The spring sports season officially began for Temple College Athletics this past week, as baseball joined men's and women's basketball as being in session.
In the week ahead, softball will join the festivities to give TC four sports in session for the first time in the school year.
Here is a look at the past week and upcoming week in each of the sports in our Leopard Athletics Report:
Men's Basketball
The Temple College men's basketball team had a pair of North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference games this week.
The Leopards hosted Weatherford on Wednesday in a home test at Kirby Johnson Court.
The Coyotes jumped out to a big start and Leopards were unable to make up ground as they sustained the 73-55 loss.
Weatherford led at the half, 36-27.
The Leopards shot just 29.9% from the field, which included 7-of-31 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Josh Telfort was the lone Leopard in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds.
On Saturday, the Leopards traveled to Terrell to take on the Southwestern Christian College Rams.
The Rams fired on all cylinders early and Leopards could not catch SWCC as they took a 93-80 loss.
Temple hit ten three-pointers and converted 14-of-22 from the charity stripe.
Telfort led the Leopards with 18 points, which included 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. Camren Roper added 15 points, Rasaun Collier scored 13 points, and Logan Myers contributed 12 points.
The week ahead for men's basketball
After finishing the week at 15-7 overall, 4-2 in conference play, and in a second-place tie with Weatherford, the Leopards will get a much-needed break before hosting McLennan Community College on at 4 pm on Saturday. MCC sits alone in first place at 4-0 in NTJCAC play and 17-3 overall.
Women's basketball splits week to keep pace in NTJCAC race
The Temple College women's basketball team had a pair of conference games this past week.
On Wednesday, Temple hosted Weatherford College at Kirby Johnson Court.
The Leopards held a double-digit lead before a 37-15 run by Weatherford powered the Coyotes past TC, 70-63.
Temple led 15-13 after the first period, and 28-26 at halftime.
The Leopards began the second half on a 20-7 run and led 48-33 with 4:30 left in the third quarter.
Over the final 15:30, Weatherford outscored the Leopards by 22 points, most of which came from the free-throw line, to edge the Leopards by seven.
Mychal White and Janiya Lewis each registered 15 points, and Imani McCray added 11.
On Saturday, the Leopards traveled to Terrell to do battle with the Southwestern Christian College Rams.
Temple's defense limited the Rams to 12 first-half points to set the tone for an 83-44 win.
The Leopards led SWCC after ten minutes, 17-7, and at the half, 37-12.
TC flexed its bench throughout the game, with taking a 62-27 advantage into the final stanza.
White led the Leopards with 21 points, Lewis had 11, and Shay Morgan and Kyla Clark each had ten.
With a 1-1 week, the Leopards slid to 13-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play, tied with Weatherford for fifth place and one-half game behind Cisco College for the final playoff spot. There are ten games left on the conference schedule.
Next Week
After several days of preparation, the Leopards will host No. 8 McLennan Community College on Saturday.
Baseball drops doubleheader to No. 1 Blinn College
The 2025 season got underway for Temple College Baseball this past Saturday, as they took on defending the NJCAA Division I National Champion Blinn Buccaneers at Leroy Dreyer Field on Saturday.
The Leopards bounced back from a rough start in game one with a sound game two. However, the Leopards fell in doubleheader action. The scores of the twin-bill were 19-9 (six innings) and 4-3.
In the opener, Andrew Ermis and Lance Cantrell each had three hits, with Cantrell having scored three times and Ermis having homered and drove in three runs. Jackson Todd added two hits and two RBI, and Kolvin Davis added a solo shot.
The pitching staff collectively allowed 19 runs (seven unearned on three fielding errors) on 16 hits, walked 11 and struck out eight.
In the second game, Ermis' RBI single gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Blinn scored in the bottom of the first and second innings to take a 2-1 lead.
The Leopards got runs batted in from Kash Millar and Elias Leon-Padilla to take a 3-2 lead.
Matt Quintanar singled home Caden Ferraro in the seventh, Ferraro scored in the ninth on Bennett Fryman's single for the walk off win for Blinn.
Cantrell had two of Temple's seven hits, and Ermis was hit twice by pitches.
The Leopards pitching staff pitched well, having allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits, 18 strikeouts (Patrick Collopy led with eight), and four walks.
The Buccaneers committed five errors in the late afternoon/early evening mist that picked up in intensity throughout the game.
In the doubleheader, Cantrell had five hits, while Ermis had four hits, a homer, four runs batted in, and reached two on hit by pitches.
Up next for Leopards Baseball
Temple will host four games at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex this weekend.
On Friday, the Leopards will face the Odessa College Wranglers at 1 pm and 4 pm. On Saturday, the Leopards will complete their four-game set against No. 1 Blinn College with a doubleheader at 1 pm and 3:30 pm.
No. 3 Temple College Softball ready for season start
The Temple College Softball squad, preseason ranked third in the initial NJCAA Division I Top 25 poll, will have a six-game week to start the 2025 campaign.
The Leopards will travel to Kilgore College for a midweek doubleheader, with start times at 1 pm and 3 pm.
On Friday, the Leopards will travel to Brenham to take on Blinn College in a doubleheader with start times at 1 pm and 3 pm.
Temple will open its home schedule on Sunday as they will host Clarendon College with doubleheader start times of 12 pm and 2 pm.
The Temple College Softball season preview will be posted early this week here on TCLeopards.com.