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Academic All-State ELKS

PCO/HHN COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL PICK'EM CHAMPS: Pecan Creek Outfitters and the Hamilton Herald-News partnered two weeks ago in offering a college football bowl pick'em challenge. Out of 47 participants, eight picked seven out of ten correct winners, including Joel and Kim Kinsey, Lori Dean, Victor Garcia, Randy Dyer, Josh Christian, Miles Sellers and Habert Hopper. Only two picked eight out of ten correct winners, including Bret Partain and the mother and son duo of Candace and Maddox Stroud. Breaking a first place tie, the Stroud submission won the first tie breaker by predicting the closest score in the Michigan and Alabama matchup. Pictured (l-r), Abbie Housden Creasey of Pecan Creek Outfitters presents a PCO gift basket to the 2023-24 PCO/HHN College Football Bowl Pick'em winners, Candace and Maddox Stroud.

DISTRICTONDECK: The varsity Hamilton Bulldogs are scheduled to tip-off District 12-2A competition this Friday at home versus the Italy Gladiators at 7:30 p.m., following the now 13-2 junior varsity Red Dogs at 5:45. The varsity Bulldogs will be entering the District 12 gauntlet with a 9-10 record. After falling to the Clifton Cubs earlier in the season by 27 points, the Howard Cox led Dogs played Clifton to a three-point ballgame last Friday in Hamilton. With a 33-percent hit ratio from beyond the three-point arc last Friday, junior sharp-shooter Mike Bushnell knocked down four of 12 threepoint attempts in leading the Dogs with 15 points scored in a 49-46 loss to the 3A Cubs. Sophomore Colter Johnson banged the boards down low for eight points and was trailed by junior Rogelio Ibarra with seven, junior guard Jaxon Edwards with six, senior Jacob Eanes with five and sophomore Devin Eanes with four. Johnson also grabbed a team-leading ten rebounds versus Clifton, including nine defensive boards. Following their 13th victory of the season over Clifton, the JV Red Bulldogs will follow-up a district contest versus Italy at home this Friday with a district home game versus Valley Mills at 5:45 next Tuesday. The varsity Bulldogs are scheduled for the nightcap versus Valley Mills in Hamilton next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Pictured, junior guard Jaxon Edwards pushes the ball up the court.

DISTRICT DUNK: After the 14-3 junior varsity Lady Bulldogs and now 13-9 varsity Lady Bulldogs frosted pre-district foe Florence on the road Tuesday of last week, the varsity Lady Dogs bit off a 1-0 start in District 12-2A with a demanding 79-33 road victory over Itasca last Friday. The previous Tuesday, the Lady Dogs manhandled Florence on the road 79-24. Both the varsity and JV Lady Dogs were scheduled to travel to Rio Vista on Tuesday of this week before returning home to host district contender Italy this Friday. JV games are set to begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in Hamilton with the varsity Lady Dogs slated to tip-off at approximately 6:15. Next Tuesday, the JV and varsity Lady Bulldogs, along with Hamilton's Bulldog squads, will host district opponent Valley Mills. Games next Tuesday in Hamilton are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Pictured, senior Kelton Wright (5) led the Lady Bulldogs with 26 points scored versus Itasca in Hamilton's district opening 79-33 victory over the Lady Wampus Cats. Other Lady Dogs recording double-digits scoring included senior Brooklyn Bragg with 19 and sophomores Addison Massingill with 13 and A.J. Arledge with 11.

2023-24 BULLDOGS

TGCA All-State Recognition

FAST BREAK

Head Coach Eddie Gallegos and the Jonesboro Eagles pieced together another memorable season in 2023. The 12-2 Eagles’ only two losses were to eventual state-runner up Westbrook in week two of the season and to the 2023 state champion Gordon Longhorns in the state semifinal round of the Division 1-1A (six-man) playoffs.