Hey, sports fans,
Take a deep breath. The weather may be trying to freeze us out, but everything else around here is heating up quickly.
Our basketball teams each battled conference opponents twice this week, our baseball and softball teams start their seasons in mere days, and our soccer teams are hosting a pair of Prospect Camps soon.
We also had some “Little Lakers” on-hand for basketball to show off both shooting skills and dance prowess.
Here’s a quick rundown of the week’s events, along with what’s coming up next:
Roadrunner Basketball Runs Winning Streak to Seven Straight
Just a week after hitting a big shot to send the game in to overtime – an eventual win over No. 7 Panola College – Angelina College’s Chris Carpenter managed to “one-up” himself.
Carpenter drilled a game-winning three-pointer with just .7 seconds remaining in Wednesday’s game against Blinn College, lifting the Roadrunners to a thrilling 72-69 win at Shands Gymnasium.
The game featured a classic back-and-forth battle: There were four ties in the second half, with the last one coming on a Blinn bucket with 21 second to play in the game.
After a Roadrunner timeout, Carpenter walked the ball up the floor to run down the clock before passing off and moving to his right. After taking a pass from a teammate, Carpenter let fly from beyond the three-point arc. His shot found nothing but net with less than a second remaining, leaving Blinn no time to respond.
Carpenter finished the game with a team-high 15 points to go with six assists. Kanaan Holder and Jordan Mathews added 13 points each, while Christian Jones finished the game with 12 points.
On Saturday, AC rallied from a first-half deficit, finding another gear in the second half to cruise past Kilgore College in a 73-59 Roadrunner win. Holder led AC with 24 points, followed by Daemon Ely, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Jones added another 10 points in the win.
The red-hot Roadrunners (15-2, 8-1) now have won seven straight games to remain in a first-place tie in the Region XIV conference standings.
AC’s guys are scheduled to Port Arthur on Wednesday to face Lamar State College-Port Arthur at 7 p.m. The ‘Runners return to Shands Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 25 to host Navarro College at 4 p.m.
Lady Roadrunners Drop Pair of Conference Games
AC’s ladies are putting up battles against some very tough competition.
But with just eight healthy players available, they’re constantly facing a depth disadvantage.
That was the case this past week, as the Lady Roadrunners went head-to-head against two of Region XIV’s best women’s teams, only to have those teams pull away from a gassed AC team late.
On Wednesday, the Lady ‘Runners faced No. 22 Blinn College and stood toe-to-toe with the Lady Bucs, with AC trailing by a single digit at the half before falling 50-37 at Shands Gymnasium. India McMahon led AC with 12 points, followed by Lanaijha Johnson with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Saturday’s game featured the same challenge, this time against Tyler Junior College. AC actually led 21-19 at the half, only to see the Lady Apaches flex their deep bench to down the Lady Roadrunners by a 63-45 final. McMahon finished with 14 points, while Johnson added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
The Lady ‘Runners (8-8, 1-2) will be at Kilgore College on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff before hosting Paris College on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shands Gymnasium.
Baseball, Softball Schedules Available
January in JUCO sports means Opening Days for baseball and softball, and both the Roadrunners and Lady Roadrunners will play their season openers in the coming days.
In fact, the Lady ‘Runners had their official team photo taken this last week, and the guys are scheduled for theirs this coming week. Softball’s roster is available on the AC Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com), and baseball’s should be available in the next few days.
Roadrunner Baseball will start the season on the road in Galveston on Friday, Jan. 24 in a doubleheader scheduled to start at 1 p.m. AC then will host those same Whitecaps on Sunday, Jan. 26 at Poland Stadium in a twin bill set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Lady Roadrunner Softball will open its 2025 campaign in a home doubleheader against Cisco College scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Lady Roadrunner Field. First game is set for a 4 p.m. start.
Both teams’ schedules, along with the Lady Roadrunner softball roster, are now available for viewing at angelinaathletics.com.
Lady Roadrunner Softball Hosting Prospect Camp in January
Angelina College’s Lady Roadrunner softball program is looking for some new Lady Roadrunners.
The program will host a Prospect Camp on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Lady Roadrunner Softball Field on the AC campus.
The camp is for high schoolers scheduled to graduate in 2026 or 2027.
For registration information, use the following link:
For any other inquiries, contact Lady Roadrunner head coach Brette Kohring at bkohring@angelina.edu.
Soccer Teams Hosting ID Camps in March
Both Angelina College soccer teams will be hosting ID camps in March as the programs continue to identify new talent.
The Roadrunner men will host their ID Camp from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 1 at the AC Soccer Complex on the AC campus. The camp is for prospective players in 9th through 12th grades. Cost for the camp is $60 if players register by Feb. 21. After Feb. 21, the cost will be $75.
Here’s the link for registration and other information for the men’s ID camp:
The Lady Roadrunners’ ID camp takes place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at the AC Soccer Complex on the AC campus. The camp is for prospective players in 9th through 12th grades. Cost for the camp is $30 if players register by Feb. 21. After Feb. 21, the cost will be $50.
Here’s the link for registration and other information for the women’s ID camp:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1143046014399?aff=oddtdtcreator
Live Streaming Reminder:
All AC Athletics regular-season home games will be live streamed on TSBN Sports (a free streaming service for fans), with most of the conference road games also available for streaming. (This does not include baseball and softball fall games, as those are not considered official games.)
Once TSBN posts its schedules, AC fans simply need to visit the AC Athletics web site, look at the scrolling schedule in the middle of the page and click the blue “Video” link.
TSBN also offers an app great for smart phones, devices and smart TVs. (You’ve GOT to see those matches and games on the big screen.)
Reminder II: Admission to ALL Angelina College Athletics sporting events is free, as is the TSBN live streaming. Any other links offering streaming are scams.
Reminder III: For the most current schedule updates (especially for potential weather issues, visit the official Angelina College Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com). Fans can also receive updates on the AC Athletics Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram pages.
Upcoming schedules:
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025:
Lady Roadrunner Basketball at Kilgore College, 5:30 p.m. in Kilgore.
Roadrunner Basketball at Lamar State College-Port Arthur, 7 p.m. in Port Arthur
Friday, Jan. 24:
Roadrunner Baseball at Galveston College, DH starting at 1 p.m. in Galveston.
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025:
Lady Roadrunner Basketball vs. Paris College, 2 p.m., Shands Gymnasium.
Roadrunner Basketball vs. Navarro College, 4 p.m., Shands Gymnasium.
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025:
Roadrunner Baseball vs. Galveston College, DH starting at 1 p.m., Poland Stadium on the AC campus.
For any other information, contact Sports Information Director Gary Stallard at gstallard@angelina.edu.
We’ll see you at the games.
Gary Stallard
Email: gstallard@angelina.edu.
Phone: (936) 465-4614