PECOS ENTERPRISE

Daily Newspaper and Tourism Guide

for Trans Pecos, Big Bend, Far West Texas

Tourism|__|News|__|Opinion|__|Scores|__|Lifestyles|
Golden Years|__|Living off the Land|__|Subscribe Enterprise|
Advertising|__|Alpine Avalanche|__|Monahans News|__|E-Forum|__|Lotto
Links|__|Photos|__|Archives|__|Classified|__|ENTERPRISE HOME PAGE
Van Horn Advocate

Sports

Friday, August 15, 1997

Eagles take second shot at night practice session


Skip to next story
PECOS, Aug. 15 -- The first of at least 13 straight Fridays under the
lights will begin tonight for the Pecos Eagles, when they hold their
rain-delayed evening practice session at Eagle Stadium.

The workout originally had been set for Tuesday night, and would
coincide with a fundraising hamburger cookout put on by the Pecos Eagles
Athletic Booster Club. But an inch of rain that passes through the area
about 20 minutes before the workout was scheduled to start forced the
three-day delay.

With the beginning of school on Thursday, Eagles' head coach Mike Belew
said "The numbers are way up," especially on the junior varsity squad.

Trainer Joel Birch said there were 37 JV players out Thursday, and 46 on
the freshman squad. "The JV had only about 18 out (before school), so
that's just about double what it was," Belew said.

He said the varsity has about 35 players for now. "Forty is the number
I'm shooting for on the varsity, and not just on paper, but kids who'll
be there in body."

The Eagles finished 4-6 last season, Belew's first as head coach, but he
said on Wednesday the team is well ahead of where they were last year,
having already adjusted to the Odessa Permian system brought in by the
new coach and his assistants.

Belew also said the Eagles have been relatively injury-free during the
first week of workouts. "Rocky Urias dinged up his wrist, and we'll have
to see how bad that is, but other than that we've just had bumps and
bruises," Belew said.

Following tonight's 7 p.m. intrasquad workout for the varsity and JV
teams, they and the Eagles' freshman team will play their first
scrimmage a week from tonight in Crane. Pecos' final scrimmage is at
home on Aug. 29 against Midland Greenwood, and they open the 1997 by hosting Lamesa at Eagle Stadium on Sept. 6.

Erickson happy with start of Bears' grid workouts


Skip to next story
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
BALMORHEA, Aug. 15 -- The first week of workouts have gone well for the
Balmorhea Bears, though they're still awaiting the availability of one
of their top players from a year ago.

New head coach Ennis Erickson said Thursday the Bears "have looked
pretty good so far," through the first full week of workouts. "We're
doing some good things and look pretty sharp. They all seemed to come in
overall in pretty good shape."

Balmorhea advanced to the area round of the six-man grid playoffs each
of the past two seasons under coach Michael Barrandey, who stepped down
as coach last month to concentrate on administrative duties at Balmorhea
High School. Erickson has served as Barrandey's assistant for the past
several years, including on the 1994 squad that won the District 8-A
title and advanced to the state semifinals, before losing by four points
to eventual six-man champ Amherst.

This year's squad is favored to win the Bears' first district title
since '94, but for now, the Bears are practicing without one of the key
members of last season's 10-2 squad, senior tailback/linebacker Debiasie
Mendoza.

An all-district pick the past two seasons, Mendoza hurt his knee last
season, and had surgery during the spring. "He's doing O.K. He hasn't
totally bee cleared yet, but he's doing conditioning work," Erickson
said.

"Right now the 25th (of August) is the date we're looking at. If
everything's fine at that time, he'll be able to begin contact, and it's
very likely by the first regular game Debe will be able to play."

Mendoza is one of four returning two-way all-district picks for the
Bears, out of their 21-player roster. Senior quarterback/safety Zane
Rhyne, and two juniors, fullback/tackle Roger Lopez and
cornerback/spread back Arturo Miranda are the others to receive that
honor last season.

The Bears will scrimmage their District 8-A rival Marathon next Friday
at 6 p.m. on the Mustangs' home field, then are scheduled to face
Brookesmith on Aug. 29, either in Mertzon or Big Lake, Erickson said.
Brookesmith is ranked ninth and Balmorhea eighth in«MDUL» Texas
Football's «MDNM»preseason six-man football poll.

The Bears will play six of their nine regular season games at home,
beginning Sept. 5 against Tatum, N.M. District play opens at home against last year's 8-A champion, Grandfalls, on Oct. 3.

Newton admits mistake, denies assault


Return to top
DALLAS, Aug. 15 (AP) -- Is it extortion or sexual assault?

That's the question being posed by lawyers representing Dallas Cowboys
offensive guard Nate Newton and a woman who says Newton raped her.

Money is apparently the issue if you listen to lawyers for both sides.

Newton's attorney, Howard Shapiro of Plano, says it's nothing but
extortion. Her lawyer, David Cole, says Newton and Shapiro have
repeatedly tried to buy her silence.

Newton, 35, has not been charged with any crime. He declined to talk
about the case Thursday as the Cowboys were breaking up training camp at
Austin.

On his weekly, hourlong radio show Thursday night on Dallas station
KLIF, Newton did not directly address the allegation but said his family
-- his wife Dorothy and two sons -- is determined to survive the crisis
intact.

``My wife is dealing with it,'' he said. ``She has the option of every
other wife. ... She chose to stick by her man, and my hat's off to her
and I know it's a hard situation for her.''

Newton, apparently referring to his affair with the woman who is now his
accuser, said he made ``a mistake.''

``A mistake has been made we're not proud of, but we will deal with it
as a family, regardless of what anybody out there thinks,'' Newton said.

Cole contends that three days after June 15, when the alleged assault
occurred, Newton and his attorney invited the 31-year-old woman to a
meeting and offered her $60,000 to not report the alleged incident. She
didn't have an attorney at the time, Cole said.

Shapiro denied that he either set up the meeting or made an offer. He
said the woman asked for the meeting and demanded $80,000 to keep quiet.

Shapiro also said that during the meeting, he left Newton and the woman
alone for a few minutes and returned to a surprising scene.

``I left the room and Nate and this lady were embracing and kissing in
my office -- three days after he supposedly brutalized her,'' Shapiro
said Thursday.

``That's false,'' Cole said. ``I'm sure he'll get the opportunity to
testify to that fact. Absolutely she has denied any kind of intimacy''
after the alleged rape, Cole said.

He said his client may pursue a civil suit as well as the criminal case
to obtain compensation for her suffering.

``She is entitled to money -- you bet she is entitled to money,'' said
Cole. ``But she is also entitled to seek justice for the crime.''

The woman says Newton came to her home in Grand Prairie, a Dallas
suburb, about 1 a.m. on June 15 and assaulted her in an attack that
lasted for more than an hour.

She told police she recently ended a year-long relationship with Newton,
who is married with two children.

The Dallas Morning News reported in a copyright story today that,
according to neighbors, Newton frequently visited the woman in her
mobile home and played outside with the woman's sons.

``She would wear his jerseys . . . the authentic ones that say `Newton'
and `No. 61,''' one neighbor said. ``She said he was her friend, but we
pretty much knew what was going on.''

Attorneys for the woman sent a letter to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the
newspaper reported. The newspaper said both sides agree about the letter
to Jones, but disagree over the contents of the letter.

Jones did not reply to the letter, lawyers for the woman told the
newspaper.

The case has been turned over to a Dallas County grand jury and a
hearing will be held August 25.

Cole said his client was initially afraid to report the crime because of
the publicity over sexual assault accusations made last year against
wide receiver Michael Irvin and offensive tackle Erik Williams.

Nina Shahravan recanted the allegations and is awaiting trial on a
perjury charge.

``My client does not have a credibilty problem like in last year's
case,'' Cole said. ``She is not a topless dancer and she has not made
other claims.''


Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, 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. Neither these AP Materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing.

Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
We support Newspapers in Education

Return to Top

Return to Home Page