R L Paschal High School - Panther Yearbook (Fort Worth, TX)

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I 16 ! SPORTS Coming through! Gliding through a maze of amazed Eastern Hills defenders, ' Sam Noel advances downcourt. Think big! High rising Kyle Bibb is unperturbed by his lofty opponents as he Sugar Bear shoots two. Towering over his opposition, senior Mark Smith Scores from theingide, attempts a lump shot, Salami, salami . . . Awe-stricken by the presence of mighty Panther Frank Sulli- van, a Highlander prepares to fall to his knees in humble acknowledgement of his playing superiority. Opening Action Cciges Opponents With colder weather approaching, fans moved indoors to witness Paschal's open- ing basketball bouts. Warming up for dis- trict play, the Panthers downed Dallas Car- ter, Greenville and defending state champi- ons Dallas South Oak Cliff. The team execu- ted convincing wins over Western Hills and Arlington Heights in an endeavor to capture the first half lead position. Unfortunately, crucial losses to Eastern Hills and Dunbar reduced the team's chances. Both games were close and hotly contested. Eastern Hills narrowly defeated Paschal 70-60 while Dunbar squeaked out a 68-61 verdict after the Panthers had led in the early going.

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Traveling to Cleburne, Garland, and Plano, Paschal won tournament titles while in competition with other area high schools. The team posted impressive victories in each of the three meets, culminating in two Paschal championships and a consolation trophy. Dallas Adamson and Cleburne became the first victims of the Panthers as they gained the winning momentum that carried them throughout the season. By defeating Adamson and the tournament host, the var- sity boys brought home a first place trophy. Garland held a three-day tournament early in December inviting metroplex schools such as Dallas Carter, Dallas Samuell, and Arlington Lamar. Coach Wall's team went to Garland with the hopes of easily sweeping another tournament victory. Paschal's goals were checked, though, with a loss to Garland and had to settle for the consola- tion trophy. The Panthers readied for their next tour- nament by handily defeating several district teams. As most of the school relaxed during the Christmas holidays, the varsity team went to Plano for their final tournament of the year. With this in mind, Paschal tri- umphed over the tournament with victories over Grand Prairie, L. D. Bell, and Plano in the finals. However, the wins were not all easy. The Panthers narrowly escaped being eliminated by Grand Prairie with a final score of 65-62. The tournament champion was undecided until the final seconds of the game against Plano when Seniors Mark Smith's and Kyle Bibb's two successful free shots put the Panthers ahead 46-42, when the clock ran out. The team superbly repre- sented PaschaI's continuing strength in basketball competition. Junior Greg Shropshire C203 soars high for a well-earned two points. Metroplex Titles Prove Pl-IS Ability Slap me again and I'lI . . . Mark Smith executes a hook shot with flawless grace Cut me some slack! A iostled Kyle Bibb deftly passes around Plano Wildcats.

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Greg Shropshire, come on down! Greg Shropshire lays in an easy bucket 171 4' As Coach Wall's team pressed forward through a promising first half, optimism soared at Paschal. Nlarred only by a loss to Trimble Tech, the Panthers set a winning precedent to end the first half of the sea- son. Trouncing O. D. Wyatt, Poly, and Southwest, the winning streak culminated in a forty point victory margin over Cartere Fliverside in an exhibition game here at PHS. Second half district play opened with Dunbar holding an edge over Wyatt and Paschal. Facing possible elimination from the challenging pace engineered by Dun- bar, the varsity team responded with wins over Eastern Hills and Western Hills. Subse- quently, Paschal surged into second place with a 7 and 3 record. Woll Encourciges Seasoned Dribblers Go on and lump, I'II catch you. Sam Noel C145 and Greg Shropshire C205 eagerly await the rebound of the ball. Frederick Spencer 1305 swims through a wave of defenders as Frank Sullivan guards.