Looking like a championship squad right from the beginning, the Class 3A’s 20th-ranked Blooming Grove Lady Lions swept the Clifton Lady Cubs in their Bi-District playoff best of three-game series last week. But the Lady Cubs did not go down without a fight.

Despite more than doubling their win total from last season, the Clifton Cub baseball squad came up just short of their goal of returning to the Class 3A state playoffs for the first time since 2019. But along the way, the Cubs went on a wild ride that took them to the brink of getting back where they belong.

For the Clifton boys and girls track teams, two athletes will be making return trips to the UIL Class 3A State Track & Field Championships this week. When junior Ray Ochoa and sophomore Alexa Lane compete Thursday at Mike A.

Coming off their shocking 5-3 upset victory over the then 10th-ranked Maypearl Panthers, the upstart Clifton Cubs became painfully aware that they might have just woke up the sleeping giant. Looking like the team that captured the 2023 District 17-3A title and marched to the Class 3A state semifinals, Maypearl stormed back for a dominating 20-0 win over Clifton at Cub Field last Tuesday night to salvage a split of the two-game, homeand- home series.

Despite carrying a fourgame losing streak into the 2024 Texas high school softball regular season finale, the Clifton Lady Cub dream of achieving backto- back playoff appearances remained a realistic possibility as Clifton faced a must-win scenario against Maypearl. And in the headto- head battle for District 17-3A’s final postseason berth, the Lady Cubs wanted it more.

While being well-represented at the UIL Class 3A, Region III Track and Field Championships held last Friday and Saturday at Midway High School in Hewitt, the Clifton boys and girls needed a couple of gold medal efforts to advance to the Class 3A State Championships May 2 in Austin. Breaking his own school record with a time of 48.74, junior Ray Ochoa qualified for the state meet by capturing the gold medal in the 400-meter dash.

Just when they needed it most, the Clifton Cub baseball team came up with its biggest win of the season. Shaking off back-to-back lopsided losses to the 16thranked West Trojans, the Cubs shocked the 10thranked Maypearl Panthers, 5-3, on the road last Friday night to seize control of their postseason destiny.

Oh, so close. But with each heartbreaking loss during the current fourgame skid, the Clifton Lady Cub softball squad has seen its postseason hopes slip slide a little further away.

Competing in the District 17/18-3A Area Championships last Thursday at Whitney High School, the Clifton Lady Cubs finished as the area runner-up overall as a team with 111 points behind Area champion West with 146 points. In the process, the Lady Cubs qualified nine athletes to compete in 10 events at the Class 3A, Region 3 Track & Field Championships held this Friday-Saturday at Midway High School in Hewitt.

Putting the team concept first over individual goals and performances, the Meridian boys outscored the seven-team field to repeat as overall team champions at the District 20-1A Track and Field Championship last Wednesday at Jacket Stadium in Meridian. Advancing 17 athletes to compete in 11 events at the District 19-20 Area Championships Wednesday in Dublin, the Jackets ran away from the field for the team title with 172 points, easily outscoring runner-up Iredell with 117 points and third place Covington with 109.