Under the direction of a new head coach and a different style of play, the Clifton softball program began the season as diamonds in the rough on a learning curve. But with only two District 17-3A games remaining in the 2023 Texas high school baseball season last week, the Lady Cubs stood on the verge of a postseason berth.

Finding themselves in a tough district from top-to-bottom coming into the season in rebuilding mode, the Clifton Cubs knew they would have their hands full during the 2023 Texas high school baseball season. Since splitting a pair of games against the Keene Chargers to open District 17-3A competition, the Cubs have dropped five straight, getting swept by Whitney and West before losing 8-0 to the district co-leading Maypearl Panthers at home last Friday.

Delivering their best performances when they needed them most, the Meridian boys and girls track teams overcame a slow start to their season due to renovation at their stadium to shine at the District 20-1A Track & Field Championships held at Jacket Stadium last week. Running away with the overall team district championship, the Meridian boys scored 156 points to take the title ahead of runner-up Iredell with 124 points, followed by third place Blum with 110 points.

Fielding a young team with a mix of experience, Meridian Lady Jacket softball hoped to transform from a diamond in the rough to a true gem under the guidance of a new head coach during the course of the 2023 Texas high school softball season. With only two games remaining in the regular season, the Lady Jackets remain a work in progress after getting a late start due to the extended success of the Meridian girls basketball team.

Led by senior AJ Lingo winning three silver medals in the 200-meter dash, long jump and triple jump, the Clifton Cubs convincingly won the overall team championship with 196 points at the District 173A Track & Field Championships at Whitney last week, followed by runner-up West with 110 and third place Whitney with 107. The Cubs will be sending 15 athletes to compete in 16 events as all three relay teams advanced to the District 17/18-3A Area Championships to be held April 21 at Eustace High School.

Taking the court with a young team showing steady improvement and gaining experience, the Clifton boys and girls tennis teams competed at the District 17-3A Championship Tournament on March 2930 at Whitney High School. Led by a fourth place finish by the mixed doubles team of Deacon Williams and Kenna Williams, Clifton did not advance any players to the Class 3A Region III Championships to be held April 10-11 at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station.

In their final tune-up before the District 17-3A Track & Field Championships, the Clifton boys and girls track teams turned it up a notch at the Hamilton Extraco Relays last Thursday. By claiming medals in all three relay events, the Clifton boys finished as the runner-up in the overall team standings, just 3.5 points behind meet champion Tolar.

After getting a tough taste of what it will take to battle the best competition the state has to offer in Class 3A softball, the Clifton Lady Cubs began making some noise of their own in the race for playoff spots in District 17-3A. Opening district against the top-ranked Grandview Lady Zebras (6-0 in district, 26-1 overall), the Lady Cubs were handed back-to-back demoralizing defeats, losing the first game, 20-0, in three innings before dropping the second contest, 16-1.

After posting first district win over Keene, Cubs drop two against arch-rival Whitney Facing tough competition from top to bottom District 17-3A, the Clifton Cub baseball team finds itself in an uphill battle following the first two weeks of league play. After opening district with a hard-fought two-game split with the Keene Chargers, the Cubs dropped a pair against the arch-rival Whitney Wildcats last week.

Continuing to build momentum for the upcoming district meet, the Meridian boys and girls tennis team brought home a wealth of medals for their efforts. Traveling to Corsicana to compete in the Frost Tennis Invitational last Wednesday, Meridian carried 15 competitors to the tournament with 10 capturing medals.