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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Wednesday, August 6, 2003
Willis happy with Eagles' opening workouts
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
Pecos Eagle football players are working their way into the new offensive
and defensive schemes coach Patrick Willis plans for the 2003 season, though
he said it would still be a while before the Eagles will have everything
set up for their first preseason scrimmage.
"The kids are working hard and the coaching personnel are working hard,"
he said following Tuesday's second day of preseason practice. "I've already
seen improvements from yesterday's workouts to today."
Willis was hired as new head coach and athletic director in June after
serving as an assistant coach the past three seasons at Abilene Cooper.
The Monahans High School grad is trying to turn around a program that went
from four straight post-season appearances as a member of District 2-4A
to a 2-8 season in 2002 as a member of District 4-3A, with one of those
victories coming by forfeit over Presidio.
The lone victory on the field was Pecos' worst effort since a 1-9 mark
in 1965. With Presidio having dropped their football program during the
off-season, all of the Eagles' wins this year will have to be on the field,
and Willis will be trying to improve on an offense that struggled to open
holes for its running backs a year ago, and a defense that allowed almost
40 points per game in their eight losses.
"They're suffering from a bit of mental clutter right now," Willis said
about the new offensive and defensive systems that are being put in. "But
once we get it in, we'll slow it down some and get the fundamentals put
in.
"They're doing pretty good for the first two days. Of course, they're
going to have some mental busts, and they're going to be overwhelmed at
first over the changes mentally, but soon a light will come on and they'll
be able to adjust from one defense to the next one and from one offense to
the next," he said.
Between 29 and 33 players have been out over the first two days of workouts.
"There may be one or two who haven't shown up, but the core of the kids
I saw all summer who said they're going to play are here."
Pecos has been running two-a-days early in the morning and then again
early in the afternoon, with a one-hour break in-between. That gets the
workouts over with by 2 p.m., although for the past two days that still
hasn't kept the Eagles from finishing up in the 100-degree heat.
"I guess they got a little ragged towards the end, but I try not to let
them think about it, and I told them it's hot in Greenwood, it's hot in
Monahans, it's hot in Fort Stockton and it's hot in Kermit, and that gives
a little motivation to them," Willis said.
Friday will be the first day the Eagles hold full contact pad drills,
and they'll have another six days of workouts after that before playing
the first of their two pre-season scrimmages, against El Paso Riverside
on Aug. 16. The regular season opens for Pecos on Sept. 5 at home against
Alpine.
Willis said he has an idea about who the starters will be for the Riverside
scrimmage, but added, "You never really can tell until you get into pads
who needs to be where. Right now it looks OK, but we won't really know until
they get into pads and start working out."
Rec department sign-up players
for volleyball, football leagues
The Reeves County Community Sports and Recreation Department is signing
up boys and girls this month for its fall volleyball and flag football programs.
The volleyball program is open to children entering grades 3-6, while
the flag football league is for boys and girls ages 5 through 7. Registration
cost for either program is $10 per player, and forms can be picked up at
the recreation department office in the old Pecos High School gym during
regular office hours.
Returned registration forms must be accompanied by a birth certificate
and signatures of both parents. Deadline for signing up for volleyball is
Aug. 23, while flag football sign-ups continue through Aug. 29. For further
information, call the recreation department office at 447-9776.
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
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 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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