Eagles rule the nest but Alvord and Bridgeport are closing the gap
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, July 26, 2009
Last year Decatur won just two district championships in the 10 main sports but managed to win the 2008-2009 Wise County Cup. Their dominance was threatened this year when the football team failed to make the playoffs for the first time in six years and the softball team endured its first losing season this decade.
Despite those setbacks, Decatur won its fourth straight Wise County Cup. The school scored points in every sport and advanced to the postseason in eight of the biggest sports to win the coveted prize with 99 points, 18 more than runner-up Alvord with 71.
The Wise County Cup is a compilation of all sports. Each school is awarded points in district play on a scale of 1-6. Additional points are earned based on advancement in the playoffs or for qualifying for regional and state competitions.
This was the second straight year that the Cup race was close with Alvord threatening to end the Eagles' streak. Bridgeport, which had its best athletic year under Athletic Director Danny Henson, scored 52 points, its most ever, to finish third among Wise County's eight high schools. Northwest was fourth overall at 51, while Paradise followed with 48 points and just three ahead of Boyd at 45. Slidell, which has less than 80 students in the high school and did not field football, volleyball, baseball or softball teams, managed its most points ever with 30. Chico, with an enrollment that has dipped well below the Class 1A cutoff, was eighth with 10 points.
District 5-3A
Decatur, which finished second to Argyle in the 5-3A Cup last year, did not have to worry about the other flock of Eagles in 2008-09 as it won the league crown by capturing half of all the team district titles. A cross country state championship, three athletes that meadled at the state track finals and three advancing to state in powerlifting helped the Eagles come out on top of a very competitive district from top to bottom. Only 18 points separated the other five schools in 5-3A and that started with Burkburnett and Bridgeport, which both won two district titles, and finished second and third respectively with 61 and 52 points. Burk took the crown in boys basketball and softball, while the Bulls were the best in football and girls basketball.
Hirschi was fourth in the standings with 49 points, followed by Iowa Park with 46 and Vernon with 43.
District 9-2A
Alvord, which was a bridesmaid in the standings last year behind Olney, finished in the same spot again this year ... but not by much. The Bulldogs' only district championship came in girls track, but the school was competitive in every sport and was second with 71 points.
Brock, which won four league titles and state championships in softball and girls basketball, was the leader of the pack with 82 points. The Eagles were also the best in 9-2A in baseball and girls cross country.
Peaster finished third out of the eight teams with 49 points thanks to taking first in volleyball and boys basketball. Paradise, which won football and boys track district championships and scored big points in powerlifting as both teams went to state, was just one point behind the Greyhounds as it finished fourth with 48 points.
For the first time in many years, Boyd did not win a team title but still hung with Peaster and Paradise as it finished fifth with 45 points. Standout sophomore runner Katie Mark helped quite a bit as she advanced to the state finals in cross country and track.
Millsap followed in the standings with 29 points, while Jacksboro scored 21 and Chico tallied 10.
