Fall, winter sport updates
Girls Basketball: It’s going to be a lot of fun here this morning (Saturday), as GHS hosts its first Alumni Game. It will be nice to see some of the former ex-Hornette, ex-Lady Hornet, and ex-Hornet cagers (yes, they’ve been called all three over the decades) step back onto the court in a friendly scrimmage versus the Varsity. Tip-off is 9:30 a.m.
Cross Country: Vania Martinez and Riley Higginbotham qualified for the UIL 4A state meet earlier this week (see below for more details). GHS may have not finished atop the team standings, but each squad had runners produce personal-best times. Pretty impressive stat – GHS has now qualified a girl or boy runner for state competition in each of the last 12 years. That streak has been made possible by the likes of Abate Hennessey, Rhett Gore, Jordan Brock, Katrina Thoms, Tasha Thoms, Carlo Martinez, Luis Macias, Bethany Penrod, and Jastin Muegge.
Football: It was a busy weekend for the Hornets’ Draven Henderson, Eason Johnson, Nicky Thomas, and Levi Webb. All four are members of the GHS varsity team…they played football on Friday night, then got up bright and early the next day as members of the GHS Band that received superior ratings at district contest and advanced to area competition (Eleventh consecutive year). These young men, like so many other GHS student-athletes, are involved in a lot of activities.
Volleyball: Tuesday was Senior Night and the final home appearance for GHS seniors Vania Martinez, Tamiah Miller, Dana Myers, and Addison Taylor. GHS head coach Janey Weber had nothing but praise for the foursome, praising their commitment to stay in the program since junior high, their daily work ethic, how some have overcome injuries to continue playing, and the relentless spark each provides in their various roles to help the team.
Wrestling: Coach Robert Clater Jr. continues to build the numbers in the GHS Wrestling program, which last year had some 30-plus girls and boys taking part. That sport, added roughly six years ago, has had some success even though GHS competes in Class 5A. The Hornets have sent several wrestlers to the regional tournament the past three to four seasons and are likely going to have some repeat qualifiers come January. Clater took over for Andy Gomez, who guided the program during its infancy stages.
Perfect 4-for-Four
GHS has had some pretty talented long-distance girl runners dating back to the program’s inception in the mid-1970’s.
Sharla Murry, Tammy Hale, Tammy Doyle early on (if I missed some of you other early runners, please forgive me), then Jordan Brock, Katrina Thoms, and Tasha Thomas on a spree from 2014-2019.
Katrina Thoms advanced all four years during her career at GHS, twice with a team and twice as an individual.
Vania Martinez is now a member of a very elite, and limited, club. The talented, multi-sport senior finished 7th overall at Monday’s UIL 4A-Region III meet to secure another state-meet berth, her fourth in a row as an individual.
She’s had to battle a nagging injury the last two seasons, but she has never allowed that little issue to get her off course. If anything, it has made her more determined and more resilient to compete with some pain.
Congratulations, Vania. This is one heck of an accomplishment.
…And speaking of GHS cross country, head coach Phillip Martin had nothing but praise for all of the kids in his program while we were up early in the hotel lobby sipping on coffee Monday morning prior to the races.
He spoke about the incredible commitment and work ethic of each kid, and their unwavering dedication for handling the 6 a.m. workouts throughout the season. As we both know, that long running is not for everyone, right Ronnie Herb?
Notes and dotes
…We had a surprise guest at the recent GHS Athletics’ Hall of Fame Banquet. Don Curry, a member of the Hornets’ 1950-1951 boys’ basketball team that advanced to state and one of two teams being inducted into the HOF, was joined by his wife, Gay, and made the trek from Austin to be here. I just can’t put into words how appreciative we were for them being able to make it and how glad we were to honor them some 73 years later. They got a nice ovation from the crowd, and deservingly so.
…During his acceptance speech at the HOF Banquet, ex-coach Guy Dean remembered the interview process that took place in the mid-1980’s. Dean, fresh out of college, was dressed in slacks, coat, and tie. He met Les Reaves, then the AD/HFC, at the field house…Reaves was wearing khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Afterward, they went to meet with superintendent Charles Zeigler to seal the deal. Zeigler, who farmed on the side, was on a tractor in the middle of a crop field when they arrived. Dean said it was the easiest interview process imaginable.
Upcoming schedule
Monday, Oct. 28
Golf: Varsity boys at Temple tournament
Tennis: JV at China Spring
Volleyball: 7th-8th A-B at La Vega
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Tennis: GJHS vs. South Belton
Volleyball: Varsity-JV-9th at La Vega
Thursday, Oct. 31
Football: JV Gold-JV Black at Robinson
Football: 7th-8th A-B vs. Robinson
Friday, Nov. 1
Football: Varsity vs. Robinson
Hornet Fight Never Dies!
Gatesville Hornet Athletics on Facebook, @FightinHornets on X, www.gatesvilleathletics.com