a mark of 5 and 0.  This Friday, the Eagles begin the State Class 1A playoffs and square off in Moody against Thorndale.

Coach Spradley is all smiles after the big win against Meridian and poses with his 3 Freshman stand outs (L to R) Sergio, Colton and Tyler.
High school football playoffs begin this Friday night and middle school basketball started for Mikayla on Monday with her Lady Eagles taking on Dublin and losing 29-20.  Mikayla did not score but collected 2 rebounds and had 3 steals.  Austin will also be playing basketball but his season hasn’t begun.  Sara will run track and Colton will participate in track and baseball.  Much more high school sports to come with my Grandkids and their teams.

My two middle school Grandkids, Austin and Mikayla, played and cheered their teams to victory last week. Austin caught a 50, yard pass in his San Marcos Diamondbacks 28-0 win over Kyle Middle School.Here’s Austin going after a block against Kyle.

Mikayla cheered on the Goldthwaite Middle             School Eagles to a 34-6 victory over Bosqueville.She is trying to watch the game looking into a bright, setting sun.                                 Meanwhile, in College Station, Sara was cheering but the 7th ranked, Class 5A, Copperas Cove Bulldawgs lost to a tough A&M Consolidated team 31-27. Cove fans said 2 questionable officiating calls sealed the Dawgs doom in this one. The Dawgs are now 8-1.

All wasn’t lost because the 23rd ranked, Class 1 A, Goldthwaite Eagles ran their record to 8 and 1 with a 48-7 win over the Bosqueville Bulldogs. The Dogs were favored in this one but it looks like the Eagles didn’t read the papers. My Grandson, Colton, was awarded the ‘hit of the game’ honors for a QB sack during a crucial moment of the game. I think the hit, turned the game and momentum to Goldthwaite and they never looked back, coasting to an easy win.

Having been in Phoenix playing Senior Softball last week, I missed the football update, so here goes. All four of my Grandkid’s football teams are in the running for the district championships.The Goldthwaite Eagles, ranked 23rd in class 1A, scored 2 big wins, one over Chilton, the early season choice for district champions, by a 54-14 score and Colton had one of the best games of his young football career.

The picture shows him, number 65, against Chilton, dropping back in pass coverage.Then, last Friday night, the Eagles coasted to a 53-0 win over Valley Mills. The first team only played 2-1/2 quarters. This week the 7-1 Eagles, take on Bosqueville in what will be the determining game for the district championship.

Meanwhile, Mikayla’s, middle school Eagles scored an easy win over Valley Mills running their record to 5-1.Sara’s Copperas Cove Bulldawgs scored two big wins, one against Belton 52-26 and last week against Killeen Shoemaker, 31-14. Cove is leading their district with an 8-0 record and a number 7 state, Class 5A, ranking. This week Cove, takes on A&M consolidated out of College Station in what looks like a real good game! Here’s Sara Cheering against Shoemaker.

Finally, Austin’s, San Marcos Diamondbacks, middle school, posted 2 more wins to run their record to 5-2 and play for their district championship this week.
This Friday and Saturday will be busy, 2 big football games, then Brad, Sara and Austin are coming over to hunt deer Saturday morning and after Colton reviews game films, he’ll be over Saturday afternoon. Maybe there will be some good deer pictures!