Shelby County Today

November 14, 2016 – The Panola College men’s basketball team went 1-2 this weekend in the Midland Classic hosted by Midland College. After this weekend’s play Panola’s record is 3-2. “We hit about as much as adversity as you can in a three day span.” Stated Head Coach Grant McMillan. “Playing three high quality opponents this early in the year will only help us when we get into league play.” He added.

Game 1 – Phoenix College

The opening game of the tournament features Panola and fifth ranked Phoenix College. Using solid defense, the Ponies took a 13 point lead with just under 6:00 minutes remaining in the first half. After back to back turnovers, Phoenix College cut the lead to 37-32 heading into the locker rooms. The second half Phoenix College used hot shooting from the three point line, netting 10 total, to take command of the game. Phoenix extended the lead by as much as 11 points in the second half before the Ponies cut the lead to four with under two minutes left. Panola could not get any closer. Phoenix won, 80-73.

Leading the way for Panola was Tope Arikawe who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Marlon Taylor recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Eric McGill netted 10 points. Devyn Wilson came off the bench and tallied 14 points. Panola was ice cold from three as they shot 2 for 26 from the game.

Game 2 – Sunrise Christian

Game two featured Sunrise Christian, one of the top rated prep schools in the country with six division-one signees. A see-saw battle in the first half left Panola trailing 34-28. Panola came out fighting in the second half as both teams exchanged blows all half long. Panola finally took the lead with 19 seconds remaining in the game on a Marlon Taylor layup. Sunrise went down and converted on a traditional three point play to take a two point lead. Panola had a chance to tie the game or take the lead but never got a shot off. Sunrise won by a final tally of 73-72.

Arikawe had another monster game with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Wilson and Taylor were both in double figures with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Panola had a season high 19 offensive rebounds in the game and but only shot 39 percent from the field.

Game 3 – Midland College

The final game of the tournament Panola faced Region V foe, Midland College. Panola came out to a 20-14 lead before an injury timeout led to a 25 minute delay. With the game resumed, neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way. Midland led at halftime 35-33. The heated contest saw 23 lead changed and 11 ties. Panola had a one point led when Midland converted an offensive rebound to regain the lead 72-71 with 30 seconds remaining. Marlon Taylor was fouled on a shot attempt with .8 seconds in the game. Taylor made both free throws and Midland never got a shot off as the Ponies won 73-72.

Eric McGill was high point man with 17 points. TJ Killings had 12 points of the bench. Taylor and Chan Williams Bey scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Arikawe chased down 10 rebounds. As a team, the Ponies shot 91 percent from the free throw line and netted eight three-pointers.

Panola will next be in action this upcoming Tuesday when they host Houston-Tomball. Tip-off is set for 7:30 in the Arthur Johnson Gymnasium on the campus of Panola College.

November 11, 2016 - The Panola College Choral Department hosted Region 3 Texas Two Year College All State Choral Auditions on Friday, November 4, 2016 in the Raymond Rhea Fine Arts Building.  Eight Panola College students, the maximum number allowed per school by the organization, earned a chair in the All State Choir. 

Students will perform in the Texas Two Year College All State Choir Concert on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. under the direction of Dr. Richard Bjella.  The concert will be held in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio as part of the Texas Music Educators Convention. 

November 7, 2016 - For the first time since 2009, the Panola College Fillies are headed back to the NJCAA National Tournament. PC punched their ticket by taking down Lee College, 15th ranked Wharton County, and #14 San Jacinto College.

 
Panola swept host Lee College in the opening match of the weekend (25-20, 25-19, 25-19). Offensively, freshman outside Jaqueline da Silva led with 8 kills, followed by a trio of hitters (freshman right side Kaitlin Adams, sophomore outside Victoria Baptista, and freshman middle blocker Barbara Sabino) all adding 6 apiece. Freshman setters Kinly Carter and Cayman Sutton dished out 16 and 15 assists, respectively.

Sophomore libero Morgan Currie led the defense with 16 digs, with da Silva adding 6. Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Henderson dominated the net picking up 6 total blocks, while Adams and Sabino each added 4.
 
The win over Lee set up a rematch with Wharton County and resulted in another sweep for the Fillies (25-22, 25-18, 25-22). Barbara Sabino led the way with 8 kills, Jaqueline da Silva picked up 7, and Kaitlyn Adams and freshman right side Saadia Sahadeo added 6 apiece. Cayman Sutton and Kinly Carter dished out 16 and 13 assists each with Carter also adding two aces.

Adams and Sabino came up big at the net with 5 blocks apiece with Rachel Henderson and Sahadeo adding 3 each. Morgan Currie picked up 10 digs and 4 key aces, da Silva 8 digs and Baptista 7.
 
In the Region XIV Tournament championship match Panola took down San Jacinto College in four sets (25-21, 22-25, 29-27, 26-24). It was an epic battle that saw 27 tie scores and 10 lead changes.

The trio of Jaqueline da Silva, Victoria Baptista, and Kaitlyn Adams pounded out 15, 14, and 11 kills apiece, with Rachel Henderson adding 9 and Barbara Sabino 6. Cayman Sutton and Kinly Carter set up the offense with 29 and 25 assists, respectively. Sutton also added 8 digs and Carter picked up 3 aces.

Libero Morgan Currie racked up a match-high 26 digs, da Silva picked up 16 of her own, and Baptista added 10. Sabino tallied 9 total blocks, Baptista added 5, and Henderson 3.
 
For their efforts over the weekend, freshman middle blocker Barbara Sabino was voted an All-Tournament selection while sophomore outside Victoria Baptista was named Most Valuable Player.
 
With the victory, the top-ranked Fillies advance to the NJCAA National Tournament in Casper, Wyoming November 17-19.  

November 2, 2016 - Students from Ann Boland's art classes, Teresa Beasley's communication classes, and Dr. Kathy Watlington's Spanish classes traveled to Shreveport on Thursday, Oct. 27, to tour the R.W. Norton Art Gallery.

Boland wrote a grant that was funded by the Panola College Foundation to provide Panola College students with a museum experience. The Norton collection includes more than 400 paintings by more than 100 artists, dating from the Renaissance to present day. The museum includes The Classical Influence, the Journey to Modernism, A Century of Turmoil - Europe in the 19th Century, a Fairy Tale Gallery for children, From Rebirth to Enlightenment: Europe from the 14th to 18th Century, Candle in the Dark, Origins of Western Art, Mind of the Artist, Louisiana Collections, The Persuasion of the Portrait, Visions of America, The Icon and Iconographer, American Art History, Soldiers and Statesman, Inventing the West, Living in America, a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, Landscape Movement - the Hudson River School, Firearms Collection, Views of the World, The Gray/Blumenstiel Doll Collection, and The Natural World. On loan to the museum are visiting exhibits of photographs from early New Orleans called "Scarlett Passions" and posters from World War I, an exhibit entitled "Art Goes to War."

The Norton also features 43 landscaped acres with paved trails, outdoor sculptures, water gardens and more than 10,000 plants.

The Norton, located at 4747 Creswell Ave., is free and open to the public. No photography is allowed in the Museum and Gardens without educational purpose and special, advance permission. Find out more at the museum's website: www.rwnaf.org.

Participating students included Jennifer Aguirre, Ibrahim (Demola) Akande, Alma Angeles, Tarsheanna Bauer, Haley Bridges, Hannah Cortinas, Aletha Cotton, Jake Craig, Nicholas Crowe, Anna Crumbie, Abriea Deckard, Julissa Dejulian, Daria Eremeeva, Brittany Fendall, Jessica Gehrts, Monique Glasper, Lorena Gonsalez, Alec Humphries, Lashekia Johnson, Brittany Lawrence, Destini McClary, ShaBrittney Menefee, Esther Oderinde, Diana Perez, Charlynn Perry, Edgar Pineda, Angela Rabon, Sara Randall, Paola Rangel, Kyana Reagan, Dorleen Rogers, Estefani Salgado, Mia Sartor, Mary Ella Sherman, Samuel Slone, Wendy Spence, Jamecia Taylor, George Valdez, Pablo Valdez, Nancy Vang, Stacy Vang, Lyndsay Webb, Wanda Weeks, Kyla Whitaker, Lauran Williams, and Maddy Youngblood.