The Yorktown Kitty Kat Varsity basketball team has lost two of its last games to drop to fourth place with a 7-4 record in District 312A, while the Wildcats also lost two of three and dropped to 4-5 in district play and are in a three-way tie for fourth place.
On January 17, the Kitty Kats traveled to Three Rivers to face the Lady Bulldogs in a defensive showdown. Despite an “ugly game,” Yorktown emerged victorious, 34-28. Sophomore Gracie Stehling dominated the boards with 15 rebounds, adding seven points. Senior Laynie Boyd matched her scoring while pulling down eight rebounds, and senior Sydnie Krueger contributed six points and eight boards. The Wildcats put on a show in the boys’ game, steamrolling Three Rivers, 39-19. No stats were available.
Inclement weather pushed Yorktown’s January 20 home game against Kenedy to Monday, but the rescheduling didn’t deter the intensity. In a nail-biter, the Kitty Kats fell 50-49 to the Leopards. Senior Nina Villarreal led the charge with 17 points, while Stehling added 12 points and nine rebounds. Boyd’s all-around effort in-cluded 10 points, seven rebounds, and five steals, with freshman Palyn Koopman contributing eight points and six boards.
The Wildcats also battled hard in their game but fell short, 43-36. Junior Ryan Knostman and freshman Aaron Luke each chipped in eight points, with Luke adding six rebounds and six steals.
The action intensified on January 24 when the Refugio Lady Cats, the top team in District 31-2A and ranked #8 in the TABC Class 2A state polls, visited Yorktown. The Kitty Kats came out strong, leading 13-8 after the first quarter. However, Refugio flexed its muscles in the second quarter to take a 21-17 halftime lead. A back-andforth third quarter ended with the teams tied at 27-27, setting up a dramatic final period. Despite their best efforts, the Kitty Kats fell just short, 41-38. Villarreal led with 13 points, while Koopman added eight, and Boyd grabbed eight rebounds.
The boys’ game against Refugio was equally electric. The Wildcats surged to an early 10-2 lead, only for Refugio to storm back and lead 12-10 after one. Yorktown regained momentum in the second quarter, taking a 30-27 halftime lead, but Refugio countered in the third. Down 51-43 late in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored six straight points but couldn’t close the gap, losing a tight one, 51-49. Knostman led all scorers with 20 points and eight rebounds, while senior Sam Forbes notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards..
Yorktown will travel to Port Aransas on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and host Skidmore- Tynan on Friday, January 31, 2025.
The girls standings in District 31-2A with three games left are: Refugio 10-1, Port Aransas 9-2, Skidmore- Tynan 8-3, Yorktown 7-4, Kenedy 6-5, Pettus 3-8, Woodboro 1-10, Three Rivers 0-11. The boys standings with five games left are: Port Aransas 9-0, Kenedy 7-2, Refugio 5-4, Yorktown 4-5, Pettus 4-5, Woodsboro 4-5, Three Rivers 2-7, Skidmore Tynan 1-8.
