Rebel Yeller

I lived a couple of years in Louisiana and they allow private schools in their conferences. You do see that the privates are the top schools in the state.They do not offer athletic scholarships, they do however offer acedemic scholarships to worthy students, it just so happens that they happen to be outstanding athletes. Private schools are also attractive to foreign students whose parents are or are not in the states for jobs. Private schools can have students with little or no acedemic credintials in their schools and they will be competing right along with the students that are OK to be playing. This may happen, but if it does I hope that they create their own conference or class and not allow them into the non-private school brackets. It might not happen over night, but it would not take long for the privates to push the publics to the background as powerhouse private schools emerged and began to draw the brightest talent and when theat happens we will have football or basketball factories. Just my opinion, but I have seen it first hand.

Billy Nichols from Evadale is a great game manager. If it gets past Billy, it is a really wild pitch. Only a sophomore (like a good percentage of the Rebels), but he is accurate to second, a quick release and is never more than a step behind a batter on his way to first on a ground ball in the infield.

I was at the game through the middle of the 5th inning so i missed all the fireworks and the Rebels comeback. I can say this for the Cardinals...They were the best team that the the Rebels have faced in district and I believe that they will be one of the three playoff teams from the district when all is said and done.

Just to let all you SETX sports guys and gals know at this years Evadale Catfish Festival there will be a couple of opportunities to flex your sporting muscles. On Saturday, April 25th at the Silsbee Country Club the first annual Evadale Catfish Festival scholarship Golf Tournament will be held and on Saturday, May 9th the first annual Catfsih Festival Horseshoe Tournament will be held. You can go to www.catfishfestival.net and get entry forms for both events. The golf tournament will feature cash prizes and a car give away for a hole in one and the proceeds go towards the King and Queen Scholarship fund benefiting Evadale graduates. A catfish lunch is included in the entry fee too. The horseshoe Tournament will have cash prizes too. Of course winers will be featured on the festival web site all year as tournament winners. There is lots of information to be found at www.catfishfestival.net so go on by and check it out!

Does cancelling a game mean that WH forfits one or both of the games?

I have been amazed during my years in Evadale at the number of students, guys and girls that participate in athletics. I do not have the numbers to back this up, but I would be surprised if the percentage of guys in sports was less than 80% and under 70% for the girls. The Rebels had varsity and JV squads in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and guys track. They even had freshman teams in volleyball and could of had one in girls basketball. This is an extraordinary feat considering the fact that even larger schools in our district are unable to start or maintain these teams throughout a full season. I played high school sports back in the day (a long time ago) in a 5A school and only a few were given the opportunity to participate in multiple sports, but I have just been so surprised that soooo many students in Evadale not only play, but play at numbers that allow so many the opportunity to play on teams.

I would not vote against the Rebels to repeat in 2009. While the team is lsoing a fine group of seniors the Rebels have the luxury of having played a full JV schedule against mostly 2A and 3A teams. The JV went 7-1 and has a great group that will make the move up to varsity come summer workouts. Not to mention that the varsity squad will return as many as 18 to 20 players all of which gost substancial playing time during last years district championship season and the returning team will be junior denominated with the likes of Nichols, Tucker, Harvey and Starks with now two years of varsity experience under their belts. Stanley who will be a senior got plenty of carries last season and even with a young line in 2009 they are tested as they went head to head every day with the outstanding line the Rebels had this season. There is plenty of talent in this district, but it will be difficult to overcome the depth that the Rebels bring to the table and the on field experience that they gained on varsity and on JV.

Prayers being said for the girl and her family in Evadale!

Thanks Colmesneilfan1 It is nice to get something possitive on this site. It so often turns to trash talk. By the way you guys have some great athletes. Don't know names, we should number track athletes like we do all the other sports so we can know who they are. Great job by your guys and good luck to Colmesneil as they head towards district and beyond.

Great Job Rebels! This team has all the markings of a really solid team. They have good chemistry with a great blend of youth and experience. There is plenty of depth and players are able to step into multipule positions depending on who is on the mound. I believe that this team is bound for great things and I look forward to seeing where they land when all the brick dist settles. Keep up the good work Rebels!

Shelby Stanley from Evadale will like be the feature back for the Rebels next season. He will have an experienced line to run behind as the Rebels will reload for the 2009 season.

Tyler Tucker of Evadale has two that I know of including a monster shot in the second inning of the Rebels win this morning against West Hardin. It was a grand slam too!

Evadale send our prayers to the family. God bless all those touched by this tragic accident.

The Rebels have played as many games as they have days of practice. They were 2 and 1 in the Kountze Tournament with victories over Newton and Onalaska and a three run loss to Kirbyville. I believe that the Rebels will have an outstanding season and that they will take the game with West Sabine in a close one 7 to 5.

Sorry MO I was tired when I wrote that.

You did yourselves and us proud last night You have battled all season long and hung together as a team. You don't get this far if you are not an outstanding squad and deserving of all you have accomplished. This group has had an incredible run through high school that is not finished yet (softball and track). In the past four years you have been in the playoffs in all sports with an incredible winning percentage which must be well over 75%. That means that 4 out of every four times you stepped on the field or court you were winners. Hold your heads high and know that all of Evadale is proud to call you our team!

It has been a few years since the Lady Rebels have traveled this deep into the playoffs. From tonight and beyond it is about focuc and execution. Starting with excution it is about doing the things you know to do and not have to think about it, just do it. In the Ganado game scoring was spread out so everyone got into the act. Defense was what carried the team and what will continue to carry them as they advance. As for focus it is about being single minded. Having your head on straight an doing what needs to be done. The games of 20+ blow outs are over, short of some major problem from the other team. If the Lady Rebels can keep their focus then everything will work out and they will come out on top. From this point forward nothing is easy but everythig worth the effort. It's no longer one game at a time it is one possesion at a time, making good on each time you are on the court. We are and will always be proud of you!

I can say that from Evadale's perspective the new district alignment looks pretty good. While I think we will schedule some some larger 1A's just as we have scheduled 2A schools in the past I have to say the Rebels chances of coming out on top of the district that came out on the UIL draft alignment looks good. It just takes the three largest schools out of the mix (Hull-Daisetta, West Hardin and Colmesmeil) and leaves the rest of the district untouched. I still have not heard if this means that it will go back to the top two teams in district advancing to the playoff or will it stay three with the district champ getting a bye like in basketball?

Just taking care of business! Last night the Lady Rebels played their usual tip off to buzzer defense and kept the Lady Maidens from Ganado on their heals most of the night. It was a tough battle especially in the first quarter as the Lady Rebels seemed a bit nervous in their first playoff game of the post season. But the old saying is true...Defense wins Championships! The Lady Rebels were up by ten at the half allowing only 15 points in the first half. They clamped down even harder in the 3rd quarter as the Maidens only scored one or two points. The only problem was that the Lady Rebels got too many fouls so the Maidens ended up with the 1&1 about midway through the 3rd Q and the double bonus for most of the 4th. Of the 13 points the Maidens scored in the 4th, 6 or 7 came from the free throw line. The 29 points they allowed for the game was one a couple of points more than they allowed per game during district. It showed that the Lady Rebels had taken on a couple of worthy opponents in their two warm up games. Playing Hampshire-Fannett and Kountze showed the Lady Rebels a couple of good teams and while they dropped both contests to 2A schools (both of which advanced to the next round) they got to toughen up and get prepared for the kind of teams they will face in this tournament. The Lady Rebels will play the Thorndale/Iola winner, (sorry have not found the winner posted anywhere yet). It does not matter which team it is, since all the teams in making it to the regional quarter finals are good teams. All I can say to the Lady Rebels is great job and keep it rolling. I was also excited about the number of fans that traveled to Conroe for the game. It was great so see so many people there and I hope that even more will be at the next game. I also want to congratulate the parents who put up the signs on 105. It may not seem like much now, but I bet every girl made sure that someone took a picture of their sign to put in a scrap book for a look years from now. One game at a time Lady Rebels!

This is the calm before the storm! Area round of girls playoffs this weekend, warm up games for the guys, softball, baseball, track, tennis, golf, power lifting, UIL One-Act Play and academics! I find it hard to believe that kids have enough time to go to class much less finish their work. These times might not be so hard on upper classification schools with stucents that specialize in one or a couple of sports. In 1A kids are doing it all and it turns into all the time. End a season on Friday next sport practice begins on Monday. If you are in the playoffs you are down a week or more in the next sport. I think that today seems dead because everybody realized that if you don't take a break now you have to wait until June...after graduation and before Texas Football comes out.

With tonights game the Evadale Rebels 2008-2009 basketball season comes to a close. The Rebels grew as a team so much this year and it showed on the court and through the support of the fans. BigMo told me a few weeks back that it was fun being in the gym these days. I was not here when the Rebels won it all almost 10 years ago, but I have been here for 7 seasons. I have seen a lost of basketball in this basketball "crazy" (I mean it in a good way!), but this year it just seemed different. Maybe it was being back in the old gym sitting right on top of the game, could be? The Rebels will loose only one cog in the gears with the graduation of Micah Stringer, but Rebel round ball fans have to be excited as the entire team will be back next year. Some of the sophomores will be playing their 3rd season at the varsity level. It just has to put a smile on your face and a bit of a swagger knowing that the Rebels will have to be seriously considered as district favorites next season. Thanks again Rebels for a great season!

I told some of the Kountze fans that they have a great team. They should do very well in the playoffs! The thing that sets them apart from our Lady Rebels is passing and moving without the ball. I thought that #11 (sorry I don't know her name) was one of the best passers I had seen in many years. The Lady Lions have great chemistry and they have that feeling about what the other players on the floor will be doing seemingly at all times. I also told the Kounzte fans that I hoped we would run into each other in Austin in a couple of weeks. Play hard Lady Rebels and Lady Lions, now it's time to get serious!

Rebel field in Evadale is getting the final touches taken care of in preparation for the start of baseball season. The dugouts have been repaired the canopies over the bleachers were replaced today and the new LED scoreboard in right field was installed today and it looks awesome. Coach Williams has the infield looking good and it looks ready for the home plate umpire to call out "Play Ball!" It should be an exciting season for the Rebels who hope to defend their district crown and make their way back into the playoffs. Good luck Rebels and we will all be pulling for you when the diamond takes center stage.

Somebody asked about a round robin if Evadale, West Hardin and Hull-Daisetta ended up tied at 4-6. I would be surprised if it was anything other than a round robin. That was how the seeds were determined for the volleyball playoofs when those same three teams were the tri champs of the district back in the fall.

The Evadale Rebels JV basketball team completed their season as the District 25A undefeated champions at 7-0 and are 26-1 for the season. Hull-Daisetta and Spurger no longer have JV teams so the final two games of the season will not occur. As the parent of one of the players I wanted to thank Coach Rose for this season and to congratulate all the players on the team. The team played so well early in the season and even when Devon Murphy (leading scorer up to that point) moved up to varsity (Devon hit the three pointer that sent the game into OT with Sabine Pass on Tuesday) before district started, the team just rolled on and even won the East Chambers Tournament. Then a few games back Coach Wilkins moved Hayden Dubose, Brandon Bruce and Shawn Totten up to varsity, but the remaining JV players (all eight of them) just kept on plugging away and still won out. Evadale is very fortunate to have JV teams at the 1A level. They were 7-1 in football and now 26-1 in basketball. While so many schools are having to send their freshmen and sophomore players into competition with juniors and seniors, the Rebels have been able for the past couple of years the opportunity to get playing time and time for these players to improve against competition with players of their own age, even though the teams they play are usually from bigger schools. Evadale has such a large percentage of students, girls and guys that play sports, this year they had Varsity and JV football, varsity, JV and freshmen volleyball, varsity and JV girls and guys basketball. They will also have varsity softball and track for the girls and varsity and JV baseball and track for the guys. There were more than 55 guys that played football, 26 guys started basketball, over 30 girls played volleyball and about that may started basketball. 1A schools seem destined to make the division 1 and 2 splits effective in district and when they do Evadale will have to be considered a favorite in most of the sports. In football we are loosing a great senior class, but a quick look at the Rebels depth chart shows two deep with players who are tested in games, some varsity some JV, the same goes in basketball as the varsity boys have only one senior and while their are 5 seniors on the girls, the eight other players on the squad are tested and can play very well. It is the same in the other sports. Evadale may not always be dominate, but the talent stream does not show any sigh of drying up in the near future. This got kind of long, but I can't say it enough that I am very proud of the JV basketball team and they should be proud of what they have accomplished this season.