Daily Newspaper and Tourism Guide for Reeves County Trans Pecos, Big Bend of West Texas

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Sports

Friday, November 28 ,1997

Bears place five on all-district grid team

PECOS, Nov. 28 -- Two members of the Balmorhea Bears were
named to the All-District 8-A first team football squad,
with senior Debiasie Mendoza earning Most Valuable Player
honors on defense.

Three other Balmorhea players were selected to the second
team in voting by the district's seven head coaches.

The selections came at the end of a disappointing season
for the Bears, who missed the playoffs for the first time
since 1993 by losing a three-way coin flip with Sanderson
and Sierra Blanca.

Mendoza earned the honor after coming back from knee
surgery during the Spring that sidelined him until
September. He was joined on the first team defense by senior
Zane Rhyne at cornerback, and also was the Bears' lone first
team offensive selection, at the spread back position.

Rhyne earned second team honors on offense at quarterback,
and was joined by a trio of juniors -- utility back Arturo
Miranda, blocking end Melchor Avalos and wide receiver
Patrick Craven.

Defensively, Miranda also earned second team honors for
Balmorhea, at linebacker.

District champion Grandfalls dominated the selections,
placing all six of their starters on the first team
offensive squad and four of their six on the first team
defensive unit. Sanderson, which won the flip for the second
bi-district playoff berth, had four players named to the
first team on offense and five to the first team defensive
squad.

Junior Roy Vasquez was named the district's MVP on offense,
and was joined by juniors Andy Leyva at blocking end, Ronnie
Vasquez at quarterback and Danny Santiago at fullback.
Seniors Jimmy Ramirez at wide receiver and Alfonzo Marquez
at tailback were the Cowboys' other first team picks.

Sanderson put senior blocking end Francisco Lopez on the
first team offense, along with juniors Juan Luis Ponce at
center, Jesse Martinez at quarterback and John Kennedy at
utility back. Sierra Blanca and Dell City had one first team
pick apiece, with the Vaqueros getting junior blocking end
Brian Jackson and the Cougars sophomore wide receiver Jesse
Duran on the squad.

Defensively, Grandfalls' Roy Vasquez, Marquez, Ramirez and
Santiago were also first team picks, at tackle, free safety,
linebacker and end, respectively. Sanderson was represented
by senior tackle Mike Sanchez, senior end Jim Bob Mumme,
senior linebacker Dave Villegas, junior cornerback Johnny
Cavender and sophomore free safety Roland Rodriguez.

The only other first team pick was Buena Vista's senior
free safety Tommy Collins.

Grandfalls also swept all the special team positions.
Senior Jeff Corean was named first team kicker and punter,
junior Zack Braden was named as kick returner and Roy
Vasquez was selected as punt returner.

Other second team selections are listed below:

Offense
Center -- Jason Carter, Jr. Grandfalls
Blocking end -- Ricky Acosta, Sr., Buena Vista
Wide Receiver -- Tyler Cantu, Soph., Sanderson; Jaime
Garcia, Soph., Dell City.
Fullback -- Chuy Mancias, Sr., Sierra Blanca
Tailback -- Ran Sanchez, Jr., Sanderson; Morino Mascarinas,
Jr., Sierra Blanca
Spread Back -- David Arnold, Sr., Sierra Blanca; Omar
Lineras, Soph., Dell City.
Utility Back -- Zack Braden, Jr., Buena Vista

Defense
Tackles -- Brian Jackson, Jr., Sierra Blanca; Andy Leyva,
Jr., Grandfalls
Ends -- Chuy Mancias, Sr., Sierra Blanca; Cody Cooper, Jr.,
Buena Vista; Sean Francisco, Jr., Grandfalls.
Linebackers -- Albert Gonzales, Jr., Buena Vista; Morino
Mascarinas, Jr., Sierra Blanca
Cornerbacks -- Omar Lineras, Soph., Dell City; Zack Braden,
Jr., Buena Vista
Free Safeties -- Tim Bustamante, Fr., Sierra Blanca; Jason
Carter, Jr., Grandfalls

Age group swimmers race in Odessa

PECOS, Nov. 28 -- Members of the Pecos Age Group Swim Team
competed on Nov. 8 in a meet at Odessa against teams from
Monahans, Big Spring, Andrews, Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene
and the Midland-Odessa area.

None of the Pecos swimmers won their events, but several in
the girls' 10 and under and the boys 11-12 divisions did
earn either `A' or `B' times with their efforts.

In the girls' division, Teddie Salcido and Lindsey Shaw
earned `A' times, Salcido with a 43.38 time in placing fifth
in the 50 yard backstroke, and Shaw for a second place
finish in the 50 breaststroke, with a 44.37 time. She also
earned `B' times in the 100 and 200 individual medleys,
placing fourth in the both races, as well as in the 50 free,
where she finished sixth. Salcido earned a `B' time with a
seventh place finish there and did the same by finishing
second in the 200 freestyle, fifth in the 100 free and 11th
in the 100 medley. She also placed 10th in the 50
breaststroke and 16th in the 50 butterfly.

Also swimming `B' times in the 10 and under division was
Catherine Minjarez in the 50 freestyle, placing fourth; the
100 free, where she was fifth; in the 50 breaststroke, and
the 100 medley where she was 7th; and in the 50 backstroke,
where she finished eighth. Minjarez also finished ninth in
the 50 fly. The other `B' time came from Ashley Mendoza, who
was ninth in the 100 freestyle. She also came in 11th in the
50 breaststroke and 50 fly, and 15th in the 50 backstroke.

Other swimmers in the division for Pecos were Sara Wein, who
was 10th in the 200 freestyle, 12th in the 50 free and 100
medley, and 17th in the 50 backstroke; Michelle Wein, who
was 12th in the 200 free, 15th in the 50 free and 16th in
the 100 medley; and Cheyenne Taylor, who placed 26th in the
50 free and 27th in the 50 backstroke.

In the girls' 11-12 division, Jessica Minjarez finished 12th
in the 100 butterfly, 17th in the 100 freestyle and 100
breaststroke, 18th in the 50 free and 19th in the 100
medley; Kelsey Flores was 12th in the 200 free, 20th in the
100 backstroke and 22nd in the 50 free; and Christina
Clarey, who took 19th in the 100 backstroke and 24th in the
50 free.

In the 13-14 division, Rebecca Wein was sixth in the 100
freestyle, 200 backstroke and 200 breaststroke, and was
seventh in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, while
Victoria Gomez placed seventh in the 100 free and eighth in
the 50 free and 100 fly.

In the boys' division, three Pecos swimmers earned `A' times
in the 11-12 bracket. Daniel Quintana finished third in the
50 free with a 29.12 time, while Maxcey Key also earned an
`A' time by placing eighth in 31.20; while in the 100
backstroke John Parent was third with a 1:17.93 time.

Parent missed an `A' time by .01 seconds in the 50 free
while finishing ninth, and also earned `B' times in the 100
freestyle, 100 butterfly and both the 100 and 200 medleys
with fourth place finishes; and in the 200 free and 100
breaststroke, where he was sixth. Quintana placed fifth in
the 200 free and ninth in the 100 backstroke in his other
two races, while Key was 10th in the 100 medley and 12th in
the 200 freestyle.

In the boys' eight and under division, Trey Eichorst was
10th, Joshua Elliott 11th and Michael Wein 12th in the 25
yard freestyle. Swimming in the 10 and under division, Wein
was 17th and Elliott 18th in the 50 free, while Matt Elliott
was ninth in the 100 medley, and 13th in the 50 backstroke
and the 50 free; Gabriel Natividad was 10th in the 50 free
and the 50 backstroke; and Roger Quintana was 11th in the 50
back and 12th in the 50 free.

In the 13-14 division, Patrick McChesney took third in the
200 breaststroke, fourth in the 200 backstroke and fifth in
both the 50 and 100 freestyles.

Pecos had only two relays on the day, with McChensey, Key,
Parent and Daniel Quintana finishing second in the senior
200 medley relay, while Shaw, Sara Wein, Catherine Minjarez
and Teddie Salcido were second in that race in the girls' 10
and under division.

Cowboys turn over Thanksgiving to Oilers

By DENNE H. FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas, Nov. 28 -- The Oilers may not be in Texas
anymore, but they still know how to sour a Dallas Cowboys
season.

Tennessee beat Dallas 27-14 on Thursday to put the Cowboys
in danger of missing the NFL playoffs for the first time in
seven seasons.

It was the third time the franchise had beaten the Cowboys
on Thanksgiving day.

The Oilers now have beaten four NFC East teams this year,
including the New York Giants, Washington and Arizona.

The Oilers (7-6) intercepted Troy Aikman three times and
returned a fumble for a touchdown. They also recovered
another fumble that killed a Dallas drive on the 1-yard
line.

``We haven't played well all season long,'' Aikman said. ``I
think we have the talent, and the effort has been there.
Mistakes keep killing us.''

The five-time NFC East champions dropped to 6-7.

Darryll Lewis intercepted two passes and jarred the ball
loose from Eric Bjornson, allowing Marcus Robertson a
42-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Robertson also
intercepted a pass as Tennessee produced five turnovers
against the mistake-prone Cowboys.

Dallas coach Barry Switzer called the game ``an
embarrassment.''

``You can't beat anybody if you have five turnovers,'' he
said. ``I don't know if we can get into the playoffs now. I
don't want to figure that out right now. Does 9-6 get in
there? I don't know. We have 10 days (Carolina on Dec. 8),
and we'll see if we can get our wounded well.''

Switzer said the Cowboys won't just go through the motions.

``Nobody quits on this team because it has been places no
other team has ever been,'' he said of Dallas' three Super
Bowl titles in the 1990s.

Aikman, who took a muscle relaxant to calm back spasms
incurred during warmups, was unusually wild. Entering
Thursday's game, he was the second-least intercepted passer
in the NFL.

But he refused to make excuses.

``I don't attribute that (the spasms) to the
interceptions,'' Aikman said. ``However, in the locker room,
they did grab me good and locked me up.''

Robertson picked off Aikman's pass into double coverage
intended for Stepfret Williams and returned the ball 48
yards before Aikman hustled over to knock him out of bounds
at the Dallas 11.

``That interception got the fire and the momentum going for
us,'' Lewis said. ``We got rolling for there. We proved
we're a defense capable of making big plays.''

The Oilers scored on a fourth-down play when Steve McNair
rolled out and hit center-guard Erik Norgard, who had
reported in as a tight end, from 2 yards out. It was
Norgard's second career touchdown.

``I didn't have time to think. I just reacted,'' Norgard
said. ``I knew I would be open.''

With the ball back, Aikman remained off-target, and Lewis
picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards to the Dallas 1,
drawing boos from the Texas Stadium crowd. McNair then
scored on a sneak for a 14-0 Tennessee lead.

Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said the game-plan was to blitz
Aikman into mistakes.

``We got pressure on the quarterback, and every time I
looked up I saw Troy getting off the ground,'' Fisher said.
``We had some big plays on defense that really helped us. We
talked about what we had to do and we went out and did it.
''

Aikman hit Michael Irvin with a 19-yard touchdown pass on an
81-yard drive in which the quarterback was 4-of-4 for 78
yards. He also hit Irvin with a 37-yard touchdown pass in
the third quarter.

After Al Del Greco's 29-yard field goal made it 17-7, the
Oilers struck with another turnover. Bjornson caught
Aikman's 10-yard pass but fumbled, and Robertson returned it
42 yards for the score.

Injuries also hounded the Cowboys. Cornerback Deion Sanders
suffered a fractured right rib when he was tackled on a punt
return in the second period. Running back Emmitt Smith
suffered a bruised shoulder in the third period and didn't
return. Smith gained only 22 yards on 10 carries.

Robertson sprained an ankle in the second half and didn't
return.

The final Dallas foul-up was a lost fumble by Sherman
Williams on the Tennessee 1-yard line with 4:11 to play.
Williams was hit by Rayna Stewart, and James Roberson
recovered to kill off all hopes of a Dallas comeback.

The Cowboys have three games left and trail the New York
Giants (7-4-1) and Washington (6-5-1) in the NFC East.

``It's a real long shot for us to make the playoffs now,''
Aikman said.

The Oilers trail Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, both 8-4, in
the AFC Central.

``We're still in the race,'' Fisher said. ``We need to keep
winning. Next up is Cincinnati. Nobody knows who we are but
we had a big win in front of the entire country. It gave us
a chance to showcase our players. Maybe more people know
about our team now.''

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