When the Lufkin Panthers need a bucket, Elijah Moody is a good option. When they need a stop, there is simply nobody better.

The Huntington Red Devils and Central Bulldogs each picked up wins ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday night.

The Lufkin Panthers wrapped up a string of three straight games against 6A competition with a perfect record by taking down Garland Naaman Forest and Wylie East in the Sulphur Springs Thanksgiving Classic on Monday and Tuesday.

The Central Lady Bulldogs captured a 47-45 thriller over the Chireno Lady Owls to win the Wells tournament on Saturday night.

HUFFMAN — Another memorable Diboll season came to an end with the help of a stellar Columbus defense as the Cardinals kept the pressure on the Lumberjacks before picking up a 35-14 win in area playoff action here Friday night.

Lufkin head coach J.T. McManus was looking for a challenge in the team’s first game since last season’s regional tournament appearance. By the looks of Friday night’s action, the Panthers will be the ones who are a handful for their opponents.

Jo’Nesha Neal scored 10 points and the Spring Legacy School of Sports and Sciences used a stout defense to take down the Lufkin Lady Panthers 44-18 in their home opener at the Panther Athletic Center Friday night.

The Central Lady Bulldogs won their way into the championship game of the Wells tournament with victories on Thursday and Friday.

The Hudson Hornets used a tenacious defense to seize control early and never let the Pineywoods Community Academy Timberwolves back in the game on the way to a convincing 65-35 win at the PCA High School Gym Tuesday night.

Lufkin’s Kurstyn Harden poured in 20 points and Avery Brittingham recorded a triple-double as the SFA Ladyjacks routed Texas Southern 100-63 in non-conference basketball action at the William R. Johnson Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

The Hudson Lady Hornets have found an early formula for success. If the opponent can’t score, then it can’t win.

Rachel Bonnin has proven her skill at every step of her high school career.

Charlie Deaton isn’t afraid of hard work.

Lufkin’s Kylie Ridings had dreams of playing at the collegiate level even before she took her first middle school class.

It was a season of domination for the Lufkin Lady Panthers as they swept through the district competition while losing only one set in 10 matches.

The game of volleyball has always held a special place for Lufkin’s Libby Flores. With her mom Leah Flores leading the way from the sidelines, Libby has been one of the Lady Panthers getting the job done on the court.

HUDSON — There aren’t any short cuts to success when it comes to the competitive level of cross country and track and field.

With the regular season in the books, local teams have officially set their sights on the postseason.

The Lufkin Panthers expected a jump up in competition when they moved north in realignment this past season. Those expectations lived up to reality in a competitive district in which they just missed on the playoffs.

Longview and Timpson are the No. 1 teams in the final #bEASTTexas Fabulous 15 for the 2022 high school football season.

Texas High School playoffs

In some ways, the 2022 season was an uphill climb for the Lufkin Panthers. In other ways, it was a sign of how close they are to competing with some of the best teams in the state.

Trey Crain has a family legacy in Lufkin that started decades ago.

HUDSON — With Central looking for an open shot, Hudson’s Caelyn Williams soared through the lane before easily blocking a shot that landed in the open court. She deflected the ball to herself on the block before getting a clear path to the lane where she finished off a layup that capped a 9-…

Pineywoods Community Academy’s sensational sophomore Jalisa Walker kept the Lady Wolves in the game by scoring 22 of her game-high 28 points before the half.

The Lufkin Panthers entered the final night of the regular season needing a massive upset mixed with some help from North Mesquite.

CROCKETT — Before embarking on another playoff run, the Diboll Lumberjacks picked up some hardware along the way.

Fresh off a sweep of the rival Longview Lady Lobos, the Lufkin Lady Panthers are setting their sights on an extended playoff run.

Since a tough road loss to McKinney North, the Lufkin Panthers have focused on the simple message of controlling what they can control. So far that philosophy has paid off with back-to-back wins.

A district title is claimed and three of the four playoff spots are locked up with the final week of 8-5A DI action set for Thursday.

The local schedule was changed for the second straight weeks due to expected rains in the area on Friday night.

NACOGDOCHES — Lufkin head volleyball coach Leah Flores’ 300th career win was a doozy, but it certainly didn’t come easily.

Whether it’s opponents on the field or scouts in the stands, Kedren Young has drawn plenty of attention on the football field over the last few weeks.

New York and Houston may share the same country, but in terms of the sports world, the two cities are worlds apart. For a perfect example, outsiders can look at the first two weeks of the playoffs.

In a world where many student-athletes choose to specialize in one sport, Lufkin’s O’Ryan Hart chooses to do it all.

MESQUITE — Expected rain across the area made it a short week for the Lufkin Panthers for one of their longest trips of the season. Thanks to another monumental night from Kedren Young and a solid defensive effort, it didn’t matter.

CORRIGAN — The Corrigan-Camden Bulldogs punished the Groveton Indians with their running game here Thursday night, rolling to a 45-0 win.

DIBOLL — The Diboll Lumberjacks moved within a win of another district title with a convincing 49-0 victory over the Huntington Red Devils here Thursday night.

The Lufkin Lady Panther volleyball team closed out its home-court finale in hard-hitting style last week, beating Kingwood Park 25-15, 25-19, 19-25 and 25-18 at Panther Gymnasium.

The Lufkin Panthers readjusted their weekly schedule in order to get ahead of potential stormy weather in the area on Friday night.

Expected heavy rains in East Texas forced local teams to adjust their football schedules.

Sports editor Josh Havard held a question-and-answer session with Lufkin head coach Todd Quick on Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers improved to 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in district with a 31-14 win over the Tyler Lions on Friday night. Lufkin travels to face West Mesquite at 7 p.m. Friday at …