Sports

BIG PAWS: Hamilton’s seventh grade Bulldogs defeated the visiting West Trojans 26-12 last Thursday to improve to 4-1 on the season. The young Dogs are currently 2-0 in district with a district contest scheduled in Rio Vista at 5 pm this Thursday. Pictured, Colter Johnson (40) disrupts the Trojan backfield, getting his paws on the West quarterback for a nine-yard sack, and gunslinger Judson Coalson is pictured rolling to his right before firing a bullseye 52-yard touchdown strike to Grant Bauman for Hamilton’s first score of the ballgame. Staff photos

Hamilton’s junior high Bulldog football teams answered how the west was won Thursday at Kooken Field, toppling the visiting West Trojans in back-to-back blockbuster conquests. The seventh and eighth grade Dogs trampled the 3A Trojans by scores of 26-12 and 30-0 respectively. Hamilton’s high school teams were on a bye last week and will return to the field Friday in Hamilton as they host district foe Rio Vista at 7 p.m.

Hamilton’s junior high cross-country runners, pictured the previous week with HJH principal Mona Gloff at the 16th annual Mona Gloff Invitational, swept the district competition last Wednesday at the Perry Country Club in Hamilton, claiming a pair

ONSIDE KICK: Senior Jakob Walton (4) exits the field with the pigskin in hand after recovering the opening onside kick off the foot of Austin Clark last Friday night in Tolar.

Freshman Hayden Blackwell, pictured rolling to his right in search of an open receiver, was forced into taking snaps for the junior varsity Bulldogs last Thursday evening versus Tolar at Kooken Field following a game-time decision to quarantine se

DISTRICT READY: Hamilton’s high school cross country teams will compete in the Moody Invitational this Thursday beginning at 8:30 am for their final pre-district competition of the season.

BIG RETURN:

Austin Clark is pictured returning a Rattler kick 48 yards during the second quarter in Tolar last Friday night.

Staff photo by Chad Collett

CUTBACK:

Hamilton’s cross-country program reached dynasty level success during the 1990s. Numerous Hamilton runners have competed at the state meet over the past four decades, and from 1992 to 1996, under the direction of then head cross country coach and current Hamilton Junior High principal Mona Gloff, the Lady Bulldogs captured an unmatched five straight state championships.

FAMILY TIES: Mona Gloff is pictured (l-r) with grandson Colter Johnson, first cousin, once removed Kate Lengefeld, great nephew Morgan Henkes and great niece Madison Henkes at the 16th annual Mona Gloff Invitational. All are descendants of Kate and Bob Riley, with a sprinkle of Gardner and Henkes. Morgan and Colter are both seventh graders and finished first and fourth respectively in the junior high boys’ division to lead their team to a first place finish. Kate, also a seventh grader, placed fourth individually in the junior high girls’ race to help her team earn team gold, and Madison, a freshman, placed sixth overall to help lead the varsity Lady Bulldogs to a team win. Pictured crossing the finish line, Caleb Lengefeld, who is a first cousin, once removed to Gloff and Kate’s older brother, won individual gold in propelling the varsity Bulldogs to a first overall finish in the MGI on Wednesday of last week. After placing second at the MGI as a freshman and a sophomore the past two years, Caleb scorched the competition, sizzling through the Perry Country Club course in a winning time of 16:58.00 for the fastest recorded three-mile finishing time in all of 2A in Texas this season. Staff photos