Sports

It’s the final countdown for Graham High School students as they have entered the final month of the school year. Graduation is just a few weeks away for seniors and summer break awaits the rest of the students.

But before that time comes, sports carry on. This week, Mayci Ryans of the Lady Blues softball team and Hayden Burrows of the Steers tennis team earned selections as athletes of the week.

Ryans and her team are in the midst of a playoff run while Burrows is gearing up for the regional tennis tournament next week.

Sports play an incredibly important role in the lives of many athletes at Graham High School. However, there are two parts to the term 'student-athlete' — the work that happens on the field or court and the work required in the classroom.

For many GHS student-athletes, finding the balance between schoolwork and athletics is a challenging but rewarding opportunity. As the spring sports seasons have come to a close or are nearing the end, many students have received recognition for their efforts.

The close of the school year is just a few weeks away but sports don’t stop for many of Graham’s youth.

Graham High School’s athletic teams are hosting a number of youth sports camps in the coming month. Two of the camps were announced previously on social media: the Baby Blues volleyball camp and a soccer camp for future Steers and Lady Blues.

The Graham Lady Blues met little resistance last weekend in their quest for a second straight bi-district championship. The team earned run-rule victories to take the series 2-0 over Lubbock Estacado.

After winning 11-1 in five innings Friday, April 26, the Lady Blues dominated the Lady Mats 20-6 in six innings Saturday, April 27 to claim the championship with ease.

The school year is winding down, both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Students have entered their final month of classes and most of the sports teams have finished or are moving towards the postseason of their respective schedules.

In the last week, the Graham High School track and field team concluded its season at the regional meet in Lubbock. On the softball diamond, the Lady Blues wrapped up the regular season and claimed a district championship—their second in as many years.

It was a battle of two teams at the top of their divisions. Two district winners. Graham and Breckenridge.

The Lady Blues welcomed the Lady Buckaroos to town for a warm up game before the playoffs start for both teams this week. The two teams battled, giving each other their best and creating a playoff-like atmosphere, in which Graham walked off with a 3-2 win in the final inning.

The Newcastle Bobcats and Ladycats competed at the regional track meet in Denton last week and three athletes qualified for state in their events.

After a long, successful season, Newcastle’s track and field team headed to the University of North Texas with a handful of students poised to showcase their abilities. The event lasted over the weekend from Friday, April 19 and due to weather it carried into Monday, April 22. The team had representation in multiple events, and while only three qualified for state, there were high finishes and quality scores all around.

Multiple Graham Steers and Lady Blues represented their school at the Region 1-4A track and field meet in Lubbock last weekend.

While none of the athletes qualified for the state meet, they all had strong showings in what became their final opportunities to compete this season. Only those who finish first or second in their events advance to the state meet, and while Graham had plenty of high finishers, their seasons have come to an end.

The Lady Blues went into their regular season finale at Mineral Wells needing a win to claim an outright district title.

Graham met the challenge head on as the Lady Blues ran away with a 13-7 win over the Lady Rams to earn the championship — the second in a row for the program.

Both teams came into their regular season finale with identical district records, the winner likely advancing to the playoffs while the loser’s season would end.

The Graham Steers fought hard and tried to rally late but ultimately came out on the losing end of their matchup with the Mineral Wells Rams. The home team Rams won 4-2 to send the Steers home.