2012 fall sports kickoff

2012Fall Sports

• Navasota Rattlers

• Anderson-Shiro Owls

• Iola Bulldogs

• Football

• Volleyball

• Can The Rattlers get past the third round?

• How will Anderson-Shiro fare in their first year?

• Iola football aims to end playoff drought

• Will Iola volleyball get back to state?

• New volleyball coach Kallie Pence and Navasota

From left: Navasota’s returning all-state players Jake Bauer, Solomon McGinty, Jaylyin Minor, Will Imhoff, Kadarius Baker and Austin Collins

2 Fall Sports Kickoff — www.navasotaexaminer.com August 29, 2012

August 29, 2012 Fall Sports Kickoff — www.navasotaexaminer.com 3


Navasota Rattlers Football ScheduleAugust 31

at Willis7:30 p.m., Wildkat Stadium

Nickname: Wildkats

Enrollment: 1,797

District: 18-4A

September 7

vs Coldspring7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Trojans

Enrollment: 540

District: 22-3A

**Homecoming**

September 14

vs Houston Sterling7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Raiders

Enrollment: 975

District: 23-3A

September 21

vs Lexington7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Eagles

Enrollment: 268

District: 14-2A Div. II

September 28

at Fairfield7:30 p.m., Eagle Stadium

Nickname: Eagles

Enrollment: 490

District: 19-3A

October 5

vs Austin McCallum7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Knights

Enrollment: 1,763

District: 26-4A

October 12

at Madisonville7:30 p.m., Mustang Stadium

Nickname: Mustangs

Enrollment: 613

District: 18-3A

October 26

vs Rockdale7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Tigers

Enrollment: 474

District: 18-3A

November 2

at Caldwell7:30 p.m., Hornet Stadium

Nickname: Hornets

Enrollment: 538

District: 18-3A

November 9

vs Taylor7:30 p.m., Rattler Stadium

Nickname: Ducks

Enrollment: 882

District: 18-3A


Navasota Rattlers2012 Schedule

Aug. 31 at WillisSept. 7 Coldspring-Oakhurst

Sept. 14 Houston Sterling (H)

Sept. 21 Lexington

Sept. 28 at FairfieldOct. 5 Austin McCallum

Oct. 12 at Madisonville*Oct. 19 OPENOct. 26 Rockdale*

Nov. 2 at Caldwell*Nov. 9 Taylor*

H — Homecoming* District 18-3A gameAll games start at 7:30 p.m.

2011 ResultsMadisonville W 40-7Willis L 28-35Bryan Rudder W 31-7Cameron Yoe W 42-21Wharton W 54-0Rockdale W 53-14LaGrange W 27-26Caldwell W 52-14Smithville W 47-18Giddings W 27-16

Playoffs

Sealy W 40-13Huffman Hargrave W 44-3Tyler Chapell Hill L 46-56

Experience, youth couldpropel Rattlers in 2012

AP PreseasonClass 3A Rankings

School (1st-Place Votes) Points1. Stephenville (15) 2272. La Marque (5) 2023. Carthage (2) 1674. Coldspring-Oakhurst (1) 130T5. Navasota (1) 125

T5. Wimberley (1) 1257. Argyle 89 8. Waco La Vega 74T9. Alvarado 42T9. Celina 42

Others receiving votes: Henderson36. Tyler Chapel Hill 32. Gilmer 32.Monahans 14. West Columbia 13.Sealy 9. Bellville 6. Abilene Wylie 5.Kennedale 2. Kilgore 2. Melissa 1.

By Scott McDonald

Examiner publisher

The Navasota football program

earned its respect over the last five

years. Now the Rattlers want to put a

big, fat exclamation point on it.

Five straight years of state quar-

terfinal appearances may suffice for

some programs. But for Navasota, get-

ting past the third round and playing

in December has become an almost

Herculean task. A task that this year’s

squad has embellished.

“Our kids have set the bar for

the program, and they always want to

do better than the year before,” head

coach Lee Fedora said.

Most of this year’s team can

only better themselves as much of last

year’s team that lost to eventual state

champion Tyler Chapel Hill in the

state quarterfinal are back — six of

them named all-state last year.

And like most years, the state

championship will most likely run

through East Texas, which has become

the proverbial gauntlet for Class 3A.

Navasota gets two old foes in

Madisonville and Taylor back in the

district while keeping Rockdale and

Caldwell. Gone are Giddings, La

Grange and Smithville.

The non-district schedule could-

n’t be much tougher as the Rattlers

open at Class 4A Willis — which

handed Navasota its only regular sea-

son loss last season. Navasota, ranked

No. 5 in the Associated Press Class 3A

state poll, will face No. 4 Coldspring-

Oakhurst in the second game at home.

After a homecoming game with Hous-

ton Sterling, which just dropped to

3A, the Rattlers will host perennial 2A

powerhouse Lexington before travel-

ing to Fairfield, which went 10-1 last

year.

Class 4A McCallum from the

Austin ISD comes to Navasota before

District 18-3A starts Oct. 19 in Madis-

onville.

With Taylor back in the district,

Navasota has a chance to go Division

II in the playoffs — that is, if Taylor

makes the playoffs. Awaiting in Re-

gion III Division II will eventually be

La Marque, which finished in the top

10 in 4A last year before dropping to

3A in realignment. La Marque is out-

numbered in its district by West Co-

lumbia.

Should the Rattlers go Division

I, they would most likely face [presea-

son No. 8] Waco La Vega in the first

round and then No. 3 Carthage in the

second round.

But if there’s any year for the

Rattlers to finally get over that quar-

terfinal hump, this could be the one. A

slew of talent returns on both sides of

the ball, a stable of young, fast horses

are now sophomores and on the var-

sity roster, and Navasota has hired so

many coaches who used to be at A&M

Consolidated that one hopes they

show up at Rattler Stadium instead of

Tiger Stadium in College Station.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2012

Rattlers by position:

Quarterback

The biggest question mark at

this position is who’ll be the backup.

Kadarius Baker returns for his senior

season after completing an all-time

performance for the Rattler program.

As a junior, he threw for 3,074 yard

and 40 touchdowns against just three

interceptions. He’s got several col-

leges looking at him, and he’s gotten

stronger and, unbelievably, more accu-

rate in the offseason. And to top it off,

his top three receivers and one of his

running backs return. Baker was a

first-team all-state quarterback by the

Associated Press, and an all-state pick

in every other major outlet.

Sophomores Keyshawn Philio

and Davon Jernigan are pushing each

other for the backup role. Philio and

Jernigan will also get looks on de-

fense.

Examiner photo by Scott McDonald

Navasota quarterback Kadarius Baker (15) rushes for a touchdown againstTyler Chapel Hill in last year’s state quarterfinal. Baker, an all-state selectionlast season, threw for 40 touchdowns. The Rattlers will look to him again to leadthem to a deep playoff run.


Running Back

Senior Howard Horn is a return-

ing starter, and he’s already getting

pushed in practice by speedy sopho-

mores Lamarquis Jefferson and Der-

rion Randle. Jefferson was the JV

quarterback last year and Randle was

the standout running back on the

freshman squad last season. Both

were called up to varsity for the play-

offs. Senior Xavier Creeks also re-

turns to get carries in the backfield,

but will be primarily used as a safety

or cornerback on defense.

Wide Receiver

The Rattlers run three receiver

sets, and they’re three deep at each

one. Solomon McGinty is a returning

all-state performer, and fellow senior

Austin Collins put up similar numbers

to McGinty last season. Both re-

ceivers got even better over the off-

season while leading Navasota to the

state semifinals in the state 7-on-7

tournament. Joining them will be sen-

ior Demarcus Lee, junior Deionnte

Taylor, senior Keyone Johnson, Lee

Walla and Jerbrell Lipscomb.

Fedora said pass catching isn’t

the only thing that’ll help determine

playing time, but finishing routes and

getting good downfield blocking will

be keys as well. Fedora said that many

of them could see more playing time

than usual because McGinty and

Collins will most likely get their in-

game breathers on offense as they’re

both starters on defense.

Offensive Line

This position had question

marks coming into the season. Big

ones. And one big fellow —Caleb

McKeown — moved in from Okla-

homa. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound, sen-

ior is expected to play left tackle, but

Fedora said McKeown must learn the

speed of the game, something he’ll get

plenty of practice doing as he lines up

in practice everyday against the

speedy defensive end Jake Bauer, who

was first-team all-state last year. Sen-

ior Jeremiah Williams will back up

McKeown.

Senior Bo Meece returns from

last year’s injury and will play left

guard as will junior Jordan Wells.

Senior Kyle Duffy will play center,

senior Tyler White will play right

guard and sophomore Michael Coffey

will get broken in at right tackle.

Ronald Brown, Cody Nichols and Jor-

dan Birdwell will also see time on the

line.

Defensive Line

The Rattlers will have plenty of

depth at this position — but with

speed rather than bulky size. Jake

Bauer is a returning first-team all-state

defensive end. Jordan Birdwell,

Desmond Calhoun, Anthony Small,

Lee Walla, Howard Horn, Jordan

Wells and Cody Nichols could all see

time on the defensive line. Linebacker

Jaylyin Minor could also shift down

to play a lineman position if the Rat-

tlers opt to play a five-man set on the

line. Minor played defensive line on

the varsity his sophomore year, but

was an all-state linebacker his junior

year.

Linebackers

The heart of the defense will

also be the toughest. Two of the three

— Jaylyin Minor and Will Imhoff —

were all state last year, and the other

— Solomon McGinty — can fly to the

ball. All three are ball hawks who can

make the big hit or a big interception.

McGinty and Minor each scored

touchdowns in the state quarterfinal

on defense. Imhoff had two big inter-

ceptions last year against Cameron to

seal the game. Sophomore Coy Imhoff

has been brought up to varsity this

year to get reps.

Defensive Backs

Seniors Xavier Creeks and

Austin Collins solidify the safety posi-

tions, and they’re pushed by sopho-

mores Devan Jernigan and Lamarquis

Jefferson. Creeks was named all-state

last year. Deionnte Taylor and Jerbrell

Lipscomb will see time at cornerback.

Special Teams

Sophomore Michel Martinez

will handle the kicking duties after a

stellar job last year on JV. Fedora said

Martinez “is hitting the ball well.”

Junior Yovani Urbano will han-

dle the punting. Fedora said Urbano,

who’s coming over from the soccer

team, has 50-yard range, and will also

get some looks on the defensive line.


1 — Keyone Johnson 2 — Austin Collins 3 — Jerbrell Lipscomb 4 — Franterric Powell 5 — Derrion Randle

6 — Deionnte Taylor 7 — Darius Mallard 8 — Xavier Creeks 9 — Davon Jernigan 10 — Demarcus Lee


11 — Desmond Calhoun 12 — Solomon McGinty 15 — Kadarius Baker 17 — Terrance Creeks 19 — Lamarquis Jefferson

20 — Ricky Coffey 22 — Anthony Small 25 — Howard Horn 29 — Keyshawn Philio 32 — Jake Bauer


33 — Jaylyin Minor 36 — Christian Taylor 40 — Hunter Sparkman 44 — Will Imhoff 45 — Coy Imhoff

49 — Kevin Harris 50 — Jordan Birdwell 52 — Dustin Savensky 55 — Caleb McKeown 57 — Ronald Brown


58 — Kyle Duffy 68 — Jordan Wells 70 — Michael Coffey 72 — Jeremiah Williams 76 — Cody Nichols

77 — Tyler White 79 — Bo Meece 80 — Yovani Urbano 84 — Lee Walla 99 — Michael Martinez


1 — Ynesha Franklin

Navasota Lady Rattlers Volleyball

5 — D’Lynn Sechelski

8 — Maribel Murillo

12 — Alexis Davis

2 — Marina Castillo

6 — Mesha Douglas

10 — LeeAnn Peacock

13 — Nesha Douglas

4 — Kaitlin Meshke

7 — Amber Zaragoza

11 — ReAna McNeal

14 — Kuitesha Maxey 15 — Lanell Hayes

2012 ScheduleDate Opponent TimeAug. 14 vs Porter 7:00Aug. 16-18 Columbus Tournament Aug. 20 Rudder 5:30Aug. 21 at Hempstead 7:00Aug. 23, 25 Bellville TournamentAug. 28 BCA 6:00Aug. 31 Fayetteville 5:00Sept. 4 Lexington 7:00Sept. 6, 8 Hayes TournamentSept. 11 at Anderson 7:00Sept. 18 at Fayetteville 5:00Sept. 21 Rockdale* 5:30Sept. 25 Madisonville* 7:00Sept. 28 at Taylor* TBAOct. 2 at College Station*6:00Oct. 5 Caldwell* 5:30Oct. 9 at Rockdale* 7:00Oct. 12 at Madisonville* 4:30Oct. 16 Taylor* 7:00Oct. 19 College Station* 7:00Oct. 23 at Caldwell* TBA

* District 18-3A Game

Girls Coordinator: Tommy Gates

Volleyball Staff: Kallie Pence, Lisa Marek, Jennifer Briggs, Austin Johnston


NHS looks to bring the game up a notchBy Scott McDonald

Examiner publisher

The first day of volleyball prac-tice for Navasota was all fun andgames. And that included the crunchesand up downs.

First-year head coach KalliePence turned every drill into a game —including a point system. For everyserve that landed inside the back cor-ner, for example, that player earnedfour points. A deep middle serve gotthem three points, and a serve just overthe net got points. Floating serves gotzero points and net serves got negativepoints. The players added up theirpoints, did quick subtraction in theirheads with Pence’s direction, and thatlet them know how many crunchesthey had to do.

“I’m all about competing,” Pencesaid. “It works out easier when yougive the girls a goal to work for. We’resetting our standards and goals in prac-tice.”

Pence said the squad will “workon the little things, and that repetition

is paramount in developing skill.”There was even a point system forgood passes and good sets.

“In practice she puts us in real-game situations,” senior co-captainD’Lynn Sechelski said. “Coach Pencehas made a difference in our turnaround and our attitude.”

The fruits of their labor looked topay off early as the Lady Rattlers sweptBrookshire Royal that same week in ascrimmage. Navasota served betterthan they had in the past, and theirpassing and hitting looked crisper thanit had at any time last year.

And the girls are having fundoing it.

“I enjoy everything about thecoach, our practices and the program,”said senior Lanell Hayes, the other co-captain. “Last year was more mentalthan anything.”

Mental errors are also addressedin practice. During one particular drillthat first week, players served the ballto defenders who awaited it so theycould work on a passing drill. If play-ers served the ball into the net in back-to-back serves, then the whole teamhad to line up and run sprints.

“We don’t serve the ball into thenet back-to-back times,” Pence yelledat the players as they hustled past her.“You’re just giving the other team easypoints.”

And taking over the Navasotavolleyball program isn’t an easy task.The Lady Rattlers haven’t won a dis-trict match in four years. The matcheslast year weren’t even close. Two yearsago Navasota held a two-set lead overRockdale in the season finale beforethe Lady Tigers roared back to take the

next three. That’s about as close asNavasota got to winning a districtgame in the last two years. Pence is theprogram’s third coach in as manyyears, and she knows the job will betough, but she sets lofty goals.

“When I was in college we went2-22 my freshman year, and our coachtaught us to compete and keep workinghard no matter what happened,” saidPence, who started all four years atRutgers University — the first two as asetter and the other two as libero. “Iwant our team to learn how to set goalsand lay the foundation for the futurewe have in this program.”

The foundation of the defense isjunior libero Reana McNeal.

“She’s one of the best highschool liberos I’ve seen,” Pence said.

Sechelski said McNeal is “a re-ally good defensive player.”

The offense can either go as a 6-2 with Sechelski and junior LeeAnnPeacock as setters, or it can go to a 5-1,which they did against Porter in theseason opener with Peacock as the pri-mary setter.


“LeeAnn has a really goodgrasp of our offense,” Pence said.Plus, that opens up Sechelski for hit-ting on the outside. Pence said, “D’-Lynn has a great floor presence andis a good leader on the court.”

Pence continued to say thatNesha Douglas is consistent in themiddle and Hayes is consistent onthe outside. Kaitlin Meschke has oneof the toughest serves — very goodat hitting those spots that get highpoint values in practice. AgainstBrookshire, Meschke brought theteam back with her serves in two ofthe three sets. Pence added that Ma-rina Castillo is a newcomer who’scoming on strong.

The goals are set for this Rat-tler volleyball squad, and it’s not tojust win a district game.

“Playoffs,” Lanell Hayes said.“That’s the goal.”

District 18-3A starts Sept. 21at home against Rockdale.

2012-13 Navasota DiamoNettes

Fourth Row (from left): Amber Alvarez, Maria Alvarez, Lillia Velasquez, Jasmine Lopez, Cortney Alaro, Diana Dios-

dado, Irian Garcia, Meghan Mock, Daisy Mora, and Alyssa Flores; Third Row (from left): Gladys Lopez, Lourdes Ruval-

caba, Taylor Torres, Devyn Falkenbury, Taylor Evans, Rebecca White, and Shelby Kolek; Second Row (from left):

Marleigha McGinty, Harley Mullenix, Berenice Vasquez, Hallie Alexander, Harley Valadez, and Araceli Llanas;

First Row: Gracie Mock, Allison Terrell, and Lourdes Rodriguez.


Navasota varsity Cheerleaders

2012-2013 Varsity Cheer

1st Row L to R: Samaria Wesley,

Elena Alfaro, Brittany Johnson -

Asst. Head, Bailey Sharp - Head,

Te'Aeric Lattimore, Swacie

Meekins

2nd Row L to R: Kaitlyn Strode,

Kuitesha Maxey, Aldolfo Reyes -

Mascot, Taylor Clark, Carolina

Sanchez

Standing: Cheer Managers - Sid-

ney Abney, Holly Ybarra

Photo by Sarah Shalley


Anderson-Shiro Owls Football ScheduleAugust 31

at Somerville7:30 p.m., Yegua Stadium

Nickname: Yeguas

Enrollment: 142


September 7

at Central TX Christian

7:30 p.m., Knight Stadium

Nickname: Knights

Enrollment: N/A

District: TAPPS DIII-4

September 14

at Wallis Brazos7:30 p.m., Cougar Stadium

Nickname: Cougars

Enrollment: 254


September 21

at Iola7:30 p.m., Bulldog Stadium

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment: 164

District: 11-1A Div. I

September 28

at Brazos Christian7:30 p.m., Eagle Stadium

Nickname: Eagles

Enrollment: N/A


October 12

at Hemphill7:30 p.m., Hornet Stadium

Nickname: Hornets

Enrollment: 267


October 19

at Deweyville7:30 p.m., Pirate Stadium

Nickname: Pirates

Enrollment: 201


October 25

vs New Waverly7:30 p.m., at Iola

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment: 296


November 2

at Groveton7:30 p.m., Indians Stadium

Nickname: Indians

Enrollment: 204


November 9

vs Corrigan-Camden7:30 p.m., at Iola

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment: 277


Anderson-Shiro will play its home games at Bulldog Stadium in Iola


Anderson-Shiro Owls2012 Schedule

Aug. 31 at SomervilleSept. 7 at Central TX Christian

Sept. 14 at Wallis BrazosSept. 21 at IolaSept. 28 at Brazos ChristianOct. 5 OPENOct. 12 at Hemphill*Oct. 19 at Deweyville*Oct. 26 New Waverly*

Nov. 2 at Groveton*Nov. 9 Corrigan-Camden*

* District 12-2A Division II gameAll games start at 7:30 p.m.Both home games will be played atIola High School

Owls ready for nightlife


School (1st-Place Votes) Points1. Refugio (17) 2172. Cameron Yoe (3) 1763. Daingerfield (3) 1664. Newton (1) 1525. Lexington 1256. Tatum 1197. Cisco 1068. Wall 73 9. Hempstead (1) 51 10. Muleshoe 39

Others receiving votes: Arp 38. Corsi-cana Mildred 30. East Bernard 23.Crockett 15, Littlefield 11. Rogers 11.Franklin 8. 18, Garrison 6. Clarksville2. Commerce 2. Elysian Fields 1.Idalou 1. New Boston 1.

By Scott McDonald

Examiner publisher

Owls hoot at night.

This year, the Anderson-Shiro

Owls will play at night — under the

Friday night lights of Texas high

school football.

For the first time in school his-

tory, there will be an 11-man varsity

football team in Anderson. Though

none of the games will be played on

the campus at A-S, there’s an excite-

ment building around the players and

coaches.

“This means a lot. We’re making

history,” said Ryan Walkoviak, a sen-

ior lineman for the Owls.

He’s right. The Owls are unde-

feated in their history. And they’ve yet

to win a game.

They’ll notch a mark in either

the win or loss column when they

travel to Somerville Aug. 31 for the

program’s first game.

The excitement won’t just be

among the players and coaches,

though. It’ll most likely resonate

throughout the school and the entire

community.

“Our kids understand there’s

more riding on it this year,” head

coach Dwayne Ross said. “But it does-

n’t affect just our kids. It affects the

fans, the band, cheerleaders, the vol-

leyball schedule and all students in the

school.”

It means Fridays will feel much

more different than Thursday JV game

days did the last few years when the

Owls played a JV schedule against

some varsity teams and other JV

squads.

“I think it’ll step up a notch

around here,” Ross said.

Anderson just missed the Class

1A cutoff by less than five students.

So instead of being one of the largest

Class 1A schools in the state, it’s one

of the smallest 2A schools in Texas.

That, and the fact the school has no

history in varsity football, is why

every statewide magazine picked the

Owls to finish last in District 12-2A

Division II.

“People will think we’re going

to be a bad team, but we’re going to be

a team to reckon with,” junior lineman

Kevin Woods said.

The reckoning will start with a

beefy offensive line that could be the

heart of the offense.

“It starts with the line,”

Walkoviak said.

Woods agreed, saying the line

“is big and smart and adjusts quickly.”

“I think we’re the most impor-

tant, but we’ll be the most over-

looked,” Woods said.

The line has one senior, a junior,

two freshmen and a sophomore.

Walkoviak (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) will

play left tackle and be the main cog

protecting quarterback John McDon-

ald’s back. A pair of freshmen — Sam

McClosky (6-0, 240) and Jackson Car-

rell (6-1, 275) — will be at the guard

positions. Kevin Woods (5-10, 190)

will play center while the right tackle

position will be played by sophomores

Kelton Goudeau (6-1, 215) and Brady

Derrett (6-0, 195).

McDonald has a solid grasp of

the offense, Ross said. And like quar-

terbacks in the two previous JV sea-

sons, McDonald is making the switch

from receiver to quarterback.

Junior wide receiver Derreck

Sicola is a playmaker at wide receiver,

and senior Jamal Brooks and freshman

Daylan Williams have split running

back duties.

In all, there are seven freshmen

and four sophomores on this year’s in-

augural varsity squad.

Many players will see time on

both sides of the ball, as depth is a key

issue with this year’s team, including

the linemen and backs.

The Owls will get tested both in

the field and on a bus as every game is

on the road. The closet trip will be to

Iola — where they will play three

times. A-S will play in Iola on Sept.

21 for the Bulldogs’ homecoming.

Bulldog Stadium will also be Ander-

son’s home field against New Waverly

and Corrigan Camden in district play.

The rest of the games are out of

the county, including the first two dis-

trict games against Hemphill and

Deweyville, which are each more than

160 miles away from Anderson.

Team captains

The players and coaches selected

their captains before the season

started. They are senior Ryan

Walkoviak, junior Kevin Woods, jun-

ior John McDonald and junior Derreck

Sicola.


The Owl defense, shown here against Milano in a scrimmage last week, will beunder the spotlight this fall in their first-ever varsity season.


1 — Jacob Sechelski 2 — Jamal Brooks 3 — John McDonald 4 — Jordan Brooks 8 — Brian Pursley

12 — Trevor Johnson 15 — Derreck Sicola 17 — Chad Kowis 19 — Artreal Ostiguin 20 — Sam Ruffino

No Photo

Available


21 — Cole Hacker 25 — Dakota Yargo 27 — Daylan Williams 40 — Payton Sorsby 44 — Anthony Woods

50 — Nick Borski 52 — Ray Smith 54 — Ryan Walkoviak 62 — Kevin Woods 64 — Kelton Goudeau

65 — Trey Krause 66 — Sam McClosky

75 — Brady Derrett 79 — Jackson Carrell


1 — Ashton Washington

Anderson-Shiro Lady Owls Volleyball

2 — Audrey Moody 4 — Candice Walkoviak 6 — Crystal Serres 8 — Brennan Imhoff

9 — Kelsey Coronado 12 — Payten Day 14 — Jasmine Spinks 21 — Taylor Mason 23 — Karlie Young


Lady Owls on the defensive in 2012By Nicole WilcoxExaminer Reporter

The Anderson-Shiro Lady Owlsare seeing changes this season that couldhelp them reach the playoffs for the 14thconsecutive year. The lack of unity lastseason was offset by the abundance ofskill, allowing the Lady Owls to makethe playoffs but unable to advance veryfar.

Based on recent scrimmages andpractices, it’s clear that this probablywon’t be a problem for the Lady Owls inthe 2012 season.

“The team is really unified thisyear and doing well,” said junior liberoTaylor Mason.

The team is going to need unifica-tion this year with the loss of five sen-iors, who helped bring the kill averageto 8.7 per game in 2011. The Lady Owlsmay have lost five seniors, but they stillhave eight returning letterman who cando a lot of things defensively that werenot an option in years past.

“We are not as powerful at puttingthe ball away this year,” said head coachCody Hassell. “But we are going to frus-

DATE OPPONENT TIME

August 11 @ Giddings (scrimmage) 10:00

August 14 @ Huffman (dual) TBA

August 16-18 @ Fairfield Tournament TBA

August 21 Burton 4:30

August 23-25 @ Schulenburg Tournament TBA

August 24 @ Navasota 4:00

August 25-27 @ Centerville Tournament TBA

August 28 @ Normangee 5:00

August 30 Rockdale Tournament TBA

August 31 Alpha Omega 5:00

September 1 Rockdale Tournament TBA

September 4 @ Snook 5:00

September 7 @ Burton 4:30

September 8 @ Franklin Tournament TBA

September 11 Navasota 5:00

September 14 @ Wallis Brazos 4:30

September 15 @ Leon Tournament TBA

September 18 @ College Station 5:00

September 21 New Waverly 4:30

September 25 Centerville 5:00

September 28 @ Hempstead 4:30

October 2 @ Hearne 5:00

October 5 Franklin 4:30

October 9 @ New Waverly 5:00

October 12 @ Centerville 4:30

October 16 Hearne 5:00

October 19 Hempstead 4:30

October 23 @ Franklin 5:00

October 31 Bi-District

November 3-5 Area Round

November 7-8 Regional Quarterfinals

November 11-12 Regional Tournament

November 17-19 State Tournament


Crystal Serres works on setting during a Lady Owl volleyball prac-

tice last week.


-trate a lot of teams because the defense is that good.” The back row defense is incredibly strong and the

Lady Owls pick up everything sent over the net, allowingfor longer rallies. Anderson-Shiro sees the return of seniorKarlie Young, who was a letterman her sophomore year buthad to sit out the 2011 season due to surgery, and two playerswho have been moved up from junior varsity.

“I’m curious to see where the team changes and em-phasis of teamwork will take us,” said Hassell.

The team’s service game will see changes that mayprove to be more beneficial when working with a defense-heavy team. The previous season saw the Lady Owls hurtingother teams with powerful serves, but this year they areworking on finding the middle ground.

“We need to know when to go for the kill and when tokeep the ball in play,” said Hassell.

Change is a big factor for Anderson-Shiro this year notonly within the team, but also at the district level. There areonly six teams in the new district, which includes Hearne,Franklin, Hempstead, Centerville and New Waverly. In pastseasons and tournament games, Centerville and Franklinhave proven to be tough competitors. Having won againstTeague, Hargrave and Hardin in the past weeks, the LadyOwls are currently sitting with a 4-5 record. Hardin was anespecially gratifying win as they were responsible for knock-ing the Owls out of the quarterfinals last season. Time willtell, but it seems that the Lady Owls are looking at anotherrun at the playoffs in 2012.

“We are going far and have a bright future,” saidMason.

The Lady Owls play at Normangee on Tuesday, Aug.28, with conference play beginning Friday, Sept. 21, at homeagainst New Waverly.


Iola Bulldogs Football ScheduleAugust 31

vs Snook7:30 p.m., Bulldog Stadium

Nickname: Blue Jays

Enrollment: 131


September 7

at Bartlett7:30 p.m., Bulldog Stadium

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment: 125


September 14

at Milano7:30 p.m., Eagle Stadium

Nickname: Eagles

Enrollment: 134


September 21

vs Anderson-Shiro7:30 p.m., Bulldog Stadium

Nickname: Fighting Owls

Enrollment: 204


September 28

at Bryan St. Joesph7:30 p.m., Eagle Stadium

Nickname: Eagles

Enrollment: N/A


October 12

at Bremond7:30 p.m., Tiger Stadium

Nickname: Tigers

Enrollment: 125


October 18

at College Station7:30 p.m., Cougar Stadium

Nickname: Cougars

Enrollment: New School

District: None

October 25

at Hull-Daisetta7:30 p.m., Bobcat Stadium

Nickname: Bobcats

Enrollment: 177


November 2

vs Colmesneil7:30 p.m., Bulldog Stadium

Nickname: Bulldogs

Enrollment: 161


November 9

at Saratoga West Hardin7:30 p.m., Oilers Stadium

Nickname: Oilers

Enrollment: 168



Iola Bulldogs2012 Schedule

Aug. 31 SnookSept. 7 at Bartlett

Sept. 14 at MilanoSept. 21 Anderson-Shiro (H)Sept. 28 at Bryan St. JosephOct. 5 OPENOct. 12 at BremondOct. 19 at College StationOct. 26 at Hull-Daisetta*Nov. 2 Colmesneil*

Nov. 9 at West Hardin*

H — Homecoming* District 11-1A Division I gameAll games start at 7:30 p.m.

2011 ResultsSt. Joseph W 38-0Hull-Daisetta W 12-7Milano L 16-31Hubbard L 14-50Snook L 14-17Moody L 14-16Thrall L 0-30Somerville L 14-20Normangee L 14-50

Iola has not made the state playoffssince the 2006 season.

Bulldogs prepared toend playoff drought


School (1st-Place Votes) Points1. Mart (11) 2202. Stamford (7) 2113. Munday (4) 1954. Tenaha (2) 142 5. Falls City 1146. San Augustine 1087. Mason (1) 101 8. Burton 529. Windthorst 46 10. Goldthwaite 44

Others receiving votes: Wellington 37.Shiner 23. Hubbard 16. Ganado 14.Albany 10. Lindsay 10. Alto 7. Italy 7.Muenster 6. Joaquin 4. Sunray 3.Mount Enterprise 2. Panhandle 2.Stratford 1.

By Nicole Wilcox

Examiner Reporter

It could be argued that winningfootball games comes down to passion,organization and skill. Going into the2012 season, Iola has all three plus anadded bonus of experience.

With five years of playoff droughtand a 2011 record of 2-7, the Iola Bull-dogs are more than just passionateabout proving themselves this year –they are hungry for it.

“Mark my words,” said seniorlineman Allen Carabajal. “We will be inthe playoffs this year.”

This may have sounded cockyonly a year ago when the team was stillrelatively inexperienced, but with sixreturning offensive starters and eightdefensive starters, nine of which areseniors, the Bulldogs are going to havean edge over younger teams.

“We are definitely looking to-wards increased senior leadership thisyear,” said senior tight end Tyson Tin-dol. Iola has four seniors on the linealone, one of which has more thanenough game experience.

“Some of these guys have beenstarters as early as freshman year,” saidHead Coach Scott Bishop.

Experience tends to breed theability to get the ball out of a snap anddown the field. Lack of cohesivenesswas a disadvantage to the Bulldogs inthe 2011 season, where Iola had skillbut couldn’t seem to pull many wins.

“We are trying to sell unity andteam,” said Bishop. “We are breakingaway from the individual feeling thathurt us last year.”

Acting more as a single unit andmore like a family is a recurring mantraon the Bulldogs training field.

“Huge emphasis on being ateam,” said senior center Colton Darby.

With seniors Johnathon Mor-tashed, Clay Marks, Caleb Alafa andColton Darby, Iola will have plenty ofexperience to shape the offense andhelp quarterbacks Geronimo Castillo

and Hayden Martinez. “When the house is clean no one

notices,” said Bishop of the offensiveline. “But when it is dirty, people startto say something.”

Two players — returning runningback John Kay and defensive backAaron Evans — are expected to bring ahard running game. Kay took all-districthonors last year and Evans was a re-gional qualifier in the 100-meter dash.And let’s not forget senior tight end Tin-dol, who could be a force to be reck-oned with due to his size and agility. Noone going up against the Bulldogsshould assume that the defensive line isnot ready. Defense wins championshipsand Iola is poised to do just that. Seniorlinebacker Gunnar Padron and linemanReed Fairbanks are more than ready tohandle any team that comes their way.

The Bulldogs face a tough non-district schedule this year, but everyplayer agrees that this will only helpthem prepare for district games. Bishopclaims to hinge the season off the Mi-lano game on Sept. 14.

“He is a great coach and reallyknows his football,” Bishop said. Thatis not to say that Iola is discountingSnook and Bartlett. “They just beat uslast year, that leaves a sour taste in yourmouth,” said Bishop regarding Snook.

With the move to a new districtcentered farther east, Iola will travelmore than it hosts this season.

“It doesn’t matter to us,” declaresMortashed. “We will play hard eitherway.”

Two district games of long travelwill be to Hull-Daisetta (Oct. 26) andWest Hardin (Nov. 9), which will roundout a season of seven away games andonly two hosted at home.

“Anyone can win at home,” pro-claimed Bishop. “We need to be pre-pared to win on the road.”

Some of the traveling could be at-tributed to the newly formed Anderson-Shiro varsity team sharing Iola’s field.For the first time in history, the Bull-dogs and Owls will face off on Sept. 21for Iola’s homecoming game.

“I have had the opportunity totalk to Coach [Dwayne] Ross,” remarksBishop. “He will have his kids coachedand ready. They will be a good teamand will contend well.”

Iola has all four components of ascoring football team — passion, organ-ization, skill and experience. If theycan find their way to make plays whileon the road, Iola could be looking atwinning season. Iola begins play onAug. 31 at home against Snook andthen travels to Bartlett on Sept. 7.


The Bulldogs are seeking their first playoff berth since 2006.


1 — Aaron Evans 2 — Matt McVey 3 —Hayden Martinez 4 — Will Nevill 5 — Gunnar Padron

6 — John Kay 7 — Josh Williams 9 — Sheldon Keller 10 — Dallas Gressett 11 — Allan Carabajal

12 — Geronimo Castillo 15 — Ryan Renick 19 — Sam Millsap 22 — David Moore 24 — Cort Creamer

28 — Michael Clark 34 — Donnie Wade 50 — Colton Brunette 54 — Dustin Timm 55 — Colton Darby


55 — Trice High 62 — Brandon Newton 62 — Caleb Alafa 66 — Kyle Chellette 73 — Reed fairbanks

74 — Clay Marks 77 — Jonathon Mortashed 78 — Butch Johnson 88 — Kevin Xavier 89 — Tyson Tindol


1 — Kellie Turner

Iola Lady Bulldogs Volleyball

5 — Kelsey Coneley 6 — Britney McKown 7 — Jamie Hill 9 — Nicola DeHaven

10 — Raven McDougald 12 — Shelby Williamson 13 — Alexus Alafa 15 — Amanda Gooch


Lady Bulldogs get defensive in regional title defenseBy Scott McDonald

Examiner publisher

It’s hard to imagine the Iola vol-

leyball team being any stronger than

last year’s state runner-up squad. And

with all key players back from that

team, it’s hard to fathom them not get-

ting back to state.

The Lady Bulldogs ARE better

than last year, yet pollsters don’t think

Iola is even the best team in their re-

gion. Not that they need any more mo-

tivation, Iola heads into the 2012

season with as high of hopes to win

state as any other team in school his-

tory.

“Knowing that we made it to the

state championship and having so

many players back gives us confi-

dence,” senior setter Nicole DeHaven

said. “But we know there are teams out

there just as good.”

Iola lost to Water Valley in last

year’s Class 1A state championship.

Water Valley, which lost only one

player from its team that had multiple

good hitters, is ranked No. 1 in the pre-

season poll. Perennial power Round

Top-Carmine is No. 2, Leon is No. 3

and Iola is No. 4.

“We think the rankings are fair,”

said sophomore hitter Amanda Gooch.

There’s an excitement about Iola

volleyball that’s been infectious since

the Lady Bulldogs walked off the court

in San Marcos as state runner-up last

season. When taking photos for a

poster shoot last spring, the girls

openly chatted about their anticipation

of the fall season. The whole commu-

nity of Iola and other reaches of

Grimes County have equally high ex-

pectations.

“This is the most excited we’ve

been during this time of year,” senior

libero Alexus Alafa said.

Iola didn’t foresee a run to the

state tournament this time last year, and

they know it’s not a given that they’ll

get back.

“Every year is a different year,

and you try not to dwell on last year,”

Iola coach Jamie McDougald said. “We

have to dwell on this year. They know

we have the potential to be good, but

we still have to take it one game at a

time.”

Gooch said the team has more

chemistry this year, and that they still

have a lot to work on.

“We’re working on a new defense

and everyone is still trying to figure out

where to be, and we need to communi-

cate better,” Gooch said.

Iola is working on a new perime-

ter defense, where the defenders who

aren’t at the net blocking are guarding

the perimeter of the court.

“You use that defense when you

play teams that have good hitters, or

lots of good hitters,” Gooch said.

Teams like North Zulch a year

ago that had a couple of hard hitters, or

a team like Water Valley that had multi-

ple hard hitters who sprayed the ball

over the court.

The players have worked hard at

learning to defend the perimeter. It’s

the dink shots they’ve really got to

work on.

“It’s hard to get tips right now,”

DeHaven said.

The region will once again have

North Zulch and Normangee, but Class

2A powerhouse Leon dropped to Class

1A in the last realignment, and the road

to state most likely will go through

them.

“We need to keep improving in

every area,” McDougald

said.

Junior middle

blocker Shelby

Williamson will have a

strong, intimidating pres-

ence at the net on de-

fense, but she’s also a

versatile player who can

pass and hit as well as

anyone on the team. Sen-

ior Jamie Hill returns at

setter, and three newcom-

ers — senior Kellie

Turner, Kelsey Coneley

and Britney McKown —

add more depth and

power to an already

strong and deep squad.

“Kelsey plays all the

way around,” Mc-

Dougald said. “Alexus is

always leading and chat-

ting, and Amanda Gooch

is always our hardest

worker.”

Junior Raven Mc-

Dougald expects to be

back in the lineup in Sep-

tember. She’s recovering

from a torn ACL she sus-

tained during softball

season.

DATE OPPONENT TIME

AugusT 14 @ AlPhA OMEgA 4:00

AugusT 17 @ sOMErvIllE (DuAl) 4:00

AugusT 21 MADIsONvIllE 4:00

AugusT 23-25 IOlA TOurNAMENT TBA

AugusT 24 FrANklIN/ sT. JOsEPh 4:00

AugusT 23 @ BurTON/Cshs (DuAl) 5:00

AugusT 30 @ CENTErvIllE TOurNAMENT TBA

AugusT 31 CrOCkETT 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 1 @ CENTErvIllE TOurNAMENT TBA

sEPTEMBEr 4 BuFFAlO 4:30

sEPTEMBEr 6-8 @ sNOOk TOurNAMENT 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 7 rIChArDs 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 11 @ sNOOk 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 14 MuMFOrD 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 15 IOlA Jv TOurNAMENT TBA

sEPTEMBEr 18 @ CAlvErT 5:00

sEPTEMBEr 21 BrEMOND 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 25 @ NOrMANgEE 4:00

sEPTEMBEr 28 @ NOrTh ZulCh 4:00

OCTOBEr 2 @ rIChArDs 4:00

OCTOBEr 5 OPEN

OCTOBEr 9 @ MuMFOrD 5:00

OCTOBEr 12 CAlvErT 4:00

OCTOBEr 16 @ BrEMOND 4:00

OCTOBEr 19 NOrMANgEE 4:00

OCTOBEr 23 NOrTh ZulCh 5:00

OCTOBEr 29-30 BI-DIsTrICT

NOvEMBEr 1-3 ArEA rOuND

NOvEMBEr 5-6 rEgIONAl QuArTErFINAls

NOvEMBEr 9-10 rEgIONAl TOurNAMENT

NOvEMBEr 15-17 sTATE TOurNAMENT

Shelby Williamson (left) and new-

comer Kelsey Coneley look to get

the Lady Bulldogs back to the state

tournament, but they’ll have to go

through perhaps the toughest re-

gion in the state to get there. Iola is

ranked No. 4 in the TGCA presea-

son poll.



Houston Texans Dallas CowboysSept. 5 at New York Giants 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Sept. 16 at Seattle Seahawks 3:05 p.m. FOX

Sept. 23 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Noon FOX

Oct. 1 vs Chicago Bears 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Oct. 14 at Baltimore Ravens Noon FOX

Oct. 21 at Carolina Panthers Noon FOX

Oct. 28 vs New York Giants 3:25 p.m. FOX

Nov. 4 at Atlanta Falcons 7:20 p.m. NBC

Nov. 11 at Philadelphia Eagles 3:25 p.m. FOX

Nov. 18 vs Cleveland Browns Noon CBS

Nov. 22 vs Washington Redskins 3:15 p.m. FOX

Dec. 2 vs Philadelphia Eagles 7:20 p.m. NBC

Dec. 9 at Cincinnati Bengals Noon FOX

Dec. 16 vs Pittsburgh Steelers 3:25 p.m. CBS

Dec. 23 vs New Orleans Saints Noon FOX

Dec. 30 at Washington Redskins Noon FOX

Sept. 9 vs Miami Dolphins Noon CBS

Sept. 16 at Jacksonville Jaguars Noon CBS

Sept. 23 at Denver Broncos 3:25 p.m. CBS

Sept. 30 vs Tennessee Titans Noon CBS

Oct. 8 at New York Jets 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Oct. 14 vs Green Bay Packers 7:20 p.m. NBC

Oct. 21 vs Baltimore Ravens Noon CBS

Nov. 4 vs Buffalo Bills Noon CBS

Nov. 11 at Chicago Bears 7:20 p.m. NBC

Nov. 18 vs Jacksonville Jaguars Noon CBS

Nov. 22 at Detroit Lions Noon CBS

Dec. 2 at Tennessee Titans Noon CBS

Dec. 10 at New England Patriots 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Dec. 16 vs Indianapolis Colts Noon CBS

Dec. 23 vs Minnesota Vikings Noon FOX

Dec. 30 at Indianapolis Colts Noon CBS


Aug. 30 vs Louisiana Tech Shreveport, La. 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs Florida College Station 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 at SMU Dallas 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs South Carolina St. College Station TBA

Sept. 29 vs Arkansas College Station TBA

Oct. 6 at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. TBA

Oct. 20 vs LSU College Station TBA

Oct. 27 at Auburn Auburn, Ala. TBA

Nov. 3 at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss TBA

Nov. 10 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA

Nov. 17 vs Sam Houston State College Station TBA

Nov. 24 vs Missouri College Station TBA

Dec. 1 SEC Championship Atlanta, Ga. 3 p.m.

Texas A&M Aggies

Sam Houston State BearkatsSept. 8 vs Incarnate Word Huntsville 6 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Baylor Waco TBA

Sept. 22 at Central Arkansas Conway, Ark. 3 p.m.

Sept. 27 vs Texas Southern BBVA Compass Stadium 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs Stephen F. Austin Reliant Stadium 6 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Nicholls State Thibodaux, La. 6 p.m.

Oct. 20 vs McNeese State Huntsville 2 p.m.

Oct. 27 at Lamar Beaumont 3 p.m.

Nov. 3 vs SE Louisiana Huntsville 2 p.m.

Nov. 10 at NW (La.) State Natchitoches, La. 6 p.m.

Nov. 17 at Texas A&M College Station TBA

Blinn BuccaneersSept. 1 at Butler CC El Dorado, Kan. 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs Southeast Prep Cub Stadium 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 vs NE Oklahoma A&M Cub Stadium 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs Tyler JC Cub Stadium 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs Kilgore College Cub Stadium 5 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Trinity Valley CC Athens, TX 3 p.m.

Oct. 20 at Navarro College Corsicana, TX 3 p.m.

Nov. 3 Conference Semifinals TBD TBD

Nov. 10 Conference Championship TBD TBD

Local CollegesNHS Fight SongYou’ve got to fight,

You’ve got to hit that line

and march to victory.

You’ve got to pass;

You’ve got to gain that ground

to show your loyalty –

Rah-rah-rah- shout.

We’re right behind you fellows

Come on, Rattlers, fight –


and teach the others

to respect the mighty blue and white.

N-A-V-A-S-O-T-A NHS

You’ve got to fight, fight, fight for the blue and white

Rah-rah-rah shout.

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, yes —-


and teach the others to respect

the mighty blue and white.


Navasota JuNior varsity Football


Navasota Jv volleyball


Navasota FreshmaN volleyball


Navasota JuNior varsity Cheerleaders

2012-2013 JV Cheer

Front L to R: Makaylyn Brzymi-

alkwicz, Keandria Lowery - Co-

Head, Tyler Leonberg, Dasha

Bennett, Shelby Castro

2nd Row: Jonathan Pham, Jared

Guillory - CoHead


Navasota FreshmaN Cheerleaders

2012-2013

Freshman Cheer

L to R: Madison Witherwax -

Asst. Head, Hannah Flores,

Courtney Maynard - Head, Harli

Ware

2nd Row: Janie Herrera, Felix

Ramirez, Emily Stoker



AWAY

18

2012 fall sports kickoff

Documents

rattler stadiumnickname

caldwell w

rockdale w

wharton w

playoffssealy w

giddings w

smithville w

lagrange w