WAKE UP! on ETBLITZ | Track stars in action at San Antonio; Overton baseball still in it; looking back at “Friday Night Lights” (w/video)
EDITOR’S NOTE: We’re proud to say that after just one week and a couple of days, Wake Up! on ETBlitz is a very popular feature every day. It does allow you to know what happened the day or so before, what’s happening that night, maybe the rest of the week, and other things that are coming up – sometimes, we even have a few laughs. Wake Up! is brought to you by Cozy Coffee Station, second-to-none in East Texas when providing beverages any time of day. Check them out online (Home | Cozy Coffee Station), where you can order ahead of your arrival, or on Facebook and Instagram. They’re located in Gilmer, at 755 U.S. Highway 271 North, and in Kilgore at 110 Midtown Plaza.
From the “you-just-thought-track-was-over” department…
A handful of track and field athletes from the ETBlitz.com coverage area who did so well last week at the UIL State Track & Field Championships in Austin decided to try their hand at another big meet.
This one was the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association (TTFCA) Meet of Champions, the ninth annual contesting of the event, at Antonian College Prep, a high school in San Antonio.
It was Friday and Saturday, and Gladewater’s Kingston Sheffield made the most of it.
Sheffield, who won a gold medal at the state track meet in the boys 3A triple jump, finished first again at the Meet of Champions. In San Antonio, Sheffield finished with a best of 44 feet, 7 inches. It wasn’t the jump he had at the state meet – there, he was good for 49 feet, 2 ¾ inches.
He also took sixth place in the long jump, a best of 20 feet, 10 ¾ inches.
Another first-place finisher in San Antonio from the ETB area: Sabine’s Sam Black. Sam too first in the boys discus, a best of 175 feet, 7 inches, almost five feet better than Rowdy Pearce of Midland Christian (second with a throw of 170 feet, 9 inches).
Black, who took second and won a silver medal in the discus at the state meet, also competed in the shot in Austin, and did so again in San Antonio. He was third at the Meet of Champions in the shot, finishing with a best of 58 feet, 2 ½ inches. Aiden Reed finished with 60 feet, 10 inches, and Shawn Burdick, with 60 feet, 5 ½ inches.
Peyton Hunter of Gladewater was there competing, as well, and so was her Lady Bears’ teammate, Paytin Thompson, one of our Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Players of the Week last week. Hunter finished 10th in the girls 100 meter dash (12.10 seconds – the winner was Samiyah Roberson (11.5 seconds).
Thompson, who won a bronze in the 200 meter dash at state, ran in Meet the Champions in that event, checking in ninth in the time of 25.01 seconds. The winner: Roberson (yes, the same one), in 23.94 seconds.
Congratulations to all these athletes; great performances!
Overton still swinging
As we’ve reported multiple times in the last few days, the Overton High School baseball team is still in the UIL Class 2A, Division I playoffs. This will be the third round, or the regional semifinals.
And here’s the set-up: Overton (25-6) faces Gary (18-10) in a best-of-three-game series at Longview High School.
The first game is Thursday at 6 p.m. Gary will be the home team in that one. Game two is Friday at 5, and Overton is the home team for game two.
If a third game is necessary, it’ll begin 30 minutes after the end of game two.
The Overton-Gary winner meets either Beckville (21-6) or Hemphill (15-15).
The Mustangs didn’t face Gary or Hemphill, but they did play Beckville; Overton swept Beckville, winning two meetings, both at OHS and BHS.
For anyone who’d like to read about Overton’s second-round game, here it’tis: OVERTON MOVES ON | Baseball playoffs over, sadly, for Tatum & Henderson; more coming.
It’s about that time of year, and there are LOTS of sports camps for your kids to attend. These are not “only” to make them superstars; they’re to teach and help kids get better at fundamentals, and allow them to be coached by professional coaches.
So many are around the corner, and here’s one that always draws a crowd. It’s the annual Kilgore Bulldog Summer 2025 Baseball Camp.
The camp will be Monday, May 26 through Wednesday, May 28 from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at Driller Park in Kilgore for second through ninth graders in the 2024-25 school year.
The camp is conducted by the Kilgore High School coaching staff and former players.
The registration fee for the camp is $75, which includes camp instruction, and a T-shirt. Registration forms should be turned in the first day of camp.
Campers should bring a glove, bat and helmet, and concession stand will be available for water and Gatorade.
To get a form, click here: KILGORE BASEBALL CAMP COMING | May 26-28, at Driller Park (camp form inside).
And we’ll have other camp announcements this week, by the way.
“Friday Night Lights” revisited
We always try to give you something on Wake Up! that’s a little unexpected. We found this feature on the CBS News magazine “60 Minutes,” which has been around longer than dirt, on “Friday Night Lights.” Thought you guys might enjoy it.
Have a good morning, and we’ll be back later today.