(ROCKDALE)–THE ROCKDALE LADY TIGER SOFTBALL
TEAM CONTINUES ACTION IN THE ROCKDALE TOURNAMENT
TODAY. THE TOURNAMENT IS BEING PLAYED AT LADY TIGER
FIELD AT THE ROCKDALE ATHLETIC COMPLEX AND AT THE
ROCKDALE GIRLS SOFTBALL LEAGUE FIELDS AS WELL.
THE LADY TIGERS OPEN THE TOURNAMENT TODAY
AT 9:30 AM AGAINST SNOOK. LATER, THEY’LL FACE
PFLUGERVILLE CONNALLY AT 2 PM AND TAYLOR AT
6:30 PM.
THE THORNDALE BULLDOG BASKETBALL TEAM
MOVES ON IN THE PLAYOFFS TONIGHT. THE DOGS WILL
TAKE ON SAN ANTONIO STACEY TONIGHT AT 7 PM
AT LOCKHART. THE DOGS ARE THE DISTRICT CHAMPIONS
OF DISTRICT 25-2A. THORNDALE ADVANCED IN THE
POSTSEASON BY BEATING BURTON 80 TO 44 IN THE
BI-DISTRICT ROUND TUESDAY NIGHT AT GIDDINGS.
THE DOGS HAVE BEEN IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT
FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THE DOGS REACHED THE
STATE FINALS A YEAR AGO BEFORE FALLING TO STINNETT
WEST TEXAS. THE DOGS TAKE ON SAN ANTONIO STACEY
TONIGHT AT 7 PM AT LOCKHART. KRXT WILL HAVE ALL THE
ACTION LIVE.
NEWS BROKE EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT TAYLOR I-S-D
WOULD NOT BRING HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR RUSTY PURSER BACK IN THOSE ROLES IN THE
UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. SUPERINTENDENT KEITH BROWN
SENT A TWEET TO DAVE CAMPBELL’S TEXAS FOOTBALL ON
TWITTER THIS WEEK THAT PURSER WOULD NOT RETURN,
AND THE DISTRICT WOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN A SEARCH
FOR A NEW COACH.
THE DUCKS WERE 32 AND 48 OVERALL IN PURSER’S
TENURE, BUT THEY WERE IN THE PLAYOFFS EACH YEAR
UNDER PURSER. THE DUCKS WON 2 PLAYOFF GAMES
IN PURSER’S TENURE. THEY UPSET LA VEGA IN THE BI-DISTRICT
ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS IN 2012, 17 TO 14 AT KILLEEN,
AND THEY WON THE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2016 AND
THEN DEFEATED BURNET 42 TO 6 IN THE BI-DISTRICT ROUND
AT LEANDER.
PURSER SAYS THE DUCKS HAVE MADE A STRONG
SHOWING IN THE DISTRICT RACE THROUGHOUT HIS TIME
WITH THE DUCKS, INCLUDING A SPECIAL RUN IN 2016…
“WE FINISHED AS DISTRICT CHAMPS OR 2ND IN
THE DISTRICT 5 TIMES IN THAT 7 YEARS, AND WE WOULD
HAVE BEEN IN REGARDLESS. AND WINNING THE FIRST
OUTRIGHT DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1994 HERE IN
TAYLOR.”
PURSER ALSO SAYS THE DUCKS HAVE HAD SUCCESS
ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF SPORTS IN HIS TIME AS ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR…
“WE REPRESENT BASICALLY 17 SPORTS, AND OVER THE
LAST 7 YEARS, WE’VE AVERAGED 16 OF THOSE 17 IN SOME
FORM OR FASHION PARTICIPATING IN POST DISTRICT HONORS.”
PURSER SAYS THE PARENTS OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND
ALL ATHLETES HAVE BEEN GREAT IN SUPPORTING THE ATHLETES
AND THE PROGRAMS…
“WE’VE HAD VERY GOOD SUPPORT FROM OUR PARENTS.
AND I THINK THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNITY AS FAR
AS THEIR INVOLVEMENT. AND IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT
HAS CONTINUED TO GROW, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE GOOD
AND DEVELOP.”
