BY BRIAN GOSSET
GARLAND – Sandy Langford said the odds were against her and her Nocona Lady Indians against Jewett Leon on Thursday, but the fact that they even reached the state championship match for the first time since 2011 is an honor in itself.
The Indians fell to now 11-time champ Leon 25-12, 25-18, 25-14 in the UIL Class 2A D1 final at the Culwell Center – ending their season at 34-14. Meanwhile, Leon broke a tie with Amarillo and Lovejoy for third most titles in UIL history. The Cougars have the most appearances at state with 31 and are the only team to hit 30.
Only three other schools have hit 20 appearances.
Rayna Sadler and Channing Horne posted 23 kills combined while state champ MVP Claytie Free finished with 24 assists, six digs and four kills.
Head coach Elizabeth Dyson talked about it being a surreal moment. She also mentioned it felt good to see her kids win after not winning a gold medal when she played in high school.
While the cheering continued on the Leon side, the Nocona fans had a lot to cheer for as well. After heartbreak ended their season during the regional finals in back-to-back years, a familiar face came home in the off-season…Langford, who graduated from NHS.
It was her second stint as the head coach for the volleyball team. The last two times Nocona played for a championship, 2011 and Thursday, Langford was in the driver’s seat. Two seasons after the 2011 final – a 3-0 loss to Poth, Langford left for a bigger school a little down south in Glen Rose.
She turned the Tigers into a 4A powerhouse for 11 years with several district titles, multiple regional tournament trips and a spot in the final four during the 2017 season.
Then the opportunity to return to Nocona was in the cards.
Langford accepted the position during the summer and returned to a place so special to her and her family. She was closer to her sons, closer to her parents and closer to her in-laws.
“I’ve always been a Lady Indian…”
It was a no-brainer.
The Indians have won 30+ games and have gone undefeated in district play three of the past four years. Thursday’s champ game appearance was the program’s third and eighth overall to the final four.
Ava Johnson had a team-high 10 kills while Aubree Kleinhans and Aubrie Kabisch recorded 18 and 17 digs, respectively – the top two marks in the match. Kabisch and Sy Parker each had seven kills and Jolie Rose and Kasi Castro combined for 22 assists.
Knowing Sandy – and she’s a winner – she will work to make Nocona into a regular at state and bring home its first volleyball title very soon. “Nocona expects to win. It’s just the start.”
Langford went on to say how amazing the year has been and to be able to coach children of players she used to coach. She also thanked the fan base for their support.
The Indians made the final four in 2000 and 2001, but also lost out to Leon both times, including the 2A final in 2000. During their 2011 run, Nocona knocked out White Oak 3-1 in the semifinal round. They took down Quanah, Hawley, Forsan, Hamilton and Whitewright this season to clinch a spot on Thursday night.
