Newcastle Bobcats vs. Woodson Cowboys Team
My name is (Coach) James King and this is my first year back in Newcastle coaching the boys’ basketball program. I served my first stint coaching boys and girls here from 2013-2018. In the summer of 2018, my family and I moved to Jayton, Texas, and took on a lesser workload so that I could invest more time in my family. We served in Jayton for four years and gained some very valuable experience during that time.
In my opinion, coaching sports is a very gratifying profession. It is even more rewarding if you are able to be successful at it. That doesn’t just mean wins and losses either. Yes, coaches will partially judge their seasonal success on winning but, most importantly, on relationships that are created within that season. You surely cannot guarantee wins but you can do everything in your power to have a positive influence on your athletes and teach them to do things the right way with high moral character.
This season, the Bobcat’s are led by two Junior captains, Isaac King (#2) and Ty Strawbridge (#23). These two make up a ‘dynamic duo.’ They’re special. Isaac is the ‘universal spark plug’ on both ends of the floor, and Ty ‘ignites’ the team. It’s as if they’re brothers and know what each other is thinking.
Strawbridge (#23) is a returning starter from the last two seasons, earning all-district honors in 2022, and his experience is a big reason why the Bobcats are in the hunt for a playoff spot. He leads the team in rebounds, averaging 7.5 per game, and is a major presence on offense, averaging 15.4 points per game.
King (#2) moved from Jayton where he had the opportunity to experience playing with a very successful team, having had the opportunity to play in some high-pressure, high-stakes games at the Regional tournament in both his Freshman and Sophomore years. While there, he was selected on the All-Region team and earned the District Defensive MVP in 2022. He leads the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 24.8 points per game in district play. Defensively, he is our lock-down guy. He leads the team in steals (4.3 per game) and averages 7.3 rebounds per game.
Our team is young and, for the most part, inexperienced at the Varsity level. The Bobcats graduated a core group of seniors last year with the only returning starter being Ty Strawbridge. This year’s team is made up of four Juniors: King (2), Strawbridge (23), Jimenez (34), Jones (3), three Sophomores: Burk (12), Turner (10), Whitaker (21), and four Freshman Martinez (1), Clemons (13), Gowens( 20), Moreno(4). You often hear coaches talking about a ‘rebuilding season’ once they graduate a core group. When I took this job, I knew this would be one of those years. Anytime you move to a new place, a new coach normally wants to install his own program and it can take a few years before you begin to see progress in that. I have been blessed to see the growth of our players throughout this first season. It’s amazing for me to watch films from the beginning of the season and compare them to our most recent games. We are far from perfect but we have a team of boys that are not afraid to work, so we are seeing some serious progress take place.