Stars Send Head Coach Packing

In an unexpected turn of events, the Dallas Stars have dismissed Head Coach Jim Montgomery (pictured below) according to an article released at  9:30 A.M. Tuesday, December 10. This was Montgomery’s second year coaching in the NHL and many fans are shocked at the sudden dismissal of the former head coach. Assistant Coach Rick Bowness will serve as Interim Head Coach effective immediately. 

(photo from dallasstars.com)

After a live-streamed press conference at 11:00 A.M., the answer to the question “What exactly happened?” is still unclear. General Manager Jim Nill stated that he would not discuss the incident “…out of respect for those involved.” Although the whole situation is still unclear, we know that as of right now there is no timeline on hiring a new coach and the interim staff will remain in place for the rest of the season. 

For more information and updates make sure to follow the Dallas Stars on Twitter and Instagram (@DallasStars on both) and check dallasstars.com for regular updates.

Retro Jerseys Put Stars in Fans’ Eyes

On Wednesday, January 1, 2020, the Dallas Stars will play against the Nashville Predators in one of the most iconic games in the NHL season – the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. The Winter Classic first took place in 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres facing off in what would be the start to a now long-standing tradition. Every year since then, two teams are selected to play on New Year’s Day in what is called the Winter Classic. This season, the Stars and the Predators are at the center of it all with the game being held in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, the furthest south the Winter Classic has ever traveled.

One of the reasons this highly-anticipated matchup has drawn so much attention is that the two participating teams released new retro-themed jerseys for the game. This year, the Stars revealed their Winter Classic jerseys (pictured below) and had them up for pre-order on November 6. The jerseys sold out in less than a day. 

Photo from dallasstars.com

This season the Winter Classic jerseys were in such high demand that the Dallas Stars franchise had to re-release a limited supply of the jerseys a week later in-store only, explaining that they were not expecting such a high quantity of orders. There has also been an unexpected demand for young players such as Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen that simply could not be met during the pre-order release. More jerseys will become available in mid-December according to the Stars’ website but fans are encouraged to follow the Stars’ social media pages for updates on jersey availability.

Understanding Hockey Basics

Watching hockey can be confusing for people who are new fans; with rules, regulations, and terminology that are intimidating to learn, it can seem like it is in a whole new language. Hockey is continually growing with a new National Hockey League (NHL) team joining the league in Seattle in the 2020-2021 season and more recently the Vegas Golden Knights playing their first season in 2017-2018. With continual growth, it’s better to go ahead and get a head start on learning the rules now.

Let’s start with some terms that may be confusing to new viewers.

Icing

  • If you’re a beginner, icing is one of the more confusing hockey terms, but it’s easy to understand once you’ve got some general knowledge.
  • You can’t shoot the puck  from your end of the ice to the other end in hockey. This is called “icing.” You’re in the clear when your player first touches the puck when it reaches the other end but if it is touched by the other team, it returns to your end for a face off.

Offside

  • In hockey, you cannot stay in the area of the opponent waiting for the puck. If you do this, you’ll get called offsides by the referee. You are also offsides when you cross the opponent’s blue line before the puck crosses the same line.

Pulling The Goalie

  • Sometimes, teams decide to pull their goalie if they are losing at the end of a game. You’ll also see teams pulling their goalie when the penalty is delayed.
  •  Only six players can be on the ice at one time from each team, but there is no rule dictating what position they must be filling.
  • Once the goalie leaves, they will be replaced by an offensive player. At this time, the team is actually playing 6 on 5.

Now that you have a basic understanding of some of the rules, let’s look at who the players on the ice are.

The Goaltender 

  • Firstly and arguably most importantly, we have the goaltender, also known as the “goalie”. The goalie in hockey plays the same role a goalie plays in any other sport; keep the other team from scoring. 
  • It sounds simple enough but a lot of the time, the only thing goalies can rely on are their hand-eye coordination or their instinct.

Two Defensemen 

  • The role of the defensemen can be a bit more diverse than that of the other positions. There are essentially three different roles the defensemen can play: classic, offensive (it sounds contradictory, I know), and a hybrid version.
  • The classic defensemen’s role is to stop players from the opposing team from scoring and to create some aggression and intimidation on the ice; they  rarely take any shots to the net and their first priority is to defend. 
  • The offensive defensemen is someone who will act as an extra forward. They will handle the puck from their end of the ice and create scoring opportunities and even take shots on goal themselves. 
  • The hybrid version is just that, a mix of the traditional style of play with the style of the offensive defensemen. They don’t shy away from big hits but are also there to help put points on the board.

The Right and Left Wings

  • The right and left wings are both considered skill positions and they are the positions that cover the right and left sides of the ice, respectively. They are usually fast and are responsible for generating most of the goals.

The Center

  • The center is the player who is responsible for creating scoring opportunities for their team. They are usually players who can read the game well and are able to steer the game in the direction they wish to take it; much like a quarterback of sorts.

Although these are just some of the basics involving hockey, you now have a general understanding of what is going on and that means you’re one step closer to enjoying this great sport without having to ask too many questions.

For a more in-depth look at hockey rules click here.

Star-Crossed Stars’ Stumbling Start

 After a devastating double overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues in game six of the 2019 playoffs, the Dallas Stars look to redeem themselves and make their fans proud this year. October 3, 2019 marked the official return of the National Hockey League (NHL) to Dallas, Texas. 

Left to Right; Miro Heiskanen, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and Tyler Seguin
Photo from dallasstars.com

During the preseason, the Stars acquired  Joe Pavelski (San Jose Sharks), Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks), and Andrej Sekera (Buffalo Sabres). Sekera brings maturity and experience to an already impressive line of young defensmen that includes Miro Heiskanen who participated in the 2019 NHL All-Star Game and had an astonishing season last year, leaving many under the impression that he is going to keep improving as his second season begins. 

With the addition of players like Pavelski, the Stars have given themselves the ability to create stronger, more diverse line combinations. Pavelski was placed in a line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn which proved to be a successful group. In their final preseason game, all three players scored a goal, leading the team into overtime where they sealed their 4-3 win in a shootout against the Colorado Avalanche. 

The preseason has not gone without its fair share of injuries, with Corey Perry out for two weeks due to a broken foot and Jason Dickinson placed on a day-to-day status after an accidental in-game injury from teammate, Seguin. Martin Hanzal and Stephen Johns are  on injury reserve due to Hanzal’s back injury and Johns’ head injury. Julius Honka is now out of the lineup with no specifics or updates on his situation. 

The Stars started off the regular season against the Boston Bruins, with their matchup ending in a 2-1 and two more injuries added to the Dallas Stars’ roster with Roman Polak fracturing his sternum and Blake Comeau recieving a lower-body injury putting him out for 2-4 weeks. 

The Stars played against the reigning Stanley Cup champions and their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues, on Saturday, October 5, which proved to be a very physical and aggressive game. The Stars gained a 3-1 lead over the Blues with a power play goal but after a controversial call, the goal was disallowed since officials declared that Justin Dowling was offside. The Blues then tied the game two minutes and eleven seconds later and eventually gained a lead, ending the game with a score of 3-2. 

Dallas played against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, October 6 and was led in goals by Roope Hintz. Hintz scored two goals and Seguin scored one goal to give the Stars a total of three goals. The Stars could not seem to pull through with a win, falling to the Red Wings with Anthony Mantha scoring all 4 goals for Detroit. 

The Stars coaching staff and the players both  know what changes need to be made in order to generate more scoring opportunities and hopefully improve their record as the season continues.

A Special Softball Weekend

Special athletes went to A&M University’s Veterans Park and Athletic Complex in College Station the first weekend of October. Our local Bowie’s Best athletes participated in the annual Special Olympic of Texas Softball Tournament held at College Station October 3-5.  Bowie’s Best had two teams competing with twenty-four athletes.

SOTX softball has three divisions, depending on skill level. Coach-pitch is the lowest level with the teams’ coach pitching the ball to the athletes. Each athlete gets five tries to hit the ball and the team is allowed six hits (unless they get three outs first) before switching with the opposing team. The Traditional division is played using the same rules as regular softball. In the highest division, Unified, teams are half special athletes and half non-special athletes. Unified allows the special athletes to go to second base after hitting the ball, giving them a chance to run to home plate before getting out.

Bowie’s Best Athletes standing outside the church before opening ceremonies Friday evening

Bowie’s Best Team One plays Traditional softball and Team Two plays Coach pitch. Team One qualified for the Cubs group, one of the higher groups for the traditional division.

Just like regular Olympics, SOTX had an opening ceremony with the parade of the athletes held at Central Church in College Station.

Taking a quick group picture before the line-up of the athletes.

The athletes played two games on Friday and two games on Saturday. Team One won two games and lost two games earning a silver medal. Team Two won one game and lost three games earning a bronze medal. Both teams played exceptionally hard this weekend. The coaches and parents are proud of them all.

I had the privilege to attend this annual event as my son is one of the athletes. SOTX is a wonderful organization providing children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports.

Team One Athletes winning silver medals. Athletes from left to right: Deaundre, Justin, Colton, Aaron, Patrick, Jeffrey, Steven T., Jordan, Cory, Omarion, and Casey.

Team Two Athletes winning the bronze medal. Athletes front row from left to right: Polly, Rebekah, Kristen, Steven P., Diane, Teri, Kayla, Kyle, Chris, J.T. Back row: Adyen, Tiffanie, and Brittany.

Photos provided by Donna Montgomery

Cowboys Hit a Speed Bump in NOLA

Football season is here and every team is fighting for one thing, to be the best. Battling heat through constant practices everyday can be tough, but that is what makes players perform on the highest levels. At first, the Dallas Cowboys were running over teams like nothing I have ever seen. 

The Cowboys have been a big name in football not only in the United States but also worldwide. Top name players such as Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin turned the franchise into something special by winning three Super Bowls together. That winning mentality has seemingly carried all the way to the current season. The team is focusing and working together, which definitely is paying off.

Their perfect form started slowing against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday the 22nd. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was on fire in the first two games but was trying to find his feet in this one. The Dolphins definitely came to play. As the team itself reported, Dak said that greed led to a slow first half. “One of those heat checks or whatever you call it, just trying to do too much in the first half.” The team finally kicked it in after halftime and ended up winning the game thirty-one to six.

On Sunday, September 29th, the Cowboys headed to New Orleans to face a very good Saints team. As I watched the game, I was very stressed out, but excited because of the constant battle on the field. The game kept going back and forth all night, but it ended up being the Saints that came out with the win. After the game, the quarterback Dak Prescott said that the outcome will help them come back better.

The Cowboys have gotten a lot of attention lately with the new contract made with Ezekiel Elliott. Troy Aikman, the former Cowboys quarterback, recently weighed in on the deal made with Elliott and what he thinks about the current team. Aikman said he thought the deal the Cowboys made with Zeke Elliott shows how much trust they have in him as a player to get the job done. Anyone that knows Jerry Jones knows that he is aiming for another Super Bowl title. “There is a great deal of pressure, there always is, but the expectation right now for this team is as high as I’ve seen in quite some time,” Aikman told the Dallas Morning News. “Can they meet those expectations and make it all the way to the Super Bowl? Time will tell.”

ESPN has ranked the Cowboys as one of the best in the league this year. According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, the Cowboys should make an incredible shift to the top in the rankings by his examination of skill position groups.

 

Pleasant Grove Vs. Gladewater

The Pleasant Grove Hawks took on Gladewater Bears Friday, September 21st at the Hawks stadium. Both teams started their football season with a winning record of 3-0. After facing the Hawks, Gladewater Bears continued their season remaining undefeated as they brought a well fought end to the Pleasant Grove’s 19-game winning streak.

With 2:44 remaining on the clock, Pleasant Grove Hawks, Kicker D. Williams tied the
game, 37-37 with a 40-yard field goal kick. In the last 27 seconds, Gladewater Bears Z. Tyieske returned a 25-yard fumble for a touchdown and sent Gladewater 44-37 with the win over the 4a Division II State Champions.

Pleasant Grove ended the first half with 158 rushing and 19 passing yards, with three fumbles, two recovered by the bears, four penalties, and no punts. The Hawks were led by Senior James Wiggins, scoring two touchdowns with 191 yards on 23 carries. Teammate sophomore Bruce Garrett added 144 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns.

Gladewater ended the first half with 156 rushing and 25 passing yards, with one fumble recovered by Pleasant Grove, two penalties, and three punts.

The Bears closed out the game with one safety and two defensive touchdowns.

For a recap of this game, click here.

Video courtesy of KLFI-TV.

Alfred Athletes and Carson Crossing Meet

Bowie County Special Olympics is holding its annual local Track and Field meet on Friday, May 18, 2018 at New Boston High School. This annual event is held each year in memory of Buddy Alfred, who started the event in Bowie County and in memory of Carson, son of Special Ed teacher Connie Thompson.

The Alfred Athletes and Carson Crossing meet gives local special needs children and adults to compete in sporting events they may otherwise not be able to. The athletes are from all over Bowie County and is available for participates ages 8-99. The athletes participate in several different events; softball throw, 50-meter dash, wheel chair obstacle race, 4×100 relay, and many more.

Parade and open ceremonies start at 9:00 a.m. Some of these athletes will participate in Area on April 27-28, and go on to State on May 24-27. Both meets will be held in the Dallas area.

Residents can help these athletes by donating or volunteering. For more information on how to get involved or help, contact Mrs. Dianne Melton, coordinator and head coach, at 903-628-6551.

Ambling to Grambling

Anthony Hamilton

It was a rainy and gloomy day, yet the weather would not stand in the way of the Homecoming road trip to Grambling State University.

Those familiar with Black College Football know that the SWAC is one of the power conferences, and Grambling is one of the meccas. The Grambling State Tigers are (this year) the top team in the conference. Before the big game however, there was the 3 hour drive to GSU to attend the homecoming festivities.

I arrived in Grambling, Louisiana at about 10:30am. When I got there, the homecoming parade was already in full swing. There were floats, area high school marching bands as well as the world renown GSU Marching Tiger band, as music filled the streets of Grambling. There was also a bit of a car show mixed in, with music booming out of car systems as well. Despite the gloomy weather, a large number of people were on hand enjoying the festivities.

I’ve attended homecoming and normal games at Eddie Robinson stadium, and one of the great aspects of attending the Tigers’ games is tailgating beforehand. This day would be no different. While I didn’t partake in any grilling, I enjoyed the atmosphere provided by the music, and I was able to connect with family and friends from Northeast Louisiana that I hadn’t seen in years.

As game-time was approaching, I could imagine head-coach Broderick Fobbs worrying about his team having a letdown after last weekend’s game, a very exciting, emotional, comeback one-point victory over Alcorn State in overtime, courtesy of a blocked extra-point. That game was dubbed a preview of the SWAC championship game in December, and it lived up to all the pregame hype.

On this day, however, Coach Fobbs had nothing to worry about, as his team was razor-sharp from the opening kickoff. Grambling took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter, and then, courtesy of a 21-point second quarter, the game was out of reach by halftime as Grambling led 35-7. After taking a 42-7 lead into the fourth quarter, Coach Fobbs put his young players in to finish the game, which would be won by Grambling 49-14 on the strength of quarterback Johnathan Williams, son of former NFL quarterback Doug Williams. Williams passed for 225-yards and 2 TDs. Running back Jestin Kelly also had a big day, rushing for 159-yards on 18 carries.

For fans of GSU football, it was a great day from homecoming festivities all the way through the game, and we couldn’t have scripted a better ending.

Eagles Soccer Team Breaking School Records

Andy Verke

From the opening whistle, the Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagles soccer team applied the pressure against Dallas Christian College, scoring four goals in the first 12 minutes. The Eagles scoring fest would not stop there. They went on to score 5 more goals in the first half and 2 more in the second half, making the final score 11-0.

Emilee Bybee (FR) opened the floodgates in the 8th minute by finding the back of the net off a cross by Samantha Sharpnack-Isom (SO). Bybee would do the same one minute later for her second goal of the game. Sharpnack-Isom also scored in the 10th minute off a cross by Bybee. Michelle Lee (FR) joined in on the scoring spree in the 12th minute.

Jena Arreola (SR) striked the ball by goalkeeper Aliyah Revely (JR) on an assist by Sharpnack-Isom giving them a 6-0 lead.

Arika Elliot (SO) would find the back of the net twice within 5 minutes, making the score 8-0 in the 23rd minute.

In the 39th minute, Sharpnack-Isom beat the goalkeeper on a one-on-one situation for her 3rd goal of the game, giving her an unprecedented hat trick.

In the second half, Alyssa Ybarra (FR) took the corner kick and curved it in the goal without it being touched, pushing the score to 10-0.

Alyssa Ybarra (FR) takes the corner kick.

Alyssa Ybarra (FR) takes the corner kick.

In the 86th minute, Maria Gonzalez (FR) dribbled past the keeper after she fell down and tapped into the goal, ending the scoring fest at 11-0.

Maria Gonzalez (FR) goes up for a header.

Maria Gonzalez (FR) goes up for a header.

Alyssa Ybarra and Maria Gonzalez each recorded their first goal as an Eagle.

The TAMUT Eagles broke a school record for most goals scored in a half (9). The Eagles tied a school record for most goals scored in a game (11).

The Eagles soccer team will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 13th at 5 p.m. as they host Paul Quinn College.