Fielding a young team with a mix of experience, Meridian Lady Jacket softball looks 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. But after the first three weeks of the season, the Lady Jackets will have some work to do after getting a late start due to the extended success of the Meridian girls basketball team.

After struggling through a couple of rebuilding seasons since losing most of the 2020 campaign to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clifton Cubs baseball program appears to be on the verge to returning to the glory of the recent past. But that doesn’t mean the Cubs won’t still experience some growing pains during the 2023 Texas high school baseball season.

Leaving no doubt with a dominating performance, Clifton junior Riley Finney won the gold medal at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association’s Region 2, Division 3 Championships held last Saturday at West High School. By winning the 198-pound weight class with a new regional record of 1,625 total pounds, Finney earned a trip to the THSPA’s Division 3 State Championships to be held March 24 at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.

With five Meridian Lady Jackets qualifying for the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association’s Region II, Class 2A-1A Championships, Aletheia Sandley captured a silver medal to advance to the State Powerlifting Meet held March 15 beginning at 8 a.m. at the Comerica Center in Frisco.

After dominating the District 20-1A competition to claim their first district championship in 20 years, the Meridian Yellowjackets boys basketball team practically swept the spoils that come with that kind of success. With All-District 20-1A honors announced last week, Meridian senior Camron Sheffer shared the district’s most valuable player award with Covington senior Isaiah Jennings, Jacket senior John Bernal was named the defensive MVP, while Meridian boys basketball first-year head coach Grant Schur and his staff drew the district’s coach of the year recognition.

By qualifying an unprecedented 17 lifters for the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association’s Region 2, Small Class 3A Championships, the Clifton Lady Cubs enjoyed success on both the individual and team categories. With nine Lady Cubs placing in the top five of their respective weight classes, senior Kambrie Kettler and sophomore Cameron Ritz advanced to the state meet while the Clifton girls tied for third place in the region as a team.

In any sport, learning a new style of play under a new head coach can be a daunting endeavor, and certainly softball remains a far cry from the exception. But the Clifton Lady Cubs softball team has embraced the opportunity for a fresh start under new guidance with enthusiasm, a good attitude and hard work.

After winning its first district championship in 20 years, the Meridian Yellowjacket boys basketball could have easily been satisfied with that historic accomplishment. But the Jackets were far from done Not only did the Jackets win their first playoff game since 2008 when an impressive 70-46 victory over the Bluff Dale Bobcats in a Class 1A Bi-District playoff matchup last Tuesday in Dublin, Meridian convincingly knocked off the Richland Springs Coyotes, 60-40, in an Area playoff clash last Friday in Comanche as an encore.

Despite finishing in second place behind District 20-1A champion Blum, the Meridian Lady Jacket girls basketball team dominated the all-district superlative awards while drawing three first-team all-district player selections and placing two more on the second team. Meridian junior Canyon Stauffer shared the offensive most valuable player award with Iredell junior Gracie Benitez, Lady Jacket sophomore Journey Stauffer garnered the defensive most valuable player honors, while Meridian’s first-year head coach Matthew Butler and his staff received the coach of the year recognition.

After competing for a playoff berth until the final buzzer of the 2022-23 Texas high school basketball season, the Clifton Cubs boys basketball team received accolades recognizing their efforts. When All-District 17-3A honors were released Monday, Clifton juniors Andres Devora and Jacob Wells were named to the first team, while senior Makail Brandenberger as well as sophomores Ray Ochoa and Joaquin De la Hoya drew second-team honors.