TATUM’S CARSON GONZALEZ (AGAIN) & KILGORE’S EVA RAY | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

Life is pretty good if you’re Eva Ray and Carson Gonzalez right now.

At least, it seems to be.

Ray is a senior at Kilgore High School; Carson is a senior at Tatum High School.

Ray’s senior season, her softball season, is over, and the Lady Bulldogs didn’t make the playoffs. But she’s being honored this week for something else (read on).

Carson? He’s just owning it, a member of Tatum’s baseball team that’s never really soared higher.

And they’re our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week.

Eva is collecting this award for winning an award, quite frankly. She had to endure a tough season on the field, win-loss wise, as catcher for coach Lacey Middlebrooks’ Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs.

Eva is from a diamond sports family. Her dad, Jared, was for many years a coach and super involved in the Kilgore Boys Baseball Association, and also in the Kilgore Youth Softball Association, guiding his oldest child, son Cullen, and then Eva, through KBBA and KYSA, with mom Kenya there, too – many miles of regular season and fall ball, all-stars, etc., and any parent involved in the diamond sports culture in Texas knows that drill. It. Never. Stops.

Then came high school, and her career as a Lady Bulldog, most of it under former coach Cheyenne Kirkpatrick, another former KHS softball star. Eva just finished up with a .517 batting average and a .933 fielding percentage.

But for Eva, it was more than growing up busy as an athlete. She was so much more than that, with Kilgore’s SkillsUSA / Health Science department, and her talent as a member of the KHS band’s drumline.

Eva was recently recognized as the Greater Texas Ford Dealers Class 4A Female Athlete of the Month in the state! Here’s our original story, and if you go to that, there’s also a link in there to a YouTube interview with Eva and Ric Renner: KILGORE’S EVA RAY HONORED! | She’s the Greater Texas Ford Female Athlete of the Month! (etblitz.com).

And for that, Eva is our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com girls Player of the Week for the week of May 13-18.

Now, to Mr. Gonzalez.

Tatum fans call him “Cargo.”

Opposing fans call him – well, we don’t know what they call him. We know they don’t want to see him coming.

Last week, Gonzalez helped his team take game one of the Eagles’ UIL Class 3A Region II Quarterfinal series against West Rusk by getting the victory on the mound, a five-inning performance. He had four strikeouts, allowed three hits, one run, three walks, and remained unbeaten (9-0) on the season.

In game two, he had an RBI double, then later in the game, a grand slam home run to help the Eagles put away West Rusk and win the series.

That means Gonzalez takes our award two weeks in a row: he definitely deserves it.

For his performance in the regional quarterfinals against a very talented West Rusk team, Carson Gonzalez is the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com boys Player of the Week for the week of May 13-18.

And if you’d like to look back, or read about any of our player of the week award-winners, here’s the list, in its entirety:

• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | First-ever winners are Kilgore’s Diego Rojas, Phenix Rivers!
• WHATABURGER/ ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | KC stars step up in conference games
• WHATABURGER/ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | Sabine’s McNatt, Kilgore’s Lexi Lara
• WHATABURGER/ ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | A Sabine soccer star shines, and a Kilgore Bulldog helps his team get back on track
• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | KC’s Muttilib, Henderson’s Clater
• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | It’s McNatt (AGAIN!) and Kilgore’s Cedillo
• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK! | Drumroll, please… Aw, heck; it’s Kilgore’s Reyes and Sabine’s Anguiano
• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK | Kilgore’s Bullard, KC’s Lieme
• BURGESS, BENSON HONORED… | as Whataburger / ETBlitz.com’s Players of the Week
• TANNER BEETS, KC’S INMON | They’re the WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ.COM Players of the Week!
• BULLARD, DANIELS SWIPE ‘EM! | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week
• THIS JUST IN: STATE TITLES WIN YOU A PLAYER OF THE WEEK! | Overton’s Williams, Henderson’s Norris bring home both (etblitz.com)
• NELSON, LOFTIS & STEVENS | It’s not a law firm; they’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz Players of the Week!
• THE M&Ms TAKE IT | Kilgore’s Martinez, White Oak’s McClanahan wrap up the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!
• GLADEWATER’S HUNTER, KILGORE’S NELSON | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!
• NELSON GOES BACK TO BACK | And Marcott wins, too, our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!
• WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ PLAYERS OF THE WEEK! | WO’s Daniels wins another; Overton’s Edwards wins, as well
• IT’S PRETTY CLEAR | Nelson, Hunter the Whataburger / ETBlitz Players of the Week!
• TATUM’S GONZALEZ, OVERTON’S NOBLES! | They’re the Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week!

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