2023-2024 Sports Schedules (Links below updated)
July 11, 2023 - Center Little League Football workouts started Monday, July 10 at Portacool Park. Workouts will be held Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 5:30pm until 6:30pm.
If you haven't registered your child, bring birth certificates - it's not too late to sign up! Teams are age 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12. Teams are coached by Coach Baron Horton, Coach Jamie Jackson, Coach Dedrick Williams, Coach Lakeith Cotton, and Coach Justin Garrett.
Let's start out great this year; we've got unfinished business.
Center Lions Club Ballpark on Monday, July 3, 2023 -
Center's 12U Dixie League Team won their divisional state championship game on Monday to take the tournament's top title prize. The team started tourny play on Saturday with wins over Diboll and Howe. They next beat Hallsville and Gilmer in the middle stages. Monday came down to Center needing to beat Howe at least one game in a semifinal/ final showdown which they locked down with a 9-5 run win in the tournament's final game.
Thursday, June 29, 2023 –
Shelbyville Lady Dragon sophomore athletes Taylor Jones and Lanie Bass have been named among the top 50 Class 2A softball athletes by the Texas Coaches Association. The teammates were on this year’s SHS team which went 25-16-1 and finished as the final team left from Shelby County when they lost to Como-Pickton, by a 4-0 run score, on May 25 in the Region III Final, State Quarterfinal round. Bass and Jones also received first team recognition in All District 22 selection this season.
Besides softball Taylor Jones cheers, plays basketball, volleyball and runs cross-country. Lanie Bass cheers as well. Jones plays shortstop and helps with pitching duties. Bass pitches and occasionally plays first or second base when called on. Both players are unsure at this early stage what they will major in or where they might attend college.
This season the Lady Dragons went 8-4 in District 22 2A and went into the playoffs as the number 2 seed from the conference. Jones stated, “We learned a lot this season. After we lost to Timpson we decided we needed to take things more seriously we felt that was a game we could have won.” “Bass added, “After one loss we decided to come out on our own on weekends and do some hitting. After we got past Lovelady, in the first round, we felt really good about our chances.”
Shelbyville Head Softball Coach Ryan Mason said, “Our gameplan is to be selfless and to take the teams we face seriously. When you have 14 young ladies with different personalities together for 150 days, and no personality conflicts, there is a special chemistry.” Mason will begin his third year as head coach at Shelbyville this coming school year. He started his carreer with four years as an assistant at Joaquin after graduating from Stephen F. Austin. He attended high school at Athens and Alto ISD.
The Lady Dragons have almost all their players returning on a team who has proven themselves to be hard workers on and off the field. Talent and high hopes are rightly in good supply for Shelbyville’s next softball season.
Center Lions Ballpark on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 –
The Center Boys Junior Dixie League Baseball team was eliminated in the finals of the Dixie League state round of 5-day double elimination tournament. The tourney saw the Center/Shelby County team defeat Palestine to begin tourney play on Wednesday. They then lost to EMC in the middle stages of the event. They next rebounded with a win over Livingston and they then won a rematch with EMC on Tuesday. The game led up to Wednesday where Palestine played by far their best game to earn the tournament title.
Center Lion’s Ballpark on Monday, June 26, 2023 –
Center’s Lion’s Ballpark has now hosted three days of elimination play leading up to championship games being played on Monday and Tuesday. 24 teams from 20 towns including Center, Shelbyville, EMC, Livingston, Hudson, Henderson, Splendora, Panola County, Palestine, Cleveland, Bullard, Anahuac, Frankston, West Rusk, Tarkington, Lovelady, Fairfield, Troup, Huntsville, and Corsicana are making their bids for Dixie League state titles.
Today saw one of the two remaining local teams, the Shelbyville T-Ball team, lose a very exciting quarterfinal round game to Tarkington by a narrow 23-22 score. This left the Center Boy’s Junior Baseball team as the only remaining local team in the tournament after they defeated Livingston by a 11-2 final score to move on to the quarterfinal round tomorrow, Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 10 a.m.
Sunday, June 25, 2023 at Center Lions Ballpark –
Day 2 of Dixie tournament play has yielded mixed results for Shelby County’s local teams. Shelbyville’s T-Ball team won a midday game with Fairfield and will move on to play the winner, of a game this afternoon between Anahuac and Tarkington, on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Center’s T-Ball won an early game over Lovelady, by a 31-23 score but lost a Sunday afternoon game with Troup by the same score. Troup will move on to face the winner of Shelbyville’s game at 12:30 p.m. on Monday.
Center’s Junior Boys team lost to EMC by a narrow 5-4 score and they will now face Livingston at 10 a.m. on Monday.
Saturday, June 24, 2023 at Center Lion’s Ballpark –
Tournament ballgames are starting at Center’s Lion’s Ballpark today which have begun three days of elimination play leading up to championship games being played on Monday. 24 teams from 20 towns including Center, Shelbyville, EMC, Livingston, Hudson, Henderson, Splendora, Panola County, Palestine, Cleveland, Bullard, Anahuac, Frankston, West Rusk, Tarkington, Lovelady, Fairfield, Troup, Huntsville, and Corsicana are making their bids for Dixie League state titles.
Early play saw local Division II T-Ball team Shelbyville fall to Anahuac by a 19-8 score. Center’s T-Ball team pulled off an exciting 33-32 win over Frankston in a game which was a nailbiter for fans from start to finish.
In Boy’s Junior Division Baseball action EMC took a 13-7 win over Huntsville.
June 13, 2023 - Jacob Griffin, of Joaquin, Texas, is headed to the 2023 National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Perry, Georgia on June 18-24th. Performances are daily from 9am until 7pm.
Last month, Jacob won the reserve championship in the boys' breakaway roping at the Texas Junior High Finals Rodeo in Gonzales. Only the top four contestants in each event earn the chance to represent Texas at the National Finals.
Jacob is a fourth-generation cowboy and also competes in the team roping and ribbon roping events. Congratulations to Jacob and good luck to Team Texas!
For more finals information, visit https://nhsra.com/juniorhighfinals/. You can view the rodeo action through the live stream link: https://www.cowboychannelplus.com/.
June 9, 2023 - The National Crappie League will visit Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La, for an Open tournament June 24 & 25, 2023. Competitors will fish for cash, prizes and an opportunity to qualify for the NCL National Championship.
All anglers are eligible to compete in NCL’s Open Division. In this two-day tournament, paybacks will be 100% or more guaranteed, with a guaranteed minimum of $20,000 payback. Big Fish $2,000. The highest-placing senior, adult/youth and male/female teams will be awarded
at this event.
With 185,000 surface acres situated across Louisiana and Texas, Toledo Bend Reservoir is the fifth largest man-made reservoir in the United States. The secret to success is finding the crappie, and when you do, you’ll likely have some bragging-size slabs for weigh-in.
Registration and Tournament Meeting
Participants must be registered by midnight, June 16, 2023. Visit
www.NationalCrappieLeague.com for rules and registration. For questions, contact
Bobby@NationalCrappieLeague.com. A meeting will be held June 23, at Toledo Town &
Tackle, 11904 Texas Hwy, Many LA 71449. Sign in 5:00-6:00 pm, meeting at 6:00 pm.
Fishable Waters, Off-Limits and Fishing Hours
Fishable waters are all legal waters of Toledo Bend. Water is off-limits to participants beginning at 4:00 pm on the day of the pre-tournament meeting, June 23. Tournament fishing hours are 6:30 am -2:30 pm.
Launch & Weigh-In Site & Launch
Launch TBA. Weigh-in site is Toledo Town & Tackle, 11904 Texas Hwy, Many, LA 71449.
Free Kids Rodeo
A free Kids Rodeo will be held on June 24, at Cypress Bend Park, 3462 Cypress Bend Drive, in Many, LA. Registration is 8:00 am – 9:00 am; fishing is 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Rodeo is for kids age 12 and under, accompanied by a parent or guardian. Bring your own pole and bait, enjoy the fun and prizes
Hosts & Lodging
Local sponsors Sabine Parish Tourist & Recreation Commission and Toledo Town & Tackle welcome all NCL anglers and their guests to the area. They invite everyone to enjoy the fishing, food and outdoor fun in Toledo Bend Lake Country. For information about area attractions visit www.ToledoBendLakeCountry.com or stop by to see the team at the Sabine Parish Tourist & Recreation Commission.
Host Lodging:
Cypress Bend Golf Resort, 2000 Cypress Bend Parkway, Many, LA 318-590-1500.
Toledo Bend RV Resort & Cabins, 114 Shamrock Lane, Many, LA 318-256-0002.
National Sponsors
NCL national sponsors include: CarZone USA; Crappie Monster; Grenada Lake Resorts; H&H Rods and Reels; Fisherman’s Haven; Power-Pole; Rockport Rattler; Outlaw Lithium Batteries; Pro Controll; O'Reilly Auto; Team Crappie; Everharts Outdoors; Crappie Brakes; Ludwig Marine; Morris Marine; Charlie Brewer Slider; B'n'M Poles; Crappie Magnet; Jenko Fishing; Midsouth Super Jigs; SoreMouth Tackle; Quality Plumbing N Heating; Millennium Marine; Snacky Lures; CrappieNOW; Crappie.com; Prodezigns; Crappie Customs; Swamp Gear; Hook & Bullet; Slab Crazy Outdoors.
Upcoming Open Events for 2023
Dec 9-10, Lake D’Arbonne, Farmerville, LA
Upcoming Division 1 Events for 2023
Aug 12, Truman Lake, Clinton, MO
Sept 9, Lake of the Ozarks, Gravois Mills-Laurie, MO
Oct 7, Rough River Lake, Fall of Rough, KY
Oct 14, Lake D’Arbonne, Farmerville, LA
National Championship & Expo
February 15-18, 2024 – Ouachita River, Caney Lake and Poverty Point, LA
From left: (back row) Landon Hodges, Gemma Lewis, Hunter Gibson, Rain Smith, Maddox Gima, Ethan Castillo, (front row) Dylan Castillo, Benjamin Wagner, Wyatt Foster, Eythan Castillo, Axyl Gracyk, and Matthew Hataway. Not pictured Jack Wagner and Royer Venegas.
June 9, 2023 - On June 3rd Students from Self Defense America in Center TX competed at the Louisiana Governor's Games in Shreveport. The kids showed respect as well as the bravery and mental fortitude it takes to compete. The events were Forms (fight in 4 directions), Weapon Forms, Sparring and Chanbara.
We are very proud of our students and will stand beside them as they learn the skills it takes to become leaders in the community.
Congratulations to all the competitors!
