Sports
2011 was a banner year for sports program
Wednesday, 18 January 2012 by Keith Bahlmann
2011 was an exciting year for Belton athletics --- one filled with wins, championships individual and team honors and scholarships. Here is Part two of a recap of some of the memorable events we shared throughout the old year:
JULY
The Valedictorian of the 1958 Class of Belton High School and All-State guard on the Tigers' Class 2A State Championship basketball team, Dr. Billy Wilbanks, was selected for induction into the prestigious Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the ONLY former Belton player to be so honored ----- Five-time state champion basketball coach Brenda Gomez was hired to take over the head coaching job on Belton's Lady Tiger basketball team ----- All-State Belton High state golfing champ and All-American Texas A&M University golfing great before turning pro, Neil Hickerson, was the Journal's Tiger to Remember ----- ground was broken for BHS's new multi-sport athletic complex ----- The Belton Tigers 13U baseball team won the American Division World series for a National Championship -----Former All-State defensive end Josh Tubbs, who received a scholarship to play at the University of Houston, was recognized as a Tiger to Remember ----- Former All-District Tiger basketball point guard Sean Voss wrapped up his high school career on the winning team in the annual Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Basketball game -----Soccer forward Tayron Martin signed a scholarship offer to play for Division One Eastern Illinois University ----- 13-year-old Andrew Alas of Swim Belton scored in five events as his team took fourth place at the South Central B Championship Meet ----- The entire varsity and junior varsity BHS cheerleading team were all named All-American at the NCA summer camp at SMU.
AUGUST
Former BHS All-District and USA Today All-American catcher, as well as starting Tiger football quarterback, Brad Turner was another featured Tiger to Remember ----- Multi-sport Wolf Mahler earned his second National Championship in three years at the age of 16. The BHS junior won the gold medal again in the Young Men's Decathlon at the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympics Championship in Kansas ----- The Tiger football team looked good in its first mini-scrimmage ----- 15-year-old Belton sophomore Preston Parker took the title in the 16th Annual Craig Bukowsky Junior Golf Open ----- All-State BHS baseball player Kyle Tidwell, now a coach in Conroe, was featured in the Journal's Sports section as a Tiger to Remember -----The Wildflower Ladies 3.0 tennis team finished second at the local USTA Spring League and advanced to state competition ----- The undefeated Belton Redwings capped a 30-0 season winning the Texas Teenage Baseball State Championship ----- The Tiger football team looked ready in its Waco scrimmage.
SEPTEMBER
Belton's defense shined in a 24-20 win over Richmond Forest ----- Five Cross Country runners placed in the Early Bird meet at Wildcat Stadium ---- Tiger and Lady Tiger XC placed fifth at Long Branch Park ----- Belton football rolled in 53-14 win over Austin High ----- Lady Tiger volleyball beat LBJ, Reagan and Buda in the Hays tournament ----- Lady Tiger varsity XC team took fourth at the elite meet against the best in Arlington ----- Big Red football ripped Midway 38-21 ----- 2006 BHS graduate TJ Waldburger won his Mixed Martial Arts fight in New Orleans ----- Tiger tennis got off to a 2-0 district start, beating Harker Heights and Shoemaker ----- Offensive turnovers spoiled Belton's district opener in a 37-17 loss to Cove.
OCTOBER
Former BHS quarterback David Ash threw for 145 yards and his first two collegiate touchdown passes as Texas beat Iowa State 37-14 before 56,390 fans ----- Tiger football was impressive in 35-25 victory over Harker Heights ----- BHS swimmers dominated the Temple Meet ----- The tennis team stormed into first place in district with wins over Temple and Copperas Cove ----- Tiger tennis placed 13 on All-District squad ----- Tiger football edged Shoemaker 23-21 in fourth quarter ----- Belton swimmers finished second in BHS Distance Invitational ----- BHS tennis qualified for regionals ----- Morgan's Point's Monica Sobotka captured the world title at the International Powerlifting Federation's World Masters' Championships in Canada ----- Records fell at the BHS swim meet against A&M Consolidated and Shoemaker ----- Big Red football crushed Ellison 37-0 ----
Seniors Evan Peasley and Larissa Hernandez were crowned Homecoming King and Queen.
NOVEMBER
TIger tennis finished as quarterfinalists at the Region Meet ----- Katelin Huckabee qualified for Cross Country regionals ----- Freshman QB David Ash led UT Longhorns to a 52-20 rout of Texas Tech's Red Raiders ----- BHS swim team was runnerup at Killeen Invitational ----- Donavan Williams pounded out 244 yards rushing in Tigers 26-23 win over A&M Consolidated to finish the regular football season ----- Former Belton soccer star Delaine Whitlock (now playing for Concordia University) was named to the All-American Southwest Conference team for the second straight year ----- Lady Tiger basketball dropped Austin LBJ 54-48 ----- BHS swimmers placed third at The Colony's Cougar Classic ----- UMHB's first and only head football coach Pete Fredenburg was selected ASC Coach of the Year for the sixth time ----- Belton baseball's second baseman/pitcher Max Hogan signs with Baylor University ----- Courtney Pate accepted a scholarship to be a member of Baylor University's newest NCAA Division I sport, competitive acrobatics and tumbling.
DECEMBER
Coach Rodney Southern's Tiger football team dominated the All-District 12-5A picks ----- Lady Tiger basketball outlasted Mt. Pleasant 48-44 ----- Daniel Mills poured in 32 points in Belton's basketball victory over Eagle Pass ----- Tiger basketball went 2-2 at the Lake Travis tournament ----- Jimmy Wilbanks, captain of the 1958 football team, passed away ----- Four All-State Tigers were inducted into the BHS Athletic Wall of Honor, David Ash (football), Allison Boston (softball), Kelsi Darr (soccer) and Grace Weaver (volleyball) ----- Undefeated Harker Heights downs Belton girls in basketball ----- UMHB Crusaders placed a trio (Javicz Jones, Michael Coles, Darius Wilson) on the All American football team ----- Coach Mike Burt's Belton swim team finished second at the End of the Year Invitational -----Three Tigers (Levi Jordan, Joe Guthrie, Michael Gall) were named to the 5A All-State football team ----- The Tiger varsity football team celebrated another successful season, 8-2 and playoffs, as honors were awarded at the annual football banquet at the Bell County Expo Center. Players of the Year included Donavan Williams (offense), Ryan Stinson (defense) and Levi Jordan (special teams).
That's the Belton Sports Year of 2011 in review...I hope it brought back a smile to your face and some fond memories. Congratulations to BISD Athletic Director Rodney Southern and his talented staff of high school and middle school coaches. As old Cowboys football fans say: Wait until next year!!!
