KFDM COOP

REGIONAL TRACK SCHEDULES The Port Arthur News CLASS 5A REGIONALS AT HUMBLE Friday at Turner Stadium 8:30 a.m.: Boys shot put 11:30 a.m.: Boys high jump; Girls discus, pole vault 2:30 p.m.: Girls shot put, high jump, and triple jump; Boys pole vault and triple jump. 6 p.m.: Girls and boys running prelims and 3,200-meter finals. Saturday 9 a.m.: Girls long jump; Boys discus and long jump. 2:05 p.m.: Girls and boys running finals. 6:20 p.m.: Approximate start of last event. CLASS 4A REGIONALS AT HUNTSVILLE Friday at Bowers Stadium 11 a.m.: Girls long jump and pole vault; Boys high jump. 2 p.m.: Girls shot put, high jump and triple jump; Boys shot put, triple jump and pole vault. 4 p.m.: Girls and boys running prelims and 3,200-meter finals. 9:15 p.m.: Approximate start of last event. Saturday 8:30 a.m.: Girls long jump; Boys long jump. 11 a.m.: Girls discus Noon: Girls and boys running finals. 2 p.m.: Boys discus 4:20 p.m.: Approximate start of last event. CLASS 3A REGIONALS AT HUMBLE Friday at Turner Stadium 8:30 a.m.: Girls discus, high jump and triple jump; Boys pole vault and triple jump. 11:30 a.m.: Girls long jump; Boys shot put and long jump. 1 p.m.: Girls and boys running running prelims and 3,200-meter run finals. 2:30 p.m.: Boys discus Saturday 9 a.m.: Girls shot put and pole vault; Boys high jump. 2 p.m.: Girls and boys running finals. 6:10 p.m.: Approximate start of last event. CLASS 2A REGIONALS AT PALESTINE Friday at Palestine High School 6 p.m.: Girls and boys running prelims. Saturday 9 a.m.: Girls and boys field events begin. 2 p.m.: Girls and boys running finals. 4:40 p.m.: Approximate start of last event.

Smith, Bailey carry local 5A hopes REGIONAL TRACK WEEKEND By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News Danielle Smith and Craig Bailey, Jr., feel great and that's an indicator that Port Arthur Memorial has two great regional opportunities this weekend. Two hard-working, blue-collar seniors -- Smith and Bailey -- will carry strong Titans banners to the Class 5A Region III track and field championships in Humble's Turner Stadium. Smith figures to be right among the state's better shot put candidates to reach the 97th annual University Interscholastic League's state meet next month in Austin. The form chart makes her more of an outside shot at going to state in the discus but she possesses every bit the necessary ability to get there. Smith threw the discus a season-best 117-10 last weekend at Pearland's regional qualifier. She placed fourth in the shot and fifth in the discus at Pearland and has looked ready for a strong return to regional after finishing fifth in the shot there a year ago. "Each year I've been progressing," Smith said this week. "I should be ready to advance and I've been working on my technique." Lady Titans head coach Sandra Bradford would rank Smith atop her best chances to reach state. Sandra also hopes that junior Paris Collins delivers a season-best outing in the 300-meter hurdles. Collins is the area leader at 46.5 but the Houston-area competition makes her road to Austin quite challenging in the longer hurdles race. Bailey won the triple jump in 44-10 1/2 last weekend in Pearland by more than a foot. Craig and classmate Harry Brown (in the high jump) represent the best chances for Titans boys coach Darrell Granger at regionals. Raphael Guidry from Atascocita won the 21-5A meet in Turner by going 47-7 1/2. Granger expects the Atascocita offers tough competition again at this level. "Craig and the guy from Atascocita should be right there," Granger said. "If he (Bailey) can duplicate a 46-10 (or farther), he should be in good shape. Harry (Brown) has jumped 6-4 and both of them jumped at Turner so hopefully we can use that to our advantage." subhead: Class 4A at Huntsville The warmest and most humid and sizzling track weather of the spring definitely will greet 22-4A athletes today at Huntsville's pastoral setting in Sam Houston State's Elliot T. Bowers Stadium. That did not bother Vidor's Jared Parker a year ago when he captured the 4A regional gold medal by winning the pole vault in a mere 14-9. Parker had to compete harder last weekend at The Woodlands regional qualifier. Kingwood's Greg Gabrisk and the Vidor junior both cleared 16-0, so Parker answered with a new season-best 16-6 to win the competition. Port Neches-Groves senior Matt Johnson will be among the busiest area athletes at Sam Houston. Johnson did not enter a regional qualifier last weekend in order to rest a thigh injury sustained in the long jump at the 22-4A meet in Dayton. Johnson is competing in the long jump, triple jump and 110-meter hurdles this weekend. Johnson has spent plenty of time trying to rehabilitate his thigh in the YMCA's pool during the past week. The PN-G standout has scratched from the 300-meter hurdles due to the tender thigh. "He hurt it in the long jump and we haven't pushed him that much," PN-G coach Kyle Segura said. "Based on what I've seen, I think he will be ready to go for the weekend."

Let's hear it!!

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‘Dogs nine gets bad news on third place tiebreaker The Port Arthur News The rules haven't changed but the Nederland Bulldogs' District 22-4A baseball playoff hopes have — and, they have none. Even if Nederland ends the district season in a tie with Little Cypress-Mauriceville (as they could after Friday's matchups), LC-M would advance to the Class 4A playoffs by ruling of the University Interscholastic League. It has been reported that District 22-4A's athletic handbook, under baseball, does state the rules for a situation where two teams are tied for first place but has no specific rules for a third-place tie. Nederland athletic director Larry Neumann said he and others in Nederland's corner assumed the first-place tie breaker rules would govern the same way a third-place tie would. The district's handbook states that when two teams in first place with the same record, regardless of head-to-head meetings, would play an extra game to decide which team is crowned as champions. After the situation was brought to the UIL, its athletic director Mark Cousins said UIL rules state that in a situation where no specific rules were drawn up for a specific situation, that district would be forced to use the UIL's set of rules. In this case, UIL rules state that third-place tie-breakers are to first be decided by head-to-head competition. Under these rules, LC-M beat Nederland in both meetings this season and therefore has earned the third and final playoff spot, regardless if the Bulldogs and Bears end the season in a tie. Nederland (8-5) hosts Lumberton tonight while LC-M (9-4) hosts Vidor (10-3). Neumann said it is unfortunate the rules don't support Nederland's situation, but that the rules are clear, objective and that they would be followed 100 percent without question. Elsewhere in 22-4A tonight, PN-G (11-2) tries to wrap up an outright championship at Dayton. A PN-G loss and Vidor victory would leave those teams as co-champions. They could flip a coin to decide who gets the first-round bye, or have a one-game playoff for seeding purposes.

Do you have the times and dates?

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Yes Vidor and LC-M are in!

Alabama State sophomore collapses, dies after pickup game MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama State basketball player Deshean Porchea collapsed and died after playing in a pickup game on campus. The 19-year-old sophomore passed out Wednesday afternoon after walking off the court and never regained consciousness, the university said. He was pronounced dead at Jackson Hospital. University spokeswoman Janel Bell said Thursday no cause of death was immediately available. Alabama State planned a candlelight vigil for Thursday evening to mourn Porchea. "He was just a good all-around kid," said Alabama State coach Lewis Jackson, who heard the news while on a recruiting trip in Florida. "He played with a contagious fire that carried over to his teammates. He was a good person. It is a great loss to our team and our university." Porchea averaged 2.1 points and was fourth on the team in assists last season for Alabama State, which won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title. School officials said Porchea had seemed in good spirits before passing out, and there was nothing unusual about his behavior. "Absolutely no one saw this coming -- there were no signs," said school president Joe Lee, who was at the hospital with Porchea's friends and teammates Wednesday. "This was a kid who was in the best shape of his life. He was in tremendous shape. The team had just come off a SWAC championship just a month ago. There was no reason for this. It's just baffling."

Yes.

Yes LC-M is in.

They would have to play to see who gets the Bye.

Will be interesing to see where he will coach!

1. PN-G 2. Vidor/LC-M 3. LC-M/Vidor In January emails were sent to district personnel regarding the determination of seeding for teams reaching the playoffs. The following rule was approved by a majority vote of the school districts: In the case of a tie for second place the tie-breaker will be determined by who has won the most games between the two teams during district competition. If the teams have the same record against each other there will be a one-game playoff to determine the second place team. This is from Section 1203(h)(2)(A): Two Teams Tied In Percentage. If one team defeated the other team both times in head to head district competition, that team will be the highest available seed. If the two teams split their head to head district games, the two teams shall play one game or match (if rules permit). In our current situation to settle a third place tie in baseball the head to head district competition would be considered first and then if that is tied it would go to a one game playoff. A one game playoff would only take place if there is a tie between the teams in district competition.

Interesting indeed

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Titans Smith ready for 5A regional By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News Port Arthur Memorial senior Danielle Smith sleeps and studies in her spare time... what little of that, there might be. The 18-year-old do-everything track and field star predictably enters this weekend's Region III championships as a District 21-5A champion in more than one event. One is never enough for this 6-2 ball of fire. Danielle is friendly. She is intelligent. It goes without mentioning that she's very athletic. She makes good grades and good pizzas in that order. She's really still in that stage of life when she hasn't found much of anything that she can't do. By capturing her most competitive league's gold medal in the shot put and discus, Smith may create the illusion for a complete stranger that she may appear huge, chubby and overweight. Danielle is none of those. She's rather graceful for a shot and discus thrower. Track and field definitely does not consume her year-round sports passion. Volleyball and basketball keep her busy during the earlier parts of the school year. "Volleyball would definitely be where my heart is," Smith said. "I wanted to play softball but my mother said 'no' that I stay away from home too much." Daniel and Lawanda Smith may have to travel to Houston and may have to visit Rice University's campus before long if Danielle should wind up there. If the parents want any advice on overseeing their virtuoso daughter, they always can feel free to consult with former Lincoln standout athlete Kevin Henry. He's worked with Danielle on her "throwing" game at Memorial for four years. While dad Daniel "spoils her rotten" by her own admission, and mom Lawanda is the disciplinarian, Henry has been sort of like a big brother. Meet after meet Danielle has her routines, her moments to relax and her generally good performances. She leads the Golden Triangle in both girls throwing events with a season-best 39-3 in her stronger event (the shot) and 117-10 in the discus. To the casual observer, those two events may seem like very identical twins in terms of testing one's power and dexterity. They are not. A different technique is utilized in each one for Smith, who definitely views the two as much different types of events. Smith uses a slide technique as she pivots and hurls the steel ball from the throwing ring. It's an event where Smith expects to excel. She finished fifth at last April's Class 5A regionals with a throw of 37-7. "I really knew I would make it (to regionals) in the shot," Smith said Tuesday The discus is a whole different breed of cat to Danielle whose expectations in that event often seem surpassed by her coach's expectations. Memorial mentor Henry has not seen Danielle spin and whirl and unleash a dream throw of 130 feet.... only in Kevin's dreams. Yet the coach believes it can and will happen.

Buna at Jasper Fri. 6:30