LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS
SOCCER

Camp begins Monday

The annual Kilgore-East Texas Soccer Camp will be held beginning Monday June 9 through Friday, June 13 at the soccer practice field beside the tennis courts at Kilgore High School on Longview Street.

KHS head boys coach Kris Duplissey will be the lead instructor for the camp, with help from current players and alumni. The camp is for boys and girls ages kindergarten through eighth grade.

Cost of the camp is $50 per player, with a discount for families registering more than one player. After the first child, each additional player is $40. Along with that fee comes a camp T-shirt and Gatorade.

Camp will be held from 8:30 p.m. until 11 a.m. each day, and players should bring a soccer ball, shin guards and soccer shoes.

For more information, call Duplissey at (903) 985-0097. Anyone who plans on attending the camp is asked to call that number to RSVP.

FOOTBALL

Rangers camp starts Monday, too

For youngsters with dreams of playing competitive football, the Kilgore College Rangers will host a football skills camp for ages 7-15 from Monday through Friday of next week. Conducted by the KC coaching staff, the camp is "non-contact" and participants will be taught the fundamentals of the game and given instruction in all phases of football.

Players will be divided into groups according to age and position, allowing individual skills to be taught. Each camper will receive a camp certificate and awards will be given out daily. Emphasis for younger campers is basic skills development and intermediate skills for older campers to prepare them for competition.

Cost is $100 and will include instruction, allyou can eat meals, a souvenir KC football and camp certificate. Camp will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and will be held on the KC campus.

To register for the camp, visit kilgore.edu/rangerfb.asp and download the camp flyer. Fill out the bottom portion and mail to: Kilgore College c/o J.J. Eckert, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, TX; 75662. A deposit of $50 is required to reserve a spot and is nonrefundable after June 1. The remaining $50 must be paid at time of registration. Registration is from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. the first day of the camp (June 9) in the Masters Gymnasium lobby. Limited spaces are available.

For more information, call Chris Craddock, KC's sports information coordinator, at (903) 983-8181.

GOLF

A few spots left in ETTC tourney

The 46th annual East Texas Treatment Center Golf Classic is Friday at Oak Forest Country Club in Longview. The already has 100 teams in the field, but a few spots are still open - registration deadline, though, is 5 p.m. today. The tournament, as always, is sponsored by the East Texas Oil Men's Golf Association.

All flights will be a two-person team scramble for 36 holes, 18 on Friday and 18 on Saturday. Flighting will be determined after 36 holes. The number of flights will be determined by the number of teams entering.

Pairings will be drawn tonight. There is a $520 for each team. The fee includes a team entry, two buy-a-drives and cart rental.

The tournament is open to amateurs only. Anyone under 21 years of age must by accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Proceeds from the tournament are to help fund services at the East Texas Treatment Center for patients in need of financial assistance. The ETTC is a non-profit rehabilitation facility providing therapy services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Players will be treated to a continental breakfast each morning, lunch on the course at noon and treats at locations around the course. Players and guests will be provided dinner at the awards program Saturday evening. The evening meal is provided by Dialog Wireline and Peters Chevrolet.

Players in each flight will be competing for $2,100 in prize money. First place in each flight is worth $800, second place $600, third place $500 and fourth place $200.

The 2006 tournament in Kilgore drew 66 teams and had 80 hole signs. Last year the tournament was moved to Longview and drew a field of 71 teams with 97 hole signs. In addition to the 100 teams registered for 2008, the players will be viewing 90 hole signs around the course. BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

WR camps start Monday

There will be a baseball camp for boys ages fourth grade through ninth grade at West Rusk High School in New London, beginning Monday, June 9 and running through Thursday, June 12.

Boys ages fourth through sixth grade will have camp in the morning session on those days (from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m.) and seventh through ninth graders will camp from noon until 2:30 each day.

The registration fee is $25 per student, $40 for two siblings and $55 for three. Each camper will receive instruction in fundamentals. There will be registration beginning at 8 a.m. on the first day.

For more information, call WRHS head baseball coach David Sheppard at (903) 445-1196.

There will also be a softball camp held at West Rusk High School starting Monday, for girls ages fourth through ninth grades.

The camp will be held at New London's little league field. It's $25 per student, $40 for two sisters and $55 for three. The camp will be held from 8:30 a.m. until noon each day.

Registration will be held beginning at 8 a.m. on the first day of camp. The campers will be instructed by WRHS softball coach Johnny Hammontree.

BASKETBALL

Camp underway; girls next week

Both men's and women's basketball programs at Kilgore College will hold summer skills camps in June for ages 6-17. The boys' camp begin Monday and last the duration of the week, but there's still the opportunity to register for the girls camp, which begins this coming Monday, June 9.

The camps will focus on development of beginning to intermediate basketball skills, ending with a basketball game 11:30 a.m. the last day of the camps.

Cost for the boys' camp is $120 and $100 for the girls. A $50 deposit is required to hold a spot in the girls camp, and $60 for the boys. The full balance is due 8:30 a.m. on the first morning of the camps. Both camps will be run by Lady Rangers' assistant coach Brad Tindel and men's assistant coach Kenderick Franklin. Roy Thomas, head coach of the Lady Rangers, will also assist with the girls camp.

Camp will run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. Campers will receive a camp T-shirt, a KC basketball, awards and daily lunch. Registration will take place 8:30 a.m. on the first day of both camps.

Application forms and more information are available on both men's and women's basketball Web pages on kilgore.edu. For more information, contact Tindel at (903) 983-8691.

WR basketball camp set for June 16

There will be a basketball camp at West Rusk High School beginning Monday, June 16 through Thursday, June 19 for boys and girls ages second grade through ninth grade (in the upcoming school year). Camp sessions will begin at 8:30 each morning, and last until noon.

The registration fee is $25 per camper, $40 for two siblings and $55 for three. The campers will be instructed by WRHS basketball coaches.

For more information, call coach Jeremy Thomas at (903) 895-4428, ext. 132.

Walk-ups are welcome for registration, which will be conducted the morning of the first day of camp.

TENNIS

Clinic here June 16

Kilgore High School tennis coach Jason Maroney will host a summer tennis clinic (and not just for students) running from June 16 through June 20. Children 10 and under have just a $5 entry fee (and they get a Tshirt). For players 11 and older, the clinic has a $40 fee, which also includes a T-shirt. Registration forms are available at the KHS athletic department office, located behind the tennis courts and tennis building on Longview Street.