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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Thursday, November 9, 2000
Eagles seek different results at San Elizario
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 9, 2000 -- They're not looking for a recount, but the Pecos Eagles
are hoping to reverse the results of last year's regular season-ending
game at San Elizario, when they travel their Friday to meet their Eagle
counterparts in an 8:30 p.m. start.
Pecos is in the exact same position they were a year ago going into
their game at San Eli, sitting tied for second place with a 3-1 record in District
2-4A and with a 5-4 overall mark. But things are a lot different for the
host Eagles, who wrapped up a perfect 5-0 district record and their
first-ever championship last season with a 12-0 victory over Pecos.
San Eli had a chance to make tonight's game just as big, had
they been able to defeat Canutillo last Friday. But the Golden Eagles used
a late touchdown to score a 9-6 win, which dropped San Eli to 1-3
in district, 4-5 overall, and clinched playoff spots for both Pecos
and Fabens.
"That's the first game we've played in the three years I've
been here I can say we should have won but didn't," said coach Joe
Carrillo. "We had the ball four times inside their 10 and scored only three
points. Bo (Solis) threw an interception, they blocked a field goal and we had
a touchdown called back by a penalty."
Pecos also comes in off a loss, 27-21 at home to El Paso Mountain
View; the Eagles third overtime loss of the season. It's a defeat that
left Mountain View alone in first place and left Pecos in a slightly down
mood going into this week's game.
But while the Eagles would need help from 3-1 Fabens
against Mountain View on Friday to earn a share of the 2-4A title, a win
would more importantly give Pecos a chance to host their first home playoff
game in a quarter century when bi-district play starts on Nov. 17.
"Our kids still have something to play for," said coach Gary
Grubbs, who has been kept busy along with the rest of the Eagles' coaching
staff devising a defense for San Eli's complicated offensive scheme.
"They run a different set every play," he said. "They run
multiple, multiple forms.
"They're tough-looking kids, and I think they're going to get after
it, even if they don't have (a playoff spot) to play for," Grubbs said.
Grades cost Carrillo several players just before the start
of district, though he said that wasn't the main reason the Eagles will
miss out on the post-season this year. "We just don't have the depth. Last
year we were using about 15 or more players. Now, everybody has to
go both ways."
The loss of running back/defensive back Mike Tapia for
three weeks was a blow, but he and all the other San Eli players are back
for Friday's game, Carrillo said.
Santiago Elizade emerged as the team's top running back with
Tapia's absence and has also been San Eli's mainstay on defense at
linebacker. "He's the one that's got to do everything. I can't spell him; he
has to go both ways," Carrillo said.
Elizade is fourth in the district in rushing with 550 yards and
three touchdowns, and leads his team in tackles with 100 in nine games.
"Defensively, they're playing multiple fronts to try and
bring pressure," said Grubbs. "I don't think they're as quick back there
as last year, but it looks like they have a little bit more size."
"I'm super-impressed with the way you guys are running the
veer. We're going to have to bring our `A' game to stop it," Carrillo said.
San Eli has had a few problems running the ball the past two
weeks against Fabens and Canutillo. "They're trying to run a little
option on offense, and if that doesn't work, they'll put it in the air," Grubbs said.
Solis threw for almost 300 yards two weeks ago in a 56-27 loss
to Fabens, and threw for 100 last week at Canutillo. "Solis is not a
bad looking quarterback. He does a good job throwing the football
and runs the option game pretty good."
Carrillo said Solis has done a good job trying to replace last
year's district MVP Mike Perez, but that the lack of depth has hurt the
team's option attack.
"We've never been able to get a third back. We went to more of
an option offense, but we couldn't get that third back, and we haven't
been hitting on all cylinders since the (El Paso) Bowie game," he said.
"Three-hundred yards (passing) is not what I'd like to do,
but sometimes you have to," Carrillo said. "I'd like to play like West
Texas teams and grind the ball. I don't think you can go far in the
playoffs unless you can run."
Pecos ran for 345 yards last week against Mountain View, but a
lack of depth may have hurt them in overtime against the Lobos,
who won on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Arturo Muniz to Ebert
Munoz after Abe Mendoza was able to catch Pecos' Daniel Terrazas
from behind on a 3rd-and-5 sweep when Pecos had the ball in overtime.
Terrazas ended up rushing for 219 yards on the night, and
can gain 1,000 yards for the season with a 155-yard rushing effort
against San Elizario.
Grubbs said grades cost the Eagles five reserve players
this week, but with the freshman and junior varsity seasons
having ended a week ago, "We'll take all our eligible JV and freshman
kids … We'll have 52 there, and we'll suit up 40."
Pecos in dark on playoff opponent
PECOS, Nov. 9, 2000 -- About the only two things the Pecos Eagles know
about next week is: They don't have to scout El Paso Ysleta this Friday
night, and they don't have to scout El Paso Bowie.
Ysleta, the team that defeated Pecos in the Class 4A playoffs last season by
an 18-0 score, can only go into the big school division (Division I) of this
year's playoffs, while El Paso Mountain View has locked up the big school slot out
of District 2-4A. That leaves the Eagles and Fabens Wildcats fighting for seeding
in the small school (Division II) playoff bracket, with the top seed more
than likely hosting their first round playoff game.
But neither team knows who their first round opponent will be, because
every team in District 1-4A except for 0-4 Bowie remains in the playoff race.
Bowie hosts 2-2 El Paso High this week, while 1-3 El Paso Burges plays
at 2-2 El Paso Parkland and 3-1 Ysleta hosts El Paso Riverside, which at 4-0 is the
only team that knows it's going to the playoffs.
Ysleta could miss the playoffs with a loss and victories by Parkland and El
Paso High, while Burges still has an outside shot at third place if they defeat Parkland
while Bowie upsets El Paso High.
Right now, if Pecos wins their game Friday at San Elizario, the Eagles'
most likely opponent is El Paso Parkland, if all three favored teams (Parkland, El
Paso High and El Paso Riverside) win on Friday. If Riverside loses to Ysleta, Pecos
would face El Paso High if they defeat Bowie, but the Eagles could still end up
against Parkland or Burges if the Matadors lose to the Mustangs.
If Pecos loses to San Elizario, they could face Riverside, Parkland or El
Paso High in bi-district. But if Fabens wins their game on Friday at El Paso Mountain
View, the Eagles would go in as the No. 3 seed in District 2-4A and would likely face
back-to-back trips to El Paso for their final regular season and bi-district playoff
game for the second year in a row.
Eagles' focus on fundamentals for hoop season
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 9, 2000 -- Fundamentals are what new Pecos Eagles basketball coach Veronica Valenzuela is focusing on, going into the 2000-2001 season. And the Eagles will have a while to get those fundamentals
down, though they'll get a test this Saturday when they travel to Odessa
Permian for a scrimmage against the Panthers.
While high school teams can begin their seasons next
Monday, and Pecos' junior high girls teams have their first games of the
season scheduled for today at Andrews, the Eagles' season-opening game
won't be until after Thanksgiving, when they host Monahans on Nov. 28.
The Eagles dropped a couple of early-season games, including
a Nov. 27 contest at Alpine, while the freshman team's season
opener against Wink scheduled for this Monday also has been canceled,
due to a shortage of ninth graders.
"We had a couple in trouble with grades, so there might not be
enough left to start off. We've got six right now," Valenzuela said.
There are 30 players working out overall right now, and seven of
those are returnees from last season, when the Eagles finished with a 1-21
record, 1-9 in district play.
"I've got seven back from last year and had two juniors come
out this year that didn't play a year ago," Valenzuela said, who had her
players practicing dribbling with their left hands on Wednesday.
"I'm focusing on fundamentals. We're drilling fundamentals
every day," she said. "I don't think you
can do much of anything if your fundamentals are weak."
"Luckily, we don't have any games for a while, because
we haven't had any off-season with me being in volleyball,"
said Valenzuela, who was the Eagles' junior varsity
volleyball coach.
Most of her returning varsity players also just got out of
volleyball, and most spent the first three weeks of the season with Valenzuela as
their coach, while Becky Granado was away from the team. That
group includes three starters, Dee Dee Molinar, Alexa Marquez and
Philly Fobbs, and Pecos also gets back guard Marisela Arenivas, the
team's leading scorer from last season.
That group has to learn some new things this season. "We're running
a totally different offense than what we ran last year," Valenzuela
said. "We're running a continuity offense for zone … We worked
on our zone offense the other day, and it's not what we used last year."
On defense, Pecos has pressed a lot the past few seasons, but
has been hurt by blown assignments leading to easy baskets by
their opponents and foul trouble for some of the Eagle starters. As
far as this season goes, Valenzuela said, "I don't know if we're
going to use it as much yet, but if it hurts us more than it helps us, we
won't do it until we're good and ready."
Pecos actually played better games a year ago than they did
in the 1998-99 season, despite the 1-21 mark. So far in a week
working out with the full squad, Valenzuela said, "I can I've seen
some improvement in the short time I've had them. Hopefully, we'll
get better and better and keep going up."
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2000 by Pecos Enterprise
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