LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS
BASEBALL

NL tourney canceled

The North Lamar tournament that Kilgore High School's baseball team was supposed to play in this weekend in Paris was canceled completely yesterday afternoon due to the expected bad weather.

KHS head coach Jeff Blackstone said he tried to find another opponent for his team this Saturday, but has been unable to do so, as of this morning. The Bulldogs (6-4) likely won't play again, then, until Tuesday's District 12-4A opener at Whitehouse, a 6 p.m. first pitch Tuesday night. Kilgore is on the road twice next week - the 'Dogs play at Nacogdoches on Friday. They won't return home to Driller Park until Tuesday, March 18 against Jacksonville.

The junior varsity Bulldogs were to play this weekend in a tournament at Pine Tree - that event is likely canceled, as well, due to the snow. The JV 'Dogs are to open district play here at Driller on Monday at 6 p.m. against Whitehouse.

SOFTBALL

KHS-Marshall re-scheduled

As the Kilgore News Herald went to press this morning, the Kilgore-Marshall District 12-4A softball game scheduled to be played here at Stream-Flo Field has been moved and postponed, coach Cassie Newell said. The JV game wwill begin at 1 p.m. followed by varsity at 2:30.

Kilgore (4-9 overall, 0-1 in district play) lost at Henderson on Monday night (played on Monday due to TAKS testing) and is scheduled to play at Whitehouse Tuesday night, beginning at 4:30 with the JV.

KYSA sign-up continues Saturday

The final day for registration for the spring season of the Kilgore Youth Softball Association (KYSA) is Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., to be held at the sports complex on Highway 135 (that's also where games are played) at the red building.

There will be no late registration this year.

There is an entry fee of $75 per player, with discounts after registering two players from the same household.

For more information on KYSA, contact Evelyn Stokes at (903) 984-8704, or see the KYSA website at kysakilgore.org.

KHS softball boosters meet Monday

The Kilgore High School softball boosters will meet Monday night at the locker room at Stream-Flo Field on Harris Street at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to anyone interested in supporting the KHS softball program. For more information, contact Lee Ann Warren at (903) 985-0681, or Frank Baggett at (903) 987-1463.

BASKETBALL

RXIV tournament starts tonight

Basketball season isn't over yet - there's still the Region XIV Conference tournament to be played, and it's being played right here in our backyard.

Kilgore College's Masters Gymnasium is the site this entire weekend for both the men's and women's tournaments. The women own the court tonight with two games: 6 p.m. with No. 4-seeded Angelina facing fifth-seeded Panola, and at 8 p.m. with three-seed Tyler taking on No. 6 Jacksonville (in the women's division, only the top six teams in the conference standings make the tournament).

The women are off until Sunday.

The men begin play tomorrow at 1 p.m., and hold court all day. San Jacinto, the No. 3 seed, takes on sixth-seeded Navarro at 1. Paris, the No. 2 seed, takes on No. 7 Blinn at 3. Fourth-seeded Angelina and fifth-seeded Trinity Valley play at 6, and No. 1 seed Tyler takes on eighth-seeded Panola at 8.

Women's games resume Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. with top-seeded Trinity Valley facing an opponent at 1, and No. 2 Blinn taking on the remaining team at 3. The men start back at 6 p.m. Sunday - the San Jac-Navarro winner faces the Paris-Blinn winner at 6, and the Tyler-Panola winner takes on the Angelina-TVCC winner at 8.

Conference title games are Monday night: the women tip off at 5:30, the men at 7.

Single-game tickets aren't sold - the tickets are sold by the session (two games). In other words, Friday's games are one session. Saturday's first two games are the second session, and so on. Tickets per session are $8 for adults and $5 for students. The best deal might be a tournament pass - for $30, it allows you admission for every single tournament game.

GOLF

Golf-a-thon April 7

A golf-a-thon will be played here at Meadowbrook Country Club on Monday, April 7 to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Participants will play 54 holes of best ball, with a triple bogey maximum on any hole played.

To enter, you provide a minimum donation of $500 to the American Cancer Society.

For the donation, your food and drink for the day will be provided, you'll get a Nike Dri-Fit shirt, your cart and green fees are included in that donation, and dinner and drinks at the end of the day.

Cash prizes for the low nine, the low 18, the low 36 and the low 54, based on handicap, will be given.

To enter, call Greg Collins at (903) 988-3413.

FISHING

Big Bass Tournament March 29-30

The 25th annual Big Bass Tournament at Cedar Creek Lake, sponsored by KCKL 95.9-FM, is Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30.

Over 120 prizes will be given, including the first prize, a Triton Mercury bass rig.

There is an entry fee of $65 per day, and contestants may enter at the lake.

For more information and entry forms, call (903) 489- 1518, or try fishing world.com/kckl/bass online.