Playing on their home court for the final time as high school players, five Lufkin players will take center stage at the 9th Annual KTRE Pineywoods Showdown on Thursday night.
In a matchup pitting all-stars from Angelina County against all-stars from Nacogdoches County, Lufkin is sure to make a heavy impact on the game.
On the boys’ side, Lufkin has a strong representation with Courtnee Garcia, Kordell Rodgers and Nick Wilson each competing.
Garcia and Rodgers are each coming off seasons that ended with them being named to the 12-6A All-District Team.
Garcia was the team’s top offensive threat this season.
Rodgers, a two-sport star, who was also an all-district player on the football field, emerged as one of the top playmakers on the Panthers.
Wilson was a second-team all-district performer for the Panthers.
In last season’s game, the Angelina County team took a 69-57 win over Nacogdoches.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Panthers have a pair of representatives in the all-star game as Jakayla Suell and Diamond Johnson will each be competing for Angelina County.
Suell was recently named the Co-MVP of 12-6A along with Oak Ridge’s Alecia White.
Johnson was a member of the second team.
In last season’s game, the Angelina squad took a 66-52 win over the Nacogdoches county team.
Admission for Thursday’s game is $5 at the door with children five and under getting free admission.
Each team will be competing for a charity with the winning team’s charity receiving proceeds from the gate.
The Angelina County girls will play for the Diboll Housing Authority Summer Enrichment Program, while Nacogdoches is playing for the Glory Gang.
The Angelina County boys, who are coached by former Diboll head coach and current Pineywoods Community Academy head coach Brian Kruk, are playing for CISC while the Nacogdoches team is playing for Helping House.
Following are rosters for Thursday’s game.
Angelina County girls: Diboll’s Kayla Box, Mya Ward and Mia Williams, Hudson’s Baleigh Hudman and Cassidy Willmon, Pineywoods Community Academy’s Kayla Lee, Huntington’s Grace Martin, Central’s Shelby Owens, Zavalla’s Maddison Peeples and Lufkin’s Jakayla Suell.
Nacogdoches County girls: Chireno’s Kaylee Bennett and Chloe Woodson, Central Heights’ Kensi Bowlen and Jolynn Blackwell, Nacogdoches’ Erica Daniels, Cierra Rodriguez and Ladetriss Hunt, Woden’s Alanna Fontenot and Samantha Lowery, Cushing’s Rosie Guaddarrama, Martinsville’s Bug McElroy, Douglass Haylie Vallery and Garrison’s Abby Weems.
Angelina County boys: Diboll’s Chris Berry and Jucory West, Huntington’s Justin Butler, Kyle Nerren and Blane Wilson, Lufkin’s Courtnee Garcia, Kordell Rodgers and Nick Wilson, Hudson’s Jacob Huffstetler, Aaron Minkner and Jacob Pierce and Zavalla’s Dalton Renfro.
Nacogdoches County boys: Cushing’s Braden Austin, Garrison’s Daylon Bell and Luke Spivey, Chireno’s Hank Burks and Jeffrey Cleveland and Mason Shaw, Douglass’ Conner Gallier, Martinsville’s Kase Hooper, Woden’s Jackson Linam, Central Heights’ Bubba Moore and Nacogdoches’ Blake Upshaw and Jordan Upshaw.
