Just before Thanksgiving, November 21 - 23, Yorktown ISD hosted the 1st Annual Kitty Kat Classic girls basketball tournament. The tenteam tournament featured two pools. Pool A was Yorktown, St. Joseph (Victoria), Nordheim, Louise, and Banquete’s JV, who replaced a team that dropped out late. Pool B was Runge, Nixon-Smiley, Natalia, Industrial and Banquete. Each team played two games on Thursday and two games on Friday, and then were paired with the corresponding placed team from the other pool on Saturday.
On Thursday, the Kitty Kats faced St. Joseph in their first game of the tournament, battling to a 42-37 victory. Freshman Palyn Koopmann led Yorktown with 16 points and five steals, while senior Laynie Boyd had 10 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Senior Synie Krueger pulled down nine rebounds. In their second game of the day, Yorktown jumped out to a 25-2 lead, and cruised to a 65-11 win over Banquete’s JV. Sophomore Gracie Stehling had 10 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Koopmann had eight assists to go along with seven rebounds.
On Friday, the Kitty Kats first faced off with the scrappy Nordheim Lady Pirates, coming away with the 36-18 win. Koopmann had nine points, while Boyd had seven. Senior Nina Villarreal and sophomore Kendall Sievers added six apiece. Stehling had seven rebounds and senior Madalyn Rowlands pulled down six. In their second game, Yorktown jumped out to a 12-0 lead enroute to a 40-17 victory over the Louise Lady Hornets. Koopmann had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Villarreal had nine points, while Krueger had eight to go along with five rebounds. Sophomore Rylie Krueger pulled down seven rebounds. Yorktown won Pool A with a 4-0 record.
On Saturday, Yorktown faced off against Natalia, the winner of Pool B, for the tournament championship. The game was very exciting, featuring many lead changes but the Kitty Kats came out on top, 42-41, to win the tournament. Boyd led Yorktown with 11 points to go along with 12 deflections and six steals, Villarreal added nine points. Koopman had eight points. Sydnie Krueger scored eight points and pulled down 15 rebounds.
Laynie Boyd, Palyn Koopmann and Sydnie Krueger were all named to the All-Tournament team. Here are the all-tournament selections from other teams: Banquete - Nicolette Gonzalez; Industrial - Deziree Evans, Cecilia Jalufka; Louise - Hannah Ochoa; Natalia - Abby Fulton, Yahdi Lujan, Danica Torrez; Nixon-Smiley - Ashly Garcia; Nordheim - Abby Klein; St. Joseph - Haley Horton, Bella Mikus.
Yorktown (7-2) will be back in action on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, when they travel to Tilden to take on the McMullen County Cowgirls. Then, the Kitty Kats will compete in the Karnes City Tournament, December 5 - 7, 2024.
