Hey, sports fans,
Our Lady Roadrunner soccer team, currently ranked No. 17 in the nation, notched another big milestone with a South Zone championship repeat, and our men’s and women’s basketball teams kicked off the upcoming new year with the annual Region XIV Media Day held this past Wednesday in Tyler.
Of course, our baseball and softball teams were busy with some Fall Ball as well.
We are AC, and we’re ready to Run ‘Em.
Here’s a quick rundown of the past week’s events, along with what’s coming up next:
No. 17 Lady Roadrunners Clinch Consecutive South Zone Titles
Angelina College women’s soccer coach Sergio Gardea has led the Lady Roadrunners for two years now, and in both seasons, he’s managed to secure the top spot in his conference zone.
AC’s 1-0 win at Texas Southmost College on Friday moved the Lady ‘Runners to 8-2-1 on the season, meaning the team has secured its second straight South Zone title with just one match remaining in the regular season.
Both the Lady Roadrunners and Roadrunners will celebrate their respective Sophomore Night activities on Friday, Oct. 24, when both teams will host LSUE-E at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus.
The Lady Roadrunners will kick off at 5 p.m., with Sophomore Day festivities scheduled to take place before the match begins.
Roadrunners Drop Heartbreaker at Texas Southmost
The Roadrunner men’s soccer team dropped another heartbreaker – their second one-goal loss in two weeks – on Friday, as AC fell to Texas Southmost College by a 3-2 final in Brownsville.
The Roadrunners (7-4-1, 5-4-1) have just two regular-season matches remaining: Friday at home vs. LSU-Eunice starting at 7:30 p.m., and a home match against Coastal Bend Community College starting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27 at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus.
Prior to kickoff for Friday’s match, the ‘Runners will recognize sophomores on Sophomore Day.
Roadrunners Picked 2nd, Lady ‘Runners 7th in Region XIV Coaches’ Poll
The tipoff to basketball season is just a couple of weeks away, and every new season gets its own launching ceremony courtesy of the annual Region XIV Media Day. This year’s event took place this past Wednesday at Tyler Junior College, and coaches got the opportunity to stand before their contemporaries and the media while discussing the new season’s expectations.
The Roadrunner men, fresh off last year’s Elite Eight appearance – and the No. 1 defensive team in the nation – are picked to finish in second place in Region XIV behind defending national champions Trinity Valley Community College.
While lauding last year’s group and its accomplishments, AC head coach and athletic director J.J. Montgomery said he’s excited about this year’s group.
“Last year was special for us in making it to the national stage, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of kids,” Montgomery said. “They competed hard and represented us in the right way.
“Those kids were special, but I can honestly say I think we’ve gotten better because of the overall talent and the depth we have. We brought back eight kids from a team that went 29-6 last year. We added some transfers, and those guys are some dogs. You all know what I mean by that, and you recognize them when you see them. Every team needs guys like that.”
Montgomery closed by sharing how last year’s success has raised the bar in arguably the nation’s toughest junior college conference.
“We have a deep group, a great group, and we’ve set the expectations higher,” Montgomery said. “We know every night in Region XIV is going to be a dogfight.”
Lady ‘Runner head coach Addie Lees, in her first year with AC after having spent four years coaching Region XIV rival Kilgore College, gave a nod to the familiar faces in the crowd while reminding them of her coaching style.
“What can you expect from Angelina College women’s basketball?,” Lees asked Wednesday’s crowd. “A lot of grit, a lot of discipline, a lot of integrity and a lot of gratitude. These are our core values we strive to implement each day.
“We say our players are extensions of their coaches, so you may or may not see a little feistiness from some of our players. That’s me.”
Lees acknowledged her staff – including new assistant coach Mercedes Corona – along with “the people all around me on the Angelina College campus.”
Lees also noted she’s starting the year with an entirely new roster, with not a single player returning from the previous season.
“We have some great new players coming in,” Lees said. “Our focus this entire fall has been on setting a standard and building a strong foundation.
“We’re excited. We prepare to compete, and every day is a game day.”
The Lady Roadrunners will open their new season on the road at McLennan College on Saturday, Nov. 1. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Waco.
The Roadrunners open the regular season at home against Hinds Community College on Monday, Nov. 3. Tipoff takes place at 6 p.m. at Shands Gymnasium.
Lady Roadrunner Softball Drops Doubleheader to UT-Tyler
Facing the NCAA Division III back-to-back national champions, the Lady Roadrunner softball team got a glimpse of how the competition appears on the upper ends of the sport.
AC on Friday dropped a doubleheader to the University of Texas-Tyler, falling 10-1 in the opening game of the doubleheader before losing 16-5 in the nightcap.
Ella Berger drove in AC’s only run in the opening game, while teammates Emilee McKee, Elizabeth Craig, Jessi Sumpter, and Kassidi St. Clair (two RBI) plated runs in the nightcap.
The Lady ‘Runners travel this week to Houston Christian University (Friday, 2 p.m.) and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Saturday. That game starts at 11 a.m.
Roadrunner Baseball Takes Two from TCS Post Grad
AC’s baseball guys handled their business Friday at home against TCS Post Grade, sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 9-3 and 16-4 at Poland Stadium on the AC campus.
Daigan Venable knocked in three runs in the opener. Jackson Pullen collected two RBI, and teammates Marco Bandiero, Jon Gonzalez (with a solo homer), Cole Standley and Austin Cadroy drove in a run each.
Bandiero showed out in the nightcap, driving in four runs with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Venable added two more RBI, as did Cadroy and Cohen Babineaux. Rounding out the RBI crew were Jackson Pullen, Connor Ficarra, Will McKinzie and Luke Hamm.
The Roadrunners will play at Friday’s Showcase at the University of Texas-Tyler in Tyler. AC faces UT-Tyler at 1 p.m. and Grayson College at 3 p.m. Both games take place on the University of Texas-Tyler campus.
Meet the Roadrunners and Lady Roadrunners
New rosters for the upcoming AC basketball seasons are up and running on the Angelina College Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com.).
All AC Teams Have Schedules Up and Running Online
Lady Roadrunner and Roadrunner fans can now find their favorite teams’ schedules on the Angelina College Athletics website (www.angelinaathletics.com). For now, only the fall schedules for baseball and softball are in place (with the potential to add more events later), but all other teams, including both women’s and men’s basketball, are ready for viewing and planning.
We’ll update any changes as we receive them.
We can’t wait to see you at the games.
Live Streaming Reminder:
All AC Athletics regular-season home games are 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/Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Upcoming schedules:
Friday, Oct. 24:
No. 14 Lady Roadrunner Soccer vs. LSU-Eunice, 5 p.m. at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus. (Sophomore Day ceremony takes place prior to kickoff.)
Roadrunner Soccer vs. LSU-Eunice, 5 p.m. at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus. (Sophomore Day ceremony takes place prior to kickoff.)
Roadrunner Baseball at UT-Tyler, 1 p.m. in Tyler; Roadrunner Baseball vs. Grayson College, 3 p.m. at UT-Tyler in Tyler.
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
