Reflecting on a year of Steers sports

Reflecting on a year of Steers sports News Staff Tue, 05/14/2024 - 9:58 am

• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Peyton Kinman drags a Springtown defender behind him after making a catch near the sideline. The Steers’ football team finished 10-2 overall, which included a second-place finish in district and a bi-district championship win over Hillsboro.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Holton Weatherman looks to make a move with the ball for Graham’s soccer team this past season. The Steers finished the year with a 6-13-1 record overall.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Jaydon Noyola powers a return shot during one of his tennis matches in the fall season. The Steers helped contribute to a second-place finish in the district in the spring season and two players went to regionals.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham’s Mateo Rodriguez executes one of his squat lifts at a home powerlifting meet during the season. Rodriguez was one of five Steers to qualify for the regional powerlifting meet in his respective weight class.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Keion Shead shoots an acrobatic shot over defenders during one of the Steers’ home games this past season. The basketball team finished with an 18-16 record overall and a 5-3 district record for second place in the standings.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Tate Loesch connects with a ball for a hit during one of Graham’s baseball games this past season. The Steers ended the year 11-14 overall with a 4-8 district record.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Graham’s Rylan Monsey propels himself up and over the bar during a pole vault attempt at a track meet earlier this season. Monsey was one of seven Steers to compete at regionals in track and field this year.
• Graham senior Ben Lucas watches one of his tee shots during a golf competition. The Steers finished fourth place in district and freshman Jagger Nees advanced to regionals.
• (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Senior Tyson Weaver was the lone representative from the Steers cross country team to advance to the regional meet this past season. The Steers finished fourth place in district as a team.

TC Gordon sports@grahamleader.com

Another year of sports has come and gone for Graham High School athletes. And with the different seasons have come the highs and lows for each team.

This is the first part of a look back at how Graham’s teams performed throughout the 2023-2024 athletic calendar year. In this first of two installments, we’ll take a look at the boys teams, the Steers, and how they fared in their various competitions.

This year saw winning records, playoff appearances for team sports, plenty of individual accomplishments and an overall successful step forward for Steers sports teams. This look back will primarily focus on team accomplishments like records and standings, unless the primary achievements focused on something singular like an individual player advancing through postseason play.

The year started off with a bang as Steer football got underway. The team began its season with six straight wins, which included a 67-6 blowout at Iowa Park. Graham’s lone regular season loss came at the hands of Hirschi High School, but even that one was only by one point.

Graham’s varsity team finished the regular season with a 9-1 record for a second place finish in the district standings. This led to a blowout bi-district win over Hillsboro 56-0, before the team fell in the area round to West Plains 35-17. Overall, the Steers had a successful season at 10-2 and will look to repeat that success and find more in the coming year.

During the fall, Graham’s cross country and tennis teams had their seasons, as well. The tennis team will be talked about more during spring sports, but the cross country team found both team and individual success.

Graham’s best finish as a team during the season came at the Hawley meet where the Steers placed second out of nine teams participating. At the district meet Graham finished fourth place but senior Tyson Weaver advanced to regionals as an individual where he put up a solid performance.

Football gave way to basketball as the Steers looked to continue their steady improvement over the last few years. This season’s squad finished with a record above .500 at 18-16, with a 5-3 district record, good for second place only behind Glen Rose.

In Graham’s bi-district match-up with Sweetwater, a team they had defeated earlier in the season, the Steers lost a heartbreaker in overtime to bring their successful season to an end.

Throughout the winter and into the spring seasons, many of the sports began to overlap. Powerlifting started, and while the teams do compete at different events, many of the Steers look to improve their personal bests. Five Steers qualified for the regional lifting competition where they put up solid performances.

Graham soccer dealt with a multitude of obstacles throughout their season, primarily weather, illness and injuries. But the Steers pressed forward all season and finished with a 6-13-1 record overall, with a 2-6 record in district. Although the team missed the playoffs, the Steers ended their season with a bang as they defeated Burkburnett 3-2 in the final regular season game.

Baseball, track and field, tennis and golf became the remaining sports for the Steers. The Steers’ baseball squad had multiple solid wins and played a lot of close games in their season. Graham finished with an 11-14 record while going 4-8 in district play. The team’s biggest margin of victory came in a 15-2 win over Bridgeport and the Steers beat each of their district opponents one time.

In golf, the Steers improved their game throughout the season and finished the year with a fourth-place finish in district. Freshman Jagger Nees qualified for the regional tournament where he put up a solid performance and will look to return in the future.

In track and field, another season full of injuries and individual obstacles, the Steers sent seven athletes to the regional meet in Lubbock. Three seniors, three juniors and one freshman each participated in events and represented the school on a large stage.

Finally, the tennis team wrapped up its season recently with two Steers participating in the regional competition. As a team, the Steers tennis players contributed to a team second place in district competition.

Hayden Burrows, in boys singles, and Luke Qualls, half of the mixed doubles team, advanced to regionals where they put up strong performances to conclude their season.

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