Sports

HOMECOMING TRADITION - Hamilton High School football players, cheerleaders and seniors ride into Wednesday’s Community-wide Pep Rally on Hamilton VFD firetrucks with an escort from the Hamilton Police Department. 

Hamilton Junior High cross-country runners fired off the starting line for the first time this season in Waco on Wednesday of last week during the Midway Invitational.

FUN RUN - Hamilton’s pack leaders Caleb Lengefeld and Madison Henkes set the pace for the Brandun Massingill led cross-country teams at the Midway Invitational in Waco last Thursday. Having fun while turning heads, the second in state-ranked Bulldogs earned team gold in the 4A-1A division out of 15 teams, and the Lady Bulldogs placed second overall. Lengefeld finished third individually out of 118 runners and was trailed closely by teammates Cuyler Pearcy in 10th, Hayden Blackwell 12th, Dawson Melde 16th, Caden Hopper 28th, Taylor Long 36th, Joseph Polster 37th, John Polster 40th, Ben Cooper 45th and Garrison Blackwell 62nd. Henkes led the Lady Bulldog pack with a sixth overall placement, followed by Campbell Lengefeld 12th, Grace Killian 15th, Grace Carson 16th, Ashtyn Hansard 25th, Mia Coker 26th and Isabela Ayala 59th. Representing the junior varsity Bulldogs in Waco, Jaydon Watson and Landon Thompson earned third and fourth-place finishes, and Hunter Mize captured a 51st overall placement. Hamilton’s junior high and high school XC teams are set to compete next in the Glen Rose Invitational this Thursday. High School races will begin with the JV girls at 8 a.m., followed by the JV boys at 8:30, the varsity girls at 9 and the varsity boys at 9:30. Hamilton’s seventh grade Lady Bulldogs will begin junior high races later in the afternoon at 4 p.m., followed by the seventh grade boys at 4:30, the eighth grade girls at 5 and the eighth grade boys at 6. Staff photos

It took a quick-minute to get the Bulldog big rig rolling last Friday evening in Hico thanks in part to roadblocks set by a pesky Tiger defense. In the end, the Hamilton Bulldogs barreled through the Hico Tiger speed trap and returned home with the Hamilton County title trophy in tow for the fourth consecutive year.

Hamilton’s varsity Lady Bulldog volleyball team improved to 2-0 in District 11-2A last week, earning a three-set victory at home over Meridian on Tuesday by scores of 25-8, 25-16 and 25-8, and a competitive four-game win in Evant on Saturday by scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-21 and 25-22.

BULLDOG SPORTS

In a double-header with the Kansas City Athletics on Sep. 17, 1958, Boston’s Pete Runnels hit safely in four of eight at-bats to raise his batting average to .322, four points better than Red Sox teammate Ted Williams.

Colton Christian and Case Koether recently placed in San Antonio at the National Shooting Complex for the American Trap Association Zone 4 shoot. Colton Christian, a junior at Hamilton High School, placed as Junior 200 singles champion with shooting 194 out of 200, Junior handicap champion shooting 94 out of 100 and Junior 100 single champion shooting 99 out of 100. Case Koether, an 8 grader at Hamilton Junior High, placed as Sub-Junior Handicap champion shooting 94 out 100 and Sub- Junior class division champion shooting 191 out 200. Christian and Koether will compete this Saturday at the Scholastic Clay Target Program shoot in Waco before heading to Iowa Park.

With Hamilton County bragging rights on the line, the Hamilton Bulldogs and Hico Tigers will tighten their belts and strap on their helmets and pads for a gridiron grudge match this Friday night in Hico. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.