The Angelina College Lady Roadrunners want a signature win.
The Roadrunner men just want a break.
Both AC teams are home on Friday night against nationally ranked Tyler Junior College. Both the Lady Apaches (7-0-1) and Apaches (7-1) are listed as the NJCAA’s No. 2 teams in the nation in their respective divisions.
The Lady Roadrunners (6-3) have already surpassed last season’s win total and are seeking a big-time win over conference juggernauts. AC’s ladies very nearly got that win on Tuesday in Corsicana, falling 3-2 to No. 3 Navarro College on the road. Jade Dewbre added to her single-season scoring record, notching her 14th goal of the year to take the league lead in that category. Bailey Bowers also scored, but a late charge came a little too late in the loss.
AC and Tyler met on Aug. 31 in Tyler, and the Lady Apaches pulled off the 4-0 shutout behind two goals from Hitomi Kono.
The Lady Roadrunners have notched impressive wins thus far in 2018, but they’re still looking to add their names to the conference contenders. A win over a nationally ranked squad (and conference leaders) would do just that.
AC’s men (2-6) can’t seem to get a break – unless it’s a body part. Head coach Freddy Drago has been forced to shuffle his lineup on a game-by-game basis after a rash of injuries – several of them season-ending – have ravaged his roster. Despite all the uncertainty, the Roadrunners have played tough, losing four matches by a single goal each. That includes the Aug. 31 match in Tyler, when the Roadrunners very nearly pulled off the biggest upset in program history only to fall short in a 1-0 loss.
Four Roadrunners (Josue Salazar, Dadwin Hernandez, Bryan Nunez and Brad Lowes) lead the team in scoring with two goals each.
Friday’s doubleheader will kick off with the women at 5 p.m., followed by the men at 7 p.m. Both games will take place at Jase Magers Field on the Lufkin High School campus.
Both AC teams also will host a Sunday doubleheader against Jacksonville College. Those games will also feature the Lady Roadrunners at 5 p.m. and the Roadrunners at 7 p.m. at Jase Magers Field.
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
