Cayuga WILDCATS
TAYLOR HONEA Sports Writer sports @ palestineherald . com
The building Cayuga Wildcats and LadyCats basketball teams both had great seasons this year , and were both in competition for a playoff spot all the way until the final game of the season .
The LadyCats finished their season with the 14-16 overall record , and 3-7 in District 19 – 2A play . The LadyCats fell in a play game with the Cross Roads Lady Bobcats to end their year , missing the playoffs by one game .
The LadyCats performed very well in one of the toughest girls districts in East Texas , which boasts state champion Martins Mill , LaPoynor and Frankston . But ultimately , stumbles down the stretch prevented the LadyCats from entering the playoffs in consecutive seasons .
Cayuga will return some of their top talent next season including sophomore guard Graci Satterwhite , who led the team in most statistics this year . Her sister Kati has been a teammate for the past two seasons , but will graduate with the class 2024 , along with fellow seniors Paige Fowler and Jordis Fox .
The Wildcats ’ win of 46 to 43 over the Cross Roads Bobcats sent them into the playoffs . The Wildcats reach the playoffs with a 13-12 overall record , and finished 3-7 in district play .
The Wildcats have one of the most athletic teams in the 2A ranks , led by junior guard Dominic Johnson . Johnson ’ s athleticism and shooting ability make the 6 ’ 4 guard a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses .
Johnson is assisted by a tremendous group of bigs helping to create slashing lanes and keep the pressure off of the scorer . Sophomores Gunner Douglas and Camron Stegall , who both stand more than 6 ’ 3 , give Cayuga the size to match up with any district opponents , and will be a part of the program for two more years , giving them plenty of time to develop into true two-way stars .
And after starting the season with some questions , the wildcat bench strengthened over the season and turned into a formidable unit on their own , lead by Stegall , senior Ben Winkel and junior Tucker Sloan .
Athletics Director Jacob Magee has put an emphasis on the strength and conditioning of all Cayuga athletes , and the results are really starting to show . With continued development of their young players and the chess-like
moves for Coach Colten Hearrell , the Wildcats could grow into a power on the basketball court within the next two years .
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