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Sports

Tuesday, November 25, 1997

Different ending gives Eagles first victory

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 25 -- The Pecos Eagles followed the same script during the first half of their game Monday night against the Alpine Bucks that they used two days earlier against the Stanton Buffaloes. But after a long halftime talk from head coach Brian Williams, the Eagles decided to rewrite the second half's ending, and wound up getting their first victory of the season.

For the second time in as many home games, the Eagles jumped out to a double-digit lead after the first quarter on Monday, only to see the Bucks close to within a point in the second period. Pecos ended up losing Saturday's game to Stanton on a last-second shot, but this time, after spending almost the entire 10 minute halftime in the locker room, the Eagles came out and reclaimed their 10-point lead, and would widen that to as much as 23 points in the final period, on the way to a 64-43 victory.

"As long as I continue to see improvement I'll be happy," said Williams, who celebrated his wedding anniversary with his first varsity head coaching victory. "I need to have anniversaries every chance I get."

"We didn't let down in the second half, and that was good, but we still lose our concentration when we get a big lead, and that can come back and bite us," the Eagles' coach added.

Lori Marquez scored eight of her 21 points in the first period, when Pecos jumped ahead 15-4 on the way to a 17-7 lead. But she also picked up three fouls in the quarter and spent most of the second period on the bench.

Marquez' first two points came off steals under the Bucks' basket, while Annette Marquez, Shea Lara and Penny Armstrong all scored off offensive rebounds as the Eagles built their early lead. But in the second period, the Eagles wouldn't get a basket until there was 2:48 left before halftime, when Lori Marquez scored on a lay-up. By then, the Bucks had cut the lead to 18-17 behind guard Celia Garcia and post Jennifer Finley.

Pecos ended the half up 24-20, but Armstrong and Marisol Arenivas had joined Marquez with three fouls, and the Eagles looked as though they would have to struggle to get their first win.

Instead, Armstrong and Arenivas scored the first six points of the third quarter to make it 34-24, and then after the Bucks fought back to within five, at 34-29, Lara, Lori Marquez and Annette Marquez all scored off lay-ups, the first two following steals, and the Eagles had a 40-29 advantage.

Arenivas had five assists in the second half, while the Eagles had only five turnovers, after committing 14 in the first two quarters. "I changed up the offense," Williams said. "We've got a zone offense, and we used it in the second half, even though they were playing man (defense). That kind of allowed her to slide across, and go down and get a little more movement. Marisol is still having trouble finding her offensive rhythm, but I know she'll come around."

Arenivas hit one jumper in the final period, while Annette Marquez connected twice from outside and Armstrong banked home a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. But most of the Eagles' points again came from lay-ups, as Pecos was able to get inside early in the quarter during a 17-4 run that clinched the victory.

Annette Marquez was also in double figures with 13 for the Eagles, while Garcia led the Bucks with 12, including 8-for-16 from the foul line. The 1-2 Eagles go on the road tonight for their final pre-Thanksgiving game, at Iraan against the Braves.

"(It's) going to be a tough game. Iraan's a good team, and playing three games in four days we're going to find out if we're in shape," Williams said. Play opens with Pecos' freshman facing the Bucks' junior varsity at 6 p.m., with the varsity matchup at 7:30 p.m.

Pecos' JV, meanwhile, will go to Balmorhea to face the Bears' varsity in a 6:30 p.m. start. The Eagles' JV lost to the Bucks, 65-39. Marissa Levario led Pecos with 10 points.

ALPINE (43)
Dominguez 1 2-2 4; Sellers 2 0-0 4; Garcia 2 8-16 12; Molinar 1 0-0 2; Havens 2 0-2 4; Vaughn 2 0-0 4; Mills 3 0-0 6; Jimenez 0 0-0 0; Finley 3 1-2 7. Totals 16 11-22 43.
PECOS (64)
Arenivas 3 1-1 7; Lara 3 2-2 8; A. Marquez 6 1-2 13; Armstrong 4 0-0 9; L. Marquez 10 1-3 21; Orona 0 0-0 0; Bell 0 1-2 1; Thorp 2 1-2 5. Totals 28 7-12 64.

Alpine 7 13 12 11 --43
Pecos 17 7 18 22 --64
Three-point goals: Pecos 1 (Armstrong). Fouled out: Alpine, Mills. Total fouls: Alpine 14, Pecos 20.

Defense, 3-pointers earn Pecos 60-37 win

PECOS, Nov. 25 -- The Pecos Eagles got their 3-point shooting going early, while the Alpine Bucks never could get their foul shooting together Monday night. Combined with an overall strong defensive effort, it gave the Eagles their second win in three games this season.

Jacob Chavez had four 3-pointers to close the first period and begin the second, while Omar Hinojos had another big night inside for the Eagles and the Bucks had a terrible night from the foul line, going 0-for-13 from the stripe in what ended up as a 60-37 Pecos victory.

Pecos trailed only in the early going, and Chavez' 3-point outburst turned an 8-8 tie late in the opening period into a 20-10 Eagles lead less than 90 seconds into the second period. Things were going so good for Pecos at that point that guard Oscar Luna was able to rifle an `alley-oop' pass meant for Hinojos right into the basket, which upped Pecos' margin to 24-12.

But after allowing Crane 77 points on Friday, coach Mike Sadler was happiest with his team's work at the other end of the court.

"That's the best game we've played defensively since I've been here," said Sadler, who used his bench frequently throughout the course of the night. "Our rebounding helped so much tonight. We got a few offensive rebounds, but when we didn't, we went back ad played good halfcourt defense when we missed a shot."

Alpine's Adam Llanez tried to keep his team in the game, has he hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and finished up with 18 points. But the Bucks, who had no senior starters, were unable to take advantage of some early foul problems by the Eagles, especially when Hector Garcia picked up his fourth foul with 6:36 left in the half.

"Hector got into foul trouble, but did a good job after that," Sadler said, as Garcia avoided getting his fifth foul during the second half. "Hector is our defensive catalyst. He puts pressure on the ball when he's in there."

Alpine sophomore post Derek Rodriguez, meanwhile, had all kinds of problems with Hinojos. He picked up three fouls early and wound up fouling out three minutes into the second half. Llanez and Conrad Arriola made up for that loss briefly, hitting 3-pointers to cut the Eagles' lead to 38-25, but Hinojos would close out the quarter with three lay-ups off assists from Luna and Fernando Navarrette, upping the margin back to 17 entering the final period.

Chavez and Hinojos both missed scoring 20 points for the first time this season, but again led the Eagles in scoring with 18 and 17 respectively. Chris Bryant and Mark Marquez took advantage of their extended playing time Monday, as the two reserves scored six points apiece, while Luna finished with seven.

The Eagles will go for their third win in four games tonight, when they travel to Kermit to face the Yellowjackets. The varsity will play at 7:30 p.m., after the freshman/junior varsity split team plays at 6 p.m. The bulk of the Eagles' JV will be down in Balmorhea tonight, for an 8 p.m. game against the Bears' varsity.

ALPINE (37)
Llanez 7 0-0 18; Yarborough 0 0-0 0; McAnally 1 0-4 2; Arriola 1 0-1 3; Scown 0 0-0 0; Boyd 1 0-0 2; Santos 0 0-0 0; Molinar 1 0-4 2; Fort 2 0-0 4; Rodriguez 2 0-2 4; Mata 1 0-2 2. Totals 16 0-13 37.
PECOS (60)
Garcia 0 0-0 0; Luna 3 0-0 7; Navarrette 0 0-1 0; Hinojos 7 3-5 17; Chavez 5 4-6 18; Perea 1 0-0 3; Marta 0 0-0 0; Matta 1 1-6 3; Marquez 2 2-5 6; Bryant 2 2-2 6. Totals 21 12-25 60.

Alpine 8 11 8 10 --37
Pecos 14 21 9 20 --64
Three-point goals: Alpine 5 (Llanez 4, Arriola), Pecos 6 (Chavez 4, Luna, Perea). Technical foul: Pecos, Marquez. Fouled out: Alpine, Rodriguez, Arriola. Total fouls: Alpine 21, Pecos 18.

Bears put trio on 7-A volleyball team

PECOS, Nov. 25 -- Balmorhea Bears' senior Cherry Garcia was named to the first team All-District 7-A volleyball team, while juniors Brenda Dutchover and Amanda Lozano were second team selections in voting by district coaches.

The team was selected earlier this month, and released this week, following completion of post-season play for district champion Grandfalls, which put seven players on the squad.

Garcia and Lozano were hitters and Dutchover was a setter for this year's Balmorhea squad, which was more competitive in 7-A play despite going 0-6 in their district games.

Grandfalls, which advanced to the Region I finals before losing, was led by senior Laura Porras, who tied Wink junior Jess Anne Fernandes for District 7-A MVP honors. Also selected was senior Donna Olivas, who won defensive player honors, while seniors Christina Huertas and Melissa Moses and junior Stacey Miller were the other first team selections for the Cowgirls.

Along with Fernandes, Wink junior Geanna Baker was named as offensive player of the year, while junior Michelle Habin and senior Twila McKee were also first team picks. Rounding out the first team squad were Buena Vista junior Carla Grant and sophomore Meg Choate.

Joining Dutchover and Lozano on the second team were Grandfalls' senior Janet Enriquez and sophomore Misty Stocks; Wink junior Erin Wolf and sophomore Mandy McCallister and Buena Vista senior Melody Walker and sophomore Julie Soto.

Winder fired by Sooners' Blake

NORMAN, Okla., Nov. 25 (AP) -- Oklahoma's football team in 1998 will run on offense and attack on defense.

That pretty much sums up the changes that Joe Dickinson and dRex Ryan will bring as the newest Sooner coordinators. Both were hired Sunday, Dickinson to oversee the offense and Ryan the defense, and introduced to the media Monday by head coach John Blake.

``I think these guys believe in exactly what I want to do,'' Blake said. ``And I think it's important that I've been around them long enough to know not only the X and O part they believe in, but the chemistry of what I like to get done.''

The chemistry, Blake said, just wasn't right with the former coordinators, Bill Young and Dick Winder. Both are veteran coaches and highly regarded, but Blake said part of the reason the fit wasn't right is because he was hurried into hiring them after he got the top job in December 1995.

Winder, the former Monahans High School head coach, brought a multiple offense from Texas Tech, where he had served 12 years as an assistant.

``Those guys are outstanding coaches and have been very successful everywhere they've been, but chemistry is still more than Xs and Os,'' he said. ``I think I have more time now, and also what I want to do, what it takes as a head coach, how to put a group together that fits. It's a learning process for me and in the two years I've learned a lot.''

One thing he has learned is that he wants to coach the defensive line, and he will do that next season.

Dickinson will install a multiple option scheme in which the Sooners will rely heavily on the run but still be able to pass when needed.

Dickinson has been OU's running backs coach the past two years. He will coach quarterbacks as the coordinator, the same job he held at Northern Illinois from 1991-95 and at Marshall in 1990.

``We're not going to just be a total option football team, it's multiple option,'' he said. ``We'll throw the football some. A lot of it will be dependent on how many people they try to stop the running game with. If they give it to you, we will take it.''

The Sooners began moving toward option football late this season, when they moved Brandon Daniels from safety to quarterback. Daniels started the final three games and will be the player to beat when spring drills begin, although Dickinson said ``I don't think Brandon Daniels is the only guy.''

Ryan will install the ``46'' defense he learned from his father, Buddy, and which his twin brother Rob used with success at Oklahoma State this year. It's an attacking, sometimes high-risk defense.

Ryan has been defensive coordinator at Cincinnati the past two years. Before that he was an assistant under his father with the Arizona Cardinals, where he got to know Blake, who at the time was defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

``I think it's going to be a great fit for the University of Oklahoma,'' Ryan said of the 46. ``It's going to be one that's probably not for everybody, but it's going to be for us. And for those people that like to see collisions, it's going to be a great defense.''

He said he wasn't very familiar with Oklahoma's players, but had seen enough on tape to know his scheme will work.

``It's not necessarily the position of the player, but it's his disposition,'' Ryan said. ``I think that's probably the No. 1 thing that I'm going to bring here.''

Winder and Young were among four coaches Blake fired Sunday. The others were defensive ends coach Ken Pope and secondary coach Chris Thurmond. The promotion of Dickinson means Blake still has three openings to fill, and he said he had no timetable to do that.

``I think I have the key guys in place right now with my coordinators,'' he said. ``I think the most important thing is now to take my time and make the right decision on the next coaches I hire.''

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