Panola College
By Cartoonist Donnie Pitchford
March 8, 2019 - The M.P. Baker Library of Panola College will host an exhibit of cartoons, illustrations, and associated artwork by Donnie Pitchford from March 19, 2019 to April 18, 2019 in the Fay Allison Gallery. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 2 p.m.
Mr. Pitchford holds a B.F.A in Art Education from Stephen F. Austin State University and a M.A. in Art, Journalism, and Music from the University of Texas at Tyler. Since earning his degrees Mr. Pitchford has worked in graphic arts, as an instructor for Hawkins High School and Carthage ISD, and as an adjunct professor for Panola College. Most recently he has worked as a freelancer for a variety of publications and art projects including serving as guest writer for the comic strip, Dick Tracy but he is best known for his work as the writer, artist, voice actor, and audio producer for the Lum and Abner comic strip.
According to Mr. Pitchford, he decided to become a cartoonist at age five. Following his broadcast teaching career, he hit the ground running in 2011 with the Lum and Abner comic strip, based on the classic radio/movie series. With this endeavor he’s been able to work with old friends and mentors George Wildman, Nick Cuti, Hy Eisman, John Rose, and others. Lum and Abner appears each week and includes an audio adaptation for blind friends.
Mr. Pitchford has earned multiple awards including "Who's Who: Art" Kilgore College in 1979 and multiple state championships for his work with CHS-TV student teams, including repeated Best of Show, Best of Fair, First Place, Second Place, and Honorable Mention from 1988-2008. He has been honored as the regional Outstanding Educator for the Texas Society of CPAs, Student-chosen Outstanding Teacher in 2003 and 2008 and he was the Pine Burr Dedicatee for Carthage High School in 2010. He was featured in the 2018 SFA Sawdust magazine and honored as the 2018 Distinguished Alumni of Spring Hill ISD Alumni Association.
The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public during the Library’s operating hours Monday – Thursday 7:30 am – 9:00 pm, Friday 7:30 am – 12:30 pm, and Sunday 4:00 – 9:00 pm. For additional information please call 903-693-2052 or email library@panola.edu.
March 7, 2019 - The Fillies season has come to an end after a heartbreaking loss in District 14 tournament play Wednesday; losing in overtime 88-91 to the #4 Kilgore Lady Rangers in Shreveport. Maryia Adashchyk scored a career high and game high 50 points in the contest.
The Fillies controlled most of the game, leading by as much as 12 during the contest. With 3:33 left, the Lady Rangers tied the contest at 72 all. Moments later, Adashchyk would score the bucket and get fouled, giving the Fillies a three-point lead. After a split of free throws by the Lady Rangers, the Fillies got another old fashion three-point opportunity; this time by Falkowska. She would miss the free throw, making the Fillie lead four with 2:02 left in regulation. Kilgore would then respond with a three-pointer, cutting the Panola lead to one.
After a timeout, Adashchyk would score her 46thpoint of the contest with an isolation drive to the bucket, giving Panola a three-point lead with 23.1 ticks of the clock left. Kilgore would respond with a corner three pointer, tying the contest at 79 a piece. Adashchyk would have a chance at the game winner for the Fillies but was unable to get the bucket to go. Kilgore would have a chance of their own to end the game in regulation but failed.
The Fillies started overtime on a 4-0 run with buckets from Adashckyk and Kellymar Ramirez. But the Lady Rangers would take the lead behind an And-1 conversion and a three pointer late in overtime. Adayshchk would score her 49thand 50thpoint on the FT line with 17.2 ticks of a second left. The Fillies would cut it to two with 5.3 seconds left but time had simply run out.
In her final game as a Fillie, Adashchyk would lead all scorers with 50 points. She was 20-31 from the floor, 3-4 from three and a perfect 7-7 from the floor. She also snagged 13 rebounds. Behind her in scoring was Alicja Falkowska with 12.
The Fillies finish the 2018-19 season with a record of 15-14 (11-7 in conference).
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March 6, 2019 - Before tipoff in the Panola College Fillies’ game against Angelina College on Saturday, March 2, six sophomore players were honored in the Arthur Johnson Gymnasium.
“The 2018-2019 sophomore class of Panola College Fillies has been superb academically with a cumulative 3.6 grade point average,” said Don Clinton, Vice President of Student Success and Athletic Director.
#23 – Maryia “Masha” Adashchyk – 5’11” Guard/Forward, Minsk, Belarus. Masha has led the Fillies this season, average 12 points per game and 6 rebounds per game. She had a season high 22 points twice this season, against Tyler Junior College and Jacksonville College. She currently has a 3.7 GPA and plans to continue playing at a Power 5 caliber program next season.
#3 – Weronika “Vera” Nowakowska – 5’7” Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Lomianki, Poland. Vera has been a vocal presence for the Fillies this season while suffering through ACL injuries in consecutive seasons. She has averaged 6 points per game and 3 assists per game during this shortened season with a season high 15 points against Kilgore College. She currently has a 3.6 GPA and plans to return home this summer to begin her coaching career for the Polish National program.
#4 – Imani Hampton – 5/11” Forward, Atlanta, Georgia. Imani transferred to Panola College this season and has provided tremendous leadership for the Fillies’ program. She has averaged 2 points per game and 2 rebounds per game while improving her GPA to a 3.4. Imani had a season high 6 points on three different occasions this season against Labette Community College, Blinn College, and Bossier Parish Community College. Imani plans to continue playing and completing her education closer to home next season.
#2 – Hope Parker – 5’9” Point Guard, Denton, Texas. Hope joined the Fillies after sitting out her freshman year and has started 14 games for the Fillies this season. She has averaged 3 points per game and 2 assists per game with a season high 8 points versus Jacksonville College. Hope will take her 3.0 GPA to the University of North Texas where she will complete her education studying in the medical field.
#11 – Kenzie Chadwick – 5’9” Forward, Alba, Texas. Kenzie has been a valuable teammate for the Fillies this season, playing in 19 games. She has averaged 2 points per game and 2 rebounds per game with a season high 10 points against the Longview Elite earlier this season. Kenzie has maintained a 3.0 GPA and plans to continue playing next season.
Shelby Kite, Manager, Carthage, Texas. Shelby has been a diligent worker for the Fillies’ program for the past two seasons, making life easier for coaches and athletes by performing numerous tasks during the week and on game day. Shelby will take her 3.9 GPA to Stephen F. Austin State University to complete her education.
“Thank you to our sophomores for their commitment to the Panola College Fillies, and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors,” Clinton said.
March 4, 2019 - The Fillies took the Roadrunners into the last seconds of the game but came up short on Sophomore Day, losing 68-72. The Roadrunners jumped out to an 8-0 start, but once the Fillies settled into the game, they handled every run the Roadrunners went on. They would head into halftime down six.
In the second half, the Roadrunners jumped out to their largest lead (13) with 2:20 to go in the third. The Fillies would cut that to nine heading into the fourth. The offense started to click in the fourth. Mikayla Etienne who lead the team in scoring with 17 on the day, cut the lead to five on a steal and layup with 7:31 left in the fourth. A free throw by the Roadrunners would make the lead six the next possession. Etienne would again have a hand in the lead being cut, hitting Adashchyk on the cut, cutting the Lady Roadrunners lead to four with under 5:30 left in the fourth. Back and forth action by both teams eventually resulted in the Fillies cutting the lead to just two with 3:05 left in the contest. The Lady Roadrunners would then balloon the lead to seven with under a minute left.
But the Fillies would not give up without a fight. The Fillies cut the lead to five with 50 seconds left in the contest. After regaining possession after a missed shot by the Roadrunners, the Fillies would call a timeout. With 18.5 second left, Jolie Williams would hit a 3 pointer to cut the lead to two. The Fillies would get one more chance to win the game after a Lady Roadrunner turnover, but were unable, turning the ball over themselves.
The Fillies were led in scoring by Etienne with 17. Behind her was Jolie Williams with 12, Daryna Barcharova with 11 and Alicja Falkowska with 12.
The Fillies finish the regular season 15-13, 11-7 in conference. They have secured the 5th seed in the Regional tournament and will face the 4th seeded Kilgore Lady Rangers on Wednesday at 3:00 in Shreveport. The Fillies split the season series with the Lady Rangers, winning at home and losing on the road.
March 4, 2019 - The Panola Ponies and Fillies will be playing in the Region XIV Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament this week, hosted at Centenary College’s Gold Dome - 3482 Dixie Dr, Shreveport, LA 71104. All tournament games will be played at Centenary College’s Gold Dome.
The Ponies enter the tournament as the #5 seed in the men's division and will play the #12 seed, Coastal Bend College on Tuesday at 3 p.m.. The Fillies are also the #5 seed in the Women's Bracket and will play the #4 seed, Kilgore College, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ticket prices will be $7.00 per day for adults and $4.00 for students & children (Children 5 and under will be admitted free). Tournament Passes will be available for $30.00. Pass lists will not be utilized for the tournament (see credentials information below). Tickets will be available for purchase at the Gold Dome each day of the tournament.
Catch all the action on via live stream at https://mediasite.bpcc.edu/mediasite/showcase.
Game results/box scores will be posted on the Region 14 website:
Men’s Results - http://www.njcaaregion14.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/schedule
Women’s Results - http://www.njcaaregion14.com/sports/wbkb/2018-19/schedule
Tournament Game Schedule
Men’s First Round Games - Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Game 1 – 1:00pm – Blinn College vs. Kilgore College
Game 2 – 3:00pm – Panola College vs. Coastal Bend College
Game 3 – 6:00pm – Trinity Valley Community College vs. Lee College
Game 4 – 8:00pm – Lamar State College-Port Arthur vs. Bossier Parish Community College
Women’s Quarterfinals – Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Game 5 – 1:00pm - Tyler Junior College vs. Coastal Bend College/Paris Junior College
Game 6 – 3:00pm - Kilgore College vs. Panola College
Game 7 – 6:00pm - Trinity Valley Community College vs. Blinn College
Game 8 – 8:00pm – Angelina College vs. Bossier Parish Community College
Men’s Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 7, 2019
Game 9 – 1:00pm – Navarro College vs. Game 1 Winner
Game 10 – 3:00pm – Angelina College vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 11 – 6:00pm – Jacksonville College vs. Game 3 Winner
Game 12 – 8:00pm – Tyler Junior College vs. Game 4 Winner
Women’s & Men’s Semifinals – Friday, March 8, 2019
Game 13 – 1:00pm – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner
Game 14 – 3:00pm – Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner
Game 15 – 6:00pm – Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner
Game 16 – 8:00pm – Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner
Women’s & Men’s Championships – Saturday, March 9, 2019
Game 17 – 4:00pm – Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner
Game 18 – 7:00pm – Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner
March 1, 2019 - The Panola Ponies will be playing Navarro College for the Region XIV Eastern Conference Championship in Corsicana on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The winner of the game will not only win the Eastern Texas Conference Championship, they will secure the #1 seed going into the NJCAA Region XIV Athletic Conference Tournament set for next week at Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. Panola Coach Grant McMillan's message to his team is simple, "For us it's a 1 game season. Empty your tank for one game! Saturday there won't be a lot of easy moments, no time for second thoughts or hesitation. That's why you come to Panola and Region XIV to play in ballgames like these. Playing the 1st place team in their own building against an incredibly well coached and athletic team is a huge game."
This will be the second time in the last three years that Coach Grant McMillan has led the Ponies to the Championship game. His team won the Conference Championship in 2017 and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time since 1979, and was second in 2016 which was his first year at Panola. "Coach McMillan has done an extremely great job with the Panola program and has gained the respect across the country. He changed the entire mind set of our program and has built a contender each year on the court and off the court. Not only are they winning basketball games, his student-athletes are graduating on time and receiving major scholarships across the nation. He is recruiting athletes that will excel in our league and capable of going on to major Div. 1 programs, such as last years MVP, Marlon Taylor, who is one of LSU's top players this year. We are proud of the Ponies and the coaching staff and will be looking forward to a great run in the playoffs," noted Vice President of Student Services/Athletic Director Don Clinton.
The Ponies setup the Championship game on Wednesday night as they defeated Tyler Jr. College in an exciting game in Carthage. On Thursday night Trinity Valley knocked off league leading Navarro College to set the stage completely for a championship game on Saturday night. Both Panola and Navarro are coming into the game with a 12-5 Conference record and 22 wins overall on the year. Navarro beat Panola 69-68 at the buzzer in the first matchup in Carthage on Feb. 6. Region XIV is one of the toughest conferences each year in the NJCAA. This year the Eastern Conference of Region XIV is no exception with the top 4 teams all just one game apart. Panola and Navarro tied at 12-5 on top and Tyler and Trinity Valley tied at 11-6.
Saturday evenings in game in Corsicana will definitely be one that you will not want to miss!
February 28, 2019 - Panola was able to shake off a slow start and come back to defeat #21 Tyler 82-74 in front of a great home crowd on Sophomore Night. Tyler came out hot and were up 31-18 with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. Panola was able to close the gap to 39-32 at halftime. The Ponies came out hot in the 2nd half and were able to take their first lead of the game at 57-56 with just over 10 minutes remaining. They were able to hold off a late attack by Tyler to get to the final horn.
Lenell Henry led the way with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Kamari Brown added 15 points and 5 rebounds. Tariq Simmons and Jeff Boyd rounded out the double digit scorers with 13 and 11 apiece. Franklyn Penn had a solid all around game with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
With the win, the Ponies are now 22-7 (12-5 Region XIV). They are currently half a game behind Navarro, who they play on the road on Saturday afternoon.
February 28, 2019 - The Panola College Rodeo Team traveled to Robstown, Texas for the Texas A&M Rodeo on the 22nd and 23rd for the 7th of the 10 Southern Region Rodeo’s. The Men’s team won 2nd place and held their lead in the standings, while the Women’s team won second and moved to 8th place in the region. Here are some of the individual results:
Abbie Muckelroy, freshman from Center, turned in two fast times in the Barrel Racing on her horse called Frosty. Frosty ran a 17.82 to win 3rd in the long go, and followed that time up in the short go with a 17.30 to win the fast time of the short go. The total time of 35.50 won 2nd place in the average. Frosty has had some time off this fall for breathing issues, but after proper vet care and rehab is back to winning and in fine fashion.
Daylon Swearingen, a three event rough stock hand, stormed into Robstown to handle business. Daylon won 3rd place in the Bareback Riding with 2 great scores of 75 and 77. Swearingen then moved over to the Saddle Bronc Riding to score a 73 and a 5th place finish in round 1. Bull Riding was no match for the Panola man there either, where he scored 74 points on each of his bulls, for a 2nd place overall finish. Daylon was strong enough in all his events to win the all-around Championship as well. Coach Collins said “Daylon is a beast, he keeps a full time Pro Rodeo schedule, competes in College Rodeo’s, always handles his classes and business well. He is an amazing athlete and a great addition to our team. Daylon is also ranked 16th in Bull Riding world standings and 8th place All-Around Cowboy. Watch this guy because he is going to be around for a while.”
Logan Cook, Alto Texas sophomore, and all-around cowboy was not far behind. Logan took care of business in the Saddle Bronc Riding with scores of 79 and 60. The first round ride won 2nd in the long go, while the average score on two head won 4th place. Logan’s other event, Tie down Roping, was fast. Logan’s times of 9.8 and 12.4 placed him 4th in the short go and 4th in the average. Cook won the All-Around Championship last year, and is in a commanding lead this year. Coach Collins said “Cookie is one of the most talented athletes I have ever had the privilege to coach, he will graduate this spring, and I will miss him so much! Keep looking for his name in the Pro Rodeo world, because he will go on and do great things.”
The Rodeo Team will be back in action again March 15th and 16th in Bryan, Texas.
February 27, 2019 - Panola College Drama returned home from the Texas Community College Theatre Association's 2019 Play Festival competition with 39 awards. Eastfield College in Mesquite hosted the competition Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 21-23. On February 25-28, 14 of these students will compete at the KCACTF Regional Festival in Abilene.
Panola’s awards included in production award category: Superior Production; Outstanding Direction of a Play/Best Director - Karen King; Educational Respondents Recognition of Outstanding Merit in Dramaturgy; and Best Acting Ensemble - (superior acting performances by a company: Zach Holmes - Martinsville, Shelby Watson - Leon, Sarah Owens - Mt. Enterprise, Peyton Proffitt - Center, Jasmine Ryan - Martinsville, Abigail Parrish - Chireno, Justin Gonzales - Rains, Addison Pope - Carthage, Keath Kibbey - Huntington, Tailer Chong - Rains, Nathaniel Endsley - Huntington, Bethany Crowe - Kennard, and Christian Kotara - Spurger.)
In the technical awards category, Panola received awards including: Excellence Professors’ Choice: Lighting Design: Julia Prewitt - Joaquin; Sound Design: Hannah Williams - Gary; Hair and Make-up: Tony Jeter – Carthage, Chailey Norton – Mt. Enterprise, Angel Kammer - Kennard; Excellence Judge's Choice: Hair and Make-Up: Tony Jeter, Chailey Norton, and Angel Kammer; Program/Poster Design: Chailey Norton and Catalina Zoyoquila – Mt. Enterprise; Superior Professor's Choice: Dramaturgy: Maelbi Calderon, Seagoville, and Jasmine Ryan; Assistant Director: Kyree Williams - Hillsboro; Stage Management: Maelbi Calderon; Choreography: Addison Pope; Costume Design: Lacie Sepulvado - Mt. Enterprise; Properties Design: Emily Robinson - Martinsville; Web Promotion-Pre-Show Design: Peyton Profitt; Set Design: Peyton Proffitt and Zach Holmes; Lobby Display - Abigail Parrish and Tailer Chong; Superior Judge's Choice: Costume Design - Lacie Sepulvado; Lighting Design - Julia Prewitt; Dramaturgy: Maelbi Calderon and Jasmine Ryan.
In the category of performance awards, Panola received the following: Professor's Choice - Sarah Owens; Audience Choice - Jasmine Ryan; Excellence Judge's Choice: Justin Gonzales, Addison Pope, and Christian Kotara; Superior Judge’s Choice: Sarah Owens and Jasmine Ryan.
February 27, 2019 - The Fillies handled their business trip to Jacksonville Tuesday, beating the Lady Jaguars 87-54. After an 18-18 first quarter, the Fillies turned up the intensity in the second, scoring 25 points while holding the Lady Jaguars to just 12. The first half charge saw 10 different Fillies score.
The Fillies started the second half on a 7-0 run and never looked back. Business was handled on both ends by the Fillies in both quarters. Theywould out score the Jaguars 44-24 in the second half.
The scoring for the Fillies was very balanced with Maryia Adashchyk scoring a team high 16 points. Three other players; Falkowska (14), Barcharova (14) and Williams (12) finished in double figures.
The Fillies improve to 15-12 overall, 11-6 in conference. Panola will finish up the regular season at home against the Angelina Roadrunners Saturday, March 2nd in Carthage. The Fillies took the Roadrunners into overtime at Angelina but could not finish the game, losing 91-82 in overtime. Jolie Williams led the Fillies in scoring with 25.
Saturday will also be the Fillies Sophomore night.
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