The steady climb of the Palacios Sharkette Volleyball team continued this week as they checked in as the No. 3 ranked team in Class 3A in the most recent Texas Girls Coaches Association State Poll. This week’s poll was

released on Monday and saw the Sharkettes jump four spots, from last week’s No. 7 ranking to this week’s No. 3. The jump was based

in part on Palacios 2-0 record for the week which allowed the team to improve to 22-3 for the season. Those are the fewest losses of any ranked 3A team. At the top of the poll, Brock is 24-4 on the season while No. 2 Gunter is 25-4. Rounding out the top five are Peaster, 20-6, and Shallowater, 22-5. Other area teams ranked

in the top 25 of the state include Wallis Brazos, 20-8 along with East Bernard, 21-12. This week, the Sharkettes

hosted Industrial in a District 28-3A match Tuesday night, results not

available. This Friday, they will entertain Aransas Pass in a non-district, Homecoming match beginning with the varsity at 5 p.m. followed by the JV and freshman matches. Around the rest of the

area, Bay City played Columbia on Friday night and then opened their District 27-4A schedule against Sealy on Tuesday night, results not available. This Friday, they have an open date before resuming league play against Columbus on Sept. 30.In other District 28-3A

action, the Tidehaven Tigerettes hosted district foe Hallettsville on Tuesday, results not available. This Saturday, the schedule has them playing Industrial beginning with the varsity game at 3 p.m. followed by the JV at 4 p.m. In District 24-3A, Van

Vleck dropped into a third place tie with Boling after dropping a road match to the Lady Bulldogs on Sept. 16 night by scores of 25-21, 25-13, 25-15. The two teams are now tied at 2-2 in the league standings. Friday night, the Lady Leopards played a non-district match at

Brookshire Royal while on Tuesday they played away at Brazosport in another non-league contest, results not available. This Friday, the Lady Leps will be at

home for a non-district match against Brookshire Royal. The varsity action is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. followed by the JV and freshman matches.

While calling this team’s 33-0 win over Bloomington a “good victory,” Tidehaven Head Coach Brent Mascheck warned his players they need to clean things up for this week’s battle of the unbeaten meeting with the Louise Hornets. The teams will be at Tidehaven’s

Taska Stadium beginning at 7:30 p.m. this Friday night. It will be Parents’ Night for the Tigers.The Tigers enter the contest

with a 3-0 record and the second ranked offense in District 13-3A at 440.7 yards per game. They are led by their rushing attack, which has combined for better than 1,000 yards this season. Leading the way for the Tiger

ground game is RB Jason Fitzgerald with 40 carries for 420 yards and QB Eric Villarreal with 49 carries for 314 yards. Villarreal is coming off his

poorest game of the season throwing the ball after completing only 2 of 10 passes against the Bobcats Friday night but did hit receiver Brandon Brune for a score. Overall, Villarreal is 18 of 33 on the season with 5 touchdowns against 1 pick. In reviewing the Bloomington

win, Mascheck said his defense played a key role in controlling things early while the offense was getting a feel for the game and continued that effort the rest of the night.“The defense played well

again this week,” Defensive Coordinator Eddie Russell and the coaches have done a wonderful job with the defense. We controlled the game the entire night.“A good victory for the Tigers.

However, I was disappointed with the sloppiness of our game. We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with mental breakdowns. I thought we came out flat at the beginning of the game. Also, we have to improve

in our kicking game. It will come back and bite us down the road.” Louise comes into Friday night

with a 4-0 record, including a 3-0 home mark, and are coming off a 52-13 blowout of KIPP Academy. They are coached

by former Bay City Offensive Coordinator David Lucio and are quarterbacked by junior Eric Lucio, the coach’s son.“They have a lot of ties with

the Tidehaven community,” Mascheck said. “And they are

going to come after us. This is going to be a tough game for both teams because both teams have a lot on the line.”Blackcats seek balanceWhile the Bay City defense’s

numbers aren’t outstanding, it’s the offenses inconsistences that have put them in bad situations in all four of their games this season. The Blackcats will be looking to give their defense a breather by getting their offense in gear against Bellville this week. It will be a road game for

the Tigers as they take on the Brahmas beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Bellville.Through the first four games

of the season, the Blackcats, 0-4, have scored only 26 points and have been blanked twice, including last week’s loss to St. Pius X, 39-0. Zavien Gartica is the acknowledged leader of the offense topping the team in rushing yards, 39-140, and passing, 22-67 for 148 yards. Junior Thomas Russo has solidified his spot as the leading ball carrier with 33 rushes for 126 since taking over the starting job for the injured Samuel Fisher. Ge’Rod Allen and Jordan Ramsey are the receiving leaders.Bellville comes with a 3-1 record

and coming off a 16-2 road win over Sealy last Friday night. In four games, the Brahmas have scored more than 16 points only once but have allowed less then 10 points three times. Sharks HomecomingThe Palacios Sharks are coming

off a solid effort after dropping a 16-12 decision to Danbury this past Friday night. This week, they will entertain Aransas Pass for Homecoming beginning at 7:30 p.m. this Friday.

Sports 1BWednesday, September 24, 2014 baycitytribune.com

Tigers look to take battle of unbeatens

Working together, Tidehaven defenders Roderick Fisher (1), Payton Taska-Genzer (4) and Joseph Horris combine their efforts to crush a Bloomington running back. The Tiger defense will be challenged this week by the wide-open attack of the Louise Hornets. The battle of unbeatens will be played this Friday night in El Maton beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Barry Halvorson / Bay City Tribune

Barry Halvorsonsports@baycitytribune.com

Barry Halvorson / Bay City Tribune

Starting her swing when the set is at its peak, Palacios’ Katelyn Sexton (7) looks to pound down a point against Bay City. Positioned to pick up a possible block are Sharkettes Jennifer Fort (4) and Megan Buckley (10.)

Barry Halvorsonsports@baycitytribune.com

Sharkettes continue poll climbSee VVISD, Page 3A

Goddess near perfect with Week Four picks

One of the Gurus came close to perfection in Week Four of the season leaving the rest of the crew slightly in the dust for the time being. The Guru Goddess went

16-1 for the week. She also questioned those who have expressed doubt in her prognosticating abilities. “I must say I’m excited

I had such an awesome week this time around. There were a couple of games this weekend I was definitely nervous about. “I am a little baffled at

being called a cheater. Not exactly sure how you cheat on predictions. If someone thinks I have the pull or money to have these games thrown in my favor for this contest, then I am totally and completely flattered. And I’m not even a politician!”But questions were again

being raised, this time by the Law Dawg, who finished the week with a 13-4 record leaving him tied with the Bear for third in the standings. “16-1, Brooke you got

you be kidding me. I am pretty I saw her car parked at Sister Millie the Seer’s place last Monday getting her picks. Great games

last week though. LSU got beat, UH won, as well the Aggies and Tide keeps on rolling. I think the game of the week will be Louise vs. Tidehaven, both undefeated and appear to be evenly matched. Should be great game with the edge going to the Tide as the home team.”Falling to the bottom

of the standings and ending up at the bottom of this week’s selections was Fearless Leader, who got a dozen correct. But just couldn’t let one of those losses go because it represented a solo selection.“Who scores 36 points in

the fourth quarter to win the game? Arizona didn’t win that game more than Cal lost it. 36 in the 4th quarter, Really? Really?” He also offered his own

theory as to the Goddess’ success.“If Brooke had a clue

what she was doing, she would have been 12-5 (which would have tied her with Leader.) Ray Tennant Jr. always says the quote, “I’d rather be lucky than good!” Brooke is the perfect example of how that is true.

Sports calendar

Thursday, Sept. 25FootballBellville at Bay City, F/JV,

5-7 p.m. Palacios at Aransas Pass,

JV, 6 p.m. Tidehaven at Louise, JV,

7 p.m.Van Vleck at Ganado, JV,

7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 26FootballBay City at Bellville, V, 7:30

p.m. Aransas Pass at Palacios,

V, 7:30 p.m.Louise at Tidehaven, V,

Parents’ Night, 7:30 p.m.Ganado at Van Vleck, V,

Homecoming, 7:30 p.m.VolleyballBay City, F/JV/V – open

dateAransas Pass at Palacios,

V/JV/F, 5 p.m.Tidehaven at Industrial, V/

JV/F, 5-6-7 p.m.Brookshire at Van Vleck, V/

JV/F, 5-6-6 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 27Cross CountryExporter Invitational,

Surfside BeachVolleyballTidehaven at Industrial, F/

JV/V, 5-6-7 p.m.

KickBall TournamentThe Palacios BayFest Co-

Ed KickBall Tourney will be held Oct. 9-10. Teams must have 10 players in the field and a minimum of 5 women. All women teams are welcomed. Teams are guaranteed 9 games at South Bay Park in Palacios. The entry fee is $80 with an additional umpire fee of $10 per game paid the plate. The entry deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 8. T-shirts for first and second place (up to 15 players) and team trophies. For information, contact by calling Horacio at 361-676-8617.

WCJC Golf TournamentThe Second Annual

Wharton County Junior College Invitational Golf Classic has been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Wharton Country Club. It will begin with 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. shotgun starts. Teams are now forming with entry fees

of $300 for a four-person team and $75 for individual entries. Fees include green fees, golf cart, lunch and a gift. The deadline for entry is Oct. 31. Various sponsorships are also currently available. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the WCJC President’s Scholarship Fund and the WCJC Presidential Scholars Program. For more information or an entry form, send an email to cherylm@wcjc.edu or call 979-532-6322.

There shall be showers of blessing: This is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing,Sent from the Savior above; Showers

of blessing, Showers of blessing we need: Mercy drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead. Daniel W. Whittle, 1883The sweet precipitation that

rejuvenated our lives this week also sent a jolt to wildlife and their habitat. Here are a few ways this week’s showers blessed animals:Our bays have been

salty; and, with higher salinity levels come stress to the homeostasis of saltwater species.

Trout have been tougher to fi nd during drought, but lower salinities should prompt them to report back to their normal locales. Recent rains should help balance the brine for all marine species in the food chain.“Redfi sh picked up this week,” said

guide Michael Rolf of Matagorda . “Tides were high from all of the rain and low pressure in the Gulf.”Whitetail deer

certainly benefi tted. Lack of rain means lack of forage, which means

lean body and horn weights. The good news is fi elds and pastures have responded to the water and begun producing food for deer. The bad news for hunters is wet, lush terrain means deer are more elusive and less apt to come to a feeder for grain.The one outdoor group who did

not enjoy steady showers were South Zone dove hunters. For the second consecutive year, opening day was marred by heavy deluges that muddied fi elds and hampered fl ights. El Campo, East Bernard and Beasley fi elds enjoyed steady shoots of whitewings over sunfl owers and milo, but east side hunters chasing mourning dove had a tougher time.Water is one of two words that

make up the compound word “waterfowl.” However, you cannot have one without the other, so this week’s rains are welcomed, even though many outfi tters and pond managers have paid good money to pump water for teal season. The rains recharged stagnant ponds and replenished what took thousands of dollars and days to fi ll. Wet winters are great for wintering waterfowl, but tougher for hunters to pattern birds. It is the same principle as deer hunting during a wet year – there are

more places to loaf and feed.Turkeys should benefi t from the

rain this spring breeding season. When conditions are not lush and green, hens are reluctant to raise a clutch of eggs. This year’s hatch should be solid with prime habitat.Bass anglers have enjoyed the rise

on lakes and reservoirs because the runoff cools the water and invites largemouths to move shallow. Topwater frogs and buzzbaits have been the ticket lately, according to several freshwater guides; and, the cool down has incited crappie to congregate around brush piles.Freshwater in our bays also helps

the fall shrimp crop. Birds working is a harbinger of fall, and this year’s campaign looks to be a good one. Many captains from Sabine to Port O’Connor have said they have seen a noticeable increase in shrimp in marshes. Our spring and summer rains have had a lot to do with the boost in crustaceans.Water is a powerful and precious

resource. Texas wildlife welcome more showers of blessing. Bink Grimes is a freelance writer,

photographer, author and licensed captain binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net.)

BINKGRIMESCOLUMNIST

2B • Wednesday, September 24, 2014 BAY CITY TRIBUNE • baycitytribune.com

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SPORTS CALENDARHow to submit a calendar item• Submit your items for Matagorda Sports by email to sports@baycitytribune.com or by calling 979-245-5555, ext. 121

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How to submit a Matagorda Sports

item• Submit your items for Matagorda Sports by email tosports@baycitytribune.com or by calling 979-245-5555, ext. 121

Showers of blessing come at right time

Steady rainfall has done nothing but help bay estuaries and improve catches.

Contributed Photo

Shark Head Coach Brad Bowden said the conditions last Friday night should have resulted in postponing the contest.“We played on a fi eld

that shouldn’t have been played on,” Bowden said. “And the scoreboard wasn’t working. We were down 16-12 at their 8 with no time outs and were handicapped because we couldn’t see the time. It was extremely frustrating.“The kids did a good

job of showing up and playing hard after the disappointment of losing the Tidehaven game. But we’ve still got a lot of areas were we need to improve.”Palacios enters the game

averaging 358.8 yard per game on offense while allowing 393.8 on defense. They have struggled with

turnovers having dropped the ball 11 times with 10 of those recovered by their opponents. The have collected three interceptions on the season. Quarterback Cameron

Sides is leading the team both on the ground and in the air having rushed for a team high 484 yards on 59 carries while hitting 45 of 80 passes for 455 and 8 TDs. Danny Rodriguez provides a solid second running option with 74 carries for 438 yards. Justice Acosta is the team receiving leader with 17 catches while Ethan Garcia and Rodriguez each have 8 catches. Aransas Pass comes into

Friday night’s contest with a 1-3 record and is coming off a 53-19 road loss to Orange Grove. Defensively, they have allowed 20 or more points

in all four games while scoring better than 20 only once this season in their lone win over Edna, 36-20.Van Vleck looks to go

over .500Having alternated losses

with wins through the fi rst four games of the 2014 season, the Van Vleck Leopards will be looking to use the power of Homecoming to start their fi rst win streak of the season this Friday night. They will be hosting the Ganado Indians beginning at 7:30 p.m. for their annual Homecoming contest. Following their season

trend, last week was a win for the Leopards as they dominated the Industrial Cobras 41-0. Leopard QB Colby

Calk is coming off his best performance of the season having completed

6 of 13 passes with 5 of those ending up in the end zone. For the year, Calk is 16 of 47 for 6 scores. D’Christian Griggs had 2 scoring catches while Montrell Brown, Teran Casey and Marcel Holden each had one receiving TD. Brown added another

rushing touchdown as he fi nished the night with 189 yards on 16 carries including a 95-yard run. For the year, Brown has carried the ball 66 times for 628 yards and 7 TDs while Calk is the team’s second leading rusher with 36 carries for 220 yards. Ganado is 1-3 on the

season following last week’s 47-12 loss to Goliad. The Indians one win came against the team’s one common opponent as they downed Industrial 43-12 in week 3 of the season.

FOOTBALL, from 1B