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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Tuessday, February 12, 2002
Eagles looking to stop Fabens from clinching
The Pecos Eagles' basketball team will be ending their 2001-2002 season
this week. But before then, they may have a say on how long the seasons of
four other District 2-4A teams last, beginning with tonight's game against
the Fabens Wildcats.
The Eagles host first place Fabens tonight beginning at 6 p.m. at the
Pecos High School gym. The junior varsity and freshmen teams will play their
games at 4:30 p.m. in the new and old PHS gyms, and Parent's Night will be
held before the start of the varsity game, coach Tino Acosta said.
After seeing few surprises in the first half of district play, there have
been a lot of surprises over the past two weeks that have shaken up the district
standings, beginning with Pecos' 58-53 win over Canutillo that ended the
Eagles' 31-game district losing streak.
The Eagles have dropped their last two games after that win, but Canutillo
came back to down second place Clint, then upset Fabens this past Friday,
70-58, to stay in the playoff race and keep the Wildcats from clinching the
district title. Clint, meanwhile, moved to within a game of Fabens with their
69-44 win at home over Pecos, which left the Eagles with a 1-7 district record.
Fabens is 7-2 and can clinch the 2-4A title with a win tonight, but a
loss could drop the Wildcats into a tie for second with Clint, depending
on the outcome of their game with San Elizario. Pecos and San Eli postponed
their game last week due to bad weather, and are tentatively scheduled to
make up the game on Thursday at the PHS gym, and the make-up came could end
up deciding everything from a first place tie between Fabens and San Eli
to a third place tie between San Eli and Canutillo
Last month in Fabens, the Wildcats jumped out to a 22-7 lead after one
period and went on to an 87-43 win over the Eagles. Abel Juarez led the Wildcats
with 20 points, while Tony Lechuga had 17 and Rigo Estrada 16. On Friday,
Estrada has 12 points, Juarez 11 and Samir Ihmud put in 16 in the loss to
Canutillo.
The Eagles' loss to the Lions on Friday was similar to most of their other
defeats this season, as Pecos was only able to get one player going on offense.
Joey Ortega led the Eagles with 16 points, while in last month's loss at
Fabens Richard Rodriguez was the only Pecos player in double-figures, with
11 points.
Eagles at home for scrimmage against Presidio
After two scrimmages on the road over the weekend, the Pecos Eagles will
be at home this afternoon, for the third of their four pre-season baseball
scrimmages this season, as they host the Presidio Blue Devils beginning at
4:30 p.m.
Eagles' coach Bubba Williams took a look at his varsity pitchers on Friday
at Fort Stockton, and looked at some of his junior varsity and freshmen one
Saturday in a scrimmage against Odessa High's junior varsity, and said that
overall Pecos did better on Friday, though there are still some problems
to be worked out.
"The pitchers walked a lot of batters yesterday (Friday)," he said following
the scrimmage against the Bronchos. "We also walked a lot today and we can't
have that. I'd rather have them put the ball in play than to walk a lot of
people."
On offense, Williams said, "We put the ball in play, but there weren't
a lot of line shots. We've got a lot of work to do in a couple of areas,
because we're not where we want to be."
Shortstop Capi Magana hit the ball well against Fort Stockton, and most
of the Eagles' varsity players put the ball in play against Odessa High,
though Sammy Dominguez had the only extra-base hit, a two-run double late
in the scrimmage, after OHS had gotten to Dominguez and three other Eagle
pitchers for runs off both walks and hits earlier in the game.
"The ones who are going to be up there (on varsity) have got to perform,"
said Williams. "We've got to have the ones who were up there last year come
through, including the ones not out here yet."
Infielders Matthew Levario and Richard Rodriguez and outfielders Joey
Ortega and Oscar Parada won't be available until the Eagles' final pre-season
scrimmage this coming Saturday, when Pecos goes back to Odessa High to face
the Bronchos' varsity. Pecos' regular season opener will be on Friday, Feb.
22 at Monahans, followed by the Eagles' home opener, against the Loboes on
Feb. 23.
Tennis carnival to follow dedication of new courts
A dedication ceremony will be held this afternoon at 5 p.m. for the new
Pecos High School tennis courts, which will be followed by a USTA tennis
carnival from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Trans-Texas Tennis completed the rebuilding of the six high school courts
last week, at a cost of about $150,000. The two-month project involved placing
a sand base on top of the old court's surface, after which a nine inch concrete
surface was put on top of the old courts, which have been subject to cracking
over the years. A crack in the courts' foundation appeared less than six
months after the last patching job on the courts, in 1994, and other cracks
had formed across the courts in the years since then.
"I've invited all the local dignitaries and school officials and the
superintendent (Don Love). I'm hoping to get the councilmen and commissioners
out here," said Eagles' varsity tennis coach Mike Ortiz last week, when workers
had just begun painting the courts.
The poor condition of the old courts forced the Eagles to relocate the
District 2-4A Fall team tennis tournament from Pecos to San Elizario. The
Eagles will host the Spring District 2-4A tournament, and will play their
first official matches on the new courts this Friday, when they host their
own tournament at the PHS courts.
Ortiz said today's tennis carnival was open to kids "from junior high
on down," and that prizes would be given out during the carnival.
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 newsdesk@nwol.net
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Copyright 2002 by Pecos Enterprise
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