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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Friday, August 21, 1998
Eagles, Loboes set to scrimmage
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Aug. 21 -- What's the difference between a
Pecos-Monahans football game and a Pecos-Monahans scrimmage?
Fans are going to find out tonight, as for the first time in
over half a century, the teams' rivalry has been cut back
from a regular season matchup to a preseason contest.
The Eagles and Loboes will scrimmage each other at Eagle
Stadium, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the freshman and junior
varsity squads. Eagles' coach Dan Swaim said the varsity
teams will begin their scrimmage about 7 p.m.
"We'll go 20 plays in the first series, 15 in the second and
then about a quarter under game conditions," said Swaim,
who'll make his debut as Eagles head coach tonight, after
two seasons as an assistant under Mike Belew. "If we decide
we need some more work and need to get some more plays in,
we will."
After years as district rivals, Monahans and Pecos played
non-district games the past two seasons, after the Loboes
dropped down to Class 3A in 1996. they made the playoffs
each of the past two years, but three of their district
rivals are now members of Pecos' District 2-4A, and the
Loboes are expected to battle Crane for the District 4-3A
title.
The Eagles are favored to win this year's 2-4A title, but
going into tonight's scrimmage, Swaim said there are still
several areas he and the other Pecos coaches will be looking
at.
"We need to solidify the defensive tackles and linebackers
and we have questions on the offensive line we need to get
answered tomorrow," Swain said on Thursday. "The secondary
is pretty much set, along with Alonzo (Valencia) and Joe
Robert (Lara), but those are the only ones right now. The
rest of the positions are up for grabs."
On offense, Oscar Luna will start at quarterback, after
leading the team in pass receiving a year ago. Luna was
Pecos' back-up quarterback as well the past two years, and
he'll be joined in the backfield by a several other
returning players.
"Hector (Garcia) and Mark (Abila) will be in the backfield,
and Len Carson is going to get some playing time," Swaim
said. "So will (Joseph) Torres and (Jacob) Esparza."
One other returning back, senior Lucio Flores, is also just
returning from competing with other Texas runners in an
All-Star high school track meet in Denmark."Lucio will
probably get some reps, but he's got some catching up to do,
because he's behind."
The JV and freshman scrimmages will be run at either end of
the Eagle Stadium field, with series starting at the 40-yard
line, similar to the scrimmages Pecos and Crane ran a year
ago. Swaim said the first units for both teams will go for
20 plays, followed by 15-play series with the second team.
The Eagles' final preseason scrimmage was scheduled for
Greenwood next Friday, but althetic director Bubba Williams
said today it had been moved to Pecos, due to problems with
the Rangers' field.
Eagles drop first match in Odessa
ODESSA, Aug. 21 -- The Ector County ISD Volleyball
Tournament got off to a rough start this morning for the
Pecos Eagles, as they dropped the first of their three pool
round matches today, 15-4, 15-7 to the Midland High
Bulldogs.
"We played something like we did against Alpine," said
Eagles' coach Becky Granado. "We hustled at times, but then
we stopped playing. We'd kill the shot them make a mistake
and give them back the serve."
Granado said Pecos' two main problems in Monday's split
with Alpine and Odessa High -- serving and passing --
improved today, but the Eagles' hitters had problems with
Midland High's front line.
"We were hitting it into their big girls, and they were
covering our other shots. Hopefully, our girls will learn
from this and will start to go around the blocks."
The Eagles' two other pool round matches are this afternoon
against Lamesa and El Paso Coronado. "I'm sure Lamesa is
going to be tough than Midland," said Granado, who plans to
go with the same lineup as this morning against the Bulldogs.
The Eagles will probably need a split with Lamesa and a win
over Coronado to reach the championship quarterfinals on
Saturday at Odessa High, starting at either 9:30 or 11 a.m.
If Pecos ends up in the consolation bracket, their
quarterfinal match would be at either 8 or 9:30 a.m.
On Thursday, Pecos' freshman volleyball teams both were
able to earn berths in the championship round of the
Monahans Sandhills Tournament.
Coach Lily Talamantez said the purple team split in their
two pool round matches, losing to Kermit 15-9, then winning
15-8,. and splitting a 12-15, 15-14 decision against Crane.
The gold team won a tie-breaker over Fort Stockton for the
second place berth in their pool, splitting with the
Prowlers, 15-9, 14-15 before losing to Monhaans' green team,
10-15, 6-15.
The purple team will face Monahans green in their
quarterfinal match on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., while
the gold team takes on Crane in a 1 p.m. contest.
Local 4-H hosts youth rodeo
PECOS, Aug. 21 -- About 200 contestants are scheduled to
compete tonight and Saturday in a youth rodeo, sponsored by
the Reeves-Loving 4-H Club, at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena.
Admission to the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m. both
days, is $2 for adults, while children 12 and under are
free, according to Annis Rasberry, one of the parental
coordinators of the rodeo.
"Along with the other events, we'll have No. 9 team roping
after Friday night's show," said Rasberry, who added there
will be 15 local entries in the field of 200 contestants.
"We've got entries from Carlsbad, Artesia and Hobbs, N.M.,
along with Midland, Odessa, Monahans, Wink and Fort
Stockton," she said. "Roy Cooper's son is even entered in
this," Rasberry added, referring to the Professional Rodeo
Cowboys Association calf roping champion who performed in
the West of the Pecos Rodeo last month.
The rodeo is one of the first in the 1998-99 junior rodeo
season, which will run through the state competition next
June.
McGwire gets double shot in doubleheader
NEW YORK, Aug. 21 (AP) -- Now, even Mark McGwire is talking
about Roger Maris.
All season, McGwire said no one should start worrying about
Maris' mark of 61 home runs until someone reached 50 by
Sept. 1.
McGwire hit No. 50 Thursday night in the first game of a
doubleheader, then hit No. 51 in the second game as the St.
Louis Cardinals split with the New York Mets.
``I'd have to say that I do have a shot,'' he said. ``But I
know it's going to be tough.''
McGwire became the first player to hit at least 50 homers in
three straight seasons. Only Babe Ruth (1920-21 and 1927-28)
and McGwire, who 52 in 1996 and 58 last year, did it twice
in a row.
``To be the first player to do it three consecutive years,
you go back through the thousands of power hitters who
played this game and nobody's ever done it,'' he said. ``And
now I can sit here and say I'm the first player to do it.
I'm pretty proud of it.''
McGwire hit No. 50 off Willie Blair in the seventh inning of
the opener, a 2-0 win for the Cardinals. He hit No. 51 off
Rick Reed in the first inning of the second game, a 5-4 loss
at Shea Stadium.
Earlier this season, McGwire hit his 400th career homer at
Shea off Reed.
McGwire pumped his right fist as he rounded first base, and
the crowd of 40,308 greeted him with a rousing standing
ovation.
``I have to thank the fans here in New York,'' he said. ``It
was tremendous, I'm mean, wow, what a reception. They were
rooting me on.''
McGwire wanted to get the ball from his 50th homer to give
to the Hall of Fame. But the fan who caught it, 31-year-old
Mike Scelsi of Yonkers, N.Y., wouldn't give it up.
``The sad thing is that all these balls will be held up for
ransom, it's sad,'' McGwire said. ``I would like to have
it.''
McGwire became the sixth NL player to hit 50 in a season and
first since George Foster hit 52 in 1977 for Cincinnati.
Giants lose Sehorn as Jets rally for win
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Aug. 21 (AP) -- Special teams wrecked
the New York Giants against the New York Jets. Really
wrecked them.
The Giants lost star cornerback Jason Sehorn for the season
with a knee injury while returning the opening kickoff, and
Leon Johnson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown as the
Jets rallied for a 27-23 preseason victory Thursday night.
Vinny Testaverde capped a third-quarter rally from a
10-point deficit by hitting Dedric Ward with an 81-yard
scoring pass play for the Jets (2-1), but the staggering
setback for the Giants (1-2) was the loss of Sehorn.
The five-year veteran emerged as one of the NFL's premier
corners last season, using his size, speed and athleticism
to neutralize any opposing receiver.
That wasn't good enough, though. When the Giants struggled
with kickoff returns, he asked coach Jim Fassel to take over
the job.
Fassel let Sehorn practice returns last year and in training
camp last month, but he didn't let him return one until the
opening kickoff Thursday night.
Thirty-three yards later, Jets safety Chris Hayes hit
Sehorn, causing a fumble. As the ball lay on the grass
field, it was clear Sehorn was hurt. He limped to the
sideline and examinations revealed tears in the anterior
cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee.
An MRI was scheduled for today. Reconstructive knee surgery
will be done within 10 days.
Sehorn said someone fell on his leg and there was a popping
sound in his knee after that. He insisted he had no regrets
after the game.
``...I can't get upset about it and ask why?'' he said. ``I
got hurt. I play the game of football, the risk is out there
and I got hurt.''
Sehorn, who hobbled into the postgame news conference
without the benefit of crutches, said he felt worse for
Fassel, who spent most of his time before the media
answering questions about using Sehorn as a returner.
Fassel defended his decision, saying it gave his team the
best chance to win.
``As a coach you can look back all the time to calls in the
game, who you cut and who you kept and those things and
drive yourself crazy second-guessing yourself,'' Fassel
said. ``Jason wanted to do it and the things were in
place.''
Hayes also seemed more upset than Sehorn, who led the Giants
with six interceptions last year.
``I went down and hit him and saw the ball came loose,''
Hayes said. ``I hate the fact Jason got hurt that takes away
from everything. I'm going to pray for him tonight.''
Still, Giants players were upset with the loss, particularly
the defensive players. Defensive end Michael Strahan
appeared ready to cry talking about Sehorn.
``He was the guy that if anything, you didn't want to lose
him,'' Strahan said. ``I'm still in shock. I could cry
myself. His spirits are good, but it's part of the game, a
freakin' evil part.''
The game itself was good, particularly with both teams
coming off embarrassing losses the week before.
The Jets gained 383 yards, with Glenn Foley and Testaverde
both looking good at quarterback.
Foley completed 14 of 22 passes for 192 yards, including a
3-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet after Sehorn's
fumble. Curtis Martin also scored on a 14-yard run in the
opening half as the Giants built a 17-13 lead.
Danny Kanell has one of his best games for the Giants,
hitting 16 of 25 passes for 156 yards. Ike Hilliard had his
best game, catching seven passes for 74 yards after he had
to leave practice with tingling in his back earlier this
week.
Tiki Barber and Greg Comella each scored on 1-yard runs, and
Brad Daluiso kicked a 33-yard field goal as the Giants took
a 17-13 halftime lead.
A poor pass by Foley resulted in a 42-yard interception
return for a touchdown by safety Percy Ellsworth early in
the third quarter, pushing the lead to 23-13.
Johnson's punt return just three minutes later got the Jets
back in the game and Testaverde (7-of-12 for 133) threaded a
nice pass over rookie safety Shaun Williams to send Ward
away on the game winner.
``We all feel bad for Jason,'' Fassel said. ``But we had a
number of injuries last year and we were able to pick it up.
We have to do the same this year.''
Angels host `Pecos Nights' today, Saturday
MIDLAND, Aug. 21 -- The Midland Angels will be hosting the
San Antonio Missions during "Pecos Community Nights" tonight
and Saturday at Christensen Stadium in Midland.
The games are part of the Angels' final homestand of the
1998 season. They'll take on the Missions in a single game
tonight, starting at 7 p.m., and will play a doubleheader
Saturday evening, with the first game set to begin at 6 p.m.
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
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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
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Pecos Enterprise