Amarillo is riding a two-game winning streak after defeating the Texas Revolution Saturday night, 55-45, on Coors Light Field inside the Amarillo Civic Center. The Venom are starting to make some noise in the Champions Indoor Football League after a slow start. They are now 5-3 and in a logjam for the top spot with Dodge City (6-3) and Sioux City (Iowa) and Wichita, which are also 5-3.

Amarillo is led by former Bellaire High and Ball State University standout quarterback Nate Davis. The strong-armed signal-caller led the Venom to a pair of Lone Star Football League championships before that league merged with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League prior to the start of this season.

In eight games, Davis has completed 124 of 236 passes for 1,384 yards, 29 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He averages 173 yards per game through the air. The TDs, yards and average per game all rank third in the league. His 185.9 total yards per game ranks fourth (he’s rushed for 103 stripes), while his completion percentage (52.5) and passing efficiency per game (83.4) are both fifth.

The Venom are idle this week before entertaining Duke City (3-2) on Saturday, May 16 and the Texas Revolution (5-4) on Saturday, May 23. They travel to Sioux City on Saturday, May 30, before ending the regular season at home against San Angelo (1-7).

Amarillo already owns a pair of wins over Dodge City, but has lost to Wichita. It hasn’t played Sioux City.

OVAC Champions Applauded

Several local teams captured Ohio Valley Athletic Conference crowns over the weekend when the baseball and softball titles were decided. Four to be exact and half of those now reside on the east side of Guernsey Street in Bellaire.

Despite barely squeaking into each tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Big Reds took care of business in capturing both Class AAA championship hardwares.

First off, rookie head coach John Poilek’s baseball team eliminated top-seeded Linsly in the semifinals before rolling past No. 3 Fort Frye for its title Friday night at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Youth Sports Complex in Elm Grove.

Less than 24 hours later, Melissa Lahna’s Lady Reds took the field against No. 2 seeded River in the Tom Bechtel Softball Championships on Lisa’s Field at the same site. Freshman Hannah Applegarth’s solo homer was the only scoring. Bellaire took down No. 1 Buckeye Trail in the semis.

I’m not sure, but I would guesstimate the Bellaire diamond programs set some kind of record with their accomplishments, or at least share it.

Other schools winning OVAC banners were the Harrison Central softball team (Class 4A) and the St. Clairsville baseball juggernaut (Class 4A).

Congratulations to all four squads!

Mayweather-Pacquiao

Here’s my take on the recent boxing extravaganza that took place last Saturday night in Las Vegas.

First of all, I’m not a big boxing fan. I’m being straightforward and truthful!

I thought that Pacquiao had a good strategy of cutting the ring off against Mayweather for most of the fight, but he couldn’t land a punch that would’ve knocked me down, let alone out!

Then, I got to thinking about it in the later rounds. Mayweather did just what he wanted. He got Pacquiao to come to him. He was the one cutting the ring off. He lured Pacquiao in and then scored at will with jabs and combinations that actually landed and did some, but not a whole lot, of damage.

Who in their right mind didn’t know this fight was going to go the distance? It was a made-for-TV promotion in the making for five years. Michael Buffer told you that right from the get-go!

I’m glad I only wasted $10 on it ($5 to enter my buddy’s house and $5 in a pool). At least the food was worth the price of admission!

I’m also not sure that people would shell out the money they did to see two guys almost my age dancing around the ring. There’s more action in the WWE!

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com