Sports

PLAYOFF READY - Hamilton’s Lady Bulldog volleyball teams smashed victories over Evant and Three Way last week. Pictured, Addison Kelley (18) crushes the ball at the net, and JV Lady Bulldog Braylee Wilson records a kill with teammates (l-r) Chloe Dolloff and Clementine Cooper providing cover. Read more on page 8B. Staff photos

DISTRICT GOLD RUSH - Seven Hamilton runners staked individual district gold medals on Monday at the Perry Country Club. In doing so, Dawson Melde (holding the championship plaque) led the top-ranked varsity Bulldogs to a district team title, and Ben Cooper (1152) paced the JV Bulldogs to a district victory. The Henkes family grabbed three individual gold medals. Pictured (l-r) Morgan Henkes paced the district winning eighth grade Bulldogs, Madison Henkes led the varsity Lady Bulldog district charge, and Myles Henkes crossed the finish line first in the seventh grade district race. Eighth grader Kaitlyn Walton (1148) and seventh grader Harper Lengefeld (1125) also led their respective Lady Bulldog teams to Mona Gloff Invitational and District 12-2A Championships over the past couple of weeks. Staff photos

Hamilton’s Lady Bulldog volleyball teams smashed victories over Evant and Three Way last week. Though it again took four sets to put away the Evant Lady Elks at home last Tuesday, the varsity Lady Bulldogs prevailed by scores of 25-16, 25-14, 22-25 and 25-10. On Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs triumphed over the Lady Braves of Three Way in three straight sets, 25-10, 25-13 and 25-11, to improve to 7-1 in district. The junior varsity Lady Dogs defeated the Lady Braves in a pair of sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-18, improving to 4-1 in district. After traveling to Hico on Tuesday, the Lady Bulldogs are scheduled to host the district leading Lady Rattlers of Tolar this Friday. The varsity Lady Bulldogs will attempt to avenge their only district loss beginning at 5 p.m., and the JV Lady Dogs will try to overturn their first round loss in their final match of the season versus Tolar at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Hamilton. District 11-2A games will expire next Tuesday, October 19 as the varsity Lady Bulldogs travel to Bluff Dale for a 5 p.m. showdown. Pictured, backed up by Karah Niemann, Fernanda Olalde (7) and Cortland Mehaffey (4), varsity hitter Campbell Lengefeld (27) records a kill. Staff photos

Hamilton’s gridiron squads again captured four straight victories last week. The seventh grade Dogs pummeled a combined seventh and eighth grade team from Comanche 30-0 at Kooken Field in Hamilton last Thursday evening to improve to 3-0-1 on the year. In Valley Mills, the Bulldog eighth graders polished off the host Eagles 36- 26 to maintain a perfect 4-0 record, and Hamilton’s junior varsity Dogs safeguarded an unblemished record by tar and feathering the Eagles 30- 0. The JV Bulldogs are now 6-0 on the year and 2-0 in district.

Hamilton’s cross country runners were scheduled to scurry home this Wednesday to host the 17 annual Mona Gloff Invitational at the Perry Country Club. Utilizing rolling start times, races were set to begin at 3 p.m. beginning with the high school boys followed by high school girls, junior high girls and finally, the junior high boys.

PROJECT 22 FELLOWSHIP - Hamilton football players and Lady Bulldog cheerleaders were joined for a fellowship meal hosted at the home of Steve and Kerri Watson last Thursday evening by Project 22 President Michael Brown (far right) and the president and owner of Texas Veterans Insurance Group and Texas Legacy Insurance Group in Stephenville, Clayton Iley (far left). Staff photo

Hamilton High School Juniors and Seniors show off their Bulldog spirit Friday, Sept. 24 at a pep rally prior to the game against the Itasca Wampus Cats. Above right, teachers wear matching stripes in honor of ‘Twin Day’. Kim Hinton/Herald-News Photos

Fall sports are off to a great start this year at Hamilton High School. Fans may notice some new faces on the sidelines as well as in the classroom.

CRACK-SHOT – Case Koether was singles and doubles champion at the Scholastic Clay Target Program shoot in Waco Sept. 18. Last weekend, he was Sub Junior Champion for singles and won his class for doubles at the Amateur Trap Shooting Association Zone Shoot in Iowa Park and is qualified for shoots in Waco, Fort Worth and El Paso.

It rained only Dogs last Friday evening in Itasca as the Hamilton Bulldogs reigned supreme with a 47-0 walloping of the host Wampus Cats. With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 4-1 on the season, and more importantly, 1-0 in district.