Hornets Nest

Fall sports update

   …GHS Cross Country: Boys finished 3rd in the 1A-4A division at the Belton meet, with Jack Armstrong (6th) and Malachi Olvera (8th) posting Top 10 finishes.  In girls’ running, Riley Higginbotham and Vania Martinez came in 6th and 7th respectively competing in the 5A-6A division.

   …GHS Football: Varsity makes its home debut here next Friday (Sept. 6) vs. Glen Rose, which is ranked No. 4 in 4A-Div. II.  The Hornets likely still have a bad taste in their mouth from last year’s last-second 21-20 loss to the Tigers, who advanced to the semifinals last season.

   …GHS Team Tennis: The Hornets begin the District 7-4A schedule here Tuesday vs. Stephenville.  It will be the first of four league matches for GHS, which has won fall district titles three times in the last four seasons and advanced to the playoffs seven years in a row.

   …GHS Volleyball ends its grueling 3-week tournament stretch today in Athens.  The Hornets will have played some 22-23 matches in 21 days, including a championship-winning effort in the GHS Invitational that punctuated a 6-0 week.

Notes and dotes

   …Hornet softball has a pair of college-bound commits – Raylee Glover is headed to Weatherford College, while Kinlee Gardner will play at Navarro College.  Word is there will be at least one more college commit as well from the GHS Softball fold.

   …GHS-ex Sydney Mundkowsky (Class of 2019) is a graduate student on the Radford University volleyball team.  The Highlands opened their season last night in Pennsylvania, and several of their games will be live-streamed on ESPN+ this fall.

   …Many thanks to a lot of folks and businesses that have been consistent contributors to our athletic events and programs…scoreboard sponsors, tournament donors, hospitality room providers, monetary contributors for extra needs that we might have.  Your generosity is always greatly appreciated and never goes unnoticed.

Heat issues, Nutrition 101

   One of the issues school districts and athletic programs across the state are always dealing with is weather, especially this time of year with excessive heat that affects workouts for sports and all outdoor extracurricular activities.

   GISD athletic trainer Tatianna Navarro reported several days ago that even with a week full of 100-degree days, there were no heat-related illnesses with any GHS or GJHS workouts.  Our coaches take great precaution when it comes to outdoor workouts and the extreme weather, and Coach Navarro has taken the lead in implementing UIL-recommended heat guidelines for the 2024-2025 school year.

   “My preparations started last school year,” she admits.  “As soon as the UIL released its recommendations, I reviewed their statement and sent an email to our athletic staff on the addition to our weather policy. Thankfully, this year's UIL recommendations are nothing new to our athletics department.  We established their '24-'25 recommendations as our '23-'24 policy.  To us, this is nothing out of the ordinary; it's a daily habit of our coaches to look at the current wet bulb globe temperature before heading out for practice and adjust accordingly.”

   With the threat of heat issues always present, the athletic staff has plans in place in case of any sudden emergency.

   “One addition to our plan was immediate access to cold water immersion,” Navarro noted.  “We gave every coach access to our ice bath tubs, taught coaches how to use those ice baths, and found a quicker solution for cold water immersion for our outdoor playing fields that are over a block from the athletic training room.”

   And, hats off to the dozens of Hornet athletes that participated in summer speed and strength workouts and sport-specific practices.  No doubt the great turnout of athletes that were involved in those workouts helped get those kids acclimated to the heat and related early-season conditions.

   Another emphasis within our program has been the approach to students’ healthy living and nutrition and how important those things can be in the daily lives of athletes.  With the help of a registered sports nutritionist, GISD Athletics hosted a Nutrition 101 Presentation in late July.

   “The biggest challenge is getting the importance of healthy eating, staying hydrated, and replenishing electrolytes to each and every athlete,” she admitted.  “Whether they work out primarily outside or not, it is a vital component to exceptional performance. We have several hundred athletes between the high school and junior high. To be able to get the message to every single one is a difficult feat but as an athletic program, I would say we have done very well.  And I speak to a different athlete every day to find what's missing from their nutrition habits and how they can move in a positive direction.”

   Besides the nutrition program and partnering with a registered nutritionist, GISD Athletics also created a discussion board in sportsYou for parents and athletes to ask questions and receive weekly tips.  Coaches at all levels have dedicated time going over the information and discussing the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle with our athletes.

   If you are interested in contributing monetarily to help fund a healthy snack bar for GISD student-athletes, contact me at rgphilli@gatesvilleisd.org.

Follow us on social media

   Facebook – Gatesville Hornet Athletics

   X - @FightinHornets

   Web – www.gatesvilleathletics.com

Upcoming schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 3

Tennis: Varsity vs. Stephenville

Volleyball: Varsity-JV-9th at West

Wednesday, Sept. 4

Cross Country: 7th-8th at Belton meet

Thursday, Sept. 5

Football: JV-9th at Glen Rose

Football: JV White at China Spring

Tennis: JV at Stephenville

Volleyball: JV-9th in Academy tournament

Volleyball: 7th-8th A-B at Lorena

Friday, Sept. 6

Football: Varsity vs. Glen Rose

Volleyball: Varsity-JV-9th vs. Glen Rose

Saturday, Sept. 7

Cross Country: Varsity-JV at Region III Showcase

Volleyball: JV-9th at Academy tournament

Hornet Fight Never Dies!