Bay City Tribune

Bay City basketball coach Eddie Nelson opened his 35th season at BCHS with a smashing blow from the La Marque Cougars Tuesday night.

La Marque overtook the Blackcats 90-28, with all of last year’s starters still playing on the football team. Bay City didn’t get into double digits in any single quarter and barely broke into them by the half.

The Cougars were up 31-3 in the first quarter and went on to take a 54-12 halftime edge. The Blackcats scored just 17 points in the second half to the Cougars’ 36.

Shaun Rutherford, Darian Dale, Kory Ford, C.J. Patterson, Mitch Kimberling, Paul Ellis, Jarvis Griggs and Michael Smith will play with the football team until they finish up in the playoffs.

Except for last year’s graduates Scott Mason, Trevor Brown and David Smith the Blackcats’ team returns in its entirety.

A reschedule for football playoffs gave the Blackcats a Saturday date with Texas City. They won’t play again for a week and resume the schedule with another Saturday game at Angleton.

The Leopards opened with a loss Tuesday also, although in a much closer game. Van Vleck outscored 3A Columbia 21-8 in the fourth quarter for a late rally that tightened the game, but the Roughnecks went ahead for a 55-51 win.

The Leps trailed 11-5 in the first quarter and trimmed it back to go in at the half behind 24-21.

The Roughnecks clamped down and to hold Van Vleck back and went up 47-30. The Leopards’ late rally wasn’t enough to stop Columbia.

Avery Griffin led the Leps in scoring with 15 points and Greg Gamez put up 11.

The Ladycats pulled off their first win of the season against Class 5A Brazoswood Tuesday night in Clute. Bay City (1-2) dominated all four periods for a 48-27 win.

Devan Price scored 22 with three steals and two rebounds and Nikki Mayberry had 19 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal.