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Printable 2010 Football Schedule

Mr. Applewhite addressed the audience, and particularly the athletes, with words of wisdom regarding attitude, awareness, and community service. Athletes were then recognized in their respective sports for various levels of achievement and contribution.

The night's highlight was the presentation of the J.D. Hudson Awards for Outstanding Female and Male Athletes which went to Shelby Franzen and J.T. Hallmark.

View slideshow.

The annual "Meet the Bucs" rally was held Monday night, August 25, 2008, at the Park Stage. Free sausage wraps and drinks were available to all in attendance, and East Chambers sporting items were available for purchase. In addition, the new EC inflatable run through was on display. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Huddleston donated and presented a golf cart as part of the EC elementary attendance incentive program. Volleyball, football, drill team, cheer squad, and band participants were recognized. View slideshow.

Tramain Thomas and Vance McDonald signed National Letters of Intent to play college football Wednesday morning, February 6, 2008. Thomas committed to the University of Arkansas (Razorbacks) and McDonald to Rice University (Owls). Both have received full scholarships. Tramain is the son of Carla and Billy Thomas; Vance is the son of Beverly and Bret McDonald. Port Arthur News article

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The THSF 2007 Team Texas Class 2A awards for Region III list 6 of our players.  On 1st team offense are Tramain Thomas -QB and Paul Trammell -OL.  1st team defense are Vance McDonald -DE, Paul Trammell -LB, and Tramain Thomas -DB. Honorable Mention recipients are Donte Raymond -RB, Vance McDonald -TE, Carlos Trevino -OL, Brian Vigers -DL, and Anthony Ortiz -DB. Visit this link.

In addition, the Texas Sports Writers Association announced their Class 2A all-state football team: selected from East Chambers were Tramain Thomas, 1st team defense secondary, and Carlos Trevino, honorable mention center.

Coach Willie Ray Smith, Sr. began his coaching career in 1942 at Dunbar High School in Lufkin, Texas. After coaching for four years, Coach Smith went to Orange where he coached until 1957. In 1957, he began an eighteen-year coaching career at Charlton-Pollard High School in Beaumont. Coach Smith retired from coaching in 1976 after winning 235 games with a 'tough discipline' philosophy. He was instrumental in establishing the Beaumont area as a formidable football region.

Tanner Mazzola - guard, Kendall Barrow - utility player; 1st Team All-District Defense: Brian Vigers - tackle, Vance McDonald - end, Anthony Ortiz - cornerback; 2nd Team All-District Defense: Joseph Reed - tackle, Kendall Barrow - outside linebacker, and Josh Adamson - safety.

Anahuac, February 21, 2008: Sprint Relay-1st place: Tiffany Tezeno, Charla Thomas, Asia Coleman, Tayler Kurek; 800 meters: Mattie Edwards 2nd, Sara Nelson 4th; 100 Hurdles: Lindsay McDonald 1st; 100 Meter: Asia Coleman 3rd; 400 meter: Charla Thomas 2nd; 300 hurdles: Sara Bauer 1st, Shaena Oldham 2nd; 200: Tayler Kurek 1st, Tiffany Tezeno 4th; 1600: Brenda Cardenas; 1600 Relay-1st place: Lindsay McDonald, Tayler Kurek, Sara Bauer, Charla Thomas. East Chambers girls won the meet. No field events due to wet conditions.         

The District 24-2A All-District Volleyball selections were announced, and East Chambers was represented by the following 5 athletes: Most Valuable Player (MVP) - at the Middle Position was Jasmine Carrington; selected to 1st Team - Jordyn Kurek; Lindsey McDonald, Ali Way; and selected to 2nd Team - Abbey Johnson.

The Lady Bucs ended their season Tuesday night in a play-off game against Crockett. The scores were 21-25; 25-10; 20-25; 20-25. Jasmine Carrington led in kills with 11, and Ali Way was close behind with 9. Lindsey McDonald led in digs with 12, and Jordyn Kurek led in assists with 18. The Lady Bucs ended the season with an overall record of 24-8.   

Coach Wagner commented, "Although this is not the outcome that we were expecting, the girls have had a great season. We had some big wins and achieved many of our goals that we set at the beginning. I am very proud of the girls.  In just a short time they have set the bar high for anyone that wants to play volleyball. They are a determined group of young ladies, and I know that they will all be successful in whatever they do next." 

The Lady Bucs sealed their fate Tuesday night, October 19, with a win against Kountze putting them in second place in district. Again, starting out with a loss in the first game 24-26, the Lady Bucs rallied back to win the next three: 26-24, 25-22, 25-12. Leading the night were Jasmine Carrington and Abbey Johnson each with 8 kills. Mallory Franzen followed close behind with 7 kills. Ali Way led in assists with 22 and Jordyn Kurek's defense was unstoppable with 15 digs. "The girls are so excited about playoffs. At the beginning of the season we talked about believing in themselves and to never stop working hard. They are seeing the results of just that. These girls are determined to do everything they can to continue down the road to success," said Coach Wagner.

The Lady Bucs are 24-7 overall and 9-2 in district. Their last district game is Tuesday, October 26, at home against Warren.

The Lady Buc Volleyball team has been focused on their goal of this season which is to make the playoffs. Friday night they came one step closer to making thier dream a reality. The Lady Bucs defeated Buna in 4 games, with the scores being: 25-21; 23-25; 25-16; 25-22. Lindsey McDonald led in kills with 13, and following close behind were Jasmine Carrington, Ali Way, and Abbey Johnson each with 10 kills. Lindsey also led in digs with 13 and Ali led in assists with 33. Coach Wagner commented, "Everyone played great! The girls are staying focused and working together to make things happen. I love that when these girls make up their minds to do something it gets done. I am so proud of all they have accomplished so far and, I am excited to see what else they can do." Overall record is 18-6, District record is 3-1.

The Lady Bucs volleyball played Hamshire Fannett Friday night, September 3. East Chambers started off the night by winning the first game 25-21. It then turned to HF who won game two 14-25. The Lady Bucs were not deterred from what they wanted and came back to win 25-23, putting them up 2-1. The fourth game went to HF in a score of 19-25, putting the fifth game on the line. The Lady Bucs started the game determined that they were going home with a win and won 15-7, which puts our overall record at 10-3. Lindsey Mcdonald led the night in kills with 8 and 5 digs. Ali Way was close behind with 7 kills and 12 assists. Jordyn Kurek had 16 assists and 10 digs and Autumn Scott had 11 digs.

Coach Wagner commented, "The game was exciting and great competition. We have been working hard on our defense and Friday night it seemed to click. I was so proud of the girls for getting on the floor and playing hard. Even when we were down, they never gave up on the win that they wanted. This is a very determined group of young ladies, and I am excited to see what is going to happen during district which we start on Friday."

Friday night, August 27, 2010, the Lady Bucs played the Colmesneil Lady Dogs. The Lady Bucs won in three games: 25-17; 25-21; 25-21. Ali Way had 7 kills and following close behind were Jasmine Carrington and Abbey Johnson each with 6 kills. Jordyn Kurek led in assists with 14. Wagner stated, "The girls played well and were trying to raise the level of their game which we feel we accomplished at times."

Last night, August 31, the Lady Bucs played 4A Lumberton and lost in five: 20-25; 25-17; 26-24; 25-27; 10-17. The leaders in this game were Jasmine Carrington and Ali Way each with 6 kills, Jordyn Kurek with 12 assists and 7 digs, and Ali Way also had 12 assists. Coach Wagner, "I was very proud of the way the girls played. It was thier best game all season, however we did fumble a few times on making better plays. Overall our aggressiveness, defense, and communication were on track last night. We will continue to learn with every game we play in order to get better come district and we look forward to showing off the knowledge that we are gaining."

The Lady Bucs Volleyball season has begun with great success. The girls have played nine games already and attended two tournaments including the Vidor tournament where they finished third and the Sealy tournament where they placed second in the silver bracket. In the Vidor tournament, Ali Way and Jordyn Kurek were selected All-Tournament. Coach Wagner commented, "I am very pleased with how our season has been going so far. The girls have shown so much growth and are willing to continue to learn and improve."

The Buccaneer Cross Country teams are off to a fabulous start this year. The Bucs traveled to Tarkington for the first meet of the season on September 18. Leading the way for the varsity boys was Kyle Fenwick who placed 13th and ran a time of 19:27. Zoe Zbranek led the Lady Bucs by placing 9th with a time of 14:26. Junior varsity also had a strong showing with Franky Rodriguez placing 10th, Kim Tran winning the junior varsity girls, and Nichole Mayeaux placing 15th. Junior high boys were represented by Lane Bridges receiving 7th place, Eduardo Reyes receiving 15th place, and Aldo Torres receiving 17th place.

The Bucs traveled to Kountze on September 25 for their second meet of the year. The varsity girls represented East Chambers well with Zoe Zbranek placing 2nd and Otilia Velazquez placing 5th. Kim Tran also placed 2nd in the junior varsity division. Kyle Fenwick led the way for the varsity boys by placing 11th and Franky Rodriguez led the way for the junior varsity boys by placing 12th.

Other participants include Agustin Palomares, Kyle Norris, German Netro, Sara Bertrand, Breelee LeBlanc, Jaxon Vanya, Jackson Chrissie, Kirstie Thompson, and Mattie LaRive.

The Bucs will travel to Anahuac on October 2 for their next meet. Cross Country coach is Whitney DeYoung.

Junior Varsity


Freshmen
 

Printable Boys Basketball Schedule

Varsity

Photos: courtesy of Lezak Images

Junior Varsity I


Junior Varsity II

Printable Girls Basketball Schedule

ECHS Boys & Girls Powerlifting Update - 2010

The Bucs hosted their district rivals, the Hardin Hornets, on Friday, April 8. The East Chambers baseball team won, for the third time in its last four outings, in district play with a huge win over the Hornets. After rallying for four runs in the third inning, the Bucs held on to a 5-4 victory at Buccaneer Field to improve to 3-5 in district play. The Bucs are currently 2-0 in the second round of district. Coby Collins picked up the win for the Bucs who have started to come together as a team and have eliminated numerous errors in the field.

Brandon Johnson picked up the win on Tuesday night as the Buccaneers traveled to Anahuac for the opening game in the second round of district. After trailing 8-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Bucs put together some fine hitting with Bryant Motal and Brennan Beckett having clutch hits during the come back. The young Bucs won the game 11-9 over a senior-loaded Panther team.

The 2010-2011 THSCA Academic All-State Softball Team selections were made, and Lindsey McDonald was chosen to the 2nd team while Jordyn Kurek received an Honorable Mention.

The varsity Lady Bucs softball started the season yesterday at home against the Newton Eagles. The Lady Bucs found themselves behind early with the Lady Eagles leading 6-0 in the 1st 3 innings. However in the 4th inning, the Lady Bucs would find the score board scoring 2 runs and making the score 6-2. In the 5th, EC added 6 more runs making the score 7-6 Bucs. The Lady Bucs would later, in the 6th, add 3 more runs making the final score 11-9.

Coach Todd commented, "The game was sloppy defensively by EC. This was the first  time this season we had all of the pieces together. I had a feeling we would struggle early. We as a staff are most impressed with the fight these young ladies showed last night falling behind early and then fighting back to win."

Katie Bennett 1-2 with 2 runs, Lindsey McDonald 2-4 with 2 runs, and Emily Neuman 1-3 with 1 run lead the Lady Bucs in hitting for the game. Mattie East had an outstanding pitching performance allowing only 1 run, walked 2, and struck out 8.

The JV softball team opened their season this past weekend competing in the Warren Tournament. In tournament play, the Lady Bucs opened up with the West Sabine Tigers followed by the Spurger Pirates on Thursday. Thursday's game results were: EC 7 WS 7 and EC 9 Spurger 3. The Lady Bucs would return Friday for two additional  games both being against the Warren Warriors who were victorious in both games. On Saturday, the Lady Bucs would play for 3rd place against the Spurger Pirates. The Lady Bucs played a really good game and had a great pitching performance from Hannah Smith leading her team to victory.

Coach Todd said, "This was an excellent learning experience for our young athletes and a very productive weekend."

Tennis Update - 2011

The Buccaneer tennis team competed at the district tennis tournament on Monday and Tuesday, April 11-12, 2011, at Lamar University. The Bucs won both the girls and boys team trophies as well as many individual medals. First and second  place finishers will compete at the regional tournament on April 20 and 21 in Tyler. Results are:  Girls Singles - Zoe Zbranek 1st; Breelee LeBlanc 4th; Boys Singles - Spencer Glenn 2nd; Jonathan Hebert 4th; Girls Doubles - Autumn Scott/Sarah Hill 2nd; Shelby Spencer/Amy Bertrand 4th; Boys Doubles - Dallas Gibson/Austen Gilfillian 1st; Jared Matlock/Alex Spencer 3rd; Mixed Doubles - Eric Payton/Alex Extejt 1st; Kade Young/Skyler Drake 1st round win. The tennis teams are coached by Whitney DeYoung.
 

The ECHS Gymnasium was the setting for the Annual ECHS Sports Banquet which was held on May 17, 2011. Mr. Scott Campbell, ECISD Superintendent, was the Master of Ceremonies for the night. Lesley Valastro, FCA President, opened  with the invocation and attendees enjoyed dinner while viewing an athletic highlight video created by Miss Valastro. Mr. Campbell introduced the guest speaker, Lamar University's Coach Larry Tidwell. Mr. Tidwell addressed the audience, particularly the athletes, with words of wisdom and encouragement. Athletes were then recognized in their respective sports for various levels of achievement and contribution. The night's highlight was the presentation of the J.D. Hudson Awards for Outstanding Female and Male Athletes which went to Lindsey McDonald and Hank Jones.

Coach Tony Valastro addressed the crowd when presenting his football awards acknowledging his appreciation for the hard work of his athletes and the support of the administration, faculty, booster club, and school board during his 6 years as ECISD's AD and head football coach. Mr. Russ Sutherland, the newly hired AD, was introduced and welcomed later in the program. Dallas Gibson gave a fantastic farewell speech.

Russ Sutherland was approved by the East Chambers ISD school board at Thursday, May 12's meeting as the new athletic director and head football coach. Sutherland was head coach at Sam Houston High School, a Class 4A school in Louisiana, the last six years and was at Class 3A Iowa before that. Sutherland has a career coaching record of 78-61, and has reached the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons.

Coach Sutherland and his family, wife Donna, daughter Sydnie, and sons Austin and Aaron, are pictured below.

The annual Willie Ray Smith Awards Banquet was held last night, February 16, 2011, at the Eleganté Conference Center in Beaumont. This award has become known as the 'Heisman of Southeast Texas.'

Hank Jones, senior ECHS quarterback, was once again recognized for his stellar play and honored as an offensive nominee for this outstanding award.

Another East Chambers alum is making noise at the collegiate level. Vance McDonald caught two touchdown passes for Rice University last Saturday against UTEP. McDonald showed great athletic ability in completing the catches to score his first two touchdowns as an Owl. The Rice Owls (1-5, 0-2) scored first when Nick Fanuzzi connected with Vance McDonald in the first quarter.

Vance McDonald had another great game this past weekend, October 16. He caught 6 passes for 37 yards including a touchdown to put the Owls ahead for good as they defeated the University of Houston 34-31.

Thomas also collected a season-high seven tackles. Thomas is the first Razorback to be named SEC Defensive Player of the Week since Chris Houston on Nov. 22, 2006.

Thomas also was selected as the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week. Follow this link for that complete story.

Additionally, Tramain Thomas had six tackles in Arkansas’ 65-43 loss to Auburn over the weekend. He sustained a groin injury during the second half.

The annual "Meet the Bucs" was held on Monday, August 23, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in the new high school gymnasium. Athletes, drill team members, cheerleaders, and the band were introduced. Additionally, it was Parent's Night for football players and cheerleaders. The band, drill team, and cheerleaders performed various routines, and attendees were invited to enjoy sausage wraps. View slideshow. (5:54)