Sports

July 30, 2019 - Parent Football Meeting August 1st, 2019 at 6:00pm at the High School. Athletes will receive equipment at this time. Football practice will begin August 5, 2019 at 5:00pm everyday until school starts.

 July 30, 2019 - Cross Country practice will begin August 1st, 2019 at 7:00am. Be sure to meet on the High School Football field.

July 22, 2019 - Volleyball and Cross Country announcements.

Volleyball - Volleyball Parent Meeting is July 26th at 6 p.m. in the HS cafeteria. It is mandatory for players and their parent/legal guardian to attend. The 2019 game schedule is attached here.

Cross Country - Coach Boone will be having an information meet for MS and HS athletes on July 24th at 6 p.m. in the High School Cafeteria.

July 20, 2019 -

Texas high school football will be starting anew as teams are allowed to start practicing on August 5 with non-contact practice. Conditioning drills will be top priority until full contact is allowed on August 10.

Dave Campbell’s Football Magazine has made bold predictions as to what local and statewide teams may do this season.

Teams can hold their first scrimmage on August 15. Their second scrimmage is slated for August 21.

The first regular season, non-district game will be between August 29-31.

The Center Roughriders are picked second for District 9-4A Division II. Jasper is picked to win the district and is ranked #2 in the state. Shepard is picked third. Huntington fourth, and Cleveland Tarkington fifth.

The Roughriders will be coached by Scott Ponder who will be looking to improve on a CHS team who went 6-5 overall last season and 3-1 in conference action. Center’s season ended when they fell in Bi-District by a 55-38 score to Liberty High School.

The ‘Riders have a veteran kicker in Alexis Lopez returning as well as Wide-outs Zacc Smith and Jakerrion Watson. Sophomore Jake Hanson will be looked at as an option at quarterbacking duties.

The Shelbyville Dragons are picked third in District 12 2A Division I. San Augustine, ranked 5 in the state is ranked #1. Groveton 2, West Sabine 4, Hull-Daisetta5, and Deweyville 6.

Coach David Benbow returns as the team comes back from a 5-6 2018 season. They went 4-1 during conference play last year but fell 49-18 to Tenaha in bi-district playoff action.

Runningbacks AJ Cartwright, Jaylon Brinson, and Kel Wilson will be looked at to pull a lot of the Dragon’s offensive load.

District 11 2A-I has Garrison picked as the number 1 team. Number 2 is Tenaha, 3 Joaquin, 4 Timpson, 5 Linden-Kildare, 6 Beckville, and 7 Harleton. Three District 11 teams are in the state’s Top 20. Garrison is ranked 8th , Tenaha 9th  and Joaquin 18th.

Robert Tamplin has taken over head coaching duty at Tenaha. The Tigers went 10-4 last season and were regional finalist. Hayden Jenkins will be looked at to quarterback and Erik Smith will be returning as receiver. Runningback Jordan Marshal will also return as an offensive weapon for the Tigers.

The Joaquin Rams, and Head Coach Wade Lawson posted a 9-3 season a year ago. Joaquin went 4-2 in conference action and were area finalist. The Rams fell 47-33 to the Carlisle Indians.

The Timpson Bears are Coached by Kerry Therwhanger. They went 4-7 (3-3) a year ago before being eliminated in bi-district with a 40-12 loss to the San Augustine Wolves.

They will be looking to linebackers Jarrett Page and Braden Courtney to help the Bear’s defense keep them in games this season. Defensive back Tre’ Davis will also be looked to for veteran leadership. 

July 18, 2019 -  Two Shelby County athletes, Kurtrick Allen and Charles Ray Netherly, will be inducted in the Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches Association (PVILCA) 2019 Hall of Honor at the Hall of Fame Banquet.

Kurtrick Allen is a 2019 Shelbyville High School graduate and a member of the 2019 2A State Basketball Championship team. Allen is being honored as one of two PVILCA Academic Athletes of the Year. During his senior year he completed in UIL placing at the district level with a 1st place on the mathematics team, number sense team, and the science team. He placed second in science and was the the 2nd place computer science team. He placed third in number sense and fifth in computer science. Advancing to the Regional Meet he was on the first place number sense team and placed 3rd in number sense individually.

Charles Ray Netherly is a 1969 East Liberty High School graduate who went to play state basketball for two consecutive years at Prairie View. During those two years he was coached by Mrs. Pinkie Atkinson and Coach Nelson. He averaged around twenty points per game he played.  Netherly’s love for basketball has never faded even after his career ended. He encourages young athletes in his community to do what they love and to never give up on their dreams. Netherly is a local Shelby County resident and is a member of the Strong Triumph Church. He volunteers his time with the “Team Quanah” organization which brings awareness for cancer. Netherly has been married to his loving wife, Dorise Netherly for 48 years and they have three children. He is being honored for PVILCA in the basketball category.

The Hall of Fame Banquet is set for Saturday, July 20th at noon in the Marriott South Hotel, 9100 Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas.

The annual event will honor 73 athletes, coaches, media, academics and community leaders.

The PVIL served as the governing body for interscholastic competition between Black high schools in Texas from 1920 to 1970. Modeling itself after the UIL, the PVIL offered Black high school students in Texas the opportunity to compete and showcase their talents in academics and athletics. Academic competitions (debating, typing, literary, band, music, etc.) were held each spring at Prairie View A&M College. The state basketball tournament was also held each February at Prairie View, followed by the state track meet each April. The New Farmers of America (NFA), an organization for students interested in a career in agriculture, held their state competitions at Prairie View each year as well.

PVILCA Inductees for 2019

PVIL Coaches
Major Abram, Houston, TX 
*James Hall/Darryl Hall (Posthumously) 
*Jesse Leonette Addison (Posthumously

Meritorious Awards
Sylvester Turner, Mayor Of Houston, TX 
Ernest Collins, Spring, TX
Rick Godfrey, Humble, TX

Media Award 
Adam Coleman, Cypress,TX

Coaches of the Year-2019
Lloyd Banks - 5A State Track Champs, Fort Bend Marshall HS
Ronnie Courtney - ProVision Academy, Houston
Damien Mobley - 3A State Basketball Champs, Dallas Madison HS
Brandon Thomas - 4A State Basketball Champs, Dallas, Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy HS
Duane Gregory - 5A State Basketball Champs, Mansfield HS
David Peavy - 6A State Basketball Champs, Duncanville HS

PVILCA Academic Athletes of the Year
Ally Henson - Yates High School, Houston, TX 
Kurtrick Allen - Shelbyville High School, Shelbyville, TX

PVILCA Athletes of the Year
Xavier Burke III-Height HS-Houston

PVIL-UIL Bridging the Gap
Kenneth Adams - Football, Los Angeles, CA
J. C. Bailey - Football, Houston, TX
Allen Batro Jr. — Basketball, Houston, TX
Leslie Jenkins - Baytown, TX
Marshall Johnson - Football, Houston, TX
James Norman - Football, Houston, TX
Philip O’Neal - Football, Texas City, TX
*Cornelius Shields/Gloria - Montgomery, TX (Posthumously)
Ken Washington - Football, Houston, TX
Curtis James Williams - Football, Houston, TX

Baseball
Phillip “Gun” Clack Jr. - Cibolo, TX
Johnny Cooper - Houston, TX
Alfonzo “Buddy” Neal - Channelview, TX 
Earlest Fontenot, Jr. - Baytown, TX

Basketball
*Everett Keith Bailey/Gary - Fort Worth, TX (Posthumously)
Fletcher Baldwin - Galveston, TX
Clarence Barnett - Houston, TX
James Thomas Bean III - Houston, TX
Jimmy Garrett - Houston, TX
Nathaniel Green - Cypress, TX
Jeffrey Hopkins - Pearland, TX
Connie Jones Jr. - Houston, TX
John Kyles - Houston, TX 
Charles Ray Netherly - Center, TX
Willie E. Porter - Houston, TX
Junious “Sleey” Simon - Houston, TX 
Viola Lewis -Tubbs - Baytown, TX

Tennis
Levi Adams - Port Arthur, TX
Carolyn Harlan Hughes - Houston, TX
Linda Simms Calhoun - Houston, TX
Vicki Claybon Sellers - Garland, TX 

Track: Freddie McCray - Jasper, TX
Trainer: Dalton Sistrunk - Edgecliff, TX

Football: 
Robert Bonner - Stafford, TX
Donald Ray Burn - Houston, TX 
Lonnie Fomby - Galveston, TX
Shelly Franklin - Arlington, TX
Andy Hopkins/Ann - Missouri City, TX
Earnest Jackson - Livingston, TX
Jerry Jones - Arlington, TX
Jack E. Lane - Jasper, TX
*Dumas Lang/Gary Lang - Houston, TX (Posthumously)
Jerry McCoy - Dallas, TX
Lee Andrew McDade - Fort Worth, TX
Robert Miller — Houston, TX
Art “Pearly” Perkins - Los Angeles, CA
Adley Richard - Houston, TX
Clay Roland - Dale, TX
Carrol “Butch” Thomas - Spring, TX
Tommie Thompson - New Caney, TX
Lawrence “Shorter Pig” Twine - Missouri City, TX
Sherley Ray Walke - Fresno, CA
Bryan White - Lawrenceville, Ga.
Robert L. White Sr. - Houston, TX
James Williams - Houston, TX
Norman G. Williams Sr./Norman Jr. - Houston, TX
Harold “Bulldog” Willis - Houston, TX

July 18, 2019 - Football season is approaching and Joaquin ISD has released their 2019 composite football schedule. The rams first scrimmage will be August 16 against Elysian Fields.  Click here to see the schedule. 

Longview, Saturday, July 14, 2019 –

(Photo Album)

The Center AAA Dixie League Boy’s Baseball team has earned themselves a state championship by ending last weekend’s tournament with one-run wins over the hometown Longview team. Center won both games (14-13, 11-10) of a best-of-three game series to determine the tourney’s champion.

Head Coach Robby Dubea said, “We hit the ball extremely well. Our team has played together since T-ball. These are great kids and a close-knit group with awesome chemistry. We play August 3, 2019 in Ruston, La. Our first game will be at 5:45 p.m. We appreciate everyone’s support and look forward to making more memories.“

The Texas AAA Champions will be looking to bring the interstate championship back to Center by winning the tournament that lasts from August 3-8. The team will soon be announcing fundraisers which will help them with team expenses.

Center Lions Ballpark, Saturday, July 6, 2019 -

(Photo Album)

Dozens of Dixie League baseball teams from Texas are competing in Center this weekend during state playoff elimination action at Center’s Lions Club Ballpark. Teams include: Center, Panola County, EMC, Onalaska, Kilgore, Willis, Bullard, Liberty, Central, Fairfield, Trinity, Overton, Tri-Cities, Anahuac, Livingston, Splendora, Huntington, Cleveland, and Bullard.

Two teams from Center played late on Saturday. Center faced Panola in the 2019 Ozone South Regional State Tournament but fell 10-1. Center’s 2019 AAA South team faced Kilgore in the Region I State Tournament. They trailed until the final out but tied things up and won after exploding in a seventh inning rally which gave them a 19-8 win.

Action continues in Center on Sunday until the winners of the three tournaments are determined.

Center Lions Ballpark, Sunday, June 30, 2019 –

(Photo Album)

Center is now in the third day of baseball tournament games being held by the Dixie League Organization. Although conditions have been wet, Center Dixie League is hosting the state elimination games for T-Ball and Coach-Pitch Division I and Division II teams. Teams included in the tournament action are Center, Shelbyville, Tatum, Henderson, Arp, Nacogdoches, Henderson, EMC, Kilgore, Tarkington, Twin County, Cleveland, Hudson, Dayton, Livingston, Cold Springs, Malakoff, Fairfield, Anahuac, Central, West Rusk, Shepard and Chapel Hill. Tournament activities started on Friday and will continue on till Monday July 1, 2019.

The field of teams have been narrowing as teams get eliminated. The intensity is increasing as the stakes are getting bigger and teams work towards the trophy rounds of competition.

Center Lion’s Ballpark Complex, Saturday, June 29, 2019 –

(Photo Album)

Center is full swing with families who are here for baseball tournaments being held by the Dixie League Organization. Center Dixie League is hosting the state elimination games for T-Ball and Coach-Pitch Division I and Division II teams. Teams included in the tournament action are Center, Shelbyville, Tatum, Henderson, Arp, Nacogdoches, Henderson, EMC, Kilgore, Tarkington, Twin County, Cleveland, Hudson, Dayton, Livingston, Cold Springs, Malakoff, Fairfield, Anahuac, Central, West Rusk, Shepard and Chapel Hill. Tournament activities started on Friday and will continue on till Monday July 1, 2019.

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