Panola hires new basketball coach

Thursday, 24 June 2010 06:14 PM CDT

"Junsie" Cotten will become the next Head Basketball Coach at Panola College. 

 

With the resignation of former head coach Jacob Wonders, Cotten will begin recruitment and building immediately to complete the team for the 2010-2011 season.

Cotten comes to Panola with seven years of head coaching experience.  From 1999-2001, at the helm at Midland College, he led the Chapparals to a 55-16 overall record, a 6th place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament, an NJCAA Region V Championship, and a WJAC Conference Championship.  He was selected Region V Coach of the Year in 2000.  His last five years, he has been the head coach at Lincoln Trails College in Illinois where in 2007 he captured the NJCAA Region XXIV Championship and was selected Region XXIV Coach of the Year.  In 2009 his team finished Region XXIV runner ups.

“We are excited about having Coach Cotten as part of our coaching staff and leading our men’s basketball program,” noted Vice President of Student Services Don Clinton.  “He brings a lot of experience and knowledge to our program and with his experience as a head coach in Texas already, he understands the competitiveness that Region XIV brings to the court.”

“I am excited about joining the Panola College family and becoming the Head Men’s Basketball Coach.  I’m looking forward to competing in what is traditionally considered to be one of the toughest conferences in the country.  I want to thank the Panola College administration for this wonderful opportunity, and I am appreciative to Lincoln Trail for the last five years for their support.”

Prior to Lincoln Trail, Cotten served as an assistant at Eastern Oklahoma State College and assistant at the University of Texas El Paso.  He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Utah State, then an assistant at Eastern Utah, before becoming the assistant coach at Midland College and two years later the head coach.

"Junsie" was a two year letterman at Utah State after transferring from College of Eastern Utah where he was All-Conference and All-Region.

Boatner, Ellis earn honorable mention

Wednesday, 10 March 2010 12:24 PM CST

Raschard Boatner and Louis Ellis earned honorable mention at the conclusion of the Region XIV Tournament Championship.

Both players are sophomores from Louisiana. Boatner came to Panola from Monroe, and Ellis is from Shreveport.

The Ponies bowed out of the tournament in their game against Trinity Valley on Thursday, March 4. Panola started strong and led 34-28 at halftime. In the second half, Trinity Valley started a full-court press and the Ponies turned the ball over three time in their first four possessions. Trinity Valley's shooters came on strong in the second half, pulling ahead of the Ponies.

Boatner led scoring for Panola with 20 points and five steals. Gary Cox added 18 points, and Broc Wills scored 14 points.

See photos from the tournament at the Photo Gallery on the Pony Express Online website.

Ponies headed to Region XIV Tournament

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 11:34 AM CST

 

 

 

The Panola Ponies face Trinity Valley in the first round of the Region XIV Tournament Thursday, March 4.

Though the Ponies lost 74-71 to Navarro on February 27, they still earned a berth in the regional tournament. The Ponies face off against Trinity Valley at 3 p.m. in the Herrington Patriot Center on the campus of UT-Tyler.

This season the Ponies lost seven games by three points or less. The seeding of the tournament favors the Ponies. The Ponies defeated the TVCC Cardinals 79 to 74 in their last meeting.

"We'd like to encourage everyone to come out and support the Ponies. They're an exciting team to watch, and Region XIV is ranked as the top conference in the NJCAA for many years," said Don Clinton, Vice President of Student Services and Athletic Director. "The winner of this tournament usually has a great chance to compete for the national championship."